I want to use my response to your email to address these issues. The issues you describe are fairly common and can be fixed. I've had the unique opportunity to use all three of the internet connect types that you describe and I have worked for a major dialup ISP (in the form of a major University) and a cable high speed internet company.
On Mar 10, 2004, at 10:36 AM, Nicole Benn wrote:
I need (ok, want) broadband internet access. My dialup has until now been sufficient; unfortunately, in my current apartment, the line quality is bad and I suffer from poor connections speeds (actually got 1200 on my 56K one day ACK!!!) and very uneven performance. But, I've run into a couple of problems with conventional broadband:
There is one major factor on a phone line that can dramatically affect connection speed. Static. Static on the line will slow down a connection or make it so you get kicked off frequently. Most of the time static can be fixed by the phone company. Sometimes you will not be able to hear the static on the line, as it may be traveling on a frequency the human ear can't hear (but the modem can hear). I had static on my lines in my condo and the repair guy told me it was water on the lines. As soon as he fixed them, my connection was back to perfect (my old dialup account I used to stay connected for days at a time).
One key piece to this puzzle is how you present this info the phone company. Don't tell them it's a "data line." They want to charge more for a data line (which is totally bogus) and if you tell them you are using a "voice" line for a data connection they will hit you with, "well, we don't guarantee connection with a voice line." They may also hit you with, "well, you don't have the phone line protection plan and it'll cost $1 million dollars/hr if we have to come into the house." The problem area is not usually inside the home (although it can be if the lines are crossed in the jack) so don't let this throw you.
1. The cable signal coming in to my building is very poor - the cable modem was able to get an intermittent signal maybe 4 times in the week and a half that I had it.
Cable signal can also be fixed. It's similar in basic premise to the phone line problems I describe above. I currently work for a major cable provider as technical support. If you can't stay connected consistently, and I can't say this enough: Call Them. Call them every time it goes out. We can check the status of the connection. We can see if it's down. I have to admit and intermittent connection can sometimes be a bear to fix (for both the technicians and the customer) but they ARE fixable. I've talked to people who've had 3 or 4 visits before it gets fixed. That is a worst-case scenario. But it does get fixed. Not sure who your provider is, but our service calls are no charge. You have nothing to loose. The signal can be affected by bad splitters, bad cable, or some piece of equipment on the line between your house and the device broadcasting the signal. So, give them a call.
2. I don't use one of the baby bells for phone service, so I'm not able to get DSL - the local BB will only allow other ISPs to lease their lines to provide broadband internet service to the BB's phone customers; AND the BB only provides DSL to its phone customers.
Cable is faster than DSL anyway. And, I've talked to "switchers" at work who came to cable after having a nightmare with their DSL.
Any suggestions on getting around this? I thought maybe some type of wireless - but from what I can see that isn't possible. Or is it?
Someone mentioned DirectWay satellite. I did some consulting work on a G5 running this connection. It does indeed work fairly well. It's slower than cable. However, the biggest problem is that it costs him about $600 for the equipment and setup.
BTW, I'm own a B&W G3.
Me too! And I have cable with a wireless router and two wired computers and two wireless. Only had the cable "go down" a couple of times for maintenance.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
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