Internet providers in San Antonio (merged threads) (Austin, West: apartment complexes, homes)

[resonator]

I'm right at 2 miles of copper on the way to the fiber node. Stoneoak
Uverse folks had to add a 2nd dsl copper line to get reliable service from my house to the node.


Speed is 20-30, mostly 20mb/s.


Router/gateway reboots itself at least 3 times a day.



Not happy, costs a lot with full TV subscription, but neighbors say Spectrum is worse.

[miche111e]

Originally Posted by resonator

I'm right at 2 miles of copper on the way to the fiber node. Stoneoak
Uverse folks had to add a 2nd dsl copper line to get reliable service from my house to the node.


Speed is 20-30, mostly 20mb/s.


Router/gateway reboots itself at least 3 times a day.



Not happy, costs a lot with full TV subscription, but neighbors say Spectrum is worse.

Thanks for the feedback.
We called about Google fiber but they aren’t in our neighborhood, yet. Or at least our address. We aren’t a huge gaming family, but we have 2 teens who do occasionally play and watch streaming shows.

[CaptSisko1]

Originally Posted by ged_782

Fiber doesn't have the distance from the node service limitations that the Uverse fiber/copper service had, which is why they can offer 1 gigabit speeds.


Fiber to the premises can do a lot better than 25mbps. If AT&T doesn't have it there yet, I imagine they will shortly, as they have been trying to beat Google to the finish line, which has already started rolling out their 1 gigabit internet in some areas of San Antonio. Google's sole offering in San Antonio is 1 gigabit internet for $55/month. Google is only offering that one speed tier, and is not offering bundled services in this market.

and I would add (from a technical/future point of view) that, given the choice between regular cable and fiber - when the prices are comparable, ALWAYS pick fiber. Regular cable (copper) installs have speed and distance limitations that will, sooner or later, cause you the frustration a lot of users experience. Always seek out the best FIBER deals for your apartment or home - and do everything you can to move away from bundling. Why? Because the future of entertainment is streaming services on the Internet, ideally on nice, stable, affordable fiber connections. You've heard the phrase, "cut your cable" - well, that's what I'm talking about. If you can find a local vendor (AT&T or Google) who can get you fiber connections, GO FOR IT. And the DEFAULT speed offered is usually 1GB (that's a GIGabit speed, which is orders of magnitudes faster than what they offer on cable). Fiber customers (especially the first groups of users in a new area deployed by a local vendor) see speed levels MUCH faster than 25, 50, or even 100MB; which means that, if you run your business from home, or have kids, you WANT EVERY BIT of speed you can afford. And, if you like to watch streaming services or movies online, fiber is ALWAYS preferred (and technically superior) to anything else they'll run out to your apartment or house.

You'll have fewer equipment needs or changeovers with fiber, too, because the connection hardware is different than cable, and doesn't need to be changed much unless there is a serious problem. Copper connections are much more susceptible to more problems - and, if you're SHARING a connection with other units, houses, or if you have a bunch of kids all wanting to play games online at the same time, you will NOT be happy.

Make the investment if it's affordable, do your homework (status of fiber deployments, what else is appearing in your area/neighborhood, and your expected needs), and hold out for the BEST fiber deals you can possibly get. Don't be afraid to negotiate, and try to avoid "bundled" services wherever possible (this is how Comcast and others stay in business). Move away from your TV/entertainment services coming in over cable; instead, check out streaming services online, and make plans to use them for entertainment. Trust me - it's the FUTURE. Comcast is NOT the future; but, they KNOW that fiber WILL cut more and more into their existing business model...and will charge you accordingly, in order to stem their losses. DON'T help them; get your entertainment from streaming services ASAP.

This advice comes from a network engineer, who's spent 20+ years building networks that use all types of links and connection types. YOU. WANT. FIBER. IF. YOU. CAN. AFFORD. IT. When you get it, move to streaming services like NetFlix or whatever works best for you.

[Birdman03]

I have seen various threads discussing preferred Internet and TV providers in San Antonio. Most are a bit short on specifics and often devolve quickly to "cut the cord" recommendations.

In my case I recently moved to a new development in the Alamo Ranch area and was looking to subscribe to TV and Internet service similar to what I had in Houston from Comcast Xfinity, but at lower cost. I chose ATT U-verse because I did not want any type of satellite set-up and I don't know enough about Spectrum to trust them.

For those of you considering something similar, here is a list of facts and actual costs based on my first month of experience.

Internet - it is 100% fiber optic and I have the Internet 100 package for $40/month. I just ran a SpeedTest on this laptop. For wireless connection it was 51 mbps download/33 mbps upload. Speeds are higher on a desktop PC in another room with a wired connection. There is an unlimited data allowance. ATT provides the router unit at no charge.

Televisions - I have one wired receiver box for main TV and one wireless box for bedroom TV. Monthly rental for the second receiver is $10. There is full DVR capability in both receivers.

Programming - I have the U200 package for $60/month. Cost will go to $102/month after the first year. The HD channel list is extensive. HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax are not included but I added them because of their superior content and lack of commercials. Cost is about $29/month.

There have been two significant outages of 5-10 minutes in the first 5 weeks. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the service being provided and the cost. To summarize:

-Fiber optic internet with 50-100 mbps download speeds
-Two TVs activated with whole-house DVR
-Extensive HD channel list

Total cost including tax and surcharges (but excluding add-on premium channels) is $110/month now and $160/month after the first year.

[resonator]

Had crappy service (outages, weak sig) on U-verse. They said upgrade to U-300 and then they redid the data connection.
The mother ship, fiber junction, is at the 2 mile limit. I'm in the middle of the Stone Oak burbs.

Much better now, running on 2 dsl pairs. But max download I get is 28 and keeping it from dropping to 9 or 10 requires a reboot of both in-house boxes ((router/gateway) monthly

It is crazy expensive since I never watch the movie channels which are required as part of U300.

[Pancho-Villa]

Yes, it's beyond me why people pay $100+ for TV.

[Birdman03]

Originally Posted by resonator

Had crappy service (outages, weak sig) on U-verse. They said upgrade to U-300 and then they redid the data connection.
The mother ship, fiber junction, is at the 2 mile limit. I'm in the middle of the Stone Oak burbs.

Much better now, running on 2 dsl pairs. But max download I get is 28 and keeping it from dropping to 9 or 10 requires a reboot of both in-house boxes ((router/gateway) monthly

It is crazy expensive since I never watch the movie channels which are required as part of U300.

Max download speed of 28 mbps is disappointing especially if you have the Internet 100 service. Does ATT suggest re-booting the router and gateway as a fix for slow data rates?

I am surprised they recommended upgrading to U300 as a solution, it just gave you more channels unless I am missing something.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by Birdman03

I am surprised they recommended upgrading to U300 as a solution, it just gave you more channels unless I am missing something.

You aren't missing anything. U300 just has more channels than U200.


I did have the same problems as resonator, when I tried U-verse (U200 & internet) a few years ago. Intermittent outages and slow sync. The techs told me I was at 3000' from the node, which was maximum approximate distance for service at the time, which was just prior to the pair-bonding rollout. They kept trying to stabilize the service for me but never could, so I eventually dropped them.


I found out a neighbor two doors down from me had tried to get U-verse just before I did, but was denied, because it failed the signal test. AT&T added fiber optic service to my block last year, to include up to 1 gigabit internet speed, but I haven't tried that service.

[resonator]

My upgrade from the U200 to U300 did require working in the back yard box to redirect to a different node.
Overall things have been better, before the switch it seems that monthly some ATT tech would appropriate my connection and give it to someone having trouble or a new customer and mine would go dark.

The easiest way to reboot everything is via the ATT Uverse troubleshooting web site.

[miche111e]

Originally Posted by Birdman03

I have seen various threads discussing preferred Internet and TV providers in San Antonio. Most are a bit short on specifics and often devolve quickly to "cut the cord" recommendations.

In my case I recently moved to a new development in the Alamo Ranch area and was looking to subscribe to TV and Internet service similar to what I had in Houston from Comcast Xfinity, but at lower cost. I chose ATT U-verse because I did not want any type of satellite set-up and I don't know enough about Spectrum to trust them.

For those of you considering something similar, here is a list of facts and actual costs based on my first month of experience.

Internet - it is 100% fiber optic and I have the Internet 100 package for $40/month. I just ran a SpeedTest on this laptop. For wireless connection it was 51 mbps download/33 mbps upload. Speeds are higher on a desktop PC in another room with a wired connection. There is an unlimited data allowance. ATT provides the router unit at no charge.

Televisions - I have one wired receiver box for main TV and one wireless box for bedroom TV. Monthly rental for the second receiver is $10. There is full DVR capability in both receivers.

Programming - I have the U200 package for $60/month. Cost will go to $102/month after the first year. The HD channel list is extensive. HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax are not included but I added them because of their superior content and lack of commercials. Cost is about $29/month.

There have been two significant outages of 5-10 minutes in the first 5 weeks. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the service being provided and the cost. To summarize:

-Fiber optic internet with 50-100 mbps download speeds
-Two TVs activated with whole-house DVR
-Extensive HD channel list

Total cost including tax and surcharges (but excluding add-on premium channels) is $110/month now and $160/month after the first year.

Our first time in SA, we had ATT with fiber.

This time our neighborhood doesn’t have fiber. HUGE DIFFERENCE. :/