Verizon DSL and connect problem/recommend new company? (Avoca: house, live)

[sunniaz]

Does anyone have trouble with verizon dsl connection? It looses signal? I had the tech come out and they said to drop my speed from 3k speed to 1.5k and still loosing signal. Any idea's? Would anybody reccomend another company that is good in the nepa area?

[Avoca resident]

Originally Posted by sunniaz

Does anyone have trouble with verizon dsl connection? It looses signal? I had the tech come out and they said to drop my speed from 3k speed to 1.5k and still loosing signal. Any idea's? Would anybody reccomend another company that is good in the nepa area?

Depending where you live, your only other option would be cable.

[jimazee]

Originally Posted by Avoca resident

Depending where you live, your only other option would be cable.

(I am not an expert here...but maybe others will expand/comment)

I think you may be either too far from local POP (point of presence...they may call it 'central office' IIRC) or the wires/infrastructure to your house is poor. DSL is sensitive to both length and quality of the infrastructure/network (in the street and to/in the house) connection.

Do you know any neighbors with/without the same problem? This would help isolate it. Did the tech suggest reasons/solutions?

Cable is probably the only alternative. Whoever services the area you are in.

[sunniaz]

I will ask neighbors. The Verizon tech said the wires are old outside and they are not willing to change them & I'm to far from POP.
Is cable really good for connection? What company provides cable in the area? Also will that be high speed like DSL?
Thanks

[jimazee]

Originally Posted by sunniaz

I will ask neighbors. The Verizon tech said the wires are old outside and they are not willing to change them & I'm to far from POP.
Is cable really good for connection? What company provides cable in the area? Also will that be high speed like DSL?
Thanks

We have no idea who provides cable to your area/house. Sometimes if you are out too far maybe no one. Since you are 'too far from POP'. it hints that you are out a bit. Distance to Telco POP has nothing to do with cable potential. Different wires.

Cable can be very fast...but as to what you can get at your house...just as with DSL (and a lot of other things) "It Depends".

Ask your neighbors or call cable companies.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by sunniaz

.
Is cable really good for connection? What company provides cable in the area? Also will that be high speed like DSL?
Thanks

Cable will be a lot faster than what you're getting now.

You can test speeds here:
Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test

This is what I get with Comcast cable and I have their cheapest plan.

[mathjak107]

we dropped verizon after many attempts to find out why we kept losing the internet connection failed.

it was like the packet thats send with your ID and access codes would get lost in the transmission.

went with cable and its been flawless.

[quiet life]

Cable is the ticket. I had Verizon DSL in NJ. I had the same problems. Everyone told me to switch to cable but I was reluctant. When I moved to NEPA, I jumped on the cable wagon and haven't missed a beat.

[fisheye]

I dropped Verizon last year because I tried to add more services. I had requested a bundle from them and they sent my modem to the wrong address - then tried to bill us. They finally acknowledged they sent it to wrong address. But; the whole experience was very exasperating and I told them where they could take all of their equipment. I think they have an outsourced billing department? All I do know is that I spent a lot of time trying to fix the problems that they created and they gave me a very hard time.

I now have Blue Ridge Cable where I am located. That is for TV, high speed internet and phone. I have no idea where you are located or what choices you have available. I am also thinking of maybe other alternatives (especially for TV and phone). TV really gets me angry because there are very few stations that I really want to watch.

[jimazee]

On the general topic of DSL vs, cable I want to make a point or three . I am not endorsing DSL over cable, because under best conditions, cable will be faster, but often the difference in what you get in the home doesn't matter unless you have many computers doing heavy communications. (It like comparing the top speed of two cars that are used to drive to church and the supermarket). I have used both services with good results. A point of note is that in some cases DSL it is all that is available, notably in rural areas. In fact many people who use satellite for Internet would love to have DSL service.

DSL can be very good even out in the 'country'. A lot depends on the local infrastructure. Working well, it is sufficient for HD video and other high bandwidth home uses. The OPs problem is an example of a local problem, not a totally bad technology.

Frontier Communications is a carrier that specializes in providing telephone/Internet service to small cities and rural areas across the country, including some parts of NEPA. I know people in NEPA who regard their DSL service as good, both for speed and reliability.

As to 'problems', in many cases connection problems are very local. They can be at (one or more of) the local hub/server/POP, wires and connections along the street, connection to the home, or even in the home. Things as simple as in-house wires and connectors can cause big problems. This is true for any service, regardless of the delivery technology (cable, DSL, satellite). Good local service will resolve many of these. Because of the intermittent nature and sometimes even weather related problems, it can take a few repair calls, and failures can reoccur over time. To get resolution the customer sometimes must be persistent in reporting them if they reoccur, especially if they are not able/prepared to switch providers. (Remember some folks don't have a choice, or they may prefer the 'package' deal they are on.) It sounds like the OP has tried.

DSL service in rural areas (when available) often runs on older lines etc. compared to cable, which may have been installed more recently. Companies like Frontier are gradually upgrading local lines/connections to improve speed and reliability. This can make a big difference. I think Verizon's business strategy is more city centric. They are not geared for nor really interested in investing in the 'fringe areas'. In fact I think companies like Frontier are gradually obtaining some of these areas from Verizon.

I only dealt with Verizon a couple times (suburban not rural), and although there were a couple early bumps, overall the results were OK. No matter who you deal with you are exposed to billing and service issues and frustrating customer service. One of the most annoying things is when you have no, or limited, choices on who you can use. IIRC, this is inherent in the way these businesses are run in the US.

Per the OP, if Verizon can only provide 1.5mbs that isn't very good by today's standards. The attitude of "that is all they will do" stinks, but is no surprise, given their business strategy. My experience with their customer service was just so-so, as often happens with big companies and central support centers, often out of the country (I don't know where Verizon's are). Unfortunately, it sounds like the OP may be stuck with them unless cable is an option. If it is, it is probably the best for him if 1.5mbs isn't good enough for his use.