phone and broad band providers in Durham?

[layyze]

Originally Posted by mia78

You get what you pay for. I'll take $45 and absolutely NO 'internet going out' periodically any day. I also have DSL so I'm stuck with their landline. Cable internet is faster, but in this area, it is more unreliable as per the claims of many people I know both online and off.

You shouldn't be stuck with a Verizon landline if you have DSL. You can get "naked" DSL in this area.



On another note - when one compare broadband packages, make sure that you compare apples to apples. TWC's flagship broadband service (7M down) is faster than Verizon's flagship broadband (3M down), but Verizon does offer a 7M service. Going through CNET's broadband speed tester, the TWC 7M service and the Verizon 7M service both got approximately the same speed ratings. Both cable and DSL can offer faster speeds than what is sold, but they are capped at the bandwidth that you pay for so that you never come close to the theoretical limit of either service.

DSL is not inherently slower than cable on the practical residential level. The difference in speed of service for comparable services (7M to 7M) is going to depend on local usage (do you live next to a movie pirate?), quality of the network (has the company kept up with upgrades?), and distance to the Telco's CO.

As for the phones, two other options to consider are (1) T-Mobile's VOIP service that ties into the cell phone service and (2) a phone system that rings off of your cell via bluetooth.

[Wisertime]

You can get Vonage for $20/mo after taxes /fees. You get 500 minutes, which for me is much more than I need. TWC has good broadband, but their service is terrible and expensive for cable tv (and they give you less over time). The new DVR service was "downgraded" in the past year to a slower, dumber browser on digital service. They charge you for every little thing. I wish there was more competition.

[mia78]

Originally Posted by layyze

You shouldn't be stuck with a Verizon landline if you have DSL. You can get "naked" DSL in this area.



On another note - when one compare broadband packages, make sure that you compare apples to apples. TWC's flagship broadband service (7M down) is faster than Verizon's flagship broadband (3M down), but Verizon does offer a 7M service. Going through CNET's broadband speed tester, the TWC 7M service and the Verizon 7M service both got approximately the same speed ratings. Both cable and DSL can offer faster speeds than what is sold, but they are capped at the bandwidth that you pay for so that you never come close to the theoretical limit of either service.

DSL is not inherently slower than cable on the practical residential level. The difference in speed of service for comparable services (7M to 7M) is going to depend on local usage (do you live next to a movie pirate?), quality of the network (has the company kept up with upgrades?), and distance to the Telco's CO.

As for the phones, two other options to consider are (1) T-Mobile's VOIP service that ties into the cell phone service and (2) a phone system that rings off of your cell via bluetooth.

Thanks for the info on 'naked dsl'. I never heard of it till now. Will google.....

[brightmidnight]

Phone-wise, I would go with Lingo (VOIP service far superior to Vonage). There are less expensive plans, but for $25 a month total, I get unlimited nationwide calling and unlimited international calling to landlines in Western Europe and many other countries. It absolutely can't be beat. Vonage spends its money on advertising.