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View Full Version : Anyone switch from DSL to cable modem or vice versa?



BGHD
04-29-2007, 07:27 AM
My Verizon DSL modem's on the fritz and they're refusing to replace it, so am thinking it might be a good time to change to cable modem. Anyone switch and notice a difference?

bikeman
04-29-2007, 07:59 AM
DSL is just too slow for me. When FIOS becomes available in my area, I'll ditch Road Runner (cable) if the price of FIOS isn't prohibitive by then. If speed is important, cable is the way to go (over DSL).

David

curtis
04-29-2007, 08:26 AM
In my area, internet service over cable provides faster speeds than DSL and seems to be more reliable, but it is also more expensive.

I have had FiOS service now for 6 months or so, and it has been great! Speeds are unmatched by cable. I am currently getting 15mb/s download speeds and 2mb/s upload. That is approximately 3 times and 8 times better than cable....on top of that, $4 cheaper per month! Reliability has been excellent, not a single problem that I can recall since I have had it.

The speed increase is not noticeable on a lot of stuff, especially if you only have one computer connected to the net. Sometimes we have three computers connected, and the fatter pipe really helps. For me, the biggest help is the upload speeds, especially when I upload pictures to my photo hosting service.

The only down side is the DVR software for the TV service. It works, but it is just not as polished as Dish or TiVo. Picture quality is excellent though.

drewface
04-29-2007, 09:39 AM
hey curtis,

my family has been thinking about switching to verizon fios from cable, mainly due to it being a little cheaper than what we currently have. i've been trying to do some reading on it to see how the whole installation works, but verizon's site is kind of vague. hopefully you can answer a couple questions for me.

first, the site says they install a free wireless router to use in your home with the fios service. they will set up one computer for free, but you have to pay like $75 extra to have other computers set up with the software or something. i'm sort of a techy, so i when i installed our current wireless router, i skipped the software install and did all the setup through the router's web interface. is the software they setup really necessary to connect to the service, or is it just a way for them to make a quick buck for "setting up" other systems?

second, they seem to offer different speed packages. the 15Mbps download is one of their top priced offers. are you paying extra for the speed you are getting, or are you just getting better-than-advertised performance.

third, with the tv portion, do you have to pay extra money for hd channels, or are they standard? if they are not standard, do you know how much extra they cost? we have a 52" widescreen in the basement that i'd love to take advantage of hd broadcasting (heroes in HD... *drool*)

last, when you got fios, were you switching from a standard cable internet provider? if you were, did you notice a significant increase in performance? our current cable connection is rated at 6Mbps download speed, and the entry-level fios is rated at 5, so... just curious.

anyone else who wants to chime in on fios, feel free :D i want to hear all the compliments AND complaints on the service so i can advise my dad properly.

BGHD
04-29-2007, 01:43 PM
DSL is just too slow for me. When FIOS becomes available in my area, I'll ditch Road Runner (cable) if the price of FIOS isn't prohibitive by then. If speed is important, cable is the way to go (over DSL).

David
Thanks for the replies. If I can't convince Verizon to spring for a new modem, might just switch to cable modem (Wave broadband in my area). As you all have mentioned, seems a couple bucks more than dsl though. Aside from consolidating my bills, no other reason to stay w/ Verizon esp if they can't give a good customer (have phone, dsl & wirelss w/ them) a friggin' modem.

Unfortunately, Fios isn't yet avail in my area, otherwise I probably would've gone that route. From looking at their channel lineup, they have more HD channels than Directv like:

Wealth TV HD 837
National Geographic Channel HD 838
MTV HD 839
Food Network HD 840
HGTV HD 841
Lifetime Movie Network HD 845

Wealth TV HD???

Can you use a Tivo w/ Fios, like a series 3?

BGHD
04-29-2007, 01:55 PM
Curtis,
Can you get KCAL or KTLA HD broadcasts w/ Fios? I wouldn't wanna miss Dodger HD broadcasts.

curtis
04-29-2007, 05:16 PM
first, the site says they install a free wireless router to use in your home with the fios service. they will set up one computer for free, but you have to pay like $75 extra to have other computers set up with the software or something. i'm sort of a techy, so i when i installed our current wireless router, i skipped the software install and did all the setup through the router's web interface. is the software they setup really necessary to connect to the service, or is it just a way for them to make a quick buck for "setting up" other systems?
It is just a way for for them to make money. No special software needed.

The only special thing about the router is that is has a coax interface for the set-top boxes.


second, they seem to offer different speed packages. the 15Mbps download is one of their top priced offers. are you paying extra for the speed you are getting, or are you just getting better-than-advertised performance.
In my area there are currently only two speed packages, 5mb/s and 15mb/s. I am paying for the 15mb/s service. In some other areas there is also a 10mb/s package.


third, with the tv portion, do you have to pay extra money for hd channels, or are they standard? if they are not standard, do you know how much extra they cost? we have a 52" widescreen in the basement that i'd love to take advantage of hd broadcasting (heroes in HD... *drool*)
If I remember correctly, you pay for the monthly HD set-top box rental, not the channels.


last, when you got fios, were you switching from a standard cable internet provider? if you were, did you notice a significant increase in performance? our current cable connection is rated at 6Mbps download speed, and the entry-level fios is rated at 5, so... just curious.

When I switched to FiOS, I was using cable. I went straight to the 15mb/s service, and yes.....there was a noticeable difference. I doubt there would have been one with the 5mb/s....but the 2mb/s upload speed is MUCH more significant and is the same in both packages.

curtis
04-29-2007, 05:17 PM
Curtis,
Can you get KCAL or KTLA HD broadcasts w/ Fios? I wouldn't wanna miss Dodger HD broadcasts.
Sure do!

And on top of that Fox Sports Net West and Fox Sports Net (Prime Ticket) also have specific channels for when they broadcast a game in HD.

drewface
04-29-2007, 05:23 PM
thanks for your replies, curtis. sounds like it is a good deal, although the upgrade on the bandwidth and the hd box may negate the cost savings. we'll probably have 4+ computers and a wii all sharing, though, so the extra bandwidth will probably be useful. once i'm done with school in a couple weeks i'm going to look into it more.

BGHD
05-04-2007, 11:46 PM
Update: Was able to press on Verizon and eventually they agreed to give me 2 months free DSL as credit. In addition, was able to get a new modem/wireless router combo from them for free also. Apparently, it works via a new "circuit" (ATM???), which is supposedly faster. So a little gentle persistance pays off some times.

Well, using speakeasy.net/speedtest (cool site BTW), went from 270kbs to up to 620kbs downloads and 80 to 135 uploads. Nothing compared to Curtis' Fios, but a huge improvement for me.

BTW, aren't downloads/uploads bottlenecked by websites, so you don't even really get to make full use of superfast connections? Just wondering.

curtis
05-05-2007, 08:33 AM
BTW, aren't downloads/uploads bottlenecked by websites, so you don't even really get to make full use of superfast connections? Just wondering.
Sure...they can be, but it depends on the site, the amount of bandwidth they have, servers, etc. Unless you have multiple machines accessing the internet at one time, websurfing isn't really where you notice the difference though, it is downloading and uploading files that make a difference.

I just did Speakeasy.....so I have to brag:
Download Speed: 15591 kbps (1948.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 1855 kbps (231.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

drewface
05-05-2007, 08:34 AM
BTW, aren't downloads/uploads bottlenecked by websites, so you don't even really get to make full use of superfast connections? Just wondering.there's a lot of things that come into play when the actual transfer rate is calculated. the numbers that service providers throw out to you are bandwidth, which is related to (and often confused as) the connection's total capacity. The actual speeds you get is your throughput. Maximum throughput would be when you are using the full capacity of your connection, but this is rarely achieved for a number of reasons i'm not going to go into. (i'd have to refresh my facts to do so, as well) the majority of the web doesn't need crazy high bandwidth to perform well. where the extra bandwidth comes in handy is downloading and uploading large amounts of data, such as video, audio, and images.
I just did Speakeasy.....so I have to brag:
Download Speed: 15591 kbps (1948.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 1855 kbps (231.9 KB/sec transfer rate)wow! that's nice!

i just did it from my college apartment and i got:
Download Speed: 7702 kbps (962.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 6802 kbps (850.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

not too bad. the upload is especially nice. i'll have to try it at home.

EDIT: one more thing, you'll notice that the speeds go down significantly (usually) when the server you are connected to is further away. this is because the signal has to go through many more routers/switches/etc to get to its destination.

curtis
05-05-2007, 09:05 AM
i just did it from my college apartment and i got:
Download Speed: 7702 kbps (962.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 6802 kbps (850.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

not too bad. the upload is especially nice. i'll have to try it at home.

College campuses are nice, they usually don't put low caps on speeds, and they run the ethernet right to your room.....no need to deal with modems and such.

I had a 1200baud modem when I was in college.

drewface
05-18-2007, 09:41 AM
these are the numbers from home:

Download Speed: 13719 kbps (1714.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 728 kbps (91 KB/sec transfer rate)

that's on a wireless connection, too, so if i were plugged directly to the router it might be a little faster. download is pretty good, but upload kinda sucks... i think i am the only one using the net currently in my house, so those speeds could go down at some point. the download speed isn't much lower than yours...

whatever the case, the main draw for me at the moment is getting a better cable tv service, especially the HD channels.

curtis
05-18-2007, 09:47 AM
these are the numbers from home:

Download Speed: 13719 kbps (1714.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 728 kbps (91 KB/sec transfer rate)

that's on a wireless connection, too, so if i were plugged directly to the router it might be a little faster. download is pretty good, but upload kinda sucks... i think i am the only one using the net currently in my house, so those speeds could go down at some point. the download speed isn't much lower than yours...

whatever the case, the main draw for me at the moment is getting a better cable tv service, especially the HD channels.
Nice!

That is FiOS?

drewface
05-18-2007, 10:56 AM
Nice!

That is FiOS?nope, that's with comcast.

BGHD
07-13-2007, 09:59 PM
Follow-up: Well, after weeks of being down, Verizon finally discovered they needed to lay-down some new service cable from the street to our house. Poor neighbor had his lawn and sidewalk dug-up just for this. Seems to work fine now (have the new Westell wireless router too).

But, waddaya know, while they're digging-up my neighbor's lawn I receive the Fios sign-up flyer. I think I'll go for the internet service (probably just 5mbps service), but I'm still not 100% sure if will get the TV or phone service.

Drewface: Did you ever jump to Fios?

Are there any bundle prices for Fios TV, phone, internet (wireless?)? I only saw bundles for non-Fios products.

muzz
07-14-2007, 05:26 AM
I still have Comcast cable,have had it since the year 2000, and over the years it has steadily gotten faster, it was initially 1500/256, and using nearby servers, it was just that.

I test at least once every 6 months- numerous servers (closest is always fastest of course, barring a problem at a nearby router), I just tested again, it is early in the day- so it should be very good-

Northeast East Servers- 13-23+mb DL/1400-2000+up
West Coast- 6000+ DL/600+ UP

Used numerous servers, and thats pretty much standard result here.

My service was supposedly 6 mb DL/384 UP (last I knew- which was last year), so I think it's doing pretty darn well.

drewface
07-15-2007, 02:30 PM
Drewface: Did you ever jump to Fios?nope, not yet... i'm thinking i might just call comcast and see what i can get out of them by threatening to leave. maybe i can get a free upgrade from standard to digital cable :D we'll see.

drewface
07-15-2007, 08:38 PM
nope, not yet... i'm thinking i might just call comcast and see what i can get out of them by threatening to leave. maybe i can get a free upgrade from standard to digital cable :D we'll see.spoke too soon. the verizon guy is coming tomorrow to set us up :D i'm kinda bummed i won't be here to pester the installer with questions about the service and whatnot, but oh well.

i'll report back in a week or so after i have some time to put it through its paces.

BGHD
07-15-2007, 09:16 PM
Played around w/ a friend's Fios internet and TV setup. As mentioned by others earlier, really didn't notice a huge difference surfing site/pages, but downloading was definitely faster. Example, for videos in YouTube, download buffer indicator moved noticeably faster. Didn't play w/ the TV much, but the additional HD channels are a plus. I think I'll miss my HD DirecTivo though, but not a biggie as DirecTV's new DVRs aren't getting great reviews anyway.

drewface
07-16-2007, 04:40 PM
alright... so fios got installed today. here's the speakeasy test results:

Download Speed: 5201 kbps (650.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 1829 kbps (228.6 KB/sec transfer rate)

guess my dad got the 5/2 package... :mad:

my wireless speed is being crap at the moment, so i'll have to get back to you with those results. i need to figure out how to access the verizon router and see if i can tinker with some settings. they put security on the wireless signal, which can adversely affect performance... i'm also going to see if i can get my dad to upgrade to the 15/2 package, cause i've already noticed that the speed is slower than our comcast connection was (the direct connection is fine, but wireless is spotty).

i still need to play with the tv stuff, too...

UPDATE: so i got into the router and changed some of the settings and now the wireless is working just as fast as the wired, so i'm happy for now in that department. checked out a couple hd channels on the tv, too. they look amazing!

BGHD
07-21-2007, 10:51 PM
Well, after all this, we've decided to move. Not sure if they offer Fios in my new location. :( I hope the next owner of my current house appreciates all the hard work that went into getting their DSL up and running again.

BGHD
09-19-2007, 05:02 PM
Well, until I figure out between Fios and DirecTV, have signed-up with cable tv and modem (Wave broadband in my area). On speakeasy, download speed 5611 kbps and upload 383 kbps. Except for not having local KCAL HD channel (for Dodger & Lakers HD broadcasts), am pretty happy w/ the modem speeds and tv picture quality. Plus, I can cancel/restart at anytime. Just an FYI.

curtis
09-19-2007, 06:58 PM
Well, until I figure out between Fios and DirecTV, have signed-up with cable tv and modem (Wave broadband in my area). On speakeasy, download speed 5611 kbps and upload 383 kbps. Except for not having local KCAL HD channel (for Dodger & Lakers HD broadcasts), am pretty happy w/ the modem speeds and tv picture quality. Plus, I can cancel/restart at anytime. Just an FYI.
FYI...I am watching the Dodgers in HD right now. Fox Sports West.

BGHD
09-19-2007, 08:08 PM
FYI...I am watching the Dodgers in HD right now. Fox Sports West.
Thanks for heads-up. My "guide" says "Sign off" for FoxHD, but the game's on. Thx. Their playoff hopes are dim, but you never know what'll happen.

BGHD
09-19-2007, 08:51 PM
Forgot I now receive FoxHD, so makes up for not having KCAL9 HD. PQ looked nice, too bad the Dodgers didn't.

BGHD
12-05-2007, 04:09 PM
OK, the cable modem's fine, but the cable TV HD offerings and DVR (SA 8300HD) sucks IMO. Any advice on deciding between Fios TV and DirecTV at this time? If I go w/ Fios TV, will most likely go with Fios internet, and either cable modem or DSL with DirecTV. I don't necessarily need superfast internet, but would definitely like more HD channels and hopefully a better DVR. Sorry for beating a dead cat, but as they both require contracts, don't wanna make the wrong choice.

curtis
12-05-2007, 06:33 PM
OK, the cable modem's fine, but the cable TV HD offerings and DVR (SA 8300HD) sucks IMO. Any advice on deciding between Fios TV and DirecTV at this time? If I go w/ Fios TV, will most likely go with Fios internet, and either cable modem or DSL with DirecTV. I don't necessarily need superfast internet, but would definitely like more HD channels and hopefully a better DVR. Sorry for beating a dead cat, but as they both require contracts, don't wanna make the wrong choice.
DirecTV has more HD channels right now...a lot more. For what they have in common, what I have been reading is FiOS has better picture quality. The SD quality on FiOS is outstanding on the SDtv I have in my bedroom.

As for the DVRs, neither is great from what I read. The FiOS DVR does the job, but I like TiVO much better......the Dish DVR is also pretty good. I have no first hand experience with the DirecTV DVR.

The internet speed on FiOS is great....and the only problem I have had is a bad power supply on the router they supply you with. You have to use their router because of its coax connection. I actually use my own router and create a DMZ connection for the FiOS router and it works fine.

BGHD
12-05-2007, 11:42 PM
Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks. It's too bad Tivo scared away DirecTV with their licensing fees, as I loved my older HD DirecTivo. Not perfect, but miles ahead of the one I lease from my cable company.

curtis
12-06-2007, 07:02 AM
Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks. It's too bad Tivo scared away DirecTV with their licensing fees, as I loved my older HD DirecTivo. Not perfect, but miles ahead of the one I lease from my cable company.
One thing to add....Verizon/FiOS supports Cable Card. So you can get an HD TiVo and use it with their TV service.

BGHD
12-06-2007, 08:28 AM
Hmm. Interesting. Did not know that. Will have to investigate. Thx.

tjennings
12-07-2007, 03:15 PM
I just switched from cable modem (Time Warner's roadrunner) to Verizon's fastest DSL. It seems to be equivalent to the cable modem. Verizon's slower DSL was just too pokey for me.

What I've noticed also is that Verizon must have a MUCH more secure network or something. I have firewall software and I would get a million intrusion alerts when I was on the cable modem, but I haven't gotten any since being on Verizon's DSL. Now I'm feeling like my firewall / security software purchase went to waste! ;)

BGHD
12-15-2007, 08:52 PM
OK, did some research & appears the overall cost between Fios + Tivo is not much different than DirecTV + DVR. Seems it really comes down to if I want more HD channels but a not-so-great DVR (DirecTV) or better PQ & Tivo (Fios). Still not decided, but am leaning towards Fios + Tivo. Thanks for the heads up Curtis.

curtis
12-15-2007, 09:02 PM
Do you have ruled out the FiOS DVR?

BGHD
12-19-2007, 08:43 PM
Do you have ruled out the FiOS DVR?

I think so. I actually bought the Tivo HD @ Costco this wknd on sale for $249. Will leave it unopened until I make up my mind b/w Fios and DirecTV. What HD channels are on the horizon for Fios? I heard Verizon's quite tight-lipped about this. Is the PQ difference over DirecTV VERY noticeable?

curtis
12-19-2007, 08:51 PM
I think so. I actually bought the Tivo HD @ Costco this wknd on sale for $249. Will leave it unopened until I make up my mind b/w Fios and DirecTV. What HD channels are on the horizon for Fios? I heard Verizon's quite tight-lipped about this. Is the PQ difference over DirecTV VERY noticeable?
$249?? Wow....I have to think about that now.

Yes...FiOS is pretty tight lipped about what is coming down the pipe, but supposed many are due in the spring from what I have read.

I didn't have HDTV when I had DirecTV, but FiOS has a nicer picture than Dish IMO. Just about everything I have read has FiOS with the best picture quality over the others so far.

BGHD
12-19-2007, 09:07 PM
Yes, costco.com has it for $279, but in-store is $249 (at least at the Cypress store). Of course, it's the lower Series 3 model, but seems to have the same general nuts/bolts of the more expensive version. I haven't had time to research if I can use any ol' SATA drive to expand the memory, which would be sweet. Memory expandability is another big plus for the Tivo/Fios setup.

Any idea how much 2 cable cards would cost from Verizon?

curtis
12-19-2007, 09:11 PM
Any idea how much 2 cable cards would cost from Verizon?
Nope.

I did read that the HDTiVo's are designed to work with a weaker signal than the FiOS STB's. So in some cases, some folks needed to use attenuators with their HDTiVo's to get the best performance.

BGHD
12-19-2007, 09:14 PM
Of course, don't forget you have to pay the monthly or prepaid Tivo fee. About $8-13/month depending on which package you get. If you buy from weaknees, I think they offer the lifetime deal.

BGHD
03-12-2008, 08:56 PM
With Curtis' and others suggestions, went with Fios TV and a TivoHD. Hooked up this weekend (along w/ 15/2 internet + phone service). As a former happy DirecTivo owner, am very satisfied with the setup. Have less HD channels than DirecTV, but several more than my local cable provider (soon to be Charter). Apparently more HD channels are scheduled in the near future though (*fingers crossed*).

Now, am scouring the Tivo forums to determine the best upgrade path to increase the harddrive memory.

In case you're wondering, the speed of the menus/guide/etc are about the same as the hr10-250 HD DirecTivo. Not the greatest, but more than adequate.

Also, in my opinion, for standard surfing, not a huge difference compared to my 5mbps download cable modem service.

Thanks for all the input.

BGHD
08-24-2008, 02:39 PM
Nope.

I did read that the HDTiVo's are designed to work with a weaker signal than the FiOS STB's. So in some cases, some folks needed to use attenuators with their HDTiVo's to get the best performance.

You're definitely correct. Olympics were unwatchable until I added 6db of attenuation. Bought a multi-pack from smarthome.com:

http://www.smarthome.com/7800.html

curtis
08-24-2008, 06:49 PM
speaking about Olympics....I have been an Olympics junkie the past two weeks!

curtis
10-15-2008, 11:38 AM
Just to update this FiOS thread....

Today, in California, FiOS revamped the channel lineup. Many new HD channels, and new packages. I am getting more HD and movies channels than yesterday, along with 20/5 internet service, and paying $8 less a month.

My new internet speeds according to speakeasy.net:
Download Speed: 20313 kbps (2539.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 4593 kbps (574.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
kind of a waste....but it costs me nothing, and the rates are not cheaper if I went with less.

drewface
10-15-2008, 01:49 PM
the channel lineup was updated at my parents place in Maryland sometime recently, as well. (they have FiOS) i also noticed that a lot of the performance issues the IMG used to be plagued with have been fixed. it all runs really smooth now. there's games (like solitaire), new widgets, and some other stuff i didn't get to check out, as well. all pretty solid updates in my opinion.

apparently the base speed for internet has been increased in the area from 5/2 to 10/2. i haven't tested this there to see if they pushed the upgrade to existing customers, but next time i'm there i plan to check it out.

i really hate that i have to use comcast at my new place in Baltimore city... :mad:

curtis
10-15-2008, 02:06 PM
I will have to check out the games, but not tell my kids about them. :)

drewface
10-15-2008, 08:40 PM
I will have to check out the games, but not tell my kids about them. :)haha. i don't really think they are worthwhile unless you're REALLY bored and feeling extremely lazy to the point you don't want to leave your seat... i tried the solitaire, and got frustrated with it pretty quick (mouse control on a computer is SO much better). i think chess was another one they had... and maybe some form of poker. at least they're free!

BGHD
10-25-2008, 06:29 AM
Just to update this FiOS thread....

Today, in California, FiOS revamped the channel lineup. Many new HD channels, and new packages. I am getting more HD and movies channels than yesterday, along with 20/5 internet service, and paying $8 less a month.

My new internet speeds according to speakeasy.net:
Download Speed: 20313 kbps (2539.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 4593 kbps (574.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
kind of a waste....but it costs me nothing, and the rates are not cheaper if I went with less.

What?! How'd you pull that off? I called to upgrade to Extreme HD & the CSR just INCREASED my bill by $10. I read about people's bill going down, but I couldn't get the CSR to cough up any ways to improve my package.

I had/have the $109 Triple Freedom package, 15/2 internet, no premium movie or sports. As Extreme HD includes sports, I assumed that's why peoples' bills went down. Any tips to get a better deal? Do I need to ask for 20/5 internet? Does having/not having premium movies make a difference?

BTW, pretty nice to finally catch up to Directv & Dish in # of HD channels.