Anyone use it? Been using MYACTV, but I did some number crunching and I can save a lot of money by going with a DSL + DirecTV package and ditching MYACTV + Digital Cable.

Basically wanted to know if there were any technical issues (downtime, etc) with Verizon DSL.

Thanks in advance!

I've used it for over a year now, and it's been extremely reliable! Very user friendly and easy to install. I've never been with Adelphia, because the Verizon was a much better deal financially.

Very please with Verizon + DirectTV package. Reliable-yes. Easy to use-yes.

Well worth the investment.

Be careful with the speed that Verizon offers you with DSL.. most of the DSL is 768K v. 1.5mb with MYACTV download speed. While cheaper... it's also only half as fast.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. My main concern was switching and finding out that their DSL connection isn't reliable.

Yoss, I'd be going with the 3mbps/768kbps package which is still faster and cheaper than Antietam.

:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Connection is:: 2948 Kbps about 2.95 Mbps (tested with 1496 kB)
Download Speed is:: 360 kB/s

I've had Verizon for over a year and only one time did I have to call about connection problems and it was fixed in a matter of minutes. This is the lowest I have ever seen my download speed. All I need to do is reset the router and have it get an new IP in the 70.x.x.x range instead of the 141.x.x.x range and it will improve.

I will post the new test later.

I give Verizon 2 thumbs up!

how much does this package cost that you're talking about? I need numbers($$) please.

WVD, I talked to them last week and this is what I came up with.

First, I don't have a residential line.. I only use a cell phone.

DSL (if you already have phone service) is $29.95 per month for the better package. Without a landline, I think the service is about $10 more. I pay $39.99 right now for cable, on top of my digital cable fees... so my cable bill is about $140/mo. (digital, movie packages, DVR, etc)

So, bottom line, you could get just DSL for the bare minimum of $14.95 per month (768kpbs/128kpbs) if you already have phone service. If not, I guess it would be around $24.95.

The DSL+DirecTV package I'm talking about basically just offers the same packages you'd get from DirecTV, but it just puts it all on the same bill (from Verizon) with a small price break.

WVD, i'd venture a guess that you couldn't get DSL where you live. Optimal connection requires you to be no more than approx. 5 miles (25,000 to 30,000 feet) from the telephone company's Central Office (wire center). If you're out in the boonies (as I guess you are) you're probably too far from from the CO.

I wanted to get it when they offered the $14.95 a month deal. Slower yeah but damn cheap too!!! Of course not available here since Sprint wants to rape us.

I got a Frederick IP. Here are my new test results:
Your Download Speed: 2.61 Mbps
Your Upload Speed: 632.64 Kbps
Quality of Service: 89.54%

Is QoS aka packet loss? If it is, that would be bad for me since I play a lot of games.

minimum speed
——————— = Quality of Service
maximum speed

Thanks for the clarification. Those numbers look pretty good then!

YUP, no DSL out here near Leitersburg. Verizon is running cable all over the place the last 2 yrs... promising we will be able to get FIOS within a year.... will believe it when I see it.. .
BUT, if it comes, good bye Antietam Cable for me..
I know about a dozen people using FIOS and they all say it is the best broadband service they have ever used... it also has a tiered payment system depending on how fast you need your downloads....
Also Verizon is offering cable tv over FIOS in most of the areas that have it... from the reports I have heard it puts standard cable tv to shame..

What is FIOS?

Fiber Optic Service. (read: super fast Internet/telphony/TV-also very inexpensive)

its about time , what happened to the forum, ? it came back on at 1.30

Inexpensive? Did I read that right?

Yes.

Is the technology on this reliable yet?

I understand the basics of Fiber, but......

FIOS actually takes fiber right up to the house. It involves a tremendous effort to upgrade the infrastructure. Essentially it involves replacing all the copper with fiber.

I think I read somewhere, that all fiber already strung across the US, that at least half of it is dark, that is-not even being used.

Most of that Fiber was installed during the dotcom boom and was left behind or never activated when the bubble burst. Now some (smart) companies are buying it up and activating it. This is one of the reasons the service is so cheap.

A little over 30 years ago. They ran fiber casing down Frederick street under the sidewalk.
It runs down to Commonwealth Ave. Not sure where after that .
Someone knew something was comming. All phone wires are over head.

How cheap is cheap $20 a month?

Gawd! don't look for FIOS here anytime soon. We're lucky we have cell phone service. And that's not a bash against Hagerstown, it's a bash against the communications corporations.

From Verizon:



Maximum Connection Speed*
Monthly Price Range


Up to 5 Mbps/2 Mbps
$34.95 - $39.95



Up to 15 Mbps/2 Mbps
$44.95 - $49.95



Up to 30 Mbps/5 Mbps
$179.95 - $199.95

By cheap I meant cost per Mbps. But look at those dload speeds!!!

I agree that is cheap. I put in my phone number, but it wasn't available hard to believe isn't it.

but they did let me know I could get DSL.

DSL is finally available for my address, which excited me because I was ready to switch if I could get a faster speed than Myactv. Alas, it said my area only qualifies for the 1.5/384 package. I guess cable keeps me for as a customer for now.

Don't get me wrong. Myactv has been good to me in the last 6 years or so I've used it. But come on. It's time for them to bump up the standard speed a little (or a lot) bit. Or make it affordable to pay to bump up your speed a little.

I agree SMan. Comcast offers what, at least 3Mbps in most of their service areas. I think Adelphia the same.

At least reward the people who have had it for some time. It's just a simple configuration change to your modem and can be done on an individual basis.

Of course you could hack the modem config yourself... not a difficult process... but I would think myactv would frown on that....

I guess we are going to have to wait for Verizon to cover everywhere with the 3+MBb service before Antietam decides to speed things up. Oh well, I waited this long.

how much speed does cable have now?

4mb is common what I have with Comcast but it is supposed to be 6mb with 8mb available for $52.95 a month.. I wish they would offer levels like DSL does. I hate paying a cable bill of $97 a month for internet and standard cable tv nothing extra.

Antietam is 1.5 down/256 up for $40 a month if you're a tv subscriber, $50 a month without tv.

I put in my number..DSL isn't available in my area. and I can't afford $59.99 for satillite stuck with dial-up.

Comcast is $42.95 plus $3 for modem rental, if you want it, for tv subscribers. 6mb down ( I am only getting alittle over 4mb)/384kb up. I guess I shouldn't complain.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... do not rely on Verizon's web site to check and see if DSL is available to you. Call up customer service, go though their inane menu system and speak with a rep. Verizon's web site is notoriously inaccurate for checking on DSL availability.

WVD... based on how in the past you've said you live in the boonies... I doubt it will ever be available to you. You need to be within approx 5 miles of the Telco's central office. DSL's signal degrades the further away you are from the switching equipment.

Antietam's price has remained exactly the same as when I started with them around 1999-ish. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

edit - the only reason I realized that Verizon DSL was available to me now was the telemarketing call I got from them trying to get me to switch from cable.

I been with Verizon DSL ever since it came out. I only pay $14.95 per month, it works great for me.

so cable has 1.5, and every one elses has 4 and 6 , cables that slow?

Slow is a relative term though, tagout. 1.5 Mb down should be more than enough for probably 90% of users. It's the online gamers and heavy downloaders of, uh, photos, files, and videos ( ) that crave the extra speed.

Myactv's speed is actually adequate for my uses, but a little more kick would be welcomed with open arms.

Of course your download speed is dependant on the vaguries (vagaries?) of the 'net itself. If there's a bunch of traffic on the backbone you could be whizzing along in fibre optic speed like a Lamborghini and get behind a fully loaded dumptruck going up the mountain and still only be downloading at 22Kps instead of the expected 2200Kps.

When Antietam first started the download speed was about 3.5.... then after about 8 months I noticed my download speed drop to 1.5 or so..
I called them and they sent a tech out and told me everything was fine... I kept calling because my download was less than half of what I was used to...
It took a month to finally get to talk to someone and I was told that they decided to cap the download speed... I mentioned that I was not happy with the fact that they did this without notifying the customers..
The answer is got was "Where you live you can't get DSL, we are the only broadband you can get... LIVE WITH IT"....
When FIOS finally comes into my area, I will be the one telling myactv "LIVE WITH IT"....

When the higher speed DSL, and someday FIOS, is available to more people, I look for myactv to loosen the reins on the speed cap. They will have to if they want to compete.

WOW! That really stinks. I wish I could say I was surprised, but of course everyone knows how I feel about Antietam. They don't know the meaning of the word "compete".

Here's a cool speed test site.

http://www.speedtest.net/

Verizon DSL Rocks!

The wonders of myactv.net, and these are some of the fastest I have gotten recently

Ouch!

At least we all share the pain, griz. Your readings are almost identical to mine on myactv. As soon as the faster DSL line is available at my house, I'm switching.