My ISP (dial-up) really sucks but I don't want to pay out the arse.

[usregimechange]

I have dial-up and it takes me 25 minutes to download 5 megs. I can't take it anymore. DSL, however, is horribly expensive. Is their anything inbetween crapy and excellent?

[mike_c]

1. I dunno, I have cable broadband, pay 2.5 times as much...

...for it as my old dial-up ISP, and it's worth every dime, IMO. Best $50 a month I spend.

[Left Is Write]

2. I spend about fifty a month for cable also.

Beats the hell out of dial-up.

[AwakeAtLast]

3. I second that!

I would rather disconnect my phone than give up cable access. With VOIP, I won't need a regular phone, anyway!

on edit: If you can handle the cable T. V. service, they cut you a deal for the package.

[usregimechange]

5. Still that is 50 extra bucks and I am a poor grad student.

[mike_c]

6. I willingly pay the extra $10 for broadband rather than have cable TV....

No thanks!

[AwakeAtLast]

7. I would love to get Dish Network back

but they don't have online access as a package, and we save more money right now doing it with cable. Believe me, I agree with what you say, but we had to do it to keep the high speed. I did not want to go back to dial-up!

[usregimechange]

8. What is broadband? Where do you get it? Dumb looking...

[mike_c]

11. high bandwidth internet access, usually DSL or cable....

IMO, cable is superior. My post referred to the discount Cox Cable offers for broadband internet access AND cable TV together. I pay the extra rather than take the discount, because I have no interest in television.

[NightTrain]

4. I'm on DSL, and it fucking blows!

As soon as I'm out of that one-year contract SBC Yahoo forced me to sign, my ass is going back to a cable modem lickety-split. Some come on and get here, July!

[tammywammy]

9. I use SBC...

and I think it's fine. It's as good as the internet I get a work. I think it's pretty fast. But then I don't pay for it at home, so I'm not sure about the price or anything. What is it that you don't like?

[NightTrain]

12. It's too damned slow, that's what I don't like about it.

In fact, SBC must know that their DSL service is rotten, because I just got a brochure from them advertising their new, enhanced DSL service, which they guarantee is at least twice as fast as what they've stuck me with now. I may actually shell out the extra few bucks a month until my year-long service contract with SBC finally expires in July and I can get back onto a cable modem.

[tammywammy]

14. Well that makes sense then

I guess we have the "enhanced." I don't pay for it, so I'm not sure. But it's fast on my end.

And also I'm using a wireless connection.

[ashmanonar]

10. well, that was your mistake: going with sbc.

sbc literally has the worst connection program: it destroyed our computer (an older 500mhz with win 98) at least 3 or 4 or 5 times. my dad had to rebuild it every time. (destroyed software-wise)

we got a little wireless hub, connected through that: not one problem afterward.

[NightTrain]

13. Well, I didn't know that at the time.

But I do now, and am getting the hell off SBC Yahoo when that inferal one-year service contract expires in July. Of course, if I cancel my DSL service prior to that, SBC will stick me with a $200 "termination fee." Cocksuckers.

[ashmanonar]

15. yea, i know.

you expect one of the biggest telecom companies to be semigood at doing what they do...

WRONG!

they're almost as bad as aol.

[NightTrain]

17. I swear, my DSL connection is almost as bad as dial-up!

If I'm listening to the Air America web stream while surfing DU, often the latter will cause the former to cut out. Putting up with that shit after four years on a cable modem has been sheer torture! :argh:

[tammywammy]

19. That is torture

And I hate how people charge you a termination fee...Like it really costs $200 in labor for someone to flip a switch or type something in. And think July is only 4 months away.

[mermaid]

21. Yep

It doesn't cost them jack shit in labor or anything. They just wanna hold onto your wallet as long as they can. They really are, as the one guy put it...cocksuckers.

[CalebHayes]

16. Check for ISDN

[imenja]

18. get dsl or cable

you'll never go back. Dial up sucks. It's worth the money to switch, trust me. Try to find a good sign up deal so you don't have installation fees.

[mermaid]

20. I Hear Ya!!

But I refuse to pay a shitpile for Internet service. DSL or Cable...any broadband...they just want too much money.

Of course, once I complete my move into my mom's house, the two of us will likely go in doubles on broadband, because, with us splitting the bill, and both having service...it'll be broadband for the price of dial-up.

You need a roomie...that's what you need! someone to share the broadband service (and bill) with!

[LilKim]

22. My SBC DSL works great

Solid 1.3meg/384k connection for $26.95/month. Have had zero problems and I run it on an 800Mhz Pentium 3 Win98 box.