Anybody have thoughts on NYC DSL?

**moses** · 01-02-2007, 01:36 PM

Thinking about getting DSL service. (Yes I know Cable is marginally better, but it is also more expensive, and I don't watch enough TV to justify cable TV).

Any thoughts on providers? I always hear good things about earthlink. The only thing is that it seems from their website that I cannot get DSL service without local phone service. Which I do not have, because it is redundant with cell phones. Looking around, I am getting the feeling that perhaps Verizon is the only option for dsl without getting phone service? Does anyone know if that is the case?

Thanks,

-Mo

**texasPI** · 01-02-2007, 02:39 PM

As far as I know, you must have phone service to get DSL.

**berzerkeleyan** · 01-02-2007, 03:35 PM

Why do you need to purchase cable TV to use internet cable? Is that a rule in NYC or something?

I use cable for internet service, but don't have cable TV, so I was wondering.

**Mama Bear** · 01-02-2007, 03:39 PM

DSL is only about twice as fast as a regular phone line... satelite is faster than that and cable is as fast as you can get without having your own IT line... I have cable and would never go slower, it has been dependable as all getout and fast as lighting. I would go nuts with DSL....

**GeeQue** · 01-02-2007, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Mama Bear

DSL is only about twice as fast as a regular phone line... satelite is faster than that and cable is as fast as you can get without having your own IT line... I have cable and would never go slower, it has been dependable as all getout and fast as lighting. I would go nuts with DSL....

DSL is at least 20 to 40 times faster than - depending on the DSL level you use...you may have been referring to "Dial-up" which is the slowest barebones connection. DSL comes in different speeds also. The cheaper the DSL, the slower. I had an internet cable connection before...but the DSL connection I have now definitely faster.

edit: just tested at 712kbps

**joea527** · 01-02-2007, 04:12 PM

The truth of the matter is any DSL service you get is really get Verizon. They own the lines and are responsible the "Last Mile". I don't know where in NYC you are but DSL is distance sensitive from the CO. Try to get the fastest speed you can afford.

**Jim** · 01-02-2007, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by moses

Thinking about getting DSL service. (Yes I know Cable is marginally better, but it is also more expensive, and I don't watch enough TV to justify cable TV).

Any thoughts on providers? I always hear good things about earthlink. The only thing is that it seems from their website that I cannot get DSL service without local phone service. Which I do not have, because it is redundant with cell phones. Looking around, I am getting the feeling that perhaps Verizon is the only option for dsl without getting phone service? Does anyone know if that is the case?

Thanks,

-Mo

Mo
No matter who you use for the service provider Verizon will install and maintain the line.
If you go with a different provider then Verizon just wires the circuit to that vendors POP in the the tel-co Central office.

Originally Posted by berzerkeleyan

Why do you need to purchase cable TV to use internet cable? Is that a rule in NYC or something?

I use cable for Internet service, but don't have cable TV, so I was wondering.

You don't need to get cable TV but the stand alone fees are astronomical.

With basic digital HD cable -Internet access alone in my area is 49.99 (149.00 -160.00 total)
It would be twice that with out the TV option. Its been a while since I researched it thou.

**ouch** · 01-02-2007, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Goosemeplease

Mo
No matter who you use for the service provider Verizon will install and maintain the line.
If you go with a different provider then Verizon just wires the circuit to that vendors POP in the the tel-co Central office.

I want to know how you know this.

**Jim** · 01-02-2007, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by ouch

I want to know how you know this.

I want to know why you know why I know this and what it is that we know I know.

**Duggo** · 01-02-2007, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by moses

Thinking about getting DSL service. (Yes I know Cable is marginally better, but it is also more expensive, and I don't watch enough TV to justify cable TV).

Any thoughts on providers? I always hear good things about earthlink. The only thing is that it seems from their website that I cannot get DSL service without local phone service. Which I do not have, because it is redundant with cell phones. Looking around, I am getting the feeling that perhaps Verizon is the only option for dsl without getting phone service? Does anyone know if that is the case?

Thanks,

-Mo

Hi Mo,

Check out DSL Reports . The users there may give you an indication of the level of service you can expect from a provider in the NYC area.

**sparky5693** · 01-02-2007, 05:15 PM

For me, dsl has been way faster than cable (per online tests). My cable connection was down for at least 4 days a month. In 2 years verizon has never been down, and in my area verizon dsl is 15.00, while cable id 60.

**sparky5693** · 01-02-2007, 05:17 PM

As of right now my speed is advertised at 768 Kbps. The online tests clock me at roughly 500, depending on the site.

**Dennis** · 01-03-2007, 06:32 AM

Mo - I just picked up Verizon DSL at home. At work, I have a lightning fast pipe, so my expectations were pretty low. We went with the 1.5 mb service and it is plenty fast enough for home use. I am clocking near the upper limit or the service so no complaints. To me, the difference between the pipe at work and home is not all that great.

You must have a home landline to get DSL - they run off the same thing. If you have cable to your place, you do not have to get television to get cable internet, but they will certainly try to bundle it for you to make it tempting.

Dennis

**kozulich** · 01-03-2007, 06:53 AM

True, you don't have to have cable TV to get cable internet. I have Qwest, and we bundle our home phone, cell phones, and cable internet. Fairly economical that way. I also don't watch enough TV to justify paying for cable TV.

**Lyrt** · 01-03-2007, 08:29 AM

I need to do something very infantile right now, so forgive me. Ha ha ha, your broadband sucks!!!

Here I can get 20Mbps for 15€/month. The guy on the TV did not lie when he said France had the world cheapest broadband along with South Korea and Japan.

**fuerein** · 01-03-2007, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Lyrt

I need to do something very infantile right now, so forgive me. Ha ha ha, your broadband sucks!!!

Here I can get 20Mbps for 15€/month. The guy on the TV did not lie when he said France had the world cheapest broadband along with South Korea and Japan.

Tech people have long been quite riled by the fact that high speed internet access is so deficient in the US. The fact of the matter is that due to the overregulation of anything resembling broadcasting in the US has hampered high-speed access growth.

You would think the US could get an economical high-speed access system in place, but no everything is too regulated making it difficult for companies to roll out new high speed technologies. Add to that the cost of getting the new technologies approved by the FCC and whatever other federal organizations have a say in it and it becomes near impossible for the US to create a low cost high speed internet access.

It is a real shame.

**moses** · 01-03-2007, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Dennis02

You must have a home landline to get DSL - they run off the same thing. If you have cable to your place, you do not have to get television to get cable internet, but they will certainly try to bundle it for you to make it tempting.

Well, yes and no. You do of course have to have a physical line in place to have DSL service. Naturally. That is not an issue for me, since I live in an apartment building, which is, or at least should be, already wired up for phone service. The issue is whether I have to pay someone for local phone service that I don't need, and then pay someone else for the DSL service I do want. That adds a considerable bump in price.

There are any number of "service providers" of course. They may all be Verizon in fact, but in practice, some offer rather cheaper rates, and I believe may have better customer service. The thing is, I have not seen any that offer DSL service without requiring you to have local phone service.

Verizon on the other hand, offers DSL only, without phone service for $5 extra over the regular DSL rate. I guess the are in a position to do this, because they own the line, whereas all the others do not.

Yes, Sue, I know cable is faster. Cable is way expensive in NYC though. Best I can find for TV and internet is around $100/month. For internet only, more like $50. Aka, twice the price of DSL. I'm not so sure about DSL being only twice as fast as dial-up though. That is more on the order of ISDN. In my experience, DSL is WAY faster than that. Even the cheapest, slowest DSL.

-Mo

**moses** · 01-03-2007, 02:04 PM

Thanks for all the replies, everyone.

-Mo

**moses** · 01-03-2007, 02:13 PM

Speeds.

DSL (slow and cheap) = 768Kbps.
Dial up (at best) = 50 Kbps.

Even if the real rate on the DSL is about 500Kbps, is is ten times as fast. Given that the dial up is probably not going to test out at it's max, better than that.

Yeah, I liked the 2.2 Mbps (it was only advertised as 1.5, interestingly) cable connection I used to have. But I have no idea if it would be that fast in NYC. And really, I can live with 1/4 the speed. That was faster than hell. This is kind of a back up connection for me, remember. I don't actually spend a huge amount of time online at home. And I have no idea what my work has, but it is FAST.

-Mo

**_JP_** · 01-03-2007, 02:22 PM

DSL and cable throughput speeds depend entirely on how the providers set them up. There simply aren't any standards when it comes to speed, so you'll have to check and see what each service offers.

For most people the fastest speeds are a waste. While the probability is there, the actual data rate also depends on the server that you connect to. I rarely see any server put out the full rating for a broadband connection, it's always lower than that. Way lower.