[Tfug] residential broadband options

[Wafa Hakim Orman]

"christopher floess" <skeptikos at gmail.com> wrote:

> > I will call them today to confirm my
> > findings but hoped to learn what others know about Cox's service in
> > Tucson and if there are broadband alternatives that others find more
> > attractive.

>I don't know much about the technical details, but I would think that
>if they can offer one level of service, they can offer them all. I don't
>know what you do with your internet, but 256kbps works well for
>me. Any more and I'd be dl'ing too much, but at the same time it's
>still nicer than dial up. Cox sucks for customer service, btw.

--> I'm surprised you say that....I was with Cox for 4 years & I loved them.
I've even forgotten what speed they gave me but it was the standard
residential package, & it was blazing fast even with 4 roommates sharing it.
(must have been 512 because I once clocked it at around 400 using
http://www.bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/)

I also had exactly one outage in those 4 years & their customer service then
was pretty good. Even their service techs were knowledgeable & friendly, &
had no problem running cable through the apartment wherever we wanted at no
extra cost, going into multiple rooms & over doorframes.

(They also gave us free extended cable TV for 4 months at one point when
they were repairing the lines outside. That was fun.)

I've now moved to a little place in Texas where my only option is Time
Warner (AT&T does DSL but won't bundle TV with it, oddly enough). _Now_ I
know what lousy service is. Slower speeds, a 10-day wait just to get the
connection set up, & a tech who said he couldn't put in a wire more than 6
feet long for "liability reasons." Apparently someone somewhere made a Time
Warner tech run a long wire through their house, tripped over it, & sued
Time Warner. That's their story & they're sticking to it.

Now, in order to not have my TV & desktop computer in ridiculous locations
vis-a-vis my apartment layout & preferred furniture setup, I had to buy my
own coax cable, with rugs to throw over it so I don't trip & sue myself.

Wafa.


-- 
"So be it."
                  --Kurt Vonnegut