Comcast high-speed Internet...any good?

[BlueWeasel]

I just found out that Comcast cable is available in my area (Tupelo, MS) at 1500k down/128k up. I am currently using wireless Internet and it's capped at 256k up/256k down.

I am a little concerned about the 128k up cap, though. Would that be plenty for online gaming in particular?

For those that have Comcast, what are your expierences?

 

[MrBond]

128k up should be fine for gaming as long as you're not hosting a server. TONS of people game happily on a 56k connection.

 

[topaz22]

since broadband varies depending on which area you live in, this resource may be more useful:
http://www.broadbandreports.com/

there are reviews from people that you can look up by provider and zip code. granted, this site may be a little heavier on the negative side (how often do you go search a site so you can post a review of praise?)

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: MrBond
128k up should be fine for gaming as long as you're not hosting a server. TONS of people game happily on a 56k connection.

Couldn't agree more. You can host games in P-2-P gaming clients, but Comcast has been known to cap bandwidth if they think you are running a server and will essentially reset your connection. Otherwise its a very sweet and fast connection for gaming. My speed reports from DSL reports are well over "Awesome". I test 1500k easy, sometimes more. Upload speed is as advertised though, 128k up. I've been using Comcast since it was available in the DC area (about 4 years ago) and its helped me ladder in numerous games

Chiz

 

[prosaic]

To topaz22's comments about the reviews on the broadband review link he provided I would add that Comcast got a particularly bad break last year durring the @Home switchover. What happened was that many, many thousands of @Home customers were left high and dry when the old company bailed earlier than their agreement had stipulated. As a result Comcast wound up taking on tons of customers who were already itching for a fight. Many of those people had been used to running servers and P2P software and doing gigabytes of downloads and uploads per week (or even per day!). Comcast wisely capped that behavior so that all of their customers could share the bandwidth. Many of the whiners who were used to "getting more bandwidth than advertised" on @Home wound up venting their spleens on that review site. Hence, Comcast has dismal numbers there.

I had a middling-lousy DSL service and decided to bite the bullet and try Comcast, not without considerable trepidation after having read the customer complaints. The installation was arranged incredibly easily and quickly compared to all of the various DSL accounts I've had before. First tier tech support is pretty much what you expect it to be from just about anyone these days, but they quickly and cheerfully bump you up if they can't handle the problem. No stonewalling like I've received from so many other vendors of services and hardware.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a great service for a great price. I've experienced no drops in service. I did experience a slowdown in service. I called them. They immediately (same day!) sent out a guy who totally replaced the outside line to the post (which had been damaged, as it turns out, by my neighbor's kid digging surreptitiously where he shouldn't have been) at no charge. Pretty good, if you ask me.

- prosaic

 

[Daniel]

Originally posted by: prosaic
Comcast wisely capped that behavior so that all of their customers could share the bandwidth. Many of the whiners who were used to "getting more bandwidth than advertised" on @Home wound up venting their spleens on that review site. Hence, Comcast has dismal numbers there.

@Home advertised speeds of 50x 56k connections. When they first started they said it would be over that too. Everyone got used to the 3000k download speeds and the upload was good as well, it wasn't only people running servers. When comcast took over they claimed there would be no changes in service, speeds would remain the same then capped at 1500/128. They then said they still gave you 50x modem speed they just happened to use a 28.8 modem as the new reference. Speeds for quite some time dropped very low (sub 300k) for many people and the support was horrible. They then offered Comcast Pro which gave you your old speeds back of up to 3500/384 but now they charge $95/month.

They have since improved quite a bit and are a lot more stable, speeds are closer to what is advertised but I'd say some of the people you were calling whiners had legit reasons to be upset.

 

[prosaic]

I shouldn't have said advertised speeds. But the 50x stuff has always just been an advertising gimmick. I'm not sure that I ever saw any ad that actually specified 50x the 56K speed, only 50x "modem" or "dial-up" speed. Disingenuous to be sure, but exactly what everyone should expect from marketing people.

The @Home TOS that I saw never promised such high speeds. Did you actually see one that specified a higher-than-1.5 Mbps download speed? I also don't remember Comcast saying that they would maintain the 3+ speeds for anyone. In fact, I remember quite the opposite. A friend in Michigan told me that she knew from the outset that the uncapped speeds were going to be a thing of the past, and that she learned that directly from Comcast.

I can understand people being dissappointed, even annoyed, in the reduction of speeds. Hey, you get used to high speeds, it's hard to tolerate a slow-down. But the vituperation with which people launched various attacks upon Comcast was something to behold. I feel that Comcast gave their customers a pretty good deal. You can't get 1.5M down / 128K up at that kind of price in many other places. I'd say that @Home was really more to blame for the whole fiasco. After all, providing 3M+ down for the price wasn't a sustainable business model or they wouldn't have gone out of business, would they? I think that @Home gave their users false expectations by not regulating their service properly, and I think that Comcast probably downplayed upcoming changes in service that it should have been more bold to point out -- probably in an effort to reduce the general angst about the situation. Maybe they should have just whacked everybody in the face with it. After all, where else were these people going to go for broadband? Anything faster out there for anywhere near the price?

As for me, in the backwater place where I live, I'm just delighted to have my measly 1.5M down / 128K up.

- prosaic

 

[hevnsnt]

I have comcast and I hate it.

128k up sucks.

 

[prosaic]

Can you get SDSL?

 

[amdskip]

I have 1.5/128 medicom cable and it sucks as far as uploads are concerned. I can get wireless here and I considered it for running running a server. @home was nice, like 3 down/200 up.

 

[cipher00]

I've got it and it works fine (NJ). Tech support isn't awful and connection tests work out ok. I don't game, though.

 

[Utterman]

With the AT&T merger, comcast has slowly started to upgrade all cable internet connections from a 128k upload to a 256k upload. You get the 256k upload, you need to unplug the modem and wait 2 minutes, then plug the modem back in. This allows you to get the new config file for the 256k upload. There is a chance you may not get it since Comcast is doing this slowly.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: Utterman
With the AT&T merger, comcast has slowly started to upgrade all cable internet connections from a 128k upload to a 256k upload. You get the 256k upload, you need to unplug the modem and wait 2 minutes, then plug the modem back in. This allows you to get the new config file for the 256k upload. There is a chance you may not get it since Comcast is doing this slowly.

Neato, I read something about this. Is there any roadmap put out by Comcast about upgrade areas? When digital cable/internet first came to the DC area, I knew exactly how long it would be before cable broadband would be available as they had the DC metro area gridded off and shaded as they completed fiber optic upgrades. Also read about the server side upgrades through the DOCSIS tech sheets....good stuff.

Chiz (I'll be offline for about 2 minutes )

 

[hevnsnt]

haha.. me too

 

[Tokar]

ive been running comcast cable since april 1998...

though the speed is a serious complaint amongst myself and many of my friends who use it was well, as we have seen DRASTIC speed drops over the years (unlimited/400kbps -> 3.25mb/1mb -> 1.5mb/128kb), a compliment for comcast is he knowledge of their onsite techs as well as their schedule times, in comparison to other companies i have dealt with.

Up in NYC, it takes a week, at LEAST to get a tech out for time warner. Let alone the fact they are specialists. THe first guy only installed the modem...the second guy only knew how to do the same. I had to wait a week for those first two guys. I had to wait a week for the next guy to come out who only checked the line strength. THe final guy, who i had to wait another week for (all in all 3 total weeks of waiting) increased the signal strength and fixed the cable.

Comcast sends out one guy who can install modems, check the modems, check the signal strength, and fix the strength, all in one shot...and even do some cable tv things . Wait time on these guys is AT MOST 5 days. On average its like 3 days. And the window of time to wait for these guys are ALOT smaller than time warners (cable companies are notorius for their LARGE window of time)...

And ever since comcast@home changed over to comcast.net, i have probably only experienced 1 or so losses of connection. With @home it was quite often i experienced loss of connection. Though with time warner, i havnt seen one in the 4 months ive had them.

THe phone techs are the same as any company. They are all idiots just reading standard textbook proceedures on how to fix your internet should it go out. THough they are smarter than time warner techs.

And at $40 a month, should you find a modem for free after rebate (either with or without proof of new signup...some circuit city deals or best buy deals will give you a free modem if you sign up to comcast thru them), the price is right...