Getting AT&T @Home service ..... some questions

[gunf1ghter]

I have scheduled an install to get AT&T @home cable modem service. I have been waiting for over 2 years for this, and for just the last few months I've been paying $80 a month for a 144kbps IDSL line.

I have questions for anyone who has the service.

1) I am buying a netgear cable modem router... it is possible to make a connection to the network without having to load @home software right? I just want to make a basic tcp/ip connection so they will have to provide me with DNS server info, etc.

2) What kind of ping times should I see to servers that are close to me? This is a new segment so I am hoping it is fairly well engineered.

3) What kind of download speeds should I see when downloading?

thanks!

 

[ArkAoss]

k, you could buy that router, and be able to config each machine yourself with the dns info and be ok.

What I did, at first was use 1 system (celery 500) with 2 network cards, and winproxy to route it.
Then I tried FREESCO On an older cyrix 266, as a router box, and it's alot easier, on clients I just have to tell them to look for the cable company's local DNS.

As far as speeds possible, I dl'd once from a friend who was on the same branch of the local cable system, and got 300kbps. But another time I dl'd from someone on an OC-3 and was getting 1mbps

 

[gunf1ghter]

I already did buy the router... I have tried winproxy, etc, and IMHO they are sort of suck. To get good firewall and routing support you need dedicated routing logic in the hardware. The prob with having a win9x or NT box be your proxy is that there is a lot of latency if you try to use the firewall capabilities.

People have seen upwards of 20-30 ms or more latency when using even a good proxy (such as MS's $$$ one). On the other hand, a dedicated router/proxy/nat/firewall can usually route and firewall you with only about 10ms of delay.

That's important to me because of CS.

 

[Raspewtin]

<< 2) What kind of ping times should I see to servers that are close to me? This is a new segment so I am hoping it is fairly well engineered. >>




Maybe you should try DSL Reports has good info like that.

 

[Modeps]

welp, heres some info that sucks. uploads are capped at 15kps. i hate it. cant wait to move and get a different provider.

 

[gunf1ghter]

That is pretty sucky.... 15kbps up is pathetic. I get 144kbps up/down assymetric with my IDSL line today... but I'm paying $80 a month for a rather wimpy connection, especially when you consider that my GF and I share the connection.

Is 15kbps up enough for CS?

 

[Electric Amish]

15K!?!?!

My @home is 128k up.

When playing UT, I can get pings in the 80-100 range.

The fastest download I've seen has been 300+kbps. You will usually be faster than any site you are trying to get stuff from anyway.

I'm looking at getting that Netgear RT-314 router myself. Currently using a Win98SE box running NAT32+.

Enjoy!

amish

 

[gunf1ghter]

Electric Amish,

I think you are right, I think they advertise 128K up.

 

[ArkAoss]

intake 15k??? where the heck are you getting at home?

thats bull, mine are capped at 128k, that's the only bad part about cable...


gunfighter, Freesco, which I mention above, is a linux on floppy version of cisco's harware routing logic, and from what I've seen is very good. I was running it off a floppy disc and it has a remote admin thing, so you can add more ports or forward certain things to a certain IP behind it, and though the admin section isn't displaying right any more the code or cgi is messed up, but it still forwards stuff correctly.
and you can load it onto a hard drive so you don't run the risk of the thing getting corupted, like mine did (restarting it while it's writing to the floppy, is what I think caused the probs ihave, but those errors, arn't messing up its performance (though i must say, that when we ran the winproxy box, streaming video, like from adcritic, came alot faster, the freesco, seems to slow that down alot...

 

[gunf1ghter]

Ark,

That prog sounds interesting... I know Cisco visciously patents and protects a lot of their stuff, so I'm surprised that something based on their routing technology is available, but then again, some of it hasn't changed much in the last few years, so maybe it's not surprising.

I got the Netgear 314 router/nat/firewall for $99 after rebate... not a bad deal, especially considering that it's also a 4 port 100mbps switch.

 

[Raspewtin]

<< My @home is 128k up. >>




and my @home is not capped on the up side. it avgs at about 1000k. i guess the cable companies themselves decide on the cap.

 

[Modeps]

welp, there are a variety of @home providers, mine is AT&amp;T, and its out of new britain, CT, where you would think most people wouldnt have cable modems and therefore not need to cap.

if theres a way to remove the cap, im all ears.

 

[Cable God]

I use a cable router and have never used their software. It works great.

As far as download speeds, I regularly hit 2-3mbps, sometimes much higher depending on the server.

Local server ping times to your local &quot;gateway&quot;, or router at your cable co's local office should be under 10ms normally.

 

[iamwiz82]

you dont need their software at all, its just the same as networking a lan.

 

[Modeps]

not using their software at all.

setup like dis:
Computers A&amp;B,Dreamcast -> Hub -> Server -> CableModem

and the 15k/upload is directly from the server

 

[gunf1ghter]

Who provided you with the tcp/ip settings? the installing tech? or do you let DHCP set everything up for you?

 

[Modeps]

everything is automatic, even when the tech installed it, it was automatic.
(DCHP)

 

[billandopus]

<< and for just the last few months I've been paying $80 a month for a 144kbps IDSL line >>



Holy Cow! That's alot of money! I mean, 80 bucks US for high speed access? Cable access here in Vancouver with Shaw@home is 40 bucks CAD a month including modem rental, free install and one or two months free (can't remember the current promo)

Converted into American dollars that would be just over $26 US/month or so.

Sorry, don't mean to step on anyone's toes ... but it's amazing how much high speed internet access costs from varying parts of the States and from Canada.

 

[gunf1ghter]

Yeah, just talked to a guy from London and he laughed at how much we can pay for high speed here in the states.

 

[SuperGroove]

I have scheduled an install to get AT&amp;T @home cable modem service. I have been waiting for over 2 years for this, and for just the last few months I've been paying $80 a month for a 144kbps IDSL line.

I have questions for anyone who has the service.

1) I am buying a netgear cable modem router... it is possible to make a connection to the network without having to load @home software right? I just want to make a basic tcp/ip connection so they will have to provide me with DNS server info, etc.

Yes, you do not need the software. However, the on-site technican WILL install all of the @home software. What you can do, is uninstall all the software, making SURE you have YOUR computer name(ex: C7xxxx-X). I simply reformatted, and typed in my computer name and was on the net in minutes

2) What kind of ping times should I see to servers that are close to me? This is a new segment so I am hoping it is fairly well engineered.
Pinging the gateway you should see times from 19-20ms. Your ping on MP games like CS, will probably be 90-100ms


3) What kind of download speeds should I see when downloading?
Speedguide.net. I have downloaded the tweaks for Cable Modem there, and REGULARLY download at 500KB/s, not 500kbps. My upload is still the same at an abysmal 128kbps

thanks!

I have to warn you, your mail WILL go down DAILY. Your service will go out REGULARLY. They will CHARGE you for technical support if you are transferred to a tier-2 tech. If you have tier-2 questions that must be answered, and you want to do it for free, doing it online is the only way. Make sure you can access another computer, because when I need tier-2 support, I cannot get online. Their customer support is RUDE, uninformative and annoyingly slow.

However, one good thing about AT&amp;T@HOME, is that I download at blazingly fast speeds...but watching streaming movies in excess of 300kbps streams, my connection fails to keep up. I wish I had SDSL. OH BTW, you cannot host your own site.


Edit: Do a search on @HOME here...you'll find my threads, as well as joshpokeball's thread that got pretty large

 

[The LIdless Eye]

Hey, at least we don't pay toll for local calls.

 

[RGN]

You can tell the installer that you DO NOT WANT the @home software crap. He will mark &quot;customer wants to do self-install&quot; on his sheet and complete the install - without the software.

 

[Modeps]

yah, the techs that came basically saw my setup and said &quot; you dont want this bloatware do you? &quot; I said no, they checked off &quot;customer install&quot;

 

[crystal]

I just got my AT&amp;T@home.com install last week. Everything is automatic. DCHP enables and all that stuff. Just remember your router needs the &quot;computer&quot; name, Cxxxxxx-x for it access home server and gets the ip address otherwise you will get server not found error. BTW, you don't need to install any of their software.
Thing I like, about 3xxx/128 speed when it is working.
Problems I found with the service ($20 first 6 month &amp; $40 after that, free install, etc). AT&amp;T@home.com don't support Outlook, they support Outlook Express but I don't used it. Another thing is I keep getting DNS server not found error and need to restart the browser a few time before it will work, i.e., read the web page and let it sit inactive a few minutes and click it again, more likely than not I get an error (after about 30 sec). This is pretty irrating after awhile when you keep losing connect during a chat with their online tech support. (Restart -> new tech -> same request for basic info. -> they go look up stuff -> connection lost. :| ) Start another browser, then it will work again (sometime not. Pretty much random) Lag time is long. It only tooks me two days before I unhooked it and re-install my ADSL, 784/384 guarentee 80%, 99.9% uptime (3 static ip), but cost $82/month.
Anyway, from at&amp;t support page, it seem they will do a web server upgrade on the 12th &amp; 13th (Seattle/Wa area). Will see if there are any improvement, otherwise, I will cancel the thing. Good luck.

 

[gunf1ghter]

Ouch!

Sounds like @home has some major probs. I have talked to a few people in the Denver area with it and it's pretty good, doesn't go out too frequently.

I don't understand the bit about them not supporting outlook, you should be able to use any email program you want as long as you have the server names.

It sounds like my IDSL is better and more reliable.... but it's dirt slow and costs $80 a month which is hard to justify.... so I am going to give the @home thing for a while, maybe keep the IDSL for one extra month just in case @home turns into @hell.