MSN Internet access is - gasp! - actually pretty good?

[XMan]

My former ISP was getting really crappy. We're talking busy signals 75% of the time after 5PM, dropped connections, slow connections, and (from what other people are telling me ) clueless tech support. I had people calling ME wanting help with their net connection cause they couldn't get help from our ISP, LOL.

So anyway, I'm at Best Buy this weekend, and I see the MSN ad they have plastered all over the place. At first I'm like, nah, I'm not stupid. Then I'm thinking, you know, I'm already paying twenty bucks a month. What's another dollar ninety-five?

What's that you say? Broadband? Oh, this is good. You're going to love this.

I have machines at both Qwest (telephone) and AT&T Broadband (cable). According to the phone company boys, we won't be seeing DSL until 2005 - at the earliest. And while they have "broadband" in their name, my customers at AT&T just give me a blank look when I ask them about cable modems. I've looked at the two-way satellite systems from DirecPC, but I just don't like the price, and the performance isn't that great for online gaming.

So a two year contract works for me. Plus I got two hundred bucks (didn't it used to be $400?) Ended up getting a new monitor, hard drive, network switch, and some other odds and ends for $200 or so out of pocket - $150 if you count the rebate on the monitor.

So far, I'm hooking up at 44,000 to 50,000, downloading at consistent speeds, with no busy signals or dropped connections.

 

[Budman]

If it works then that's great.

But at least you didnt go AOhell.

 

[jcg]

good news, i'm with qwest.net/dsl and there turning over their isp function to msn

 

[LXi]

I was a 4 year MSN member, very satisfied. MSN is definitely one of the dial-up ISPs that dont suck.

 

[bacillus]

<< But at least you didnt go AOhell >>


lol Budman!

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

21.95 a month and you're getting between 44 and 50k bps

All I can say is learn how to dun into a university.
Its free and you get 52k bps every time

 

[Twilling]

&quot;So a two year contract works for me.&quot;

You signed a contract??!! Rule Number 1.... never sign an ISP contract, case in point... what prompted you with your previous isp? Good connection and speeds right? Now months later you are having problems... And you are free to switch. Now you locked yourself with MSN. What will happen if you start having connection problems and dropped calls?? You are stuck for 2 years!!!

And do the math!! 2 years= 24mos x 21.95= 526.80!!! Not including the possible price increase. AOL just went up to 23.95 so you know all major isp will follow... I don't think you made such a wise decision....

 

[nmos]

Twilling: Agreed. I've been through probably 5 or 6 ISP in the last 10 years or so and they all started out great. Eventually though they've all degraded (usually after a merger) or changed their service/pricing to something unexceptable. I'd also suggest that an ISP who has a large percentage of their customers on contract has virtually no incentive to keep the quality of service high. Personally I prefer small local ISPs because they tend to be more flexable when you need special services and I like knowing that I'm helping employ local geeks.

 

[Eriksen]

The GoingPlatinium dial-in ISP just pre-launched in the US (powered by UUNet), at $9.95/month and later a possible full monthly rebate. I am not from the US myself, so I will have to wait a bit longer It won't beat my cable modem anyway, hehe.

But the US members that are using it now says it is working great at some +44k, typically.
Might be worth checking out....

DSL solutions probably won't be there for several months, though.

 

[nnnyyy]

Wow a 2 year contract! I couldnt even handle a 1 year contract. But if it works for you, good luck. Honestly though, I dont think $200 for a 2 year contract is that good of a deal considering it used to be $400. But if you did all the research and concluded that there will be no broadband around your neighborhood for 2 years, its an ok deal.

 

[TruculentTucan]

wow, MSN doing something right? I'll be damned....

 

[XMan]

And do the math!! 2 years= 24mos x 21.95= 526.80!!! Not including the possible price increase. AOL just went up to 23.95 so you know all major isp will follow... I don't think you made such a wise decision....

I was already paying $20 a month to my local ISP. The only local ISP, by the way. So when I found out that MSN had a local number, I jumped on it.

 

[goul]

<< a new monitor, hard drive, network switch, and some other odds and ends for $200 or so out of pocket - $150 if you count the rebate on the monitor.
>>



What monitor did ya get?