need DSL provider recommendation in L.A. area

[kru]

just got word from AT&T broadband that they're jacking up the cost of my cable connection to $46/mo. they'll only raise it to $42/mo. if i go out and buy my own cable modem, but if i continue to lease theirs i'll have to pay the $46/mo.

so i'm thinking about ditching the service and going with a DSL provider. can anyone recommend one that serves the L.A. 90066 area? i just don't want to pay more than $40/mo. for a broadband connection.

 

[b0red]

I believe DSL starts at 50/month. Pacbell raised their DSL from 39.99 to 49.99.

 

[PliotronX]

I would never recommend signing for DSL through anyone but the local telco. Why? Because if your connection has problems, you have to call two, or sometimes three different companies if you go for DSL through a DSL reseller rather than directly through the telco. My first broadband connection was EarthLink DSL via the CO ran by GTE (now Verizon). The connection sucked, and I couldn't get anywhere with the tech support because EL was blaming it on GTE, GTE was blaming it on EL, and both also blamed it on my distance from the CO (which is about 1,000 ft. BTW). I had to wait 12 months for the contract to expire so I could cancel it, even then EL wanted to charge me the $125 cancellation fee. About a month before I cancelled the DSL, I got AT&T RR installed and could not be happier.

So, my suggestion is, if your current cable service is running satisfactory, don't switch because there's a fairly substantial chance that you could get screwed for more than $46/mo or $42/mo. Or I suggest signing for DSL directly through your telco. Going through DSL resellers can only result in headaches.

See my understanding of DSL was false before I got it. I thought ISPs that offer analog service can just as easily use their POPs for DSL, but no. It's all the telco. See with dial-up, you dial a server that the ISP actually owns, the telco only provides the "phonecall" to connect to the ISP's POPs.

I don't mean to scare anyone, but I just don't want anyone else to go through what's happened to me regarding broadband. *big sigh*

 

[kru]

thanks for the info PliotronX. my local phone provider is verizon. anyone know how their DSL service is? i was talking to someone earlier about buying one of his spare DSL modems, and since he was getting his service from verizon at least i know it'll be compatible with their system.

 

[PliotronX]

Ah, no problem. There are many satisfied Verizon DSL customers, but there are a lot of very angry Verizon DSL customers. Services can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, and unless you live in the Valencia area, I couldn't tell you how your service may function. But I do know that DSLReports will most likely have someone hanging around who has Verizon DSL in your area, maybe even your neighborhood, and they can give you details on their experiences. Good luck!

 

[b0red]

I had bad experience trying to get DSL from verizon/gte. Was on the "list" for 6 months. Called back, they lost my order. Went to dslreports.com, picked mminternet.com. Took them 2 weeks to get me connected. 50bux/month, static.

 

[kru]

well i just found out from the Verizon site that they don't provide DSL to my area.

checking out dslreports.com right now for an alternative...


thanks a lot for the input guys. much appreciated

 

[potz]

I had a rocky first month with Pacbell. After that, it was perfect. Tell us what companies offer DSL in your area.

 

[kru]

wow...well after checking out dslreports, it looks like i'm gonna have to go with Surfcity Networks. the 12-18 day period from placing an order to actually going live sounds amazing compared to the 1-3 month waiting periods i've heard from other friends who signed up with DSL service providers. anyone know if the 768/128 transfer speed is decent for $47/mo.?

 

[RanDum72]

Why DSL? The claimed 12-18 days from ordering till uptime is a myth, the only ones who do get it within that time frame are the truly lucky ones and they are too few of them. 768/128 doesn't cut it,it will even get slower with more subscribers (don't listen to the myth that DSL doesn't slow down and its a dedicated connection; it does slow down). How fast is your cable connection?

 

[kru]

great...spoke with a rep from SurfCity and found out there isn't ANY dsl in my area. looks like i'm stuck with cable whether i like it or not.

 

[Shaka]

I have mminternet also and they're service is great. But, I have to complain that my DSL goes down at least a couple of times a month. MMinternet says it's their service provider that is crapping out, but downtime is downtime. My fellow UCLA comrades say that Verizon is fine. Although, can get slow at times. MMinternet is usually very fast, when it's up. 768down/128up.