Review by axus 
UPDATED: 237 days ago
member for 7.1 years, 529 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Washington,District Of Columbia,DC
 $32 per month (12 month contract)
 Verizon
 "Low price, better upload than competition"
 "It's not ready to use immediately.. took about a week"
 "better than Comcast..."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I've had the service for a few weeks now. I've been too busy to spend much time on the 'net at home, but have used it to access some critical websites and do some gaming. I haven't had any hiccups or interruption in service. The line syncs to the modem very quickly. The speed test I ran was very close to the speed I'm paying for.
If you are not a technical user, be sure to accept the built-in wireless, and don't worry about using your own router. The sales rep suggested built-in wireless, but I knew I could figure out a way to use my own router. It was harder than I expected though.
Here's some info for technical users: The modem defaults to 192.168.1.1 so you have to configure your router to a different number. The modem password is not documented, but you can find it in the forums. Then, you must change the modem from 1-port router to "bridge" mode and set a few other settings. This is also documented in the forums, but quite complex. Once things are configured properly, it runs smoothly.
Here was my sales experience:
I was planning on signing up with RCN's 20Mbit service in the DC area, unfortunately they do not offer service on my street (service is offered not too far away!). The incumbent cable operator is Comcast, and the incumbent DSL provider is Verizon. Comcast offers 8Mbit / 384kb connections. Verizon's highest DSL tier is 3Mbit / 768kb.
I've had Comcast before, and the service was reliable and downloads usually fast. Their quality can vary a lot from area to area, though. I'm friends with someone who had Verizon DSL in the same neighborhood for 2 years, according to them the reliability was good, but the speeds average.
The main factor in my choice for Verizon was the upload speed. Double the speed makes a lot of difference. I'd like the 8Mbit, but when I've had Comcast before I always felt like I needed more upload. The second major factor is the traffic shaping that Comcast has been widely reported to engage in. It's something I could live with if the price and upload speed beat Verizon by a lot, but they don't. The final factor is cost. Verizon is only $32, Comcast was $52 minimum, more without cable television or digital voice. Verizon offers a $5 local only plan ($11 after fees), which soundly beats the $30 digital voice plan.
Verizon has an installation fee of $21 dollars, but they'll take off $10 for three months with a one year contract. Given that my only other option is Comcast, I know that I'll be with Verizon for at least a year. My "install" date is almost 2 weeks from when I ordered service, even though the previous occupant already had Verizon DSL. Not so good, but I won't be moved in until then anyways so it's OK for me. The sales person was very knowledgable about their product, and answered my questions.
It turned out that I waited less than a week for activation. There was a "pre-activation" link sent to my email, where I entered my username, password, and personal info. The modem was shipped out early, I actually missed UPS the first 2 delivery attempts because I was still moving boxes to the new house. My phone line didn't work after they turned on the DSL; after calling tech support they identified the problem on their end quickly, but said it would take a day to fix. It was fixed the next morning.
Message to Comcast: look at what Cox is doing. Offer 2Mbit upload. Don't traffic shape, don't hide your caps, don't charge more for someone who doesn't want cable TV. Cox is $40/mo for 5/2 internet, no contract. I'm going to miss them. Verizon gets my money now.
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