Comcast Exploring 250 Mbps Service > That's nice but..

reply to iansltx

Re: That's nice but..

Let me put it this way: when I need the speed, it's there, 99.99% of the time. When I'm at my computer, downloading/uploading files (which happens a lot...I use SFTP to do file transfers from my school to my apartment and the network path between the two is at 10-20% of capacirt) I get advertised speeds.

I'm not downloading 100% of the time; HFC can't do that. However when I need the speed it's there, and if it wasn't there and I isolated the cause to Comcast's network (which I can do and have done) then I would sure as heck complain. Sure, there's no SLA but, again, on a well-engineered network "up to" never comes into the equation on your side of the network, especially when your speed is capped at some fraction of the capacity of the network interface you're using (for example 12 Mbps out of 152 Mbps down and 2 Mbps out of 30 Mbps up).

I'm sorry you seem to be having problems with your Comcast connection, but I guess grinning and bearing it is a choice you've made

My connection is just fine... It does have a time or two that I have issues.. every connection does and that's my point.

How do I say this... one can't say they always get advertised speeds if they don't know about the time it MAY NOT be getting them. However, say your connection did slow down and you're not at your computer. But, say the time it DID slow and you were there.. that's the weakest link.. and that's what they are talking about "up to"... there is always a chance that your speeds can dip..

I have the choice to have Century Link (barf) but chose, yes, not to take them.. It's more expensive than Comcast and the speeds are MUCH lower.. not to mention the games they play with those that want static IP addresses... having to take business class service, a business class phone line, and so many features in order to even get statics.. and THEN in order to get reverse DNS they require the higher DSL speeds (as if speed has anything to do with Reverse DNS, right?) So yea.. comcast is my choice - and I'm perfectly happy with them. Even the rare times I've noticed a dip in speeds, they've been perfectly fine.. so instead of downloading a file in a few minutes, it takes just a few more..

To this day, I've never had my speeds go anywhere below 6meg, if even for that long and I can live with that.

Semantics

I said that *I* always get advertised speeds, not that my connection provides advertised speeds 100% of the time.

Sorry to hear about CenLink though; I have family on formerly Embarq DSL and things were solid/speedy for them. Then again, the competition was TWC-Carolinas, aka the provider with crap upload speeds.

Lol.. I'll take that as condolences..

Before I bought this house, I lived in Qwest territory. To be honest, I was MORE than happy with that service. I only used it for my servers. It was a 1.5 / 896 line; ROCK solid! I was able to get stand alone service with statics for about $55 a month and was happier than a pig in slop. I also had the comcast connection, Residential service, for all the desktops. Talk about a nightmare. At first, it was great, but, I was one of the lucky people with an apartment complex on my node and it wasn't the best complex either, if you know what I mean. LOTS of theft going on there and lots of ingress into the system which took our modems down all the time. (Took the internet and phones down all the time) Finally, we got that fixed but then I moved.

I think Embarq/Century.. WHO EVER they are these days, sells things differently in each area. I can get a stand-alone residential service but no statics or any reverse DNS service. That's one thing I LOVED about Qwest.. they'd give you statics and reverse on any connection. Speeds sucked, for for an email server and general FTP/Web, it was great. Again, Century, up here, wants you to step through all their products.. so I just said screw it.. took Comcast business service for $69 a month. It's been great so far.. just have had a problem or two but nothing the lines techs couldn't take care of.. think it had to do with the Business Class expansion construction they were doing out here. Also, it doesn't hurt that many techs live in my area both home and line and that I have an employee living with me either. But, besides all that, the service has been stable with out any intervention from inside the house if you know what I mean. I also did all the internal wiring myself when the house was built so it was done correctly.

Oh yea.. I wasn't impressed with the Embarq/Century speeds for the price either... and I TOTALLY didn't want their phone service JUST to have business service.