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baumgrenze
join:2004-05-29
Palo Alto, CA

baumgrenze

Member

[General] PC Fine Tune

I just finished another "live chat" with earthlink. The tech finally used "EarthLink Live Support" from "broker.gotoassist.com" to track down the fact that during the day today they changed my POP server setting without letting me know. Seems that has happened before. I had to be quite forceful to convince him that Mozilla SeaMonkey is really FireFox and Thunderbird combined, and that if they supported the latter two they also supported the former whether or not they knew it.

In closing Daniel did the obligatory flogging of EarthLink PC Fine Tune and I balked. Has anyone evaluated this application? What is it supposed to do? I don't want to complicate my machine unnecessarily.

I suppose that I should get on with it and have AT&T install UVerse internet access for me. Last time I looked it ought to increase my download speed markedly and decrease my monthly bill significantly. The downside, as I understand it, is that I need to forgo high speed internet access for about a week while AT&T reconfigures things. They can make a quick change for AT&T dsl customers, but they refuse to install dsl in my neighborhood because there are too many bridge-taps on the line from here to the CO.

Thanks,

baumgrenze

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

1 edit

Doctor Olds

Premium Member

said by baumgrenze:

I suppose that I should get on with it and have AT&T install UVerse internet access for me. Last time I looked it ought to increase my download speed markedly and decrease my monthly bill significantly. The downside, as I understand it, is that I need to forgo high speed internet access for about a week while AT&T reconfigures things. They can make a quick change for AT&T dsl customers, but they refuse to install dsl in my neighborhood because there are too many bridge-taps on the line from here to the CO.

Uverse is just VDSL and requires a even shorter line than Earthlink DSL does to provide the higher speed tiers. They (Uverse) also have data caps that once exceeded increase the monthly fee.

As to PC Fine Tune you really shouldn't need it and there are likely better packages out there that are lower cost or even free.
baumgrenze
join:2004-05-29
Palo Alto, CA

baumgrenze

Member

Thank you Doctor Olds,

Here is what we are getting from Earthlink DSL for ~$40/month. Last time I looked, AT&T was supplying the service, although, at the start it was Covad and the rate in 08/02 was 325/107. Earlier this year, in June,

Your Tool and Test History
Time
(last 24 hours) Test Results Comment..
download upload Server Your Domain
del 15-10-2011 03:49 PM flash speedtest 737 Kbps 304 Kbps Linkline (Los Angeles CA) sbcglobal.net
del 15-10-2011 03:46 PM flash speedtest 756 Kbps 348 Kbps TekSavvy Solutions Inc (Toronto ON) sbcglobal.net
del 12-08-2011 10:50 AM java speedtest 747 Kbps 315 Kbps California, USA sbcglobal.net
del 12-08-2011 10:48 AM flash speedtest 868 Kbps 315 Kbps Comcast (Denver CO) sbcglobal.net
del 12-08-2011 10:47 AM flash speedtest 761 Kbps 305 Kbps Linkline (Los Angeles CA) sbcglobal.net
del 12-08-2011 10:46 AM flash speedtest 776 Kbps 348 Kbps TekSavvy Solutions Inc (Toronto ON) sbcglobal.net
del 27-06-2011 11:23 PM flash speedtest 815 Kbps 301 Kbps Linkline (Los Angeles CA) sbcglobal.net
del 27-06-2011 11:19 PM flash speedtest 835 Kbps 344 Kbps TekSavvy Solutions Inc (Toronto ON) sbcglobal.net

Rates have been higher but have begun degrading:

Speed Test #84718920 by dslreports.com
Run: 2010-01-07 18:37:03 EST
Download: 1123 (Kbps)
Upload: 314 (Kbps)
In kilobytes per second: 137.1 down 38.4 up
Tested by server: 190 java
User: 1015332 @ dslreports.com
User's DNS: sbcglobal.net
Compared to the average of 761 tests from sbcglobal.net:
* download is 65% worse, upload is 52% worse

What do I need to do to determine if I would hit the data caps with AT&T? I also gather that even if that were not an issue, their customer service is really bad. Someone from AT&T told me that their VRADs were connected to the CO using high speed fiber optic cables and that only the last few blocks remained classic copper twisted pairs. They claim they can supply me with whatever speed I am willing to pay for. It is hard to drill down to the 'real charge/month' after the promotion rate runs out, but I gather that I can get 'up to 3000 Kbps' for less that I am now paying.

How do I learn if anyone in addition to AT&T and Earthlink (via AT&T) is in a position to provide service in my neighborhood where AT&T admits that line quality is poor but meets the state utility commission's standards for voice communication. How could any other ISP improve on the dsl service I am now getting since they would have to use the same line?

Thanks,

baumgrenze

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds

Premium Member

Try the AT&T Forum that covers your service area and they should be able to answer a lot of your questions (if not all of them ). They have a pretty helpful group of techs here at BBR despite what corporate does.

»AT&T Forums (AT&T Direct, AT&T Midwest, AT&T Southwest, AT&T Northeast, AT&T Southeast, AT&T Southeast, AT&T West, AT&T U-verse)