PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs: |  reply to JPCass
Re: NP Circuit Deathwatch: Up or Down?
The Verizon dude was here today and hooked up my Cavalier 764/764 line. Just 17 days from when the order was placed. They told me 30+. Now I'm just waiting for the modem. I can't wait to nuke WinPoet! |
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Anon | reply to JPCass
Northpoint line via Verio (416/416 $185) when down on 4/23 . I ordered new service on 3/26 from dsl.net/Covad (384/384 for $175 Promo). I was promised 30-45 days order to online. I was up on 5/4 and have not been down since. I think it helped that I was on the phone every week talking to dsl.net, Covad, and Verizon to check status. (The squeaky wheel theory.) The line tests at about 300/300. This is about what the northpoint line was running at. I am at the max speed for my location 13,500 from bell office.
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RoKmAn
join:2000-09-09
East Elmhurst, NY
| Ok, Its been awhile since my last post regarding Megapath/Rhythms install. Well, I was supposed to be up and running on the 30th. Next day, called up Megapath support for an update. They say its a Rhythms "build" issue, he did try calling up Rhythms for an instant update but I got tired of holding, so I told him to update me later. No update received. I did not call back to enquire further. Strangely, ever since it went down via Northpoint, my router is still synched. I doubt if verizon actually completed the hot cut. I don't really care anymore, I think I am just going to cancel the service. I am moving 3 thousand miles so will just keep the current speakeasy RADSL line for home. |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs:
| reply to JPCass
Well folks I'm back up with REAL DSL service. Read not Verizon ADSL. It only took 18 days from order to live line. Cavalier only promised 30 days. My new line is not nearly as fast (yet) as my old Northpoint line though; (I'm going to keep after 'em).
Cavaliers residential 768/768 service:
DSL Reports Test:
** Speed 604(down)/491(up) kbps **
Verizon Test:
(down)
626.1KBits 78.3KBytes
bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/:
(down)
test 1 complete 626.7
test 2 complete 673.3
Cavalier says the line tests at 10,500' from the CO. Northpoint had me pegged at 8300' hmmm?
The old NP line ran 750/760, but still I've got a real routable static IP, reasonable upload speed, good data stream (no rexmits), good ping stability: 28 29 28 31 28 28 29 28 28 29 for $70 a month. I'm happy I guess (you never know what you've got till it's gone). I watched a bad movie on METV.com last night and it ran the whole hour + at near 375 without a blip while I had NetRadio running on a networked client! Not bad.
Cavalier's tech support has been unbelievably fast and helpful. Based on my experience so far I can actually recommend these folks. I am generally very reticent about recommending any ISP because most of them suck and I wouldn't want to be responsible for misleading anyone but Cavalier Telephone seems to be the exception.
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I want to dress you up as TALLULAH BANKHEAD and cover you with VASELINE and WHEAT THINS ... |
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dhibbeln
join:2000-09-10
Hackensack, NJ
| reply to JPCass
We are back with SDSL. via IDT/RYTHMS in Hackensack NJ.
Delay due to Verzion tech who punched down circut and mislabeled it.
Have one client who was up for 2 hours, went down and has been down for 2 weeks. NO one can figure out why.
Have one client who went UUNET/COVAD. Was a sweet, fun experience. Intstall took all of 10 working days from order to intsall.... |
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Anon | reply to PatientGuy
I don't know if Cavalier has a partner in my CO. I do know that they've expanded into PA. Megapath/Rhythms still hasn't managed the trick of re-connection yet because Verizon put the line in the wrong place.
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Hello. My name is Chipinphilly. You killed my DSL. Prepare to die. |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs:
| I can sympathize. That's just so typical of Verizon, I swear they'll do anything to sabotage the CLECs. It took them SIX MONTHS to get my NP line hooked up. This time things went much better thank goodness. Probably just dumb luck.
BTW Cavalier doesn't partner with any last mile providers like Covad. They own all their own DSLAMS and only lease the last mile copper (All bow to the God Verizon). They own their own fiber between the CO's and the BBNPlanet backbone. I'm just two hops away from the backbone!
1 10 ms 10 ms 10 ms gateway01-nova-dsl.cavtel.net [64.83.37.1]
2 10 ms 20 ms 20 ms 64.83.26.249.dc249-mppp-ric-core.cavtel.net [64.83.26.249]
3 20 ms 20 ms 20 ms p4-3.washdc3-cr2.bbnplanet.net [4.24.66.69]
My measured throughput speed is nothing to write home about but the ping stability, packet loss, routing and general performance when watching streaming video and stuff has been terrific so far, better than my old Northpoint line which was good.
Cavalier just moved into the Philly market so coverage is probably sketchy right now but these folks are worth keeping an eye on. I won't say I wouldn't take my old $49 784/784 NP line back in a NY minute, but I'm real happy right now. A month or so of using my backup Verizon 640/90 (512/70) Winpoet DHCP everything about it is crapolla line help put things in perspective. |
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Anon | What sort of programs does Cavalier have? I'd love to take a long, hard look at them if they do SDSL with multiple IPs.
Megapath is soaking me for $100 a month (when they finally get me up and running) for 256/256 1 IP and I can't say that theirs is the most proactive performance against an ILEC that I've seen.
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Hello. My name is Chipinphilly. You killed my DSL. Prepare to die. |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs:
| I got 768/768 that runs about 625/580. They use an unusual but good Paradyne Hotwire shared line SDSL system that features a long reach. They use it because they only sell DSL bundled with voice. It cost me $90 mo. for the DSL line, unlimited call voice line and cheap long distance. I think it's worth it for the DSL alone. I haven't even used the voice line yet. I'll get around to canning one of the $35 Verizon lines soon meaning I will be spending about what I was for that voice line and the NP line. You can keep your current number if you want. The best source of info is »Company entry - Cavalier Telephone.
They have two web sites, »www.cavtel.com/ for sales stuff and »www.cavtel.net/ for current customers. Both are pretty lame but I don't give a damn about that kind of stuff, I just want a good line cheap. Call them for any real info. The sale force is more in tune with voice service than DSL so I called tech support to get technical info and to see what tech support was like. Good and fast was what I found. I think more than one IP costs extra but I didn't ask since I use DHCP for everything past my first puter.
800-950-7858 Main line
877-459-9182 Tech |
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Codex1
join:1999-12-06
West Grove, PA |  reply to JPCass
Still down here in Philly w/ Telocity. My circuit is still on Northpoint. Telocity sent the modem weeks ago but they won't tell me when the service will be back up. |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs: | reply to Anon
Hey Chip, have you got service yet? What kind. If not any plans? |
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Anon | No, and I can't get Cavalier here yet. |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs: | reply to JPCass
Unless someone knows differently this is semi-officially
The Longest Thread in DSLR history!
The paperback version of "The Longest Thread" to be published soon! |
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Hatax
join:2001-02-14
Saint Paul, MN | reply to JPCass
I had Northpoint here in MN till it died 4/24/01. =( Now I have cable modem being installed on sunday.. Hoping I get some good speeds seeing as it's freshly available in my area. =) |
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dhibbeln
join:2000-09-10
Hackensack, NJ | reply to JPCass
Does anyone have comments on service from COVAD via UUNET? |
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Anon | reply to JPCass
PatientGuy - Your IBS Mail Still Up?
Been a while since I've been on, and I wanted to check in and see what the latest is. My IBS Mailbox is still receiving messages. I was curious if any IBS refugees had been cut off from their mail or not.
I'm now up with Megapath. 384/384, single IP, for $139/MO. I've yet to submit the expenses to my employer for the new ISP, and pray that they won't have a Myocardial and deny it to me.
I'm thinking about cable, as it just became available in my area, but I really don't want to venture into the shared-bandwidth arena. They are trumpeting "1.5 Meg download speed", but that's only if you are the only one using it. Anyone have any comments on cable? I have a feeling that I may have to switch eventually, and nothing else reasonable is available in my area.
At least I'm back up with a fat pipe. Man, did I go through some dialup-withdrawals!
JCB |
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mallomar
join:2001-04-11
Silver Spring, MD
| I had Comcast @home cable modem service installed a few days after IBS notified us that we'd be losing our residential DSL service.
Cable modem's not great, but the price is right (they're increasing the prices on July 1) -- $32.95/mo plus $7/mo cable modem rental.
Speed varies wildly. Recent DSLREPORTS speed test results:
Speed 751(down)/304(up) kbps
But in my ignorance, I don't really know what the numbers mean in relation to the maximum speed the cable modem people talk about. They say the max upload speed is 128, so I don't know how I'm getting 304, unless I'm comparing different units of measurement.
Cable modem tech support is not so hot (although anything's better than IBS's tech support). A couple of days ago I spent several hours (yes, hours) on the phone with at least four different technical guys before one of them determined that there was a service problem in my area, nothing wrong with my own setup, and I would just have to wait until it was fixed.
Anyway, I'm not sure I had any other options, since Covad isn't available here, and I can't afford business-class (i.e., expensive) DSL service. I still keep a basic dial-up account alive, for those times when the cable modem service is on the fritz.
Mallomar |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs:
| reply to Anon
It's amazing but my IBS mail account is still up too. Sounds like they're wary of the courts to me. Your Megapath 384/384 service sounds good. I'd keep it if it's not too expensive. Is it Covad, Rhythms other? I don't know much about cable from personal experience. All I know is what I read on DSLR. It seems like cable service varies widely depending on the area. Some people have outrageously fast service for dirt cheap. Some have really awful service that's not so cheap. I'd stick with you SDSL line. If it's like most SDSL it's pretty steady. Plus it's installed and working which seems to be half the battle.
It's nice to run into some old friends rattling around this ghost town BTW:). Keep in touch. |
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PatientGuy
I'M Way Deep Into Nothing Special
Premium
join:2000-12-11
Arlington, VA
clubs:
| reply to mallomar
said by mallomar:
Speed 751(down)/304(up) kbps
Those are good speed for the money you're paying. DSLR speed test reports in Kbps, (usually lower case b) that is thousand of bits per second. The other measurement is KBps(usually uppercase B) which is thousands of Bytes per second. 8 Bits make up a Byte. So if your browser for instance says your downloading at 40 KBps multiply that number by 8 and you get 320 Kbps. Why do they use differing measurements? Long story. How can you tell. Plausibility test is the quickest way. Bits are usually only used when talking about transferring data over telecommunications equipment like modems and DSL lines. Everything else is going to be in Bytes. You can use this link to run a Verizon download speed test that will give you the results in Kbps and KBps. |
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mallomar
join:2001-04-11
Silver Spring, MD
| Thanks for explaining the Kbps/KBps thing. I checked my download speed at the Verizon page and it was about 800 Kbps.
My DSL speed from IBS was 384 (Kbps, right?), so my downloads are faster. Uploads are sometimes slower than my old dial-up modem (28.8)! But I can live with that.
One really good thing about getting cable modem is that they were able to install it the day after I called (I called the Sunday after Northpoint made their big announcement). So I had cable modem service up and running a week or two before the Northpoint lines actually shut down.
The other good thing is that I didn't have to sign any contracts or pay in advance. And I can cancel at any time. So it was a really low-risk (actually, no-risk) proposition. |
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