Qwest → Qwest ADSL in Cedar Rapids, IA...

I'm looking into getting DSL service, and I had a few questions...
-When I enter my phone number at Qwest's website, it says that I qualify for 256k/256k or 1.5M/896k service... but according to the 'prequalifier' and CO distance utilities on here, I'm over 20,000 feet from my CO (CDRRIADT). My understanding is this sort of distance is not conducive to high performance.
However, I do live less than 3000 feet (as the crow flies) from an RT DSLAM that was apparently installed at Glass Rd on April 30 of this year (CDRRIARZ). That being the case, should I in fact expect to realize close to the theoretical 1.5M/896k rates?
-Is there any way to predict what sort of latencies I might get a-priori... or do I just have to get the connection and then see what my pings end up being?
-Is the Qwest.net ISP still available? I don't want to get stuck with MSN if I can help it.
-Any suggestions on what to do for a modem? I've perused the forums, and it looks like Qwest's Actiontec rental modems are a bit... ah, unpopular. Then again, by renting, the modem is Qwest's problem... and I presume they provide inline filters as part of a self-install kit when you take their modem...

This will be a residential line, used primarily for web surfing, although I'd like to be able to game and possibly set up XBox 'Live' with satisfactory results. PLEASE don't suggest *shudder* Mediacom cable (I've heard too many horror stories... I barely trust them for TV, much less Internet).

Thanks in advance!

I get full speed and my latency is around 60ms. I live in Boone, about an hour and a half west of you. I can't see where yours would be any higher than that, and most likely lower since CR has its own link to the main backbone. I have to go through Des Moines.
Qwest.net is still available for around 7 bucks a month with no email or webspace.
The Actiontec modem is a pain for some people, but it has been a great modem for me. I have it running in bridged mode and authenticate with PPPoE on Win XP Pro. Some areas can't connect via PPPoE, so that's where the problem comes in. It's really NOT the modems fault.
I hope I answered your questions well enuf. Have a good day!

The basic Qwest.net service went up to $9.99. There's really no reason not to take the MSN package at this point unless you don't have/want a home package with Qwest, or you just really want to avoid MSN even if that means no email and newsgroups.

With the increase in modem rental this month, I'd probably just buy one -- and from what I've read make sure it's the Cisco 678 and not the Actiontec. If you rent, it's $5.00/month now.

Since you said don't push cable on you, I won't...but that's the route I took. My thread explains my beef with Qwest's high prices and high latency.

yeah I agree with the whole latency thing, it's just a setting on the DSLAM for christ sake...

I've been a DSLR member since 2000 and seen so many threads on this, It boils down to this: unless you have VDSL they can't/wont change the latency even though they can on the port level, meaning they could do it for just you and not the other 7 users on that ATUC card. I don't know about the Avaya Stinger DSLAMs though.

I know that there are tier 3 CSS techs in here but they probably wont comment on this.

Minus overhead you should get decent bandwidth. Probably will work out of the dslam at your co distance, why a dslam is near you. The dslams can slow down with heavy use of say downloading etc. However, they are monitored fairly well and capacity added if needed. So they are in effect nearly as good as a direct connection to a dslam in a co.
Latency well it is built in on first hop as interleave, so for now no change. It supposed makes more lines more stable, so fewer truck rolls.
Now depending on where you are the backbone after the first hop until handed of to non Qwest backbone can be great or so-so. Just luck of draw and other back bone, by other providers, in your area may be better or worse.

Thanks for the replies!

It sounds like I'll be giving Qwest a try, then. I've read some of the threads on interleaving, and until something is done about that (when/if that ever happens), I guess I'll just have to deal with the latency. After years of 56K use, maybe it won't even bother me.
I hear a lot of talk about the Cisco 678... what should I expect to pay for one of those, say from eBay (it's a discontinued item, isn't it)? At $5 a month to rent, I'd rather buy, provided the unit will be viable for at least 2 years.
As far as ISPs go, I'm content with web e-mail (e.g. hotmail) for home/personal use, and I've never been into newsgroups. Are there any other differences between MSN and Qwest.net? Any quirks in acceptable use policies, or anything like that? Uhm... anything else I should know/think about?

Also, I think I figured out the deal with the distance reports I was getting. Evidently, due to legal rulings, ILECs are required to share CO resources with CLECS... but this is not the case with remote resources (e.g. RTs/Remote DSLAMs). So, all the services like Megapath/Speakeasy/etc were quoting me IDSL only, since I'm over 20K feet away from my CO. There is indeed a remote DSLAM within 3000 feet of me (and potentially another, within about 500 feet) that is ONLY available through my ILEC, Qwest. And suddenly, it all made sense.