Switching ISP - got some advice?
entropy
Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
We're moving pretty soon (and I'm sure you're all sick of me saying that, too 
) and our current provider, Earthlink, apparently doesn't have license to use the pipes in that town. So we're changing companies. IIRC, the lines are owned by Charter...I think?
So, basically, is there a site that lets me put in my info (location, desired price and/or speed, etc), and checks on available companies? I'd rather not make a huge list of providers and go to their sites one by one. If possible, we'd like to keep it in the general price range ($37/mo. I think) and as fast, if not faster, than our current 2.8m/320k. DSL is ok, but not preferable since it's usually slower. Unless anyone knows any ISPs that guarantee those speeds/price in my location... do you know of a site that will? Thankye
) and our current provider, Earthlink, apparently doesn't have license to use the pipes in that town. So we're changing companies. IIRC, the lines are owned by Charter...I think?So, basically, is there a site that lets me put in my info (location, desired price and/or speed, etc), and checks on available companies? I'd rather not make a huge list of providers and go to their sites one by one. If possible, we'd like to keep it in the general price range ($37/mo. I think) and as fast, if not faster, than our current 2.8m/320k. DSL is ok, but not preferable since it's usually slower. Unless anyone knows any ISPs that guarantee those speeds/price in my location... do you know of a site that will? Thankye
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I'll give you an example, based on the ISP I am hooked through and promos for my area for those switching from AOL or Earthlink to Comcast. First three months are about $29.00 per month, thereafter $42.95 local to me if you have a Cable TV account.
In your case, see if Charter cable has a cut rate for those with cable TV accounts also. If mom and I did not have Cable TV, the rate for JUST internet access is $49.95 a month after the promo period right now.
My brother in MI actually went with Comcast, because number one they had Comcast cable TV, second Comcast offered them a three month period of $23.95 a month followed by about what I pay.
Sorry, I know of no sites that list universally all ISPs that do not link you to the ISP sites, or have old info compared to promos that companies do simply to steal customers and get high volume of market in each area. So, in fact I did, here, end up on ISP sites before making my decision. I DID look at DSL Reports first, to see what actual rates benched live by customers were. THEN, on that basis, I narrowed my choice to three ISPs potentially. One, Sprint DSL, did not offer service at the rate I wanted at high bandwidth, to MY STREET. The cross street this street T's into, they DID offer high speed DSL for and it competitive compared to Comcast. IF you are in a city with Fiber runs, DSL might be worth it in long run-- but fiber runs have not been done on my street yet.
I'm trying to help, but know of no universal plus current and accurate ISP rate index with live bench results. DSL is more likely to be more stable as far as bandwidth overall, and Cable is likely to flux more with surfing LOAD variances plus digital cable use in a small area close to you (In my case, about a 5 block area and then county use overall as far as internet and with no regard to didital cable TV use because bunches of things got redone after Charley undid masses of semi-shoddy workmanship and made necessary immediate4 fixes of things that had been pended as "good enough for now." After Charley, they were no longer good enough, or the connects were GONE in the case of some awful cable hookups.).
I can tell you some things to look for, and where to find more specific info as to benchmarks, but DSL Reports also has links to other sites that rate high speed broadband providers. One other place I looked at and benched at was C|Net's benchmarker and ISP rater, and of the semi-universal big broadband provider listers, they had the most current info other than the ISP sites.
BUT, had I not gone to the ISP sites also I would have the wrong ISP now, and be paying the wrong price point. I'd like to say there is just one best place, but no, not yet. C|Net is close, but can have info a month old or less. Typically not more than that, but last month's competitive deal might be over and this month's deal might be better. I'm not trying to cut you at all, but the ISP market is REAL competitive and prices WILL flux from place to place. Nobody is flat flat pricing for more than a LATA subregion unless they are a bulk bandwidth block seller and you want whole blocks.
BTW, Charter might own lines, but they also use SATELLITE block telecomm and Microwave links. They have redundancy in many cases and for many areas, as is Comcast. Earthlink might well be buying Charter Communications overcapacity as far as bandwidth transmission in your local area, and charge the average cost of same for YOUR area to you as thier customer. Earthlink mostly DOES buy blocks of bandwidth and not build its own infrastructure. SO does AOL block buy blocks of bandwidth throughput from many subproviders in many areas it serves. Every ISP I have signed with does this sometimes or often.
Question becomes: Is it better to buy my own modem, and save $50 in installation, and that way I have a brand new, [pretty much] guarenteed to work modem, not some reused one?
Suggestions:
Motorola or Zoom. Why??? Motorola has been doing telecomm including high speed broadband modems, almost forever. Motorola modems are deployed with a LOT of our armed forces troops also, for their datanets (and are specified by brand and model just for that). Zoom 5041 is what I use here. Both are excellent choices. My Zoom came direct from Zoom, BTW. And when COMCAST zapped it, Zoom WARRANTY repaired it. Charter approves Zoom modems, at least the 5041, also.
Some folks like Toshibas (and some hate them also), and RCA\Thomsons are middle-of-the-road. Talk to Charter, find out if they can do DOCSIS 2.0 compatibility in your area. If not, probbaly a Zoom is best choice-- that modem will flex between boht and last I checked it had a 5 year warranty. Motorolas are pretty comparable if you can find a real good deal local to you, have seen them at Circuit City also if you are in a hurry.
Oh, surprisingly, 3COM had such an abysmal experience with residential broadband modems that the "3COM Sharkfin" just does not cut it at all.
Zoom also works better from my Linux , 98 SE and XP boxes here at home (I admin my mom's box) box than any other brand of the 6 I have tried through Comcast rentals. I went through EVERYTHING they deployed for rentals, bought a Zoom 5041, and it has lasted 5X the max time I kept each rental, so far. Local Comcast folks did not KNOW it was supported, I ended up going to SE US region support to get it synced into the network right. Once it WAS synced 3X by regional support, looks like regional support told the local folks what was up, I can now get local support. SO, if local office says Charter does not support a Zoom 5041 ask them to escalate the call to next layer, ebcause CHARTER NATIONAL says they DO support it, and Zoom also says so explicitly.
I would not only buy my own modem, I'd get Charter to do the install, and if you have problems have a Charter field engineer come to your house and test the bandwidth flow and the modem sysn FROM YOUR house. I'd also use the network (NIC connect, not USB) cable that comes with teh Zoom unless you are real handy at building a plenum stright-through cable. Here's why:
I don't know if Charter will do this, but when Comcast did this they used a plenum grade RGP6 cable with waterproof connects from my internet hookup clear to the pole. What Comcast did do was leave me with 20 feet of extra coiled in teh attic, which I got to recrimp. RGP 59 is something I would not use for a cable internet connect. I had to buy a crimper to do the RGP6 recrimps. Overall, if Charter installs it they are responsible for the install, and if you do the install YOU are responsible for install related problems. BUT, coils of extra cabling in the run DO make for an RFI inductive interference antenna(as in ATTRACTOR of junk signals from electrical lines, etc) potentially. Once I eliminated that 20 foot coil my surfing was MUCH smoother. Thus, a Hint: Inspect the install run before you sign off on it, and be ONLINE before the installer leaves and bench it yourself. I've used the fact that it was a Comcast install as leverage to eliminate a lot of uneeded malarky many times. I paid $90.00 for my install, and think $50.00 is a GOOD deal-- if Charter uses RGP6 plenum or burial cable or better (I've seen Comcast installer subcontractors use RGP11 also), with multilayered shielding in cable.