Chicago DSL options?

Comments

  • edited December 1969
    Hey BR & BC,

    My brother-in-law just got a new computer and is thinking about high-speed internet access. Have any suggestions for DSL providers in Chicagoland? He found out that he's only 3000 ft from a CO, so it shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for any comments!



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  • edited December 1969
    Re: Chicago DSL options?
    Hey BR & BC,

    My brother-in-law just got a new computer and is thinking about
    high-speed internet access. Have any suggestions for DSL
    providers in Chicagoland? He found out that he's only 3000 ft
    from a CO, so it shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for any comments!
    Funny you should mention this. I got home from vacation yesterday and found an email message from DirecTV Internet (formerly Telocity) telling me that Rhythms (my last-mile provider) was going belly-up and shutting its network down on September 10. DirecTV Internet is transitioning me to a different last-mile provider, which I fear is going to be Ameridreck -- I think they may be the last ones in the area. (Hmm... the RBOCs wait to get into the DSL business until others have built the market for them... but the RBOCs control the wire into the home, and do their damnedest -- unintentionally of course -- to screw up the other providers... and now that the pioneers are being hit by the market pull-back, the RBOCs are stepping in to fill the gap. How coincidental is that?)

    Anyway, as it happens, I am also moving on September 24/25, so I may not even have DSL available in the new home and may wind up going with AT&T Broadband. (Previous owners had a cable modem, so I know it's available.)

    The upshot is this: I have never had a serious problem with Telocity or DirecTV Internet (since Hughes bought Telocity). I had very high SDSL speeds as an early subscriber, though I think they've been ratcheted back somewhat. Ameritech is ADSL, so I have no idea how it will compare.

    The other upshot is that for some time, possibly as early as September 10, certainly starting no later than September 24, and possibly extending well into October, I may be entirely off the net. (I gave away my 56k modem, too.) More on this as it develops.
  • edited December 1969
    [b]Speaking of Chicago...[/b]

    And I was (to myself)... Your CP email addy didn't work for me.

    Anyway, I'm planning on making a trip to Chicago, probably the weekend of September 14. Email me ( rdpeyton@christovich.com ) and I'll reply with details.

    Woo.
  • edited December 1969
    Y'all have Speakeasy up there?

    Great DSL provider I've used in Boston. Pretty fast setup, knowledgeable techies, and never any downtime while I had them.

    Also, online automatic billing, decent provisioning and wiring job, and great customer service reviews.

    Check em out if you have them up there.

    http://www.dslreports.com/
  • edited December 1969
    Re: Y'all have Speakeasy up there?

    Speakeasy is available here, but it's costly compared to what I've been paying for Telocity/DTV.

  • edited December 1969
    one thing I found out the hard way...
    Great DSL provider I've used in Boston. Pretty fast setup,
    knowledgeable techies, and never any downtime while I had them.

    Also, online automatic billing, decent provisioning and wiring
    job, and great customer service reviews.

    Check em out if you have them up there.
    I like everything about Speakeasy but one thing...

    they don't have a 'local' pop in St Louis, a metro of 2 million. They didn't tell me this when I signed up. What does this mean? It means that I have to be connected to one of their 'national' pops ... and where are they? Seattle and NYC. So my first hop ... and I mean first hop... do a tracert to conner.clanplaid.net - is in Seattle. This first hop is usually 160ms-180ms. You'd think they could send me to Chicago - but no... Chicago is only a local pop - so no luck.

    I can't get regular dsl (too long a loop), and I can't get cable, so my 'last' option was IDSL, the isdn/dsl hybred, with Speakeasy and one other company (forget which) as my only options. I 'needed' an always on/faster than modem connection so I could work from home 1 or 2 days a week (this is worth the cost to me) - so I went with Speakeasy cause they had pretty good reviews, didn't require a year contract (though if I cancel they'll charge me the 100 bucks I got off the installation).

    Now, my bandwidth is fine (144 up/down, ya kinda low but what you get with IDSL) but my pings are inflated by 140ms or so simply cause there is no local pop. Good thing I don't play Quake or I woulda been really mad, heh. As it is, I generally see pings in the 200s for myth... I can live with it. But... if you go with Speakeasy, check to make sure they have a 'local' pop first.

    Conner



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  • edited December 1969
    Re: Chicago DSL options?
    The upshot is this: I have never had a serious problem with
    Telocity or DirecTV Internet (since Hughes bought Telocity).
    I had lotsa problems with them -- unexplained disconnects for weeks at a time, continued billing months after I cancelled the service, and now they are claiming that I never sent the modem back even though their own chosen courier says that I did.

    The service may be fine, but the customer service sux.

    Zag
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