Shopping for Internet Service in the USA - I need advice.
I know this is a very multicultural community, but I'm hoping my fellow American's might be able to give me some advice on this...
Hello all! I live in Michigan, USA and I'm shopping for internet: in my area I have ATT DSL and Comcast cable. At my old apartment I have 3.0 Mbps through a smaller ISP and it works fine for my gaming, Huluing, and Netflixing (mostly what we do that warrants the speed).
I have a few pointed questions, but I'm also wondering what service you guys use, what speed, and how you feel it performs for you.
Here are my questions:
1.) I can get 3.0 Mbps through DSL as well, but I've heard bad things about actual DSL speed versus cable speed. Do you guys have any experience using ATT DSL, and if so, what are your thoughts (considering what I use the high speed for)?
2.) Any experience with Comcast? I'm looking at their 6.0 Mbps service (which theoretically should be twice the speed I have available to me now). Any thoughts on that?
3.) I've heard Comcast has a 250 GB per month cap. I don't download huge files (the occasional Steam and Telltale game). I suppose I don't understand what that cap entails - is that just downloading anything, like text for websites? Does that take into account the amount of bandwidth going through my computer that I might not be "downloading", such as streaming movies from Netflix or Hulu?
4.) I see things like 20Mbps, and 50Mbps - is that actually necessary?
5.)What service do you use, what speed, and are you happy with the performance?
I know this is a long post, but I really appreciate your advice.
Hello all! I live in Michigan, USA and I'm shopping for internet: in my area I have ATT DSL and Comcast cable. At my old apartment I have 3.0 Mbps through a smaller ISP and it works fine for my gaming, Huluing, and Netflixing (mostly what we do that warrants the speed).
I have a few pointed questions, but I'm also wondering what service you guys use, what speed, and how you feel it performs for you.
Here are my questions:
1.) I can get 3.0 Mbps through DSL as well, but I've heard bad things about actual DSL speed versus cable speed. Do you guys have any experience using ATT DSL, and if so, what are your thoughts (considering what I use the high speed for)?
2.) Any experience with Comcast? I'm looking at their 6.0 Mbps service (which theoretically should be twice the speed I have available to me now). Any thoughts on that?
3.) I've heard Comcast has a 250 GB per month cap. I don't download huge files (the occasional Steam and Telltale game). I suppose I don't understand what that cap entails - is that just downloading anything, like text for websites? Does that take into account the amount of bandwidth going through my computer that I might not be "downloading", such as streaming movies from Netflix or Hulu?
4.) I see things like 20Mbps, and 50Mbps - is that actually necessary?
5.)What service do you use, what speed, and are you happy with the performance?
I know this is a long post, but I really appreciate your advice.
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Comments
The 250GB cap includes everything. Music, streaming video, text, skype... anything that comes in through that modem, so not sure how that'll affect you if you use netflix/hulu streaming video.. That would depend how big those videos are and how much you watch them.
I have a 20mbps connection - it's only necessary once you have it for the first time and realize you can't live without it.
AT&T uses the same DSL modem my isp uses in a lot of areas, a 2wire modem. If they use that in your area (they will for sure if they offer UVerse in the area, their TV service), then it has a built in wireless router which is kinda handy. If you have anything that can use wireless, it's nice having it built in instead of dropping another $30 or so on a separate wireless router.