Alternative to 'net connection.

Brothers of Briar

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Joined
May 4, 2011
Messages
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Location
Arid-zona
The short version -

My 'net provider has been totally unreliable for consistent service. I won't go into details but I've had enough. It's a systemic problem that they won't solve anytime soon if at all.

It comes over the physical wires, as does my land line. That's all I have and need. And that is the problem. I need something 100% wireless.

A local friend told me about his provider (one of the majors) that offers wireless connection. OK, so I went to their B&M store and found out they could hook me up for totally wireless 'net and landline with the same phone #. All for about what I'm spending right now. And, they said the installer would be contacting me to set up an appointment. Good so far.

After a week I hadn't heard from anyone and my call to the sales rep was not returned. So I went again to the store and they found my work order and made some excuse about being busy. Apparently they use a contractor to do the install as they didn't have the hardware at the store. The sales rep said I'd be contacted by the installer. Here we are again a week later and no cigar!

The only conclusion I can come to is that they don't want or care about my biz since what I want is very basic and won't amount to a significant income for the. Therefore I'm a low/no priority.

At this point I say 'eff 'em. So here's my query-

I see that there are wireless connections available on amazon. Has anyone used one and what can you tell me about them? Pay for the hardware one time and then allus gut? And what about my land line # which I'd like to keep?

I don't have any use for anything else. And even if I did get one of these units in I'd have to get a geek to install it.

Altogether very frustrating!

:x


No Cheers,

RR
 
So you’re looking at 100% satellite internet? I think both these do not require a land line for a return signal.

https://www.reviews.org/internet-service/viasat-vs-hughesnet/

The only thing I’d suggest is to watch out for the special 1 - 2 yrs at a low intro cost that then balloons up to a huge cost.

Also, I’m sure you have, but be sure to check out bundling your internet & tv services.

In my area I can get tv service from dish, direct tv & xfinity. For internet there are a half dozen services offered...

We do xfinity for internet because my wife’s employer covers the cost since she often has to work from home. We pay for 40 Mbps but I ran a test just now and our download is currently at 73.0 Mbps and upload at 3.16 Mbps. I’ve been very pleased with their service. We’ve had a service outage three times in three years. Each time they were on it like a sweat. The last time I couldn’t connect I used my smart phone & plugged my address into their search thing and it was immediately verified there was a service outage and gave a specific time by which it would be fixed. They had it going again well before the stated time. Dish tv? They are rock solid, never down in all the years we’ve been with them.

Lastly...it sure ain’t cheap.
 
GeoffC":2yc66lk3 said:
Ok so my brother in law has Hugh's net.  It works but it is slow. It is a 100% wireless solution. My 2 cents on it is you may have issues just like direct TV if a large thunderstorm has ice forming in the head. It may block the signal.

Yeah...lotta those ice storms in AZ (?). Our signal goes out with DISH if a really heavy squall moves through...or if heavy snow covers the little dish. But it’s just for a few minutes at most. A minor annoyance.
 
Blackhorse":g5ebsiux said:
So you’re looking at 100% satellite internet?  I think both these do not require a land line for a return signal.

https://www.reviews.org/internet-service/viasat-vs-hughesnet/

The only thing I’d suggest is to watch out for the special 1 - 2 yrs at a low intro cost that then balloons up to a huge cost.

Also, I’m sure you have, but be sure to check out bundling your internet & tv services.  

In my area I can get tv service from dish, direct tv & xfinity.  For internet there are a half dozen services offered...

We do xfinity for internet because my wife’s employer covers the cost since she often has to work from home.  We pay for 40 Mbps but I ran a test just now and our download is currently at 73.0 Mbps and upload at 3.16 Mbps.  I’ve been very pleased with their service.  We’ve had a service outage three times in three years.  Each time they were on it like a sweat.  The last time I couldn’t connect I used my smart phone & plugged my address into their search thing and it was immediately verified there was a service outage and gave a specific time by which it would be fixed.  They had it going again well before the stated time.  Dish tv?  They are rock solid, never down in all the years we’ve been with them.

Lastly...it sure ain’t cheap.

Not interested in TV related stuff. I bought one of those cheap digital antennas from amazon when I moved here that gets a few channels since all I wanted was local news and weather. I have DVDs if i want to watch a movie or get them from the library.

Just want wireless 'net and phone.


Cheers,

RR
 
Just learned that the wireless devices offered on amazon need to be hooked up to a provider. All this negates my expectations. So I'm back to square one.

:evil:


No Cheers,

RR
 
Just completed a switch to a new provider that offers wireless 'net and phone. All for about the same as I was paying to the old provider. Gotta say that the net speed is much faster already.


Cheers,

RR
 
GeoffC":uyb42k4q said:
who is the new provider?
AT&T. The drummer in my band has been with them for several years on a wireless system and highly recommended them.

What this does is get me off the wire bundle that CenturyLink uses and which has not been maintained properly. I've had nothing but grief with them in the year I've lived here. And the tech told me straight out that things are not going to change anytime soon. So.....

I was with CenturyLink (formerly CenturyTel) for something like 30 years starting back in WA state. Don't recall ever having a problem there for all 28 yrs I lived there. When I moved here to the greater Phoenix area I signed up with them of course.

What followed is that they said they could not give me the loyalty discount that I'd been having in WA state, due to reasons they claimed had to do with this being a different division. What a crock. And then the problems started shortly thereafter.

First I had a bad phone connection. Humming/buzzing/low volume. That got fixed. A week or so later it was back. Rinse and repeat. And then the 'net connections started failing. I can't recall the number of times I was down. And the phone issue also came back.

So I had the tech out here somewhat frequently. Actually he was very good at his job and very thorough. But he confided that the company had not maintained their infrastructure. And the problems were with the buried wire bundles that needed to be replaced. Obviously at a huge cost.

Last outtage I had a few weeks ago finally was enough is enough. And that brings us to here.


Cheers,

RR
 
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