[vox] DSL Recommendation?

[Shwaine]

On Mon, 18 Jun 2007, Gandalf Parker wrote:

>> 
>> As for having an old PacBell/SBC/AT&T static IP plan, if it is still in 
>> their system, AT&T can move the service to the new location. So they told 
>> me over and over again when I moved a couple months ago, but I went with 
>> Bright House cable instead. Bright House rarely (if ever according to a few 
>> long-term customers) renew the DHCP lease with a different IP address, so 
>> it's almost like having static IP with that tad bit of uncertainity. I 
>> don't believe they do business in Sacramento though.
>
> I cannot seem to consider Cable internet. I have had my PacBell DSL line go 
> out, and I have had my cable go out. I have had my cable go out more often. 
> But thats not the big thing. I cant bring myself to put all my eggs in one 
> basket. When my cable is out, I WANT my internet. And when my internet goes 
> out, then I WANT my cable. I would go nuts if both were out at the same time.
> Just IMHO
>

Heh, that's an understandable concern. I personally just pick out a good 
book or fire up a single-player game when they both fail on me. Actually 
though, they can fail seperately. I've had the cable modem go out while 
the TV was still on during one of their planned maintenance windows (which 
BrightHouse publishes online several months in advance).

The only times both have gone out for me was right after I first moved in, 
when the install tech practically had a heart attack at the state of my 
connection to the neighborhood grid and immediately put in a work order 
for it to be replaced. So I was down when they restrung line from my house 
to the node at the other end of the street and while they replaced my 
access box (which needs to be replaced again because my phone line 
connection was equally nasty and AT&T damaged the cable box while fixing 
the phone line). PG&E also had to hook up a new gas meter on my line when 
I moved in. Talk about the utility trifecta. I have to wonder if it has 
anything to do with the neighbor draining his pool at the top of his 
driveway since that water flows right over both the cable and phone access 
boxes and he seems to partially drain the pool every time it's used (or 
maybe it's an overflow drain).