Comcast Internet - $10.00 more for 768K up..Worth it???

Posts: 122

I've currently got Comast for my ISP and am paying $45.95 a month (includes $3.00 extra for modem rental each month). I get 6 Mbps down and 384K up. For $10.00 more a month, I can get 8 Mbps down and 768K up. So far, my RTP300 has provided SUPERB voice quality with very little delay/lag-time. It's as good as my Verizon POTS ever was (actually better - no more hum on the line)! However, I'm wondering if I could do even better with higher upload bandwidth. Is anyone else paying extra for more speed? What's your thoughts on this? It it worth the extra $10.00? Thanks.

Posts: 276

Mr_Sorento wrote:

So far, my RTP300 has provided SUPERB voice quality with very little delay/lag-time. It's as good as my Verizon POTS ever was (actually better - no more hum on the line)! However, I'm wondering if I could do even better with higher upload bandwidth.

Uhhh, if its "superb" and better than your POTS ever was, just exactly what kind of "better" do you think you could get?

If you're not doing a lot of P2P or other things that take large chunks of upload bandwidth, then I don't think you'll notice the difference.

BTW, I have exactly the same service as you - but I'm currently paying $19.95/month, instead of the $42.95 you're paying. Call customer service, tell them your phone company is offering DSL for $14.95/month (helps if its true, as it was for me!) and that the price difference is just too great to justify staying with cable for $42.95 vs. $14.95. When I said this, the rep immediately offered to change my rate to $19.95, the current promo rate - for six months - and said I could likely call in again once that was over and do it again.

Posts: 122 · Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:15 pm Post subject:

Alright, so I may have exaggerated a bit, but in all seriousness, it's been a lot better than I thought it ever would be. There are times when I'm talking to someone (local) and I have a half-second or so delay and also with some echo (on my end). For some reason it seems that inbound calls are better quality than outbound calls AND some local numbers go through better than others. I don't know. Anyways, would extra upload bandwidth help any of these problems?

Posts: 4736 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4736

For what it's worth, you've already got a ton of bandwidth. I doubt that more would make any difference. Things like delay, for example, are often caused by slowdowns in the network outside of your local area, and higher speed between you and your local provider can't change that.

Posts: 8 · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:42 am Post subject:

I have the 8M/768K service and my Vonage quality is very good. I usually get the full 8M down but the best I have ever gotten repeatedly on upload tests is 690K. It usually runs from 650K-690K. I got the service for the faster download speeds because I need to pull large ISO images frequently. I wouldn't change just for the increase in upload speed. Another thing to consider is that many retail class routers cannot handle the 8M download speed with NAT and Stateful Firewall enabled. I can get only 6.5M consistently when my RT31P2 is first in line after the cable modem. That's why I have it after my wireless router.

Posts: 122 · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:44 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the feedback so far everyone. I agree I've got a lot of bandwidth right now, however, I get only about 320-330 of my 384K of upload bandwidth AND we all know how Vonage is likely to use more than the 90K it's "supposed" to use. With that said, I was just wondering if more would be better in this world.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 21, 2005 Posts: 5

With your current upload cap, you may see slowdowns while on a voice call if you do any serious uploading. Keep in mind this is an asynchronous connection. If the upload channel gets choked - the download side will sputter out as well. I wouldn't pay for the increase in download alone - but I would upgrade further if anything above 768 was available.

Of course, I have two adapters and three voip lines, so my requirements are likely a bit steeper than yours.

Posts: 76 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 76

DallasFlier wrote:

Mr_Sorento wrote:

So far, my RTP300 has provided SUPERB voice quality with very little delay/lag-time. It's as good as my Verizon POTS ever was (actually better - no more hum on the line)! However, I'm wondering if I could do even better with higher upload bandwidth.

Uhhh, if its "superb" and better than your POTS ever was, just exactly what kind of "better" do you think you could get?

If you're not doing a lot of P2P or other things that take large chunks of upload bandwidth, then I don't think you'll notice the difference.

BTW, I have exactly the same service as you - but I'm currently paying $19.95/month, instead of the $42.95 you're paying. Call customer service, tell them your phone company is offering DSL for $14.95/month (helps if its true, as it was for me!) and that the price difference is just too great to justify staying with cable for $42.95 vs. $14.95. When I said this, the rep immediately offered to change my rate to $19.95, the current promo rate - for six months - and said I could likely call in again once that was over and do it again.

This is what I don't get about Comcast. People call and say I'm going to dump cable (which in most cases is 4 to 6MB down / 384Kbps up) to SBC DSL for $19.95 which is 1.5MB down / 384Kbps up. And that is assuming you live a few hundred feet away from the CO. The further from the CO, the slower your speeds yet you still pay the $19.95 - what a ripoff by the way. If I were a Comcast drone on the other line, I'd tell ya go for it. You're getting what you pay for. A year long locked in contract that will cost you $60 to break for download speeds that are three quarters as slow as cable with the same up speed.

I guess if Comcast is willing to cut your cost for 6 months that's cool and all but you'd have to continually do this to catch a break. Just not worth it in my eyes. **** having to pay $39 a month (buy your own modem and stop paying Comcast for it. It will pay for it self in the long run) but I'd rather pay the extra money for the better download speeds since SBC DSL cannot guarantee you'll get the full 1.5MB. And if you want their faster service at 3MB, you'll pay $25 a month for it which is again bound by distance limitations. There are of course other issues like Loading Coils on the copper lines in your neighborhood which disquailfy you from even getting DSL (happened to me at my house). What a mess.

Love Vonage though. Have been a customer now for 9 months. Recommend the service whenever I can.

Posts: 276

cid92 wrote:

DallasFlier wrote:

Mr_Sorento wrote:

So far, my RTP300 has provided SUPERB voice quality with very little delay/lag-time. It's as good as my Verizon POTS ever was (actually better - no more hum on the line)! However, I'm wondering if I could do even better with higher upload bandwidth.

Uhhh, if its "superb" and better than your POTS ever was, just exactly what kind of "better" do you think you could get?

If you're not doing a lot of P2P or other things that take large chunks of upload bandwidth, then I don't think you'll notice the difference.

BTW, I have exactly the same service as you - but I'm currently paying $19.95/month, instead of the $42.95 you're paying. Call customer service, tell them your phone company is offering DSL for $14.95/month (helps if its true, as it was for me!) and that the price difference is just too great to justify staying with cable for $42.95 vs. $14.95. When I said this, the rep immediately offered to change my rate to $19.95, the current promo rate - for six months - and said I could likely call in again once that was over and do it again.

This is what I don't get about Comcast. People call and say I'm going to dump cable (which in most cases is 4 to 6MB down / 384Kbps up) to SBC DSL for $19.95 which is 1.5MB down / 384Kbps up.

Wrong. SBC DSL is $14.95.

cid92 wrote:

what a ripoff by the way. If I were a Comcast drone on the other line, I'd tell ya go for it.

Fortunately for those of us who are Comcast customers and appreciate good customer service, you're obviously someone else's "drone", not Comcast's.

cid92 wrote:

I guess if Comcast is willing to cut your cost for 6 months that's cool and all but you'd have to continually do this to catch a break. Just not worth it in my eyes.

Wonderful! Those of you who'd rather spend 5 minutes composing a "holier than thou" message here than the same 5 minutes on the phone with Comcast to save a total of $138 over 6 months help subsidize those of us who made the better choice of how to spend our 5 minutes. Smile

cid92 wrote:

**** having to pay $39 a month (buy your own modem and stop paying Comcast for it. It will pay for it self in the long run)

Wrong again. I did buy my own modem, a long time ago. Standard Comcast rates are $42.95/month, PLUS $3 for the modem if you rent it.

cid92 wrote:

but I'd rather pay the extra money for the better download speeds

And..... wrong one more time! You're paying the extra money for exactly the same service with the same download speed from the same supplier I'm paying. Smile

cid92 wrote:

since SBC DSL cannot guarantee you'll get the full 1.5MB.

Of course not, any more than Comcast can guarantee that you'll get the full 4 or 6Mb.

Posts: 60 · Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:25 pm Post subject:

It may not help your Vonage, but if you can use the extra speed, then yeah - get it. If you download/upload alot and someone calls, the extra bandwidth will help then.