[Hidden-tech] Looking for internet alternatives

[Chris Hoogendyk]

On 9/28/10 9:59 AM, Sven Kielhorn wrote:
> In my experience, cable is the most reliable low cost Internet connection. Otherwise your option 
> would be multi-meg T1 service at a premium cost however.

I've had Earthlink for years. In a sense they are like Crocker (except Crocker is local). They 
provide services over someone elses wires. In this case they subcontracted to Comcast to make my 
connection. The upside was that I get pure internet and don't have to pay the cost of Cable TV. I 
don't know what Comcast offers now, but when I made the decision, Earthlink gave me services and 
pricing that I couldn't get from Comcast.

I've always liked it.

One thing you need to know, however, is the shared nature of the cable. Your performance will depend 
on your neighborhood and time of day. I recently tried to set up a new iMac. Downloading the 
approximately 450MB main update for the initial install was projecting to run for 2 hours beginning 
about 9pm on a weeknight. I went to bed after watching it for a while. The next morning I found that 
the downloaded update had been corrupt and wouldn't install. So, I started it again over breakfast 
at about 6:45am. It downloaded in something like 15 minutes and installed without a hitch.

I find that my most productive time is over breakfast in the early morning. More difficult in the 
evening when all my neighbors are doing whatever it is that they do.


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Chris Hoogendyk

-
    O__  ---- Systems Administrator
   c/ /'_ --- Biology&  Geology Departments
  (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst

<hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>

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Erdös 4