Worth swtching to Verizon DSL (from Opt. Online) to save $5 per month???

I recently moved locally from one North NJ town to another. I had Optimum Online at the old place and it worked great. I currently have Optimum Online cable at the new place and it also works great. Based on some testing I did, I think I get up to 3.5 megabits per second download speed, depending on the internet traffic, and maybe up to 700 kbs upload

(For cable, some tests do claim I get as high as 7 or more megabits per second download, but I doubt that, in reality, I typically am getting anything much beyond 3.5, and often, in the real word it's even less)

The phone company (verizon) talked me into a 30 day trial of 3.0mbs/768kbs DSL (or maybe it is 3.2/768?? This is a fast speed for DSL, and is $5 per month cheaper compared to cable. I just installed it and seems to work nicely. I get roughly up to 2.5 megabits per second download, and maybe around 650-700kbs upload.

Yes, technically the cable typically a bit faster, and, yes, some speed tests do claim the cable is twice as fast as the DSL, but I suspect that in most real world usage there isn't really much difference in speed between the two.

I'm just wondering if there are any long term Verizon DSL users in Northern NJ, and if you've experienced good reliable service? Is the service reliable or are there frequent outages/slowdowns?

Assuming an equal reliability compared to cable, the only reasons to switch to DSL would be:

1) slightly less expensive 2) dedicated connection which PRESUMABLY will be consistent in speed regardless of whether your neighbors in the vicinity are all using the internet 3) verizon seems to allow servers and will even give you some storage space (not sure how much) (not sure I'd care about running a server though) 4) Presumably the DSL is more secure, meaning that hackers with nothing better to do would be less likely to intercept the signal and spy on me with a dedicated connection than when the signal is shared with the neighborhood. 5) PRESUMABLY no risk of the connection getting slower as more neighbors subscribe to high speed internet. 6) If I shut off the DSL modem overnight, I get assigned a new IP address the next morning which makes it less likely that marketers could track my surfing based on the IP address (optimum online seems to typically assign me the same address for months/years at a time even if I shut the modem off for days) 7) DSL is not dependent upon the cable company (should I ever decide to reduce my cable TV plan to a bare-bones plan, I'll still get a good ISP price)

Most of these, if true, seem like advantages.

Assuming equal reliablity The negatives for DSL are:

1) slower overall on speed tests than cable (although I suspect not significantly slower in the real world and still quite fast) Probably this DSL is just as fast as the cable internet I had at the old place and in the real world almost as fast as the cable in the new place.

2) With DSL, I can't keep the same email address I've had for years

3) While I have 30 days to try out DSL without obligation, should DSL turns out to be erratic after the 30 days, or should develops speed problems at any point, I will then feel like a FOOL for switching from cable internet.

4) I won't be able to brag about having cable internet which is technically the faster of the two. (see number 1 above)

Anyway, I'm just wondering how happy Verizon DSL users are in Northern NJ (no need to reply if you're outside northern NJ). Is Verizon DSL reliable? If Verizon DSL in nothern NJ isn't as reliable as cable then I won't switch, period.

Thanks,

J.

Reply to
jeff
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That was a long message, so I'll post on top to make it visible.

Anyways, we've had Verizon (eastern PA) for two years or so in the office, and I had to take Verizon DSL at home after I moved and nobody else was serving the area. The service has been as good as the other providers I was involved with over time. It does have hiccups from time to time (as anybody else's), but they seem to be able to resolve quicker that anyone else. I normally don't have to call the problem in which I hated, but had to do with other providers.

Customer support with Verizon tends to be terrible most of the time, and mostly in billing. Techs are almost always not available, but if you are lucky and get through, they are always very helpful.

The speed always varies because it greatly depends on capacity of the resource you are accessing in that particular moment, so don't go by the speed exclusively.

BTW, Verizon Online is a separate entity as far as I can understand, and they do share equipment with other providers at the Central Office, so, you are most likely coming through the same boxes as with other DSL providers in your area, just sending your check to a different place. That was the case with me until I moved to a Verizon-only area.

One thing I like Verizon for: awesome Usenet servers! ;-) Cable service in my area - Comcast - really sucks in this (non-existent).

With all the research you've done so far I'd say "stay with Verizon", but that's obviously your call.

Reply to
Dmitri(Cabling-Design.com

The Usenet part is good to know. I've got Cavalier DSL (also in Eastern PA) and AFAIKT availability and speed are identical to friends that have Verizon. Considering my phone bill only went up $20 a month when I added DSL to my Cavalier service I was tickled pink.

Unfortunately, Cavtel's news servers suck major wind. Binary retention averages about a day and the servers are frequently unavailable.

I'm shopping for a news service.

Jon

Reply to
zeppo

Jeff:

I'm in Eastern Monmouth and I am extremely happy with Verizon.

Dave

Reply to
David H. Lipman

I've been Cavalier DSL customer for couple years before Verizon, and I feel your pain with Usenet. Interesting thing was: in my area Cavalier actually owned the DSLAMs at Verizon CO (or so they said, anyways), so when you called Verizon Online, for any tech support they transferred to Cavalier. I was surprised that having to move 5 miles I had to drop Cavalier. They were ten bucks cheaper and the speed was identical, so, given a choice, I'd stay with them despite their inferior customer service. After all, who's customer service doesn't suck these days after all the layoffs?

Reply to
Dmitri(Cabling-Design.com

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