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.