Comcast Cable Internet in South Almaden Valley
Brad Houser
was past the limit of DSL and cable modems were in the distant future, I
signed up for Direcway satellite (one way). It has been OK, but I am glad to
hear that Comcast now has high speen cable internet in my neighborhood.
My neighbor has been enjoying 3mb/s downloads and HDTV, so I called to see
if they can hook me up. It took 3 calls and 2 weeks for the serviceability
rep to determine I am serviceable. I specifically told them how to get
there, and that I have my own service poles on my property - I don't share
the access trench of my neighbors. My hookup appointment came and I showed
them what needed to be done. He was not ready to run 500+' of RG-11 to my
pole and through the conduit/trench to my house. We shall see how long this
takes.
At the risk of creating a storm of requests, further delaying my hookup, I
am sharing this info with my fellow netizens.
Brad Houser
John Higdon
"Brad Houser" <bradDO...@intel.com> wrote:
> I moved a year ago to the green valleys of South Almaden valley. Knowing I
> was past the limit of DSL and cable modems were in the distant future, I
> signed up for Direcway satellite (one way). It has been OK, but I am glad to
> hear that Comcast now has high speen cable internet in my neighborhood.
My comments regarding "San Jose cable service" don't apply to South
Almaden valley, which as far as I can determine never had Gill Cable.
Even if it did, I recall something about how the system installed out
there was not the ancient A/B system that we central San Jose residents
had to endure.
--
John Higdon | Email Address Valid | SF: +1 415 428-COWS
+1 408 264 4115 | Anytown, USA | FAX: +1 408 264 4407
DCT Dictator
I'll pass it all along to the ones who may like to know. . .
I take it you are 500 feet from the road/cable plant? That is a bit
long for a service drop. 150' is the standard length that the plant is
engineered for.
--
moblog at http://dctdctator.textamerica.com/
Bill Beeman
"DCT Dictator" <dctdi...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:5u3i40pvueboi8fgb...@4ax.com...
> "Brad Houser" <bradDO...@intel.com> wrote:
>
> >I moved a year ago to the green valleys of South Almaden valley. Knowing
I
> >was past the limit of DSL and cable modems were in the distant future, I
> >signed up for Direcway satellite (one way). It has been OK, but I am glad
to
> >hear that Comcast now has high speen cable internet in my neighborhood.
> >
> >My neighbor has been enjoying 3mb/s downloads and HDTV, so I called to
see
> >if they can hook me up. It took 3 calls and 2 weeks for the
serviceability
> >rep to determine I am serviceable. I specifically told them how to get
> >there, and that I have my own service poles on my property - I don't
share
> >the access trench of my neighbors. My hookup appointment came and I
showed
> >them what needed to be done. He was not ready to run 500+' of RG-11 to my
> >pole and through the conduit/trench to my house. We shall see how long
this
> >takes.
> >
> >At the risk of creating a storm of requests, further delaying my hookup,
I
> >am sharing this info with my fellow netizens.
> >
> >Brad Houser
Are you sure about the DSL? SBC has dumped a bunch of remote terminals down
here, so some areas can now get DSL that were far outside the direct reach
of the CO trunks.
Having said that, I just dumped SBC DSL (the basic DSL connection is OK, but
they suck as an ISP). The folks at Sonic.net got their service in and
running in less than a week, it's cheaper than SBC, and they seem to be both
helpful and motivated so far.
You are still using SBC for the basic connection, but you don't have to deal
with them. That would be worth paying something more.
I guess I'm just allergic to giving money to the cable guys....
Bill
Raymond Lillard
> In article <c2aqab$2ta$1...@news01.intel.com>,
> "Brad Houser" <bradDO...@intel.com> wrote:
>>I moved a year ago to the green valleys of South Almaden valley. Knowing I
>>was past the limit of DSL and cable modems were in the distant future, I
>>signed up for Direcway satellite (one way). It has been OK, but I am glad to
>>hear that Comcast now has high speen cable internet in my neighborhood.
I'n not sure how far south you mean, but my daughter and family
live near the intersection of Almaden & Camden. They have DSL.
> My comments regarding "San Jose cable service" don't apply to South
> Almaden valley, which as far as I can determine never had Gill Cable.
> Even if it did, I recall something about how the system installed out
> there was not the ancient A/B system that we central San Jose residents
> had to endure.
They also recently abandoned cable because they were fed up
with the A/B cable system and signed up for satellite service.
Regards
Ray
John Higdon
"Bill Beeman" <bbe...@beemangroup.com> wrote:
> Having said that, I just dumped SBC DSL (the basic DSL connection is OK, but
> they suck as an ISP). The folks at Sonic.net got their service in and
> running in less than a week, it's cheaper than SBC, and they seem to be both
> helpful and motivated so far.
This is the #1 reason to go with DSL over cable: you can get a superior
provider like Sonic rather than suffer with restrictive TOS that impose
"secret" download limits (violation of which results in termination of
your service), restrictions on servers, no static IPs, and even
restrictions on the number of computers you can connect.
> You are still using SBC for the basic connection, but you don't have to deal
> with them. That would be worth paying something more.
You betcha.
> I guess I'm just allergic to giving money to the cable guys....
I don't mind giving money to anyone who provides a solid, useful product.
Bill Beeman
"John Higdon" <absolutel...@verislimesucks.com> wrote in message
news:absolutely.no.spam-C...@equine.announcetech.com...
>
> I don't mind giving money to anyone who provides a solid, useful product.
>
John, I think I draw the line at the cable guys...too many years on the TV
side of the house trying to explain that we were really in color _before_
the cable company got their hands on the signal <g>
Bill
John Higdon
"Bill Beeman" <bbe...@beemangroup.com> wrote:
My beef with cable is quite rational. The product is inferior. It is
less reliable and looks worse than its satellite competitors. It is more
expensive (I priced it against my DirecTV just two weeks ago). The
Internet service limits you to Comcast as a provider, who has
unacceptable TOS.
In other words, I don't find that Comcast provides a solid, useful
product. It is also not competitively priced. Anyone who makes the
comparisons can make up his own mind what he wants and will accept from
the various providers.
do...@comcastxca.usenet.us.com
> In other words, I don't find that Comcast provides a solid, useful
> product. It is also not competitively priced. Anyone who makes the
> comparisons can make up his own mind what he wants and will accept from
> the various providers.
I have cable internet from Mediacom, because we don't even have a
DSL-capable CO, besides which the distance it too great. For anyone that
has a choice, I advise DSL (I also have DSL at another location).
I have DirecTV, and don't use Mediacom for TV.
I would extend your comment to include the obvious:
"accept from the various providers [ available ]".
--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5
Cubit
areas now.
"Brad Houser" <bradDO...@intel.com> wrote in message
news:c2aqab$2ta$1...@news01.intel.com...
dane
: You should check with SBC to be sure. They have Remote Terminals in many
: areas now.
Or with an SBC-ASI partnered ISP. =)
--
Dane Jasper Sonic.net, Inc.
(707)522-1000
mailto:da...@sonic.net http://www.sonic.net/
Key fingerprint = A5 D6 6E 16 D8 81 BA E9 CB BD A9 77 B3 AF 45 53
do...@comcastxca.usenet.us.com
> I have cable internet from Mediacom, because we don't even have a
> DSL-capable CO, besides which the distance it too great. For anyone that
> has a choice, I advise DSL (I also have DSL at another location).
On the other hand, the speed of my cable was doubled effective Feb 01.
I used to see 128KbpS up, 1280KbpS down.
Today, I see 270KbpS up, 2.62MbpS down.
129$ iperf -s
[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
[ 6] 0.0-10.4 sec 344 KBytes 270 Kbits/sec
131$ iperf -c xx.xx.xx.xx
[ 5] 0.0-10.5 sec 3.28 MBytes 2.62 Mbits/sec
L Alpert
> In article <N6e2c.6217$_3.8...@typhoon.sonic.net>,
> "Bill Beeman" <bbe...@beemangroup.com> wrote:
>
>> "John Higdon" <absolutel...@verislimesucks.com> wrote in
>> message
>> news:absolutely.no.spam-C...@equine.announcetech.com...
>>>
>>> I don't mind giving money to anyone who provides a solid, useful
>>> product.
>>>
>>
>> John, I think I draw the line at the cable guys...too many years on
>> the TV side of the house trying to explain that we were really in
>> color _before_ the cable company got their hands on the signal <g>
>
> My beef with cable is quite rational. The product is inferior. It is
> less reliable and looks worse than its satellite competitors. It is
> more expensive (I priced it against my DirecTV just two weeks ago).
> The Internet service limits you to Comcast as a provider, who has
> unacceptable TOS.
Cost is dependent on circumstances. I have 6 sets wired up and a cable
modem. For me to have Sat service, I would have to pay $25 extra per month
for the additional converters, $10.99 for the HD service, plus buy some
equipment and purchase their premium program package. The $36 on top of the
cost of the package puts it over and above the current cost of Comcast
service.
I could keep extended analog service with Comcast, and outfit the HD set
with all of the SAT service, but again, the cost is higher.
Without cable service for TV, my cable modem access cost would also increase
(though I could probably keep it wired up to all of the additional outlets).
Comcast digital service channel quality is OK on a big screen, and now that
I have the kinks worked out of the wiring, the HD service is flawless.
(I only use 1 converter box)...
>
> In other words, I don't find that Comcast provides a solid, useful
> product. It is also not competitively priced. Anyone who makes the
> comparisons can make up his own mind what he wants and will accept
> from the various providers.
I have made the comparisons. It is more cost effective for a larger
household to have cable, as long as one does not need to use a bevy of
converter boxes and is satisfied with the analog service to the majority of
drops.
John Higdon
"L Alpert" <alp...@xxcomcast.net> wrote:
> I have made the comparisons. It is more cost effective for a larger
> household to have cable, as long as one does not need to use a bevy of
> converter boxes and is satisfied with the analog service to the majority of
> drops.
In other words, if you are content to watch one premium channel at a
time, cable is cheaper. On the other hand, only premium channels are
watched here.
Phil Nelson
> do...@comcastxca.usenet.us.com wrote:
>
>>I have cable internet from Mediacom, because we don't even have a
>>DSL-capable CO, besides which the distance it too great. For anyone that
>>has a choice, I advise DSL (I also have DSL at another location).
>
>
> On the other hand, the speed of my cable was doubled effective Feb 01.
> I used to see 128KbpS up, 1280KbpS down.
> Today, I see 270KbpS up, 2.62MbpS down.
>
> 129$ iperf -s
> [ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
> [ 6] 0.0-10.4 sec 344 KBytes 270 Kbits/sec
> 131$ iperf -c xx.xx.xx.xx
> [ 5] 0.0-10.5 sec 3.28 MBytes 2.62 Mbits/sec
>
On my newly enhanced DSL from Sonic.net, wget from ftp.sonic.net says:
"10:17:16 (620.00 KB/s) - `testfile.compressed.10meg' saved [10485760]"
620K _bytes_ per second. And uploads are 68KB - twice as fast as my
downloads used to be.
Thanks, Dane!
On the other hand, now I can't move for a year. And then I can't move
anywhere that's not within 7500 feet of a CO or RT. Unless the cable
guys come up with faster speeds, lower prices, and better TOS. I guess
I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen.
--
Phil Nelson
L Alpert
> In article <I%u2c.74023$PR3.1097996@attbi_s03>,
> "L Alpert" <alp...@xxcomcast.net> wrote:
>
>> I have made the comparisons. It is more cost effective for a larger
>> household to have cable, as long as one does not need to use a bevy
>> of converter boxes and is satisfied with the analog service to the
>> majority of drops.
>
> In other words, if you are content to watch one premium channel at a
> time, cable is cheaper. On the other hand, only premium channels are
> watched here.
We are content to watch the premium channels on the 55" HDTV by selecting a
democratic choice and the five of us will watch it together. The other drops
are in the office and bedrooms, and are not needed for "premium" channels.
If I want premium channels in all of the rooms, I will have to pay $5 each
for access, no matter the provider. With SAT, I will most likely have to
buy the hardware for any access. With cable, I have a the choice to set up
non premium access to other locations for free.
John R Pierce
wrote:
> With cable, I have a the choice to set up
>non premium access to other locations for free.
I wonder how much longer that choice will last. I've heard from folks in
other areas that the number of 'in the clear' analog channels on their
systems is shrinking and more and more stuff is moving to digital,
requireing digital boxes for each TV. VCRs or PVRs are a real pain in
this environment too.
John Higdon
"L Alpert" <alp...@xxcomcast.net> wrote:
> We are content to watch the premium channels on the 55" HDTV by selecting a
> democratic choice and the five of us will watch it together. The other drops
> are in the office and bedrooms, and are not needed for "premium" channels.
Well, then that works for you. Not for me, however. As you pointed out,
it depends upon the situation. As I said originally, I priced Comcast
against DirecTV for my situation, and it was more expensive. YMMV.
JC Dill
wrote:
>dane <da...@sonic.net> writes:
>
>> Cubit <n...@no.not> wrote:
>> : You should check with SBC to be sure. They have Remote Terminals in many
>> : areas now.
>>
>> Or with an SBC-ASI partnered ISP. =)
>
>I can't, you're not covering the Monterey LATA yet.
>
>I went with SBC, can't say I'm really displeased actually. The connectivity
>has been excellent for almost three months now, the installer told me I was
>the 2nd house going up on the shiny new RT just installed in my neck of the
>woods.
>
>Of course, all I'm using is the connectivity, I'm not relying on SBC for
>email, news, or anything like that.
>
>The only thing I'm missing is a static IP address. So far, it hasn't been
>as dramatic as I thought it'd be. All of my servers are at equinix, so not
>having a static IP address isn't too big of a detriment to me.
>
>My opinion might change the first time I have to contact SBC for service,
>though. Who knows.
If/when that happens, give Redshift a try. My father's Redshift DSL
lines (in Carmel Highlands off of a repeater box and in Monterey
direct from the Monterey CO) are both very stable, and when there are
problems (pebkac, usually) Redshift's support is superb - on a par
with Sonic's support. I managed the DSL install for him at the house
in Carmel Highlands and I was *very* impressed with the clue of the
installers that Redshift sent down and how well they handled the
unusual install they weren't quite prepared for (he has a 25 pair line
in this house, from the early 70s when he had 2 phone lines installed
before these things were commonplace).
jc
L Alpert
They will only guarantee 3 drops, I believe. I set up my own distribution
system and did some rewiring.
I'll keep with the secondary analog until I need to make another choice. By
then, the kids will be gone, and it will be the wife and I can be more
flexible with 2 or 3 drops.
L Alpert
> In article <75x2c.72397$ko6.411274@attbi_s02>,
> "L Alpert" <alp...@xxcomcast.net> wrote:
>
>> We are content to watch the premium channels on the 55" HDTV by
>> selecting a democratic choice and the five of us will watch it
>> together. The other drops are in the office and bedrooms, and are
>> not needed for "premium" channels.
>
> Well, then that works for you. Not for me, however. As you pointed
> out, it depends upon the situation. As I said originally, I priced
> Comcast against DirecTV for my situation, and it was more expensive.
> YMMV.
When I get down to 2 or 3 drops (when the kids are gone), I will re-assess
my needs. I have no problems with going to SAT if it gives me more value.
dane
: On my newly enhanced DSL from Sonic.net, wget from ftp.sonic.net says:
: "10:17:16 (620.00 KB/s) - `testfile.compressed.10meg' saved [10485760]"
: 620K _bytes_ per second. And uploads are 68KB - twice as fast as my
: downloads used to be.
: Thanks, Dane!
I love those speeds. You're welcome!
: On the other hand, now I can't move for a year. And then I can't move
: anywhere that's not within 7500 feet of a CO or RT. Unless the cable
: guys come up with faster speeds, lower prices, and better TOS. I guess
: I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen.
Not just that Phil - if and when you DO move, we will only be able to sell
you whatever DSL product and speed and price is available then - and this
product is going up in cost, so you may not be able to justify the higher
price. Sorry about that!
Broadband is becoming a very dynamic product - availability, bandwidth,
price, etc. Do consider selecting one ISP who can handle your domain,
hosting, email - and use them for Broadband if you can, but make sure you
can leave them, get Broadband from someone else, but still retain all of
your hosting, email, etc at a place that you're comfortable is stable,
provides good support, etc.
dane
: I can't, you're not covering the Monterey LATA yet.
Drat! =)
: I went with SBC, can't say I'm really displeased actually. The connectivity
: has been excellent for almost three months now, the installer told me I was
: the 2nd house going up on the shiny new RT just installed in my neck of the
: woods.
: Of course, all I'm using is the connectivity, I'm not relying on SBC for
: email, news, or anything like that.
: The only thing I'm missing is a static IP address. So far, it hasn't been
: as dramatic as I thought it'd be. All of my servers are at equinix, so not
: having a static IP address isn't too big of a detriment to me.
That sounds good - there's certainly nothing wrong with it as a "pipe", as
long as you don't mind the PPPoE and the dynamic IP. You can use a simple
router that supports PPPoE to avoid having to deal with this on your PCs in
the household, and you can use a dynamic DNS service to "mostly" have DNS
services. Not perfect, but relativly transparent.
If you ever are seeking a new home for your servers, let me know - we've got
a huge facility with plenty of room (which means good pricing).
: My opinion might change the first time I have to contact SBC for service,
: though. Who knows.
Hehe..
Jeff Liebermann
wrote:
>My opinion might change the first time I have to contact SBC for service,
>though. Who knows.
I have to call SBC DSL support all too often on behalf of various
customers. A bit of anecdotal experience:
If you call during daylight hours, I usually get Richardson Texas.
There's also Kentucky and Oklahoma but I haven't hit those. If you
call at night, you get Banghalor India. I'm not sure which is better
as each has their problems.
Texas gets you a person dedicated to fixing the problem. They will
spend quite a bit of effort trying to figure out what's broken. The
problem is that they apparently have no experience, training, or
communications skills. One call resulted in 3 transfers to a
"specialist(?)" before I found someone that knew how to do an ATM
ping. Clueless but dedicated would be my summary.
India is the opposite. After explaining my problem, I discover that
they have done their homework and really do understand what I'm
asking. It was refreshing to speak with someone technical. However,
the outsource support company is apparently (my guess) paid by the
*NUMBER* of support calls it handles. This means that their primary
interest is to get me off the phone so they can crank up the totals.
The first two minutes were fine (which I guess is the minimum). That
was followed by several extremely clever ploys to get me to admit that
the problem is "solved" and to hangup. I also had difficulties
getting the trouble ticket number read to me clearly as apparently (my
guess) a call back on an existing ticket number is not counted as a
new call. Cluefull but NBC (nobody cares) would be my summary.
I've also had amazingly good luck sending support requests via email.
http://help.sbcglobal.net/emailus.php?
If you're into entertainment value, try the online chat:
https://www.sbcchat.com/callformsbc.asp
It has the advantage of being lightly used and usually responds
instantly. The IP address resolves to someplace in India.
You may find this unofficial list of SBC/PBI/ASI phone numbers useful:
http://63.201.158.38/dsl/
It's 1.5 years old and not everything works exactly as detailed.
Here's the official version from DSL reports
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,732294
--
Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
(831)421-6491 pgr (831)336-2558 home
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS
je...@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us je...@cruzio.com
Brad Houser
408-997-xxxx but not my DSL. I still have the dial up account for use with
my one way Direcway satellite.
I checked right now online, and still no. If anyone on McKean Rd, near
Calero Reservoir knows otherwise I would like to know. DSLReports.com says I
am just under 18000 ft, but that is probably as the crow flies. I have at
least 600 ft from the street to my house.
Brad Houser
"Cubit" <n...@no.not> wrote in message
news:D5q2c.6867$mP4...@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com...
Dave Schultheis
> I'n not sure how far south you mean, but my daughter and family
> live near the intersection of Almaden & Camden. They have DSL.
>
> > My comments regarding "San Jose cable service" don't apply to South
> > Almaden valley, which as far as I can determine never had Gill
> > Cable. Even if it did, I recall something about how the system
> > installed out there was not the ancient A/B system that we central
> > San Jose residents had to endure.
>
> They also recently abandoned cable because they were fed up
> with the A/B cable system and signed up for satellite service.
I live near Meridian/Redmond in the house I bought from my parents, who
bought it when it was built in 1973.
We had Gill Cable, and TCI, and Heritage, and all those precursors to
Comcast. I still have the ancient A/B system.
I knew if I held out long enough, they'd put it all on one cable. And
so they will. Sometime this month, both the standard and expanded basic
will be on the A cable only.
Cable contractor trucks were out on Coleman at Redmond this afternoon,
March 15, digging a trench and installing more stuff for upgrading the
neighborhood.
Dave
--
Dave6592 at accesscom dot com - - - http://www.accesscom.com/~dave6592
Home of "Experiences at Fry's Electronics" & "Please Use Turn Signals"
Dave Schultheis, San José, Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, CA, USA