Internet choice in the lower price tier

[PandaBear]

Do you not have gigabit ethernet service available in your area?

I have, just that I don't think I need it nor I want to pay for it. 140mbps is fine and 300mbps is more than enough. If anything stability so my team / zoom call don't drop is my bigger concern. I think they are around $120/mo or so, no need really but if I insist I can get it.

 

[PandaBear]

unless you have special needs(gaming, running a server, lots of streaming), my vote is 5G..

Also if you have lots of neighbors, another random consideration is which option's junction box is closest to your house....ATT didn't bury the fiber deeply, and a neighbor cut my brother's fiber last week as his fiber runs through 2 other yards. While the Xfinity access box is at the corner of my lot.

credit to ATT, the service guy arrived the next day....maybe it was because my brother has the highest tier, lol

ATT recently did the trench in my area, so ATT's "box" is probably about 25 feet and Comcast's "box" is about 30. TMo tower is about 500 feet on a high voltage powerline's frame.

 

[y_p_w]

"Silicon Valley" would explain it.

but thank you for sharing your experience as I am shocked to learn this.

For the most part they've added more lines to distribute the load. I'd also think one big thing is people working from home where video (up and down) uses quite a bit of bandwidth. But it should be much better than it was before with more lines.

 

[y_p_w]

I have, just that I don't think I need it nor I want to pay for it. 140mbps is fine and 300mbps is more than enough. If anything stability so my team / zoom call don't drop is my bigger concern. I think they are around $120/mo or so, no need really but if I insist I can get it.

I've been playing around with my parents' Sonic fiber internet when I'm visiting. Don't have the equipment to get near 10 Gbit/sec, but I have tested it over 900 down, although maybe 800 up. The price is really good too.

 

[rijndael]

no one runs gigabit ethernet to your house.
its fiber or cable. to a modem or ONT then ethernet from there to your router (if separate)

Fiber can be Ethernet too.
Fiber (OMx and OSx) and Copper (CATx) are Layer 1, Ethernet is Layer 2.
My original FTTH, 23 years ago, was a fiber dropoff on 1310 and was Ethernet..

As for the OP's problem, 5G would be my last pick.

 

[ZZman]

I tried T mobile 5G but had too many issues with slow speeds, freeze ups etc.

 

[Rand]

Fiber can be Ethernet too.
Fiber (OMx and OSx) and Copper (CATx) are Layer 1, Ethernet is Layer 2.
My original FTTH, 23 years ago, was a fiber dropoff on 1310 and was Ethernet..

As for the OP's problem, 5G would be my last pick.

of course, my point was you dont go calling up the ISP and ask for Gigabit Ethernet.

 

[PandaBear]

I've been playing around with my parents' Sonic fiber internet when I'm visiting. Don't have the equipment to get near 10 Gbit/sec, but I have tested it over 900 down, although maybe 800 up. The price is really good too.

Yeah my parents pay like $60 or $70 / month and get 600/600.

 

[wwillson]

Fiber can be Ethernet too.
Fiber (OMx and OSx) and Copper (CATx) are Layer 1, Ethernet is Layer 2.
My original FTTH, 23 years ago, was a fiber dropoff on 1310 and was Ethernet..

As for the OP's problem, 5G would be my last pick.

Correct, PON carries Ethernet frames at L2, but is PON at L1. Same with DOCSIS, it carries Ethernet frames at L2 and is DOCSIS at L1. L1 defines the rules for accessing the physical media like fiber, copper, or coax.

 

[dbias]

With having three options I would call xfinity and tell them to cancel your service. They will automatically transfer you to the loyalty department to try and save your account. This is where you will get the best deal.
I’ve had xfinity for 30 years at my house and have paid around $80 for 300 mbps for years. Frontier fiber installed in my neighborhood lat year and left a flyer on my door for 500 mbps for 39.99. I went on my phone to xfinity website and chatted with the person to cancel my service. They asked if I was moving and I said no I was getting a better deal with frontier. They immediately offered to match the 500 mbps for 40 dollars and throw in some free streaming services, which I will not use, and I agreed. So I cut my bill by half just by doing this.
Two weeks ago my internet was acting up and I chatted for a service call. They set it up ( lightning had struck way too close ) and notified me that the deal they gave me last year was getting ready to expire and offered to extend it for another year. Tech came out and replaced the modem and all is good. Play them off of each other for the best deal.

 

[PandaBear]

After some thoughts, I have decided to the the Xfinity NOW 100mbps / 21mbps for $30/month with no data cap.

There is no contract and if I need more speed in the future I can always switch to ATT. I do think a physical connection is safer than wireless in terms of possible congestion, and having to mount it in one of the window facing the tower is going to cause some cosmetic issue. I like my current setup even if it means slower than before for half the price.

Thanks for all the suggestions and feedback. I don't think any of the 3 choices are bad, any would likely work well.

 

[97prizm]

no one runs gigabit ethernet to your house.
its fiber or cable. to a modem or ONT then ethernet from there to your router (if separate)

Also Gigabit service from cable is usually a tiny fraction of gigabit speed upload..
for example my "spectrum gigabit" is 1100Mbit/s down and 40Mbits/s up.

fiber is usually symmetrical 500/500 1000/1000 2000/2000 etc. although some arent.

My municipality started offering gigabit internet several years ago. It's way cheaper than comcast or other companies.

 

[Rand]

My municipality started offering gigabit internet several years ago. It's way cheaper than comcast or other companies.

Is it fiber or cable?

 

[Cropduster172]

Xfinity offers kind of a secret deal that they call "Now Internet" which is $30 total per month for 100 mbps or $45 for 200 mbps, which includes a free modem/router that they give you to use. They won't tell you about this deal over the phone or list it online with their other plans. You have to know about it and specially seek it out to get the deal.

I've had it for a little over the year and it's been good. Definitely worth checking out before giving up on them.

https://www.xfinity.com/now/internet

This must be limited to markets that have competition and several choices...cable, 5G, fiber. I checked availability for our beach house...not available, yet Comcast is the only cable available. No fiber, but Verizon and T-Mobile 5G. I pay $78/month after it increased in June by $8/month for 600 mbps.
I would have thought that when 5g service became more available, Comcast would back off their close to 20% annual increases... silly me.