I currently pay 50 bucks a month for AOL Broadband Cable...with AOL, you have to use their software browser thing to sign on and you have to leave their screen filled with memorywasting but sorta useful pictures and stuff on at all times. When I play games online...like Counter-Strike...I experience loads of lag. Most people I know have like 20 ping with Earthlink or RoadRunner while I have pings around 120. I think it is because of the AOL software taking up resources. Or maybe it is the cable...What do you think is the problem? I also have a crappy video card so that may be a reason...I am thinking about switching to Earthlink...21.95 first 6 months and then 42 bucks each month after..or Roadrunner..45 bucks a month. I can't stand AOL any longer! Does anyone else have AOL?
Absolutley go with Earthlink. I have been with them for 4 years...very very few problems in that time. I just switched to their High speed service a little over a year ago...and have had zero problems since. btw...the reason why the AOL service has so much lag is because all traffic gets routed thru their network(IIRC), and AOL's network is WAY slow. Do it...you wont regret it.
AOL is the biggest piece of junk out there. Why people continue to pay their ridiculous prices for crappy software is beyond me. Seriously, call now and get rid of that junk! Cable through Earthlink is where it's at. I play Counter-Strike on a daily basis, and I very rarely have a ping over 40.
I can't say I recommend Comcast either. They have got to have the WORST service for any company EVER. Every once in a while (maybe bi-monthly) service will be knocked out (regioanlly) for what they call 'maintenance'. It's a bit frustrating, but the speed is spectacular nonetheless. I guess I dispise Comcast because their cable tv service is ****ed up. The 'red screen of death' (for me at least) pops up randomly on different tvs at odd times. I personally just got back froma 36-hour internet hiatus. My computer was knocked off the network. It's happened before, but System Restore was available. This time it was disabled. The odd thing is is that this is the host computer. The other computer (98) worked fine. So I tried going into the command prompt (knowing it was a NIC issue). I tried the ipconfig /release and /renew to no avail. So then today I finally got time to use the other network comouter (my brother actually left his room for a while!!!). I went to search for answer and came up with three solutions. One was to search for the Siemen's manual that had info to put the IP in the web browser. That didn't work. A second was to go into safe mode and deal with device manager. Nope. So I was down to my las try. I found info that told me to turn off all devices; the router, computers, and modem. I then replugged the modem and router. Then I was to press the reset button on the routers until the lights came on. And it worked. Who knew something so low-tech would work???
Mr Mooch, In the computer troubleshooting field, we like to K.I.S.S. always try the easy fix first...then if that doesnt work..move onto the progressively more difficult fixes. I have to reset my network about once a month for some odd reason...but it is on my net, not RR's.
oh boy...talk about leaving yourself open.... EDIT: under the acronym above...the definition should be there.. Keep It Simple Stupid ugh...this no edit stuff kills me.
Go with earthlink, I had it for a month now, absolutley love it, it's fast, it's stabilize, and their e-mail service is one of the best in the business.
Oh I know about KISS; it's also a journalism term. Now I might as well ask this: I bought a new Belkin wireless b router because it was $10 (well, $17.70 after rebates and taxes). I haven't set it up yet, because I it's not really urgent (and there's only 2 computers on the network now). But some people keep telling me how easy it is to hack into it. I'm not really concerned with it an all, but I was curious to know if you can direct me toward encryption programs or whatever if I feel the stuff it comes with isn't good enough. I'll probably end up needing the help of my neighbor (who sets up networks for a living anyway). I mean he has wireless and hasn't had a problem. Now, how safe are wirless routers in, say, dorm rooms/apartments?
Isn't yahoo dsl a lot slower than Roadrunner? Isn't earthlink really the same as warner cable in that it runs over the same line? Is there any downside to earthlink or sbc dsl in comparison with Roadrunner, which I'm pleased with, aside from price? This concerns me as I want to switch to Direct TV Tivo and I now supposedly get a break on Roadrunner, since I have cable.. I pay two Roadrunner accounts as my poor 84 year old father is practically a shut-in internet addict and nothing else seems as reliable for him.
Do you have to have a landline in order to get Earthlink DSL? I believe it was SBC that told me you had to have a phone in service in order to get their DSL. If this is true of all DSL's, then why? I suppose DSL just plugs into a phone jack like dialup, but can't they just hook the line up for DSL-only purposes? I mean, Time Warner hooked up my Roadrunner without me having to pay for cable too. What I mean is, I have a cell phone, and I have no need to pay for a "home phone," so can I get DSL?
Its true that earthlink runs over TWC lines...the main advantage is earthlink's spam filters and reliability of their services (mail,dns,etc) You could always switch to Direct(which I dont recommend,but that is for another thread) and keep basic cable service to allow you to keep your RR access. Mr Mooch, I defined the term to protect myself fromthe other smartasses around here.. there are some issues with drive-by hacking of wireless, but with proper configuration of the existing security settings in your router, that shouldn't be that much of an issue. I will note that the newer wireless standard (802.11g) has more security functions than the older one you have. WHen it comes time to set it up, I'm sure your neighbor can configure it to be a secure as it is possible to be.
