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PhotoBug · Jan 12, 2008, 04:02 PM

Ok I'm looking into refreshing my internet/cell phone set up and I am going to go with at&t because of the iPhone. When I go to look at their internet packages I get confused. Can some one please explain what different speeds really are?
example "AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Pro Package" is 24.99 and I get
Downstream Speed: Up to 3.0 Mbps
Upstream Speed: Up to 512 Kbps
Right now (my current internet) when I download something Safari tells me I have ~166KB/sec. Is 3.0 Mbps insanely faster? or is ... I'm lost.
I'm assuming it has to do with big B little b but then I still don't know what it means.
Thanks

peeb · Jan 12, 2008, 04:05 PM

Nothing AT&T says can be trusted.

Cold Warrior · Jan 12, 2008, 04:09 PM

3 Mbps = 3000 kilobits/s = 375 KB (Kilobytes).
Your 166KB/s = 1328 Kb/s = 1.3 Mbps.

8 bits = 1 byte.

You can go to speedtest.net to test your bandwidth.

Cold Warrior · Jan 12, 2008, 04:10 PM

I use AT&T and get approximately the speed I pay for.

dimmer · Jan 13, 2008, 08:08 PM

I also have to use AT&T as they've monopolized this area: I get about 86Kbps down, 112Kbps up -- this after paying for a 1.5Mb down, 128Kb up. If I could use anyone else I would, but as they own the local and the long distance I'm kinda [expletive deleted]. If you can move from AT&T, do.

Cold Warrior · Jan 13, 2008, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by dimmer

I also have to use AT&T as they've monopolized this area: I get about 86Kbps down, 112Kbps up -- this after paying for a 1.5Mb down, 128Kb up. If I could use anyone else I would, but as they own the local and the long distance I'm kinda [expletive deleted]. If you can move from AT&T, do.

That's bad and way outside what I'd consider an acceptable range of a 1.5 Megabit line.

You don't have a cable broadband provider? Usually in areas that are built-up enough for DSL also accommodate a cable company.

ghporter · Jan 13, 2008, 08:35 PM

I also get pretty much what I'm paying for from AT&T. If you have decent phone lines, you should too. It's dependent on two major variables: your distance from the "central office" (or a remote terminal equipped with the right hardware), and the quality of the twisted pair that comes to your house. With good copper, you should get really high signal levels, and with less distance there's less noise and loss to interfere with the signals-that adds up to higher quality and faster speed.

As Cold Warrior pointed out, the 3Mbps package works out to about twice the download speed of what you're getting now. I wouldn't call that "insanely" faster, but it's pretty darn fast in comparison. I'm using the Elite package, rated at 6Mbps down and 748kbps up, and I routinely get just over 5Mbps down and over 625kbps up. It is very fast, and sharing it with the rest of my family is so transparent that we all love it.

Remember, AT&T cannot push the signal faster than the line will handle. You'd be surprised how many people BEG them to connect them even when their lines are poo-and then whine that they get crappy speeds. They will do an engineering study of your pair to see how it is and work out (usually over about a week or two) how fast your connection can get once they set it up. It "ramps up" as they see how well the line tolerates the speed they give it. They are NOT some evil, soulless, dastardly monopolistic entity out to frustrate you. They ARE a huge corporation that often has internal communication problems (whoda thunk it!). That means that sales will sell you what you ask for and then pass the order to engineering, who will then get to be the bad guys if your line sucks.

As the posts from peeb and dimmer point out, people have had bad experiences with AT&T. They're not saints, and they screw things up. Usually anything you do that changes your billing will take a couple of cycles to catch up with your bill. Sometimes things you order won't be available, and billing won't get the message, so you get billed for something you're not getting-that is easy to handle with a little patience and some time talking to the billing department. I've done it more than a couple of times. Since I got it set up, my DSL has been pretty much problem free (nothing's perfect) and very dependable. YMMV depending on your specific circumstances, but if they say you're good for a particular speed, you'll get something close to that-as long as your lines are decent. I'm pretty sure dimmer's problem is old phone lines-and he can probably call them and get his package downgraded to the next lower one for a lower price.

Oh, there's also the "Glenn, why don't you use cable?" issue. They're TimeWarner here. If I have to explain that to anyone, I will, but it should be obvious.

PhotoBug · Jan 13, 2008, 09:23 PM

Thank you very much, that cleared up my confusion.

dimmer · Jan 13, 2008, 10:12 PM

"That's bad and way outside what I'd consider an acceptable range of a 1.5 Megabit line."

Yeah, the problem is the "box" hanging from the phone pole outside (it's about 20 years old and just a rust bucket): at the last outage, the tech said he'd have "Infrastructure Engineering" fix it: the Eng. folks came out and declared it all OK. I want to bitch more, but I doubt it will help.

Sadly, in SF, you either go with AT&T directly, or you go with one of their subs (aka, same service, new name). Ah well, I can browse the web at 9,600 modem speeds -- I should be happy.