Post by: stripedbass on February 02, 2009, 01:35:38 PM
I've always had a dial-up connection for my Internet through an ISP. At $8.50 per month and unlimited usage, I thought it was a great deal.
For my phone and cable services, I have Comcast. It's a package deal that came as an introductory offer and I was paying about $85.00 per month. When this offer ended, 2 months ago, my Comcast bill went up to $108.44 per month.
However, Comcast says that for $106.00 and with a smaller cable channel selection (Economy Video), I can also get DSL for my Internet connection (they went through the cable channels I would lose and most of them I don't watch anyway). They say that the DSL speed is 1 megabyte.
My question is this: if I get DSL and still use my iMac, will I notice a big difference in my Internet speed compared to my present dial-up? The dial-up is at 56K but the ISP says it's really 53K. I know that presently I cannot stream nor use YouTube. Would I be able to stream and watch YouTube with DSL?
Post by: Texas Mac Man on February 02, 2009, 03:05:40 PM
DSL is the high speed connection that you get from the telephone company. You get a broadband connection from Comcast cable. The 1MB speed is much, much, .........much faster than dial-up. I have AT&T DSL service at 3MB download speed & 1MB upload speed. Currently I pay $17 per month for this service.
There are two things that limit your ability to see video like YouTube. One is the speed of your internet service. The second is the characteristics (RAM, processor speed, video card, etc) of your Mac. If you want to view with your iMac 350MHz, you can watch YouTube videos, but usually the sound & video picture sync will be off.
Post by: Shades of Gray on February 02, 2009, 03:07:14 PM
I wish I had investigated Comcast internet prior to going to Comcast. J. D. Power checked in four regions of the US looking at the service satisfaction of all cable/DLS/fiber optic suppliers. Comcast was the lowest rated in customer satisfaction in all four categories in all four regions! AT&T fiber optic was highest in three regions, and Verizon fiber optic in the 4th region. I live in an AT&T dominant market. So...
So Feb 19 we are canceling Comcast and getting AT&T internet and TV both through fiber optics. We wanted to switch immediately, but AT&T couldn't transfer us sooner. The reason? So many people are switching from Comcast, that AT&T can't keep up with laying new fiber optic cables. I can't wait until we get off Comcast.
Post by: Paddy on February 02, 2009, 03:20:37 PM
And you won't be tying up the phone line either!
Go for it!
One question - are you sure that it's DSL? Comcast to my knowledge has no DSL offerings - not in MA anyway. Verizon has the DSL market in MA, as far as I know.
You might want to look into this bundle at Comcast.com:
QUOTE
Introducing the all-new Comcast HD Starter Triple Play, which comes standard with free HD, access to over 1,000 HD choices, fast Internet speeds and unlimited local and nationwide long distance calling with monthly savings you can count on.
This package is designed for customers who want above-par entertainment options at a great value; it includes:
HD Cable
Free HD - no service or equipment charges
Access to over 1,000 HD choices
Over 80 digital channels
Channel 1 On Demand with over 10,000 movies and programs
Over 45 channels of digital music
100% digital-quality picture and sound
Comcast High-Speed Internet
Download speeds up to 15 Mbps with PowerBoost®
Complimentary McAfee Security Suite — a $120 value
Up to 7 e-mail accounts with 10GB of storage
Comcast Digital Voice®
Unlimited local and nationwide long distance calling
12 popular calling features
Voice Mail access on your computer
Promotional Rate is $114.99/month for 12 month(s) for eligible customers, ongoing price is $134.99/month
This package is designed for customers who want above-par entertainment options at a great value; it includes:
HD Cable
Free HD - no service or equipment charges
Access to over 1,000 HD choices
Over 80 digital channels
Channel 1 On Demand with over 10,000 movies and programs
Over 45 channels of digital music
100% digital-quality picture and sound
Comcast High-Speed Internet
Download speeds up to 15 Mbps with PowerBoost®
Complimentary McAfee Security Suite — a $120 value
Up to 7 e-mail accounts with 10GB of storage
Comcast Digital Voice®
Unlimited local and nationwide long distance calling
12 popular calling features
Voice Mail access on your computer
Promotional Rate is $114.99/month for 12 month(s) for eligible customers, ongoing price is $134.99/month
A much better deal than losing tv channels and only getting 1MBps internet, IMHO. I had the odd issue with Comcast when I was living in MA, but overall the service was usually pretty good. I used them for probably 8 years and during that time only had one long-ish outage of about 2 days, for which I got credit on my account. There was the odd outage for an hour or two, but other than that, generally good. The cable TV was excellent. Now, IF North Andover had had fibre optic, I would have been very interested, but for some reason or other, Verizon laid the cable in Andover, but skipped North Andover. Regular DSL was also hard to get in North Andover - few people lived close enough to the telephone switching stations to actually get it.
Post by: Mayo on February 02, 2009, 04:09:43 PM
But I think that is still somewhat slow when it comes to viewing online video. You may experience buffering stalls unless you wait 10-20 seconds before allowing the video to begin. It really depends on the size of the video file that you are dealing with...The major factor that will limit your online video viewing is the CPU speed of your iMac. I will venture to guess that a 350MHz CPU will severely limit your ability to watch most streaming video. When my clients have complained about video problems it has invariably been on Macs using CPUs that are slower than 600MHz.
One option is to download the entire video to your Mac before playing it. Here is a LowEndMac article that covers some options for improving the video quality on G3 Macs. Even if you download a video before attempting to play it you may find that you have to close-down all other programs on your iMac in order to get acceptable playback quality.
While the 350MHz iMac is a perfectly fine computer for basic use, keep in mind that it was introduced in October 1999. It has an ATI Rage 128 video card with 8MB of VRAM. Today it is common for Macs to have a video card with 256MB of VRAM. Current Mac CPUs run in the 2-3GHz range. That's GHz, not MHz. If your iMac is going to show its age it is going to be most apparent when dealing with video and graphics.
Post by: Shades of Gray on February 02, 2009, 04:13:42 PM
Post by: sandbox on February 02, 2009, 07:11:48 PM
Many people that I know that were bought out by comcast have not been satisfied, especially in the Washington-Baltimore corridor. If they have built a large enough network then you can avoid the worst service department on the planet, if your area is under-served, then you will be buying a nighmare. Comcast, from my experience sells a cable service, not DSL, which is a phone servive, but, they may have gotten into mergers that I'm unaware of.
On cable service:
If you buy a cable connection your speed and usability will depend on how many people are using the last mile in your area. If you live in an area that has a low population then you can pretty much count on steady service. If you live in a new development and new customers are being added by the ton, then, unless comcast adds additional cable you will have to live with diminishing capacity and loss of services.
The battle:
Provider=How many people can be place on existing capacity without adding additional hardware.
Consumer=How much capacity can a cusomer receive for the overpriced product in a captive market?
Post by: tacit on February 02, 2009, 10:29:31 PM
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 03, 2009, 10:11:08 AM
Your Cable speed may start to decrease as more people are added to your circuit/neighborhood, could be new building (not much nowadays!) or simply new customers. Eventually, Comcast will provide faster service when and if they are forced to; by competition (someday), too many dis-satisfied customers (increasing, but where can they go?) and/or equipment failures that get newer, faster replacements. These decreases, however, will likely not be noticed since the overall increase (15 to 20 times what you have) will be so amazing for many months! But, before accepting any 'offer' of increased speed/access/service, carefully evaluate any alternatives. Some of those may be from competitors but some may even be from Comcast, themselves. You'll never know until you investigate and ask/bargain (yes, Virginia, there are still ways to bargain, even in this retail-price-as-marked economy).
Post by: Mayo on February 06, 2009, 01:59:53 PM
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 06, 2009, 02:51:52 PM
Post by: stripedbass on February 10, 2009, 11:11:12 PM
I'm really grateful for all your feedback. I'm responding so late to your postings because I've not been able to log onto my dial-up Internet account via my ISP. I kept getting messages such as:
"No carrier detected. Please check your phone line connection and try again."
Or:
"Could not negotiate a connection with the remote PPP server. Please verify your settings and try again."
And when I called my ISP, the toll free number is constantly busy.
I've just managed to log on but who knows how long I'll be on before I lose the connection?
Yes, folks, this latest experience plus your feedback have finally convinced me to take the plunge: dump my dial-up account and get Comcast's DSL.
My question now is this: Is there anything I can do with my ISP to ensure that the transition from my old e-mail address to the new one that I'll get is smooth? Should I close my dial-up account after a few weeks of having my DSL account?
Post by: Paddy on February 10, 2009, 11:24:24 PM
QUOTE
Should I close my dial-up account after a few weeks of having my DSL account?
That's a good idea - it will give you time to get all your contacts notified of your email change, plus picking up any mail that comes through on the old account. Most ISPs won't forward your mail when you move to a different ISP.
Also - back to one of the other questions; is this Verizon DSL or Comcast cable? I've never heard of Comcast offering DSL. (I lived in MA until two years ago.)
Post by: stripedbass on February 11, 2009, 01:38:22 PM
I'v3e just double checked with Comcast before answering your question.
You are right. It's not DSL. The 1 megabyte Internet package is called Economy Internet.
By the way, a snag has developed. In terms of the cable channels, if I got Economy Video, as opposed to what I have right now (Digital Starter), I'll lose MSNBC which is one of my most popular channels. So I'm still trying to figure it out.
Post by: stripedbass on February 22, 2009, 06:37:10 PM
Comcast then went ahead and tried to hook me up with "Economy Internet." I connected my iMac to the Comcast Motorola modem I already had for my cable stations with an ethernet cable. Comcast said that I did not have to download any software. But for some reason I couldn't make an Internet connection. I talked to the Comcast technical support people on the phone. We couldn't figure out what was wrong. One of them claims that my computer is not creating a new IP address as it's supposed to. He scheduled for a technician to come to my home and check it out.
I wonder what could be wrong.
Post by: RNKIII on February 22, 2009, 07:48:11 PM
Where your cable enters your residence.... Do you have a 'splitter'? i.e. a small gizmo (technical term) that takes the single in-coming cable and 'splits' it into 2, one that goes to your TV(s) and another that goes to your cable modem?
When Charter installed ours they were emphatic that the computer and TV signals be separated prior to either of them going through any other equipment.
Just a random thought...
Bob K. rnkiii
Post by: Paddy on February 22, 2009, 09:55:40 PM
Also, what lights are lit up on your modem? There should be at least 4 of them and each one is particular to some part of the connection: power, receive, send etc.
When you go to your system preferences->Network, what do you see for Built-in Ethernet? It should have:
Configure: Using DHCP
IP Address: something other than 169.xxx.xxx
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Router (depends if you have one or not - you haven't mentioned one)
DNS Server: whatever Comcast is using in your area
All of these things will set themselves automatically once you choose "Using DHCP"
If you get an IP address beginning with 169.xxx...you're not connected to the internet.
Post by: Jack W on February 23, 2009, 09:12:30 AM
If you haven't already:
You also need to tell your ISP the information on the modem, such as IP address, or other.
This is how they make sure yoo are legit, and it's you, not somebody else.
Contact your ISP to see what info they need.
HTH, Jack
Edited to add:
They will need the MAC address.
Post by: stripedbass on February 24, 2009, 04:35:54 PM
Sorry for being so slow to respond but I've not had my normal dial-up connection, leave alone the Comcast Internet. I'm posting this message from a library computer.
Paddy: I had already gone through the process you outline in your message before I posted my thread. My iMac just couldn't create the right ISP number. It kept giving me the 169.xxx.xxx number.
A Comcast technician finally came to my home this morning. After a couple of tries he gave up. He said that I could not get an Internet connection because either my operating system was too old (they require OS 10.4 or above but when I was setting up the account they told me OS 10.3.9 was okay), the iMac was too old or the ethernet card had a problem.
My question is this: If I wanted to get a used but better Mac (possibly a laptop since they don't take up much space) which could work with Comast without a problem, do you know a good model? I'm not looking for the latest model. I'm looking for one that's been out a couple of years but would be adequate for my needs. I mostly use my computer for web browsing and word processing. I also would like to try YouTube.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 24, 2009, 05:22:14 PM
So...
Call them back and demand to get the DNS and DHCP information in this < document>. Your're probably already being charged for a connection and you should not have to deal with nitwits who don't know what they are doing. The "Internet" is platform agnostic, in other words, it couldn't care less about what kind of computer gets connected to it. Same with TVs connected to Comcast. Would they ever say your (less than 10 year old) TV can't be used because it didn't have the proper channel selector? Of course not! If they did that everyone would know how incompetent they are!
Just because they "tech" didn't know what he should doesn't mean you can't connect to the Internet via Comcast. That's simply absurd and unacceptable, IMHO. Ask them they are trying to lose 10% (and growing) market?
Frankly, even with Panther, you simply don't need any "help" from Comcast and their "tech" support. BTW, here's another <Apple document> that may be of help. You don't really have to understand all the details mentioned in these documents but they should be able to get you started, logically. You can do it!
Post by: Jack W on February 24, 2009, 07:32:59 PM
Here's a shot of my network panel settings, if that gives you any help.
I am having no problems with Time Warner Cable with this setup.
HTH, Jack
Post by: krissel on February 25, 2009, 01:41:15 AM
I had a similar problem some time ago and it was solved by leaving the modem unplugged over night. Seems it had something to do with the associated MAC/IP address not being cleared properly. When I reconnected the next day it all worked.
Worth a shot. If nothing works and indeed there is something wrong with the ethernet card we can suggest some newer Macs but you need to tell us your range of spending.
Post by: pendragon on February 25, 2009, 05:30:58 AM
I hate to suggest this, as I presume Comcast already had you go through this routine, but just to be sure...
The point that your computer may not be "seeing" the Comcast Motorola modem is well made. And if this is so, no cable broadband. So:
1. Power down/unplug the modem.
2. Shut down your computer.
3. Wait 5 minutes.
4. Power up and turn on the modem and wait until you have all (4?) lights.
5. Restart your computer.
Any changes?
Post by: Paddy on February 25, 2009, 11:43:05 AM
Did he have a laptop with him to test the connection?
Jim is absolutely correct in stating that the internet is platform/OS agnostic as far as the connection itself goes. You can still connect ancient Macs running OS 8.6 or even older; the problem there will be that the browsers fall over when they encounter anything but the simplest HTML. Your Mac per se is not the issue.
So, where to now? No harm in running through Harv's restart the modem routine again - you can then at least tell Comcast that you've just done that. I would call them back and ask them to ping your modem to make sure that it's not the issue, though as I stated above, I doubt it is. Ask them what they can "see" from their end. Ask for a second-tier tech if you get someone who doesn't seem knowledgeable or helpful. Tell them politely but firmly that the operating system and platform is NOT the issue, but you are trying to figure out if there is in fact a hardware issue on your end.
It is possible that the ethernet on your iMac has died. You've never used it, having dial-up, so wouldn't have noticed. Is there any chance you can take your iMac over to a friend's house who has cable internet and try connecting it to their connection? It will be especially easy if they have a router with a spare wired port - you can simply connect your iMac with the ethernet cable and start her up, and it won't require the friend's modem to be restarted.
Given the iMac's current value, I'm not sure that I'd advise taking it to a repair shop - you'll pay a minimum of about $60-$90 for diagnosis and if that diagnosis is "dead ethernet" you're not really much further ahead in that repair isn't worth it. Better to put the money towards a new machine.
If you do finally determine that the iMac's ethernet is indeed dead, then I would strongly advise that you buy an Intel Mac; anything else is about to become non-upgradeable as far as the OS is concerned. Mac OS 10.6 will not support PPC Macs from all reports. The lowest price MacBook right now is about $999, though can be had for less through places like MacMall where it also comes with some nice freebies if you don't mind mail-in rebates. Used is another option - but only if you can find a good deal and are very confident in knowing what you're getting and who you're dealing with. Buying new you do get a one year warranty - used, you will not get that unless the owner is selling a Mac that is less than a year old and/or a machine with AppleCare. Laptops can be dropped/abused easily, so you need to be very, very careful.
Post by: stripedbass on February 26, 2009, 11:47:19 PM
After reading all your posts, which were very helpful, you gave me an idea: I decided to take my iMac to my local Apple store (www.apple.com/cambridgeside). They have something called a Genius Bar and you have to book an appointment a day in advance. Well, yesterday (Thursday) evening I had my appointment.
Guess what? When they hooked up my iMac to their Internet, the computer worked like a charm! The built--in ethernet grabbed an IP address with no problem.
So the problem is not with my computer. It's with Comcast.
Got to sleep. I'll deal with this in the morning. It's already past midnight.
But just want to thank all of you for your feedback, and giving me the idea to leave home and get my iMac tested by someone else.
Post by: Shades of Gray on February 27, 2009, 10:18:03 AM
Post by: Xairbusdriver on March 01, 2009, 07:58:25 PM
QUOTE
So the problem is not with my computer. It's with Comcast.
I'm sure you will have a very challenging experience getting anyone at Comcast to believe that! Did you get a Notarized statement to that effect or did you simply rely on the anecdotal experience which could easily have been influenced by the RDF known to exist in Apple Stores? 
OTOH, you could be one of the first to get them to accept the extremely rare and minute possibility that their equipment could be at fault. I would simply take a deep breath before issuing your findings and then let it out slowly, holding it would certainly be dangerous to your health!!! BTW, your secret is safe with us and all our friends!
Still, it would be great if they could be convinced to 'ping' their own modem and see if it reports its existence to them. They might be convinced to bring a replacement, free of charge (other than the monthly rental hidden in their rates...)!
And, you've also been introduced to a group of usually intelligent people who not only like Macs but can actually offer solutions that work.
So, even your frustrations have provided you with some education and the possibility of future happiness!
Post by: stripedbass on March 26, 2009, 10:18:20 AM
As some of you may remember, I could not get Comcast Internet service after I signed up with them last month. When I'd call Comcast they kept insisting that as far as they could tell everything was fine on their end and implied that it was likely my iMac that had the problem.
My problem was finally solved today, if you can believe it.
After going back and forth with Comcast, with them insisting that I disconnect my ethernet cable from my computer and modem (EMTA), wait for a couple of minutes, then connect it again, pull-out the back-up battery from the modem, then re-install it again, etc, etc, we finally ran out of trouble-shooting options.
I even took my computer to the local Apple store and it connected to their Internet with no problem. When I told Comcast this, they then told me that I needed to contact Apple. They were convinced that the problem was with my iMac. I gave up at this point since I was so busy with a renovation project at home in addition to my regular job.
But last week an idea suddenly popped into my head. Why not google to find out the e-mail address for Comcast's CEO? I found it! I sent him an e-mail explaining my problem. I got a phone call from a Comcast office in Canada! I explained to them my problem. They said they would send a technician to my home who knew Macs and would also bring another modem with him in case the one I had was defective.
Well, he came today and has just left. After doing a couple of checks, he determined that I had a bad modem. The modem I had was indicating that I had an Internet connection when I didn't. He immediately knew it had a problem when even after he disconnected it, it still indicated that there was an Internet link!
To make a long story short, after he gave me a new modem, I finally had Internet connection! In fact, I'm composing this post with my new Comcast Internet service. I'm no longer using dial-up!
I want to sincerely thank all of you who tried to help me. If it wasn't for your advice, I'd have bought a new Mac only to realize that the problem was with Comcast.
Post by: jcarter on March 26, 2009, 10:42:47 AM
Our kids live in Somerville and are using DSL at the moment, but will probably move over to Comcast, as thats what granny and grampa here on cape cod use with great success.
But the sick modem is very interesting, as we had a Comcast modem that worked intermittently, I took it into the Falmouth Comcast office and swapped it for a new one, and my problems ended.
And our Comcast cable box is acting funky now, they have to send the signal fairly often to reboot the thing, and said to just go to the office and get a new one. But its working OK now, so havent swapped it yet.
Guess these modems are delicate critters.
Jane
Post by: Xairbusdriver on March 26, 2009, 12:00:05 PM
You should get a years free service just for staying with them!
Post by: LR827 on March 26, 2009, 01:56:16 PM
Post by: kbeartx on March 26, 2009, 04:54:35 PM
QUOTE(jcarter @ Mar 26 2009, 10:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Guess these modems are delicate critters.
IMO, that's a charitable way to put it.
I strongly suspect that a large company's decision to use a specific brand of tech gear is based largely on lowest cost, not technical superiority or reliability.
KB
Post by: Highmac on March 27, 2009, 01:58:37 AM
QUOTE(kbeartx @ Mar 26 2009, 09:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE(jcarter @ Mar 26 2009, 10:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Guess these modems are delicate critters.
IMO, that's a charitable way to put it.
I strongly suspect that a large company's decision to use a specific brand of tech gear is based largely on lowest cost, not technical superiority or reliability.
KB
My ISP offered a 'free' modem router to those taking up ADSL broadband. Forums over here had plenty of folk reporting problems and the response was always the same. Dump the free modem/router and get a 'real' one from Netgear, Linksys, etc.
Post by: sandbox on March 27, 2009, 03:20:40 AM
Post by: Highmac on March 27, 2009, 04:26:47 AM
Having said that, these are pretty similar.... Speakeasy based on NY server.
Speedtest has a new interface - cleaner than the old one.
Post by: jcarter on March 27, 2009, 07:32:23 AM
They advertise for $10 more a month I could get far better speeds, but this seems sufficient for what I do, so I will stick with it.
Verizon is supposed to have FIOS here in a couple of years or before, from what the guy on the truck working on the junction box about a mile down the road told me.
Jane
Post by: Jack W on March 27, 2009, 09:20:27 AM
Using Time Warner Cable NEO w/Turbo speed
[attachment=1319:Speed_Test.jpg]
A lot faster than that rabbit!
- Jack
Post by: stripedbass on March 27, 2009, 09:41:24 AM
Post by: Paddy on March 27, 2009, 09:47:38 AM
*AKA "Rogers"
Post by: sandbox on March 27, 2009, 01:01:53 PM
which is Ookla software http://www.ookla.com/
the same as http://www.speedtest.net/
you can go to dslreports http://www.dslreports.com/archive/ to compare results. They use another open source program.
My package is 15. MB/s download and 2. MB/s upload
It also comes with a Turbo Boost that when needed, will almost double the speed I have. Download seems to meander from 10-15 but upload is pretty consistent and is what I need most.
The web, voip and fax are on different bandwidths so nothing seems to interfere when they're all running at once.
These products are becoming very efficient.
Seattle 10142 > 1847
S.F.Ca. 12097 > 1854
L.A.Ca. 12807 > 1852
Dallas 13667 > 1898
Chicago 13266 > 1883
Atlanta 13443 >1871
N.Y.Ny. 13121 > 1848
Wash. D.C. 13647 > 1848
Post by: Xairbusdriver on March 27, 2009, 06:06:25 PM
QUOTE
I strongly suspect that a large company's decision to use a specific brand of tech gear is based largely on lowest cost, not technical superiority or reliability.
"Suspect?!" You mean you have seen evidence to the contrary?! 
Post by: stripedbass on April 07, 2009, 12:02:43 AM
Each time I want to access e-mail through my new Comcast account, I first get a message that I should upgrade my browser.
Given the specs for my iMac, can I upgrade my Safari? If so, what would be a comfortable version to get? The Comcast page (http://support.apple.com/downloads/#internet) gives me a list of a lot of versions. It's hard to know which one(s) actually apply to my situation.
As always, any feedback will be highly appreciated!
Post by: krissel on April 07, 2009, 01:14:52 AM
You would have to go to Tiger or Leopard to get a more recent version. Your iMac will not do Leopard and probably wouldn't be all that great with Tiger either considering its processor. YMMV.
Here is a link with info on all the versions and compatibility. Don't try to download and install a newer version because even though it will install, it won't run and you will change the webkit underpinnings in the OS. That might require an Archive and Install of Panther to get back to the original Safari (which I'm sure you don't want to do).
http://michelf.com/projects/multi-safari/
Post by: stripedbass on April 07, 2009, 08:12:03 AM
Thank you very much! Now I know.