Internet provider alternative

[Hex]

I presently use AT&T Uverse for their cable T.V. and internet.

The T.V. is fine but the internet has gotten sucky.

1~2 minute pauses as it tries to connect to various sites.

So, I was thinking if it was possible to keep the AT&T T.V., and perhaps get a different internet provider.

I am pretty sure that Comcast could work me a deal but I am reading complaints about their limiting speeds somewhat.

Fios is not available where I live, Houston NW.

So, are there any others you would recommend ?

thanks

 

[Leche]

I don't know the price but Hughes Net satellite internet apparently works everywhere and is quick.

 

[stevebu56]

I am in the Austin area and recently switched to Time Warner from UVerse. I only had internet through ATT. I had similar problems with the router's wireless which would drop connections randomly. Even after a new router was installed by ATT we had the exact same problems. Time Warners standard service for where I am was much slower than ATTs so we had to go with their turbo service which is fine. Overall it seems to be the better of two evils.

 

[_JP_]

The problem may be your web browser. Clear out the cookies and cache files. You can also try installing another web browser and see how that goes.

The problem could also be malware related. Some of that stuff causes the symptoms that you describe.

 

[Hex]

Thanks fpr the suggestions and I am pretty sure it's AT&T.

Some clues that lead me to think that.

The delays seem to happen around the same time, 8 am during the week and all weekends.

PC is fairly new, with Windows 7 and latest Flash, Java, etc.

When it paises at a site I am at and browsing, I immediately open a 2nd and 3rd window and try to get to Google. Long delay, about 2 minutes, then all 3 windows come to life.

I have tried it to different sites rather than Google with the same results. Sites that are usually up and responsive, with the same results.

I dread calling AT&T, because my experience with their tech support leads to high blood pressure.

Their typical solution:
1) reboot my PC
2) reboot the router.

By the time I get through to their tech support, the issue has gone away.
I wonder if there is some software product that I could let run. that would show the intermittent slowdowns, and that they would believe,.

I used to use something called Ping Plotter but I doubt that they would accept its results.

thanks for the help

 

[xillion]

You could try configuring your router to use OpenDNS and see if it helps.

 

[mr_economy]

The only major ISP in the US that provides comparable Internet access to U-Verse would be Verizon's FIOS service, but if you have U-Verse available it's not very likely that Verizon is also available.

I would suggest trying AT&T's U-Verse forums. They have many helpful users that will give you more than the annoying "reboot your router so I can hang up on you before the problem re-appears" tech support phone call. They have released an application called U-Verse Realtime that will collect technical statistics about your Internet connection - the packet loss data is probably important for your particular issue - and then you can post the results for users to analyze. You can download the Realtime app here: http://utalk.att.com/t5/High-Speed-Internet-Access/U-Verse-Realtime-v1-4-0-0/td-p/243515

Lastly, if you're Twitter savvy AT&T has a helpful Twitter account set up that is usually more friendly and personal than their phone support.

 

[BladeDE40]

I personally have Comcast at 16mbps...I find that their service is very fast and reliable. I also work for a company that sets up corporate housing throughout the country....we set up hundreds of internet accounts and always prefer to use Comcast over Uverse where available as we and our customers have found their service to be faster and much more reliable.

 

[C Reed]

I hate Time Warner, internet speeds almost as slow as their customer service response.

 

[Wendy]

Have AT&T run tests oin your lines. Do not call the main number for internet make sure you call the UVerse help line, their customer service is way better than the dsl repair line. Keep in mind all IPS's are a PAIN in the rear. AT&T disconected my internet at home for a month and could not figure out what happened. They went as far as telling me internet was not even available in my area and I did not have service with them. I said well I want my six years of payments back then. They did not think to look that I have paid them for six years at this address. The interesting part was when I told them not only did I have their internet services but their guys are digging and laying the fiber for UVerse out in front of my house at the time, they still could not figure it out. My husband worked for them at the time and he could not get them to fix the problem. So do not expect fast or friendly service.

 

[Cyclocat]

You could try configuring your router to use OpenDNS and see if it helps.

This would be my first step. It may be that the DNS servers AT&T is assigning you are bogged down.

 

[Geeno]

Well, this may be your problem - or part of it. These systems are all essentially shared systems. That is, the more people/households who are on the Net with your ISP (AT&T) the more likely it is to run slower. So, it seems to slow in the morning when people get up and start to go online and the weekend when more people are at home accessing the Net. Result? Slowdown for you as well as other subscribers.

So, use http://www.speedtest.net/ to test the speeds at these times vs. some other times. Also, see if any neighbors have the same issue. It just may be that AT&T doesn't have enough capacity/bandwidth to handle demand at these peak usage times.

Just a hypothesis though...

My thoughts exactly. Second to the excellent suggestions already posted about routers and malware.

Geeno
Computer mini-nerd and CATV professional