Tadd Mencer

Posts Tagged ‘Dsl Line’

Every so often I find some killer programs. Things that look so friggin pimp I just have to talk about them. I have to show what I found. I feel like jumping up and down saying “Looky looky looky!”

magicJack is one of those products. What it basically does is use your existing broadband connection as a phone line. Ok, so that sounds different than what it REALLY does. (found via this guys post)

So, you take the magicJack and plug it into any available USB port. You then take any old phone and plug it into the device. You sign up for the service ($40 the first year, $20 every year after that) and TADA! You have your own telephone! Not only that, but you get a local calling number, unlimited (and free) local and long distance … pretty slick eh? And all that from your DSL or cable line. You can even use 911 services, which is a step above Skype.

So go check it out … well worth at least a few minutes looking, don’t you think?

So today (while I was at home, helping Carolyn since she got sick last night) I decided I had enough of ComCast and their lousy service and ordered myself a ‘Dry Loop’ (thanks for the jargon Erik) DSL from AT&T. Basically this is a DSL line WITHOUT a phone line. Pretty slick, eh?

I’m getting rid of ComCast. Why? Well, they have lousy service (as stated), poor tech support and they use Sandvine.

What is Sandvine?

It’s a service that bottlenecks information packets to your computer based on what you’re doing. They call it a good service, I call it borderline invasion of privacy and down-right crap.

Sandvine’s award-winning solutions identify the types and behaviours of traffic on networks enabling service providers to improve customer satisfaction, reduce operational costs and increase profitability.

Service providers can better understand subscriber behavior, recognize and address network threats like worms and spam Trojans, classify applications running on your network (for example, voice over IP, gaming, video streams), guarantee service levels and create profitable tiers for multiple broadband services.

Basically they see what you’re doing, where you’re browsing and filter your connection according to whatever they plan. For instance, I use Torrents to download things. Such as Linux distributions, game updates and so on. Before they put my account under Sandvine I was downloading lightning speeds. I have a 4Mb line, so it should go nice and smooth. The DAY they put me under their Sandvine junk my connection dropped horrifically. I was downloading as slow as I would on Dialup.

Any complaints go unheard. Blaming everything from internet traffic to my computer. It is all lies and deceat.

So, as of March 12th I will have a nice 6mb DSL line. Fast, free and good. Thanks to Paula and to Erik for getting me on this boat!

So, goodbye Comcrap, hello AT&T Yahoo! DSL. Who ever thought I would be pleased with a Yahoo! service?