Internet Service Providers

The past seven years I have been a Comcast customer without any problem. The connection has always been efficient and the price, other than sign up promotions, never fluctuated. Download rates were consistent for the most part and they had a local office I could go to after work to replace any defective equipment. That is all the positive attributes of Comcast Internet Service.

The downside to Comcast is their customer service. At all possible cost, avoiding customer service is greatly advantageous. If you have a connection problem, unplug your modem and router and let it be for fifteen minutes and plug it back. It will most likely work. They will most likely make you set up an appointment for someone to come out to your location, charge you for it, and do what I just suggested above. It is this that hinders me from using them again. Their appointment setting is never convenient.

My dependency on Comcast left me searching for something reliable, yet more convenient than the appointment setting, rude and unhelpful customer service I received from Comcast. Enter the all mighty Verizon Network. Honestly, they scare me. They are big, not local and are taking over everything. I would prefer something local but recently I was looking for something reliable and convenient. When signing up (online) with Verizon, they sent me all my equipment in the mail within three days. Customer support (outsourced to who knows where) was very friendly, available and effective. Download rates are much different and not as good as Comcast, but effective. Price is half what I was paying at Comcast.

I am set up with Broadband access. The FiOS network is supposedly amazing yet my neighborhood does not get it, so until they expand I’m using broadband DSL which is working great. All one needs is a phone jack.

* When signing up with Verizon, go to Best Buy and purchase Verizon – Ethernet/Wireless-G Gateway DSL. I do not recommend the dinky Westell modem they provide, it was near impossible to set up the D-Link wireless router I had, and then when I bought a Linksys router to see if that would connect me, I was told by Verizon to call Linksys to get it connected! Too much hassle, once you get your stuff from Verizon in the mail, buy the Gateway from Best Buy and save yourself wasted time, energy and cell phone minutes!

Tags: Best Buy, comcast, connection, D-Link, internet, internet service providers, ISP, router, technical, verizon