Bell Sympatico????

[FieroBUZZ]

I got a call from Bell saying they now offer hi-speed out here.

1 Month free, and 6 at 24.95 then reverts to 44.95/mo.  Is this a good deal?  Are they okay or trouble prone?

All advice welcome.
Gary

[fiero308]

well Gary; we have been on it for quite a while (several years); haven't really any big probs to talk about. I don't think it is QUITE as fast as cable, but if you don't really have that option then it is a moot point I guess.
It is a HUGE amount faster than dial up so the big difference will be in the amount of time you suddenly start putting in at the 'ole monitor!
 
g
gotta get ou to pick up that shifter; lmk when is convenient!

[Kevin]

  Hi Gary. We have had that service since we moved out here two and a half years ago and have had no problems with it. It is a bit slower that Roger's "high speed"  but more is consistent and it is way faster than dial-up. Go for it. Kevin

[Gizmo]

Don't get hooked by Bell.....they're more expensive and they like to cap you.  I forget who, but when Chris was in Almonte, he was with them.  Maybe he'll chime in!

[lsixtyseven]

If you can afford $600 a year, then go for it. Since I don't spend my life on the computer I spend $60 a year for dial-up, any more than that it's not worth it just to surf.

[fiero308]

well if you are getting dial up for $4.34 a month (B4 taxes) then that seems pretty cheap!  I think Gary is a big boy who can probably figure out what he is willing to afford.....

But Gary is also a long time contributor (as in a REAL contributor!) to the club and an all round VERY helpful guy who has repeatedly put up with lots of personal expenses of all sorts in an effort to just help people; some of whom he will probably never know and others who will never repay, no doubt.  He LIKES to help and the high speed would be just a tool, I expect. 

Sorry, everyone; just lost my head there for a moment and broke the "Gary-bashing" button; hey; it's Christmas!  But it's well deserved.  Have a good holiday, big guy!
Geez......now that I think of it, SANTA is a big guy with a beard........
LOL

[2ML67]

I think Gary is bigger and what he does with reindeer can't be said here. Its got to be better than the AOL crap I have always cutting out and not working with some sites properly. It may be the season and Gary may be a nice guy but my bashing button always works. Dan

[c-l]

FoeroBuzz,


This comment may come a little late but here is what I know about Sympatico HSE (Beleive me... I know... For sure... No BS...).


First, no it WILL NOT be as fast as cable WHEN cable is NOT SATURATED. YES it will be faster than cable if the cable bandwidth is saturated during prime time hours, or, if someone on your "segment" is "blasting" the internet because their computer is infected with viruses !!!! 

Second (this is the obvious) Yes it will be faster than ANY dial-up.


Here's a few personal comments

Sympatico woks off xDSL, yes it is capped (around 3Meg now), but it still is fast enough to sustain multiple PCs.

This service will run great given a few restrictions:
- For optimal performance, you have to be within 4.5Km of Bell's Central Office, that 4.5Km restriction is measured in phone cable lenght, not road lenght... Yes it will work up to about 7.2 Km, but your service will most likelly be on and off if you are that far. If there is disconnection problems on your line, there are ways to make your connection more solid but the cost will be speed and latency.
- You have to have good wirering inside the house (no staples through your wires, no squashed wires, no twisted wires covered with masking tape, no corroded unused jacks in the basement, no jacks installed outside under the deck...)
- All devices other than your high speed modem has to be filtered either by a pot splitter at the house entrance (Bell uses that $250.00 part exclusivelly in businesses that have a phone system), or, a seperate filter on every device (this includes all your telephone sets, answering machine, satelite dish decoders - if connected to a phone line, Fax machine, the standard computer modem AND telephone monitored alarm system... don't forget this last one)

Hope this clears up the hype about xDSL (Sympatico) and cable (Rogers).

Let me know if you have more questions.
C-L