Comcast Business vs Residential

[master7045]

I'm going to be moving to an area where Comcast is the only ISP (other than DSL). I'll be working from home and am mulling over the idea of getting CBI. The area I'm in doesn't have data caps, so I'm not worried about that (yet), but am more concerned about stability. I wont be reimbursed at all so cost is still somewhat of a factor for me. I've been comparing the 16/3 BCI vs 50 down (no idea of what up is) residential. Family will be using Netflix and other "normal" internet related tasks. I have 2 Xbox 360's, 1 roku, 1 Chromecast, 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, 2 Laptops (wifi) and 2 Desktops (wired). is the 16/3 going to be enough or will I be setting myself up for frustration from wife when FB doesn't load on the tablet when the boys are watching movies on netflix all the while, I'll be working???

 

[azazel1024]

I'd go with the 50Mbps down, its is likey either 5 or 10Mbps up, depending on what exactly Comcast is offering there, but likely 10Mbps up for a Comcast Business connection.

I am assuming whever "work" is, doesn't require a shed load of bandwidth, but a couple of good HD Netflix streams are going to be around 7Mbps each...which is most of a 16Mbps connection if both of your boys are watching it on seperate devices (with my kids, I can have them watching Netflix on the TV, one of them has Netflix on on their tablet, another playing games on another tablet and the last one watching PBS kids on their tablet. What the F?!? Usually when I or my wife step in and start turning devices off and pushing them outside in the harsh mistress that is nature to play).

Though this is all going on with a 75/75 connection.

 

[drebo]

Comcast Business and Residential run over the same cable plant and the same head-end equipment. Neither has an SLA and neither has an assured time to repair. Support for both is handled by the same NOC.

The only difference is in the terms of service. Comcast Business allows you to host servers, Residential does not.

Comcast Business is basically lipstick on a pig.

 

[master7045]

Comcast Business is basically lipstick on a pig.

This is what I was afraid of...
Work is not network intensive stuff, but internet access is a must. azazel, you're description is pretty much a mirror of ours . I'll walk out of my home office at night and see the TV on, wife on her phone, both boys on tables and I'm like WTF??? I feel like we need an intervention sometimes

 

[imagoon]

Same plants as residential so the internet service is similar but:

Comcast business accounts get put to the front of the line if you call support. I am never on hold for more than 3 minutes for all 30 of our accounts at the moment. Unlike what Drebo said, while you don't get an SLA, they do fix business services prior to residential and will dispatch service trucks on holidays and the middle of the night.

If I had to estimate, it is similar to an "8 hour window" but there is zero SLA on that.

 

[Mushkins]

Comcast Business and Residential run over the same cable plant and the same head-end equipment. Neither has an SLA and neither has an assured time to repair. Support for both is handled by the same NOC.

The only difference is in the terms of service. Comcast Business allows you to host servers, Residential does not.

Comcast Business is basically lipstick on a pig.

This is 100% accurate. Business service is not going to be any more reliable than their Residential, it's the same equipment running the same cables to the same junction box on the side of your house. The difference is that Business customers get QoS priority over residential customers (doesn't matter if your node's saturated either way), and you talk to a different support group when your service is inevitably degraded.

I'd consider switching if and when they ever bring data caps back to residential customers, but the additional cost and the lower bandwidth is not going to give you any benefit.

 

[ITJunkie]

Business class allows you to purchase static IP's where residential does not.

 

[drebo]

The difference is that Business customers get QoS priority over residential customers (doesn't matter if your node's saturated either way), and you talk to a different support group when your service is inevitably degraded.

I've seen people say this, but it is just patently false.

 

[Mushkins]

I've seen people say this, but it is just patently false.

What's patently false? That business customers get QoS over Residential? Because they do, every ISP does that. You're welcome to present some proof otherwise.

If you're referring to the part about a different support group, all you have to do is call support to confirm that. We use Comcast business internet in three of our offices and i've dealt with their support and install divisions extensively, it's a different phone number and a different call center.

 

[azazel1024]

What's patently false? That business customers get QoS over Residential? Because they do, every ISP does that. You're welcome to present some proof otherwise.

If you're referring to the part about a different support group, all you have to do is call support to confirm that. We use Comcast business internet in three of our offices and i've dealt with their support and install divisions extensively, it's a different phone number and a different call center.

All true.

Business class does get better QoS over regular residential as well as different support and priority on support calls over residential customers.

I know several people who either have Comcast business class connections or went from residential to business and they will all confirm that difference.

That doesn't make Comcast not a crap ISP, but there IS a goodly difference between their residential and business connections.

 

[drebo]

What's patently false? That business customers get QoS over Residential? Because they do, every ISP does that. You're welcome to present some proof otherwise.

If you're referring to the part about a different support group, all you have to do is call support to confirm that. We use Comcast business internet in three of our offices and i've dealt with their support and install divisions extensively, it's a different phone number and a different call center.

All true.

Business class does get better QoS over regular residential as well as different support and priority on support calls over residential customers.

I know several people who either have Comcast business class connections or went from residential to business and they will all confirm that difference.

That doesn't make Comcast not a crap ISP, but there IS a goodly difference between their residential and business connections.

I love the ignorance on this forum. It provides me with my daily hilarity.

Business Internet customers do not get priority on Comcast's network. Period. Hell, their Fiber customers don't even get priority on their network (outside of their latency SLA commitments which they're barely able to honor anyway.)

I don't know where this idea came from, but it's just not true. Nor does it make any sense.

And, no, "every ISP" does not give business customers "higher QoS." Why? Because that's not the way networks work.

But hey, you can keep wishing.

 

[azazel1024]

I love the ignorance on this forum. It provides me with my daily hilarity.

Business Internet customers do not get priority on Comcast's network. Period. Hell, their Fiber customers don't even get priority on their network (outside of their latency SLA commitments which they're barely able to honor anyway.)

I don't know where this idea came from, but it's just not true. Nor does it make any sense.

And, no, "every ISP" does not give business customers "higher QoS." Why? Because that's not the way networks work.

But hey, you can keep wishing.

QoS as it relates to PACKET priority no. However, they DO get bandwidth priority on their local node. I've seen too much evidence that supports that.

You also mention that the ONLY difference is that you can host servers with a business account. NOT true. There IS a different support group involved, even if it is run out of the same NOC. There IS priority given to Business account customers on repair/truck rolls.

 

[nickbits]

we have comcast business at my work and it is terrible.

goes down all the time and voip barely works.

 

[JoeMcJoe]

This is what I was afraid of...
Work is not network intensive stuff, but internet access is a must.

In that case, get both cable and DSL.
Use a dual WAN router.

 

[JackMDS]

LOL.

Do you really believe that the ISP has Logical Rules that are Given down by the "Old Mighty" and they follow them uniformly in Good faith.

Within the same ISP their are different ""Rules" in providing services depending on Geographical Location and Demographics. In most cases these rules are geared just to one outcome. How to make the most money in a short period of time.

As an example FIOS new installations are discouraged in many locations because the ISP is trying to push the service to Wireless where much more money is charged for the same Internet service.

On the other hand in Areas like New York City where there is lot of ISP competition and it is easier to do new installations, One can see numerous expensive TV ads offering New Deals in getting FIOS.

TWC, Comcast, Optimum, and other are competing as well (many time in the same building) and thus their services might be different than they are in many other location in the Big Country of us.

So when One post about his experience be a little more humble and indicates that according to your experience the situation in your neck of the wood is so and so. What One gets in X location might be different in Y location.

It will be nice if people will consider to disclose where their neck in the wood is to make their info at least valid to some people.

 

[master7045]

so I appreciate the dialog, but I think it sounds like I'll survive on the residential service until something new is available (which may never happen) or Comcast introduces data caps in the area. At this point, the benefits of Business class don't seem to outweigh the difference in cost for me.

 

[DrDoug]

Comcast Business and Residential run over the same cable plant and the same head-end equipment. Neither has an SLA and neither has an assured time to repair. Support for both is handled by the same NOC.

The only difference is in the terms of service. Comcast Business allows you to host servers, Residential does not.

Comcast Business is basically lipstick on a pig.

That sucks for them. I dropped Charter Residential for Charter Business and I get usually get same day service calls from their CBN trucks with only one so far being the next day. They even have the cable tagged CBN to notify residential service to leave it alone. The routing is completely different too. Night and day difference in performance makes it well worth it for my use.

80/5 but it ain't cheap ($175/mo).

 

[Emulex]

Comcast business has zero download caps, all ports non-filtered (25,443) and you can get static ip's and they will handle reverse dns for PTR records for you for free!

They will also send same day service out to repair possible problems but this doesn't give you an SLA for time to repair!

SLA means DS1,DS3 or metro-E type service which cost accordingly far more money per month!

 

[azazel1024]

If it is critical to have a working internet connection, I'd consider either DSL as a backup to cable, or a router that can handle a USB cell modem. Rare is the internet connection that is perfectly reliable and in my experience in my neck of the woods, Comcast is not terribly reliable (maybe 96-97% up time averaged out when I used to have them, Verizon FIOS for me so far has been roughly 99% up time, even when you factor in a power outage that fried my ONT box last year and I was without service for 3 days)

 

[JoeMcJoe]

If it is critical to have a working internet connection, I'd consider either DSL as a backup to cable, or a router that can handle a USB cell modem. Rare is the internet connection that is perfectly reliable and in my experience in my neck of the woods, Comcast is not terribly reliable (maybe 96-97% up time averaged out when I used to have them, Verizon FIOS for me so far has been roughly 99% up time, even when you factor in a power outage that fried my ONT box last year and I was without service for 3 days)

Exactly.

If you depend on an internet connection for work, it only takes part of day of lost wages to pay for that second internet connection for the whole month.

 

[azazel1024]

Exactly.

If you depend on an internet connection for work, it only takes part of day of lost wages to pay for that second internet connection for the whole month.

I am lucky and unlucky in that my employer is VERY flexible about this, but also the component I am in isn't currently allowed to telework. HOWEVER, our telework policy is, that if your connection is down (either your personal one, or the VPN server/client is having issues, or whatever. Basically you cannot connect) for more than 2hrs, you must drive in to work (or take off the rest of the day) and you must arrive within 30 minutes.

Of course this sucks for the people who might live 90 minutes away, as it doesn't give them a whole lot of time to work things out.

Still twiddling my thumbs waiting to be allowed to periodically telework though (gods I'd manage to get sooooo much more work done without as many coworker interuptions. Saving on the hour round trip commute wouldn't hurt either). Maybe in 1-2 years from the sounds of things.

 

[jayhunt]

No CAPS , Higher upload speed ,better support line rep(way better) , static IP , moca wifi extenders , and MORE

Comcast uses a form of Qos packet prioritizing of sorts at their CMTS for their business customers so in other words , when requests are made at the same time, to the same headend , the business class customers packets are giving priority . Also , they offer a response time of 4 hours for complete outage .

 

[ylin0811]

Comcast does classify traffic into two qos classes on their CTMS (PBE and BE), which only kicks in when CMTS is experiencing port congestion. The classification is based on the type of the cable modem.