questions about @home subscription rates

[Raincity]

Now that the digital line in in my neighborhood now, I can get @home from Cox. Their offering it for 29.95 or 45 including modem rental. The lower price is if you buy the modem at 400$. Isnt 400$ a way bit overpriced for it. Dont these things usaully run about 250$ or was I miss informed.
They also want 75$ for the install to send some fool over to connect the modem up to my nick install Netscape and enter the network ip to get on. Has anybody had any luck getting out of this install fee or got this modem price down. I want to the highspeed acess and dont mind paying extra for it and 30$ seems fair but this 400$ for the modem seems to me that Cox is sticking it to me in the a@@ at that price.

Rain

 

[Silencer]

You'll probably want to rent the modem unless you planning on having it more than two years! I figured it out and buying the modem only saves you after you've had it for two years.

An @home tech said that soon there will be a cable modem 'standard' and when that happens (He said beginning of 2001) the prices for modems will drop considerably (to around $100). Also, he said that 3Com is developing an internal cable modem.

As for the installation, if you have a network card then you get a discount. Check thier website and see if there is a special offer. It's also cheaper if you have cable TV!

 

[Raincity]

Thanks but those are the rates offered not including a nic install the want an extra 50$ for it. That was the subscription rate for the cable subscribers they wanted more for non subscribers.

Rain

 

[Zaphs]

There already is a standard. Docsis.

Lan City is newly rebuilt so they will be using that standard.

You can buy docsis modems in compusa.

As far as getting the install for free, wait till the tech gets there.. and tell him you can do it all yourself... They have the authority to cancel out the install charge.

You should be able to do that.. and if they say no.. tell them to talk to me <note my Email>

 

[Raincity]

Thanks Zaphs Im keeping your email addresse on file. On more question, I can then buy my own docsis modem on my own. What do they run in price on the street. Thanks

Rain

 

[Zaphs]

Probably about $20 and a packet of ciggaretts on the street.

But if you buy it from compUSA expect to pay around $250

 

[Raincity]

Any recomdations, I just went looking at the compusa site but did not find any cable modems there. The isdn modems did not list any spes on the docsis standard. Thanks

Rain

 

[Zaphs]

I'm not sure what make compUSA sells.

We use GI's (surfboards) and cisco 904's if that helps any.

 

[SBOldMan]

I just paid $199 for my Surfboard... Using Cox@home in Santa Barbara, CA. $400 is out of hand!!!

 

[Raincity]

Thank you SB,and Zaphs, I just called them back to find out about this 200$ modem are you were correct. The first csr I talked to today must be out of her mind. The last Cox csr said 212$ for the modem free installation and 2 months free service. I got them coming Monday afternoon, I cant wait, Thanks SB for the heads up.

Rain

 

[Zaphs]

You'll enjoy the service!!

 

[Raincity]

Thanks, It will be nice to join the real world like everybody else than waiting all day for a 20 meg download and never getting Real Audio to work when the internet is congested.

Rain

 

[dawks]

Real Audio still sucks on high speed! heh.. Nah. Its alright.
Glad you were able to find out a better deal.

 

[err]

Raincity,

My opinion is not to buy a cable modem but rent it from @home instead ..

why?
here's several reasons that came on top of my head:

1. Are you gonna keep @home as your ISP for long time? Is there gonna be another technology or alternatives in within the next two years when you will reach your break even point?

2. Modems technology are constantly upgraded. If you rent these from @home, it will be upgraded for free.... If you buy your own modem, you will be left at your own.

3. If anything ever comes up with your modem, you will have to handle the replacement / repair process yourself. Yes this could be free because of the warranty, however imagine not having high connection speed for a few weeks? .... By renting, you can just give them a call and @home truck will be at your residence asap.

4. If you have a technical problem and call @home, they will just blame your modem for not being compatible and they might not be able to help you on it. I guess they could even charge you now to send a truck out to your location.

This is what makes me believe renting is actually cheaper vs buying at current modem prices.


As for installation, I got them for free. Ask them if there is a promotion that would entitle you to a free installation. Everything is just a Tcp/Ip settings and you should be up immediately after entering those Ip configurations.

Well, good luck and make a good decision.

eRr

 

[Raincity]

They are providing the modem for 200$. At a 15 dollor modem rental I get my money back in a year. So buying seems from cox at 200 seems best with a free install and two months of service for free. Its a break even deal buying from them on this special. Dsl is a long way away in this market and wireless has a long way to go to catch up with dsl/cable speeds. Cox is very good at service here in Vegas. They come out every morning whern I call them is anything problem comes up on the cable system. Others that I know who got @home before me because their neighborhood got the digital upgrade before mine said they have had no downtime at all with @home and there throughput has always remained high eeven in peak hours. Thank you all for your input, Now i have a couple of questions, so I can have my homework done before monday. where can I get the mtu patch to mod the registry for a cable modem. Where is the best place to test the throughput and max sustained download speed. Thanks all

Rain

 

[err]

Raincity:

Seems like you have done your break-even anaylysis well before your subscription ... Mo modem rental is $10 with @home so it is no go in my case

enjoy your new cable !!!

oh-yeah ... secure-me.net is doing a pretty good job on the connection bandwidth test ... But IMO never trust any of these because there are several factors that can make the test result flawed I never for instance get more than 2 same result testing with different sites.

Btw here are more bandwidth test sites

http://www.secure-me.net/
http://computingcentral.msn.com/topics/bandwidth/speedtest.asp
http://www.2wire.com/dlp/dlp_bandwidth.html
http://speedtest.mybc.com/
http://www.speedus.com


eRr

 

[Raincity]

Thanks err now if I could just find that mtu patch, I looked at twocows and all the usual places with no luck. Ah I just recalled a forum member who has it, I guess I will send him a private message.


Rain

 

[sandrew]

www.speedguide.net Plenty of patches for cable/dsl, etc.

 

[Slacker]

HeHeHe , you used the &quot;mailto&quot; tag for your links

http://www.secure-me.net/
http://computingcentral.msn.com/topics/bandwidth/speedtest.asp
http://www.2wire.com/dlp/dlp_bandwidth.html
http://speedtest.mybc.com/
http://www.speedus.com

 

[Raincity]

Its figures and I thought it was me all this time.

Rain