[SGVLUG] DSL: static or faster?

[Claude Felizardo]

Does anyone have an unused DSL modem, preferably 2-wire?  Anyone switch to
U-verse or cable?

I called AT&T and asked about U-verse w/o TV and was told there would be a
$145 installation fee unless ordered with at least TV service.  I then asked
about upgrading to the fastest DSL speed and if could I keep my static IP.
The guy said both the $25/mo promo and the rebate for a new modem are only
for new customers and that there was nothing in the system that he could see
that said I had static.  Over the years I would call for the latest promo
and had managed to get the price down to $20/mo and have had the same IP
addr since it was installed in '99.

It took a while but he was able to set me up for the Elite speed
(6Mbps/768Kbps) for $25/mo but that I would have to agree to a 1 year
commitment.  He said if I wanted to upgrade to U-verse, he could waive the
early termination fee.  Maybe in a year when the promo rate expires.  I
believe he said the U-verse box was only a few blocks from my house.

I'm now getting around 3900/630 which is roughly double my original speed
and I still have my static IP!  I had read that AT&T slowly ramps your speed
up if you are beyond a certain distance but it's only gone up 5% in the last
day.  I believe I'm about 5000' from the CO so maybe my 10+ year old Alcatel
1000 is slowing me down and a newer modem might help?  Anyone know if it's
possible to get diagnostic info out of this modem?

The guy was very helpful and said he normally does email support and the
occasional phone support but is always looking for referrals.  If anyone
wants his name, phone number and extension, please ask off-list.

claude



On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 12:30 PM, Emerson, Tom (*IC) <
Tom.Emerson at wbconsultant.com> wrote:

> Yes, I just read a similar thread - sounds like it *might* work up to 3mbs,
> but would not handle the 6 meg and higher or "ADSL-2-" (?) technology.  Fun
> reading the original manual again - I "forgot" there is a web-page
> accessible within the modem, I should check on it some time soon...
>
> it might be interesting to consider true "ATM" (ATMF?) access - apparently
> the ATM port on the alcatel 1000 runs at 25.something megabits/second while
> the ethernet is limited to 10 megabits.  (still, both are faster than
> offerings up to 6 or 7 megabits...)  The ATM option, however, infers that
> the "modem" simply acts as a pass-through device to ATM traffic "on the
> wire", so I presume (?) that ATM service to the home would be at 25+
> megabits...
>
> One can dream :)
>
> > -----Original Message----- Of matti
> >
> > a question others had at dsl reports
> >
> >
> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r23726292-Can-an-old-Alcatel-1000-handle-ATT-Elite-speeds
> ...
>
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