[SGVLUG] ATT DSL Gateway choices, which gateway do you like?

Tue Aug 14 14:10:38 PDT 2012

Another FYI about internet options and locking you in to products, I'm
canceling my charter cable TV and was shopping around for pure
internet options, looks like to take advantage of Charters new
faster/cheaper internet tiers you HAVE to use their modem, so my 4
month old DOCIS 3.0 modem would be wasted, luckily I can keep it and
deal with slower speeds. Looks like both our options are trying to
lock people into leasing/buying equipment through them.

- Eric

On Tue, Aug 14, 2012 at 2:06 PM, Doug <dougvargas at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> What's weird about att uverse is that they wouldn't tell me what dsl spec they used to connect, I'm sure I could have found out eventually, but why waste your time with a company that tries to lock you in to it's own crappy products? And that's good to know about the lines, I'll get you the levels in a few.
>
> Dan Buthusiem <dan.buthusiem at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Oh, and Doug, just buy a cheapie single port ADSL2+ modem and put it into
>>bridge mode. Make sure you set the DSL config to VPI 0 / VCI 35, then use
>>the router of your choice. 2Wire equipment doesn't seem to be made with the
>>end user's needs in mind. If you're a regular home user, it'll suffice. If
>>you're a nerd (hint: if you're on our list, you probably resemble that
>>description - one of us, one of us), you'll learn to hate them the more you
>>try to push it.
>>On Aug 13, 2012 2:58 PM, "Dan Buthusiem" <dan.buthusiem at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I deal with them regularly, and anything I haven't learned from their
>>> Level 2 techs, I got from digging through forums, wikipedia links, and over
>>> 5 years of trial and error at work. Glad I could be of service. If Matti
>>> still needs a spare modem, I still have it ready to lend. Also, I'm happy
>>> to answer any other questions if anyone has them. :)
>>>
>>> - Dan B.
>>> On Aug 13, 2012 2:12 PM, "Matthew Campbell" <dvdmatt at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Nice explanation Dan, great support too.  I wish they would take a lesson
>>>> from you!
>>>>
>>>> We all really appreciate useful responses like this one from our
>>>> friends.  This really is a great LUG.
>>>>
>>>> Matt
>>>>  On Aug 13, 2012 8:10 AM, "Dan Buthusiem" <dan.buthusiem at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Doug, can you get me your line levels? In the usual screens for that
>>>>> info, there should be something labeled "_____ path" with either
>>>>> 'interleaved' or 'fast' as a value. Fast path gives you lower pings
>>>>> (10-20ms), but is less resilient against noise. Interleaved can handle
>>>>> noisier lines, at a cost of having a higher ping (45-70ms). My guess is the
>>>>> tech changed your config in the DSLAM to compensate for a deteriorating
>>>>> line. A Level 2 tech can explain it to you if you're savvy enough to hold
>>>>> on to all the frequency explanations. You can have the tech remotely change
>>>>> you back to fast path if you're on interleaved, but if you start having
>>>>> sync problems, you'll have to go back.
>>>>> On Aug 13, 2012 1:28 AM, "Doug" <dougvargas at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Ugh story of my life...I USED to have under 10ms ping to my favorite
>>>>>> counter strike server, att came out and made "repairs" and now I'm lucky if
>>>>>> I get 50, it's a great quantitative measurement of how much they suck lol.
>>>>>> Not to mention that their static ip service comes with a router THAT WON'T
>>>>>> ROUTE IP ADDRESSES. I'm going to be switching isps, my deepest sympathies
>>>>>> that you can't :(
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Matthew Campbell <dvdmatt at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> >I have uVerse and POTS.  They never asked me to drop one for the other.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >I had a 6Mbit connection for years, then AT&T 'upgraded' wiring in our
>>>>>> >neighborhood and my rate dropped to 2.  I called, I complained, I
>>>>>> ranted
>>>>>> >and raved and they insisted that I had never had better than 2 and
>>>>>> that I
>>>>>> >should go away.  I ended up having to cut the wire to my house and
>>>>>> hook the
>>>>>> >modem up outside to show them the poor rate.  They came out and fixed
>>>>>> it,
>>>>>> >back to 6Mb/s finally!  Four weeks later it dropped back to 2.  I
>>>>>> ranted
>>>>>> >and raved and they eventually fixed it.  Four months later it dropped
>>>>>> >again.  This time they fixed it in 48 hours.  All in all, just
>>>>>> counting the
>>>>>> >hours I have logged I have spent 92 unpaid hours on the phone with AT&T
>>>>>> >sorting out their incorrect billing or crappy service over the last 2
>>>>>> years.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >They are the worst company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >And they have the government backed monopoly in my neighborhood, no
>>>>>> way to
>>>>>> >change to anything else.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >Matt
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >P.S.  In their favor their billing was never off more than $500 and
>>>>>> they
>>>>>> >didn't cut my service more than twice due to their own internal billing
>>>>>> >mistakes.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >---------
>>>>>> >*Matthew Campbell*
>>>>>> >Storage Solution Consultant
>>>>>> >Storage Design and Engineering
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >*Kaiser Permanente*
>>>>>> >IMG-Systems Integration
>>>>>> >99 S. Oakland
>>>>>> >Pasadena, CA 91101
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >626-564-7228 (office)
>>>>>> >8-338-7228 (tie-line)
>>>>>> >818-314-9897 (mobile phone)
>>>>>> >Green Center 3-North, 031W29
>>>>>> >---------
>>>>>> >*kp.org/thrive*
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >On Sun, Aug 12, 2012 at 5:43 PM, Scott Packard <spackard at gmail.com>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >> > Just make sure you still have a regular copper drop in the event
>>>>>> of an
>>>>>> >> emergency. Sure, the VoIP gateway has a hefty battery backup, but I
>>>>>> still
>>>>>> >> prefer having an old fashioned phone line just in case (911 doesn't
>>>>>> require
>>>>>> >> a phone service account with telco, just a working jack with dial
>>>>>> tone).
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >> You can't.  If you sign up for Uverse they force you off of POTS.
>>>>>> >> I've been there, tried that.  Fought that.  Wrote letters.
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >> Regards, Scott
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >> On Sun, Aug 12, 2012 at 5:28 PM, Dan Buthusiem <
>>>>>> dan.buthusiem at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>> Just make sure you still have a regular copper drop in the event of
>>>>>> an
>>>>>> >>> emergency. Sure, the VoIP gateway has a hefty battery backup, but I
>>>>>> still
>>>>>> >>> prefer having an old fashioned phone line just in case (911 doesn't
>>>>>> require
>>>>>> >>> a phone service account with telco, just a working jack with dial
>>>>>> tone).
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>>
>>>>>