BHN update for Road Runner:

[LonghornXP]

You can expect within the next few months to get free speed upgrades from 3Mbps to 5Mbps. Not sure about upload speed changes but all current Road Runner customers will get this upgrade without having to do anything. Again it won't cost anything extra either. I'm still waiting for word if their other services such as IJ and Earthlink will get this upgrade and the latest I've heard is yes they will but nothing has been confirmed except for Road Runner.

Also their business plan will be upgraded to 8Mbps speeds for free as well.

[DSquare]

Great news, I read about TW upgrading and wondered if we would see it too being on BHN.

[Zimmy]

Anyway quick and easy way to tell if you have the upgrade?

[bdraw]

Thanks for the update Longhorn!
I wonder what the upload will be that is my biggest complaint about my RR.
I use RDP to access my home PC alot and the upload is not fun.

As for how to tell.
Do a download from http://test.tampabay.rr.com/
Choose to open or save doesn't matter just delete the file later.
If you are getting ~384KB/s then you are still at 3Mbps
If you are getting ~640KB/s then are at 5Mbps

Multiply Mbps by 128 = KB/s
3Mbps * 128 = 384KB/s
Or the long way.
(1Mbps * 1024)/8 = 128KB/s

In case anyone cares here at my job I get ~3000KB/s yes 24Mb/s steady 64Mb/s burst, with our OC3

[jaymer]

it will be clear as day when i get the upgrade.
i regularly max out at 325-340Kb/sec (multiple x 8 for Bytes/sec)
so when it jumps to over 500, i'll know.
jaymer...

[qqqqq]

Anybody heard if the price of cable modem service (RR, IJ, Earthlink, etc.) will be coming down to compete with Verizon's FIOS?

I just got a FIOS letter today offering 5Mbps/2Mbps for 34.95/mo - assuming $5 phone service discount. Which means I would save ~17% of my 41.95/mo Earthlink bill, AND get improved speeds (2x down and maybe 6x up!).

Seems like cable internet should come down to about 30 to remain competitive.

[CANDY76MAN]

Anybody heard if the price of cable modem service (RR, IJ, Earthlink, etc.) will be coming down to compete with Verizon's FIOS?

I just got a FIOS letter today offering 5Mbps/2Mbps for 34.95/mo - assuming $5 phone service discount. Which means I would save ~17% of my 41.95/mo Earthlink bill, AND get improved speeds (2x down and maybe 6x up!).

Seems like cable internet should come down to about 30 to remain competitive.

don't forget lower latency too....more bandwidth is great for downloads but lower latency makes it feel faster just opening up web pages...plus gaming of course.

I'm worried they may not offer it too me since I live about halfway down a dead end street off the main road they ran the fiber down...they would have to run about a 1500 feet of fiber to get to my house...I'm gonna be pissed if they refuse to give it to me :evil:

[qqqqq]

don't forget lower latency too....more bandwidth is great for downloads but lower latency makes it feel faster just opening up web pages...plus gaming of course.

Of course. In fact that plus the upload speeds should make it great for VOIP, although for us that ($21/mo in phone costs) that probably doesn't make sense.


I'm worried they may not offer it too me since I live about halfway down a dead end street off the main road they ran the fiber down...they would have to run about a 1500 feet of fiber to get to my house...I'm gonna be pissed if they refuse to give it to me :evil:

They ran it through my front yard less than 20 feet from my network interface, so I should be ok. Asked a guy from work about it, he lives in the same subdivision. He had some horror stories about his neighbor, a Verizon engineer, who is getting it installed. First they cut his natural gas line, then after emergency repairs, it was up for ~4 hours before something blew a power supply. It'll be a few days before he's back in service.

[jgs9455]

Last time I called and checked, the cheaper Verison DSL service was slower - 1.5mbs. The 3mbs/384kbs was priced about the same as RR (maybe $5 cheaper). Maybe thats becasue I don't have a phone, but it stopepd me from switching. Still RR did drop my price for 6 months because I was "thinking" about it.