Question:
Originally Posted by MFfan310 Funny that you have download limits down under... we don't have download limits in the USA, not even for dial-up. I don't think that European countries have download limits, either... limits and overages for broadband access must be an Austrailan thing. Technically I don't have a limit - it's just that when I exceed the 60Gigabytes, I can keep downloading to my heart's content - but I'm doing so after my download speed has been choked back to 64kbs (i.e slightly faster than dial up).
You're right though, Australia has been and still is a broadband backwater. My cable service is the second fastest available. ADSL2 is available in some areas which can be up to 2 and a half times faster than mine if one lives near the exchange. But most people are either on 1.5 or 10Mbs.
One thing about downloading has me puzzled though. If I use Internet Explorer or Mozilla to download something, the files come down at around 45 to 60 KBs. But if I use Internet Download Manager, those same files can often come down at anywhere between 200 to 400KBs or faster, depending on the server. And Internet Download Manager opens up 4 downloads at once, so that often I'm download 4 streams at 200KBs each.
How come Internet Explorer and Mozilla are so slow?
Renato

Answer:
I have Clearwire wireless internet. It's somewhere between dialup and cable in terms of speed; it really sort of depends on how busy the network is. It's nothing to write home about.
-ben

Answer:
I have high speed access through a wireless modem...although I don't have a wireless setup for my PC. My modem sits in my window and has line of sight wireless access to a dish from my ISP. A patch cable leads from the modem to my computer's networking card. It costs $90 a month here in Alaska. The alternative is $140 a month cable internet through the phone company, or dialup service for $45 a month through the phone company. I don't have a land line, so it made no sense for me to go through the phone company. My access isn't the greatest...I can't really watch videos, so it just makes me sad when people post funny YouTube links, 'cos I can't watch them. But it works most of the time, even in bad storms, so I'm happy with it.
I miss my $60/month Comcast cable intarwub that I had in Colorado.

Answer:
Well, I got FiOS last Friday. So far, it's been working great for me and my dad.
OTOH, my mom's computer (a relatively new Gateway with Windows XP MCE) needed a wireless adapter because the Verizon tech placed the router in our basement and our computers are on the upper level. Her computer was the only one without a wireless adapter, so, I went to Best Buy and bought this Netgear wireless PCI adapter. The salesguy said that he loved it, and I installed it in her computer. Turns out that it was a total piece of junk. It wouldn't work 80% of the time, the software was pitiful, and when it did work, it would barely pick up the wireless signal. (The other three computers in our house already had wireless adapters that worked great with the FiOS router.)
My mom was almost ready to switch back to the old Verizon DSL, but a phone call each to Verizon and Netgear found out that the problem was the cruddy wireless PCI adapter. So, we bought a new Linksys wireless USB adapter during our trip to Wal-Mart today... works like a charm.
As for the Netgear POS... it's going back to Best Buy tomorrow. After all, we have better things to do with our lives than troubleshoot hardware and software that's even buggier than Windows itself.

Answer:
I'm what you would call a novice when it comes to computers. That said, I have a new Dell on the way (about 2 weeks), my home computer is 8 years old and has been on it's last leg for over a year now. My connection speed on AOL has been lucky to get 26,000.
I called Time Warner (my local cable) to see how much it was for high speed and they quoted me 39.99/month. They also have a premium version for a much higher monthly fee that says at times could get up to 6 Mbps.
Now here's my question, at work I am on at 100 Mbps (and many times doesn't seem all that fast). What would I expect on the regular high speed from Time Warner at 39.99/month. Would it be fair to assume that it would only be marginally faster than my current AOL dial up at 26,000?
I guess I'm hoping someone can suggest what other options I should be looking at if possible, because I really don't want to pay 39.99/month if it's going to be pretty slow half the time.
Thanks in advance for any help!

Answer:
Originally Posted by markc I'm what you would call a novice when it comes to computers. That said, I have a new Dell on the way (about 2 weeks), my home computer is 8 years old and has been on it's last leg for over a year now. My connection speed on AOL has been lucky to get 26,000.
I called Time Warner (my local cable) to see how much it was for high speed and they quoted me 39.99/month. They also have a premium version for a much higher monthly fee that says at times could get up to 6 Mbps.
Now here's my question, at work I am on at 100 Mbps (and many times doesn't seem all that fast). What would I expect on the regular high speed from Time Warner at 39.99/month. Would it be fair to assume that it would only be marginally faster than my current AOL dial up at 26,000?
I guess I'm hoping someone can suggest what other options I should be looking at if possible, because I really don't want to pay 39.99/month if it's going to be pretty slow half the time.
Thanks in advance for any help! Your current dial-up connection is 26,000 kbps. The Time Warner Road Runner cable Internet is 6,000,000 kbps (or 6 Mbps, as 1,024 kbps=1 Mbps). However, some factors like the number of users using the service at once may slightly impact performance... but it would still be significantly faster than what you have now.
Also, contact your local phone company about what high-speed DSL Internet options they have. Since they aren't shared like cable Internet, what you see (say, 3 MBps/768Kbps) will probably be what you get no matter what. Plus, DSL is typically cheaper than cable Internet.
Hope that helps!