Cutting the cable

[jkane]

Att UVerse has needed to be rebooted everyday, takes 15 minutes, so will drop it. Looking at either DirecTV or Dish, have heard good about both.
Thought AT&T would have the bugs worked out by now!

I have no idea how good the product really is, but they have some really expensive and thick mail fliers they send me every couple of weeks.  The price is not so good and the service scares me!  If I can't even get high speed DSL at my home, how will ATT deliver video over the phone line infrastructure!  I think I am mistakenly on their advertising list.

[ArgMeMatey]

If I can't even get high speed DSL at my home, how will ATT deliver video over the phone line infrastructure!  

Probably more than you want to know ...

DSL is usually provided out of the wire center (central office) so out there in the sticks you are probably out of luck.  If there is enough housing density, but far from the wire center, they can put a DSLAM (DSL access multiplexer) at an RT (remote terminal) closer to remote dense area.  

However UVerse uses VDSL and is served out of a VRAD cabinet.  Usually a 5-foot tall tan "refrigerator" cabinet or a more squat green cabinet.  There is probably one located nearer to your house.  You can find photos online, or you can see one of the older, taller ones by the Menards on Appleton Ave, near the north driveway, I think it is.  There are also a bunch along Brown Deer Rd.

It is reportedly possible to get UVerse internet-only by ordering TV and internet and canceling TV during the free trial period.  UVerse internet has higher upload speeds than DSL.  

I agree that they are burning a lot of cash with those printed booklets that are more about making them seem established and professional than telling me anything useful.  $64 for TV is not a good deal in my book, and neither are "bundles" that don't save me any money in the long run.

[Jack 1000]

Probably more than you want to know ...

DSL is usually provided out of the wire center (central office) so out there in the sticks you are probably out of luck.  If there is enough housing density, but far from the wire center, they can put a DSLAM (DSL access multiplexer) at an RT (remote terminal) closer to remote dense area.  

However UVerse uses VDSL and is served out of a VRAD cabinet.  Usually a 5-foot tall tan "refrigerator" cabinet or a more squat green cabinet.  There is probably one located nearer to your house.  You can find photos on-line, or you can see one of the older, taller ones by the Menards on Appleton Ave, near the north driveway, I think it is.  There are also a bunch along Brown Deer Rd.

It is reportedly possible to get UVerse Internet-only by ordering TV and Internet and canceling TV during the free trial period.  UVerse Internet has higher upload speeds than DSL.  

I agree that they are burning a lot of cash with those printed booklets that are more about making them seem established and professional than telling me anything useful.  $64 for TV is not a good deal in my book, and neither are "bundles" that don't save me any money in the long run.

Just to add,

Out here in Brookfield the phone lines were so bad that when we had dial up and than DSL we would get drop outs and disconnects all the time. Our area is rarely updated.  The point is,  BEFORE you go with AT&T U-Verse, have your lines tested and if necessary replaced if you can. Due to weathering and interference on your existing lines, if that is bad, DSL and U-Verse is gonna SUCK!  Not to mention that some neighborhood don't have the bandwidth to support high-speed data over those old unreliable lines.

In fact, since we went to TWC Digital Phone we couldn't be happier.

Than with DTV or DISH, you always have the problem with trees.  As most of you know, you need a clear view for Dish for best reception.  We have a million trees and lines that can't handle the bandwidth requirements for DSL, so TWC is our only option.

Jack

[kevbeck122]

AT&T supposedly conditions the lines when they roll out U-verse to a community.  I don't know exactly what they do.  U-verse is fiber all the way up to the VRAD cabinets.. then there's less than 3000 ft. of the existing phone line that is used depending on how far you are from your cross connect box/the VRAD.  If AT&T can't get a strong enough signal at your house from the VRAD, but the signal is still acceptable, they'll usually drop you down to a single HD stream rather than two at a time.

[ArgMeMatey]

AT&T supposedly conditions the lines when they roll out U-verse to a community.  I don't know exactly what they do.  

Conditioning usually means removing bridge taps and cleaning up messy terminals to reduce crosstalk.  I would guess they check some stuff with a TDR or just use the CO remote test sets to check what they can.  They also added orange tags with an 800 number to the cable near the aerial terminals.  But the copper plant is still highly variable and could be many decades old in some places.  

The point remains that UVerse may be available in some areas that were too far out for DSL, so it's worth checking on it.  But I always tell people not to discontinue satellite or cable until they're sure they're happy.  Even then you're in for a day at home for the installation.

[jkane]

Probably more than you want to know ...

Just the right amount!  That makes sense.  I kind of figured there had to be something like that happening.  Too bad the price isn't right!

[mindmess]

Daily U-verse reboots? You sure that you are not talking about Time Worthless? Last time I had to do a reboot was when I changed my package and it didn't want to take on my other TV's. Unlike TWc where weekly or daily reboots were the norm. While ATT may not have their map's right as to who can or can't get service, the service itself is great. Internet is quick with no slowdowns when anyone else in the neighborhood goes online. Phone service I only have because I won't get my youngest son a cell. It works like a phone and is accessible from the net to check messages or make calls.

But I understand that not everyone has quality lines so their service may vary. I would call service and have them check your lines. Unless you got a TWc engineered box, which would fail daily like you say.