Support NeoGAF

[oxrock]

My situation is simple. I live with my girlfriend on a farm so there's not exactly many options for us in terms of ISP's. We currently use Windstream's DSL service because it is the only semi viable option we can find. The only package they offer in our area is a 3mb down line which I could possibly suffer through if not for the EXTREMELY horrible service during almost the entirety of the day. Ping fluctuates from 200-3000 constantly making gaming online absolutely impossible. Not to mention that the speeds we get never even come close to what's advertised. To make matters worse, my work is done entirely online and this connection makes it unbearable not to mention significantly hindering the speed at which I can work.

I've called the local cable company but they don't service our area. Satellite is an option just about anywhere I understand but I don't see my latency conditions improving with that. Cell phone reception is spotty at best, but I've heard of people installing mini phone towers. I guess something like that would be possible for the use of internet, but plans through wireless companies charge an arm and a leg and wouldn't even come close to matching the limits I'd required for both work and play.

So honorable and wise members of GAF, what choices do I have?

 

[oxrock]

I've given it a few days hoping that some enlightened soul could lend some wisdom but after this thread has become thoroughly buried I fear that this thread has lost all chances of ever being seen. So with much shame and humility I am bumping my own thread with zero responses and praying someone can help.

 

[Osiris]

The "mini phone tower" you mention is called a Femtocell.

Unfortunately, they exist to extend / strengthen your mobile signal by attaching to your already existing broadband connection and using that for your mobile connection, and therefore are only suitable when you already have a good broadband connection.

They are really for people who have an unreliable mobile service to improve call reception, not data.

 

[BigFwoosh]

It sounds like none of your choices are optimal. It petty much boils down to which method will give you the best bang for your buck. Unfortunately, with ISPs you're all too often in a situation where you're picking the lesser of two evils, at best.

 

[Enosh]

eh not much

I also live in a rural area and for the longest time there was only 1 real ISP option available here, I think we get now 2 or 3 now since the country forced the biggest firm to share their pipeline with the competition, but yeah there wasn't much you could do before, it was either internet vs no internet

mobile is an option for people who still have shit adsl here, but like you said that depends on your mobile reception

I think there were like people collecting signatures for better internet around here and if enough people signed the isp conspired upgrades or making a central thingy (idk the exact English words) closer to that village, but that one was also kinda hit and miss so maybe if you could get together with your local community and there is enough of a drive your isp might consider an upgrade, try to get the county council or whatever it is called to maybe invest some of it's budget into upgrades, working together with the isp so they alone don't have to bear the whole financial burden, ask if there are any federal/state grants for improvements of internet connections etc

 

[SwiftDeath]

Your situation sounds unfortunate. I am sorry your options do truly seem fairly limited.

I wish I can offer some alternative but I do not know any offhand. Rural america is truly years behind on internet options and it's a travesty.

Perhaps if a mini phone tower is an option you could look for an unlimited data plan?

Edit Nevermind, tower is not an option

Several carrier plans though throttle your speed after a certain bandwidth cap. I think Sprint and maybe tMobile have actually unlimited data plans available

 

[Carlisle]

You might try something like Clear that uses a cell signal rather than a cable ISP. But if you're on a farm and your mobile is already spotty, then that might not be a realistic solution. It's worth checking out their coverage map though.

 

[See You Next Wednesday]

Does the DSL service offer any better plans for speed?

 

[Nevasleep]

Do you have a line fault?
Check your line attenuation and noise margin stats.

 

[speculawyer]

My situation is simple. I live with my girlfriend on a farm so there's not exactly many options for us in terms of ISP's.

Well it sounds like you are in a remote rural area. The physics (distance) and economics (few customers and long runs) of that situation are not conducive to good high-speed internet service. So you just might not have any good options. See if there are any other DSL providers that might have better service due to having better equipment in the local CO.

But if there is no cable (and satellite sucks) then that is about your only option as far as I know.

OK . . . here is one possibility . . . there used to be places that would do point-to-point wireless internet. But I suspect the DSL service you now have would probably be better than that.

 

[GK86]

 

[FLEABttn]

OK . . . here is one possibility . . . there used to be places that would do point-to-point wireless internet. But I suspect the DSL service you now have would probably be better than that.

My Dad has this kind of internet. Latency is less stable than a good DSL or cable connection, but is almost always lower than 150ms. Usually in the 60-70s. There's some packet loss inherent in the tech but it's very very low. Speeds vary from .9 - 7Mbps. Weekends at dusk are when he's on the .9 part of that spectrum.

OP sounds like he's hosed though.