Bye Bye internet!

[Deleted]

I got fed up with our internet provider and emailed them last week that I wasn't paying the bill for next month and to just cancel our service, so as of midnight tonight we are off the grid.   I may have been a little hasty as our options are quite limited in the boondocks, but I was sick of paying $51.95/month to them, plus $8/month for Netflix that I could never stream and the kicker was when they did something that my Tivo would no longer connect either...another $10/month wasted.  They've been awful for the past 5 or 6 months and I've contacted them numerous times with very little result.  I'm supposed to get up to 4Mb download and it's rarely cracking 250Kb.  Not even enough to stream anything.

So anyhow.  There's one other place that serves this area, but I haven't called them yet to see if we're in the line of site of their towers.  I figure some time away from screens will be good for all of us.  We don't even watch TV anymore now that there is no TIVO...too much work to figure out what day/time the shows we like are on and then having to be there right when it airs and watch commercials?  Yuck!  [img]http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png[/img]

[Deleted]

Uh oh...can you still get on from work? Through your phone?

[dannylion]

I had mobile internet service from Verizon while I was traveling weekly up to PA to visit/take care of my parents (they didn't have internet at their house).  The modem was a thumb drive.  It worked great.  Maybe you could get something like that.

ETA: Check to see if you can add a mobile hot spot to your Ting service.  It turns your phone into a mobile hot spot. 

[ArchietheDragon]

Oh No!!  You can't get rid of the inte

[Deleted]

Jan 31, 2016 21:58:04 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Uh oh...can you still get on from work? Through your phone?

Work, yes.  Phone kind of. 

[Deleted]

Jan 31, 2016 22:10:20 GMT -5 dannylion said:

I had mobile internet service from Verizon while I was traveling weekly up to PA to visit/take care of my parents (they didn't have internet at their house).  The modem was a thumb drive.  It worked great.  Maybe you could get something like that.

ETA: Check to see if you can add a mobile hot spot to your Ting service.  It turns your phone into a mobile hot spot. 

I'll look into the Verizon thing, but I think a Ting hot spot would kill me for data usage if I tried streaming anything.

There is another wireless broadband provider that serves this area that I'm going to call, but I probably won't get to it this week.  Besides them, I think the only option is satellite and I would rather not go there.  I did that when I first moved here 16 years ago and it was spendy and always went out when the weather was bad...although it may have improved a lot since then.

[dannylion]

Jan 31, 2016 22:19:40 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jan 31, 2016 22:10:20 GMT -5 dannylion said:

I had mobile internet service from Verizon while I was traveling weekly up to PA to visit/take care of my parents (they didn't have internet at their house).  The modem was a thumb drive.  It worked great.  Maybe you could get something like that.

ETA: Check to see if you can add a mobile hot spot to your Ting service.  It turns your phone into a mobile hot spot. 

I'll look into the Verizon thing, but I think a Ting hot spot would kill me for data usage if I tried streaming anything.

There is another wireless broadband provider that serves this area that I'm going to call, but I probably won't get to it this week.  Besides them, I think the only option is satellite and I would rather not go there.  I did that when I first moved here 16 years ago and it was spendy and always went out when the weather was bad...although it may have improved a lot since then.

You're probably right about the data usage with using your phone as a mobile hotspot.

I think most of the big cellphone carriers offer the mobile internet option.  I chose Verizon because their coverage map made it look like they had better coverage where I needed it.  Check all of them to compare prices, though as I recall they were all about the same.  There were various levels of service you could choose, depending on what you needed and what you wanted to pay. 

I hope you can find something that works well for you.

[Works4me]

But ... But ... But .. MPL, you can't go! I'd miss you! We'd all miss you! What ever would we do without you? Sniff ... Sniffle ... Sob! Waaaahhhhhh!!!

[Deleted]

Oh, this is just temporary.  Even if I could be ok without it, (which I think I could for quite a while) I'm not sure how long I would want to put up listening to DS complain. 

I've been working so much the last month including weekends that I'm way behind on household stuff.  No internet or TV for awhile will help me out, so I'm not going to call anyone for a couple weeks.

[toomuchreality]

Good luck.

I should do this. I won't, but I should.

I hope you get lots done!

[Wisconsin Beth]

Our Dish bill just went up. Dh is going to be shopping around. Good luck!

[taz157]

Jan 31, 2016 22:33:02 GMT -5 Works4me said:

But ... But ... But .. MPL, you can't go! I'd miss you! We'd all miss you! What ever would we do without you? Sniff ... Sniffle ... Sob! Waaaahhhhhh!!!

Don't be a stranger!

[NastyWoman]

Jan 31, 2016 22:33:02 GMT -5 Works4me said:

But ... But ... But .. MPL, you can't go! I'd miss you! We'd all miss you! What ever would we do without you? Sniff ... Sniffle ... Sob! Waaaahhhhhh!!!

   

[Jaguar]

[NancysSummerSip]

SIGH. It's always the computer's fault somehow.

[mollyanna58]

Jan 31, 2016 23:04:53 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Oh, this is just temporary.  Even if I could be ok without it, (which I think I could for quite a while) I'm not sure how long I would want to put up listening to DS complain. 

Around here, kids your son's age need the internet for school.  Assignments are posted online, and sometimes turned in via the internet.

[mmhmm]

Aaaaacccckkk! MPL, you're going to be missed big-time! I do, however, understand your dilemma. Hope to see you back with us before too long. In the meantime, take care, stay safe, herd chickens and chase cats, kittens and kids! Love ya loads!

[Deleted]

Feb 1, 2016 10:48:25 GMT -5 mollyanna58 said:

Jan 31, 2016 23:04:53 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Oh, this is just temporary.  Even if I could be ok without it, (which I think I could for quite a while) I'm not sure how long I would want to put up listening to DS complain. 

Around here, kids your son's age need the internet for school.  Assignments are posted online, and sometimes turned in via the internet.

He goes to a Montessori.  No homework and he's doing an internship this week at a computer repair place, so no school either.   

[Deleted]

People.  I do 95% of my posting at work anyhow. 

[tallguy]

Our Dish bill just went up. Dh is going to be shopping around. Good luck!

Good idea.  The promo rate on my internet bill ended, so the rate jumped quite a bit.  I went out to talk to them about it, but they didn't want to drop it back down, saying, "A promotional rate is not meant to be a permanent discount."  Okay, fine.  Got on a chat with their competitor and had an installation Friday.  I now have internet and TV for the same price as just internet would have been.  I also negotiated free installation (though that may be common?), free modem for a year, free STB for a year (promotional program of theirs), and get a $100-150 prepaid Visa card.  The new rate is good for either a year or two, I can't remember.  I'm happy with it. 

And when I called the original company to cancel, they transferred me to the Retention Department.  Wanted to get me to keep the service.  I said, "Sorry, it's done.  You guys had your chance two weeks ago."  Felt good.  

And I dropped my landline so I am basically now being paid around $30-35 per month to have TV compared to last month!       

[NastyWoman]

Feb 1, 2016 11:08:11 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

People.  I do 95% of my posting at work anyhow. 

[Deleted]

And, Hello Internet.  LOL 

The new providers are coming out this morning to hook us up...on the roof...in 35 mph winds and snow.  I'd better check that my homeowners insurance is paid up.

The other guys are coming out at 11 to get their stuff back, even though I KNOW I paid for all the equipment 5 years ago when we started.  There was a $300 installation fee anyhow.  I'm really annoyed with them now.  I had called them the 25th of January saying I wasn't paying the bill I got for February (due the 28th) and shut me off at the end of the month.  Well, they didn't shut it off, just set up an appointment to get the equipment for today and Friday I got another bill with a late charge! 

[mollyanna58]

Yeah, I don't understand how these providers charge an equipment fee and a monthly lease fee.  If I'm leasing the equipment, why do I have to pay an upfront equipment fee?  Or if I'm buying the equipment, why is there a monthly fee?

[Deleted]

Feb 8, 2016 11:53:10 GMT -5 mollyanna58 said:

Yeah, I don't understand how these providers charge an equipment fee and a monthly lease fee.  If I'm leasing the equipment, why do I have to pay an upfront equipment fee?  Or if I'm buying the equipment, why is there a monthly fee?

I whined to the installer about having to lease their router when I have two perfectly good routers.  One brand new in the box.  He gives me this big spiel about theirs being special and they can monitor our service through it and stuff, so I guess I get to pay $5/month to lease it.  And $10/month to lease the other equipment.

Oh well, it works REALLY WELL and is still going to be cheaper than I was paying.  My son is going to be so happy!