Personal Tech: Broadband Access

The Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro was online to field your personal tech questions and discuss his latest column , which deals with the state of competition in broadband. Rob writes that competition in the market for broadband Internet access remains alive, despite what can look like a concerted campaign by big business and government to abolish it.

A transcript follows.

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Rob Pegoraro: Good afternoon... I never know if a chat in mid-August is going to draw anybody (if any of y'all are logging on from the beach, please shut down your laptop and enjoy the scenery for a change!), but I see enough questions in the queue to keep me busy. Let's get going...

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Fairfax,Va.: I have Cox and I called them on Friday and it takes till Monday afternoon before someone can come and check out my cable modem. It seems they should have better technical support to work out the problems from the office.If there was competition I would try someone else. Richard

washingtonpost.com: Consumers Frustrated With Static on the Service Line (Aug. 12, 2005)

Rob Pegoraro: This is exactly the sort of thing I had in mind when writing yesterday's column. Fairfax should double-check that DSL isn't available; sometimes non-Verizon providers can offer service in places where Verizon can't. Try using the "Find Service" link at broadbandreports.com

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Bethesda, Md: Hi Rob,

Thanks for highlighting the SupremeCourt & FCC's narrowing of Broadband competition. I've had a NEVERoff (static ip, low latency, 1500/384) SpeakeasyDSL connection for 4 years, but the ever increasing Bandwidth-to-Price offerings from Verizon & Comcast, are making this choice less clear. I'm leaning towards waiting for FIOS, but I've heard that there is a snag in FIOS deployment to multi-dwelling buildings, Condos in my case. Do you have any info on this?

Thank You!;

Rob Pegoraro: I haven't heard about any particular hangups with Fios deployment--besides, that is, the general difficulty of putting new lines into service in built-up areas. I suppose that some buildings with funkier wiring setups could pose a problem. OTOH, if you're happy with your Speakeasy service and don't actually need the faster speeds Fios could offer, why fix what isn't broken?

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Wilmette IL: I use broadband for TV, internet, and VOIP. I have numerous service interruptions and have had over 30 service technician calls over the last 6 months. The former Bell company, both the local DSL and local phone service provider, will not install DSL without a phone line which defeats the purpose of VOIP. I have the local suburban village watching my case but they are largely powerless. The 911 access and reliability issue is one item I seem to have in my favor but the cable company is not the VOIP provider. What do I do?

Rob Pegoraro: I can't speak to the telecom situation in your part of Illinois, but around here you *can* get DSL without ordering a separate phone line. The industry term of art for that is "naked DSL"; so far, it's mainly been offered by non-incumbent DSL providers. (Speakeasy, for instance, calls it OneLink; it basically adds $6 to its regular DSL rate.) Verizon says it's going to offer this as well.

Another option, if you can't get naked DSL, is to order a minimum-service voice line, where you either pay for every outgoing call or get only 50 outgoing calls a month. That can really cut your landline phone bill down.

One last thought: In this entire issue, you're looking at saving, what, $10 or $15 a month. I would submit that there are far easier ways to save that money than by sticking with an Internet service that, by your own account, you find horrible.

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Tina in Falls Church: I have Verizon FIOS...I'm intrigued by the note in yesterday's column that Verizon is talking w/Earthlink and Speakeasy about using their Fios network. Why would Verizon do this?? I don't think they would be under any obligation to share it as it is new technology. If they decide to share do you think Verizon would make sure the competitors do not offer service below the price they charge? Thanks, Tina

Rob Pegoraro: I was quite surprised to hear that as well--especially when EarthLink said Verizon came to them first. The Verizon guy I talked to said he couldn't confirm any specific discussions, but he did say that, in general, the company *likes* competitors who can get customers that it may not be able to grab on its own, even if it means making less money off each individual user later on. Meanwhile, Verizon doesn't have to deal with the costs of acquiring those customers and supporting them later on.

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Arlington, Va.: Rob-I learn so much from your talks, even if I don't always understand everything...My friend is buying an e-mac. Since Apples are supposed to be durable, idiot-proof, and virtually impervious to viruses, do you recommend shelling out the extra $150 for 3-years (vs. 90 days) of Applecare? (telephone tech support, parts and labor)

Rob Pegoraro: I don't, not on a desktop. For one thing, the standard warranty is a year, not 90 days; for another, you can double that for free by using one of those credit cards that doubles warranties automatically.

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Seattle, WA: -Broadband access] Where I live my only choice is Comcast at about $50 a month; DSL isn't offered. Nearby Tacoma residents can subscribe to Quick (http://www.click-network.com/Default.htm), a cable-and-broadband service operated by the public electric utility. What's your opinions about publicly operated broadband providers as a solution to the problems of duopoly that your article raises?

Rob Pegoraro: I think it's a great idea, although one that's kinda irrelevant to the D.C. area--we don't have any publicly owned electric utilities.

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DC: I got earthlink DSL and within minutes (MINUTES!;) of surfing online to check out the speed, I got loaded with Spyware that shut my computer down. It's since been 'fixed' (for $160-- yikes), but I'm afraid to use DSL again. Does having it on make me more susuptible to spyware? If so, I'll suffer through dial-up and check email.

Rob Pegoraro: No, DSL has little to do with it. What's more important is the software you run. As a Windows user, you need to:

1) Download and install *every* security update from Microsoft;

2) Keep a firewall active to protect your connection;

3) Keep an anti-virus utility current;

4) Switch your browser from Firefox to IE, and especially if you're not running Windows XP Service Pack 2.

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Gaithersburg, MD: A note from the trenches. I had comcast cable Internet, my modem didn't work for over a month, but I could never get someone to come out. I would call to schedule someone on Friday, would be told that someone would be out Wednesday afternoon. When I said that didn't work for me, they said I had to call be and reschedule later. This went on for a month. Previous experiences with Comcast, which involved two consecutive missed appointments because, and I quote, "it's late and the technician doesn't want to come out" prompted me to go with Verizon DSL. They even gave me a free wireless modem, so now I'm finally happy.

Rob Pegoraro: There ya go--even if you only have two firms to choose from, you can still use that choice to your benefit.

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Bethesda, MD: As you say, it looks like the Verizon-Covad-Earthlink deal will survive deregulation, so my local DSL service will probably continue.. I read an article saying that Verizon understands that a customer lost to Earthlink is not necessarily a customer gained by Verizon. Does it look like other telcos have as rational an outlook?

Rob Pegoraro: Phone companies, yes. Covad (this is the biggest competing DSL carrier, one used by many independent ISPs) has been able to sign agreements with, I think, all the incumbent phone companies to offer DSL. Cable companies, however, don't seem to agree with this thinking.

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Belle Plaine ,Iowa: Hello, I live in a rural area. I have only access to very slow dial up service. I have to maintain an extra line for the computer because its so slow that I would not be able to use my phone. I have asked my phone company several times to go to some form of high speed service but they have no firm plans or timeline. They say they have financial considerations because of small number of customers involved. Yet nearby smaller locally owned companies have installed fiber optic nodes through their area and now all their customers can at least have dsl.

My question is if I am paying an ip charge along with an extra phone line charge, what is their incentive to bring me high speed?? People tell me I pay more for slow services than they are paying for faster services.

Rob Pegoraro: The phone company's incentive ought to be pretty obvious: If it doesn't treat you right, it will lose you--permanently--whenever one of these other companies can bring service to you. And they won't just lose your second phone line; you can get a Voice Over Internet Protocol phone service, which will eliminate the need for the first phone line.

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Silver Spring, MD: Are some bits of spyware so deeply embedded in web-pages that spyware blockers prevent the download of a page? I use IE at work along with Spybot, and with a number of sites (especially Post.com) blocking the Avenue A spyware results in an incomplete page, often just the top bar of the page.

I'd use Firefox except that this workplace discourages the downloading of any unauthorized software.

Rob Pegoraro: Oy. This question comes up a lot, and it kinda bugs me that people are getting led astray. Cookies from sites like Avenue A (an online ad network) ARE NOT SPYWARE. They're just little text files that can affect what ads you see, but little else--and they're easily blocked through your browser. Here's how.

In any case, though, blocking an advertiser's cookies shouldn't affect the downloading of the page they appear on. I've had Firefox and Safari set to do that for years, and I've never had the slightest problem.

Also, you should ask your IT department again about installing Firefox. What do they have against it (besides the fact that it might give them less work to do fixing drive-by downloads)?

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New York, NY: Re your answer to the question on spyware, you said to switch from Firefox to IE. Did you mean it the other way around?

Rob Pegoraro: [shudder]. God, yes. Switch from IE to Firefox. Never the other way around.

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Baltimore: Why is Comcast's High-Speed Broadband Internet so much faster than Verizon's DSL?

Tim

Rob Pegoraro: Cable-modem systems can, in general, deliver faster downloads--it's a matter of how much data you can cram into any given type of wire. The question you need to ask is, how much speed do you need? Unless you drive a Ferrari to work and always flew the Concorde to London and Paris when that was available, the answer isn't "as much as possible"--and then you need to balance speed with cost to see who offers the best value.

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Laurel, MD: I've been having no success installing Microsoft's KB896727 cumulative update to IE6 onto my Windows ME laptop. The download goes fine, but the installation never completes. Is Microsoft trying to tell me to upgrade to XP? I'd like to, but if I did, one of my PC cards would instantly stop working, as there's no XP driver (and never will be). Anyway, as the installation never finishes, my laptop begins to run slower and slower until after 6-8 hours I give up and reboot.

Thanks in advance for any advice or sympathy.

Rob Pegoraro: Have you tried downloading that file directly from Microsoft's support site (support.microsoft.com) instead of using Windows Update? Also, to repeat what I just said, you should switch to Firefox anyway. Even fully patched, IE in Windows ME is not secure.

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Kensington MD: Wasn't the FCC there to protect the public from exploitations of market forces?

When did they decide it was their mission to serve Industry and "Stimulate?". The decision that BBand was Info services meant local jurisdictions couldn't exact bandwidth like cable TV contracting and now the local jurisdictions can't exact fees for use of public right of way?

What is the Public protection?

Does everything go to the guy with the most money, like airwaves auctions? What is the public interest protected by the FCC?

Rob Pegoraro: Those are questions you should be submitting to your elected representatives, including the President who has now appointed most of the FCC commissioners.

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Alexandria: Our street cannot get DSL service (I still haven't gotten a clear answer as to why from Verizon).

This basically means I am stuck with the local cable company for broadband service, right?

Rob Pegoraro: Unless a competitor to Verizon can offer you DSL (check that broadbandreports.com link I cited before). This is the single biggest reason why I think it's in Verizon's own interest to welcome competition: It's having enough trouble hooking up new subscribers on its own. It *needs* other companies to pick up some of this demand.

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Wash: Hi Rob. If you have time for an off-topic question - I read last year that thinner models of standard CRT televisions were going to be introduced this year. They were supposed to be maybe 6 to 10 inches thinner than what they have been all these years. I'm still waiting for these TVs to appear in the store. Do you know the latest news on this? Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: Off-topic questions are always welcome here! I, too, though those narrower CRTs would be available by now. At this point, I'm wondering if their moment in the market has already come and gone: LCDs with the same screen size are dropping in price so rapidly that the difference between them and the prices I've seen cited for short-neck CRTs is only a few hundred bucks, maybe less.

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Chantilly, VA: I note you are not a fan of IE due to the various security problems with it and it lack of tabbed browsing. What is your take on the SlimBrowser overlay by Flashpeak Software? It adds tabbed browsing and allows for one click removal of personal info on exiting.

I am still a bigger fan of Firefox, but for sites that use ActiveX in their pages, SlimBrowser works like a champ.

Rob Pegoraro: I dislike pretty much all the IE overlays, because they a) are no more secure than IE itself, and b) exhibit some of the most horrendously overdesigned interfaces I've ever seen. I mean, seriously, just count the toolbar buttons on browsers like Maxthon, AvantBrowser or SlimBrowser: Did the developers turn down *any* feature requests?

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Fairfax Station: Rob, In my neighborhood we have one option for Broadband: Cox. Back in 1998(!;) Verizon told me they'd have service in my neighborhood in 3 months. They are finally providing service a half-mile north. Please....will we ever have a real choice? We're in that part of the county with residential conservation lots (the opposite of high density). When do you think we'll have real choices for Broadband?

Rob Pegoraro: Again, I'd check to see if competing DSL firms can't hook you up. But you may not have any choices. That's sometimes the case for folks who live in the less-dense suburbs and exurbs. It's just one of those tradeoffs, like getting a bigger lot at a cheaper price in return for a longer commute and needing to drive to run all your errands.

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Springfield: Rob:

I use Apple's Airport Express to net my iBook laptop and my Windows-based PC and to share the internet connection; the laptop being on the main floor in our house and the PC being in the basement. On my PC, Windows constantly reports the signal strength as "low" even tho' the connection seems fine to me. Any suggestions about how to reliably boost the signal on my wireless network? Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: Well, if the connection does work, who cares what Windows reports? But if find that downloads on the laptop are slow or often interrupted, then you should look at rewiring things. One option would be to add another WiFi access point on the first floor to relay the signal through the rest of the house. Another would be to move the AirPort Express to the main floor, then run some Ethernet cable down to the basement to connect the PC there.

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Bethesda, Md.: Do you believe that the new generation of satellite broadband services like WildBlue can become a viable alternative to the cable-phone duopoly?

washingtonpost.com: Fast Forward: Broadband Is Too Important to Be Left to Cable-Phone Duopoly (August 14, 2005)

Rob Pegoraro: No. All satellite-based broadband services suffer some pretty horrible latency--your data has to take a 44,000-mile round-trip--that makes many interactive services awkward or unusable. They also offer much slower download and upload speeds, to the point where people *will* notice. And the equipment costs quite a lot upfront ($300 in WildBlue's case), while cable and DSL modems are free or nearly so ($50 and change). Satellite broadband does work, but I've yet to hear of anybody opting for that over cable or DSL if either were available in the area.

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Washington, D.C.: I am planning on getting DSL. In light of the recent decisions potentially limiting broadband access, should I wait until things sort out to see where I can get the best value, or go ahead now?

Also, I am just looking for a basic system. I don't need many bells and whistles except a home LAN. Any suggestions of things to avoid or things to look for?

Rob Pegoraro: Go ahead now. Everybody I talked to expected no big change in the DSL market, mainly because phone companies have already decided that it's in their interest to invite competitors onto their lines--their quarrel was with the FCC setting the rates they'd charge those folks, not the existence of competitors.

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Washington DC: A comment and a question. We chaged to FIOS a few months ago. We had many problems with the installation which were very frustrating. Once we got past the Verizon call center and the problem was escalated to the technician level they dealt with it very efficiently including giving us daily updates on how they were trying to solve the problem. So we are chalking the installation problems up to the difficulties of a new technology, since they got it working it has been very good. Certainly the most reliable system I have used. Very stable, good speed, and cheaper than cable. Love the higher upload speeds which the other sytems seem to ignore in their advertizing quest for higher download speed. My reservation with FIOS all along has been what happens during power loss. I have been considering adding an extra UPS to stretch the length of time the phone systen stays up in a power loss. I would like to hear from anyone if they have tried this, what size UPS they are using and how it has worked for them?

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the comments, D.C.

In your question about battery life, are you talking about the Fios terminal on the side of your house? As I understand it, Verizon already includes a battery backup with that. (Plus, I don't know offhand of any UPSes--that's "Uninterruptible Power Supply"--designed for outdoor use.

BTW, I have become a huge fan of UPSes for use with desktop computers. I hooked one up to my DSL modem and my desktop a couple of years ago, and it's been one of the best $40 purchases I've ever made.

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Thinner CRT televisions: Samsung makes them, but you won't see them on display around here. Check out the big box store's web sites online --- you have to order them. I looked at one model, but didn't see any great advantage, because the "thinner" model was actually heavier than the other CRT televisions. The one I bought was 88 lbs.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the note!

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Loudoun, VA: What do you think of the new "Pre-N" wireless routers that a few manufacturers are releasing for home networks? The one I looked at (Belkin) capped out at 108MBps but apparently it will be capable of approx 6-8 times this speed when the final N standard gets approved in a year or so from now with a simple firmware update.

Is it worth it or should people just wait and keeping using A/B/G for their wireless lan needs?

Rob Pegoraro: As I wrote a few months back, unless your existing WiFi setup just can't get a signal through your house, there's no need to replace your existing hardware with Pre-N systems. (The extra range they offer, not the added speed, is what's likely to matter to the vast majority of people who aren't trying to stream video throughout their home.)

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Tina in Falls Church: At work we have three computers on a netowrk. We all run Norton Corporate antivirus, S & D, Adaware. Our stuff was buggy yet all the scans were ok, The techie (100/hr) came and ran E'Scan and found 626 issues on my computer, 300+ on the other two. He said E'scan is "the best" antivirus and spyware program and the other two are pretty miserable. Any comments? I'm thinking of buying the program ....$60.00!;

Tina

Rob Pegoraro: E'Scan? Never heard of it. I'll have to take a look...

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Silver Spring, MD: Hi:

What can you tell me about Verizon's FIOS as compared to its DSL?

Thanks

Rob Pegoraro: Fios is a new service from Verizon that runs on a different set of lines--fiber-optic wiring instead of traditional copper phone lines. It's only available in some neighborhoods around town. Verizon's offering much faster connections than its DSL, for only $10 or so more. The interesting part about Fios, however, isn't Internet access but television: This system will allow Verizon to sell TV service. I am *really* interested in seeing what sort of price plans it will offer over this system, but it hasn't announced anything yet.

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Laurel, MD: Followup on KB896727, the cumulative update to IE6: Yes, I checked support.microsoft.com.

The article indicated that the update was available only through Windows Update (and, I presume, Automatic Update).

With regard to Firefox v. IE6, how do I uninstall IE6? (rhetorical)

Rob Pegoraro: I've never heard of updates only offered through Windows Update [reads long, boring article on Microsoft's tech-support site]... but, yeah, seems like that's the case here. Odd.

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Springfield, VA: Rob -

I was listening to WOTA Radio Podcast (http://www.wotaradio.com) the other day and they were talking about Verizon has gotten authorization to provide cable services in Fairfax County. Should we the consumers expect some new cable provider choices here shortly in Fairfax County?

Thanks,

Charlie

Rob Pegoraro: That's Verizon's Fios service--the Fairfax County gummint hasn't yet approved Verizon's license to provide video service, but it's on the agenda for the next board meeting.

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Etlan, VA: I am on a committee working on economic development for our rural county's comprehensive plan. We think that more broadband access would facilitate economic development here. How to best do that is the big question.

It would be nice to have BB available into every house but it has also been suggested it probably is cheaper to have wireless in the small villages that would reach maybe a 1/2 mile in distance. This would also tend to cluster development around these villages rather than the countryside. This could also encourage small businesses to set up shop in these small towns.

So the question is how are rural areas getting broadband to people in a cost effective way? BTW many of our roads already have fiber optic cable but Verizon keeps telling us that that doesn't mean we will be able to get BB any time soon.

One more question. How are rural areas using broadband to encourage economic development? After all, faster speeds doesn't automatically mean a better business model.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for logging into this chat today... beautiful country out there (if Google Maps is pointing me to the correct part of Virginia). What you're coming up against is one of the oldest problems in the broadband business--the cost of upgrading existing telecom "plant" over the last mile. (In a case like this, that last mile can be several miles.)

The result is that it's not economically viable to upgrade phone lines for DSL, and cable companies may drag their feet as well--although they, at least, have the added motivation of being able to sell HDTV programming at a higher price once they upgrade their wiring. But even then, things can be slow going. An old roommate of mine lives outside of Ruckersville, and he can't stand the fact that he's limited to dialup--but there's nothing that he can do, short of getting satellite.

Your idea of investing in wireless in particular towns makes sense to me; that way, you get the most return on your investment, and it may also yield those smart-growth benefits you mentioned.

One other option that's on the horizon is broadband over power lines (BPL), where the electric utility reconfigures its wiring to send and receive Internet data. That's been available in Manassas for a while now; we

wrote

about this service earlier this summer.

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annapolis: I'm looking for an easy-to-follow how-to guide for installing a wireless network in my 3 story house. The main computer and DSL line are on the 3rd floor, and I want to have a laptop in the kitchen on the first floor (almost directly below the room with the computer). Can you recommend a good resource for me, or should I break down and have verizon or someone else do it?

Rob Pegoraro: There's really nothing that hard to do; you plug in the WiFi router, run its setup software (which, granted, can vary widely in quality) and you should be set. Unless you've got a lot of metal in the walls and floors of your house, you should be able to get a usable signal in the kitchen. If you can't, adding a repeater on the second floor should do the trick.

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Washington, D.C.; : I have broadband and Voice service with Cavalier. All of their services are down today!; I hear that there has been an explosion in their Central Office at 1275 K Street, NW. Is this true?

Rob Pegoraro: Hadn't heard that myself. Any other CavTel users knocked offline?

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Gaithersburg, MD: Rob,

The conventional wisdom is that competition improves service and prices. However, I live in the City of Gaithersburg where we have access to both Comcast and RCN (StarPower). I have used both companies at different times for cable and internet access. I have found them to be priced the same, and their service is equally abysmal. Why doesn't the business model work here?

Rob Pegoraro: RCN's financial state has varied between horrible and merely adequate for some time now; it doesn't exactly have the resources to get into a price war. If you want a better price on TV, you'll have to look into satellite (where you will see competition at work).

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Re: WDC/UPS: Rob, as I submitted earlier, the ONT does have a battery backup, but it only supports voice service when it's on battery power. But WDC was talking about extending the talk time allowed by the provided backup...I don't have any advice there, except my WASG is that since the ONT has no moving parts and probably has a processor equivalent to a 286, I wouldn't expect it to draw much power by itself. The big power draws for UPSs are usually monitors or other power hogs (relatively speaking), not the CPU.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for an answer that may have set a record for its abbreviational density :)

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Arlington, VA: Has anyone with a cable modem noticed spotty service from Comcast? We just got our internet, this is the first time I've had cable internet, and over the past month it's been pretty unreliable. It will just stop sending a signal. When we call, they tell us to unplug everything and plug it back in, which works every time, but should we really have to do that two times a week for working internet? It's ridiculous!; Any other ways to fix it?

Rob Pegoraro: Anybody else with these types of issues?

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HDTV question:: I bought an HDTV and use antennas for over the air reception. Is there something about digital that means there's a noticeable pause when changing channels, or is it a problem with my tv? If I want to switch from channel 4 to channel 5, I can see the screen go gray before the tv picks up channel 5.

Rob Pegoraro: Nope, I think that's just how digital often works; it takes a brief moment for a receiver to lock onto a new signal. You'll hear a brief pause when switching channels on the XM and Sirius digital satellite-radio systems, for example.

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Washington, DC: Thinking about getting a Treo 650, and have read some of your articles on your purchase of this device. Any other thoughts/comments/suggestions?

Many thanks!;

Rob Pegoraro: Besides "yes, it's good," I'd say that you should see what prices you can get for service from the various wireless carriers. (Assuming, that is, you don't need to make or receive calls from within the subway parts of Metro, in which case it's either Verizon or Sprint plus roaming charges.)

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Denver CO: What about WiMax? Will availability happen sooner because

of the new ruling?

Rob Pegoraro: Nope. WiMax--a sort of long-distance version of WiFi--still needs some major testing. It also needs some spectrum opened up for it to get widespread deployment; Intel, one of the major backers of WiMax, has begun lobbying the feds to move up the transition to digital TV, as the old analog TV channels would be a prime source for WiMax spectrum.

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Arlington: What wireless router can I use to support to support both my Apple laptop AND my PC at the same time?

Rob Pegoraro: Any of them. WiFi works cross-platform, just like any other sort of networking.

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Bill in Arlington: FYI re Naked DSL. Verizon also calls it "stand-alone DSL" and very recently began offering it in two basic flavors: to folks who do not have any VZ wireline voice service at all, and to customers who "port" their VZ voice service to a competitor, including to VoIP. Still in the works is naked DSL to VZ voice customers who simply want to disconnect their voice service w/o interrupting VZ DSL account.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for the update!

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Alexandria VA: I work for comcast and would like to know why people ALWAYS overexagerate how many previous calls they've had? 30 technicians in 6 months? Come on, after about 3 you should have contacted the city, so if in fact you did have 30 which I SERIOUSLY doubt, it's your own fault!;

The Cable Guy

Rob Pegoraro: This is a parody, right? Alexandria actually works for RCN or Verizon or some other competitor to Comcast...

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Olney, MD: Hey, Rob. Not a question so much as a comment. I had Verizon's fiber optic service installed three weeks ago, and it went pretty smoothly. Some key points for those considering it:

- The web site is WRONG about you needing to use their router. I have a lot of static IP addresses assigned and ports forwarded, so I was not looking forward to changing routers. Well, they want you to use the D-Link they provide because it supposedly has firmware that lets them do diagnostics or something. All you have to do is set up a PPoE connection on any router and you're good to go.

- They will be running a Cat5 cable from the ONT (the box they install on the outside of your house) to the router. My installers initially didn't want to run the cable to the other side of the house, but I convinced them to do it.

- They did tear up the floor a bit, and I'm not happy with the way they put it back, but they said they're going to fix it, and reports from broadbandreports.com tell me that since the installs are done by contractors, Verizon doesn't mind sending them back out to fix things because they don't pay them extra if they didn't do it right the first time. That's mostly unsubstantiated, but my experience so far matches up with that. Oh, and I had a glitch or two with my voice mail when they first switched me over to fiber (your voice calls go over the fiber, not copper, if you get FIOS), but after about 3 calls, it's definitely fixed. I don't think Comcast EVER fixed anything after 3 calls. Usually it took 8-10 or more.

- The ONT has a battery backup, but it ONLY provides voice service if the power is out. I'm considering adding a UPS to it, so that the ONT doesn't see a power interruption and switch to voice-only, but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble. However, I'm considering it because I'm currently looking at VoIP services, and if I switch I'd lose voice service whenever I lost data service. However, it would save me about $30/month, so I could probably put some of my savings toward a dedicated UPS for the ONT.

- The bottom line: I'm signed up for 5Mbps/2Mbps, and I'm consistently getting 5030 bps/1750 bps, which is good enough. If I wanted to ask about the small loss of speed on the upload side, I'd probably have to connect their D-Link, and I don't want the hassle.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for a *very* informative post, Olney.

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Washington, DC: Could you explain the difference between Braodband, DSL and high-speed?

Rob Pegoraro: Broadband and high-speed are the same thing, just different names. DSL is one kind of broadband/high-speed access, delivered over phone lines; cable is another.

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Tampa, FL: Rob,

I'm looking at upgrading to a PDA mobile phone to be able to access my work email and get some work done on-the-go. I am torn between the PalmOne Treo 600 and the BlackBerry 7100t, both currently priced the same with my wireless provider. I'm leaning towards the Palm because of the full keyboard, available applications for the PalmOS, and the camera/speakerphone (camera is nice to have, but not necessary). Other than BlueTooth, is there any reason I should get the BlackBerry? Am I overlooking anything?

Rob Pegoraro: I don't think so. The Blackberry's one advantage is the always-on connection it allows to your work e-mail--but the Treo's mail system can work almost as well. It's also worth asking if you actually *need* to be plugged into your work e-mail full-time.

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Washington, DC: Rob,

In Greg Sandoval's Saturday article, entitled "Flat-Screen TV Prices Finally Coming Down," he states that the average price of a 42" LCD is $4,200 and the same size plasma goes for $2,900. I thought LCDs were less expensive than plasmas, is that accurate?

Thanks!

washingtonpost.com: Flat-Screen TV Prices Finally Come Down

Rob Pegoraro: LCDs are only less expensive than plasma up to a certain size--32 inches at the moment. After that, the LCD costs shoot way up, while the plasma prices have deflated in a way I wouldn't have predicted a year ago.

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Re: spotty Comcast: Yes, I've also had problems with Comcast cable internet being very spotty and requiring frequent power cycling to get it to work again. I've called many times about it, but nothing's been fixed (they say as long as you can get a signal to your modem, they can't send out a technician). Pretty deplorable. I'm in Arlington, for the record.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks, and good luck getting your connection in working order...

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Springfield ,VA: I need to know as much as possible about high speed

internet. Where would I research this topic. Currently have

dial up with erols and am feeling the need for faster

service. We hqve cox cable? Would that be my best bet? Or

we also have Verizon phone service. Betty

Rob Pegoraro: This ought to get you started: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/technology/interactives/upgradesp05/ispoptions_2005.html

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Arlington, DC: I want to get a directv hd receiver, but I'm worried about their mpeg4 switch that will get more hd channels. Will my receiver work with these, or should I wait till they resolve it and get the newer receiver?

Rob Pegoraro: Considering that DirecTV's new HD service is supposed to be available here by the end of the year, you should hold off on that purchase.

It continues to amaze me how this company is keeping its customers in the dark on this basic, basic issue. I mean, c'mon--show some manners here! Don't keep selling that $700 HD TiVo model without explaining to the customer how they're supposed to upgrade to a newer version that'll work with the new service.

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Dayton, OH: In all seriousness, why did the FCC rule in favor of the telephone companies?

Jameson

Rob Pegoraro: I'm not very good at mind-reading, but my sense is that some of the FCC commissioners, including the chairman, felt like it would only be fair to grant phone companies the same regulatory liberty as cable companies once the Supreme Court ruled for the cable operators in the Brand X ruling. (The FCC--with the notable exception of digital TV--has in general shown a consistent preference for reducing regulation.) The other commissioners didn't like it, but figured their position would only be weaker over time, so they negotiated the best deal they could--for instance, allowing competitors a year to negotiate new resale deals.

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PDAs - dead?: My Clie is 2-years old - I don't use it for more than sync'ed content from Avantgo. Is there any reason to look at the newer models? I also have a super new laptop, so I consider myself covered. Plus, cnet has been singing the death of PDAs forever. BTW, I don't need a cell phone so those phone models aren't my top considerations.

Rob Pegoraro: No, PDAs aren't dead. If your Clie still works fine, stick with it. Whenever it does break, have a look at the Palm Tungsten E2; one of my colleagues bought one of those, and has been really pleased with its performance since then (esp. the better battery life).

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Bethesda, MD: I'm sure there are lots of problems with hookups to the "last mile," but I had no installation problems with Verizon DSL 5 years ago, Comcast 3 years ago, or Verizon FIOS some months ago. All the installers were competent, friendly and helpful. It probably didn't hurt that I am a very experienced computer user and did most of the software configurations myself, but I thought I'd try to say something nice about these services that will not find many friends today.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks for providing another voice in this conversation.

Got another 10 minutes, and then I need to get back to my day job...

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Washington, DC: Hi Rob, love your column.

Please for once and all answer this. If you have AOL dial up and no outside virus protection or firewall or anti spam coverage is your computer safe. I think that the AOL commercials make it appear that they have you covered and that is misleading or am I wrong?

Same thing with DSL through Verizon - do you need outside protection with that also?

So many of my friends tell me they have AOL because they don't have to bother with buying and installing any other protective software. They also say because they get on the computer infrequently they are safe with AOL.

Thanks in advance for the answers.

Rob Pegoraro: No, you're not safe with any Internet provider if you don't have a firewall active on your computer; if you use Windows, you're also not safe without anti-virus software active and current. AOL does include those items, but they're not installed by default.

Getting online infrequently, or a slower speed, doesn't buy you any more security in the longer run. I've heard from people who got nailed by the Blaster worm over dialup; the only thing their slower connection did there was delay the time it took to fetch Microsoft's security updates.

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Washington, DC: I've had a Comcast cable modem in DC for more than two years now, and I've never had a problem. No outages, no dropout, nothing.

Rob Pegoraro: OK, so it's not entirely "beat up on Comcast" day here...

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Washington, DC: No real question, just a comment to note that when I moved to DC 2.5 years ago, in my neighborhood (Adams Morgan) I had a CHOICE between Comcast and Starpower (now RCN) as my cable provider. I had used Comcast in Arlington and figured nothing could be worse, so I tried RCN. WHat a good/lucky decision. They came when they said they would, my cable modem worked from the first instant (I have an eMac), and as a bonus, I get Nationals games on TV.

If anyone else has a chance, I say go with RCN, although I think it's a pretty samll universe.

Rob Pegoraro: Thanks, D.C. Wish Dish Network would start carrying MASN as well...

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Silver Spring, MD: I am in the throes of indecision.

I cannot decide between an iMac 20" or 17".

Do you have any opinions on this?

Also, Would 1GB be enough for ordinary computer stuff, plus the occasional photo editing, iMovie-making, and burning of DVDs?

Rob Pegoraro: Get the 17-inch model, and get the standard 512 MB for now. You'll have the second memory slot open if you decide you need more memory later on.

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Re: Comcast in Arlington: Just for the record, I think I am the only person in this world that has zero complaints about Comcast. When the technician came to install everything for my cable modem (and wireless), he knew exactly what he was doing. And I have had no problems at all with my service. (And no, I do not work for Comcast!;). I think I've just been lucky for some reason.....

Rob Pegoraro: ... and by bragging about it, you've now incurred the wrath of the telecom gods :)

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Amagansett, N.Y.: Still using Win 98 SE. Any way I can get iTunes or am I out of luck?

Irene

Rob Pegoraro: You're out of luck.

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Winnipeg, Canada: Thanks for all the valuable information through your columns and chats.

You recently emphasized the importance of installing the Mozilla Firefox browser's updates. When I do that, will my bookmarks and various settings be preserved automatically, or do I need to export and save my bookmarks and then reinstall them after updating? This concern may be holding some people back.

Thanks.

washingtonpost.com: Fast Forward: Why Is It So Hard to Feed the Security Dog? (August 7, 2005)

Rob Pegoraro: You'll still have the exact same bookmarks, settings, history, cache, etc. after the update.

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Cambridge, MA: Is there any real response difference surfing the web wirelessly using an 802.11b or g access point since standard broadband throughput is less than 3Mbps anyway? Or stated another way, is there any real reason to upgrade an 802.11b access point if the LAN is not really being utilized at home? Thanks.

Rob Pegoraro: I think you answered your own question--you're not exhausting the existing hardware, so therefore you don't need to upgrade it.

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Washington, DC: Rob, your article hits on important consumer issues regarding service and support offerings, but I disagree with your conclusion. Broadband Internet access is far too important to be left to the FCC to regulate. Fundamentally the question is, with government having created a beast (the AT&T monopoly), how do we back out of it? Well, we've been trying for 20 years now, mostly through government management of rates, entry, etc. and through experiments with open access. We finally have new networks - cable, satellite, and wireless - coming to the rescue that will provide competition to the traditional Bell companies. We don't mandate access to Dell's efficient parts and distribution network. We don't mandate access to cellular networks, or airline networks. Why treat phone and cable companies (especially cable, which were not outgrowths of the AT&T monopoly) differently?

Thanks, Braden

Rob Pegoraro: Actually, we do mandate access to cellular networks--you have the right to take your wireless phone number to any carrier you want. Given that both phone and cable networks rely on lines that run in the public right-of-way (and which were originally put in place under exclusive, government-issued licenses of one sort or another), it seems perfectly reasonable to discuss what sort of regulation might be necessary to prevent abuse of this kind of monopoly leverage.

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Mineola, NY: Based on the first question and answer above, it appears that you favor DSL over cable for Internet access? I recently switched from DSL to Verizon's FIOS. Where do you put that in the mix? Is it worth the $35/ month?

Rob Pegoraro: It's not quite that simple--what kind of service to use depends on things like where you live and how you get your TV service. Here's my my most recent attempt to explain the choice.

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Rob Pegoraro: And with that, I am outta here! Thanks for all the questions; I'll be back here soon.

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