Thanks Ken. I'll try prepay option and see how the VPN works with them. The more I like about CenturyLink the more I want to either go with USI or stay with Comcast (would be unfortunate). Thanks to everyone else for the input on ISPs- this list is always quick and full of opinions :-) -- Jeremy MountainJohnson Jeremy.MountainJohnson at gmail.com On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 9:26 PM, Kenneth Lynes <kenlynes at usa.net> wrote: > > I have been unsuccessful in trying to state something here. I wonder what I > am doing wrong. Being a bit inept at this sort of thing I assume that when > it says in my subject line that I am replying to tclug-list Digest, Vol 97, > Issue 35 that it is enough. > I want to respond to Chuck's statements and will do so now > > Well, Chuck I agree with you. I think we in the USA have been getting > screwed over by the various cell phone providers for years. I went to > Germany in 2005 and had an eye-opening experience. My friend there told me > that ALL incoming calls on a cell phone are paid for by the caller with no > exceptions. It costs a lot to make those calls and consequently they get > virtually NO spam calls or calls from charities or people trying to sell > them windows for their houses. I thought that it was a great concept for the > caller to pay for the call and too bad we dont do that as well. > My experience with cell phones over-seas was that I knew my own phone from > the USA would not work there at all and I was a bit confused by trying to > use the phone system there as I was really unfamiliar with the system. > Perhaps next time I am there, but I still wont bring my own phone. We are > totally incompatible with their systems I think. > You talk about the GSM phones and I think you are correct that most of the > rest of the world uses that system. Why dont we also? So that our phone > carriers can have their way with us and bend us over as much as they want. > Competition is a myth really. I come from a time (1950's) when all local > calls were free within my area code and I didnt even know anyone outside of > it. We never had to figure out what a area code was unless we wanted to call > out of state to some relative or were in the military and making a call home > and then had to find out what our local area code was while sitting at a pay > phone in NYC. LOL > > I also wanted to comment once about USI Wireless. I have used them as a way > cheaper and better alternative to cable in Mpls and Quest or whatever they > call themselves now. I am 73 and dropped my land line over 5 years ago. I > had DSL which was not too bad when I first had it with USFamily Net but got > worse when I moved over to Qwest at the same address and the same physical > line used. I went to USI because it was cheaper and no contract required. If > I would only save up a bit I could save by paying by the year and get my > service for about $18.95/mo instead of $24.95. I will try to do it this > year. > I have had few issues since they installed an outside antenna for me as I am > blessed with trees and high houses on all sides of me. It is rarely down now > since they upgraded things about 10 months ago. > It can be an issue if you have a lot of trees or obstacles, so keep that in > mind if you are considering it. > > Ken > > > ------ Original Message ------ > Received: Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:00:21 PM CST > From: tclug-list-request at mn-linux.org > To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org > Subject: tclug-list Digest, Vol 97, Issue 35 > > > Send tclug-list mailing list submissions to > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > tclug-list-request at mn-linux.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > tclug-list-owner at mn-linux.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of tclug-list digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: ISP shopping- USI Wireless, CenturyLink? (Munir Nassar) > 2. Re: Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone (Yaron) > 3. Re: ISP shopping- USI Wireless, CenturyLink? (Munir Nassar) > 4. Re: Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone (Chuck Cole) > 5. Re: Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone (Yaron) > 6. Re: Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone (Chuck Cole) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:02:50 -0600 > From: Munir Nassar <tclug at beitsahour.net> > To: TCLUG Mailing List <tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] ISP shopping- USI Wireless, CenturyLink? > Message-ID: > <CAMg8xas3=1dz4qYDT9t5MexWFiU_cKOE8zBz8n_uabPeKp38yQ at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Andrew Dahl <droidjd at gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I recall my sister and her husband trying CenturyLink and it being >> unbearable, although we live in Woodbury where the highest rate you >> can get is 1.5Meg. Maybe their 7Meg offering would be better, if it's >> available for you. >> >> Comcast recently hit me with that same increase (same promotion that >> ended even) -- If you do end up being able to successfully haggle with >> Comcast, you should let me know! :-) I attempted it the other day >> with no success, unfortunately. > > that sounds legally questionable to me, even if such a fee was > disclosed but IANAL. Call and give them the choice of downgrading the > service or canceling the service altogether, of course that means that > you have to actually cancel when it comes to it, but i have a feeling > you will get a call from the service retention department very soon > afterwards. > > Back in the Qworst days the trick to making them not suck was invoking > the PUC, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which does monitor > and apparently fine the utilities for infractions. You can also call > the State Attorney Generals' office to make a complaint. Mentioning > either of these options should make them more cooperative. > > That said, i have been with USWest/Qwest/CenturyLink for close to ten > years now, some ups and some downs... mostly depending on service > area. i have the 7Meg service with Real-Time as my ISP and i have not > had problems since moving to this house. unfortunately i cannot get > the faster ADSL+ service without ditching Real-Time. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:10:05 -0600 (CST) > From: Yaron <tclug at freakzilla.com> > To: TCLUG <tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone > Message-ID: <alpine.DEB.2.02.1301182103560.31413 at dragon> > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed > > On Fri, 18 Jan 2013, Chuck Cole wrote: > >> No, it's the spec that must be compatible, not just the brand. There are >> other brands of CDMA spec phones. > > Phones belonging to one network in the US are not, are 100% NOT compatible > with other providers. You CANNOT switch a phone from Sprint to Verizon for > love nor money. Now perhaps there are phones that work on multiple > systems, but this is not the norm. > > However, if I unlock a GSM phone, I can switch it between AT&T and > T-Mobile quite easily, and unlocked GSM phones are readily available, > because... > >> The fact that 5 of 7 providers don't use GSM is a significant comparison, >> IMHO. > > But go look at the rest of the world. Virtually everyone uses GSM. The US > and Japan are rare exceptions. > > This is why unlocked GSM phones are standard and readily available. I can > take my phone and use it in practically any other county using a local SIM > card. This is how cellphones work just about everywhere in the world - you > buy a phone and you can take it with you between providers because they > all use the same (global) standard. In the US, carriers tend to subsidise > the phones, and therefor lock them to their own serivce. Even if the > systems are compatible it's a pain to transfer over. Though GSM makes this > significantly easier. > > > > -- > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:15:44 -0600 > From: Munir Nassar <tclug at beitsahour.net> > To: TCLUG Mailing List <tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] ISP shopping- USI Wireless, CenturyLink? > Message-ID: > <CAMg8xat7NbOBsqA=Tu8Zz-kHjQBnK6=mWs6sj1zABO_OCyB8Qg at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 4:01 PM, Thomas Lunde <tlunde at gmail.com> wrote: >> I have CenturyLink & probably live near you, since I have all the tiers & >> am in south Minneapolis & on the same side of 35W. >> >> The CO is at 24th Ave & 33rd st. I'm about 3 blocks from there & am very >> happy with the speed. >> >> I do have to power cycle their modem (it was offered to buy or rent, so I >> bought it) every few weeks. If I don't, the connection will degrade or drop. >> I've been temped to use a UPS & cron to automate it but haven't bothered. >> Otis reliable & fast. > > The problem is likely with the modem, not with the service. Offloading > PPPoE to your firewall should perform much better. > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:59:50 -0600 > From: "Chuck Cole" <cncole at earthlink.net> > To: "'TCLUG Mailing List'" <tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone > Message-ID: <7E930D947FFA4470BC20B95C712A54A8 at d830a> > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org >> [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org] On Behalf Of Yaron >> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 9:10 PM >> To: TCLUG >> Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone >> >> On Fri, 18 Jan 2013, Chuck Cole wrote: >> >> However, if I unlock a GSM phone, I can switch it between >> AT&T and T-Mobile quite easily, and unlocked GSM phones are >> readily available, because... >> >> > The fact that 5 of 7 providers don't use GSM is a significant >> > comparison, IMHO. >> >> But go look at the rest of the world. Virtually everyone uses >> GSM. The US and Japan are rare exceptions. > > I live in the USA. Have little need to look at the rest of the world, > especially now. I can get good used CDMA phones easily. Had only terribly > bad experiences from carriers using GSM, so try to avoid them, and don't > need the minority GSM from a really bad provider. My VOIP provider software > works from a computer anywhere in the world when I have an internet > connection, and is the same as my home phone. My CDMA works in many places > and via WiFi in others. Don't need GSM headaches again. > > Your liking the "minority spec" doesn't make it a great choice for everybody > else. > > > Chuck > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:16:44 -0600 (CST) > From: Yaron <tclug at freakzilla.com> > To: TCLUG <tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone > Message-ID: <alpine.DEB.2.02.1301182212110.31413 at dragon> > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed > > On Fri, 18 Jan 2013, Chuck Cole wrote: > >> I live in the USA. Have little need to look at the rest of the world, > ... >> Your liking the "minority spec" doesn't make it a great choice for >> everybody >> else. > > Wow. Again, CDMA is by FAR the "minority" spec, worldwide. Most US > carriers never bothered upgrading their infrastructure, although they ARE > working on it. And when they switch, you'll be the one who has to change > phones. > > Either way, though, most cell carriers in the US treat people fairly > horribly. The aforementioned phone-locking, for one. Charging for > incomming SMS/MMS and phonecalls is also something that doesn't happen > other places. > > I'm glad you're happy with your phone and service, and I'm not at all > trying to get you to switch or anything. Nowhere in the conversation was > anything like that mentioned. But when you say GSM is the minority and > that you can switch CDMA phones between providers, sorry but that's just > not true. > > > -- > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:02:42 -0600 > From: "Chuck Cole" <cncole at earthlink.net> > To: "'TCLUG Mailing List'" <tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone > Message-ID: <5D7F99E081B344CE8697A2A8244325F3 at d830a> > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org >> [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org] On Behalf Of Yaron >> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 10:17 PM >> To: TCLUG >> Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Subject: Re: Ubuntu Phone >> >> On Fri, 18 Jan 2013, Chuck Cole wrote: >> >> > I live in the USA. Have little need to look at the rest of >> the world, >> ... >> > Your liking the "minority spec" doesn't make it a great choice for >> > everybody else. >> >> Wow. Again, CDMA is by FAR the "minority" spec, worldwide. >> Most US carriers never bothered upgrading their >> infrastructure, although they ARE working on it. And when >> they switch, you'll be the one who has to change phones. >> >> Either way, though, most cell carriers in the US treat people >> fairly horribly. The aforementioned phone-locking, for one. >> Charging for incomming SMS/MMS and phonecalls is also >> something that doesn't happen other places. >> >> I'm glad you're happy with your phone and service, and I'm >> not at all trying to get you to switch or anything. Nowhere >> in the conversation was anything like that mentioned. But >> when you say GSM is the minority and that you can switch CDMA >> phones between providers, sorry but that's just not true. > > The fact that 5 of 7 US providers use CDMA is indeed true, and THAT defines > a kind of majority, as I stated before... As I also stated, worldwide > doesn't matter much for citizens and services here. That's all I stated > about majority. > > Nuf sed. Enjoy your whatever. > > > Chuck > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > End of tclug-list Digest, Vol 97, Issue 35 > ****************************************** > > > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list >