Verizon DSL as offered by AOL
Written: Jul 23 '01
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Pros: Fast, VERY cheap, ordertime to uptime short. Customer service offered by AOL, not Verizon.
Cons: AOL needed.
The Bottom Line: Well worth the money spent. Risk factor very low. Very reliable. Quick install, quick acquisition of service. Always there. Lightning fast.
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| Riverwindde's Full Review: Verizon Online DSL (Eastern US) |
Verizon DSL as offered by AOL.
DSL for $20?!? You better believe it. AOL now offers AOL Plus service when you order DSL through them. I have to admit, at first I was skeptical, but as the time has passed, I seem to have found the only catch, and it is acceptable.
First, the ordering procedure. One, you must be a member of America Online to take this offer. AOL was pounding me, trying to get me to subscribe, so finally I checked out what they wanted me to. It seemed too good to be true, DSL for 20 a month, so I put it off. Finally, after a few days, I decide to go for it. One of the nice things about the offer is that everything is free for a month, and if I return the modem, even after the month, there are no extra charges. I figured I had nothing to lose and I went for it. Upon ordering, they ask a few basic questions (billing information, etc.) and then they tell you that when they get in touch with Verizon and have Verizon hook up the service, they will ship the modem, filters, software, and network card. "Great", I thought to myself, "Verizon is probably backlogged, and I wont be able to use DSL for another month." Not true at all. The next day I got a confirmation e-mail from AOL saying the product has been shipped. After about 5 days, my package came.
Second, the installation. Now, I've never had any luck with AOL software. I never like the way that they installed, something was always messed up somewhere, but this particular package gave me no trouble whatsoever. Instructions came in a simple 5 step procedure, all of which a trained goldfish could do. 10 minutes later, everything was set and ready to go. I thought to myself, "that went way to smoothly, lets see what crashes". Nothing did. I started the computer up, BIOS detected it, I confirmed it, and viola, things started happening as per the instructions. It was a grand day for AOL software.
Now, the costs are fantastic. As long as you are an AOL member, it is 20 dollars more a month than the usual AOL charges, and everything you need comes with the kit, all for free. IF you decide to cancel prematurely, all you need to do is send back everything, and you wont be charged for it. After a year, the modem is yours to keep. The speeds are even better. Worst I have had on various speed checking sites on the Internet is 384k. That's really pretty good I must say. I've had the modem for a couple weeks now, and service has never been denied yet.
The one down point: To connect to the AOL DSL service, one must actually start up AOL 6.0 Powered by SBC Global Networks. This is sort of a disappointment, but for the price, Ill just minimize it and go about my normal business.
Overall, its a great buy, and I don't have to wait for Cablevision to get things moving and installing cable modem service in my area anymore, which is a relief. Actually, looking back on the long wait now, I think that I would go with DSL now anyway if I had the choice. I never wait anymore, and frankly, the huge downloads would only be a tad faster with cable modems - and that's on a good day for cable. DSL speeds rarely vary, where cable speeds vary tremendously.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.95
Version Number or Year: Verizon DSL offered by AOL, powered by SBC Global Networks
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Epinions.com ID:
Riverwindde
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Member: Christopher Korczak
Reviews written: 43
Trusted by: 94 members
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