RoadRunner High Speed Online Questions

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 2:17 pm

I am considering going with RoadRunner through my cable tv provider, in addition to the HDTV package. I have a couple of questions, and I'm hoping the brethen out there can help me out with some answers.

1. Is there a telephone line involved in any way with RoadRunner ?
2. Can the Television and the internet be used at the same time, since the computer and the television are in the same room ?
3. I'm not sure about the "ethernet card", or even what it is. It says you have to have an open USB port. Currently, my Lexmark X6150 is connected to my Dell tower via USB. I think it is the only USB port I have on the Dell. Is there a splitter, or have I lost the use of my pprinter because RoadRunner needs the USB Port ?
4. Is it clearly faster ? Currently running 56K.
5. I have a Pentium 4 CPU with 1.80 GHz and 256 MB RAM. I'm running XP on a Dell "Dimension 4300". It's three years old. Is this enough, or wanting ?

Thanks, boys and girls. I'm trying to make an educated decision. It's gonna cost a little more that my phone and cable put together if I do it. so I have to be sure it's the way to go.

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 2:27 pm

i don't have roadrunner, but i have cox cable internet which is basically the same.... anyway, here goes.

1. no phone involved
2. yes, they may have to install a separate line, but, they should work that out for you when they do the installation.
3. the cable modem will use the usb port. don't you have a standard printer port hook up? not sure about a usb spliter.
4. yes with out a doubt. no comparison. dial up sucks, you'll imediatley be able to tell a huge difference. you'll probably be ten times faster. i'm connected around 690kbs, but your conection will depend on your local cable network, busier lines are a little slower.
5. your machine is fine. mine is a total piece, and works fine.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 6:57 pm

Thanks, Hellhog. If you think of anything else I need to know, throw it up for me.

NC43Hog · Post by **NC43Hog** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:08 pm

One other thing to consider tcwest10 - you don't necessarily have to go with RoadRunner if you want high speed cable. In my area I use Earthlink but others are available. My cost is actually cheaper than RR. Here's the interesting part - I still pay my bill to Time Warner but keep all my earthlink accounts. I guess Time Warner figured it was made more sense to share it's cables with other ISPs so they could still get a piece of the pie.

Anyway - something to check into.

Amberion · Post by **Amberion** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:33 pm

TC I have a cable modem and cable tv and it comes in the same cable and works a lot faster than dial up.

I did not need a separate cable but that may be a different setup to your companys.

I suggest talking to them and asking a lot of questions. My company offered a free cable modem, free installation and 2 months free access

(I already had the cable tv installed )

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:45 pm

Amberion and Speek...
Thanks for the help. Here's the deal. I have Time-Warner Cable. We just got a 51" HDTV, and we haven't got the "HD" to got with the "TV", you know what I'm saying ? So, I asked TWC to send me some info. What I got was a nice brochure. Right now, I have package B, which is basic service, standard service, DTV service (digital), Premiums On Demand (a PPV TIVO deal). What I'm looking at is package D, which has all that, plus your choice of Roadrunner, AOL for Broadband or Earthlink High Speed Internet. None of these mean anything to me; I'm a babe in the woods in these matters. I know I don't much like anything having to do with AOL, period. The cost is roughly $30 more than I pay now for cable AND dial-up through the phone company. If it's worth it, it's worth it.
What's the difference between Earthlink and RoadRunner ?

Amberion · Post by **Amberion** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 5:50 pm

I'm not in USA so I dont know the companies involved, sorry

Another thing to take into the equation is how much it is costing in calls on dial up, as well as freeing up the phone line for use all the time. This can be an important consideration for other members of the household

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:07 pm

What's the difference between Earthlink and RoadRunner ?

nothing. the only difference will be your homepage(if you use it). what matters is the connection, and if both are offered through the same cable company, there probably won't be any difference in speed. definantly steer clear of SOL..... they do SUCK.
:wink:

NC43Hog · Post by **NC43Hog** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 7:38 pm

Look at the bottom line - price! I pay $41.95 mo. for earthlink and RR is $44.95. No brainer for me considering I already had earthlink as an ISP.

If TWC gives you a better deal because you will be going HD then go with them, service should be about the same - and yes, stay away from SOL.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 3:13 pm

What is "SOL" ?

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 7:31 pm

tcwest10 wrote:What is "SOL" ?

ROTFALMAO

just a little nick name for AOL. of course "SOL" means **** outta luck. kinda fits AOL perfect, thus the nick name

redskincity · Post by **redskincity** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:35 pm

tcwest10 wrote:Amberion and Speek...
Thanks for the help. Here's the deal. I have Time-Warner Cable. We just got a 51" HDTV, and we haven't got the "HD" to got with the "TV", you know what I'm saying ? So, I asked TWC to send me some info. What I got was a nice brochure. Right now, I have package B, which is basic service, standard service, DTV service (digital), Premiums On Demand (a PPV TIVO deal). What I'm looking at is package D, which has all that, plus your choice of Roadrunner, AOL for Broadband or Earthlink High Speed Internet. None of these mean anything to me; I'm a babe in the woods in these matters. I know I don't much like anything having to do with AOL, period. The cost is roughly $30 more than I pay now for cable AND dial-up through the phone company. If it's worth it, it's worth it.
What's the difference between Earthlink and RoadRunner ?

Yeah I have the HD package and it is OK. I was really happy at first, but with the limited channel selection the excitement dies pretty fast. :cry:

I love watching ESPN games, they are awesome!

We are suppose to get regular channels in HD, which enables us to watch CBS, NBC and other broadcast channels in HD.

I hear stars are not happy about HD because it shows all of their flaws. Thats funny. Check out the link its very interesting. :wink:

http://tvpredictions.com/

http://www.cheap-plasma-tv.com/plasma-vs-lcd-tv.htm

http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/

http://www.hdtvpub.com/

Enjoy!!!

NC43Hog · Post by **NC43Hog** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:05 am

rdskincity - have you heard about voom.com

http://www.voom.com/index.jsp

They are supposed to have over 30 HD channels. Worth a look. :roll:

skinz74 · Post by **skinz74** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:50 am

Hey, TC...another option is DSL, if it's available in your area. You don't have to run any new lines...it takes a standard phone line, filters it through a modem, and turns it into high speed data (I think it's faster and more consistent than cable, because I've had both.) Another good thing about DSL is that if you wanna move your computer to another room, it's easy...because all you have to do is run your modem to a regular phone line. (Brief Breakdown) Cable modems operate on speeds based on how many people in your area are online with cable...just like dial ups. When there are alot of people online with cable, you'll notice that your connection is a little slower. With DSL, it is always the same speed, no matter how many people are online. It's a dedicated line. So, it might be worth your while to check it out. Most local telephone services provide it and the price is almost identical. Most also have deals that give you a free modem and a month of discounted service. Check it out...

skinz74 · Post by **skinz74** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:52 am

I've heard of VOOM!, but it's like 700 dollars to get started...and if I remember correctly, television is supposed to be converted to full HDTV by the year 2006. So, if your patient enough, you might save yourself some money. Hell, I'll be happy just to get a set top box for my hdtv.

NC43Hog · Post by **NC43Hog** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:58 am

One issue with DSL is it's distance limitations, meaning you and how far you are from a Central Office. I think it's like 3 miles. I you are out of range you are outta luck and can't get it.

redskincity · Post by **redskincity** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:24 am

NC43Hog wrote:One issue with DSL is it's distance limitations, meaning you and how far you are from a Central Office. I think it's like 3 miles. I you are out of range you are outta luck and can't get it.

Yeah the good thing about DSL is that it is your dedicated line. Cable uses a very broad network scheme which creates latency.

redskincity · Post by **redskincity** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:28 am

NC43Hog wrote:rdskincity - have you heard about voom.com

http://www.voom.com/index.jsp

They are supposed to have over 30 HD channels. Worth a look.

Yes.. Read the article labeled "Voom is Doomed" on the....here just below :lol:

Voom Is Still Doomed
Despite an impressive lineup of HDTV channels, the new satellite TV service doesn't have a chance.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, DC (March 4) -- Voom, the satellite TV service launched last October by Cablevision, just revealed that it has signed up 1,627 subscribers to date.

That's only 1,627 customers after five months. To put it more starkly, Voom is signing up an average of 325 subscribers a month -- or just 10 a day. In a nation of more than 200 million people, only ten people are walking into a store every day to buy Voom.

I think you could get higher numbers if you were selling posters of Osama Bin Laden.

Voom, which provides more than 30 channels of High-Definition TV -- three times the amount found on any other cable or satellite system -- is being closely watched by the high-def industry. Many HDTV enthusiasts are hopeful that Voom's potent lineup will pressure cable operators and other satcasters to expand their high-def offerings.

But the embarrassing sub totals, which contributed heavily to Cablevision's $197 million loss in the fourth quarter, should not come as a surprise. In a column last October, I predicted that Voom would be a failure for three reasons:

1. Voom is targeting the wrong audience:
Approximately 8-9 million people have HDTV sets, and perhaps less than two million actually have the digital tuners required to receive hi-def signals. Although the HDTV numbers are growing, Voom's target audience is too small.

2. Voom will be co-opted by DIRECTV and EchoStar:
DIRECTV and EchoStar are expected to expand their HDTV lineups later this year. Voom's biggest selling point could be wiped out by year's end.

3. The satellite TV business has matured:
DIRECTV and EchoStar, which have been in business for a decade, now have more than 20 million subscribers combined. Although satellite TV officials are loath to admit this, there may be only 15 million to 20 million potential subscribers still out there. (Many viewers cannot get satellite service because they either live in apartments or do not have a residence with a clear southern view of the sky.) DIRECTV and EchoStar, which have spent billions on marketing and branding, would seem well positioned to get the lion's share of new subs. For Voom to succeed, it would have to take subscribers away from the existing services or somehow manage to leapfrog them in marketing awareness.

To be fair, Voom is just now launching a national advertising campaign, which it hopes will improve sales in the coming months. In addition, company officials say they are considering new "pricing alternatives" designed to entice HDTV owners. For instance, Voom now offers a monthly $9.50 leasing plan for the set-top; the "limited offer" is designed to remove the "sticker shock" of buying the system, which has been priced at $749. (Cablevision also plans to spin off Voom as a separate company next month.)

But the early numbers seem to confirm that Voom is barking up the wrong tree. As I predicted last October, I believe that Cablevision eventually will sell Voom's assets to either DIRECTV or EchoStar, perhaps as early as the end of the year.

That is, if they have any assets.