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qwarfujj t1_ivq7ns2 wrote

Is your connection a bonded pair connection? I had their service on the 25/2 plan a couple years ago and that's what it used. I had issues initially until the third tech came out and actually checked the lines from the DSLAM to my house at my urging. Found out that 1 of the lines traveled another half mile at the corner and then looped back. In order for a bonded pair to work correctly it requires the lines to be in sync so the extra distance on one line was causing issues. Once he fixed that I was good.

I've heard the same about starlink from a friend that lives in the south. It's good for downloading data or streaming since it can buffer but expect a few drop outs during the day that can affect things like a VPN connection. They've also just implemented a data cap set to go in effect next month I believe. 1TB of data between 7am and 11pm. You can pay for extra by the GB I believe. Still probably be faster than what you're getting though.

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numetalbeatsjazz OP t1_ivq82lq wrote

I just switched from 10/1 to 25/2 like a month ago and it has been less consistent than my previous connection. One of the techs mentioned something along the lines of what you're saying. They keep saying they are sending a tech and they only come out maybe 25% of the time. What exactly should I be asking for? Sorry, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to technical stuff like that?

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qwarfujj t1_ivq8utq wrote

It was a number of years ago but I paid special attention to my modem settings. In there, and I can't tell you where because I've forgotten, there is a way to see the line stats for each line. They were labeled line 0 and line 1. I could watch the stats on line 0 drop in real time until is lost connection and have to restart the modem. If you can get the tech to help you get into the modem admin screens and show you were on there you can view the line stats it may help you convince them to do a more in depth bit of troubleshooting.

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Just-Rub-6746 t1_ivr2z9b wrote

Consolidated is absolutely terrible. Particularly in rural areas where they are the only option, not only is the connection intermittent and the speed half what you pay for (at best), they also have terrible customer service. The techs are good people and want to help, but the business is poorly run and you cannot talk to anyone local on the phone.

Only reasonable solution -Starlink. Works great and speeds are many times what Consolidated can offer.

Drawbacks: expensive- $500ish for equipment and $110/mo for service Signal loss during very heavy rain events. No experience with snow yet.

Pros: No aggravation. It just works. And it is fast (avg 150 down, 50 up) Never have to deal with Consolidated again.

Overall - well worth it.

Note: I am not sure if Musk is a megalomaniac lunatic or not, but Starlink is great.

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numetalbeatsjazz OP t1_ivtbx5n wrote

How long have you had it? Price and weather are my two concerns. I used to have sattelite TV back in the day and remember losing it during bad weather which is when I'd be most likely to use it since I'd be stuck inside.

I'm also concerned with Musk being an unhinged narcissist.

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Just-Rub-6746 t1_ivuvhjs wrote

I've had it since spring 2022. Only experienced interruption a few times due to rain, and only for a few minutes at a time. It is likely accumulated water on the antenna face itself that causes the issue. Antenna looks nearly due north from my place (Fairfax) and the face is not at a steep angle. I need to install it on my roof so that may change the angle and fix it anyway. Not sure how it will perform in a three day blizzard, but I suspect quite well as long as the antenna remains clear of ice/snow. It could also be signal strength not making it through the cloud cover, but I doubt it.

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bobcat1911 t1_ivsppoh wrote

It's not a data cap per se, your speeds might be deprioritized in congested cells, download speeds could possibly be the same as the "Best effort" or RV dishes, which judging by recent comments are not too bad, somewhere in the 20gb to 50 gb download speeds.

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