Optimum online

[cetoole]

Just wondering if anyone has used Optimum Online for an ISP, I am moving to Hoboken in a week and this and Verizon Fios are the options available to me. All else the same, I would probably go with Fios, but there is a promotion that puts the OOL at about half the fios cost for the first year, so just wondering if anyone has tried it with good experiences. No p2p, so I shouldnt have the issues with upload capping I read about.

[grawk]

I'd go fios in a densely populated area. Plus fios tv is better

[cetoole]

I have no real interest in getting either landline phone or tv packages, just the internet. It definitely is a densely populated area though.

[Dusty Chalk]

I'd still go with FIOS, myself. I our FIOS. But that doesn't really answer your question, because I have zero experience with the alternative.

[cetoole]

Yeah, I love the fios we have here too. Benefits to the other are that it is about half the price, and I could take advantage of the comcast/time warner/cablevision wifi deal in Manhattan. Fios gets slightly higher ratings it seems, but I could even get the boost package on the Optimum (30/5mbps) for less than 15/5 fios.

[n_maher]

Does either one lock you into a contract?

[skullguise]

My in-laws are in Bergen County for ~1/2 the year (Glen Rock, NJ), they use Optonline. No better or worse than Comcast most places I've seen/heard of it.

Population density is indeed a valid question, but cable has been getting better in overall response time IMO, despite highly populated nodes. I recently found out we have potentially thousands of people on our major node, and I have no real complaints day to day.... If you do a good amount of streaming video, I'd consider FIOS, but otherwise the deal for OOL seems pretty good.

[cetoole]

Fios is a one year contract with ($180 I think) ETF to break, Optimum does not seem to. I do a reasonable amount of streaming, but not crazy.

[jinp6301]

you should be fine with either. havent heard of any unusually bad things from optimum

[mypasswordis]

Autobots, transform and roll out!

[rlm850]

Verizon sucks ass. Fees, lag, horrible connection, and beyond.

I've had optimum for over 10 years now. We're talking when they first came out with the small black boxes that had red LEDs.

I love Optimum. They solve every single problem you have. If it happens to be a problem with their equipment, they replace it the next day for no charge. I am also a streamer myself. I take my connection seriously. Skype, P2P, Servers, Steam games, you name it, everything runs great.

I would LOVE. LOVE LOVE LOVE to see a Verizon speedtest beat that. My modem or router is not tweaked to any custom settings. Sitting on full defaults and lovin' it.

EDIT: OH, AND FYI. VERIZON NOW HAS A $360 CONTRACT.

[Nebby]

I'm not going to get lured into a Speedtest war but my Verizon FIOS connection works just fine.

Colin: I would just go with whatever doesn't have an ETF. Won't hurt as much if the service (somehow) ends up being crappy

[tkam]

Verizon sucks ass. Fees, lag, horrible connection, and beyond.

About the only valid point you have there is the ETF fees which do suck without question. But lag and horrible connection? Have you ever even had FiOS? When I had FiOS it was great had no problems getting 25/25 that the plan called for.

Colin, Optimum actually has a pretty good rep as an ISP, especially for a cable company. If it is that much cheaper than there's no reason not to get it.

[The Monkey]

I have FiOS in Manhattan for everything. It's pretty good, but it ain't cheap. Regardless, I haven't had a problem with it. (the TV reception is also great.) But I've used Optimum at my parents' place in East Hampton and while it sucks ass for cable, the internet connection is generally reliable and very fast. Colin, I'd go to dslreports.com and check out the reviews/complaints there for Hoboken.

[agile_one]

Colin ... daughter lives in Ridgewood, and has Optimum for cable, isp, and phone. Overall satisfied, and if you get for great price, no reason not to use them. Whenever I visit, have had no issues with connection or speed.

[cetoole]

Cool, I think I will go with the Optimum. $30 a month is pretty darn attractive, and I can still give the Boost package a shot if the normal is too slow or inconsistent for me, while still being cheaper and no ETF like fios. The various reviews I have seen about the Optimum internet service mainly complain about inconsistent speeds, mainly during prime time. This is almost certainly an issue of node saturation, so I have some worries about this in Hoboken, considering the population density, but I guess there is no real reason not to try it. I have used fios both where I live now, getting 26/21 on the basic package, and in Boston where I got more like 8/3.