Greetings,I'm writing with respect to purchasing a 2nd internet service for my laptop, which is my sole means of playing online. I made a post at 2+2 that didn't generate any feedback. However, I figured somebody here might be able to chime in with some useful information. My need to purchase a 2nd internet service is prompted by connectivity issues with my ISP (cable internet). I had to call the technician a month ago and he dramatically improved my service to the point that I had no outages until last night (which were system wide according to their tech support).Anyway, right now my only computer is a laptop and I only use cable internet. I want the ability to quickly switch over to a second internet source in case of outages. I thought about using a dial-up modem, but that could be clunky and inefficient. I'm thinking I might need a wireless internet card of some sort, but I'm not sure what to purchase in terms of equipment and services. I want something that is cost efficient if possible, which I would only need in case of emergencies.Feedback is appreciated,Jeffrey
Hey man, this is a good question. You should look at 3g dongles. I believe you can get them on a pay as you go and they are reliable aslong as you can get an mobile(3g) signal. However they can be slow depending on your coverage and in my opinion should not be used as a primary internet solution.You could also look into getting a cheap ADSL connection. I dont know where you live so couldnt really give any advice specifically but if your only wanting a backup solution and not something for on the move this would be usefull and cost effective.Hope this helps, if you need any help i would be pleased to answer any questions.Would also like to add to this, depending on your phone and contract it maybe worth looking into tethering your phone to your computer as a backup solution, this is free on android phones(the functionality, not the internet connection. this depends on your contract) On Iphones i dont think this is a free solution, however it can be paid for and maybe free on some networks(atleast in the uk) -Martin
Greetings Martin,You really know your stuff! I appreciate the feedback and will be looking into some of the suggestions you recommended. I'm thinking it might be worthwhile to spend a bit more money than I originally thought I'd allocate. I'm not rich, but I can't afford to play without a back-up. I'm currently using a high-speed cable connection and think I might buy a 3g mobile broadband backup. I'm going to try and utilize a 'pay as you go' service if possible or get a minimal plan. Thanks for your post, which detailed several options I've been currently examining. Jeffrey
I would defintly suggest getting intouch with your internet provider again and compain. You have every right to complain as you arent recieving the service that you are paying for. Is the internet connection just slow or does it just drop out? If rediculously slow then your probily being throttled, if you dont know this is a process that isps will use when they are dealing with alot of traffic. Slowing everyones internet down to have less traffic. If your isp claim they dont do it then it might be worth complaining to them about it. If its just cutting out then im not sure what you can do, but if it happens alot maybe look at a different provider?I think its always a good idea to have a backup solution, the dongle is a good solution. Make sure you look at the plans carefully to avoid any extra charges. Also because the dongles will have a higher latency than your standard connection so you would probily have a slight delay on your actions at the pokertables. For example my phone 3g has a latency of 300ms to a server near where i live, whereas my home internet connection has a 30ms connection to it. It shouldnt be a huge issue but may be noticeable.If i get the time ill teather my phone with my lappy and test what its like and also try and test bandwidth so i can recomend how much bandwidth playing poker will use in x amount of time so i can advise you on that.
Greetings again Izystar,I appreciate the additional feedback. I've been using a major provider (maybe the largest in the midwest US) for online play since 2003. When I lived in Ann Arbor MI, I didn't have any issues whatsoever. However, now that I moved I've had several issues (with the same provider) over the last five years. I've went through four modems; and I often doubted the modem was the issue.So about six months ago I received another new modem. I'm the first person to complain and have received several refunds and credits for lost service. I threatened to leave my provider on several occasions but they always gave me a reason to stay (i.e. refunds). Plus, I get my regular cable TV through the provider. Basically, my connection is very clean for the most part. However, there are times when the service has simply went down for several hours. Usually it's been a system wide outage. Sometimes they do unannounced (or poorly announced) upgrades in the middle of the night. But there were other issues as well that the service technician fixed a month ago.I had a nasty string of outages that prompted me to have the technician come over to my residence. He spent about an hour and was nice enough to give me new equipment. He did work inside and outside my residence. After he was finished my modem never performed better (at least since I left Ann Arbor, MI). I had no outages except a 30 second hiccup for one whole month! That was unprecedented for this area. Unfortunately, I had an outage last night that was maybe 15-30 minutes. I called the provider and they said it wasn't my equipment but was due to an issue with their infrastructure. I kept checking my signal strength using the Pstars client and it was cycling between 40-100% for another 15 minutes. Fortunately, I wasn't playing at the time! Since then my modem has been working fine.I've thought about simply switching providers, but wonder if it would do any good. Since the last fix things have been very good. Plus, my download speeds are incredibly fast as I have their highest online service package. Unfortunately, I've talked to friends and businesses that use the same provider (in my area) and they have also complained of the same basic issues (but maybe not quite as bad as my service prior to the latest fix). I've seriously contemplated ditching my service, but at this point I'm taking a wait-and-see approach as the latest fix worked so well. If I have anything resembling my old issues I'm not going to hesitate finding a new ISP. I was more tolerant of bad service when I took a year long break from playing online poker. Now that I've been playing online poker for the last month I can't tolerate marginal service. As far as my provider doing a 'throttle,' I haven't noticed substantial fluctuations in my connection speed. It's basically an all-or-nothing proposition. I either get the nuts or 27 offsuit in terms of performance.Thanks again for the feedback and checking into how much bandwith playing poker requires. I appreciate your help.Jeffrey
It sounds like you have Comcast.I had issues with them many years ago. I switched to AT&T and had nightmares with billing, then connection. I then moved and the only choice was Comcast, and since then it has been great, literally never any problems with connection quality, speed or billing.I think all these companies have a higher rate of problems for customers than they should, but for the most part people are happy enough with consistent quality and speed (that's the observation I've had from others).Good luck, I always read reviews from places near me when I look into this kind of stuff because I really don't know much about it.
I really dont know much about ISP's in the us so i cant really recomend anything. Ill be trying the tethering tomorrow to see what its like, actually quiet interested myself as my internet in my uni house sucks so it could be a great alternative.
I think it is definitely worth the investment to get a 3G dongle when you are somewhat serious about playing poker. Just be aware that the internet connectivity set-up for private purpose has no high availability (why otherwise do you think companies invest so much in redundancy and dedicated networks).The cheapest way to get redundancy for private use is through a 3G modem and gives you the added advantage of being able to play on the road (given you're not roaming as that becomes a "bit" expensive). Way better to spend the money on this than on loosing some buy-ins and then tilting off some more (been there, done that)
Just played one game via the use of 3g, was really impressed actually. I had 100% connection with it. I didnt get to test the bandwidth used but i will later after a little break(running bad today :D).
My two cents: When i lived in the UK I had a dongle from VOdafone, which worked awesome.My roommate had one from EPLUS? which worked poorly.Back here in Germany I use 1&1 which works fine aswell but only in city areas. GL all and run as hot as me
Checking coverage maps and user experiences in areas you plan to use your product is definitely required.I've had some of the 3G mobile options before and their reliability can change dramatically depending on where you are in the country (just like cell phone coverage/quality).