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dopkick t1_jdow368 wrote

So, Wi-Fi is not internet. You could have a rock solid home network but a terrible connection to your ISP. And vice versa.

I currently have Xfinity and have had cable for nearly three decades in quite a few locations. I’ve always owned my own equipment, if possible, and knew what I was doing with network setup. I’ve never had serious issues. Yes sometimes there were issues that were resolved in a reasonable time and sometimes equipment started to die.

Yet, others have plenty of problems with Xfinity. I’m sure some of it, probably a majority, is user error. Some of it might be bad luck with the local infrastructure. It’s not unreasonable that you could have a terrible experience while someone the next block over has a great one.

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theghostofm t1_jdqymku wrote

> Yet, others have plenty of problems with Xfinity. I’m sure some of it, probably a majority, is user error.

Everyone reading this: This is 100% true, and in my experience it mostly comes from the conflation of "WiFi" and "Internet" that people make. As you said, WiFi and Internet are two separate things. Anyone who is having complaints with their Xfinity download speeds should definitely reassess their router/wifi situation.

There are definitely problems with lots of coax installs in the city, but Baltimore's Xfinity coax deployments are - for the most part - pretty modern and robust. We're actually supposed to be one of the initial markets for multigig and DOCSIS 4.0, which will be a pretty huge evolution - so much so that consumer electronics are mostly not even ready for it yet.

But having said all that, there are also loads of old amps and out-of-spec splits that have been installed and forgotten over the years. If your service is spotty and you're confident with your in-home setup, it's worth asking Xfinity to send a tech to check your SNR. If you often have problems when the weather is bad, ask them to inspect the housing and installations of amps/splits to make sure water isn't causing issues, etc.

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Joezepey t1_jdosk0h wrote

Xfinity or t-mobile are the only services I'm aware of. In a lot of places, only xfinity is available.

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theghostofm t1_jdqxgio wrote

FWIW Verizon has 5G service in lots of neighborhoods - and they offer 5G home internet over it. Baltimore is, oddly enough, one of the only places in the world that has real UWB 5G coverage (The super 5G). If you've noticed weird pods on top of lampposts and poles popping up over the past year or two, that's what those are.

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Wolfman3 t1_jdp0s2d wrote

Some newer or recently rehabbed buildings have Fios.

I had it in my building in Hampden for a bit.

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theghostofm t1_jdqx8dn wrote

Oh this is interesting! I'm curious if your building that had Fios was built/rehabbed around the mid-2000's. As far as I was aware, Fios halted new buildouts in the city around 2008~2009.

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dangerbird2 t1_jdr67yb wrote

In most of the city, you have a choice between Xfinity, Xfinity, and Xfinity. They're all equally great, by which I mean they suck donkey balls.

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theghostofm t1_jdqx1de wrote

Hey OP! I'm an IT guy that also happens to be more knowledgeable than most about internet services in the city (I've seriously entertained the idea of starting a small local ISP). Happy to answer any questions to get your setup working well!

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zoomzoomzoomie t1_jds5awj wrote

Does T Mobile 5G home internet have reasonable speeds around the city and some of the closer suburbs?

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theghostofm t1_jdv7soc wrote

For the 5G home internet providers (Verizon and T-Mobile), that's going to be a solid "It depends." That's probably why they're both non-contractual and have no-cost return windows, so it doesn't hurt to try.

It depends mostly on the coverage level in your area. For both, but especially for the Verizon offering, it can also depend on where you place it in your house.

Verizon's service can use Ultra Wideband 5G (Which is the "Real" 5G we were promised starting back in like 2018) which can churn out some insanely fast connections. But it's super limited in range, really struggles to connect inside houses, and is deployed mostly in the mass affluent neighborhoods in the city (Canton, etc).

T-Mobile's service is much more widely available and has much longer range, but suffers from slower speeds, congestion issues during busy parts of the day, and high latency. Good enough for your general internet use most of the time, but online gamers would not last long with it.

Bot T-Mo and (iirc) Verizon's networks are based on IPv6, which is the future of the internet but still has some possible mild compatibility issues these days.

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Eluena t1_jdpg9o3 wrote

Verizon 5G is an option in some areas. I have it and have been very satisfied with it!

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