When talking to people who are interested in cutting the cord, the issue that continually crops up is how to find affordable internet access. Many ask how to obtain internet access without a cable TV bundle. While market competition between internet service providers in the U.S. is extremely low, there are areas within the U.S. where competition is non-existent.
The F.C.C. definition of broadband is a download speed of 25 Mbps. A 2014 report showed that only 37% of Americans had a choice of 2 or more providers. Furthermore, 14% of the population had no provider in their area delivering internet access at that speed.
For someone that had ditched cable and streaming their content over the internet, an HD video at 1080p requires 5-7 Mbps to stream without buffering. Therefore, I typically recommend about 10 Mbps as the minimum to stream without headaches. Even at that speed, only 70% of the population have any choice at all. However, that stat is misleading as many of those choices are expensive low-quality satellite internet.
Internet Cost Per Month
In order to make cutting the cord worth it, the trick is to keep your internet costs while having adequate speed to stream video without buffering. I recommend trying to keep your internet cost per month below $70 per month. Add a digital TV antenna, and a streaming service and you are on your way to cable-free lifestyles
Ideally, a lower internet cost leaves you with more money to purchase content. Today, I’m going to cover some internet only plans in the U.S. that deliver affordable home internet service. I’ll also cover the states where each of these providers operates.
If you know of an affordable internet only plan in your area that you use to cut the cord, please let us know in the comments and I’ll add it to the article.
Internet Service Providers In My Area
Verizon Fios Internet
The best internet service provider in my area is Verizon Fios. Thankfully, they’ve been a top-notch ISP for me. They had a promotion that gave me 50 Mbps of download speed for under $40, which is plenty of bandwidth to cut the cord.
UPDATE: Verizon just doubled the speed offered in their deal. You can now get 100 Mbps for under $50. Read my post on this Fios Internet-only service for more information on how I got their promotional pricing.
Verizon Fios is currently available in and around the areas of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware and Washington D.C. You can check for the promo pricing availability here.
Cheap Internet Service Providers
While the ISPs I mention in this post are affordable, they also offer quality internet access. Unfortunately, not every state has a decent provider. I will be sure to cover as many states as possible. As I mentioned earlier, if you know a provider, leave their information in the comments and I’ll get them added to the list. I want to grow this list to give people a reference to the best internet plans available for home users.
AT&T Internet Only
AT&T is currently offering an internet-only deal that provides 50 Mbps for $40. You can sign up for the promotion here. The page looks like a bundle, but scroll to the bottom and the $40 internet deal is in a box on the left. You can also call 844-566-6257 toll free to get the offer if you give them promo code “U3787“.
AT&T offer internet service in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Check for availability in your area.
Comcast Internet Only
Comcast is offering some very good Xfinity internet plans that you don’t have to bundle with TV. In some areas of the country, I’ve seen broadband pricing for under $30 and 100 Mbps for around $50. This link will show you what is available in your area or you can call 855-432-3254 to take advantage of this offer.
Comcast Availability: The Xfinity service area is within the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
Charter Spectrum Internet Only
Charter offers plenty of speed to cut the cord with their Spectrum Internet-only plan. They offer up to 60 Mbps for $39.99 per month with a modem included. Check out their offer on this Charter internet promo page or call 855-846-2526 to take advantage of the offer.
Charter Availability: Charter’s service area is within the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Optimum Online
Few cable companies offer affordable internet only services. However, residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and a few in Pennsylvania can subscribe to Cablevision’s Optimum Online Internet service. Not only can you get 100 Mbps for a great price, but also the service is solid.
Google Fiber
Google Fiber is really changing the ISP game. Every city they begin offering high-speed broadband in immediately sparks price competition. While they offer gigabit internet at $70 per month, you can also get a 25 Mbps internet connection for only $15 per month. This easily makes them the best internet service provider for those looking to cut the cord.
If you need a bit more speed than that, they also offer 100 Mbps for only $50. As of this article, they currently offer internet in Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; the Kansas City metro area in Missouri and Kansas; Nashville, Tennessee; and Provo, Utah and they just started rolling out in Salt Lake City.
DSL Extreme
DSL Extreme offers speeds much faster than what you typically see from DSL, that’s because they are using AT&Ts existing U-Verse network to deliver service. The speeds they offer that matter to cord cutters are their 24 Mbps plan for $52.95 and their 45 Mbps plan for $62.95. Both plans are adequate for most cord cutters.
They operate in areas within Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Check here for availability.
WOW! Internet
A reader of the blog informed me that WOW! now offers Internet access in Knoxville Tennessee. They offer speeds of 30 Mbps for just $25 and 60 Mbps for just $40 a Mbps. If anyone has any experience with their Internet-only service them please post in the comments. They appear to offer service in parts of South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio.
Update: A commenter had a bad billing experience with this provider. Can anyone else way in on this in the comments?
Find Internet Providers in Your Area
The options above are ones I have personally found online. What if none of those providers service your location? Luckily, I have partnered with an internet sales solution team that will find available internet in your area. Simply call toll free 844-871-8505, provide your zip code at the prompt and a sales representative will provide you available internet offers in your area.
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Rita Morris says
Have been with Time-Warner for over 25 years. When they were purchased by Spectrum, they sent me a letter (last April) offering a deal of cable for $29.99 and internet for $29.99, free modem (which I was paying $5 a month for). Now my year is up, my bill has gone up $20 (plus the fees kept going up every month), so my new bill is over $100. When I call them, they say they have NOTHING TO OFFER ME! All the deals are for NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY! Internet only is $70 a month for current customers but $45 for new customers! I am leaving them even if I have to go to the library every day to use the internet…I can get my local TV shows with a digital antennae. I am looking at various other internet solutions, and I am hoping that some in this article will be available to me and reasonably priced. I notice you do not talk anything about using mobile hot spots or a device like Verizon Jet Pack…why is that? Are they not viable options for streaming with my Amazon Fire Stick?
Dennis Restauro says
I don’t find mobile viable for cord cutting because many providers will count the data against a tethering allowance if you cast to a television.
Robert Bethune says
I’m from a small rural area of Alabama just outside of a town called Prattville. I’ve been wanting to get a hardline internet source for quite sometime, but the regular cable providers don’t offer their services this far out. Also satellite is offered such as dish and direct TV but they charge you to death for an unlimited plan. I know that there’s a way for me to solve this issue but im just not exactly sure how yet.
PAT says
FYI–under the “Find Internet Providers In Your Area” topic above, the phone number 844-871-8505 connected me to Comcast Business Service.
As a beginner in terms of learning abt cutting the cord, I’ve read over many of your articles and still have a few questions. I have an LG 4K smart TV and RG-6 coaxial cord. I want to be able to set up series recordings on network TV. I understand your recommendation of either a TiVo or Tablo and the need for a multi-directional antenna-I plan to purchase a Mohu based upon the report from tvfool.com. What I’m not sure of is whether or not I’ll need both a modem and router. I’m not a tech-savvy person, so I don’t get the technical info in your articles abt that. Also, do you have a preference of fios (I don’t have many options in my zip code–AT&T being the only one you mention above) over going with internet only services from Spectrum Cable or Direct TV/Dish? Lastly, is it possible to get free in-home internet?
Dennis Restauro says
Thank you, I’ll take a look and get the number changed. As for the router/modem, Most ISPs will supply you with what you need. They will typically let you know which devices they support with their service if you decide to purchase your own. There are ways to get free internet. However, they are nearly impossible to cut the cord with.
Bonita says
Charter Spectrum price is only good for one year although they do have stellar internet, in my experience with them..good thing too because their cable tv sucks. I pay roughly $70 a month for internet and I do NOT rent their router because I had one so that saves me a bit. For the city I live in, spectrum is the only game in town. I have gone cable free for nearly 2 years now and love this site as I have learned lots of new things every time I log in and check out the articles and the forum.
irene golden says
I’m trying to find internet only so I can cancel Comcast.
Dennis Restauro says
Which area of the country do you live in?
mjdindc says
Many have only 1 choice. Fios to in my area and Verizon DSL too slow (6mbps) especially based on cost. Comast is the same price for both internet only or tv and internet. In most of the country there is no choice, one company as a monopoly and shares what they want.
Albania Vasquez says
Spectrum has the worst customer service, sales i have ever seen, they charge you $65 for 100mb and if they provide you with their free modem will charge extra $5 for wifi connectivity (are you kidding me?!?!?!?!), it gets better NOT!!, i can’t get any other service of any other company, because Spectrum has a contract with the apartment residence area.
Ashley Menefee says
Don’t forget you have to reset your modem daily because of connectivity issues smh
Natalia says
Do you think a 50mbps speed would be enough to stream Netflix and use a computer at the same time for long periods of time? I have a bundle package that went up 26 dollars and don’t want to keep paying $96 just so my daugther can watch Netflix while I work from home. We never ever watch regular tv. I called Comcast to see if they could do anything for me, and they told me that a great way to save would be to cancel my mobile data plan with AT &T!!!!!!! They basically almost told me to stop buying groceries, so I can keep paying Comcast Xfinity. I am upset and have always wanted to stop paying for cable. I am just unsure if going with a “slower” internet would be still ok.
Dennis Restauro says
Definitely. I’ve used 50 Mbps connections with 3 HD streams going and people using the internet.
Ally Acker says
I’m wondering if the 2nd generation apple express router will work with Fios? I don’t want to have to pay $10 additional a month for Verizon’s router. Thanks
Dennis Restauro says
If you get them to switch the ONT to Ethernet then any router should work.
Dolores Johnson says
How can I start watching local channels for free, I have fire stick on a Samsung tv, no local channels will come in
Dennis Restauro says
Sure. I wrote a guide on How to watch local channels without cable.
Tracia Smithson says
Get a digital antenna.
Cree-8 Branding says
I live in the Los Angeles area. We have 2 options Spectrum or Frontier. Spectrum internet alone is $64.99 for 100 mbps. My internet goes in and out. I heard that Frontier is good but their customer service is very very bad. I called to find out about pricing since their website was not accurate. It would cost me $51.99 for 18mbps. However, when I called, I didn’t even like the sales person. It was hard for me to save that little bit of money for even a bad customer service/sales person. They lost my business. Now I am still stuck with expensive mediocre internet. Very frustrating!
O. Fernando Tapia says
I used to have WOW while living in Knoxville, TN and their internet was absolutely great, I was paying for 60Mbps but got actual 90 throughout the day, service was good, cannot say the same about cable TV which I cut off later. Miss them tremendously here in Mobile, AL where I only haave Mediacom which is down 50 to 60% of the time and got tired of calling for their bad service, and options are only Hughes satellite which i tried and did not work here, and AT&T which for my (good area of town)only offers 5Mbps!! Crazy!
Lori Gayle says
Anyone in San Diego county know of Internet service less than Spectrum’s $65.? I won’t sign a contract with AT&T even if less.
4seasons says
As some commenters state below, I too have (ethics and billing) issues with Spectrum (former Time Warner, TWC, Adelphia etc) here in Los Angeles.
I cut the cable cord several years ago and either watch online or stream via Roku. I use my own Modem for Spectrum’s Cable Internet and my own Router for wireless.
Yesterday, my monthly Spectrum Internet-only bill for 100 Mbps (it was the minimum Mbps offered 1+ years ago) went from $44.99 to $64.99 for March/April 2018. A $20 increase per month???!!! That’s not how I expect to be treated as a customer of 22 years.
Furthermore, I’m sick and tired of regularly having to argue and negotiate with Spectrum about rates. And I don’t want to receive their snail-mail junk and bundle offers 3 times a week anymore either.
This time, I was so outraged that I shamed Spectrum publicly by tweeting it to LA City Council, City of LA, LA Mayor, my District Reps and our CA Attorney General. Spectrum immediately responded and offered to look into it. I told them I’m done playing games and that I was looking elsewhere.
Several years ago, the city had a plan to bring affordable (or even free) internet to LA. We’re still waiting. In 2018, Starry (former Aereo) is making headlines again, but if a building (apartment building in my case) doesn’t have their “beacon”, it’s a no go as far as I understand.
http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/starry-wireless-internet-los-angeles-1202654875/
I’m currently looking into AerioConnect to find out if it’s a possible alternative. http://www.aerioconnect.com/index.php/internet-residential
Thanks for writing about these kind of consumer issues.
LisaB says
Our bill for internet and cable went up $23 last month. We called and they said there was nothing they could do because all offers were for new customers only. We have been a customer for 24 years. They also told us the bill would go up about $30 more in February 2019. We’ve had it with them and are searching for alternatives. Meanwhile, though, we’ll still pay the bill and use them.
Albania Vasquez says
I know what you mean, Spectrum is the worst and they charge you $5 monthly extra for wifi connection in the house/apartment and it comes and goes. They had a special and my friend called the sales department, they don’t care about the Customer. And it gets worse than $70 monthly for poor service, i can’t get any other service of any other company, because Spectrum has a contract with the apartment residence area.
Bonita Rushing says
I just signed up for the AT&T $40 plan, and they sent me an email with some details I didn’t see in the fine print, lol…it said I would have “Total Monthly Internet Usage Allowance of 1024 GB”…and they’d charge $10 for each additional 50 gigabytes of data…is this bad? I have no idea how much I use, but it’s just me and one other person in my home.
Dennis Restauro says
I doubt you’ll hit that limit. You would need to watch about 14 hours of HD streaming daily to hit 1024 in a month.
Bonita Rushing says
would like to see what anyone knows/thinks about earthlink internet service?
Bonita Rushing says
Hi. New on here. Just wanted to share…I checked out the link to AT&T internet, and it is $40 (plus fees, which I forgot to ask what the total will be…plus $99 installation, but no activation fee…plus they give a bonus $100 visa card to counteract the install fee…only catch is you have to sign up for 12 months, then after that it goes up to $70/month. Still better than what I have, which is Cox Communications (I live in Pensacola, Fla), and they just raised my 50mbps internet price to $113/month, so I called and asked why it went up, they said my promotional rate expired..it was $80/month before that..so they said they would drop it to $100/month (including taxes, fees)..but that’s the best they could do…so I’m shopping around…oh, fyi..the Charter Spectrum link above actually links me to my current provider, Cox Comm…so I guess Spectrum uses Cox’s lines in my area…anyway, thanks for this website and info!
Jennifer Van Arsdale says
Ok now… hopefully I can get some answers here… I am having a very hard time trying to find internet ONLY for my house.
Where I live there is NO providers except for satellite (hughesnet) internet. I am outside the city limits. Now some of the other carriers (AT&T, Spectrum) do provide for my zip code but I am outside the circle of the area of my zip code they service. I know AT&T has a hotspot thingy but there is really no advertisement or actual prices for it… They ALL want to bundle… I don’t want that. I NEED Internet.
Can Anyone please help me with info on hot spots???
HELP PLEASE… Thank You in advance
Jim White says
I am moving and want to go with just a smart TV. Verizon is trying to sell me a Local TV Package along with the internet service. I can get the local channels with an Antenna I have purchased. Do I need to get this local TV package in order to have the smart TV work? I presently have the extreme package with them and my smart TV works fine. Didn’t know if there was something technical with the TV package that enabled the smart tv to work with them. I plan to use FIOS WiFi with the smart TV.
Dennis Restauro says
No. You just need to purchase Internet. They will always try to sell you a video subscription.
Jen says
We have been very happy with internet only and streaming services for over a year now, but Spectrum is raising our internet rate. Of course they are pushing hard on cable/internet bundle deals at cheaper prices than what we pay for internet only. Is it possible to take that deal and just not use the cable? I don’t want their equipment or anything else to disrupt what we have which works perfectly. Thanks
JustMe BeingMe says
I’m trying to get away from spectrum and am having a difficult time finding a provider in my area. :-(
Aria Sheklebergstein says
That is what brought me here… trying to get away from Spectrum. It should be illegal for all these cable companies to corner the markets in their respective area’s. It’s as if they collude together so they all get a piece of the pie.
Wilma LaFayette says
spectrum is the worst. Still old same TWC just changed the name…
Dennis Restauro says
You could take the deal, but remember there are a lot of hidden fees that usually make them more expensive then just internet.
Roger Mash says
lucky in the uk.Fibre unlimited…37meg…cheap as chips & we don’t have fee’s for renting equipment.Thought we had a raw deal until i saw how Americans get ripped off.
4seasons says
This happened to me too with Spectrum in Los Angeles. I cut the cable TV cord 4 years ago after Spectrum (TWC/Time Warner) kept raising their prices and removing more and more channels. In the end, I felt I was just paying for commercials and non-english-spoken channels, which made my decision to cancel premium cable, then broadcast cable, a no-brainer. Ever since cutting the cord and paying for Internet only, I watch whatever I want online or stream it via Roku, which makes me more than happy :) :)
Then last week, after one year of Internet bliss, my new monthly Internet-only bill increased from $45 to $65 !! :( I took to Twitter, shamed Spectrum publicly and tweeted my outrage to the City of LA, the LA City Council, the LA Mayor and the CA Attorney General. The City of LA has been at war with Time Warner for as long as I can remember, and the NY AG just won his battle for New Yorkers against Time Warner.
Spectrum reacted, but was unable to offer a new discount deal. I really hate their stupid game of constantly having to re-negotiate and beg for lower rates. As a customer of 22+ years I should be able to expect some kind of enduring cooperation without having to beg or cry my eyes out every few months.
Angelenos were once hopeful that a city-wide project providing affordable or even free “Internet for all” would free them from the greedy claws of cable companies. But sadly the project was never completed. However, in January 2018, the former Aereo CEO launched Starry in parts of LA.
But that would require our greedy landlords to install a beacon/receiver on our rent-controlled residential rooftop building, a favor they certainly won’t grant me as they’re trying every dubious avenue to get rid of long-time tenants :(
My $45 for 100 Mbps (no taxes nor fees) was a truly great deal while it lasted. I didn’t ask for 100 Mbps, but it was the minimum available speed offered then. I provide my own modem, which I purchased 4 years ago and which still works great. In the long run, buying your own good-quality modem is cheaper than renting it from Spectrum.
Therefore, I’ve been rather lucky with my Internet-only experience until last week. But now I need a new solution because I simply cannot afford $65/mo for Internet. And I’m not interested in any kind of bundles whatsoever. So I’m going to keep reading your blog until the perfect solution arises :)
4seasons says
This is the LA City project I was mentioning in my above post. And now I just found this update from Feb 2018 :)
The Los Angeles Community Broadband Project plans to use advances in wireless tech to compete with big telecom and connect the masses.
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/j5bb43/los-angeles-community-broadband-project-wisp-test
Pat O'Brien says
Found your site today, thank you. I live in a rural area with no cable. I currently am using Verizon hotspot, but that of course won’t work for streaming. The only other options here are satellite or standard DSL which is nearly impossible for even internet searching. Hugh net is 25mps up to 10 gigs and then 3 and costs $50. Will this work?? Thanks, Pat
Dennis Restauro says
It may be possible using nothing but standard definition depending on how much you watch. However, I don’t think 10 gigs would be enough for most people. Sorry!
sharon says
Stumbled upon your site and glad I did. I’m not too sharp with all this new tech stuff, so I really need help. I’d love to cut the cord, but my husband is not sold on it. When you speak of “streaming”, is that when you purchase a box from Roku, Amazon Fire, etc? I’ve been told you then download apps for certain stations? I’m currently with Spectrum and just received a letter they are going up, so I want out. Want can you suggest for us? There are only 2 of us in the home. I know I need internet because I play a few games on my tablet, phone, etc. My husband and I don’t watch a lot of different channels. We find ourselves watching the same ones a lot. He does like to record shows and watch them over, and over, and over……. :)
Dennis Restauro says
Yes, streaming is watching movies and TV via the internet. This can be done on a device like a Roku, smart TV, or even your computers web browser. You subscribe to a service that supplies the content. I recommend taking a look at our article on cable alternatives for information on how to get started.
sharon says
Thank you! I have read a ton of your info today. If I don’t have a smart TV, is that when I would need Roku or Fire? I’m still a little confused on that. I have 1 smart TV, but another that I’m not sure about. It may have been purchased in 2007, I don’t remember. Is there a way to find out? We’ve always had cable hooked up so I’m not sure what it is.
Carlos Zayas says
Do not trust all articles that you see in the Internet. Must of then have been financed for the big names you know. They do not care about service or quality, just to get the more money out of your pocket to them. Sorry but you live in an exploiter and rip off society. Good luck
Sam Morgan says
It should be mentioned that we signed up for Verizon Fios 2 years ago for one of these promo deals. Started as $80 per month for 80/80 and phone service but as soon as that promo ended they kicked it up to $160 per month and won’t negotiate a lower price. It’s infuriating to see that they’re offering new customers better speeds for $40 per month. Just be ready to get gouged when that promo period ends.
Dennis Restauro says
Hi Sam. You can get the new deal if you cancel your subscription and get a new one in your wife or roommates name. They will get the new deal. Just make sure you schedule cancelation after their new service gets hooked up.
Carlos Zayas says
We are a country of confused people. We do not know anything. Just how to exploit every human been. I help to develop the Internet, today I know we created a monster.
carl seyersdahl says
I have a question about the “cable box” on the back of my house. It has been used by three different cable companies in the past and now is in use by yet another company. it has three cables connecting to my inside tvs. All the old outside cables have long ago been disconnected.
my question is this. Who really owns this cable terminal box. ?? I am working on my “cable cutting ” project
and need some help in this respect.
thanks
carl s.
Dennis Restauro says
I’m not going to be able to answer that one. Every area is different with their rules and regulations. I suggest calling each company and see if they own the box. It’s possible a previous owner installed it on their own. In that case it’s likely yours. I would check first before tinkering with it.
carl seyersdahl says
Dennis: the box (terminal) was installed thirty years ago, when I bought this house (new)
the original cable co.was sold to another co. and sold again to the next co.and so on, and now is in use by Frontier , who bought out Verizon in may states. What I don’t unnderstand is how I can get internet if I can’t use that cable. I do need internet for my computer. my
home phone is also on the cable but I may be able get it back on landline.
Anyway, I was thinking of using that box to feed my tvs from my antenna since the cable connections are alreaady there. When Fios was installed in this area verizon installed my current setup, which of course is now frontier so now I’m not sure what to do.
Thanks for your reply my friend, I’ll keep watching this site aaand maybe someone else
will have something to say on the subject.
Have a good day my friend.
carl seyersdahl
Dennis Restauro says
You just turn off the TV potion of your bill and keep the phone and TV. I wouldn’t use the existing cable for the antenna. It’s typically not optimal for over the air TV. Furthermore, that is where your internet is coming from. You can’t have OTA and Internet on the same coaxial.
Aria Sheklebergstein says
If it helps any, Carl, I just bought my house and they had an old dish on the porch roof. So I removed the dish, installed an antenna and reused the coaxle cables they had kindly ran down the side of the house and into my basement. It was hooked up to a 4 way splitter so I had no trouble splitting the signal into my 4 bedrooms either. I would say it is working quite well. We get over 50 channels, which is plenty because I don’t allow the kids to watch much tv as it is. Good luck!
jean says
The At & T code is not valid. and the current A t & T deal is for 18 Mbps
Dennis Restauro says
I’m wondering if it is depended on the area you are calling from. Has anyone been able to get this code to work?
Dick Downey says
See nothing for Iowa. Any experience with Speedconnect?
Dennis Restauro says
Not personally. Anyone else?
Debra St Louis says
If you get food stamps yo can get At&T Access if it is in your area for 10.00 month with 12mbsp
Dennis Restauro says
It’s 10 Mbps, and yes. However, you need to meet all the requirements. Here is a link to the requirements for the AT&T access program.
Rd says
Mediacom in South Alabama/Northwest Florida has internet only offerings. I’m getting 50mbps broadband service for $49.99 now but I think I can get a much better / faster plan if I upgrade a step up to around $60. (100Mbps and 1Tb of data)
roam396 says
For Comcast customers out there, and regarding the Comcast internet packages listed in this story…the packages are for non-Comcast customers. (I had the pleasure of taking with Comcast for an hour this weekend.) If you are an existing Comcast customer, it’s no surprise to you that they gouge you so you don’t cut the cord. $95 for 100 mbps. $50 for 25mbps. I have Two 4k TV’s, was considering getting Roku players, HD antennas and Hulu Live subscription and dropping all Comcast services except internet. BUT…at $95 not sure it is worth all the hassle (exactly what the evil minds of Comcast have designed!) Will I be able to stream at 25mbps with two 4K tv’s? I’m guessing the answer is no…but I rarely use both at one time, and if I do, I’m OK if the quality is reduced to HD….any opinions out there?
Thanks.
Debra St Louis says
Do you have to pay for boxes. I have the full pkf for 99.00 month but with all the boxes, etc and taxes almost 200.00 tired of comcast .
roam396 says
I have two HD boxes, two non HD boxes…one HD box as free…have to pay for others. If I cut cord, I own my modem/router, so no equip fees.
Dennis Restauro says
If you only get internet access then you won’t need a cable box. They will supply you with a cable modem for internet access. However, the most I’ve seen charged for that is an extra $10 a month and there are minimal taxes and fees compared to a TV bundle.
roam396 says
I called Comcast back to confirm the rates they gave me, and dropping all my TV services as an existing customer they offered 100mbps for $55 for one year….even though I fought with Comcast for an hour a few days prior and they wouldn’t budge from the $95 for 100mbps. I asked this rep why and she said I had been routed to the “customer solutions department” to “downgrade service” and she had access to that deal and sometimes other departments don’t. The call I mention in my previous post was to the service termination department. As usual…dealing with Comcast doesn’t make much sense…but I’m one test (Hulu Live using an Roku ultra) away from cutting the cord!
Dennis Restauro says
That’s great!. It’s so hard to give advice on negotiating with ISPs because it’s really based on which customer rep and department you get. The only thing that seems to work is to keep calling until you get something affordable.
roam396 says
HD antenna….are outdoor the way to go or are the indoor versions effective? Either way, any recommendations?
Dennis Restauro says
Check my article on TV Antennas
t458hts says
Just for the heck of it I purchased an HDTV indoor antenna and stuck it to the window near my TV. I picked up 45 stations. I live near a major city, so your results may be different. The picture for my local channels was actually clearer than through my cable provider.
Greg says
Your getting a true 1080p signal over the air compared to 720 most cable companies provide .
The Shadow says
Would be nice to get some insights and input on VPN’s – especially since Trump removed Net Neutrality and allows your ISP to track you every move.
Dennis Restauro says
Here is an article on Choosing a good VPN. I put it together right after congress dismantled online privacy protections back in February.
Bernie Kanuck says
Comcast is the only option were I live, since fios is not available, Xfinity internet only is $99. per month. That is crazy, can’t wait for verizon, then comcast will lower but I will never use them, then.
Dennis Restauro says
Even the 25 Mbps tier is $99?
Bernie Kanuck says
No for existing customers 25Mbps is $69.95. Where I live New customers get it for 39.00/month. The reason is there is no competition, same town but where their is Verizon Fios, Comcast is 39/month for 25MBPS, 49.95 for 100MB.
Dennis Restauro says
This is terrible, however there is a workaround that works if you have a room-mate or spouse. You just keep switching who has the service. It’s a bit of a hassle, but worth the savings.
Janet Harris says
Comcast does not allow the workaround to the same address. We did it for many years, but they changed their policy on it 4-5 years ago.
Dennis Restauro says
That’s too bad. Sorry to hear that.
Kimberly says
I have WOW in Florida. I have not had any problems. My first bill was incorrect and it was corrected with one phone call.
Dennis Restauro says
Great Kimberly! Thanks for the good news. It’s nice to have reliable newer ISPs to bring competition to a market that sorely needs it.
N Stuart says
Bought a Roku 2 on eBay, and thought it was plug and play. So spoiled. Will look at YT videos to see how to connect with Century Link wifi. Would Ethernet cable be more advantageous connected to Roku in another room? Also, rumor that CL and Roku do not interface well together?
Dennis Restauro says
What are you having problems with. The into screen will walk you right through setting it up.
Karen Robinson says
Dennis – Just wanted to give you and others heads up about the Verizon internet-only deal (on your updated/sponsored page). Long story short, I had to cancel and then start a new account to get the deal. Also, related question – appreciated article on routers – any advice on newer routers? (or point me in right direction as article I saw on your site was a few years ago.)
Dennis Restauro says
Thanks Karen. Yeah, the Verizon deal is only for “New” customers. Canceling works. Did you have a gap in service?
Karen Robinson says
A couple of days gap only. A little longer story: Service rep told me it would be $20 more a month for 50/50 than the 100/100 deal. When I asked how long I had to not be a customer he put me on hold and then never answered that question. Instead, he told me that I should not cancel because then I would lose tenure! I noted that tenure wasn’t working out well for me since they wanted to charge me more for less. He then told me that I needed to clear the cache on my browser because the deal was no longer available. That last lie/illustration of incompetence prompted me to just cancel! I am now happy with the 100/100 deal you reported, and an indoor antenna that works great. Thanks so much for this very helpful website!
Dennis Restauro says
Thank you Karen! I just wanted to get an idea of how this is working. It sounds like if you can handle a gap of a couple days it may be worth doing.
Derek Wayne Cummings says
This is terrible info I’m learning! Considering from what I’ve read I’m basically STUCK with 2 options AT&T “RAISING MONTHLY BILLS AT 50mbps” or COX “RAISING MONTHLY BILLS AT EVEN FASTER SPEEDS 100mbps” LOL either way this SUCKS!! Wichita,KS
Kris Hughes says
If you are running only one device at a time, you can easily stream Netflix and YouTube with little or no buffering at 1MB. You won’t have HD but the quality will be reasonable. I did it for years on a DSL line that was only capable of delivering .5 (yes, that’s point 5).
I’ve now moved and am enjoying HD with my 5MB service.
Dennis Restauro says
While it’s possible, it varies based on the service. If you are truly getting what you pay for than standard def will run on a DSL line. My in-laws stream video with a 3 Mbps DSL line with no issues.
Joseph says
Hi,
Thank you for all of the content!
I am in north NJ. We have FIOS available. Is there any reason to get a service higher than the 100/100? The gigabit one is 79/month?
Thanks!
Dennis Restauro says
I personally thing 50 Mbps is plenty for a family of four. Smaller households can get away with 25 Mbps. Gigabit is nice, but definitely not required.
Debra St Louis says
I went on the internet to read about WOW the reviews are terrible out of 176 customer only 1 with a good rap for them.. Don’t think I would want them.
dawn clabaugh says
I live in (Northern) Indiana. Looking for an alternative to Comcast/Xfiniti. I saw one or two in your post; appreciate it! Dumping Comcast because I’m SICK AND TIRED of having the bill skyrocket and being forced to spend inordinate amounts of time/effort. I HAD TO take a tv bundle (I only want/use internet) in order to keep the price competitve … the box is and has been unplugged (not using) and I saw my bill jumped $25 a month the other day ENOUGH.
When I was living in a rural area, I was using Fourway (South Bend, IN) and I believe they offer service in two states, mostly rural. They do have a service map. I do a lot of “surfing” (research) and I could do my thing while others were streaming something on the tv; 10Mbps/$59 month ($99 installation) when I last checked. While the speed isn’t blazing, it was adequate; we weren’t having buffer problems. Also, the techs were great and walk you through any issues until they’re resolved. NEVER a price increase and only a couple “outages” (after an unusually fierce storm) that were corrected fairly quickly. I believe it’s called “microwave broadband” (and maybe there’s another term). I only wish I could use them here. I can’t say enough about the difference … for me, I prefer a price that may be a little higher than the “promo pricing” … I hate having to spend all the time cause once the promo with Comcast ends, they’ve “gotcha” and they show that they know it.
Dennis Restauro says
Thank you for the info. I’m in the process of going through the comments and emails to put together a reader recommendation section. I’ll definitely add this.
Debra St Louis says
I agree with yo about comcast.. I am looking for ways to lower my bill.. Comcast is forever raising your bill even with a contract blames it on the taxes, and the this and that. so sick of spending all this money every month I live on a budget!! (RETIRED)
I am thinking of getting the firestick, VOIP, and I see [email protected] have an internet for low income people for $10.00 a month I pay with comcast $177.00 a month and to get the other things would be a great save..
Dennis Restauro says
That’s great Debra! Cutting the cord on cable TV is an easy way to save.
Seattle_Tax_Payer says
Wow! Thank you Dennis for your quick responses. Do I need to buy an antenna for each TV and a Roku type device for each TV?
Dennis Restauro says
Sure. Sorry I forgot to answer that part. The antenna question really depends on how strong your signals are. As for the Roku, you will need one on each TV you want to watch on.
Seattle_Tax_Payer says
Hello – I just posted 10 minutes ago, but I have another question. Is a digital tuner the same as a Roku device or Amazon Fire or Apple TV, etc..? If I purchase a Roku, do I need one for each TV?
Dennis Restauro says
No. A streaming device lets you watch TV shows and movies on your television. A digital tuner translates the digital signal received by your antenna. Most TVs manufactured after 2007 have a digital tuner built in.
Seattle_Tax_Payer says
Hello – If I keep only the internet access from my provider, (Comcast) it’s my understanding that all I need is a digital antenna and streaming service like Netflix to watch TV, correct? Do I need a digital antenna for each TV? Do I also need a digital tuner? What is the tuner used for? Also, I read somewhere I will also need a CableCARD rented from my cable provider. Is this true?
Dennis Restauro says
You don’t need a Cable Card because you won’t be using cable. Check out our guide on cable TV alternatives. It should clear up most of your questions.
Wilma J Butler says
overwhelming trying to be able to watch basic tv, no cable service.
Dennis Restauro says
Try a TV antenna.
Mike says
Hi,I live in a small town in WV where OH and PA come together. I cut the cord when I discovered Frontier Internet for $
19.99 per month for basic speed. I live alone and found it’s all I need. Their number is; 800-921-8101.
Thomas C says
Hi..we just moved into a new neighborhood and AT&T nor Comcast is offered yet, so was going to go with DirecTV for cable. But the internet piece is not looking good. The only option I see right now is Hughes, which I’m hearing horrible things about (speed/customer service). We live in Olive Branch, MS 38654. The other alternative I was thinking of was a mobile hotspot. https://www.att.com/devices/netgear/nighthawk-lte-mobile-hotspot-router.html#sku=sku8550255 to be exact. We currently have 4g with AT&T but only get 1 maybe 2 bars with cell phone in out home. Is this even a viable option. Would a signal booster work to get more bars for cell/mobile hotspot? We use internet for cable if DirecTV, tablets, streaming movies (netflix, amazon), music (spotify, pandora), etc. 3 users most of the time, 10 if we have weekend family gathering. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks…
Dennis Restauro says
Comcast services that zip. Do they plan on servicing your neighborhood at some point? 4G plans are tough to cut the cord on because most providers treat streaming devices against the tethering cap.
J L Kissell says
I just cut the cord for the second time. Last time the experience was just too rough so we folded and signed with AT&T. OK to start, but the annual up-charge was soon at $160/mo and other than the news, there were only three shows we regularly watched.
With a house move, we decided to try and cut the cord again. We started with Sling Orange and Amazon Prime. We will be adding BritBox sometime.
Internet supplied by WoW. Just a month in, but so far so good aside from the usual attempt to up sell at the start. “That will be $49.99 for Internet only.” but you advertise 39.99? “Oh, there is a $10/mo modem rental”. I’ve got my own cable modem from your list. “I would really suggest you take out $10/mo insurance on the wire”. What? $40/mo for 10 Mbps up 100 Mbps down for 2 years rising to $50/mo I’ll look at their service during the 2 years and switch or stay depending on how good or bad their service is.
One note that needs to be added somewhere to the Cord Cutting FAQ: hardware. How to use your own Cable Modem and save at least $10/mo Same for your own Wifi Router. My cable modem cost $60 from Amazon. I checked WoW’s list of modems before purchasing. Payback time is only 6 months. My Wifi router is a piece of junk from my electronics junk box. Only getting about 20Mbps with it and it needs to be rebooted everyday. The replacement will be in the order of $100 but it will still be cheaper than renting an ISP supplied router over the 2 years I’m signed up with WoW
Dennis Restauro says
Thanks for the comment. I have a cable modem replacement guide, but I need to update it. I’ll put it on my to-do list and get the FAQ updated.
dawn clabaugh says
Great point … I used my own modem with previous provider (and they were great … actually SUGGESTED it as a $$ saving measure, although they would sell one too) and tech helped get it set up correctly … and no problem getting support after lightning fried it (and needed a little help getting the new one set up). I don’t know about “the wire” but the cable connection and the electric were all fine … only the modem got fried :-) … so I don’t know that “wire insurance” is necessary. Seems I remember the utility companies always try to sell (me) additional insurance for “interior wires, pipes, etc” that usually don’t fail … and often, with a little knowledge, you can fix yourself or pretty easily get help with, having saved the money charged for “insurance”.
Erin Murphy says
Comcast has been having a field day with unethical billing practice for over a year now. I am done with it. BUT – there is NOT ONE PROVIDER IN MY AREA EXCEPT COMCAST. This is effecting my ability to go to school, take test, and study for the boards. I have to disconnect them because I can not seem to pay off this magical 200+ bill – that they NEVER SEEM to actually credit my account for payments. I pay for 59.99 service that I moved to 54.99 service and you know what my average monthly bill is? Its over 140 each month. I paid 90.00 12 days ago and I still own them another 140 next month. I have paid over 400 in extra charges and 100 in late fee’s trying to pay the extra charges. I am so mad at them and I am really mad that I don’t have any other options.
KarenM says
R.I. we have verizon or cox. I’ve had cox since the 80’s. I miss free tv. Wanted to get away from $264 a month so they worked out to $204. Still, with a disability income that’s a huge chunk. If it wasn’t for my youngest daughter and now I have my 4 year old grandson I’d just use a cell phone and netflix. I’m in a city. I try to research but they contradict or I’m just lost. I just want NICK, some DISCOVERY channels and the internet so my daughter can log onto her school for homework. My tv’s are not those new ones with netflix already installed. Am I to get like those sticks for the hdmi ports and just keep the internet? Any advice would be great!
Dennis Restauro says
Yes. See what stand alone internet will cost and then get a streaming stick. Something like Sling TV will provide the channels you mentioned. Check the cable TV alternatives article for information on the various streaming services.
David S says
Verizon, AT&T, Comcast are actively trying to repeal Title II and New Neutrality protections of our unfettered and free access to content on the internet.
Stop carrying water for them.
Dennis Restauro says
I’m a big supporter of Net Neutrality. However, the fact remains that these 3 are the only game in town for many of us.
katherine Hawkins says
Most of the shows I watch are on streaming channels. My cable company is Comcast. I live in Washington DC. I don’t want interruptions with service. It appears you have great knowledge of what to do and in what order. The antennas….Are they for each TV? and DVRs how will I record programs?
Dennis Restauro says
If all you watch is streaming then you can watch on demand and not need a DVR. For the network channels (ABC NBC FOX CBS) you can get an OTA DVR. Here is a post I wrote explaining all you need to know about TV Antennas.
Sherry says
Thanks to your information I was able to have FiOS internet-only installed in my new home at a reasonable cost and am happy with the results so far. Now I am researching your stories to decide on a non-cable TV system. I appreciate you being able to write without confusing us non-techies with overwhelming jargon.
Sherry
Dennis Restauro says
Thank you, Sherry! I’m glad it’s working out.
Meredith says
So we have Google Fiber and have the Up to 1,000 Mbps upload/download speeds but I was wondering if we could get by with the 100 Mbps instead. Do we really get these speeds? I will say that we work on the computer. We have 2 computers, 2 cell phones, 3 Tv’s but only 2 ever going at the same time.
Dennis Restauro says
100 is more than enough. I personally think 25 Mbps will work for most people.
Woody says
Hey Dennis I’ve been reading my eyes out on all this cheap internet and tv Soooo right now have xinfinty internet I thought was only either 10 MB or 40 mb I thought you said you needs arleast 50 mb I also starting to explore stuff for antenna but got web sites wrote down was all I’m in mountains of Tennessee so I’ll let you know but found out that they are charger me 10.00 a month for the box rounter and I look up u said best router TL something from amazon has it for 39.99 but my question is if I call tommrow and say come get your router box I hav mine will they turn off internet on me or should try work out new cable they hav that you where just talking about thanks sorry for this dam pararphgraph
Dennis Restauro says
50 MB is more than enough. You can get by on 10 if you are are watching a single HD stream at a time. You can get away with less if you watch in standard definition. When it comes to switching, you would need to set the turnoff dates when you cancel.
Leena says
I have WOW and its fair service /speed/cable but geeez the COST is killing me. I have to have internet and in Huntsville Ala….we really don’t have choices in ALL of the city that would cut the cost much. WOW has half decent prices for new service but if you are an established customer, you either go with another company for a few months IF you find one with no commitment to 2 yrs, or do without all 3 services like I have. the only plus to re upping service with wow after a month or so after you stopped it, and then become a NEW CUSTOMER is you have to be locked in to a contract but within that time, the rates don’t go up. after those 2 yrs though, you are hit with a LOT more costs than you dreamed. oh well….guess its back to reading BOOKS and board games.
Rodrigo Samper says
Have you had a chance to review Spectrum TV Stream for $19.95. They claim over 25 LIVE TV channels, including local broadcast stations, sports and current network hits. Plus, access 5,000 FREE On Demand titles.
Dennis Restauro says
It’s Charter’s streaming service. It’s on my “to-do” list but I haven’t tested it yet.
Ashley Cox says
Spectrum is horrible, had them for 4 months and they are horrible, most of their free on demand are channels I never watch, in saying that, they are mostly non-english speaking stations (Asian, Hispanic, Indian) etc. Which may be great for some people, but I don’t speak those languages.
Dennis Restauro says
Yes, but we are just talking about getting Internet Service, not TV. Then you can just stream what you want to watch.
Jonna Stopnik says
TWC/Spectrum is torturing me. When I tried to cancel my service on 9/8/17, they offered me a new package in the $80 range(I had been paying $124 for supposedly 300MB but barely get 45MB). The rep said they would date the package to 9/1/17, however the new rate has not been applied and I’ve been fighting with them non-stop. Is there any way to dispute my bills with them? In Huntington Beach, CA there are no other choices that provide service. TWC purchased the other providers…so it’s one big monopoly.
darleen y says
right now I have cable and internet I want to get rid of my cable I have sudden link and I dont record any shows even though I do have a dvr player. I mainly just like movies not interested in any sports what is the best way to cut my bill in half. Im started paying 70 something now I pay 93 and dont hardly watch any channels
Dennis Restauro says
Start with our guide on cable tv alternatives.
Jerry Dreesen says
Have been researching cable cutting like crazy, Dennis. We’ve talked before when I first needed info. I’ve been to Best Buy and looked into an RCA Amplified HDTV antenna. Also A TIVO BOLT DVR Recorder. A combined cost of under $300.00
Also investigated Verizon Smart Hub for Internet service, since most of the services you mentioned are not available in my rural area (Arcadia, Indiana.)
I have ROKU now and love it. I’m thinking of buying the necessary Best Buy equipment for a trial run by disengaging the cable connection. BTW, the Best Buy equipment is returnable.
Your thoughts on this process and the Best buy equipment and Smart Hub. Thanks so much for your web sight and FB connection. You’re a life and pocketbook saver! Jerry Dreesen
Dennis Restauro says
I haven’t tried cutting the cord on a wireless connection. Keep in mind that Verizon reserves the right to lower the speed of your connection once you reach a monthly amount of data (I recall it being 40 GB, but don’t quote me.) If you go that route, I would stream everything in standard definition to limit the possibility of that happening. Also be aware that if you use a streaming service to watch video, Verizon is likely to count that against your monthly tethering allotment, which is 10GB before they throttle you. I would verify this with them before signing up.
J Gray says
I use Spectrum here in Los Angeles and find it sad there are not more lower price options, after all this is a city, not out in the middle of the boonies. I am not getting there 100 MBPS and feel they are cheating me in the process, in being a long term customer. They give the new customers a better price in reeling them in and play the bundle game even when many people only want one service. I contacted Google Internet and hope they will be here very soon in offering a much better price with the speed, so I can tell Spectrum to get lost.
Kathy says
Is anyone aware of WiMax or fixed wireless or cellular WAN providers on Long Island in New York? Currently my landlord won’t let me contract with an ISP directly. I basically need a “sky hook”.
Tina says
Only internet available in my area is through satellite providers like dish, direct TV so how can I use this with a roku device as my internet is limited to 20gb a month an 4 movies eat that up? Don’t you have to have a unlimited internet package from your is?
Dennis Restauro says
Did you use the tool on the page? It would let you know if there are any other options.
Thomas says
I am located in the Toledo Ohio area and I use a local ISP called Toast.net, my speed is never throttled and it is actually unlimited. I think that they work with AT&T because the installer was from AT&T and my modem says AT&T on it, but I am getting unlimited for way cheaper than I would if I went through AT&T. My best friend lives in California and she has their service too, so I don’t think that the service is just local to Toledo.
Jerry says
Your website is a life saver. Thanks for all the info. I’m considering going cable free (comcast) but concerned with losing ability to record tv shows. I understand I need a DVD recorder (no problem there) but not sure if I need a Digital Converter Box. I currently have the Roku streaming service which we love. I understand the need for an antenna. WiFi services are limited in Arcadia, IN so I’m working on that. Thanks so much for the info your providing. I bow to you.
Jerry Dreesen
Dennis Restauro says
Thanks for stopping by the website Jerry. If you have a Roku then you likely have a digital TV which means you won’t need the converter. Are you connecting the Roku via HDMI? If so then it’s digital. You will only need a DVR to record from the antenna. You can check out this article on OTA DVRs for more info.
Rick says
I am only slightly tech savvy. We just want internet, streaming, and be able to watch Fox News and Fox Business. Can anyone make a recommendation for us here in St. Louis?
Dennis Restauro says
Pick up an internet only plan and something like FuboTV.
Dave H says
Hulu has a live streaming service starting at $39.99 . Both Fox stations are in the package in my area.
Rick says
In your article you mention “today” we are going to cover …. I don’t know how current this article is unless you date it. Am I missing something?
Dennis Restauro says
I’m continuously updating this page, so take today literally.
john says
we just built a new home 800 feet off the road, spectrum wants 5000 to run cable to the house. I had already installed an underground conduit from road to house and was prepared to purchase the cable and pull the wire myself. spectrum says that I cannot do that and they have to do it. I have another building (barn) on the property that has cable and internet run to it. Is there any equipment you can recommend to broadcast wi fi to the house (buildings are approx 500 feet apart.) I am going to look into your recomendation to get the mohu glide for my local channels. I just cant justify spending 5000 to run the cable. If I were to run cable underground, what would I use as far as cable, and do I need amplifiers or signal boosters along the way? thanks in advance for any help big thing now is needing to get internet to the house…was thinking ghost bridge from barn to new house?
Dennis Restauro says
5000 feet of coaxial would be way too much attenuation. Do any companies do internet over microwave in your area?
srq says
I don’t have experience with Spectrum, but I suspect that if you called back and got someone who knows what they’re talking about you might get a better answer. Try getting a technician out to your property, get a supervisor involved if necessary. Their $5000 estimate is surely based on digging the trench themselves. Using an existing conduit run should have a reasonable price. Remember- people who answer phones at these companies have never seen a work location or any of the equipment they support.
Raymond Osland says
Have you tried a 5ghz point to point
Mike H says
I’ve been a WOW! customer in the Columbus, OH market for many years now. I subscribe to a 30mbs internet and medium cable TV plan. The stability has been very good. They address my questions fairly when I call. They do charge for the modem and router and HD black boxes for cable. I bought my own modem and router to save $. I have a Roku stick 2016 which works really well after I upgraded my router to an Asus RT-AC56U (under $100). I really like that they do not limit the amount of data I use on the internet and the cable TV signal is Clear QAM for the local broadcast channels and low definition cable channels like HBO, etc. Any digital TV can show these channels without the extra set top boxes.
Larry Croft says
I am a long time WOW (formerly Knology) subscriber. I only use their internet service. It has been excellent for the many years I have been a customer. I have the 100 MBS service. The bandwidth is sometimes an issue but that is with ALL ISP. The time of the day with the corresponding increase in users will always slow things down. However I have NO buffering issues and we may be streaming 3 HD videos at a time in my home. I am completely satisfied with WOW and would heartily recommend this company to anyone in my area. We basically have 3 ISP in my area.
Jennifer says
I cannot for the life of me find an ISP for my address (unincorporated Mountain Home, ID) other than HughesNet, a satellite ISP, and (possibly) Zito Media, a cable ISP. Both of these companies have horrid customer reviews and questionable policies so I’m avoiding them at all costs for as long as I can.
I tether 3 TVs, 2 tablets, and 2 computers to my smartphone. I have AT&T’s new Unlimited Plus plan which I got specifically for the unlimited data to support my tethering. It can only handle 3 devices at a time, which we’ve adapted to. But it can’t handle either computer at all, even if just 1 computer is the only thing tethered. I never expected it to handle even half of my mentioned devices but not being able to handle a single computer is a problem.
I’ve read about the Starry ISP but it’s not offered here yet. Are there any other providers like Starry? Or something, anything, ANY other company I can look into? Tethering with AT&T isn’t cutting out anymore and I feel so stuck with not even a somewhat decent option. Any advice would be so appreciated!
Dennis Restauro says
Currently there aren’t many like Starry. However, that should be changing soon due to the next generation of cell service coming out. The only think I can recommend in the meantime is to check the tool at the bottom of the page to see if there is a provider in your area.
Catherine Carrico says
Hi! We are working on cutting the cord now and live near Frederick MD. My husband just bought an HD antenna and so far we are learning everything before calling Comcast to cancel cable. I do work from home and need high speed Internet and called Comcast yesterday and was quoted 84.99 per month just for internet! I’m so annoyed. Verizon is not available on our street. Who else could I call? I want away from Comcast so bad!! They have a monopoly I feel!
Dennis Restauro says
Does the tool at the bottom of the article give you any options?
LLD says
I currently have an office in my home, and my livelihood depends on reliable internet access. Before I can commit to a provider, I need to know the MINIMUM guaranteed speeds for the price. That is the ONLY price that matters. “Up to 25mbps” by definition means you won’t always and may not ever enjoy that speed, let alone be able to rely on it. And unfortunately any product description that starts with “up to” means it starts with 1 (unless otherwise stated). The law should require that any internet description service state their guaranteed minimum for the price.
If I sell you a cup of soda for $3 and give you a 32-oz empty cup and point you to the fountain… how will you feel when that fountain only dispenses 1 oz.? I think you’ll want your $3 back, because you were expecting to get a full cup if you wanted it. That’s a normal expectation. And that’s why the current pricing schemes that use these vague ‘up to’ product descriptions should be illegal.
Dennis Restauro says
Fiber and DSL based systems will be very close to the stated speeds. I have FiOS and actually get slightly more than I’m paying for. Cable is a bit different and during peak you might notice a dip, but it shouldn’t be that much. To be certain check with the provider and see what they say about your concern. It is a valid one.
Kimberly Shepard says
Totally Agree! ISPS need to be up front and truthful in their offerings to consumers.
Mac Rewop says
Dennis re Verizon, you stated ‘I was even able to set up a way to use my own router with Fios and avoid the rental fee.’
Could you tell me how you did that?
Thanks.
r/Mac
Dennis Restauro says
I did this a few years back. A lot of Verizon terminals have 10/100 Ethernet terminals. So with overhead, you will likely get a real speed max speed of about 80 Mb/s. Therefore I would advise against this if you want anything faster than 75 Mbps. I have since switched back to cable and use a Verizon router, unfortunately. Here is the post on using your own router with Verizon.
Tiff23 says
Thank you for this very detailed article. I live in VA and I switched from the dreadful Comcast to Verizon ( for internet only) and could not be happier. Verizon is even paying my cancellation fee from Comcast.
Dennis Restauro says
That’s great to hear Tiff!
Brent says
My family has 2 cabins up north (Wisconsin). We have a cabin on the mainland and we also own an island. The old cabin on the island has been torn down and a new one is almost finished. We are looking on how to get internet service from the mainland to the island as we have all WIFI lighting and thermostats. If we run a line under the water it will cost over $5,000.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Dennis Restauro says
Did the broadband finder on this page show any options?
Scott says
I know this comment is fairly old but if you see this, have you looked into wifi long range antennas? I used to work in the Cell tower industry and this is how we set up data between towers (microwave freq antennas) much much cheaper than leased lines or running lines. Here is some info https://www.simplewifi.com/pages/how-it-works You can also look up more info on long range wifi and repeaters on youtube. You can send a signal up to a mile if you have clear line of sight.
Good luck
Ellen B says
I live in San Bernardino CA. I live in HUD low cost building for seniors that have an extremely low, fixed income. First I had verizon which was sold to Frontier, horrible, horrible company Frontier is, one of the nastiest companies to deal with, so switched to Time Warner which was sold to Charter which is now called Spectrum, well, somehow back in February 2017 (according to Spectrum) someone dropped me out of lifeline and to make a long story short, my bill is now over $800.00, so of course Spectrum cut off my services, no TV or internet. I am going crazy. I suspect Frontier dropped the lifeline but can’t prove it, Spectrum WILL NOT fix my bill since it is past 60 days. Where I live cannot get Dish, DirectTV, AT & T, DSL extreme, comcast, verizon FIOS, I have tried all the providers mentioned here and the answer is always the same: “We are not available in your area.” Where I live there is free WiFi, not sure what that means. All I want is the internet but since I am not tech savvy, I don’t know how to do that, it has to be legal, won’t do anything illegal. Is there any hope for my situation? Can someone please help me by either showing the steps needed or lead me to someone that can help? I feel my situation is hopeless. Have no family to rely on and my email is blocked even from a different computer. There has to be a way to get at least the internet back. I am willing to spend some money at the beginning of the month but like I said don’t know where to start. Thank you to anyone that has a solution. Should mention getting my lifeline back.
Dennis Restauro says
Hi Ellen. it’s difficult to handle situations like this over text. I recommend finding someone in your area who is willing to help you out. Is there a friend you can talk to?
Silas Jura says
In your post you said “Where I live there is free WiFi, not sure what that means.” This is free internet for you to use that is most likely paid for by the building owner/manager. It is basically internet you pickup thru the air that is being sent thru the building. Basically like cell phone service, it’s just local to your building. I would recommend going to the building manager and asking them how you can use the free WiFi. If they have time and are willing to help, they may come set it up on your computer, if it is compatible. If your computer does not have WiFi compatibility as older desktops do not, you will need a Wifi adapter.
Hope this helps restore your lifeline and save you a lot of money.
Sharani says
Me again – I’m getting cold feet about a 2 year agreement to get the cheaper FIOS Internet only price. They said they won’t budge on it. So my next questio is…. do you know if it’s viable to buy a mobile hotspot (my wireless phone service is ATT and I’ve read good reviews of one sold by ATT) and just use that for my rather simple Internet needs? I don’t game or stream media so would mostly just want a way to be on the Internet doing more traditional stuff.
Dennis Restauro says
If it’s cheaper, then I would go for it. Just be careful about going over your monthly data allotment.
Sharani says
thanks for your answers – I’m leaning towards still renting the router or buying it and staying with FIOS 50 mbps. The price with router rental if I agree to lock into a 2 year agreement is 55.69 and if I buy the router (they allow 3 installments of 50 for payment) it’s 45.69. Either way that’s less than half of what I’m paying now so it seems like a good idea. When I called Cox (the only other game in town in RI as an official ISP) they said they don’t offer 50 mbps anymore only 5, 15, 100 or 300. That seems very weird!
Dennis Restauro says
That’s great!
Sharani says
I just texted with FIOS and they claimed I have to rent or buy their router. Do you have info related to this statement on your site? Is it hard for a non geeky person to do?
“While Verizon internet deals change from time to time, last I checked the page was offering a 50 Mbps connection for just under $40. I was even able to set up a way to use my own router with Fios and avoid the rental fee.”
Dennis Restauro says
See, I was able to do this, but I have heard of people having issues setting this up. I think the problem has to do with people not releasing their DNS lease before shutting down their FIOS router. But that could be considered a bit geeky.
Sharani says
Hope my question won’t seem to brainless – I have FIOS TV, landline phone and Internet bundle in RI which I am ready to switch to only Internet 50 mbps. I owned a Netgear WiFi router that I bought when I used to have Cox prior to FIOS. FIOS told me I had to use their router for my TV to work right with their system. So part of the approx. 130 a month I pay for phone, tv and internet 100 mbps is a 10.00 per month rental fee. When I stop having tv with them can I give them back the rental and plug the cable going into the back of it into the Netgear router I already own instead? If yes, will it prompt me to set it up as a password protected WiFi network inside my house?
Dennis Restauro says
It should work, but you need to make sure that you release the IP address on the router before turning it off. It’s different on each router, but you should be able to find instructions on the manufacturer’s website. As for your WiFi password, that shouldn’t be affected, but you would likely need to make some router config changes to do this.
Pat Kitchen says
I live in the catskills in NY.
Verizon, at&t not available here, but are for smartphone
Local company has a monopoly and I refuse to pay their over inflated prices
Jane says
Anyone? I have Cox TV (bare bones basic) and internet with them. Have been a customer for 20 years! They just will not offer me any better deals. Cut my TV service to the bare bones (6 Spanish stations; 2 stations that sell merchandise; ABC, CBS and NBC; a movie station, 2 C-Span stations); in other words, channels I do not use/need or want!!!!! with the exception of ABC, CBS and NBC and maybe a couple of others. Having cut to the bare bones for TV and keeping my internet, they charge me $85.00 a month and that just went up by $4. My contract is up in mid-August. I want OUT. I am in Phoenix, AZ. Any suggestions? I am thinking seriously of Sling TV or ROKU stick and then signing up for internet–but with who? Any suggestions?
Silas Jura says
According to the Broadband search provided in this article, CenturyLink is in the Phoenix, AZ area. You might check out what they offer. I don’t know anything about them, just thought I would point out what the search revealed.
Marianne says
I have a smart TV with HULU and Netflix and other apps built in so I am thinking about quitting cable. My ISP just changed from Bright-house to Spectrum and I currently have bundled services that keep going up in price. I called the cable company and leaned that I can pay for Brighthouse internet only for $61/month for 25mbs or switch to Spectrum internet only for 69/month for 60 mbs, so that part is a no-brainer. My question is regarding the digital antenna mentioned in the article… do I need a digital antenna? what kind? where do I purchase one? what do they cost? how do I install it? etc? Or can I run the streaming television, Netflix, etc without a digital antenna?
Dennis Restauro says
You don’t need one. If you think you do, then check out my guide to TV Antennas,
Jay says
I live near the Metro Orlando area and I bought an antenna from Amazon for about $25. It is like a big mousepad that I stuck to my window. I am now able to get about 30 local stations for free. I bought an Amazon Fire TV and I have a few Rokus. I subscribed to Playstation Vue but their price jumped after my first month. So, I changed to Sling TV and I love it so far and it’s only about $40 a month. I also pay for Netflix and CBS on demand. I will get rid of my cable through Spectrum soon, and will have to pay around the same $70 a month. But, it is better than the $200 they charge and after about 16 years of loyal payments, they don’t care about raising prices.
Dennis Restauro says
That’s great Jay!
Rona Walstra says
Hi All,
Just stumbled on this site and really impressed and I want to “cut the cord” so badly. I’ve read many of your “How To” as well and I really want to try to switch, or kick cable out the door. Like others here I’m so tired of paying out the yazoo for cable/internet. My god the prices are ridiculous. I recently switched to a “basic package” with XFinity and to meet my budget, but man the channel line up is slim pickin’s. So not happy at all, and the next package up is to expensive. Don’t want to go to DISH, or Frontier or any other mega cable company. I want to watch the channels I like to watch and that’s it. I liked your section on Sling TV and it looks like that’s the route I would choose to go. I’m not sure, or I can’t find any ISP, internet only plans, provider in East Haven, CT. Any advise or help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Rona
Dennis Restauro says
Have you tried using the search tool at the bottom of the page?
TJ says
I chose the cable-alternative of bonded DSL option with Centurylink. It’s $30/month for 40 MBPS.
Only issue is they allegedly have a 250 GB data cap per month. Mixed reports of people getting confronted about going over. They told me if it’s over 3 months in a row, need to discuss moving to a “Business plan”
Jen Jackson says
I’m trying to cut the cord after an ongoing issue with Verizon. Since NOVEMBER 2016, they can’t seem to figure out how to stop charging us for a cable card that we no longer have/use. Looks like the only options for internet in my area are Verizon and XFinity. Xfinity customer service is just as bad as Verizon. I hate to give either of them any money!
Dennis Restauro says
It’s tough. I’m with Verizon Fios for Internet access. Personally, I’ve never had an issue with them. However, I have heard similar stories from others with situations like yours. It’s the unfortunate reality of Internet access in the U.S. There just aren’t many options.
Calvin Perry says
I’m in Alabama added internet to my moms service the prices spectrum quoted me on phone $122 mo just got bill for this month over $260 .They throw in all these connection fees wire maintenance etc but they charge a fee if they have to come out.They are all a ripoof.How good is Hughesnet satellite or how can I bargain with these people to help my mom she is on a fixed low income
Dennis Restauro says
That is ridiculous. I haven’t used Hughes net personally, but I would try it in your situation. Anything sounds better than your bill more than doubling. I’m sorry that happened to you.
PAT says
In KY, Spectrum just bought out TWC. They are outrageously priced for all services offered. They do not have adequate customer service, nor are they open to negotiation. CSR’s aren’t pleasant.
Randy says
How can I get internet
Dennis Restauro says
From one of the providers in your area.
Pat Flaherty says
I live in Boston and have just “cut the cord” canceling a Comcast bundle. I am using RCN for internet at $40/month for 50 mbps, a digital antenna, netflix and amazon. So far so good — the RCN internet is much better than the Comcast I had previously. I may have to add Hulu since my husband misses his sports.
Dennis Restauro says
That’s great Pat!
Nancy Landry says
I live about 40 mi. west of Boston and have Comcast for phone and internet. We cut the cable for the TV almost 2 years ago. I need to know more about RCN for internet. My phone and internet keeps dropping and I have had them out 6 times in the last three months. They can’t figure it out. Oh, we have Hulu, Netflix and Acorn. Love it.
Nancy
Oneday Soon says
Live in Florida, used both Century Link and Comcast. One just as bad as the other. Very spotty service which they blame on ‘construction in the area’ or ‘squirrels chewing on the lines’. Service is near non-existent in the summer time. When internet is down, I also have no TV or phone. There has got to be a better way, rather than calling the company every day to say I am out-of-service. Help!
Neal Jarvis says
I live in Maryland and find Comcast service weak and a bad TV reception. There standard excuse is they need to come out to my house for better service. Although they claim the signal strength I have is acceptable. Today while watching TV and scrolling on the internet our service went down. You cant get them to speak on both services. They want to process you thru either the internet or cable but not both. Then they want to send out a service tech on another day than today on a schedule only good for them.
We have had this service for years and it only gets worse for more money.
Is Verizon any better service or value?
It seems the only way to get the attention of our provider is to leave.
Jamey says
Great information on ISP’s and cutting the cord!
Dennis Restauro says
Thanks!
Anthony Dambro says
Any intel on century link?
Dennis Restauro says
Nothing yet, I’ll keep looking into it.
Pam says
I have Cox cable in RI and I am trying to find a comparable Modem to what they have supplied me for $10/month so I can also eliminate that charge from you internet bill monthly. The cable company tells me I need to find something comparable to the model DAR2472 they provided for everything to work properly. How do I determine that if I go to Walmart or somewhere like that?
Dennis Restauro says
Does this help? https://www.groundedreason.com/using-your-own-cable-modem/
Jaime says
Thank you for providing all this information. I’m in New York (Long Island) and want to get rid of Verizon FIOS TV. I don’t have a land line but I do have TV and internet with them. I have the FireStick so we watch everything we want through the apps on there and my son is on the Xbox quite a bit playing GTA and Call of Duty like games. I’m wondering what the best option is for me. I own the router I have now, bought it when I first had FIOS installed so it is three years old. I’m not sure of what speed I have now. What speed to would be best to get and can I use the router I already have? Can I use that router even if I change companies for internet? Are Optimum and Verizon my only options? I appreciate all the help. I really want to get of the excessive cost and this is so confusing.
Dennis Restauro says
I’m not sure if they are the only options there. You may want to check with Verizon though. They currently have some really good standalone internet deals.
rita says
holy cow! really, i can sign up for frontier online and get the deals they offer for ‘new’ customers… that is great. i ordered the fire box and am set to disconnect fios (no contract).. .csr’s insist $90(internet only) is my only option… and now my question….. do i want or need to get my own router, regardless if it is free from frontier… is a faster router better for streaming…?
i plan to install kodi and playstation vue as well as jailbroken… what else do i need to jump into the 21st century…..
thanks in advnce.
Dennis Restauro says
Did you check out the article on cable TV alternatives?
k scott says
We have Frontier. We think they are terrible. Our internet was out for two weeks. The tech didn’t show up or call me. When you call for support, you are on hold at least 40 minutes and then you are transferred to another department and have to go through the spiel all over again. Every night around 7:30 to midnightish, the internet slows down so slow you can’t get on the internet or watch streaming TV. When I have called in, I get people that haven’t a clue what they are talking about. Our year contract is up August 9th. I am cancelling their service. They don’t care if you have service or not.
Bea says
Worth checking out regarding a router. A retired telcom tech suggested looking at a combined router/modem sold by Netgear. Currently Wal-Mart had a few choices as of April on east & west coast. Also sold online through Amazon-type sites. My plan of action once I find cheap internet.
Sara D says
Hi there,
I’m in the process of trying to get rid of Spectrum (the old Time Warner) as I saw a $25/month jump in price for no change in service once the merger was complete… I called to complain and was told these are the new rates. Fine, I said, I don’t want the cable TV (don’t use it anyway) or the land line (never used that even one day) and was told I’m forced to keep this stupid bundle to the tune of $145 per month, essentially for using one of three services I was forced to buy.
Screw that.
I have a wireless router in my home that belongs to me (purchased to use with our TW internet service to avoid paying a lease fee for one of theirs every month…)
So now, what do I need? I was considering buying a portable WIFI hotspot such as a Verizon Jetpack or a TMobile hotspot and just buying the darn prepaid cards every month.. I have zero interest in being trapped into a contract at this point, and prefer to go month to month. We are not wired for Fios, so Spectrum is the only ISP available to me.
I have one avid gamer in my home, we use two Fire Sticks, and mobile data on my phone and that’s it. I have NO clue how many Gigs I would need to pre-pay each month for this level of usage. All I know is that I think $145 per month is beyond ridiculous and I’m hoping for a cheaper/hassle free solution.
Please help!
Dennis Restauro says
I wouldn’t attempt to run a cell plan as your internet unless you want to severely conserve your data usage. Especially with a gamer in the house.
Totally Annoyed at Big Cable says
I can comment on the portable Hotspot situation from 2 companies.
Firstly, the devices are only good for a few years. I had a ZTE from Straighttalk that stopped working last week and they said quote “well you have had it for a couple of years already”. So keep that in mind as I paid $130 at Walmart. Before that I had a Virgin USB Hotspot (USB is a bad idea, sticks out too far, have to have a PC to use it) and while their ease of use was better, same thing, stopped working with no options except buy another one. I think I paid $89 for it also at Walmart.
Secondly, 4Gig for $40 is the best deal to get however one TV show and your used up and have to buy another card so I don’t use it for that. I have a d/l limit on my email, no 2MB presentations, etc, and i turn off “autoplay for videos” .
I go to the coffee shop for large d/l, otherwise I can surf using about 1 card every 3-4 weeks. I like the portability, I have a tablet and anytime I am waiting/need info, Dr. office, store, even work when its Internet went down for an hour. I have compromised for instead of what I used to have which was TimeWarner and their increasing fees and slip ups on billing over and over. I feel I come out even especially when I go a week w/o needing Internet because I am just too busy otherwise.
That said, I once again need to get another wifi device. If companies weren’t so shady with Internet Only, making it hard to find the price, throwing the bundle option at you on every click I might go back but there are only monopolies here and the smaller cos don’t have coverage.
Elizadeth says
I have the same problem same company except my rates went up to $168.32 one month discount for the next bill being $162.06 I to am refusing to pay and will cancel service. Just trying to figure out to purchase a digital antena in best buy or something for tv maybe an analog box and then maybe just use our android phones comes much cheaper then that high rate which is high way robbery we don’t watch a heck of a lot of tv nor do we always go on the pc any ideas please let me know
another New Yorker
Brandi H. says
I live in Seymour, CT, and I cannot find any decent providers for internet only services. Optimum nor Fios are available in my area. I was upset with Optimum because of their fair prices but the fact that they do not service my area is confusing, seeing as “the valley” here in CT is heavily populated. Other than Frontier (I refuse to use ATT due to problems in the past) are there any other available internet providers? Xfinity seems a bit steep for pricing and I know they’re not that great, as my parents just got rid of them recently.
Danielle says
Hello. Thanks for all the good info. I’m in Southern California, and my street is usually the “end of the line” for services. I looked up DSL Extreme, and they offered Pro: 3.0Mbps for $24.95/month “Our 3.0Mbps package is good for users who have multiple internet connected devices. There is enough download and upload speed for playing games, streaming movies, listening to online music and downloading.” And they also offered Elite: 7.0Mbps for $44.95/mo. “This is one our fastest DSL packages! With 7.1Mbps of download and plenty of upload you will be able to use all of your internet connected devices. You can easily stream your movies, music and go online.” And they say those are temporary promotional prices: “FOR HIGH SPEED INTERNET ONLY: All Contracts over 1 Month carry a Promotional Price listed above for the Term (Months) indicated above. On conclusion of your indicated Term your Monthly Price will convert to the then current Month to Month price. However, unlike other Internet Providers, one month before your Contract ends we will send a reminder email to your current Contact Email Address that your Contract Term is about to expire and give you the opportunity to Renew or Upgrade/Downgrade your Package.”
Just wondering if that speed — 3 or 7 Mbps is enough for three people all watching Netflix-Hulu-Roku on different computers….? And I’ll read up more on your site about all this……. Thank you!
Dennis Restauro says
Hi Danielle,
7 Mbps may work with 3 standard definition streams simultaneously, but I’d only use 1 HD stream at a time.
Christy says
Hi from Pasadena, Texas. We’ve recently cut cable and plan to use Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Fire Stick to watch TV. Switching internet provider and I’m wondering if you can recommend a router that I can purchase to save the monthly lease fee from the ISP.
Thanks!
Dennis Restauro says
It depends on your providers. Here is some information I have on using your own router and modem.
S. Frazier says
ATT/Direct TV has raised our rates 100% over the past year. They claim their promotion ended. We were told our rates would go up slightly ($10-$15) when our promotion ended, not 100%! Their only comment when we called was “we understand”. They are a terrible company! Bait and switch! Now we are stuck unless we cancel for $200. How is it legal for a company to do that? It’s like buying a loaf of bread for $1 but when you get to the counter they say it’s $2.
MarkO says
Hello,
I’ve recently “cut the cable…(AT&T U-Verse) and am now in the process of trying to determine what is the best alternative for my situation. I have an old (20+ years old) Sony 52” rear projection TV. The only plug ins on the TV are the old RCA plugs. I’m wondering if there is some sort of adapter that I can purchase to make the Amazon Fire Stick work on my old TV? I do have high speed wireless internet from AT&T. Any help/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Mark
ACB3344 says
I have WOW in Columbus, OH. I have the 100mbps Internet Only plan and pay about $35/mo. It was a plan I purchased in May, 2016. They are generally good to work with if you need to contact them for service. I’ve had no billing issues with them either.
I’m not all that convinced their service is as stable as it could be. I frequently drop service throughout the evening and days on weekends while streaming with a Chromcast device. My router, cable modem, and laptop are all under 3 years old.
When I’ve inquired about these issues I’ve been told to consult an IT professional as it has to be a problem with my devices. Well, since I am an IT professional (25 years) that seems redundant and non-responsive. I’ve tested my equipment and haven’t found an issue. But, I guess I’ll just live with it until I can isolate the problem as being on their side.
Mildly frustrating.
Bill McCauley says
Hello, Dennis. I am in the Philadelphia metro area and have been using my iPhone to stream video from Hulu, Netflix, ABC and CBS. Unfortunately, the local geography does not yield a good OTA signal and the apartment complex only allows Comcast cable service. I use Sprint for my phone so the nearly 200 Gb of cellular data is covered in the monthly charge and the personal hot spot gives me the wifi needed for the Kindle. The plan with the hot spot runs a bit less than $75 per month.
Two issues: first, are you aware of any wireless wifi providers in the area with reasonable pricing structures; second, one salesperson indicated that using the phone in this way was not a good idea as it is not good for the phone – is this just crap or a real issue? The goal is more cost cutting as I am now on a fixed income and would rather not spend a lot for tv.
I did see unlimited wifi plans through StraightTalk and Cricket but they throttle the data use above 5 GB to a 2 GB rate. I don’t have a clue what that means since they are confusing a data volume with a data rate.
Thank you for your help.
Dennis Restauro says
Not good for the phone? That’s complete nonsense. However, there isn’t much out there in the way of a wireless service that will support streaming all your TV. It’s best to go with a dedicated internet service provider at the moment.
Dennis says
Looking for options in Olympia WA. Beginner cable cutter, Don’t need a phone. Need internet and TV. Any suggestions other than Comcast.
jake says
I am a reluctant Frontier customer in Everett, Wa. I pay $65 for a 50/50MBPS service. Is this as good as it gets? My bill also includes an expensive landline ($31) and then federal and state taxes ($20). I will not use Comcast/Xfinity. I don’t know what else I can do to cut cost and keep a relatively speedy ISP.
Dennis Restauro says
That’s a bit pricey. If you live fairly close to populated areas then 50 Mbps should come in under $60.
Lisa says
Can anyone recommend an ISP in lower Alabama? I’m moving there from AZ where I pay $25 per month.
I hv no cable. My cell is Verizon. I just want to hv internet access on my laptop. I hv heard I can use firestick or ? To see movies
I don’t understand it all but need to keep expenses to a minimum.
Thank u!!!
Dennis Restauro says
Can anyone from Alabama weigh in?
Faye says
Any advice greatly appreciated- I live in New York, (Long Island), in a condo residence, with family. I am on the lowest level in the basement. The owner of house has Triple Play with Optimum. The Router & Modem is set up on the highest floor in the owner’s congested office. I am not allowed any access to it and any requests to optimize the location and settings are ignored. I also have concern for my privacy, online. Even while on a phone call on my cell. Is it possible for me to set up my own internal only account, have my own router and modem, etc? I went to Optimum online and my address is not recognized for whatever reason even though there is Triple Play here. I don’t know if Verizon Fios is available in my area. Thanking you for any guidance, if possible. Faye
Dennis Restauro says
Would you be able to connect your own router to the existing network. It’s possible to create your own network within the network, but it takes a little bit of networking experience. Try the Fios link in this article to see if its available in your area.
Russ says
I’ve been a customer of WOW for about 15 years in Ohio. I have never really had a problem with them. The few I have had have always been fixed quickly. As for the billing issues people seem be having, those extra fees come with any package that includes cable TV. Internet only packages are billed at the price advertised (no fees or taxes).
This past week I was able to get a 500/50 internet only package for $59.99 (2 year contract). In my book they’re not to bad. Hell, they even have a Cord Cutting guide on their website.
Jay says
Love it! I am laughing so hard. I wish they had that here in Orlando.
Dave says
Any ISP in lower SC? Yup, I’m trying to cut the cord in my cable provider
Rory Weisser says
hey there and thanks to your info – I have certainly picked up something new from right here. I did then again expertise several technical issues the usage of this website, as I experienced to reload the site a lot of occasions prior to I may get it to load correctly. I were wondering in case your web hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but slow loading cases instances will sometimes have an effect on your placement in google and could injury your quality score if ads and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my email and can glance out for a lot extra of your respective interesting content. Ensure that you update this once more very soon..
http://www.google.com.ar
Dennis Restauro says
Typically my site is super fast. Usually rates in the top 10% on the web. However, yesterday I was doing a bit of recoding on how the cache works and had to take down my content distribution network for a bit. It should be better now.
Cortney says
I signed up for a bundle with WOW for $99 per month and was billed $120. I called to complain and add HBO for $10 per month their CSR said my total bill every month would only be $120 but they charge my card for $190.
Dennis Restauro says
Thanks for the input. I’ll pull them from the list.
Joey Dee says
Hey Dennis sorry bro, was considering upgrading cellular phone contract to include 10Gb of hotspot, would that be enough to quality stream netflix/hulu/youtube/internet through a playstation about 12 hours a day for a month?
What would you suggest as a package(antennae,WiFi provider,firestick/chromecast etc) to allow the family to view streaming services&local tv without any cables being installed in our home?
Dennis Restauro says
My gut says no. Even at SD, you would get under than 2 hours a night. And that is before you game or use the internet. Sorry Joey.
Joey D says
Dennis u know your stuff, cheers buddy.Question:In Nyc and want a way to stream video/internet flawlessly to PlayStation using WiFi without having any cables installed in our home. How can we do this?
Dennis Restauro says
SHouldn’t be an issue. You just need to make sure you have an optimal WiFi setup in your home. I have a few tips in this article, and there is a link to network optimization in that post that you should check out.
Rindy says
What about Portland, Oregon?
John says
Michigan here: Beware of WOW and their sales reps. I signed up for WOW internet-only with their $24.99 month 1 year special. The phone call with the rep about the special was crystal clear. I paid $299.88 for one year in advance. WOW sends me a bill every month showing my credit balance. The thing is, they are charging me almost $50 a month because the “special price” didn’t include all their other fees. So instead of having paid through 2017 as I believed I was doing, I’ll be billed again in July.
Now that I’ve Grounded Reason I have a few months to learn about this stuff and hopefully drop WOW.
Dennis Restauro says
Thanks John,
I’ll throw a warning in the post when I get a chance.
steve baker says
My local cable provider says it provides 8Mb for downstream. This is offered as the most available. Is this sufficient for internet only if I get Sling or Amazon?
Dennis Restauro says
It’s enough for one stream at a a time. You should be okay as long as you aren’t streaming 2 shows on 2 TV’s.
Lori Morris says
I am a current Verizon customer and am trying to get rid of cable. I called Verizon to see if I could downgrade to internet only (currently have expired contract with cable, 15/15 internet and phone. They said it would be $90/month just for internet, which is ridiculous. Or I could cancel completely and have my husband sign up as a new customer to get the 50 mbps for $50. But that is only good for a year. You would think there would be more internet options, especially in a decent-sized city like Pittsburgh.
Dennis Restauro says
I would just drop them and then sign up online. It’s ridiculous they won’t give you the deal over the phone.
Tz says
Looking for the most fairly priced “internet only” provider in Fairfield CT. I found Frontier but am curious about alternatives. Thanks
A Jackson says
I live in Anderson, Indiana and currently have Comcast but it is getting hard to afford and I was wondering if there were any cheaper options….I pay $40 a month
Dennis Restauro says
What speed are your getting for that price?
Tracey Hartman says
Dennis- Fellow Marylander (and O’s fan) here. I’ve been reading a few of your articles on cable cutting, and have found them very helpful. I currently have the FIOS triple play, and I am paying so much money that it makes me want to cry. I have to renew/renegotiate my contract by March 5th, so I am scrambling to figure out what to do. First, I have recently discovered Wifi calling for my cell phone, so I can finally get reception in my super-old and super-bad-for-cell-reception condo. Next up, cable-cutting. I’ve got Netflix, Amazon prime video, and have decided to go with Playstation Vue to live tv, and I will get an antennae for local and network television. However,
I’m pretty sure you have written on this (I’ve read a lot of articles in the last week, though so I can’t be totally sure), but the main hold up for me is MASN. Yes, I know about MLB tv, and I am aware of the blackout. I have read about VPNs, but I am not very familiar with them. Setting up a VPN seems very MacGuyver-ish to me and above my cable-knowledge. Do they really work or will MLB tv eventually figure me out and block me? If VPNs work, what the best one? How much should it cost? I can’t live without the O’s, and not having them live is a dealbreaker for me cord cutting. Thanks,
Tracey in Annapolis
Dennis Restauro says
Hi Tracey! Go O’s! Check out this article on watching baseball without cable. I cover a way using a smart DNS to watch your local teams games.
NINA says
I have no internet, no cable but I want Sling TV but I have to have internet to start with so who do I choose I don’t want to bundle. Please help I am so confused! I don’t have a landline or a home computer just want to stream Sling TV
Dennis Restauro says
Then you need to find a company that only offers internet. You can then use a Roku to stream sling TV to your TV.
Darrell Powers says
Using T-Mobile 4gLTE Hotspot is an alternative for some people. They have plans starting at $35.00/mo. Their plans does have data limits but they offer unlimited video streaming at a reduced resolution (DVD compatible quality). It is not for everyone but if you only use computers for emails and some lite web browsing and don’t require high resolution for video streaming then why not try it. It is no contract offer.
Kyle Vestergaard says
Are there any alternatives to Frontier in Glastonbury, CT?
Dennis Restauro says
Anyone have an answer for Kyle? I know Optimum operates in CT, but I’m not sure about Glastonbury.
john seedestrom says
I have DirecTV and I hate them these days even with my $40 a month customer loyalty discount. I use them for NHL Center Ice and MLB plus the few channels my wife and I watch ( ID, Cooking channels, and not much else ). I want to cut the cord, but I’m not real tech savvy and wonder what internet speed I need so I don’t get buffering when I watch games. I was also wondering what the best unit would be for doing this, XBOX, etc. My son has an XBOX and he seems to like it fine, I’m just wondering if there is something better.
I live in Boise so my options are very limited for internet. I can go with the cable company and get the cheapest deal at $55 a month for 100 mbps, plus the cost of the modem, or I can use Century Link ( I use them now ) and get 20 mbps for $25 a month.
The problem with the cable company here is that once you exceed their data plan, 300gb for the 100 mbps & 3mbps upload speed , they either slow you down or bump you to the next level of speed, 150 mbps and 500gb & 5mbps upload speed for $80 a month , ( my wife has a friend that uses cable for her internet and she wasn’t real clear on this, but the women home schools her 4 kids so they use a lot of data ). They also offer 200 mbps @ $105 a month and 1000mbps for $175 a month which seems excessive and not worth the cost
Is 300gb enough ? My son plays A LOT OF VIDEO GAMES, ugh, like Call of Duty, Battlefield etc, so I’m wondering if he’ll use up all the data, if the game will use the data, etc, or maybe I’m not getting the data thing at all, LOL
I’m glad I found this site and that’s for sharing your knowledge with us in ways that an old fart like me can understand :)
Dennis Restauro says
Thanks for reading John. Your sons Xbox is perfect to cut the cord with. It’s going to be tough to see how much of the data plan you use without knowing how much gaming eats up. Is there a way to meter it? Do you know what your using up now?
john seedestrom says
My data plan with centurylink has no limits so I really have no idea.
My question is, can I watch NHL and MLB games with my current 20mbps and not have buffering issues ?
Dennis Restauro says
I don’t see why not. That’s plenty of bandwidth.
Douglas Esse says
The XBOX one is able to track how much data you use. Network settings will guide you the way.
Go forth and serve the Kingdom of Microsoft proud.
Ken says
Same hear
diana says
i live in SC and get internet for a flat rate of $50 as an INTRO offer…………will change at the end of the offer……………service is just “okay” …………very slow most of the time…………
Dennis Restauro says
More than likely yes, but I’d check the fine print to be sure.
Jod says
Hi
I am just reading all of this and so confused ! If I have a brand new router and modem(they are separate), an attena that I just bought, it’s one of those like paper flat ones that are newer that I have plugged in to my TV that is just giving me basic local channels, so about 12 channels only, I don’t have a subscription anymore to anything because I thought I was moving so cancelled my cox bundle which was full cable , landline and internet. It was expensive and they are awful anyway. So… I have no internet (dying), I have a month to month Mobil hot spot I signed up for from my cell phone carrier for internet but is there something very cheap for internet and just a few more channels with what I have already? I don’t need tons but dying with just these few channels and no real internet access but need cheap and ideally no contract because most likely will be moving. Thank you ‘n
Dennis Restauro says
That’s a tough call. I don’t know of any no contract internet services. There are pay by the day\week services but they’re pretty pricey.
Tamara Lancaster says
Charter-Spectrum, services at least the South/Central area of Wisconsin and offers Internet Only 60Mbps for $59.95, plus modem, FCC, tx, etc about $75/mo
Della says
Any good internet option other than Comcast, CenturyLink in Seattle?
Dennis Restauro says
Can any Seattle readers help out Della?
Ken says
Your home phone $50a mouth with Verizon no limits!
Heather says
Atlanta, GA here!
Want to cut my Comcast Cable.
From Comcast, we get:
TV, Internet, Home Phone (for the security system (which I may get rid of in 6mos!))
I just bought a new Smart TV (altho I really dont know what that means! How does it play in? Does this mean I can watch internet stream ON the TV?)
We have Netflix, which is basically all my grown kids watch.
I, myself, watch basically only TLC and occasionally News – really dont watch much tv at all – most everything w/TLC is recorded on the tv DVR –
(but I feel most any of this can be gotten online!)
IF I cut the cable cord, will that affect Netflix at all??
Our cellphones are both w/ATT and Verizon.
Of course, great internet is the priority!
My Comcast contract is up soon. Im certain they’ll penalize me for leaving early/try to get me to stay?!
Recs for us re Providers/Devices?!
I am 50yo and totally confused!!!!!
Soooo glad to find this article.
Any and all help soooo very much appreciated! THANK YOU!!!
~Heather
Dennis Restauro says
Did you check out the main guide on cable TV alternatives? It covers the basics of cutting the cord.
m english says
Hi Heather – As of today, I cancelled my contract with Comcast before my contract termination date of April 2017. In preparation for this event I spoke with several Comcast reps and was given several answers as to what my early termination fee would be…after doing some research myself, I determined that my fee should be $10/month prior to the expiration of my contract. Comcast tried to add $150 to the $10/month so, I advise you to either wait until your contract ends or know what your contract states before you cut them out of your life…And yes, they will attempt to talk you out of leaving Comcast!
Elisabeth says
Before I ask my question; let me bless you for your hard work making hi-tech understandable for those of us who fondly remember the simplicity of free t.v.
I’m in N.J- Verizon is available; but after clicking on link & inputting zip… all they offered was the “triple bundle”- even after I input the “stand alone” option (?) Can you shed some understanding on this…trying to give benefit of doubt that they’re not the ugly sister of Comsuck. Is it technical? If not; is it possible there’s an honest answer as to why they would offer, then say we only have “this” for your address?
Dennis Restauro says
If you click the link, scroll down under the triple play offer and there should be Internet Only deals. 50 for $50 is the first one. Let me know if it’s there.
Elisabeth says
Hi again, Dennis;
Did as you suggested & went back to link…
lol- didn’t realize Verizon had two types of service for the internet.
Fios not available for my zip (081) as of yet (sigh). But they’ll offer 3-7 mbs + direct tv…I’m gonna pass on that & keep looking. Thanks for the quick reply!
William says
If you keep Comcast internet ala cart but drop their cable can you still stream cable programming thru the internet? Or do you need to purchase something like Hulu or Roku?
Dennis Restauro says
No, you will need to use a device like Roku, and another service. Here is a breakdown on how to cut the cord on cable.
HOWARD FRANZBLAU says
Howard says:
Just came across the Ground Reason site and boy do I need your help. I live on Cape Cod and Comcast costs us $265/mo for Cable, Internet and Phone. We need the landline for our alarm co. We also pay $140/mo for verizon wireless with internet. What is your advice to 1. Cut the cord 2. Provide the best a wireless alarm solution if you know one, and, 3. Reduce /better leverage our wireless service. Obviously getting a new TV or some other cost-effective solutions aren’t an issue with our insane 5k/mo. spend.
Dennis Restauro says
If you need a traditional landline you will need to go with a phone company. However, you may be able to use a VOIP provider that works via the internet. To cut the cord you can use the information provided in my guide to cable TV alternatives.
Angi says
Since you already have comcast, you dont need the verizon wireless…..simply buy a $50 wireless router from Bestbuy or something and connect it to your comcast cable box. That will save you
$140pm right there. Next, renegotiate your package deal. Thats extremely high…..unless youre getting all the bells and whistles for channels. Consider what you watch on tv. We do not have cable tv at all and watch all of our tv through netflix, hulu and amazon prime(I only get this because we are heavy Amazon shoppers) – this is $30pm total and theres nothing we miss. You can access these through a Wii or Roku box/stick. I love it because I now watch what I want, when I want and dont have to be on the cable companies schedule. All in all – I pay $85pm for our entertainment and internet.
Sandy says
Any suggestions for Las Vegas.
Dennis Restauro says
Can any readers in Nevada help Sandy out?
Jeff says
I’m with Sandy.. need to rid myself of Cox
Ann Barrett says
I want to get rid of my Comcast cable, my tv is HD but not a smart tv. From everything I read it sounds like I need a rokuh, antenna and sling to watch the tv shows I now watch. I have u-verse internet. Dennis, does it seem like I fully understand and will be able to move foreword? Any other advice? Your site is fabulous and so helpful.
Ann Barrett
.
Dennis Restauro says
Yes. An antenna, Internet access and a Roku is all you need.
Eric says
Any recommendation on how to get Verizon to extend the $50 for 50Mbps promotional offer beyond the one year of service?
Dennis Restauro says
I would never lock in for more than one year. Internet is overpriced and the price should come down as new technologies start to hit the marketplace. I re-examine yearly.
Shola I says
Do you have other ISP in South Bend/Mishawaka/Granger, Indiana apart from AT&T and Comcast that dominate the market around here?
Dennis Restauro says
Not that I know of. Hopefully another reader may have a better answer.
Carolyn Steed says
Unfortunately where we live in the mountains of Western NC the main provider is Frontier. They offer Internet (now connected to Dish I think) It’s all together for land line, TV, and internet for around $250. Finally we said no more and get cell from Verizon, land line from (not sure) at any rate Frontier has a monopoly and we still receive bills for charges of who knows what. No TV since June and we are still paying billls from Frontier. Again I will have to spend hours on the phone with them trying to figure out why,when ???
rdb says
Sounds like my experience with Comcast. It took numerous phone calls and chat sessions to finally see the bill decrease.
Brian Thibodeaux says
Here in Dallas, TX (actually Richardson, TX) just North of Dallas, I am finally ready to cut the cord. I just found today that our Time Warner offers internet only for $39.99 a month for the first 12 months for 100Mpbs (and they guarantee a minimum speed of 80Mpbs. No rental fee for a wireless box and no contract…so I was told at the end of the 12 months special, I just call and find out what the specials are then. According to neighbors, they offer the best and fastest service in our area. Have been with ATT and they only offer 24Mpbs and it often is running anywhere between 6-20Mpbs…and it often just goes off and back on for no apparent reason.
Joe McGrath Jr says
Hello,
Why aren’t these services coming to Philadelphia, PA and suburbs. I am tired of the bull of Comcast and Verizon is to high in price. I already have a digital box and antenna. I am ready to canned the internet service also. Please bring your srevives to our area.
Dennis Restauro says
Hi Joe, I’d check with Verizon. They are offering a 50 Mbps for $50 in my area. That’s pretty good.
arielli says
Hi there,
i’ve bookmarked your site for a few months now but now forced to make the cut as TWC, now spectrum has increased my bill to 192!
I really do not want to give them anymore of my business so i’m exploring a separate internet
( slingtv can work as a tv alternative).
While i’m not expecting top-quality (customer) service from the smaller/local providers, i did a review search on one of your options listed above, DSLextreme, and the reviews are terrible!!!
it doesn’t sound like you’ve had personal experience with them….
Unfortunately I have limited (no-contract) internet options in my area even though i live in a mid-size city.
Dennis Restauro says
I haven’t personally been able to try it, but their reviews are actually pretty good relative to other ISPs. I find DSLreports one of the best sources of ISP reviews. They do pretty well there. Check out their review page.
Reuben L Boarman says
I need information for Dallas fort Worth Metroplex
Dennis Restauro says
Unfortunately, I think TWC is the best option. If anyone has a better option please share.
Frank Leah says
It depends on where you are in the DFW metroplex. I can tell you that Plano Tx has FIOS with “Frontier” which was formerly “Verizon”
Frank Leah says
In the DFW area here the ex Verizon Fios now Frontier service area
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