[lug] DSL in the area

[Ken MacFerrin]

> After some fun experiences with Comcast technical "support",

Amen to that, I just moved to the area and it took them 5 days and 3 
levels of tech support to "fix" the ISP code on my account and allow my 
cable modem to register to the network.

  I've been
> thinking of going to a "dry" DSL solution for home, dropping both
> Comcast internet and Qwest local phone service altogether and moving to a VoIP
> setup through Vonage service.  Has anyone on-list done this sort of thing? 
[snip]

I haven't tried any dsl services out here but can say that Vonage is 
great.  My main concern had been having my phone depend on the 
reliability of the internet connection and dns but the Vonage backup 
routing feature allows calls to route to a secondary number (ie: cell 
phone) if your connection has issues and it works like a charm.  Vonage 
customer service/tech support is also great.  From a bandwidth 
perspective you actually don't need too much.  As long as you use the 
adapter as your "edge" device there's a Bandwidth Saver feature that 
allows you to choose between 30, 50 or 90Kbps quality settings and the 
50Kbps setting works fine.  $29.99/month for unlimted local and long 
distance is a beautiful thing.
-Ken