Has anyone downgraded?

[rispin]

Just wondering if anyone has downgraded their service and are happy with the result?

I just don't see the point in paying for internet speeds I have never had and likely never will achieve in a 50-year-old townhouse. 

Thoughts?

[rstra]

I don’t need internet 300, might slow it down next time if it makes sense.

Why don’t you think you can get the speeds in your townhouse?

[mdk]

@rispin -- I just don't see the point in paying for internet speeds I have never had and likely never will achieve ...

One argument for higher speeds is for those houses that have multiple working-from-home residents. With 300 Mbit/second service, there is 100 Mbps available to 3 computers.

One argument for lower speeds is the small number of web-sites that can "push" data out at over 100 Mbit/second. Many "web-hosting" companies limit each web-site to 100 Mbps.  One exception is the server that Windows Update connects to -- I have seen actual downloads at 250 Mbps from that server.

Anyway, in my 65+ years old single-family house, my HITRON modem consistently delivers over 300 Mbps for download and over 16 Mbps for upload -- I am paying for 300/15. However, the coaxial-cables between Shaw's "demarcation box" and my devices are NOWHERE that old -- completely rewired about 20 years ago.

[rispin]

Yah, my house is filled with mystery cabling.  No idea where it goes or where it came from. 

[mdk]

@rispin --- my house is filled with mystery cabling

A little late, but "spooky" anyway. 🙂

When Shaw rewired my house, they ran cables from the Shaw "demarcation box" up the outside wall, into the attic.

One cable came out of the attic, on the far side of the house, down the wall, and they drilled a new hole into the outer wall, behind the TV, and ran the cable through the hole (and then sealed around that cable).

They fished one cable down from the attic, through an inside wall, and poked a hole in the drywall, and mounted a faceplate & socket.

Definitely not as "neat-and-tidy" as it would have been if the cabling had been done after a new house was "framed-up", before adding the drywall.  But, it works much better than the 1950-era cables.

They rewired everything after noticing that I was renting a suite in the basement, and the renters were piggy-backing on my (all-analog at the time) TV services.  The renters had to get their own service from Shaw. The next renters signed-up with TELUS.

Moral of the story: if you believe that the behind-the-walls wiring is suspect, pay to get complete new wiring.

[rstra]

@mdk Stratas can be difficult when it comes to re-wiring, luckily, as long as the drop is good, customers now have wireless TV options.