Review: AT&T U-VERSE

its now 2 HD streams in Chicago land; as far a PQ is concerned, it will be more a product of your installer and the wiring then ATT itself..
remember, installation is free with no contract, so don't cancel your other services until you are sure you like it..
For me, it will mean saving 80 bucks a month, almost a thousand a year, so, it was a no brainer for me.. I will have to "downgrade" to 10/1.5 internet from my current Comcrap 15/2, but, you never see those speeds with Comcrap, except at 4 am on weekdays.....

I'm saving 60 a month between tv,internet and phone, but much more for the first year with 14 a month off for a year, an additional 20 off for 6 months, another 10 off for 6 months, three months hd programming free(10 a month) and then the 100 cash back. AN NO CONTRACT. My wife and I noticed no downgrade in hd signal compared with our former DISH hd. The sd is actually better than the soft sd pq I had with DISH. The hd dvr is excellent, I like it better than the 622 which was also a fine machine. Two hd streams which is enough for me although the last tech who was here told me that it will go higher at some point.
 
yeah, I have read that it will be 4 hd streams before the end of the year..
Now, if they will just boost the internet speeds, to match what Comcast announced today..
Yea, I noticed that item about Comcast boosting internet speeds with no increase in price .While the internet speed I have with U-verse(elite) is more than adequete for my needs, it will be interesting to see how AT&T responds.
 
I posted the following under uverse disaster, this is the more appropiate place for it. I am thinking about the new uverse service, but have some reservations. Can you tell me how many hd programs can be watched at any one time? I have 4 hd sets and 1 SD set in my house that may be used simultaneously by family members in different rooms. The way I understand the service is that you are limited to 2 HD streams and 2 SD streams. Also, I'm not sure how the 1 dvr system can work. I currently have Comcast in Orland Park IL. with a separate dvr for each set, this allows for a great capacity of recording. I believe that with a single dvr I would be limited to the amount of recording time I could use. Do you know if an additional external hard drivr=e can be used ?
 
As for recording games and other protected programs, I really dont know why think a company that works with all levels of the government would let you perform an illegal action on their system. I dont think they should be required to tell you such things either, in fact the broadcast explicitly states that it is illegal to make unathorized recordings of the program at the beginning.

Okay...I'm at work and the BIG game is on TV. I decide to record it and watch it when I get home. Hmmmmm. If AT&T won't let me, then why would I want this service?

My DishNetwork allows me to record the games and watch later.

Just my two cents.

RB
 
Okay...I'm at work and the BIG game is on TV. I decide to record it and watch it when I get home. Hmmmmm. If AT&T won't let me, then why would I want this service?

My DishNetwork allows me to record the games and watch later.

Just my two cents.

RB

I believe he's referring to burning a game from his DVR to a DVD to be viewed later. Of course you can record the game to DVR to be viewed later.
 
I posted the following under uverse disaster, this is the more appropiate place for it. I am thinking about the new uverse service, but have some reservations. Can you tell me how many hd programs can be watched at any one time? I have 4 hd sets and 1 SD set in my house that may be used simultaneously by family members in different rooms. The way I understand the service is that you are limited to 2 HD streams and 2 SD streams. Also, I'm not sure how the 1 dvr system can work. I currently have Comcast in Orland Park IL. with a separate dvr for each set, this allows for a great capacity of recording. I believe that with a single dvr I would be limited to the amount of recording time I could use. Do you know if an additional external hard drivr=e can be used ?

At present you could watch 2 HD channels and 2 SD channels of live TV. You could watch 2 live HD streams and 2 DVR HD streams simultaneously because the DVR streams do not count toward the 2HD/2SD stream count. If two TVs are watching the same show, it only counts as one stream.

Here is a url to a more thorough explanation:

2 HD Stream Example
 
RoswellGA,

Thanks for the clarification on the recording games issue. After reading a few other threads on other forums I came to the same conclusion earlier today.

Regards,
Robert
 
I had Uverse installed yesterday. The DSL is great. TV is good. I have DirecTV HD as well and prefer DirecTV to Uverse so will end up canceling Uverse TV and keeping DSL for now but, may consider going back to Uverse in the future. Primarily, I just don't want to learn the new channel structure now and DirecTV hasn't let me down in the past to make a change. I signed up for the Elite internet package and am getting amazing speed. I am only about 200 yards from the VRAD though.

My home has CAT5e to every room connected to a patch panel in the basement. The RG (Residential Gateway) has 4 Ethernet outputs. I have 7 rooms. Is there one router that would be recommended over the other to connect my Uverse DSL to every room in the home?

Here is a router I found that I think might work but wanted to ask if anyone had any input before making the purchase.

Newegg.com - LINKSYS BEFSR81 10/100Mbps EtherFas Cable/DSL Router 1 x 10Mbps WAN Ports 8 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports - Wired Routers

Here is what my speed looks like with the Elite Uvers DSL plan. Awesome!!

 
I had Uverse Internet Elite, TV, with HD/DVR and Uverse Voice installed yesterday as well, and I too am impressed; the internet speed is slower than my comcast 15/2 was, but, honestly, it seems every bit as fast, and, later in the afternoon and at night, when comcrap would slow to a crawl, I get the same exact speeds, around 9600k down, and 1465k up; never wavers a bit, so I can't tell that much of a difference..I too am only about 200 yards from the VRAD, so that is nice..

Phone service is perfect; and I love all the added features you get with the service, and, how everything intergrates so nicely into the RG..I have 6 tv's connected, 5 of which are hd, and the HD picture is a bit softer than my Dish Network HD picture was, but still really awesum.

I too was going to put my wireless N router into the setup, since the wireless you get with UVerse is just wireless G, but, running speed tests on my laptop wirelessly, I was shocked to see speeds equal to my wireless N Linksys Pro Router! I guess that will be heading to e-bay..

He used most of the existing comcast Coax, but, did run some Cat5 in a couple of rooms where it made more sense.. Plus, what I like about their phone service is they wire it right into your existing phone wiring, so you dont need any sort of VOIP adapter box; just plug your phone in the wall jack and you are good to go!

They provide an large Belkin Battery backup to the RG, so that was a nice touch as well..He also used 2- 8 port Netgear pro switches, and 3 hdmi cables...Nice touch, and there was no extra charge!

All in all, the service is sweet; after installation, the tech ran tests in his truck, and he said he saw alot of packet errors, so he put in to have a new drop installed on Monday; he says it won't require anything to be re-set inside the house, but we will see.

Best of all, I will save 80 bucks a month over what I was paying for the Comcrap and Dish Network combination, and the service is very comparable to what I had before..
 
I had Uverse installed yesterday. The DSL is great. TV is good. I have DirecTV HD as well and prefer DirecTV to Uverse so will end up canceling Uverse TV and keeping DSL for now but, may consider going back to Uverse in the future. Primarily, I just don't want to learn the new channel structure now and DirecTV hasn't let me down in the past to make a change. I signed up for the Elite internet package and am getting amazing speed. I am only about 200 yards from the VRAD though.

My home has CAT5e to every room connected to a patch panel in the basement. The RG (Residential Gateway) has 4 Ethernet outputs. I have 7 rooms. Is there one router that would be recommended over the other to connect my Uverse DSL to every room in the home?

Here is a router I found that I think might work but wanted to ask if anyone had any input before making the purchase.

I would suggest you use a switch. I am currently using a NetGear ProSafe GigaSwitch: search for N82E16833122111 on NewEgg. (I was not allowed to post the URL here as I have made 15 posts yet.)

Simply connect your current router straight into the GigaSwitch, then from your Switch to your patch panel.

Regards,
Robert

P.S. How do I tell if one of the many boxes in my neighborhood is a VRAD? I have a large green box around the corner from my house. In fact, I can see it from the side window in my house.
 
VRAD's are typically tan in color and have power meter next to them.

On the productyou posted, I only see 8 ports. What port does the patch cable run to, from the RG, on this switch? Also wouldn't it be better to go with a router with built in switch?

I guess maybe I don't fully understand the difference between a switch and a router.
 
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routers will try and get an IP address; switches are just "junction points" that allow you to connect things on your network together, and, to share an internet connection with.
It dooesnt matter which port you plug the "internet" connection into on a switch; when you plug it into any port on the switch, ALL the things connected to that switch will have access to the internet.
You want to try and avoid hooking up any type of router to the RG, unless you understand how to configure a router, and, it doesn't sound like that is something you know how to do...you have to understand how to open up a DMZ on the Gateway, and I dont think you understand how to do that either...


A Switch is less expensive anyways..
 
Not completely sure if it matters, but I have my DSL modem connected to port 8. I think I could have used any of the ports on the switch.

The router "routes" data depending on request. For example, if you had a web server and an email server on your network, you would "route" data to whichever server required. If a user requested a web page (port 80 request), the router would direct the traffic to the web server. If a user requests an email (port 25 or 110), the router would direct the traffic to the email server.

Switch: A device that improves network performance by segmenting the network and reducing competition for bandwidth. When a switch port receives data packets, it forwards those packets only to the appropriate port for the intended recipient. This further reduces competition for bandwidth between the clients, servers or workgroups connected to each switch port.

Personally, I believe if you aren't hosting services at your house, you simply don't need the router. The switch will work just as well and it's cheaper.

BTW, the box I can see is dark green.
Robert
 
Thanks for the help, both of you. I think I'll place my order later this week for this switch.

As a simple solution to add more jacks in room, say to connect 2 eithernet devices, can I use a regular wirless router found at Best Buy in that room and configure it to be a switch and turn off wireless? Keep in mind I wired each room for only 1 data jack. I can figure out how to configure myself just curious if possible.

It doesn't sound like you have a VRAD. Take a walk one day around the neighborhood and you might happen to see a VRAD. There are also user posted sightings of VRADS on other websites. Do you have Uverse DSL or regular VDSL from at&t?
 
you could, but 2 reasons NOT to..

1. A switch is cheaper, and there is nothing to configure
2. A router costs more, you will have to go into its configuration, and shut off its router capabilities, or, set it up as a DMZ, which is a bit confusing for a novice..

I would DEFINATELY just use a switch..
 
you could, but 2 reasons NOT to..

1. A switch is cheaper, and there is nothing to configure
2. A router costs more, you will have to go into its configuration, and shut off its router capabilities, or, set it up as a DMZ, which is a bit confusing for a novice..

I would DEFINATELY just use a switch..


Sounds good, the only reason I ask is because I have a dlink 802.11g router now (not in use anymore with Uverse) that I had set up with my Road Runner. By being able to use this in the one room will save me the cost of having to buy a second switch. To bad the router only has 4 ports on it but, it is what it is.

Thanks again
 
well, you could go into the dlink configuration page, and shut off the router part, and just use it as a switch..
I think dlink uses 192.168.0.1 for router config access..
 
It doesn't sound like you have a VRAD. Take a walk one day around the neighborhood and you might happen to see a VRAD. There are also user posted sightings of VRADS on other websites. Do you have Uverse DSL or regular VDSL from at&t?

I have regular DSL from AT&T. It was installed a couple of years ago when I built my new house. I know there are VRADS in the neighborhood as I saw a thread either here or on another site that indicated someone close by had U-verse installed.

I'd say since you already have the dlink to go ahead and use it. I've never used dlink routers so I can't be much help in configuring it.

Regards,
Robert
 
Thanks wase4711 and rbarrett again for all the help.

I think I should be able to figure it all out from here. I'm pretty techy just don't really know a lot about the networking side because my degree is Microcomputer Software Technician and we didn't spend a lot of time on networking in school. I figured who better to ask then people who have the service and tried things already.
 

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