[Bubbalarry]

I got a package from Comcast and Vonage recently and so far although they work I have had a rough experience especially with Vonage.

First I went Thur TV and signed up for Digital HD cable with 2 DVR's and HBO. As a resident of TV I get for free access to the villages.net which allows me to get my tee times on line for free. Not the usual fees they charge. Seems Comcast has a deal with TV that discounts anyone signed up for broadband gets it for free.

So TV and Internet is fine.

Embarg I heard from friends just plain sucks for internet and is expensive at $49.00 a month so I didn't go with it but instead chose Vonage as they were giving me unlimited calls and nationwide service for free the first 2 months, and then $ 24.00 after that.

Now comes the nightmares. Upon signing up for Vonage I mentioned to the sales rep who are from the Philippines that I have wifi on my laptop and need to make sure that the modem/adapter they sent will allow me to get internet service and the phone to work without hooking up the ethernet cable from the adapter to laptop.

She assured me that was a problem that I would not need a special adapter. Now all this time I was using my cell phone and put on almost 60 minutes of a 500 minute plan.

Well 10 days later got the adapter and after 2 hours on the phone waiting for a rep got from level 1 support to level 2 and was told to go buy a different router/adapter from Circuit City. Now I am at the Villages now and had no phone except my cell. So I could not get the device here at Rolling Acres CC, but had to order it on line and as I wanted it ASAP paid for 3 day delivery. It arrived and and after spending another 3 hrs on the cell going from level 1 to level 2 and finally to level 3 and a tech in New Jersey who told me I still had the wrong device for WIFI.

That bestbuy was the place closest to me and I spent to have it delivered fast again.

After arrival I had to again wait for level 3 tech to run the mac address off the unit to get it to work. That was another 3 and 1/2 hours waiting on hold on the cell.

Finally after so many hours of wasted time on the cell I am up and running. My fear is when and if I go down will I need over 4 hours on my cell to get back up.

BTW, I had t upgrade my cell from 500 to 700 minutes or end up paying .45 cents a minute.