Internet Advice Needed

[Furrydogmom]

I’m closing on a home in St James in a few weeks and have been told which internet providers are available: Comcast, Spectrum or Century Link. I’m looking for a good value, but even more importantly as someone who streams television, a strong signal that won’t buffer while I’m watching a movie. Can’t wait to be your neighbor!

[flusher]

CenturyLink for internet is now branded as Quantum, I have it for $50 monthly for life, no problems with streaming or other internet gadgits. Just make sure that the tech who installs knows what he's doing. Some friends had problems with a install and had to get a redo.

[retiredguy123]

I have been very satisfied with the Xfinity (Comcast) Internet service. Currently, I have the 1200 mbps speed, which is way more than I need, but they keep raising it with special deals.

By the way, "Xfinity" is their preferred name for Comcast home services.

[gatorbill1]

If using Spectrum (Century Link) make sure you have fiber optic wires or will be very slow.

[Stu from NYC]

I have been very satisfied with the Xfinity (Comcast) Internet service. Currently, I have the 1200 mbps speed, which is way more than I need, but they keep raising it with special deals.

By the way, "Xfinity" is their preferred name for Comcast home services.

Xfinity gives good results but raises price every 6 months or so.

[gatorbill1]

Xfinity gives good results but raises price every 6 months or so.

I have a 2 year contract with Xfinity for 1200 speed and $60 a month

[Bill14564]

We had good service with Xfinity between 466A and 44. Switched away from Xfinity to T-Mobile due to price.

Beware of upselling. With 75 mbps from Xfinity we streamed on two televisions while doing various things on the internet with no problems. Don't let a salesperson sell you 1200mbps to watch Netflix.

[retiredguy123]

Xfinity gives good results but raises price every 6 months or so.
Not exactly. If you have a 2-year agreement, the only prices they can raise are the fees that they do not control. Currently, I am paying $250 per month, but, in 8 years, I have always paid at least $200 per month for almost every channel and service they offer. I will admit that it is difficult to compare pricing over the years. I like that the cable boxes, including most DVR recordings, operate independent of the Internet service. So, even if you lose the Internet connection, you still have access to most of the Xfinity services through the cable.

[retiredguy123]

We had good service with Xfinity between 466A and 44. Switched away from Xfinity to T-Mobile due to price.

Beware of upselling. With 75 mbps from Xfinity we streamed on two televisions while doing various things on the internet with no problems. Don't let a salesperson sell you 1200mbps to watch Netflix.
I agree, but, sometimes the best contract deal does not come with a 75 mbps Internet speed. The 2-year contract bundle discount can be substantial.

[Bill14564]

I agree, but, sometimes the best contract deal does not come with a 75 mbps Internet speed. The 2-year contract bundle discount can be substantial.

Absolutely, it's the best deal that matters. But at the same time, if you don't need the additional speed then paying more for the 800mbps package that's "on sale" is not a better deal than paying less for the 200mbps package.

[JRcorvette]

I’m closing on a home in St James in a few weeks and have been told which internet providers are available: Comcast, Spectrum or Century Link. I’m looking for a good value, but even more importantly as someone who streams television, a strong signal that won’t buffer while I’m watching a movie. Can’t wait to be your neighbor!

I have had Comcast and their customer service is horrible. Currently with Spectrum and very happy plus they have good customer service and a store that is up on 466a at Tradewinds. The 300 mbs is plenty for streaming. I also recommend getting their cell phone service for $29.99 a month (which includes all taxes and fees) and it is Unlimited Everything!

[PGApromike]

I am sold on Centrix for Internet and streaming. Outstanding customer service. Best price for fiber and speed.

[prmason]

We just switched to Quantum Fibre, $50.00 for life and that is the total bill, and I also live the St James. I was told that anything south of Buttonwood has fibre to the house. When we ordered it, about two days later a contractor came to the house to verify the fibre prior to the actual installation. A couple of issues we had, 1) we have LG TV's and there are some settings in the app that have to be turned off (only some LG's have this issue, not all) 2) because we have a concrete home getting through all the exterior walls was difficult so we needed additional hubs. The installation brings two hubs, but you get 4 for free, some technician will just give them to you, we had to get support to send a technician's out and he gave us the other two. One more thing, my service is 500meg, they also offer 1Gig for $75.00 for life. We are very happy with this carrier.

[Rwirish]

$250 a month is pure robbery.

[allsport]

I’m closing on a home in St James in a few weeks and have been told which internet providers are available: Comcast, Spectrum or Century Link. I’m looking for a good value, but even more importantly as someone who streams television, a strong signal that won’t buffer while I’m watching a movie. Can’t wait to be your neighbor!

If you can get fiber, get it; if not, Comcast is the only reliable streaming service.

[Cuervo]

This topic has been a repeated topic and with my own experience I found most of these providers deliver about the same amount of service. Occasionally there might be a promotion which is usually tied to some type of contract which might save you a bit of money.

The most important thing you should consider is what do you actually need, how many TVs are in use at any time, what are you using your computer for is it checking emails or gaming. Once you understand what you need then look at these companies and that will determine who to go with for the best service for your needs at a price you are happy with.

[ColtsFan]

We have had Comcast/Xfinity for several years. We have a package rate for home phone, internet, TV. We have been totally satisfied with our service. If they raise the price, we just negotiate and get it down. In fact, they just lowered our cost without us even asking.

[gwenhwalker@yahoo.com]

Just upgraded Century Link to Quantum which is now available in St James. $55 for life. No problem streaming

[Blackbart]

We just switched to Quantum Fibre, $50.00 for life and that is the total bill, and I also live the St James. I was told that anything south of Buttonwood has fibre to the house. When we ordered it, about two days later a contractor came to the house to verify the fibre prior to the actual installation. A couple of issues we had, 1) we have LG TV's and there are some settings in the app that have to be turned off (only some LG's have this issue, not all) 2) because we have a concrete home getting through all the exterior walls was difficult so we needed additional hubs. The installation brings two hubs, but you get 4 for free, some technician will just give them to you, we had to get support to send a technician's out and he gave us the other two. One more thing, my service is 500meg, they also offer 1Gig for $75.00 for life. We are very happy with this carrier.
I have to agree with the quantum fiber for $50/month deal. I was very surprised to see the bills are exactly 50/month. No carrier fees or other taxes, etc…. It’s $50 even. I still work from home, and I have multiple WiFi devices. Four Amazon fire sticks, iPads, ring and Wyze cameras, etc…. The 500mbps throughput is great for my needs. HIGHLY RECOMMEND QUANTUM FIBER TO ALL.

[huge-pigeons]

You should search these forums 1st before posting. There are numerous and I mean many many posts about internet advice. You say you have 3 providers, call each 1 and see what they offer today, not yesterday, not a year ago. Most subscribers might not know the current prices these providers are offering. Then, after you find out the prices, then query these forums to see how people feel about X company.
As for speed, you have history living with a certain speed in your current house. If you think your current speed is too slow, then up it. Some providers will give you a better deal on faster speeds.

[Girlcopper]

$250 a month is pure robbery.
Agree! Who would actually pay that??

[Bill14564]

Agree! Who would actually pay that??

If you add it all up, many of us do:
- Internet: $50
- Two phone lines: $100
- "Live" channels: $80
- Netflix: $20
- HBOMax: $17

Total: $265

There might be savings here or there but there are also more channels to purchase (Showtime, Disney, Peacock, Hulu, etc).

[polirudb]

I had CenturyLink for about 5 years with little to no problems. Quantum offered me a great deal to switch to them (they are both part of Lumens). They promised to match my rates and offered me several incentives to switch. I made the switch, the service is basically the same. I have had more service problems in 4 months than I did in five years with CenturyLink. The customer service is horrific, worse than Xfinity. They refuse to honor the price they promised and refuse to give me the incentives they promised. I have been fighting with them for over two months, terrible experience. I would not recommend Quantum.

[Justputt]

New homes come with Centric Fiber preinstalled modem/router/wireless set up and running (didn't have pay for it or installation), but it doesn't sound like that is in your area. If you have fiber, it may be worth checking out. We get 1G speed for $65 month, no contract or additional costs.

[Gwiz4u]

I have T-Mobile for $50 a month. It works perfect.
I don’t have to worry about Xfinity cost because they ripped off every time they want and try talking to them on the phone. Good luck.
You can try T-Mobile if you don’t like it you can return it

[jacqueline larsen]

I second that!!!

[JoMar]

I had CenturyLink for about 5 years with little to no problems. Quantum offered me a great deal to switch to them (they are both part of Lumens). They promised to match my rates and offered me several incentives to switch. I made the switch, the service is basically the same. I have had more service problems in 4 months than I did in five years with CenturyLink. The customer service is horrific, worse than Xfinity. They refuse to honor the price they promised and refuse to give me the incentives they promised. I have been fighting with them for over two months, terrible experience. I would not recommend Quantum.

What were your service problems. We have many neighbors that have switched and contine to rave about how great they are.

[retiredguy123]

I have T-Mobile for $50 a month. It works perfect.
I don’t have to worry about Xfinity cost because they ripped off every time they want and try talking to them on the phone. Good luck.
You can try T-Mobile if you don’t like it you can return it
If you have Xfinity, I would never talk to them on the phone about pricing. Go to the website and make an appointment at their store near Best Buy. You will meet with a live person who will help you to choose the best plan. Also, always know when your contract will expire, and make the appointment about a month before it expires. Many people have no idea when their contract expires, and they think that Xfinity has raised their price because the contract expires and their monthly discounts disappear.

[cfranson]

We just switched to Quantum Fibre, $50.00 for life and that is the total bill, and I also live the St James. I was told that anything south of Buttonwood has fibre to the house. When we ordered it, about two days later a contractor came to the house to verify the fibre prior to the actual installation. A couple of issues we had, 1) we have LG TV's and there are some settings in the app that have to be turned off (only some LG's have this issue, not all) 2) because we have a concrete home getting through all the exterior walls was difficult so we needed additional hubs. The installation brings two hubs, but you get 4 for free, some technician will just give them to you, we had to get support to send a technician's out and he gave us the other two. One more thing, my service is 500meg, they also offer 1Gig for $75.00 for life. We are very happy with this carrier.
Hello - we are also buying a pre-owned villa in Collier. How can I find out for sure if I have fiber or not? The previous owner had Spectrum, and I figure this is my chance to do it right, IF there is fiber. Thanks for helping a newbie.

[JRcorvette]

If you do a Search you will find hundreds of similar posts and responses.

[Bill14564]

Hello - we are also buying a pre-owned villa in Collier. How can I find out for sure if I have fiber or not? The previous owner had Spectrum, and I figure this is my chance to do it right, IF there is fiber. Thanks for helping a newbie.

Many internet providers have a "Check Availability" button on their webpage. Use that to determine which providers are options at your home and, usually, what the cost will be.

(Quantum says they will sell me the $50 and $75 packages)

[MplsPete]

Just upgraded Century Link to Quantum ... $55 for life...

I once bought a car with free oil changes "For life." One time I took it in and they said, "We don't do that anymore."

I once bought a wheel alignment, "For life." After my first free alignment, they said, "Some of your suspension parts are bad, we can't do it." Two other shops told me, there's nothing wrong with your suspension parts.

Anytime someone offers me something "For life," I am leery.

[bopat]

We just switched to Quantum Fibre, $50.00 for life and that is the total bill, and I also live the St James. I was told that anything south of Buttonwood has fibre to the house. When we ordered it, about two days later a contractor came to the house to verify the fibre prior to the actual installation. A couple of issues we had, 1) we have LG TV's and there are some settings in the app that have to be turned off (only some LG's have this issue, not all) 2) because we have a concrete home getting through all the exterior walls was difficult so we needed additional hubs. The installation brings two hubs, but you get 4 for free, some technician will just give them to you, we had to get support to send a technician's out and he gave us the other two. One more thing, my service is 500meg, they also offer 1Gig for $75.00 for life. We are very happy with this carrier.


It's $50 or $75 as long as they offer that plan. Which they won't forever. At least that's what their website says

[biker1]

I had the “one price for life” with CenturyLink for several years (and the price didn’t change) before switching to their rebranded QuantumFiber group (same company, Lumens). The price dropped from $45 per month to $30 per month with the switch to the QuantumFiber “one price for life” with a substantial increase in bandwidth (although not needed). Like most technology, internet access prices either drop with time (certainly when inflation is factored in) or you get more capability with time or both. For example, I first started using broadband internet access over 25 years ago and the cost was $45 per month for 1.2 megabits per second. The current QuantumFiber “one price for life” offer is $50 per month but is for 500 megabits per second vs the 200 megabits per second that I have and includes their mesh router (I use my own router). At some point, I may be forced into a new level of service (substantially higher bandwidth than I have now and don’t require) but I suspect it will not be for a few years. Needless to say, I am not too concerned.

I once bought a car with free oil changes "For life." One time I took it in and they said, "We don't do that anymore."

I once bought a wheel alignment, "For life." After my first free alignment, they said, "Some of your suspension parts are bad, we can't do it." Two other shops told me, there's nothing wrong with your suspension parts.

Anytime someone offers me something "For life," I am leery.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I once bought a car with free oil changes "For life." One time I took it in and they said, "We don't do that anymore."

I once bought a wheel alignment, "For life." After my first free alignment, they said, "Some of your suspension parts are bad, we can't do it." Two other shops told me, there's nothing wrong with your suspension parts.

Auto dealers don't have the same regulatory environment as broadcasters and critical infrastructure providers. . . and not surprised by anything an auto dealer does. . . the stories are just mind boggling -> they don't see customers, they see marks.

I would take it if incidental to the deal.

[Bogie Shooter]

I have T-Mobile for $50 a month. It works perfect.
I don’t have to worry about Xfinity cost because they ripped off every time they want and try talking to them on the phone. Good luck.
You can try T-Mobile if you don’t like it you can return it

XFinity has a store on 441, very friendly and helpful.

[Brighthouse]

I’m closing on a home in St James in a few weeks and have been told which internet providers are available: Comcast, Spectrum or Century Link. I’m looking for a good value, but even more importantly as someone who streams television, a strong signal that won’t buffer while I’m watching a movie. Can’t wait to be your neighbor!



i suggest Spectrum. right now you can get 500 Mbps for 29.99. That is out the door. no other provider is cheaper in the villages for the price. I signed up with Lysander Jimenez, he is one of the local sales reps. 352.239.3538.

[retiredguy123]

XFinity has a store on 441, very friendly and helpful.
I agree. When you call Xfinity on the phone, I think you get a non-Xfinity employee who is working from their home, and just trying to make a quick commission at your expense. Make an appointment and meet in person with a genuine Xfinity employee.

[Risuli]

Moved here in June 2022 and took Xfinity up on their offer of $55/month for 500 Mbps internet (equipment included) and just went with streaming for all needs. Of course it was a 2 year contract and this past month the bill jumped to $116. Called Xfinity and they said their lowest cost deal that they'd offer to keep the same service was $71/month. Noted that my home had a fiber cable already run to the house and I contacted Quantum Fiber. Quantum offered 1 Gbps* service for $35/month (allegedly for life) with no contract and equipment included. Of course the fine print for Quantum says its valid as long as they offer the same service, and the equipment price ISN'T part of the "life" guarantee. Nonetheless, I've had it installed and so far (like this last week!) its been great.

* Note: its 1 Gbps internet from the fiber router. For what ever reason when the house was built they put the ONLY fiber jack in the front bedroom; Quantum provides their WiFi 360 pods which provide mesh wifi for the rest of the home, but speed will NOT be 1 Gbps, more like 200-350 Mbps which is still more than enough for 4K HD, gaming, etc.

[jjalex]

Does anyone have experience with Centric?

[JohnN]

We just switched to Quantum Fibre, $50.00 for life and that is the total bill, and I also live the St James. I was told that anything south of Buttonwood has fibre to the house. When we ordered it, about two days later a contractor came to the house to verify the fibre prior to the actual installation. A couple of issues we had, 1) we have LG TV's and there are some settings in the app that have to be turned off (only some LG's have this issue, not all) 2) because we have a concrete home getting through all the exterior walls was difficult so we needed additional hubs. The installation brings two hubs, but you get 4 for free, some technician will just give them to you, we had to get support to send a technician's out and he gave us the other two. One more thing, my service is 500meg, they also offer 1Gig for life. We are very happy with this carrier.

Also in St James and quite happy with Quantum.

[jrref]

Does anyone have experience with Centric?

I know people who have them and the service is very good. What's nice is in a new home the fiber is all connected and a wifi router installed above the kitchen cabinets all ready to go. All you need to do is call them and turn-On the service.

[deej012160]

We have Spectrum and are happy with the service. No issues and we have been here in TV about 1.5 years now. One item to know about--if you have an LG TV, then Spectrum Live TV will only work if you have something like a Roku connected to your TV. We got tired of having an intermediate device (we were using a Roku) and cancelled Spectrum Live TV and got YouTube TV. Happy with YT TV so far; about a month in on that one. I hope this helps.