link doesn't work for me

FredF

There is actually plenty of competition here. Depending on where you live, you have up to 3 choices for Internet access and up to 5 choices for TV. In addition, you can put up an antenna and have free local affiliates out of Orlando. There are also numerous internet streaming sources, who are all in competition with each other, such as HuluTV and YouTube TV, just to name a couple.

I have had broadband internet access for 20 years. During that time, the price has always been between $35 and $40 per month. We currently pay $35 per month to CenturyLink. So, effectively the cost for internet access has dropped when considering the increases in the cost of living. The performance has also increased by two orders of magnitude. I fail to see what all the complaining is about.

Warning: Incognito mode does not stop other sites or your ISP from seeing your IP address or your web activity. It only keeps your browsing history from being saved. It will not hide you from anyone except those in your household.

When you go into incognito mode read the explanation on the screen.

If you want to hide from the world you can use a VPN ( virtual private network) with that you can change your IP address to almost anywhere in the world and your provider does not see your activity, As you have effectively changed your identity.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) "A virtual private network (VPN) enables users to send and receive data while remaining anonymous and secure online."

MUCH safer for sure:

The Best VPN services for 2018 - CNET

I use NordVPN (always highly rated)

FredF

Consider yourself lucky. I had CenturyLink with Internet/TV/Phone. It went from $145 to $175 to $246. I received ad in mail from COMCAST- $25 for Internet and $25 for TV, WOW only $50 per month!!! I switched to COMCAST for internet and TV, no phone. Sure, $25 for internet and $25 for TV but then $10 for modem, $10 for TV Box , $10 for wireless TV box for second TV, fees, taxes, etc., and bare minimum ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS plus a free STARZ(which I didn't particularly want). I did want CSPAN to watch Washington Journal and he said I could have CSPAN. After several calls to XFINITY for reboots and two visits from XFINITY people it turns out they stopped providing CSPAN for the cheap plan but hadn't told the sales persons. I'm paying $100 per month. IT IS ALL GETTING TO BE A BIG HUGE SCAM. THEY ARE ROBBING US BLIND.

Can you log on to C-SPAN2 without logging into XFINITY?

No rewards or Loyalty discounts given by CL any more my bill went up $32.00 and when my other reward dates are up it will go up again.

So-are you going to stay with CL--Xfinity is a no starter for us , because they are really Comcast

C/L turned off our existing service yesterday at 9AM in preparation for our Friday upgrade. After giving them a chance to straighten it out we went back to Xfinity at 5 PM last night and took the internet service. I feel badly about leaving C/L the service was fine till yesterday.

I almost went for the Comcast TV deal but once you get all the way down to the bottom line and add in HD, Dvr, boxes, taxes, and things I didn’t think of the price was to much.

Does anyone in the Villages use HULU TV without a cable tv subscription? I know you still need the high speed internet. Also are there any restrictions from the cable companies as to the amount of internet service usage per month?

Not really sure what/why you're asking about Hulu w/o cable but as far as the second Q, most do have a data cap per month. Do a google/bing search on your provider's data cap (or call them to inquire). For example, a search of "xfinity data cap" yields the following:

1 - How does the XFINITY Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan work?
The Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan is a new data usage plan for XFINITY Internet service that provides you with a terabyte (1 TB or 1024 GB) of Internet data usage each month as part of your monthly service. If you choose to use more than 1 TB in a month, we will automatically add blocks of 50 GB to your account for an additional fee of $10 each.


XFINITY Data Usage Center — FAQ

FredF

I ask without "Cable TV", meaning just cable internet service. We are thinking of getting rid of cable tv and using hulu tv. But we are not sure which service to use (CL or Comcast), which will depend on allowable monthly usage.

Hulu TV is a cord-cutting, streaming service, similar to YoutubeTV and several other services.

I am not sure what you are referring to when you say "most" but CenturyLink doesn't have data caps here.

I am referring to the following and according to this well-known site, CL has a data cap (but probably one you've never bumped up against in your monthly viewing):

Internet Providers With Data Caps

"Every Internet Provider We've Found Offering Plans With Data Caps
This table includes every broadband Internet provider currently using "data caps" to limit Internet usage. As of Jun 06, 2018, we have 215 providers with data caps in our database..."

and CL is one of them listed


FredF

Thanks, that is what I wanted to know. Has anyone used HULU TV and are you happy with the service?

According to CenturyLink, they don't enforce any data caps on fiber to the house connections here (the majority of the connections here). They do apparently send out warning notices for DSL customers.

Probably not enforced IF you're lucky enough to have fiber available. Netflix CEO, Hastings, said, "It turns out that all Netflix streaming peak on Saturday night can fit inside a single fiber optic, which is the size of one human hair". So I guess there is no need, however, if you have coax, probably another story - data cap


FredF

Most of the homes in The Villages have fiber to the house available via CenturyLink. The other providers, Comcast and Spectrum, use coax to the house with fiber trunks. I have no idea what Comcast and Spectrum do regarding data caps as I use CenturyLink.

I contracted for Xfinity "internet only" back in January in Tall Trees; CL did not serve this area with fiber and I don't believe they serve north of 466 with fiber either. But I have >100 mbps so, as Alfred E Newman used to say, "what me worry" :p The newer areas/homes, I believe, are wired with fiber.

FredF

We are north of 466 and have had CL fiber for over 2 years.

All of these streaming services allow a 5 or 7 day free trial, so you should just try one or more of them out. You can turn them on or off at will - no contacts or penalties. No setup charges, box rentals or anything. All you need is a streaming device like a Roku or Fire TV, or a "smart TV". We have been using YouTube TV for several months now, and are looking at Playstation Vue on a free 5 day trial. YouTube TV is fine unless you want to fast-forward through commercials you have recorded on networks (mainly CBS, NBC and ABC recordings). It blocks your access to these recordings and forces you to watch the VOD (Video On Demand) versions, which do not allow fast-forwarding through commercials. The PlayStation Vue service does not have this limitation. If you are "hooked" on fast-forwarding through commercials on your DVR, YouTube TV is not for you.

Interesting info:

"Residential fiber service is available to 43% of people living in The Villages."

Internet Providers in The Villages: Compare 15 Providers

FredF

I believe everyone south of 466 has fiber to the home (or perhaps it is everyone south of 466a). Any new homes built within the last 5 years, and probably built within the last 6 or 7 years, have fiber to the home. They have also retrofitted other areas. Some areas still are serviced by DSL over copper.

Yes, I believe all the new homes south of 466a are fiber. I'm south of 466 (by a stone throw) and coax - no fiber. But, again, what's the penalty … I get >100 mbps at a reasonable price. Even if I could get 1Gbps, what would I do with it and, thus, why would I want to pay the additional cost? I'm a happy camper at my speed/cost

FredF

It looks as though prices are comparable and the customer service ratings are ALL terrible.

With the "cable companies" such as Comcast and Spectrum, the trunks are fiber. The last 50 feet of coax to the house doesn't really matter that much. With CenturyLink, you are either fiber to the house or DSL over copper. That makes a big difference.

I don't care about "ratings". I have had CenturyLink for 4+ years and they have been fine. I hardly ever interact with them because the service is reliable. I think the last time was when I was replacing their router with one I bought. They actually swung by my house to pick it up.

Don't know if you got this resolved or not but here are a couple of thoughts: I found my CL bill was also doubled early in the year, but it's because the credit card I had autopay on had expired and they failed to notify me (they did take off the late charges when I complained of that). Also, when my introductory rate was ready to expire, they pleasantly moved me to the $45/mo plan and so far, so good.
As for going cable-free, we haven't had cable since moving to FL 4 years ago. Bought a nice antenna and put it up (shouldn't cost more than $100 for antenna, maybe same for install). Our smart TV automatically has Netflix, which we subscribe to for less than $9/mo. We also got Roku and Chromecast, so we have plenty of options. If TV is not your life, you can do it relatively inexpensively.

Cutting the Cord - Cable
 

We purchased a Fire TV Stick at the Marion of Market that had a pre-loaded program on it for Movies, TV Shows (not live, by season/episode) and Sports (live). This was while we still had a Dish contract to fulfill.

It was around $100 and then no further charges for what I mentioned above. This way we didn't have to pay fees for Netflix or other streaming devices and we were able to watch the NFL games and Big Ten Network etc.

Next we paid the same person to use his Premium program on the stick. That was $12 for a one month trial. We liked it so much we went for the $100/yr. contract. We get ALL the national and local stations - news from our stations back home, golf, tennis, hbo, starz, diy, hgtv, food network - you name it. However, you can't record with this type of service. It is streaming from our CL router and our speed is at 25mbps (I think that's the abbreviation). The picture is HD. We have a TV fire stick on each of our 4 TV's but can only watch 2 tv's simultaneously with their premium package. Not sure if you could watch a movie on a 3rd TV if it was using the non-premium streaming feature.

Streaming does not come without faults - and there is a learning curve to using it. However, we're retired - we've got plenty of time.

If you want to check it out for yourself - go to the Market of Marion - Aisle A - I think between C and D - facing towards Ocala. The guys are great. There are other vendors at the MofM, but their boxes are a couple hundred dollars - per TV and a monthly fee several X's more than we are paying.

If recording is a "must" then there's a unit on the market but it has to be used with an antenna or a couple designated streaming sites that are fee-based. I think it's called HD Homerun DVR. Or, stay with your cable or dish company and get the minimum channels that suit your needs for recording and do what we are doing for the rest.

Good luck!!!

Don't be surprised to see all this "free stuff" go away soon. The networks and industry are beginning to crack down on these services, which are mostly KODI boxes with illegal 3rd party add-ons. Your "jailbroken" Fire Stick may become an ordinary Fire Stick before too long.

I had the same thing happen. I called and got it back to the original price. They are willing to work with you.

As long as you are aware 75% of what you are doing/watching is illegally obtained and streamed it's a good deal ;) despite the fact with a $25 FireTV (or other brand) "stick" and an hour or 2 on YouTube reading instructions you can get it all for free if you are a geeky type. The $100/yr really isn't a bad deal since it's all "pre-stolen" for you and you don't have to deal with it. I am sure the seller told you this up front :D

I had a "box" version of a "stick" but found it too annoying to deal with and stuck with commercial services and I AM the "geeky type."

I used to have Prisim and internet with century link. When I complained about price increases they would give me a discount and then add a year to my contract without telling me. I changed to Dish and comcast internet. Never have problems with Dish, but Prisim was a nightmare. Can't fix it until next Wednesday...
Comcast internet is much faster and I've had no problems. Just my experience.