Picking an Internet Service Provider that doesn't suck.

[Keeloth]

So, as anyone who has had to listen my lag-distorted grumbling/cursing on League of Legends can tell you, my network sucks.  Big time.  The good news is that in about a week, I'll be moving to Texas, where I got a new job. I don't have a place locked down yet (staying with relatives for a week or two while I apartment hunt), but I want to start thinking about Internet options while I can easily consult you guys.

So, how about it?  Anything from service providers to what connection(broadband, cable, etc) is fair game, here.  I have an ancient wireless card (netgear, I think), is that going to affect my connection, or will any ol' wireless card do the trick?  If I switch from wireless, do I need to pick up any upgrades for my computer?

Software-wise, I can usually fake some expertise what with having modded a lot of game files, but I'm clueless when it comes to hardware.

[Da6onet]

Verizon FiOS if they have it. Only real way to go. Though in Texas you might be able to get away with Comcast if it's a sparsely populated area.

[eeth]

Duoi knows TX. I think Comcast is probably the best down there?

as for the wireless, that is a big no-no. we have a friend that games wirelessly and without fail, every minute or so he gets a nasty lag spike that seriously affects gameplay (no matter what game we're playing). so yeah, plug that computer in with an ethernet cable for sure!

if you HAVE to go wirelessly, i would for sure get the latest generation of wireless router (N is what it called I think) and a card that works in that "N" range.

[Duoi]

the bad thing about TX is that there are different cable/internet companies for different parts of the state.  so Comcast is not available in some parts of Texas.

[Ash]

Stay away from any company with the word Bell in the title... that goes for fast food companies too

[Duoi]

^ absolutely agree

[victoriah]

lol, i should've just posted my randomness rant here.  so i have satellite plus i've been working wirelessly on my laptop and i want to *scream*

[Keeloth]

Hmm.  I've had trouble with Comcast, to be frank. It's what I have now.  But I don't really know the situation in Texas.  For the Record, this is in the Dallas/Plano area, so not sparsely populated at all.

I'll look into Ethernet.  So I need any kind of extra hardware for that for my computer to recognize it?

[eeth]

shouldn't, assuming you have any old standard network card in your laptop. i've never seen a laptop without one. should look kinda like a phone jack, but larger

[Duoi]

well from what i have been told they have Fios in Dallas so i would look into that for sure.

[Keeloth]

shouldn't, assuming you have any old standard network card in your laptop. I've never seen a laptop without one. should look kinda like a phone jack, but larger

It's not a laptop, it's a desktop.  I built it myself from parts ordered via Newegg back in 2008 or so.  So, if I need some kind of network card, I need to know what kind to get and how much it's going to cost me.  I only have a Netgear wireless card.

[eeth]

my bad on the laptop assumption. regardless, it should have on on-board network card. meaning it's built into the motherboard.

[Keeloth]

He's aliiiiiive!

So, my internet is due to be installed June 7th (I'm typing this from a really run-down library).  I ended up going with Time Warner, since it seems the other two options were AT&T and a local company called Clear that only does wireless and seems to mainly focus on being cheap, instead of quality connection.

Thanks for all your help guys!

[Duoi]

Good luck there Keeloth. Never used Time Warner when they where in Houston.

And welcome to Texas

[Lithium]

I've been on time warner for almost a decade and I don't have problems typically and get respectable burst speeds.