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Internet TV, phone

4K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  bev fan 
#1 ·
I'm not too sure if I am posting this in the right section as it applies to multiple-uses.

I live in the country and the fastest internet speed I can get on my iPad ( through wifi) is on DSL @ 6 Mbps through Bell lines. I am with Mustangtechno. The fastest speed I have recorded on speedtest.net at my house, on my iPad over the years is 5.11 Mbps down, 800 Mbps up. Averages around 4.7, 600.; same thing at my neighbours places (with Bell Internet ) too. We don't have fibre out here and won' t be getting it any time soon.
I would like to cut Shaw satellite off,( I own the 600 satellite box) switch home phone to VOIP, and go with a skinny Internet TV package ( to supplement our Netflix on Roku) , saving a lot of money every month. Can this be done with my lousy download speeds? Do you have any recommendations for an Internet TV provider in Ontario? I have seen Vmedia, and Zazeen for Internet TV. I only have 1 TV ,Roku ,both e-cabled to my router, and the iPad (wifi) to connect. So far the Roku has run well except when it rains and the 1950's Bell technology at the closest hub (1 mile away) goes screwy.
Any suggestions? Or am I going to have to go to antenna for TV? I will post my particulars in that forum later if I need to go with an antenna.
Thanks
 
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#2 ·
Possible? Yes.

But personally, on a 6mbps max connection.. I would not try to stack VOIP, streaming, and any other stuff all at the same time.

Not even full HD streaming on netflix will take up to 3mbps all on its own.
 
#3 ·
The best option may be to keep Shaw satellite and get their skinny basic offering. The reviews for Vmedia, and Zazeen internet TV are generally unfavorable, even with faster, more reliable internet. In addition, they lock TV customers into their own internet offering which may cost more or have issues when compared to the current service.

OTA TV can be a good option but it depends on local reception. It would be a good idea to check the OTA reception results forum for your location.
 
#4 ·
Thankyou for the info and advice. At least I know better about what I can/not do with my limited internet. It seems that reliable internet TV is not a possibility, and OTA is my next area to look into. Would the 5~6 Mbps be enough to to stack a VoIP phone and run Netflix together?
Thanks.
M.M.
 
#5 ·
That should be OK. VoIP maxes out at about 80kbps for the highest voice quality so it doesn't need a lot of bandwidth. One Netflix stream should be OK, even in HD. Two could be a problem. It might be possible to give VoIP higher priority by using the QoS settings in the internet router. I wouldn't be concerned unless VoIP quality becomes an issue.
 
#6 ·
OK, great to know. At least I could cut my phone costs down without fear of messing up other things.
"QoS" settings; now you've lost me... I am not tech savvy at all. I am guessing it is a way to set priorities for distribution of bandwidth?
Any recommendations on VoIP phone providers?
Thank you.
M.M.
 
#7 ·
Your basic gatway routers from your ISP usually dont have the QoS settings.. even most mid range 3rd party ones.
You might have to go to a slightly higher one, to be able to get the QoS settings.
QoS = Quality of Service. Which in yes, you can often then regulate.. that specific types of traffic (in this case voice) always have a particular allotted amount of bandwidth... or that it gets priority. (may vary based on the QoS settings on the router itself)

I agree that i wouldnt try more than one stream, or one stream and phone at the same time though..

One other possibly option for phone.. is there are a few providers.. Rogers, Fido, etc who offer a CELL based home phone. Usually is only 9.99/month as well.. and wouldnt eat up your internet then.

Before investing any money on OTA stuff, take a look at the OTA part of the forum, ask some questions, etc.
You can sort of check to see whats available in your area with this.
https://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
 
#8 ·
"QoS" settings; now you've lost me...
The proper term for QoS is ToS. Basically, it means giving priority to certain types of traffic, such as VoIP. One thing to bear in mind is to work properly it has to be implemented along the entire path. So, while your router may support it, you have no control over the Internet. However, with the high bandwidth available today, it's generally not an issue. There is also CoS at the Ethernet layer, but most home gear doesn't do anything with it, as it involves VLANs.
 
#9 ·
You may want to do some testing on your internet connection before committing to a VOIP service. I gave up on Ooma because my jitter was too high, and I had too many call quality problems. There are several connection tests for VOIP service that you can find with a quick google search.
 
#14 ·
Depending on which package/provider you sign up with, how far you are from the Bell CO, and your wiring will factor in on whether your ISP will offer/deliver you 6mbs dsl in Muskoka or upwards to 25 mbs (and also if the Bell tech who does the install does a great job). I just went through this with multiple providers and the answer I got ranged from 1.5 mbs service to 25mbs service being available - apparently they really don't know until the order is processed, and with me switching to Vmedia, they are not charging installation, setup and I'm using my existing Bell modem. It's costing me $8.65 pro-rated for the rest this month and then $42.95 onwards, no dry loop fee, and Bell has gone up to $70 with all discounts applied. I hope Vmedia works. Vmedia TV package is free for 6 months so I will get to try that our too and FONGO will be my home phone for $4.95 month. So all in, I can save about $100 per month by getting rid of Bell and SHAW satellite... I hope it all works

I used to be on the bell 15/10 service but I downgraded to their 10/1 service due to their wireless modem router being crap. We are in the midst to change to Vmedia 15/1 and we will see how that goes. We're in south muskoka about 9 km from the BELL co, so we shouldn't be getting 10mbs speed test results but we do consistently.
 
#15 · (Edited)
There is $65 installation fee for people switching from Bell internet to Vmedia DSL internet, unless you were able to have that waved.
I doubt that Vmedia Tv will work properly with your internet speeds and if you had problems with Bell's Internet there is no way that Vmedia will improve reliability since they will be using Bell's line and the same modem.

You can check Vmedia reviews on Google, those are more accurate as any negative posts on Facebook or Vmedia forum are being deleted by the moderators.
 
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