My ISP is Spectrum. My modem is a Motorola SB5101. My cable bill is "bundled" which includes phone and TV and the bottom line per month is $213.29. The itemized invoice shows I am paying $59.99 for Internet connection plus a $10 modem lease fee.
So what can I do? I called them last year about reducing my bill when it jumped up $40 a month. They said "Sure, if you want to drop some of the services."
That's the problem. If you don't have much of a choice in what ISPs you have in your area, then they screw you over and know they can get away with it since your area lacks competition. I can tell you right now where I live I pay about the same for TV, Internet and a land line, but my Internet speed is at least 4x faster than that.
I just noticed you live in NY. Surely you have Verizon FIOS and Comcast available? While Comcast isn't the best out there for a multitude of reasons that you can read about all over the Internet, they are a tier 1 ISP, and I'm sure Verizon FIOS is too since that's all fiber right to the house.
If you look at other ISP websites that offer their services you may find out that what you're paying now for Internet can give you a download and upload speed that's a hell of a lot faster than what you're paying for now. Even though the price you're paying now for what you're getting is a crime, if you are the only one using it, not doing any online gaming, streaming and other stuff, then that Internet speed would suffice. But if you have other ISPs in your area you could do better for what you're paying for. In fact, your own town may have its own Internet offering. The people in this town voted for city-based Internet in an effort to create more competition, but the stupid city has to do all kinds of things to roll it out. Yet there's another town near by that does have city-based Internet access. Why this city can't get their crap together that was voted for I don't know. And it's been at least five long years! They spend money on BS and the mayor, etc have a serious lack of common sense and leadership. In fact, this town has its own low power AM radio station like many other towns for city information and emergency information. That transmitter has to be licensed with the FCC and the license has to be renewed every so often (they expire). Well, that license expired in like 2016 and they have yet to renew it. I emailed a city council member that would handle that sort of thing and no email back. So I filed an informal complaint with the FCC. It pisses me off that this city can't roll out city-wide Internet after it's been voted on by the people and spend hordes of money on stupid crap to no end then not even renew a simple low power AM radio station in 4 years. Even after I've made an attempt to let them know about it.
Anyway, you may want to look at dslreports.com and see what you have there for ISPs and read the reviews. It's absolutely egregious that part of the bundle which is the Internet portion is so expensive yet you have a piss poor Internet speed. Please tell me the TV part of the package at least has many premiere channels like the Paramount Network, IFC, Smithsonian, HBO, Showtime and all the rest of that crap where they just repeat the same movie weekend after weekend. If not, that's another rip off. LOL
That may not be true for his area. I tried to pull up the rates for Syracuse since all I know is that he lives in up state NY and the website told me to call them. How did you find those rates? It does look like he's being fleeced.
Also, is that just the introductory rates or what ever marketing crap it's called? I know cable providers will advertise so-called 'starting at' prices and then latter on go up from there.
Debodun, just out of curisoty. Have you ever power cycled your modem? It's possible that you may not be aware of a free Internet speed upgrade your ISP rolled out and in order to take advantage of that you have to power cycle the modem. To do that press and hold the reset button for at least 10-15 seconds. The reset button will more than likely be be a small recessed hole where you have to use something like a tooth pick. It's worth a shot if in fact you were given a free Internet speed boost and didn't know about it. But I do have my doubts.
$251.94 a month isn't cheap, but I've been with Spectrum (formerly under different names) since I got cable service for the first time in 1999.
Frontier FIOS is the other big boy in the Tampa Bay area, but I'm content to stick with Spectrum.
I remember doing that, but it was a while ago. Does the computer have to be on to do that? This power cycle is not the same as just unplugging the modem for 5 minutes, then re-booting?
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