AT&T High-Speed DSL Internet Service
– A Service Review
AT&T, a giant in its respective industries, provides various internet services. Their high-speed internet services come in four different plans to suit your budget and need for speed.
The Basic package is the lowest at $14.95 per month, which offers 768 Kbps. The Express package gives you up to 1.5 Mbps at $25.00 per month, while the Pro package comes to $30.00 a month for speeds of up to 3.0 Mbps. The most expensive of the lot is the Elite plan, which gives 6.0 Mbps speeds for $35.00 per month. All these packages come with the same set of AT&T features.
AT&T Basic
This is the cheapest high-speed internet package among the four AT&T packages, and is good for basic surfing, email functions and downloads of less than 1MB. You only get one dynamic IP address for this package. Downstream speeds range from 384 to 768 Kbps, while upstream speeds reach about 128Kbps.
| Quick Plan Comparison | ||||
| Plan | Basic
DSL |
Express
DSL |
Pro
DSL |
Elite
DSL |
| Download Speed | 768 Kbps |
1.5 Mbps |
3.0 Mbps |
6.0 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 128 Kbps |
384 Kbps |
512 Kbps |
768 Kbps |
| Contract Required | No |
No |
No |
No |
| Rebate | No |
No |
$100 Cash |
$100 Cash |
| FREE AT&T Offer | No |
FREE Wi-Fi |
FREE Gateway or Modem, plus FREE Wi-Fi |
FREE Gateway or Modem, plus FREE Wi-Fi |
| Price | $14.95 |
$25.00 |
$30.00 |
$35.00 |
If your internet needs are very minimal, then you shouldn’t bother getting the other packages, because you’ll have access to all the features of AT&T anyway. But if you have more internet speed requirements, then just choose the package that suits you.
AT&T High-Speed Features
There are quite a lot of features that AT&T are offering their users. For instance, you’re given a pop-up blocker to get rid of those pesky pop-up windows from appearing while you’re surfing.
Email services are also pretty tempting, because you get up to 2GB worth of storage, with POP access, and email forwarding. In addition to that, you’re also given up to 10 more email accounts, each with 2GB worth of storage as well! Your emails are also subject to SpamGuard’s filtering function, which automatically filters spam into a separate folder.
Another delectable feature available to all AT&T subscribers is free dial-up access when you travel. That’s unlimited internet access wherever you go. It may not be as fast as your internet back home, but it keeps you connected all the same.
AT&T High-Speed Internet also gives you a dynamic IP address. This means that you have a new and unique IP address every time you log on. This is another security feature that keeps hackers from tracking you down.
Another unique safety feature of AT&T is their parental controls, which allows parents to monitor their children’s online activities. Firewall software also keeps your computer safe from viruses, while Anti-Spyware and Adware software keeps you safe from potential spyware and adware attacks.
Aside from these features, you’re also given additional options, such as the AT&T Wireless Gateway, which allows you to share one high-speed connection with multiple users. You can connect computers or other internet-capable devices.
You also have the option to install the service yourself, so you save on installation costs, or have a technician do all the work for an additional $200.00. You can also choose to acquire an additional high-speed modem to beef up your connection speed.
A drawback for AT&T High-Speed Internet services is that they’re not easily available in all areas. To find out if you can have their services installed in your home, go to their website and provide your telephone number.
AT&T High-Speed DSL Internet Requirements
If you have finally decided to get high-speed internet installed in your home, make sure that you reach the following requirements:
You need to be a subscriber to an AT&T local service.
If you’re using a laptop, an Ethernet card may be required before you can be connected.
Minimum computer requirements are:
- Windows users: Pentium-class processor, 266MHz or higher
- Macintosh users: PowerPC (G3, G4, iMac)
- Operating systems: Windows 2000 or XP. Mac OS 9 to OS X 10.3
- CD-ROM or DVD drive
- 125 MB of free disk space for Windows users, and 100 MB of free disk space for Mac users
- At least 64MB RAM