Anyone know the status of the Starpower installation. Seems like they've been tearing up the neighborhood for a while now, but I haven't heard of any dates yet when their service will be available.

-- Kim Skimmons (kimskim@seneca-creek.com), February 08, 2001

Answers

Starpower is up and running in Old Farm. I got the cable modem connection two weeks ago and love it. It is lightning fast compared to a dial up connection. Unfortunately, you have to deal with Starpower's power-shovel happy cable crews, who go down at least two feet and who destroyed a long strip of our back yard lawn and eradicated scores of our perennials.

-- Bob Mauri (newurban@erols.com), February 08, 2001.

That's right.

If you look at the related discussion under "Starpower Postcard" you'll see how long it took me to get completely hooked up. To reiterate, they had to come back a few times but they were very willing to do it (they even were willing to come on Saturday's) and we are enjoying the Starpower cable line-up and especially the cable modem for the internet.

-- Tom Marchessault (tmarches@juno.com), February 09, 2001.

We never got any Starpower promotional info either, but thanks to Tom I was able to contact a sales rep and make arrangements. We are still a couple of weeks away from our installation date, but they have run the connection from our house to the Starpower node, a distance, in our case, of about 8 feet. I'd be upset, too, if that cable had to go through our plantings, but I've also been an observer of the 8 or more times in the last 6 months that Montgomery Cable (or whatever it is called now) has had to re-lay their shallow connections between the street and the houses behind ours. It seems that any time there is a work truck parked partly on the paved alley and partly on the grass the cable is affected. The repair crew never attempts to find the break, they just run another new line.

-- Joel Aronson (jaronson@erols.com), February 09, 2001.

How much are they charging for cable modem service?

-- Kim Skimmons (kimskim@seneca-creek.com), February 10, 2001.

I got a quote of $44.95 without cable TV service or $39.95 when bundled with cable TV service by calling 1-877-STARPOWER (1-877-782- 7767). That compares with $44.95 from COMCAST. Click here for COMCAST's (formerly Montgomery Cable TV) Frequently Asked Questions. Click here for Starpower's basic Internet Services.

-- Michael Berney (mlberney@aol.com), February 12, 2001.

Michael B, Is the Starpower price of ~$39 for the bundled service a straight $39 for both? Or is it an additional $39 dollars on top of the cable TV service?

Since no one from StarPower has ever contacted us, even though we sent in their response flier, I'm not sure about the rates. If its less for both the internet and cable TV than crappy Comcast I'd switch.

-- Terry Brennan (Tbrennan@s-3.com), February 12, 2001.

The Starpower Customer Representative that I contacted quoted "$39.95 bundled with $31.95 for the cable" which would make it $71.90/month for the package.

Can other people comment on their experience with Starpower? Are there other options out there that people like?

-- Michael Berney (mlberney@aol.com), February 12, 2001.

Are more cable stations available with Starpower?

-- Nancy Millman (njmillman@earthlink.net), February 12, 2001.

The StarPower Rep that Tom Marchessault told me about is Robert Blythe at 301-531-2615 in Lanham. Leave a message and he will call back. The information he gave us shows 94 cable stations on the basic plan for $31.95 (I think Kentlands is in a promotional period where rates are lower) with free installation and free 1st month. This drops to $27.95 if you bundle the cable TV with their local and long distance phone service. My primary interest was high speed internet service, which is $39.95 when bundled with cable and $34.95 when bundled with all StarPower services. For me, that cost is partially offset by about $22 since I can give up my dedicated computer phone line and by another $18 I currently pay for monthly internet service. Thus, the high speed internet service is better than a wash and our whole package effectively provides us with cable TV (which we do not now have) and computer service for about $30/mo out-of-pocket cost.

I hope this helps someone. If there are other questions, I'm happy to respond to direct email.

-- Joel Aronson (jaronson@erols.com), February 12, 2001.

Joel's analysis of Starpower's prices and the offsetting savings of cancelling a second phone line and a previous Internet service provider is accurate. Note too that the cable modem connection also includes a free dial-up connection to use in case the cable is down or if another family member wants to be on the Internet at the same time.

Better yet, the next thing to do after you have the cable modem is to set up a home network so that two or more computers can simultaneously use high speed Internet. I am now looking into this. Intel sells the hardware and software to do this through your phone lines. If anyone out there has already set up such a network, let's hear from you.

-- Bob Mauri (newurban@erols.com), February 12, 2001.

Cable Channels available

There are several differnces. Under basic service, Starpower has these additional channels available: Food Network (although I saw in the Gazette thae Comcast will soon soon offer this), Sundance, Independant Film Channel, CNN/fn-CNN/Internatinal, Bloomberg....I'm not sure what else.

One channel that I know Comcast has that Starpower does not is MSNBC (not one that I care about but I understand some people do)

As for the networking, we have a home network...We got Sing Yee at Advanced Technology Networks set us up for that. (We use Sing for a lot of computer upgrades and repairs. He's at the corner of Rte 355 and Shady Grove Road ..) In addition to sharing printers, scanners, etc, my wife and I can be on the internet at the same time.

-- Tom M (tmarches@juno.com), February 20, 2001.

With the StarPower service, can you use the tv and computer at the same time?

-- Kate Crane (KCrane1865@aol.com), March 12, 2001.

Yes, you can use both at the same time. I got my Starpower about 2 weeks ago (TV and modem) and I love it. The picture on the TV is great -- so much cleaner than before. And the cable modem is fast.

-- Kim Skimmons (kimskim@seneca-creek.com), March 12, 2001.

On Beckwith Street, only half the street has service from Starpower. I think that Cable Internet Modems are a great thing to get.

-- Josh Paiva (JoshPaiva@bConvergent.NET), July 05, 2001.

Hey there all,

I happen to have found this site and am so happy that I represent a company that is the topic of discussion here. I happen to be one of the sales managers of all of those Reps you talk about. Robert Blythe is no longer with the company, by the way. Anyway...if anyone here would like to know if they can get serviced, just feel free to give me a call directly and I'll look to get you taken care of...or at least see when and if your street will be serviced. The great thing now is that we just launched Resilink in Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Silver Spring. It will be launched in DC in a couple of weeks. Resilink is the famous package that combines all your phone, cable tv and cable modem services into one bill only...Also lowers the prices of everything. Whatever price you need , just give me a shout...or email me right to my address, ok? Hope to help any of you out. Pamela

-- Pamela Gayster (pamela.gayster@starpower.net), August 21, 2001.

If anyone wants any help installing a home computer network, with or without a cable modem, printer sharing, file sharing, internet sharing, etc, E-Mail me.

-- Josh Paiva (joshpaiva@hotmail.com), August 22, 2001.