I've had Optimum Online Ultra for about a month with the Linksys WRT610N, and think its time I give it a review for those of you curious on what to expect.  I'll break this down into Installation, Performance, and the router I am using.

Installation:

The installation process depends on your current setup.  I only had Optimum Online, no television so I already had a dedicated line for the internet.  If your current setup does not have a dedicated line for Ultra, then a tech will have to run one for you.

After the line is established, your modem will be replaced by CICSO with the product number DPC3000.  Your installation is then complete.  All that is left to do is for the Tech to call OOL and wait for them to send a new firmware update to give the modem the new cap speeds.

My particular tech was outstanding and knew exactly what he was doing.  Most of the time he was waiting on the phone for the next available representative to pick up and to get the firmware sent out.  

Total Cost: $300 JUST for the setup. 

Performance:

As you might imagine, it's pretty fast.  As you can see from my most recent speedtest image below, the speeds are as advertised.  Your speed will vary depending on the source.  With some simple math: 101/8, you will be downloading at 12.625kb/s.  That is nearly 13 megabytes a second.  I am happy to report that I do infact get these speeds most of the time when downloading from particularly fast servers.

Router:

The router I decided to use with Ultra is the Linksys WRT610N.  A little bit of what this router can do: Dual Band for Wireless N and Wireless G/B at the same time, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB storage.  I ALMOST did not get this router due to people saying how dual band seems to cause dropouts and makes the router reset.  I decided to purchase the device anyway and happy to say that it has NO issues whatsoever.  Not only do I have dual band enabled, but use a gigabit switch in addition to the router for extra ports.  I have yet to have any resets.  The reason people are dropping out when using the wireless is because they set it up incorrectly.  I will make a follow-up post about how to correctly set up the WRT610N for dual band.

Bottom Line:

If you feel the need for speed (cheesy I know) and can afford it, then upgrading to Optimum Online Ultra is a no brainer. 101mbits at only 99 dollars a month is a steal. The cost per mbit that they offer is unmatched. Enjoy being in the top 1% in the world for internet speed.

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