If you are unfamiliar with Optimum Online, it is an Internet access service provided by Cablevision which provides digital television and voice services in addition to high speed Internet services. Cablevision has been existence since the 1970s and got its start by offering cable television services to customers on Long Island before it branched out to the New York metropolitan area and other areas of the United States.
Optimum Online is the first high speed Internet service that you can self-install and Cablevision has provided a website known as Optimum.net designed to serve Optimum Online customers. The service starts as low as $29.95 per month and varies according to the type of package and features you choose.
Optimum Online Features
Optimum Online utilizes Express Link technology to provide fast data transfer speeds of up to 15 Mbps (megabits per second) for downloads which is significantly faster than other services that only offer up to 3 Mbps. Other features include but are not limited to:
- Free WiFi: When you subscribe to Optimum Online you receive access to free WiFi. Optimum Online offers hundreds of different Internet access points in public venues and transportation hubs and if you are an Optimum Online customer, you get free access to these points while you are on the go.
- Email: When you sign up for any of the Optimum Online Internet access packages you receive up to 5 email accounts including email virus protection and spam filtering via CleanMail Plus. Each email account is capable of storing up to 2GB of data and you also have access to webmail from any location.
- Boost Plus: If you want to boost your Optimum Online Internet connection to the maximum 50 Mbps you can take advantage of the Optimum Online Boost Plus service for an additional $15 per month. This service provides up to 50 Mbps for downloads and provides you with your own website space, domain name registration, domain email accounts and up to $50 worth of clicks when you use Google AdWords.
- Security Suite: Optimum Online also provides you with a comprehensive Internet security suite which provides you with firewall protection in addition to an antivirus program and parental controls.
- Free Access to Newsday: When you subscribe to Optimum Online you get free access to Newsday which is a popular news source for obtaining the latest news related to sports, current events, lifestyle, business, and more.
With any Internet service package you choose you also have access to comprehensive tech support via live chat, onsite, or by phone. Tech support is available 24/7 plus, you can visit the website at Optimum.net to obtain information and solutions on the most common problems that occur with the Optimum Online service.
Optimum Online Self-Installation
The self-installation service provided by Optimum Online is quite straightforward and prevents you from having to waste an entire day waiting for a service call from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) technician. Instead, you can simply visit the Optimum website to receive step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring your Internet connection.
In addition to step-by-step instructions, you also have access to a comprehensive list of system requirements prior to installation. This includes browser requirements and network interface requirements for properly installing and configuring the service.
Optimum Online Ultra
If you are in need of a super-fast Internet connection you can consider paying a little extra to receive the Optimum Online Ultra service. This service allows you to access data transfer speeds of more than 100 Mbps for downloads which enables you to download more than 700 images, over 100 music selections, and more than fifty thousand pages in a little less than 60 seconds.
If you send a high volume of large email attachments Optimum Online Ultra allows you to upload attachments which are up to 100MB in size for each email message. You also receive 15 email accounts with each account capable of storing up to 5GB of data.
In order to take advantage of the Optimum Online Ultra service your PC must be equipped with a Gigabit PCI adapter which you can obtain from any electronics outlet in your local area or online.
Pricing
If you are new to Optimum Online you can start out with the basic package for $29.95 per month which offers 15 Mbps for downloads and up to 8 Mbps for upload. You also get free WiFi in public areas and transportation hubs, Internet security, and a discount when you install the service yourself.
Optimum Online also offers bundles which help you to save money if you receive more than one service from Cablevision such as the iO TV and phone service. Optimum Online offers the triple play package which provides you with access to high speed Internet, iO TV and digital phone services for less than $100 per month during the first year of your subscription.
You also have the option to choose from the Ultimate Triple Play and Optimum Triple Play packages which start at $89.95 per month plus an extra $9.95 if you want the Boost Plus service which speeds up your Internet connection. These two packages are quite close in comparison except you get a free advanced wireless router when you subscribe to the Ultimate Triple Play service with a few options added to your phone, Internet and television service.
Optimum Online also offers special packages for businesses in addition to the option to customize a solution according to your type of business and the size of your organization. You also get access to an Optimum Business Account Center which allows you to manage all of the services you receive from Optimum in one location.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Optimum Online
The main advantage of using the Optimum Online Internet service is that they deliver at the data transfer speeds they promise. This discovery is the result of numerous tests which were performed by third-party users to find out if the download speeds are close to what is claimed by Optimum Online. Plus you can opt to improve an already speedy connection with the Boost Plus service or the Optimum Online Ultra service.
The primary disadvantage of using Optimum Online is that it is still somewhat limited to different areas of the United States with no offer for alternate connectivity for those in rural areas. Perhaps this will eventually change as the Optimum Online service expands with new options for Internet access as well as telephone and television services.
I’ll agree that back when this article was written Optimum internet was good but here it is 11/15/2021 We were paying for 100 MBPS Download and 35 MBPS Upload but we noticed we weren’t getting the speed we were paying for so we called Optimum’s Now Outsourced technical support and told we needed to upgrade our internet package as we have to many devices online.. That’s two computers used for work and the other for regular use and two cell phones oh and three Alexa’s.. Seriously that’s too many? Ok so, Optimum technically support came over replacing splitters and the line from our house to the utility poll and we upgraded to 300 MBPS Download with 35 MBPS Upload and it’s been over six months and we have yet to see over 100 MBPS Download and the only part that’s fine is the 30 to 35 MBPS Upload. I and my spouse both worked in Customer service so we know it’s better to be nice than being an AH especially with Optimum online support as they have no issues hanging up the phone. Optimum online/TV/Phone has gotten so bad when it comes to proving support service and Customer service since Altice took over. I plan on calling Optimum online support and if these speed issues aren’t resolved very soon we plan on filing with BBB the local consumer affairs and the FCC and any local state rep who would help. It’s gotten so bad and we’ve been with Optimum since the day the turned the internet switch on in our area. The problem is we need more than three cable providers. We just recently added Spectrum but Optimum and Spectrum are basically related to each other so that leaves FIOS and they don’t offer anything much better than Optimum other than reliable internet speed.