Corvallis is very lucky to have more than one internet provider option. We have worked with all of them and wanted to give you our experience if you are looking to start a business, upgrade your service or switch.
Comcast
The fastest internet options available to most businesses and residential services is Comcast or Xfinity. This company is large and with it comes a bureaucracy that many people do not like to navigate.
That being said, they provide the fastest Business Internet options. Most small businesses will never use their full bandwidth, so we think the lowest option or one up usually provides ample speeds and connectivity. We always request clients purchase a static IP, especially if they are interested in local VPN options (i.e. connecting to your network from home or while on the road).
Note that the latest bundle includes Comcast Business SecurityEdge. This service is required and automatically integrated into the provided modems required to be rented if you want to have a Static IP. Comcast Business provides very limited information on what “SecurityEdge” actually is and it looks like they are using two providers to monitor your traffic and blacklist/block traffic they have deemed malicous/insecure. We DO NOT recommend clients enable this option and you need to be diligent to regularly make sure it hasn’t been automatically enabled on your modem on a monthly basis. Until Comcast shines light on how they are using the data gathered through their transparent proxy and DNS filtering – we cannot recommend this tool to any client.
Centurylink, Peak Internet, Pioneer Internet, and LS Network
Fiber options in our area are finally showing up – slowly. Please note that Centurylink is still providing some DSL opitons for our area but they are not maintaining their copper anymore. They do provide some fiber in very specific areas of Corvallis and should be replacing some of their copper with fiber over the next few years. Peak Internet and Pioneer Internet are now providing fiber in some specific areas (Philomath and Lebanon).
As Fiber moves into Corvallis, LS Networks is offering some businesses along their run between OSU and the Hospital the option to buy business grade fiber directly from them. They should be lighting up their fiber in the next couple months and we will see what type of pricing they offer. I expect other players will be joining the market over the next 2-3 years.
Alyrica
Just like us, Alyrica is a local company providing internet options to people in the area. They use Microwave technology to connect your business/home to one of their towers. While their speeds are not as fast as the other options, they are consistent and when you have problems, their technical staff is great to deal with compared to the other companies.
If you are looking for an alternative to the large ISPs, check with Alyrica to see if you are in their service area. Their Business plans come with a Static IP and the Residential service is great for chord cutters.