Recommended Tests

I have AT&T plan that says I should get up to 1.5.  I get 325-335 at best. My two next door neighbors have Earthlink at $39.95/month and they want to switch to AT&T because it is cheaper.  They both get approx.1.5.  We all are roughly 14,700 feet away from AT&T's terminal.  When I called AT&T to get them to sell me a faster plan they said the plan I have is all that is available to me and that I can't upgrade.  Further, they said that I shouldn't worry about getting a referal code so that I can get a discount for referring my two neighbors to them because their plan is not available to my neighbors and if they drop Earthlink they can't get with AT&T.
     WHAT GIVES?  I'm not too far for their faster plan, am I?  After all, my neighbor's download is MUCH faster than mine...same distance.  What can I do?  I had DirecWay, then Wildblue.  Nothing has delivered worth a crap.  The computer I'm using is one of the newest and fastest that Dell advertises.  I'd really appreciate any suggestions you may have to get my speed faster.  This situation mocks my existence...

For one thing I believe using satellite or wireless you need to strip down your applications and run only the necessary to get good speeds. Stay away from anti virus programs that dog your PC down. And the biggest thing is run 2-3 spy ware-male ware programs at least once a week. I find when any of my computers start to show a little slow down I run these, sometimes even once a day, saves a lot of grief. Many blame the other end of their connection without being positive their end is clear.

The thought here is if it works well for many others why not me.

Neighbors are approx. 150 and 250 feet away.  I'm closer to the remote terminal than they are.  Spyware:  Spysweeper, set to update and sweep everyday.  
UPDATE:  Finally got to level 2 support, a guy in St. Louis named Chuck.  Talked to him for about two hours.  THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE LIKE CHUCK!  He shall sit close to the right hand of God.  Their 10 day automatic speed increase never happened because of some wires being crossed in my area, or so he says.  Sounded good to me.  At any rate, he cranked up the speed and ripped off the knob....manually, of course.  It was the only civilized thing to do.  
    Now I am running at nineteen hundred and eleventy kila-whatevers up and null set down.  I'd post my speed test, but with what I've seen posted around here so far, that would be like showing up for Cruise Night at Sonic in a Simca.  And I don't compare my things anymore as it might once again make me feel marginalized and insignificant, 'cause one time, at band camp...
    So my speed went up and life is good.  At this moment, as I type this sentence, I'm a happy camper.  Heck, I might even become a bulletin board moderator 'cuz in those two hours with Chuck I gained enough knowledge of DSL to rule the world.  And, my puny subjects, I WILL do both tomorrow, but right now my wife says I have to do the dishes.