What is it about home telecommunications that leaves such a sour taste in customers’ mouths? When we asked Consumer Reports’ Facebook followers to tell us their telecom stories, the few happy anecdotes of attentive service technicians and reliable service were overwhelmed by a tidal wave of consumer woe involving high prices, complicated equipment, and terrible service.

"Customer service was so bad it made me really angry," one poster said. "Slowest high-speed Internet on earth," another said. "Cable television is a big waste of time and money," another commented. "One of the best things my wife and I have done to enrich our marriage was to cancel cable."

When people say they’re cutting the cord on their telecom provider, they usually mean they’re keeping Internet but dropping TV and phone service. But can you really duplicate the triple-play experience with just an Internet connection—and will it save you money?