DSL. or cable internet?

[SCUMFROG]

I would like to know what you think of DSL, is it better then cable?

[Daze Off]

Scumfrog -

Reallyc an't compare because have never used cable but can say that with DSL you will be well-served depending upon the speed you choose - get at least 512 if not higher. I have no complaints - I receive info faster than my 3 yr old computer at home can process it.

Daze Off

[SCUMFROG]

I didn't know there is different speeds? I've had dial up for ever and I'm new to this high speed stuff. I had to get a new computer and it's got all this nice stuff in it but the internet is sooooooooo slow..

[perchking]

ScumFrog,

It doesnt matter to the normal user unless you are counting bits and bytes you will not tell the difference. Espically when you are coming from the dial up world.

I would get what ever is cheaper in your area.

Enjoy,

PERCHKING (IT DIRECTOR)

[Sandmannd]

I've had both. I like cable better, it is faster. I do hate Comcrap though. Still have cable just cause it's a pain to change, but DSL is good.

[Borch]

All I know is that I'm really enjoying our wireless DSL network. We've had up to 4 computers accessing the internet through it at once with minimal slowdown.

[ameyers41]

If you are not downloading LARGE files, say 1.2GB audio files, either one will work just fine for surfing the web, the occasional Youtube video clip, etc. Even with multiple computers.

I've found cable to be faster if you're downloading large audio/video files though. I'm talking the type that even with faster cable, takes a couple hours.

[SomethingFishy*]

Quote:

---

I would like to know what you think of DSL, is it better then cable?

---

It can depend what you are going to use it for. Here is some food for thought.

Cable has faster "burst" speeds, typically more expensive after promotional rate periods, and typically slower uploads unless you pay alot more. Cable is also shared bandwith, meaning if all your neighbors have cable and are on the internet at the same time you will see slowdowns compared to if it was only you.

DSL is typically less expensive, higher upload speeds, and usually has a slower advertised download speed. DSL typically does not see slow downs as it is not shared bandwith, you usually get the speeds that you are paying for. For example Qwest is offering DSL starting at $26.99 month with that price for LIFE.

What does this all mean:

Download speed- the rate at which you are recieving information from the internet.

Upload speed- the rate at which you send information over the net (pictures, movies, videos) Also if you play online video games you will want a faster upload speed (minimum of 512kb)

Hope this helps.

[LaZyDayZ]

If you play FPS or games that are real time I would go with cable.

If you just surf, email and visit here get the cheapest you can find.

[PierBridge]

It depends on your needs if you don't need a Home Land line then Cable would be cheaper I had DSL and then realized I never use my home phone so I got rid of it and went with cable.

Otherwise bundling Cable TV, PHone and CAble internet is the way to go IMO.

[Dkoy]

I'd go with cable. I have always been with cable, works flawless. Everything works fast(as soon as you click it pops up type of fast). I have not had DSL but I have buddies who have switched over. I believe its distance from your provider influences the speeds too with DSL. Cable is just a straight provider which I have not seen any effects from surrounding neigbors. I use both wireless and direct network with cable and its fine. 1 persons always gaming and 2-3 others surfing the net at the same time, and speeds are still almost the same. Downloading I use a download accelerator (free download software) and boosts my download to max with large files, 1000-4000 mb/sec. Download a 40 minute movie clip in 3-5 minutes with cable.

[The_Duckslayer]

I have worked with DSL and I was not impressed. We now have a cable modem here at the house. Down load speed up to last week was running 4.8 meg. We have signed up for VOIP (Voice over IP) and our download speed is now 9.4 megs. When you click on things like Photo sharing and bird watching on this site is when you will really notice that speed difference! You may want to check, if you bundle everything up it could be cheaper to bundle and get the phone service from the cable company as well. We have phone service from the Hooterville phone co now and pay over $45.00 a month in phone bills and that is with no long distance. We use cell phones for long distance. With cable it will be $30.00 a month and unlimited long distance. Plus, they will port our number over so we don't even have to get a new phone number. Just something to think about. Have a good one and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[hondavxr]

I hate comcrap also but I tried to switch to dsl and found out that for the same speed I am getting with cable 6-7 mb downloads, for dsl it was about the same price. My friend has the top of the line dsl with 6-7 mb downloads and sometimes its 56k slow. I think DSL technology has to advance more before it can compete with cable.

[SCUMFROG]

Thanks for all the info. I'll have to do some looking at prices, I'm not a huge internet user, I just go to a few sites and look things up. So I think the dsl would be ok…

[HarryG]

DSL and Cable are very comparable. DSL is now available up to 6 meg. That is more than most people need. I have found that if you must have a land line, DSL is the least expensive. It only cost about 15 buck extra per month. (Depending on your area). It is a matter of what you need. Not everyone needs a land line, and some people want cable, and get a discount on cable internet. You have to consider your own needs.

[cableguy031]

I would have to disagree with you about the "burst" speed being that I've been a cable installation technician for 7 years.

Cable signal starts from off-air broacasts, satellite, and microwave signals. It may also receive signals from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or the Internet.

The headend will process these signals by descrambling/rescrambling, modulating/demodulating, decoding/recoding, etc. and inserting into a fiber optic transportation system. Fiber optic transport these signals via light which can be sent much further than regualr coaxial without losing signal strength.

These signals from the fiber are received at the "Node Station" which converts them back in to RF, amplified it and insert it into a coaxial system. During the distribution process using the coaxial cable, signal gets weaker as it gets further from the node known as "attenuation". There are amplifiers on the coaxial lines to maintain the signal strength or return the signals to the desired level.

The next step would be the "drop system" where the customers receive the processed signals via "taps" on the poles or underground pedestals located throughout their neighborhood. Depending on the number of customers, a tap can serve anywhere from 2 people minimum to 8 people maximum on a typical residential dwelling. In an apartment complex depending on the number of units, it can range from 8 to 32 people on different sets of taps. In a high rise apartment building, signal maybe divided into designated floors each with its own amplifier serving anywhere from 16 to 32 customers at once. Despite how many customers can be on 1 tap or 4 taps, the signal remains constant.

Cable does not have "burst" speeds, there is no such things of that nature. Cable signal is maintained at a preset level depending on the channel frequency. Each channel has at least 2 inputs, video and audio. These audio and video have their own input frequencies that can be read using a signal strength meter.

As far as download speeds and surfing speed, that all depends on your computer's ability to process the information that is being sent or being uploaded. Obviously if you have a slow processor, it doesn't matter if you have the best download speed, it only matters how much your computer can handle at once. One of the biggest problems that I've seen with horrible download speeds are "spyware, stat counters, spy trackers, etc". These programs were written to track your progress and places you've been and compile a database using these informations. How do you think and where do you think "spam" mail comes from? Spam mail comes in all forms such as get rich fast schemes to growth hormones to male enhancement operations just to mention a few.

As for the DSL feature, it uses an RJ-45 jack with 8 pairs of copper wires that plugs into your DSL modem which plugs into a standard wall jack. It's using your telephone system to dial-up the server in order to have traffic flow in both directions. Your speed is limited how fast this server can handle using typical RF signal while cable uses an RG-11 or RG-6 depending on distance to carry your signal into your house/aparment/condo/duplex/outhouse/fishouse/dog house etc. Take some phone wires and some RG-6 cables, now look at what's inside the phone wires versus a rather large copper center conductor shielded 2 or 4 times from interfernce. Which one would you choose?

Now I am a gamer, I built my computer from the ground up and I placed the best products inside. I have a Dell P4 3.20GHz with a 400GB HD as a master and a 200 GB HD as a slave. I also have 3GBs of memory. I can tell you that I've pulled down a game demo that was 10.5GB in less than 5 minutes. Yes, I want something like that since I play Age of Empires 3 and Warcraft 3 and sometimes FPS games, too.

My whole point is that why settle for less and upgrade later when you already have high speed technology when the need arrives?

[SCUMFROG]

Holy cow that's a lot of info… I do have a new gateway with a dual core processor and 2g memory. It's a little much for what I use the computer for but I got a heck of deal on it. I just have so much to consider cause I'd like to do more with the thing.

[PierBridge]

Great info cable guy! other then your using a Pentium to game instead of an Athlon....

Scum DSL will be fine for you.

[SCUMFROG]

That's what I'm thinking....

[federline]

I'd also say that DSL is a good fit for you. There's not much more useful info that can be said on the topic... but I'll throw in my $0.02 cents.

I've setup, used, or purchased the following: fixed wireless broadband (900Mhz LOS), mobile wireless broadband (then - 9600 baud - and now - much much faster), mobile Wifi, cable broadband, and DSL. Municipalities, Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, Qwest, Charter.

I have to say - the best combo of price, speed, ease of setup, reliability and customer service has been, dare I say it, Qwest DSL.

The big caveat is DSL line qualification - I'm within a mile of the phone switch and I pay for 5Mbps service (and get 7Mpbs). If you are pushing the outer limits of distance from the switch, any issues with your household phone wiring or interference can affect your signal, and you may be better off with cable in that case.

If you can get the DSL provider to qualify your line, not only from the cable plant database measurement of line distance from the switch, but also at the time of installation, that would be ideal. The worst is when you get one kind of broadband installed and realize you have to switch - can be a big hassle.

[Dkoy]

With the boost, it doesn't really boost, but with downloading huge files its a +++. It will not increase internet speed, but what it does is locate multiple host, usually 4+ and dl from them all at once. Somewhat like a torrent, but way faster. Downloading all at once then piecing it together. And from having a high ghz internet source your dling stuff fast. I also game, but stopped, takes too much time. WoW, FFXI, WC3,...done that.

[trollingforeyes]

Cable

[cableguy031]

Scum==> If you ever have cable questions, I'll be glad to answer it for you.

[cableguy031]

Pentium to game....no substitutes!

[Whoaru99]

Like several have said, if your main use is mostly browsing and e-mail get what's cheapest. If you regularly download very large files get what's fastest.

Last I knew, with DSL you have to use a filter thingy in-line with each of your telephones, but the ISP usually supplies those so it's not really that big of a deal.