DSL or Cable...??

About 1 1/2 yr ago I had both installed and tried each for a month and cable was noticeably faster... and went for cable but now have misc issues with Comcast and thought of changing to DSL.

What's the low-down on which is the faster now days...???

 

Wouldn't that depend due to the following?
Cable modem technology delivers shared bandwidth within the local neighborhood while DSL delivers dedicated local bandwidth.

Also it seems to me a lot depends on where you live, city versus rural for example.

Any further thought??

 

FWIW,

DSL is heavily dependent upon how far you are away from the switching center. The further away, the slower the speed.

It is correct that with Cable, you share bandwidth but you also do not depend upon how far you are away from the switching center as you do with DSL.

Zerizon and SBC are presently running fiber optic cable to homes. When they get it in your area, DSL will blow the doors off cable.

George

 

Verizon Service Details

I right now have Optimum Online (cable) and its quick and convienient, and i've never ever had a "bandwidth shortage" from sharing. The fastest download rate i've gotten is 735K. I never thought about it but optimum online doesn't advertise a speed, they just say it's the faster than DSL. After using some online pingers, I think Windows XP's settings are holding me back from going even faster. Verizon's DSL has always been slow for me compared to cable because I live about 3 to the nearest service point. They sent me an ad about fiber-optic based service and I was tempted to order.

1.5 Mbps (DSL)
5Mbps -39.95
15Mbps - 49.95
30Mbps - 199.95

But the gotchas are you need to use Verizon's landline phone service, not that you'd need it for fiber optic internet. Luckily, installation of the lines is free but for these monthly, prices you need to sign on for at least a year. Also verizon will give you that gastly MSN premium software.

 

I have great cable internet service, courtesy of my local telephone/ tv cable/ISP company. At 2am, when the village is asleep, it really rocks. At 3pm, when school lets out and all the kids get home to check their email, speed slows noticeably, but it's temporary. DSL probably won't be available in this area until the technology has become obsolete.

When making the decision, I think it's important to consider the customer service of the ISP. I just worked on my dad's computer, and he lives near Cincinnati, and uses one of the "major players ". After exhausting my bag of tricks trying to get XP to recognize his LAN, I called the ISP to verify that all was okay on their end. First, they put me on a "call back ", estimating 40-60 minutes before a technician could help. Then I got a young man who wasn't very familiar with the "Network Connections" area of the Control Panel. Level 3 tech support was slightly more helpful, but I got put on hold a lot.

Tech Support: Unplug the modem
Me: okay, unplugged electrical cord from modem.
TS: No, has to be from the wall.
Me: Why? It isn't getting power.
TS: It needs to refresh, and we'll wait 15 seconds, but it has to be unplugged from the wall.
Me: Why? What part of the modem operates from the cord?
TS: I don't know, it's what the book says.
Me: Okay, but I've forced the modem, released the modem, uninstalled and reinstalled the modem, still can't ping.
TS: Did you try to repair the connection?
Me: There is no connection to repair
TS: Well, there has to be.
Me: Well, there isn't.
TS: Okay, let's check your TCP settings
Me: How? I have no LAN to click on?
TS: Let me get my supervisor
Tech Support #3: I'm sure we can get this fixed, Mrs. Malik, have you tried shutting down the firewall?
Me: There isn't one.
TS3: okay, start, run, cmd and you'll get a DOS looking window. Type I (ice) P (Paul)
Me (impatient now!) ipconfig?
TS3: well, yes
Me: Nothing.
TS3: Here is the 800 number for Dell, good luck...(click)

By contrast, here I call my ISP, say, "This is Johanna, will you (fill in the blank)" and they do it, cheerfully and immediately. So if all other factors are equal, I would use tech support as my determination to make a decision.

Johanna

 

Johanna, Sorry to here about your little experience with (Ahem) Tech Support.

You know, I'd like to hear what those guys would say if you told them your "Coffee Holder" in your PC was broke & could they tell you how fix it?? (I'm talking about the one that has "52X24X52X" on the outside.)

Here, where I am, we have a great bunch of DSL knowledgeable techs, thank goodness. I actually can communicate with them in Geek (ie.) Techie talk.

 

Johanna, I think the ISP's main concern is that you're "good to your door ". Whatever you do inside your house is probably not their concern. I would think there have to got to be better places to get networking support from than an ISP.

"Please power-cycle your modem ".... I can almost remember most of the script.

Gary

 

Chiles4
That's why I called them- just to make sure the problem wasn't on their end. I had ruled out everything but a bad ethernet card and the actual ISP when I called. Found a new PCI ethernet adapter card (Dell built daddy's right into the mobo) online at Newegg for less than $20, and as soon as I stick it in, I'll bet there is a LAN again.

My point is that DSL/Cable have become 6 of one, half dozen of the other. Choose by who gives you the more reliable service, who has the least "downtime ", who has a sense of customer support, and who has a better value for the money. You can't really say either is "faster "- too many variables.

Johanna

 

I have Time Warner Cable.

I have 1 XP Pro machine. 2 98SE machines. 1 is about half the CPU speed and RAm of the XP. The other is far less than half the CPU speed and RAM of XP.

Now the STRANGE part. There are times when the Slowest machine IS THE FASTEST on the Interent.

What or why I have no idea. But what is running ( or has been run ) on this XP Pro seems to have more effect on things than on the 98SE machines.

OH. Before I forget. When I first went to cable Internet I had all kinds of problems until I Re-Wired the whole cable system. Right from the outside terminal. NO PROBLEMS since.

BillyBob