DSL vs. Cable

[KillerMuffin]

I went to this thing with the local phone company a while ago to sign up for DSL. It turns out that I'm not within range of the service by about ten blocks, maybe next year.

Anyway, we'll be moving sometime in the near future to a place that does have DSL and cable (which I've got now).

The cable system there is overloaded. Too many users on the network. Of course, the DSL system is rumored to have something wrong with it.

My question is if you have DSL, do you like it? Have you had cable? Which did you prefer? Anything you'd like to add?

 

[lobito]

I have DSL, and it's fine, sometimes fast, but not always. Someone who lives 3 blocks further than me, and has the same C.O. is getting far better service with the same company. Cable is slow comparativly speaking in our area with prices, so I don't know about that.

 

[sunstruck]

Ihave DSL at work and cable at home. There's no noticible difference in speed that I can see.

However, our DSL goes down about once a week for no apparent reason. In the year I've had cable, it's never gone down. So I'm voting for cable.

 

[RhumbRunner13]

Remember too, KM, DSL is available at different speeds.
Make sure you compare what will be available with the cable available.

I've had cable in a suburban location for a year and a half and find it to be nearly "instant access". Outage has been almost nil, only things like sprinkler installers cutting the cable! It works well even through our many thunderstorms, not sure about the noise that would be inherent on DSL?

Rhumb

 

[floridaguy64]

I have DSL,......... the nextdoor neighbor has cable everything (phone, tv, & internet)........ eerytime we have a bad storm, he loses everything.

While the speeds are comparable, I have yet to lose my service in the 16 months that I've had it......... other than the time that my motherboard crashed due to not having a firewall installed, but that's another story entirely.

My vote's for DSL............ but here in Atlanta.............. cable just sucks altogether anyway!

 

[Daddyslilpet]

We have dsl, never have had a problem with speed or it going down....I love my DSL!

Have not tried or have available yet the cable service in my area.

 

[bluespoke]

From a UK point of view, I have cable phone, tv and broadband connection.

Never gone down and the connection is more or less instant.

 

[april-wine]

My votes for cable....I will NEVER give it up.....lol

I haven't had a problem, always reliable and fastttttttttttt......I am one of those downloading pirates lol........

 

[sexy-girl]

i've had both ... nobody can actually say which is better it depends on the companies running it


if i remember correctly though cable you can share bandwidth with people in your street ... and dsl you share bandwidth at the exchange


so as long as they make the correct allowances for this at those points your fine ... but if they dont then you can suffer problems ... and its just as likely you'd face those problems from cable or dsl if the company you are subscribed to isn't spending enough money on the infrastructure


a good idea is to do a search on the internet for the company or area ... if there is grumpy customers they often start up a website to warn other people off

 

[RudeNastyAssBitch]

Shiver Me Timbers!

My votes for cable....I will NEVER give it up.....lol

I haven't had a problem, always reliable and fastttttttttttt......I am one of those downloading pirates lol........

Giveit2me43.com ROCKS, April Wine!

KillerMuffin, My Friend Just Switched To Cable From High Speed Something Or Other, I Do Believe DSL, And He Is Totally Astounded At The Speed!

Not To Mention No Frigging Around, Just An Instant Connection

I'll Never Give Up My Cable Either!

 

[H'venlee]

I have DSL through Earthlink & it has gone down 5 times in the last year! The last time it was for 3 weeks!!! They have given me nothing but trouble.

I am switching to cable!

 

[RhumbRunner13]

FG 64 does have a point, in areas where lightning is very prevalent the cable companies sometimes get hit. Your cable modem might go out as often as lightning will knock out your cable TV. I have however lost cable TV and still retain my internet service?

Rhumb

 

[brokenbrainwave]

I use DSL and have been using it for about a year. Only had one instance of downtime and that was merely for about 2 hours. On the other hand the local cable users have been used abused and generally left unconnected for at the lovely feature of more money. I suppose its a matter of blind luck and the companies dedication to customer satisfaction. If you can get bellsouth dsl service I can in very good faith recomend it.

 

[monster666]

KM,

I have had both. I had Cable modem where I used to live, and DSL where I live now. I preferred Cablemodem, because it was faster for me. I was one of the first in my area using the service and it was far from overloaded, so you may not have the same result.

I now have DSL. There isn't anything wrong with it really, it works well, but not as fast as the cablemodem in my old neighborhood.

I am an IT professional, and from a techical point of view, the DSL is more difficult to deploy, and requires a third party software package in most areas unless you run WIN XP or have a hardware router that does the connect to your ISP. With most cable modem arrangements, this is not required. While the spec on the Cable modem is faster, as you yourself pointed out, it's now overloaded in many areas and you may get better thoughput with DSL during heavy traffic hours. It's really a crapshoot for who is going to actually provide more bandwidth.

Installation of the cable modem went far more smoothly than did DSL.

And KM? I miss ya over yonder.

I went to this thing with the local phone company a while ago to sign up for DSL. It turns out that I'm not within range of the service by about ten blocks, maybe next year.

Anyway, we'll be moving sometime in the near future to a place that does have DSL and cable (which I've got now).

The cable system there is overloaded. Too many users on the network. Of course, the DSL system is rumored to have something wrong with it.

My question is if you have DSL, do you like it? Have you had cable? Which did you prefer? Anything you'd like to add?

 

[Sillyman]

I prefer Dick Sucking Lips. Oh wait, this is about internet connections? Oh... nevermind...

 

[red_rose]

My DSL craps out on me everytime it rains. Otherwise, it rocks.

I've never tried cable. It's not available where I live.

 

[cybergirly]

I have both. I recently switched to DSL because I can get it for free from work. I have a two year contract with my cable provider, so it's cheaper for me not to cancel it. I don't notice any difference in speed, but when I use my cable connection it tends to go down during any kind of a storm.

 

[icy]

KM-I had the same problem about a month ago

In April 2002, I purchased a new computer system because my old one was way too out dated...Tired of the slow dial up, I fell into the DSL or Cable Modem tooo...*Cable-AT&T Broadband is way EXPENSIVE...(I really dont think $50/month is cheap). This didnt include the installation which is like $150...So I went with the DSL provided by my telephone company. I got a deal with them because of a promotion that was going on. I'll only be paying like $26 till October...then it goes up to like $35..I hear lots of people complaining about cable modems when there are storms and stuff, but that's not really a problem in Southern CA anyhow....Good Luck on your final choice darlin'...

 

[miles]

I have a broadband connection over fiber optic through Bell South which carrries my TV, phone and Internet connection. It's not really "cable" and much more like DSL. When it was installed 2 years ago service was the pits, but they straightened out the bugs and I usually get 1.4 MPS. Can't complain about that. Makes downloading porn a pleasure. That is, if I ever wanted to.

I think what matters most is your ISP. www.dslreports.com has some good reviews about the various companies.

 

[SilverVeil]

I have had dial up, DLS, cable and one time was even lucky enuff to have one of those T thingies. T1 or T3 whatever. ( MAN DO I MISS THAT !!!! )

Dial up sucks. Nuff said about that.
DSL and cable both are fast, but I opted for cable for the connection stability I have with it. I have had only 1 problem since switching over and that was when Home.com went under and we had to switch providers. We used the same modem we bought for the new company, and the only outage was when they were switching over all the software in their offices.

I will never go back to dial up and would not go DSL without a fight. Cable is for me all the way. ( Unless I ever get rich and can get that T thingy again )

 

[DevilBoy79]

i have DSL and my Sister has Cable, i have no complaints not that the ISP sent me the newer modem, only thing i like about hers is your always online no matterif an internet program like aol is turned on or not