DSL? Cable? Need Help!

[nikki]

I am looking to get DSL or Broadband service at home and I was wondering what you guys use. How much was installation? How much is the monthly fee? Does DSL also go though your phone line and incur any charges on your phone bill? Just how fast is it? Etc...

Thanks in advance for any help!!

 

[LWilson250]

I use Road Runner Cable internet. It's really Time Warner... I don't see how I could ever live without it. I can't get DSL where I am but thats ok because my cable line is rated around the speed of a T1 line. We pay $42 per month with no long term contract. It's just month to month. The install wasn't exactly cheap because they had to run a new line down into out computer room.

Over all, once you get cable/DSL you will never look at the web in the same way again.

Lee W.

 

[Okiewan]

nikki...
If you have a choice, go with DSL! Yes it goes over normal phone lines and is not expensive (Ameritech has install deals all the time). Cable will do nothing but get slower over time, the connection is shared with everyone in your neighborhood, DSL is dedicated to you. The cable companies tout some pretty fast times, but rarely acheive them.

Either way though, if you are used to dial-up, the change will be dramatic, DSL being the better choice.

 

[keith500r]

find out whats available in your area, and ask them what speed they will guarentee. I found out charter advertises on their main site that speeds could be as high as 1.5mb, (around t1 speed) but when I asked them why my connection was so slow, the said they only offer 385kb burst rate. that means the best i will ever see is around 30K per second. thats about 6 times faster than a dialup modem. not bad, but i know people on a different cable network that have a 3 megabit burst rate. now that is fast. he can easily download 500K per second all day long. ususally its around $40 a month. DSL bandwidth is dedicated to your line, and not shared with anyone else. cable you are sharing with you neighbors, and at peak hours it may slow. sattelite is also available, and is similar to DSL. DSL works thru your phone, but doenst use your voice line. ie you can talk/surf at the same time, and the internet is always on as with cable/sattelite. sattelite is ususally the most expensive but you can get it anywhere.

 

[LWilson250]

DSL is better IF you can get it... And IF your phone lines are in good condition. If you have bad phone lines then the packet loss will make your connection feel like dial up again.

Your max speed also has to do with how you set up your computer. Windows isnt really set up right away to run with a cable modem, once you get things tewaked...Hello speed!

Just look for what costs less...

Lee W.

 

[keith500r]

also if you have a good cable company it can easily be much faster than DSL or sattelite. it really depends on the company, not the type of connection you choose to use. even though I share with my neighbors I never see any less than the 30 k per second they give us. (or any more, thats what the speed cap is used for)

 

[keith500r]

you are right, but you cant say all cable connections are slow because of the way they work. if the cable company doesnt over sell the amount of bandwidth they have (which they always do) cable will not be slow. i understand how it works and that everyone shares, but if there is enuff pie for everyone than we would all be happy!

 

[darnjr]

Cable is better.
Cable is more reliable and not subject to the interference that one-pair copper phone wire is subject to.
The cable providers only put as many people on a node as can support a full bandwidth connection, and ALL bandwidth is shared somewhere between you and your destination.
DSL speed is based on your distance from the switch. Wire distance that is. You might wait 3 weeks for them to come out and tell you that you can only get 128K because there is a big loop between you and the switch.
Broadband (cable) supports much greater distance without degredation than baseband (wire).

 

[TwinSpar]

Another DSL fan here. I have had it for almost two years and have had a total of 1/2 hour of downtime that required a call to customer service. Speed has always been good and setup was a piece of cake! Plug in the DSL modem, tie in the Network card and poof! Fast access. I use a hub so that I can run multiple computers off the connection.

I have heard many more horror stories from cable subscribers than I have from the DSL subscribers. Most of the problems that I hear of are installation and outage problems. I don't think you can go wrong with either but I have heard many more complaints on the cable side.

What ever you do, get a good firewall package. Zone Alarm provides a free one that is effective. There are better ways but more $'s are involved.

 

[nikki]

Thanks for all the quick replies... I'm leaning towards DSL because it doesn't look like cable is too available in my area anyways.

A few more questions:

-Like through Ameritech's DSL service... will I still need ISP service through like AOL or will this be included in Ameritech's monthly fee ($50).

-If you have DSL... will there be charges on your regular phone line for use also? I don't believe so - but just want to be sure.

 

[JWW]

I ordered DSL form www.directvdsl.com last week. It hasnt arrived yet but I can tell you what I know.

39.99 for the 1st 6 months
49.99 for the last 6 months
No set up or install fees.
No equipment fees
$25.00 for next day shipping of modem (req'd)
The modem will run through USB or ethernet card

 

[Okiewan]

Cable is better.

Sorry to disagree but, that's just not true. They won't over-sell? Are you kidding? The technology allows them to maximize the investment, they will drain it. If you've got good speed with cable, enjoy it while you can.

 

[nikki]

Anyone use AOL's DSL? What are your thoughts on it? $55 a month seems a little high but I think it's worth it.

This concerns me some (from AOL's site): "Members may also incur telephone charges on their phone bill depending upon their calling plan and location."

 

[JWW]

Originally posted by nikki
Thanks for all the quick replies... I'm leaning towards DSL because it doesn't look like cable is too available in my area anyways.

A few more questions:

-Like through Ameritech's DSL service... will I still need ISP service through like AOL or will this be included in Ameritech's monthly fee ($50).

-If you have DSL... will there be charges on your regular phone line for use also? I don't believe so - but just want to be sure.

You wont need AOL..Ameritech should provide you with a new e-mail address.

You shouldnt have any charges on your regular phone bill.

 

[TwinSpar]

The DSL provider should be your ISP. I get an email address and some web space with Verizon's service. I'm spending $49 a month for the service (basic).

 

[Okiewan]

http://www.ameritech.com/ and there are others. Have you checked for availability of DSL? You can do that on Ameritech's web site (you enter your address in a form). Can't get it here, still stuck on ISDN. :(

RUN, do not walk away from AOL.

 

[LWilson250]

Originally posted by Okiewan
RUN, do not walk away from AOL.

I agree to that!!!

Lee W.

 

[Danman]

DSL is not always dedicated to you. If its cable shared from you to the headend office and if its DSL its shared once it hits the office. That office is in your area. From there its all combined or shared into routers. It does not matter what speed that you have from your office to your house. If that Headend or central office has a bad connection or slow connection to there ISP you still have a bottle neck either way. DSL and cable both have there advantages as well as disadvantages. My phone line sound bad after a rain (tells my that I have old cable or problems) so that even if I could get DSL speed would be bad. If either a cable network or DSL network is used with in the capacity it was designed for it will work well. Marketing does not know those limitation or does not even care, because most systems are over sold.

My cable modem was fast. Cox cable has started there own ISP from scratch. They have had a six week crash course in how to run and set up one. I have not been able to send outgoing mail for better than a month now and the speed is very sparatic. It ranges from slow to slower. I think they have some serious problems with there connection to the ISP they can't work out now. There are about 10 people who have the same service at my work and we all are experiencing the same problems. They live in different areas so I know its just not on my node. Its a common problem so that would lead me to believe its in the headend.

As for what to get. Do some research on the issue and see from there (many pages or the DSL vs Cable modem thing). Look for the hidden cost. Do you have a contract to deal with. Will they provide the equipment for you or do you have to buy or lease it from them. You will need the modem (cable or DSL) plus a NIC card in you PC unless you have USB (do not like the interface IMO) If you can score a deal on installation with a discounted service for a certain period of time that would be good. I paid 100 bucks for the install (I could have done it better myself and saved money but they did not allow it). Its 50 bucks to move from one house to another. That could be a problem if you have DSL with a contract and it is not offered in your area. Do you still have to pay? I pay fourty bucks a month for service. For my area and situation it is the best value. If they would just fix there service I would be happy again.

Here is what Tech Tv has to say. I would do a search on the subject and read around a for a minute and see what right for you. I searched the Tech TV page for "DSL vs cable" Everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject and I'm not different. You must to what fits you.

P.S. Sorry for the lengthy post.

 

[darnjr]

Originally posted by Okiewan
Sorry to disagree but, that's just not true. They won't over-sell? Are you kidding? The technology allows them to maximize the investment, they will drain it. If you've got good speed with cable, enjoy it while you can.

OK, let me clarify. Where I live, cable is better than DSL.
Where I live, I must have SWBell local phone service to get DSL, which costs more than the other local providers, and the DSL speed is half that of cable. (due to distnace from the switch)
Nonetheless, broadband cable is a more reliable media than twisted copper. In the long run, cable will provide much greater throughput than 1 pair of twised wires because it can propagate a signal farther and faster.
I currently have the option of having my local phone service come in through my cable but I'm not going to do it until AT&T brings out an IP phone or lets me use soft phone from my PC.