cable or dsl which one is better?

[Boneface]

ok so i wanted to know what is better cable or dsl?


thanks boneface

 

[error_f0rce]

ok so i wanted to know what is better cable or dsl?


thanks boneface

It depends what you want to use them for, but 9 out of 10 times the answer is cable. It is almost always pricier, but will give you faster speeds (up to 6mbps now a days, depending on what package you get) and this is best for gaming, downloading music, demos, files, etc.

Now if you want to be loading stuff to a website, FTPing files, mailing large files, etc, DSL usually has a better upload speed. Example... you can have cable with a 3mbps downstream and only a 215kbps upstream (i know, pathetic, but that's what most cable services have). As for DSL, it will have the same downstream as it's upstream, with the exception of ADSL (different up/down speeds). DSL is way cheaper, cable offers better performance IMO. I've had both over the years and will never go back to DSL, I hated it.

Here is somewhere you could check out that has ratings, reviews, etc for broadband providers of all types: http://www.dslreports.com/

 

[markkleb]

I have had them both, and to me cable is a lot easier (you dont need a phone) and faster.

Now there is Vonage, even better and I can feel like I am sticking it to the phone co. finally....

 

[Boneface]

ok guys thanks for the help, thats what i thought so back to cable

 

[error_f0rce]

I have had them both, and to me cable is a lot easier (you dont need a phone) and faster.

Now there is Vonage, even better and I can feel like I am sticking it to the phone co. finally....

Yes, VOIP is our little way of sticking it to the man
I use SunRocket and really like the service. Unlimited long distance and every feature for $16 a month, no extra fees or any crap. Had it for a year now and love!

Bad news though: the FCC just approved an internet phone tax... $#@% trying to get $$$ out of us however they can... (that's for us USA folks). Don't know when that will take effect

 

[zekrahminator]

I suppose it really depends on how close you are to the DSL box office, sorta like with wifi. If you're really close to the router, or the DSL box office, then you get the best service. However if you're almost out of range of the router, or the DSL box office, then your service SUCKS. I suppose I got lucky, my DSL is amazing.

 

[Alec§taar]

Making the "jump" this week, from Cable (TimeWarner "RoadRunner") to DSL (Verizon)

See subject-line/title:

This week's THE week for me to use DSL, for the first time ever... I've always been a cablemodem user for the most part, since 1999 iirc.

(Dialup here & there as well - but, this KILLS me on downloads of programs, or even antivirus patches - takes HOURS nowadays, what w/ Norton AntiVir defs weighing in, for example, @ nearly 15mb each!)



* Anyhow/anyways (the reason for my jump) - My promo $29.99 a month of TimeWarner roadrunner has expired (they even gave me MORE than the 6 months oddly, around 9 iirc)...

Time to seek cheaper prices!

$50 a month approximately after "tax, title, & registration" is TOO much for my tastes, especially over the "long-haul" of a year...

(E.G.-> $21.99 for higher-end DSL outta Verizon, 1 month free, so it's going to be that way for 3-4 months, & then I'll most likely "downgrade" to the slower model (roughly ISDN speeds, 128kbps up/down iirc, which only costs $17.99 mo.))

IMO, @ least: It 'boils-down/distills' to HOW you use your online time really, AND, your personal finances/budget/future plans!

APK

P.S.=> I am NOT a "BIG" online gamer anymore, & only really require bandwidth for downloads of shareware/freeware OR updates... I think DSL will "fit the bill" for me on that account, even in the 'slower' model... apk

 

[zekrahminator]

Yup. The one thing that cable companies forget to mention is how expensive their "faster" service is lol. Oh yeah and remember, you're stuck to a 1 year contract after buying DSL . Not that you're break that contract anytime soon...but you're gonna have to suffer with fast DSL for a while lol.

 

[xxbulletinabiblexx]

I have Comcast. It is really good. My uncle gets it out in the living room on the big screen... and the rest of us have Direct TV. But my dad has the internet service through that. I personally find it very good. I have my laptop routed from that computer and I can get crystal clear service through it. right now I am actually over my neighbors house.. and I still get really good service. My router is GOD. It is going all the way through our house.. and through her house. If you live in Maryland in the "REDNECK" county.. you know the houses are pretty spaced apart too considering I do live in the middle of a corn field. God I love that router.

 

[Alec§taar]

Yup. The one thing that cable companies forget to mention is how expensive their "faster" service is lol. Oh yeah and remember, you're stuck to a 1 year contract after buying DSL . Not that you're break that contract anytime soon...but you're gonna have to suffer with fast DSL for a while lol.

Well, the way the rep from Verizon explained it to me was this:

You can run the "faster" DSL variety for the 3 mo. you get it for @ cheapest rate, & then you can 'downgrade' to the slower variety, no service-charge involved whatsoever.

(Either way, faster DSL, or SLOWER DSL? I can make the switch @ no cost or contractual detriment apparently!)

* I can live with that...

APK

 

[zekrahminator]

Well I guess I just read the EULA wrong .

 

[error_f0rce]

this KILLS me on downloads of programs, or even antivirus patches - takes HOURS nowadays, what w/ Norton AntiVir defs weighing in, for example, @ nearly 15mb each!

Holy cow... you need to start using Norton Live Update bro! The definition updates are incremental, every couple days, but are only 200kb-300kb. So that takes a couple seconds. Then again I'm running Norton Anti-Virus and Symantec Firewall with a corporate license... dunno if that's different.

 

[Alec§taar]

There's a couple reasons WHY I don't use "live update" (decent ones)

Holy cow... you need to start using Norton Live Update bro! The definition updates are incremental, every couple days, but are only 200kb-300kb. So that takes a couple seconds. Then again I'm running Norton Anti-Virus and Symantec Firewall with a corporate license... dunno if that's different.

I don't use "live update" for a few GOOD reasons:

1.) The daily COMPLETE download usually has more in it, against/vs. Virus' in the wild, believe it or not (vs. the liveupdate ones).

2.) Sometimes, some "live updates" I installed went "batty" on me (on LiveUpdate itself for the last one I recall)...

3.) I don't trust many "client-server" type programs out there, for the OBVIOUS reason (security)...

APK

 

[zekrahminator]

I hate Norton...Mcafee Virusscan does a much better job and I can prove it.

 

[error_f0rce]

Mcafee Virusscan does a much better job and I can prove it.

...

 

[zekrahminator]

Okay, fine. My friend has a Gateway, 2Ghz celeron, 256MB RAM, onboard graphics, stock everything, some turd monitor. I come over to his house to find that his computer is crashing alot, and he has Norton antivirus on in the background. I uninstall Norton, his computer runs a bit faster, but the crashes are still there. I run spybot, get a few hits, delete them, and everything STILL runs slowly. I install Mcaffee Virusscan free trial, and found TWENTY THOUSAND VIRUSES before I had to leave. My friend let the scan finish, deleted what he could, re run the scan, and then his computer ran much faster and all the problems were gone. His parents ended up buying Mcaffee virusscan.

 

[Solaris17]

I myself am a norton fan but im using avast. because i have norton system works 2003 great IMO but its like the updates stopped that scared me so i went avast i lost all my cool utilitys but i get an update like everyday so.

 

[KennyT772]

i use avg. updates when i want and runs only when i want. also catches virus's that norton has missed repeaditly.

oh and btw its free

 

[zekrahminator]

Both of those are tools found on Solaris17's utility disk...thanks .

 

[Alec§taar]

WELL! I "made the jump" from CableModel (TimeWarner) to DSL (Verizon) &...

See subject-line/title, above, & THIS comment:

I like it very much so far!



Does the job, for how I use the net @ least - which is MAINLY just downloading programs & updates to programs (binaries-wise) & chatting in forums like this one + emailing!

Was cable w/ TimeWarner faster? Certainly!

I could blast downloads onto my disks @ upwards of 615k++ @ a time (downloads like Norton AntiVirus daily updates, weighing in @ 15++ mb each time nowadays, & growing)!

(Which is as fast as ANY CableModem internet service now, including CableVision of the NYCity/NewJersey/Connecticut area (for whom I used to work, & they DID have the absolute fastest for years & around the numbers I quote for you from TimeWarner presently as far as speeds)).

Verizon DSL is able to do that SAME download @ a rate of roughly 190-195k/sec (yes, 1/3rd the speed of cable)... but, @ 1/3rd of the price-per-month billing, so it works-out just about right!

* So, I like it (for the economics of it mainly, & yes, the fact it pretty much fits my use-patterns online as well)...

APK

P.S.=> Anyhow, I said I was going to do this & here tis + my feelings/thoughts on it! It was useful to me in 1 other capacity as well:

Finding out if the Tcp/IP & other networking related "hacks" I have consistently put into my personal systems for years now work as well w/ DSL as they did w/ CableModem internet access & THEY DO (no alterations necessary, which was EXCELLENT to find out!)... apk

 

[zekrahminator]

Well I'm glad you like it! And the money you can save on internet can be spent on other things too...like s'mores flavored pop-tarts .

 

[Alec§taar]

Well I'm glad you like it! And the money you can save on internet can be spent on other things too...like s'mores flavored pop-tarts .

Yea, it's pretty good thusfar, vs. using Cablemodems!

I found out now, that for sure, that I never REALLY needed 600++ kb/sec rates & all that!



(Heck - I never really truly took advantage of that imo, & never really could anyways (even w/ HUGE files transferrals, which is EXTREMELY rare for me to be moving around online via the public internet @ least)).

Then again, on the 'flipside' of the speed coin?

Dialup was way, WAY TOO slow, & the updates + program freeware downloads I mostly do took FOREVER & A DAY to do...



You might find this tough to believe, but...

I actually opted to do dialup (as an experiment 2-3 years ago)! It isn't "bad", if you don't count on hauling down binary data imo... emailing, chatting, html data content, it all compresses well enough so that dialup is NOT bad.

I did the dialup MAINLY to see if the Tcp/IP networking & other hacks in that area worked out & could be made "fairly generic" into .reg files I could export/import quickly to new system setups, & yet function on CableModem, DSL, & dialup!

(The latter (dialup) has a few diff.'s but not many, mainly packet passing sizes & things like GlobalTcpSendWindow/GlobalTcpReceiveWindow, MTU/MSS/RWIN, etc.) using those exact (nearly) same .reg file import/export performance & security oriented settings)...

* Thus, DSL just seems to fit the bill, optimally in terms of performance & savings here for me @ least, & imo, best bonus is now I KNOW FOR SURE what registry settings work "across the boards" for CableModem, DSL, and even dialup (w/ minor alterations only)!

APK

P.S.=> The money I save (actually goes in a tiny envelope here in a firebox) will be applied to the DDRDrive x1 PCI-e based Solid-State disk once it releases... @ least, that is my plan for it now (can change, just like anything else - "the best laid plans...")... apk