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Cable vs DSL

J

jedihobbit

Gawd
Joined
Nov 3, 2005
Messages
963
Wasn't sure where to place this but it seems close! :confused:

Need to get a OBJECTIVE comparison between the two "sources" as I am currently running cable (Comcast) but the wife has had DSL (verizon) waved in front of her. All she sees is the supposedly $30 a month savings of DSL.

I know for sure my Linksys modem will go into the closet if we go this route, but am for the most part ignorant of DSL.

So before we switch was just wanting some input from users past and present.
 
I prefer cable, we have less outages. Also, what is the difference in bandwidth download and upload?
 
It depends on the package, really, and if you need/use a lot of bandwidth. I've found DSL, in our area anwyay, to be more stable and consistent in latency. However, MediaCom cable internets are 2-3 times faster downstream (~12mbps for me) for our area but the upload kinda sucks, fluctuates between 380-800kbps and latency is really bouncy. I've been happy with my cable modem and wouldn't switch back to DSL mainly because of the phone/internets/tv bundle savings.
 
Depends on the service in your area TBH. There are good and bad providers for both DSL and Cable and providers have their good and bad areas and it even goes down to a neighborhood by neighborhood basis as wiring, etc. can vary. It all depends on what is available and how fast of a package you want/can get/what price. Both are low latency, perfectly acceptable and capable solutions that will give you no difference in service if they were equal packages/quality providers (3mb cable is the same as 3mb DSL).

About the only difference besides service variations between areas/providers/pricing is that cable has variable speed that depends on the load of the trunk in your area. DSL is a direct line to the CO and thus your speed for the most part will stay the same all the time (no peak time changes, etc.).


So in conclusion, it depends on what is available to you, how good the provider is in YOUR area (national providers vary), and how much you want to pay.

I have found DSL to be more reliable in the areas that I know/service, but generally it is a bit slower (though nothing most people will notice, 6mb vs 3mb, etc. type of thing is not a big deal to most users).
 
Not really sure if I'm a "standard" user but I download and upload pictures and occationally take advantage of movies on netflex. This is what I'm currently showing for speed with comcast locally.......



Again if I can save $30 a month with "minimal" loss, right now finances would appreciate it! :rolleyes: Now that I know what comcast is giving me I can always ask what verizon "thinks" it'll give me! :p
 
It depends on several factors. There is no one definitive answer that applies to everyone.

First..the basics.

DSL, by design, is more efficient, lower latency, and you do not share your connection with your neighbors until you get to the fat bandwidth of your CO and out the gateway. However..mix into this, DSL is distant dependent..farther away from your local CO you are...the lower your speed. DSL is so far, still slower than cable, often the max common package you'll get is 6 megs.

Cable, by design, can carry more bandwidth. Most cable ISPs have packages above 6 megs. Add to this, many cable ISPs now have some "bursting" packages, ..allowing you to get up into the teens, and higher. Cable is not distant dependent..so no matter where you live, you'll often benchmark close to what your package is. However..cable is "shared"...if you're in a heavily populated area, those kids in your neighborhood torrenting their free stuff can impact you.

Adding to the above....Not all ISPs are created equal.

For me, the local cable ISPs are better than that the common phone company DSL. Years ago back in the dial up dates, the phone company was not the best ISP. What makes people think they'll be the best DSL ISP? Their oversubscription ratio (contention) is typically on the higher scale. Versus...a quality, smaller, (and more expensive DSL ISP). I've had both. For my experience....for online gaming, nothing was better than the quality smaller DSL ISP that I used for a while. Not PPPoE either..pure bridged ATM. Wicked low latency, my online ping to my favorite game servers was consistantly very low. But my download speeds, since I was rather far from CO, I had about a meg download, and a third of a meg up. Very reliable also, hardly any outage. If I ever needed support..they were great, often they'd call me back.

Phone company DSL, about the same download speeds, my online ping was higher, and sometimes had outage periods. Support? Hello Habu..how is the weather in India today?

Cable...insanely fast..esp with their burst package. Support..not bad. Outages...not many, pretty decent, a bit better than the phone company, not as rock solid as the small good DSL company. Online pings with gaming...better than phone company DSL, but not as good as the quality small DSL ISP.

To add even more variables to the mix....the condition of the wiring in your house can affect your opinion..and this is not either ISPs fault. Suppose you have new phone lines, but your cable lines are old, horrible, or you have a kajillion splitters..and you do the home install cable kit..so no cable tech to do it for you. You experience horrible cable performance and reliability. Not the ISPs fault..but in your opinion...you tell other people cable sucks.
 
I'm in the northertn suburbs of Chicago. I have Comcast cable (note the new 250 GB/month ceiling!) and my wife has Verizon DSL ...don't ask!

The Comcast is more reliable and a lot faster.
 
In my area, both are fast and both are reliable. We had cable but recently switched to DSL because our cable company sucks. Our phone company has a great DSL/IPTV/Voice package which has been awesome. Plus we're about 100' away from the switching equipment so we get great speed. Our phone company's support is also top notch.
 
Gives us what package options you are looking at for DSL that would save you 30 a month. Also, if you don't have a land line currently, make sure you factor that into your costs. If you have cable TV from the same provider, make note that a lot of cable companies give you a cable TV service discount if you have their internet package too, so that could add an additional $10 per month by going DSL.

Also, find out if you currently pay a modem rental fee and find out if you would pay one with DSL.
 
ElvisG said:
You don't need a phone line to be activated to use DSL no more. It's called dry DSL.
Click to expand...

Not always. Some ISP's does not offer dry lines no matter how much you begged them, I personally know this from past experiences. Some other ISP's will charge you extra for the dryline, not as much as a phone line, but still enough to make a dent vs cable.
 
You guys are giving things to think about and ask. While we have cable TV (fairly basic) according to the wife we're paying in the mid - high 50s for the internet service. With verizon we have our land line and cell phone service so they are offering DSL for the mid 20s.

Will need to check what they are quoting for "speed" and find out how far I am from a "hub".
 
billb said:
I'm in the northertn suburbs of Chicago. I have Comcast cable (note the new 250 GB/month ceiling!) and my wife has Verizon DSL ...don't ask!

The Comcast is more reliable and a lot faster.
Click to expand...

Just checked your link, your cable hookup is blindingly faster than mine! :(
 
jedihobbit said:
You guys are giving things to think about and ask. While we have cable TV (fairly basic) according to the wife we're paying in the mid - high 50s for the internet service. With verizon we have our land line and cell phone service so they are offering DSL for the mid 20s.

Will need to check what they are quoting for "speed" and find out how far I am from a "hub".
Click to expand...

Be sure to check with your cable company to see if they offer telephone service, as they are generally very happy to offer discounts when you buy their "triple play", video/data/telephone service and it might get you a lot closer price wise.

Also your cable provider might have lower priced, aka slower speed packages which might be cheaper.
 
Like many have said. Which one is available, has less issues in your area, and has the better package/price offer.
 
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