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DSL vs CABLE MODEM

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions: 2004 Aug - Oct: DSL vs CABLE MODEM users admin

Author Message
Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 5:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Ok, so please tell me what you think is better and why. When I lived in PA, I had DSL with Verizon and I LOVED it. In fact, I got my family in MD & VA on the band wagon and we never had any complaints. But out here in IL the only DSL provider is SBC and it is horrible. I feel like I am on a pentium 1 computer running windows 98. (I just had to replace my athalon laptop for an athalon desktop so you know it's not the computer). I've gotten major runaround from SBC, but people have been telling us that the service is not good and to switch over to cable. But I feel like I was always told that cable is not safe. . .can I have some thoughts and opinions please?

Tishala
Member

08-01-2000

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 5:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I had SBC DSL too Grace and I hated it. I have Comcast cable and I like it MUCH better. SBC had the worse tech support I have ever dealt with--but at least it wasn't outsourced to India. OK that's damning with faint praise.

But my cable is SO fast, its amazing.

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 6:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
i have sbc dsl, and love it! i am in northern california, and comcast is just getting in here. this week i had to call sbc tech support, they fixed the problem in less than 20 minutes. i think it all has to do with where you live compared to where the dsl box is out on the street as to speed. just moving across town, and we are closer to the nearest dsl box, and it is faster.

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 7:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
yeah Landi I think you are right.

btw Tishala I'm Indian - a few of the times I've called their support I know I was speaking to desi (countrymen) and I totally took advantage and reamed them out . . .

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 7:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
We've been using Roadrunner Cablemodem service for over 4 years now - since before it was actually launched in our area. I don't recall a single major (or even minor really) problem we've had with the service. Just last year, they increased the speed by 50% faster then it was before - which was already faster then most any DSL service.

As far as security concerns, sure if you don't take the standard precautions (Firewall, anti-virus, etc) any connection to the internet can be a risk. I have never had a single breech of my systems in all the time I've been on RoadRunner, even as the area grew with new subscribers around me, not a single problem <knock on wood! lol>

Schoolmarm
Member

02-18-2001

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 7:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Grace, you were lucky that you had DSL in PA....my area was so remote that they were only just getting DSL when I moved, but only for PCs, not Macs.

I have Comcast cable modem, and I'm loving it so far. It's only been a month. It ran kind of slow one day when I had a zillion windows open, but that was probably the computer!

I had to call Comcast customer service to get rid of the proxy, and they were very nice and extremely on the ball!

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 7:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I agree with Draheid that you need to take appropriate security precautions, regardless of your connection.

As far as success with either product, the results vary depending on where you live. I have cable and it's incredibly fast (dsl is not an option due to our distance), but I also know other people in other areas that are equally happy with DSL (though my impression is it is not as super fast). Hope this helps a bit.

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 8:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
super fast is not important to me - i just don't think i should have to wait 5 minutes for a webpage i look at every day with no graphics to come up. . . you know what I mean?

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 9:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I agree. Web pages should come up very quickly regardless of whether it's cable or dsl.

Wendo
Member

08-07-2000

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 10:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Highspeed cable appears to be surpassing DSL usage in the home market. It's easier to be implimented because homes have already been wired for tv cable.

Also, highspeed cable companys are ramping up the speeds far quicker than DSL companies are. For instance, a year ago my highspeed cable was at 1.5 megabits. Recently, it's gone from 1.5 to 3 to 5 and now 7 megabits.

At this point, cable seems to offer the most value for the money; especially if cable companys continue to increase the bandwith. 10 megabits isn't too far off, imo. Of course, you really only see the faster speeds while downloading and viewing online video content.

What once took 10 minutes to download is routinely taking me 1 to 2 minutes.

Anyway, for a home user, I'd recommend cable.

Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 11:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
My hubby is a tech, and this is a no brainer question:
Cable is faster and cheaper and more reliable than DSL..
Let's keep it a secret...
:-)

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 6:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yep, it is a no-brainer. Cable IS faster!

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 6:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
my current dsl connection is at 10 megabits. and i'm paying $29.95 a month. i've never gotten a dropped connection. everyone's system is different. i will always speak highly of dsl.

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 4:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
yeah in Philly I was paying $29.95 and never had a single problem and my pages were up almost the instant I pressed enter. I also don't subscribe to cable so they would charge me extra to get cable internet service. Although since moving to Chicagoland I've had to get antena service though comcast so they may let me get by this time without that charge. . .

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 4:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Grace, where do you live? I live in Sugar Grove.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 4:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
We live where cable is not offered as well, but our DSL is the greatest! It's through I2K (never heard of 'em...but DH technogeek had). The only problem we ever had came after moving into our new house...and it was caused by VERIZON not I2K. Took us over a month to get VERIZON to rectify THEIR problem, but I2K didn't charge us for that month....they were much more concerned about their customer than the phone company!

One other plug for DSL...my parents have Yahoo SBC and it is HORRIBLY slow! Some pages will not even load! Guess it really depends upon you location and access, doesn't it?

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 8:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Julie Warrenville off of 59.

Teach - that's what I have right now. . .it does suck rotten eggs. And I'm still fighting with them to give me a credit for the summer since I basically used my inlaws dialup because it was so much faster.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Monday, September 13, 2004 - 4:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Wow Grace, that's pretty close. In fact one of my best friends lives at 59 and Batavia Rd., by that grocery store...

I can't believe we waited so long to get hi speed internet. We just switched from dial up about 2 weeks ago and we are sooo happy. We did research for this area and DSL got voted out right away.

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Monday, September 13, 2004 - 8:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
yeah, well that's not my only dissatisfaction with SBC. . . we are actually debating going phoneless and using cable modems and cell phones for the rest of our lives. . . we'll see if it actually happens, but it would be cheaper for us to get a 3rd line with sprint and say it's our house phone!

Schoolmarm
Member

02-18-2001

Monday, September 13, 2004 - 8:29 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm trying the phoneless thing right now, and so far it's working.

Of course, I live by myself so it's only one cell phone. I'm loving the cable modem, too.

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Monday, September 13, 2004 - 8:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
we almost did it in Philly. .. we just had dsl and the phone turned on to receive calls. It worked out really well, but I am so tired of sbc here that I just want to get rid of it altogether.

Gen
Member

08-22-2003

Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 7:21 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I would have to say that service is as important as speed. I had Verizon DSL and had continuous problems being kicked off and extremely slow speed especially if there were any storms within 75 miles of my house. Going to the "Help" line was always the same routine, over and over again and never solved the problem.

I finally gave up and moved to cable Road Runner. Installation was fast, had to have an extra line installed where the computer was located. In the beginning, I lost connection a few times. They immediately sent someone out to fix the problem and sent someone out later to be sure the fix worked. Since then, I have had no problems - even with three hurricanes rumbling through the area. I am hooked on the cable connection!

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Friday, October 01, 2004 - 7:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
ok I did it. . .I made the call and will no longer be a SBC DSL subscriber. . .I will now be a Comcast Cable-er. . . watch out world, I don't know if I can turn back to a slower modem ever again. . .

Wendo
Member

08-07-2000

Friday, October 01, 2004 - 4:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Let us know how it goes with cable Grace. :-)

Graceunderfyre
Member

01-22-2004

Friday, October 01, 2004 - 7:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
well I'll tell you this much. . .I'm using my MiL's dialup after yelling at SBC this afternoon and having them turn off my DSL without my permission and it's way faster and more reliable that the crap they've been serving me all summer!