DSL or Cable?
 

I am going to get an upgrade! Which one is best as far as speed, security and error free?

I have a cable modem and I've been very pleased with it. I like the fact that I can remain online at all times and that I don't have to wait for a dial-up. I am not sure what DSL is...digital satalite link????

Hootie

DSL is actually over your phone line and through the phone company. Around here it's a bit more expensive and really not that much better. I live on the edge of civilization so I don't think I could even get DSL if I wanted it..

DSL - you have to purchase all the equipment prior to actually getting service, and it can be quite costly. Plus I think you have to be within a 2 mile radius of a central office for DSL to even be available.

Cable - The modem is rented per month, and is a ton cheaper than DSL. Cable modems can be anywhere that the service is offered.

Go Cable, DSL is a rip off.

I have Cable through Comcast (one of the biggest cable companies in the US) and I love it! It is so fast! DSL can be a pain in the a$$. Go with cable!

I actually have to throw in a thumbs up for DSL.

First, you have to go with what's available in your area. Many areas do not have both available.

The thing to keep in mind with a cable modem is that you're sharing the bandwidth with others... so if you live in a fairly well populated area it could be slower.

I have verizon DSL and have had absolutely NO problem with it. I think in the 4 months that i've had it, I've only not had a connection for about an hour and a half. That's much more reliable than my network on campus ever was.

Sometimes you're just stuck with whatever's available though. Definately do your homework! Also many companies will give you the DSL modem for free (mine did) so that shouldn't always be a concern.

Personally, I prefer DSL because of the dedicated connection (i.e., you're not directly sharing your connection with every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the neighborhood as with cable). Also, each DSL provider I have used doesn't block important ports. This is crucial if you want to run your own services, which I do.

Alas, I currently use a cable modem because in my city, DSL takes forever to get. Pacific Bell sucks fat eggs when it comes to DSL customer service. It would take a minimum of 3 weeks for them to come over to my place to activate the service. OTOH, the cable company came out two days later, and I was up and running.

Bottom line: go with cable. It's probably cheaper and you'll probably get it hooked up faster. So far I haven't had any problems with bandwidth hogging in the neighborhood (knock on wood).

I have a cable connection through Road Runner and have been very pleased with it. In the four months that I have had it, there has only been one time that I did not have service -- the day following installation they were working on the connection city-wide for about two hours.

Although DSL is available in certain areas in my city, it is not availabe in my neighborhood. Like someone mentioned earlier, you have to live in close proximity to the server. There is also another cable connection through a second cable company in the city; however, they are a lesser known cable company and I didn't feel comfortable going with them. Plus, it would only have been like $3 cheaper.

Like most others have said, it depends on what is availabe in your area. Best of luck!

SATX APhi,
We had road runner through Time Warner in Austin and it was great. Always running online and smooth. We felt it was better!

Another thing I thought I'd add is this...if you already have a phone line get a regular hook up if you are looking for a cheap rate. You can get like a free AOL disc and use that for a while until you find something cheaper (I heard Juno is 9.99 a month unlimited).

As far as cable modems, they are cheaper and some places will run specials. I got mine through COX Cable and it cost me 110.00. I can pay it in four instillations so I don't have to rent it. I'd prefer to buy it anyways cuz renting usually costs more and you could have had it paid of sooner.

The other thing you may want to ask is if you can get a discount for having multiple services with the same company. For example I get a discount for already have basic extended cable with COX, so they are giving me half off internet hook for three months.

Some factors I took into consideration were the following:
I'm never home so why do I need to pay for a phone line with all those extra features. Even the non-feature phone line was going to cost me $23. Plus add AOL at another $23 and that's $46 a month.
Cable modem is payable in four installments, and the service is $35 a month and a hella lot quicker. Now I don't know what DSL is like, but my concern is having to pay for an actual service (such as AOL) on top of your DSL price.

Hope this all makes sense!

Hootie