Cable modem vs. DSL?

aephi alum · #1 10-23-2003, 02:52 PM

Anyone have any experiences - good, bad, or ugly?

DSL has just become available in my area, and I'm pretty unhappy with my cable provider, so I'm thinking of switching...

adpialumcsuc · #2 10-23-2003, 03:22 PM

We never have had cable modem but we had DSL and it was great! I had very few problems and when I did they were usually because I hit the modem with the vaccum and it had to be re-set. I wish DSL was available where our new house is

jonsagara · #3 10-23-2003, 04:06 PM

I've had both.

Cable:

When I first got my cable modem, it was very unstable. At least 3 or 4 times a week, the connection would go down for hours at a time. This happened for a good 4 months. However, they must have fixed or upgraded something, because after that the connection was solid.

Generally speaking, with cable modem you're sharing the network with everyone else in your neighborhood who has a cable modem. If you try to surf the Web during peak hours, the connection will probably be much slower than you're used to. I never had the speeds become prohibitively slow, and during the off-peak hours, everything moved like greased lightning.

If you're a techo-geek and you like to run different servers, be aware that many cable Internet providers block common ports, making it more difficult to do things like run a Web server, email server, etc. Of course the crappy upload speeds don't help much, either.

DSL:

I have had DSL for about 4 months now and it rocks. I have never experienced a slowdown, and the connection has only been down once. The upload speed is still pretty terrible, but that doesn't matter unless you're serving files up on the Internet or consistently sending LARGE emails.

My vote: DSL

But if DSL were to suddenly became unavailble, I wouldn't hesitate to go back to cable.

Here are some links that might help: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...s.+cable+modem

ZTAngel · #4 10-23-2003, 04:37 PM

I've experienced both as I have a cable modem and my parents have DSL.

Cable-
Like jonsagara said, you're on a network. I've never had any noticeable slowdowns during peak hours. Cable is faster than DSL to begin with so, no matter what, you'll be getting a fast connection. My network has gone down a few times when I first installed it but it hasn't happened in over a year (knock on wood). The biggest problem with cable is that since you're on a network, other people using the network can hack into your computer. If you do get cable, make sure to buy yourself a good firewall software program. McAfee, Norton, and BlackIce are some good firewalls.

DSL-
Very fast but not as fast as cable. There has been a few times where the DSL connection went out. This happened to my boyfriend a few times when he had BellSouth DSL also. The great thing about it is you're on your own network so you don't have the worry of someone hacking into your computer (it's good to buy a firewall anyway though).

My opinion: go with whatever is cheaper. The cable modem connection was a better deal for me because I was able to get a discounted price on my digital cable as well.

Imthachamp · #5 10-23-2003, 04:46 PM

road runner is the best provider ever.

bethany1982 · #6 10-23-2003, 05:04 PM

I've had DSL for over a year and have never had a problem. I have a friend with cable who always complains. DSL is fast enough for my current needs.

Munchkin03 · #7 10-23-2003, 07:10 PM

I prefer cable. The boy's family has DSL and it's pretty unstable. I can count on my hands the cable problems my family has had in the 4 years we've had a cable modem.

I figure if I'm going to pay $39.99 a month, I'd rather have the faster one. And that one, for my circumstances at least, is cable.

aephi alum · #8 10-23-2003, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jonsagara
If you're a techo-geek and you like to run different servers, be aware that many cable Internet providers block common ports, making it more difficult to do things like run a Web server, email server, etc. Of course the crappy upload speeds don't help much, either.

Good point - I probably should have clarified that I am planning to run a web server in the near future. I know this means getting a static IP address and all that fun stuff... meaning I have to either upgrade my cable-modem service from residential to business, or get DSL.

I was looking for opinions on which technology might be more reliable and better value for the money, as I have no experience with DSL. I've priced it out, though, and I think I will soon be getting experience with DSL...

-- aephi alum, proud techno-geek

jonsagara · #9 10-24-2003, 03:54 AM

Well, the good news is that you don't necessarily need a static IP address. This Web site tells you all about setting up a Web server using a dynamic IP address.

If performance isn't an issue, then you can probably just stay with your current cable provider. Your address will be kind of ugly (something like http://www.example.com:8080), but you can mask that. Just make sure you're not violating any TOSes by serving content.

GeekyPenguin · #10 10-24-2003, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imthachamp
road runner is the best provider ever.

Wow, you have low standards.

I definitely prefer cable over DSL, although I had DSL out in the boonies. Our DSL crashed all the time. I have cable now and my only complaint is that when I call to tell them it's out (which is actually rare, I think because I live "off-campus" but in the middle of campus so hardly anyone else is using it) the people treat me like idiots. I've already done all their troubleshooting, I'm not getting an IP, and my TV is still working - so the problem is on your end! Once the guy told me, no joke, my problem was that I had a Compaq.

AGDee · #11 10-24-2003, 11:02 AM

DSL's performance is very dependent on how far you are from the nearest switch. I blame Ameritech, not DSL itself for my numerous problems with it. I suspect that I was too far from the switch for it to work properly, but it was only working 2 or 3 hours a day and after 3 weeks of that, I cancelled and went back to cable.

By the way.. any time you are connected to the Internet, you are "on the network" and can be hacked. If you use the 'net, you should have a firewall.

Dee