# Cable or DSL



## hammer (Jan 11, 2005)

I was wondering if anyone here's made a switch between DSL or Cable and vice versa.

I currently have Cable access through Comcast and it's very fast (2 - 3 MBPS), but there's an offer out for Verizon DSL for almost $20 less per month than what I'm paying for Comcast.  Is it worth the cost savings to "downgrade" to the DSL connection?

Thanks in advance for any info...


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## Joshua B (Jan 11, 2005)

I've had both. 

In my opinion, the cable companies charge too much for their services. I switched to Verizon DSL from Comcast cable internet. Maybe I wanted to like it better, but I actually noticed a positive change in terms of speed after switching to DSL.

The Comcast service was very good, so I'm not going to take anything away from them, however, usenet rocks with Verizon DSL--much better than Comcast. I have noticed the occasional service interruption during a download with Verizon, where that was even more rare with Comcast. Verizon is less expensive.


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## HughK (Jan 11, 2005)

Have been using Verizon DSL for three? years now. No problems, good customer service, simple install and you can share the service with other computers in the house at no additional cost- speed does not seem to be too adversely affected. 

Make sure you get the service bundled with one of their calling packages for the lowest rate, I have the Freedom Package. DSL part is $29.95/month.

Have never been bumped off the service. Not a gamer, so don't know how that compares.  it comes bundled on your phone bill, less paper. Plus from watching "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith too many times, I'm convinced the cable guys are watching. :lol:


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## riverc0il (Jan 11, 2005)

may i suggest VoIP through DSL?  my service provider (speakeasy.net) was one of the first providers to offer this service and it looks incredible.  if i had any need for a land line, i'd be using VoIP.  the ability to combine unlimited calling any where via land land with DSL is gonna alter the table a little bit in regards to the telephone companies.  if you don't need a land line, you can also do adsl without a land line which rules!  unfortunately, the only way to get cheap internet usually is to "bundle" - a very very dirty word.


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## TenPeaks (Jan 11, 2005)

I went from dial-up to Verizon DSL and have no complaints. The speed is just fine for my day to day internet activities.

There are times when I'll work from home and the connection is a bit "choppy," but for the price I won't complain.

Besides, I don't like the idea of one company controling all of my services (TV, phone, web, etc.)


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## skijay (Jan 11, 2005)

I am glad this topic came up.  I have decided to go with cable for my internet .  My cable company will hook me up as my house is prewired for cable TV.  I do not have to pay for any cable channels as they do the internet  access as a stand alone service.  I just need to pay the service call to hook me up at the pole. 

Here is what is offered:  256k upload/download speed @ $24.95  or 400k download/ 512k upload @ $39.99.   I currently have dial up at 32k @ $23.95 a month. 

Do these prices seem competitive?  DSL, for me would be SBC Yahoo.  For me to get the low rate of $26.95, I need to add phone services to my home line. for another $12.00.  So to save $8.00 off of the $34.95 DSL rate, I need to spend an additional $12.00 for services on my home line that I will never use.


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## hammer (Jan 12, 2005)

skijay said:
			
		

> I am glad this topic came up.  I have decided to go with cable for my internet .  My cable company will hook me up as my house is prewired for cable TV.  I do not have to pay for any cable channels as they do the internet  access as a stand alone service.  I just need to pay the service call to hook me up at the pole.
> 
> Here is what is offered:  256k upload/download speed @ $24.95  or 400k download/ 512k upload @ $39.99.   I currently have dial up at 32k @ $23.95 a month.
> 
> Do these prices seem competitive?  DSL, for me would be SBC Yahoo.  For me to get the low rate of $26.95, I need to add phone services to my home line. for another $12.00.  So to save $8.00 off of the $34.95 DSL rate, I need to spend an additional $12.00 for services on my home line that I will never use.



Those prices seem high for the speeds being promised.  I am paying $48.95 ($3 for cable modem rental) and my download speeds are between 2 - 3 meg.  Since I went through Earthlink I was able to get that rate without also getting a cable package, which was good for me since I have satellite provider for my TV service.

I'd admit, however, that it is hard to compare prices and speeds in one area to another.  I remember being stuck with dial-up for several years while towns nearby had both cable and DSL available, and when DSL was initially available, it was for 128k at around $60 a month.

What speeds are being advertised in your DSL rates?  I believe that, in your case, a better DSL package even if you purchased it by itself could give you better speeds than the cable service being offered.

Good luck with your new high speed service -- I remember switching just to "give it a try" and realizing almost immediately after hooking up that I would never go back to dial-up service.


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## Stephen (Jan 12, 2005)

I had settled on Direct TV with TiVO for my house, so when it came time to pick phone and internet, I weighed the options. Comcast website said digital phone wasn't available. So phone was Verizon. As I compared the price ($55 vs. $30) between cable and DSL, I decided to go with DSL.

When my phone was turned on, we discovered that the upstairs tenant has Comcast digital phone. Not only that, but Comcast CUT the lines from the pole to both Network Interfaces. I had to get a tech from Verizon out there to make new drops, and Comcast is now facing a $20,000 fine.

As far as speeds go, realize that the 1.5M or the 2-3M they are talking about is only from the company's equipment to your PC. It doesn't take into account the rest of the internet.

Also, DSL is a dedicated connection. You own that 1.5m (or whatever speed your modem connects at) whereas on Cable Modems, you share the bandwidth with anyone else on your local loop.

-Stephen


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## hammer (Jan 12, 2005)

Stephen said:
			
		

> As I compared the price ($55 vs. $30) between cable and DSL, I decided to go with DSL.


That's the big question for me.  I do get a pretty high speed connection; the 2 - 3 MBPS is what I get from a speed test.  But, if the DSL connection speed is lower but still good, then I'd like to save the $$.

In addition, right now Verizon is offering a wireless router if you sign up, which would be another bonus since I bring my work laptop home sometimes.

How is the DSL connection made?  Is it through a regular phone outlet?  When I had the cable connection made, I didn't have an outlet behind my computer desk so the installer drilled a hole through my brand new hardwood floor to bring the cable up to the computer (ouch).


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## Stephen (Jan 12, 2005)

You plug your DSL modem straight into any phone outlet.

The phone system uses only .36% of the capacitiy of the phone line, leaving a LOT of  space for data transfer.  Theoretically you can get up to 8M download and 1 meg upload with ADSL, but you won't find anyone who will sell at that speed. 

-Stephen


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## Joshua B (Jan 12, 2005)

Yes, it should be mentioned that if you want DSL, you have to have a land line phone. I got along for a few years without one and it kind of sucked when I learned I had to have one. But I did it anyway.


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## bvibert (Jan 12, 2005)

Joshua B said:
			
		

> Yes, it should be mentioned that if you want DSL, you have to have a land line phone. I got along for a few years without one and it kind of sucked when I learned I had to have one. But I did it anyway.



Apparently if you use speakeasy.net as your service provider you don't need a land line...


			
				riverc0il said:
			
		

> if you don't need a land line, you can also do adsl without a land line which rules!


Their rates looked less than stellar though...


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## riverc0il (Jan 12, 2005)

> Yes, it should be mentioned that if you want DSL, you have to have a land line phone.


not true.  i am on DSL with no land line.  :mrgreen:


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## riverc0il (Jan 12, 2005)

> Their rates looked less than stellar though...


for my area, i actually pay the almost same amount for DSL as i used to pay for land line (only used for internet) + dial up.   it was only a few dollars increase for me which was well worth it since i don't need a land line or cable since i don't have TV.


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## skijay (Jan 12, 2005)

How do you get DSL without a phone line connection?  Is it like a neighborhood super WiFi set up? 

I was solicited to hook up a DirectWav 2way satellite internet service.  The cost was $99 a month, installation, ISP, equipment included.


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## noreaster (Jan 12, 2005)

Have access to both Roadrunner Cable and Verizon DSL.   Cable and DSL end user DOWNLOAD experience is the same response time using a 1.8  Ghz  Intel processor and ethernet cable.  UPLOAD time is SIGNIFICANTLY  better on DSL.  So if you like sending e-mails with lots of big picture files of the kids to the grandparents, then  DSL may be a better choice for you.    

Super WiFi now were talk'en.  Somebody put a WiFi reapeater on a telephone pole and magic everyone has free interenet access in the neighborhood.   I am not a lawyer but this is probably NOT legal in most states.


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## riverc0il (Jan 12, 2005)

> How do you get DSL without a phone line connection?


http://www.speakeasy.net/residential/onelink/


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## skijay (Jan 12, 2005)

I made the call tonight!  They are going to remove the "filter" at the pole on Friday and I will be ready to go. I like the fact that I do not have to subscribe to cable TV to get this. I pick up the modem on Thurdsday night.  I get three months @ $14.95 and then it goes to $24.95.  I went with the 256K speed which is upgradable via a phone call.  Anything is better than this dial up connection and the resource hog (AOL).

I purchasd a Linksys 802.11b wireless router / USB network adapter tonight.  I am sticking the router in the basement  in the center of the house.  It is about 15 feet from the PC.  

2 questions:

1.  Will Mozilla browser work with network connections?
2.   Any thing wrong with sticking the router in a basement  in a 1 floor house (signal wise)?  

Thanks.


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## TenPeaks (Jan 13, 2005)

2 questions: 

1. Will Mozilla browser work with network connections? 
2. Any thing wrong with sticking the router in a basement in a 1 floor house (signal wise)? 

Answers
1. Yes. Mozilla (Netscape, Firefox, etc.) will work with any internet connection. The problems you may have with it relate to web page design. If a page is designed to Internet Explorer specifications then some functionality may not work in Mozilla.

2. I own a 1,100 sq. ft. ranch and have my wireless router on the main floor. My connection works everywhere in the house, including the basement, without any slowdown in speed.


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## bvibert (Jan 13, 2005)

riverc0il said:
			
		

> > Their rates looked less than stellar though...
> 
> 
> for my area, i actually pay the almost same amount for DSL as i used to pay for land line (only used for internet) + dial up.   it was only a few dollars increase for me which was well worth it since i don't need a land line or cable since i don't have TV.



Yeah, I didn't think about it clearly before posting.  I guess its not such a bad deal...  Their website says its not available in my area anyway...  :roll:


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## Terry (Jan 15, 2005)

*cable or dsl*

we are using DSL from pivotnet. It is a major improvement from dialup. We have had no problems with it, and it is much faster.


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## skijay (Jan 19, 2005)

I attempted to install the modem only to find out my DNS file is corrupted.  This happened before when I attempted to upgrade to an AOL version with AOL's network adapter.  I needed to strip the PC and reinstall the entire OS and all of the components, go to microsoft and download all of the patches for Windows and IE explorer to make it current.  Having a PC that was built in 1999 and runs Win98SE, I think it is time for an upgrade!


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## Greg (Jan 19, 2005)

skijay said:
			
		

> I attempted to install the modem only to find out my DNS file is corrupted.  This happened before when I attempted to upgrade to an AOL version with AOL's network adapter.  I needed to strip the PC and reinstall the entire OS and all of the components, go to microsoft and download all of the patches for Windows and IE explorer to make it current.  Having a PC that was built in 1999 and runs Win98SE, I think it is time for an upgrade!


DNS file?  :blink: 

Two glaring problems with your setup - Windows 98 and AOL. Ditch both. Run Windows XP and Firefox or IE and you'll be much happier...


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## bvibert (Jan 19, 2005)

Windoze 98 isn't too bad, kinda prone to locking up... but not too bad.  I'm still running that at home.  Definately ditch the AOL and IE though...


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## Joshua B (Jan 19, 2005)

I installed Verizon DSL for a friend last night. It hung at the "connecting to server" stage. I had to call them and literally wait over 20 minutes to speak to a customer service rep. When I did speak to one, she was on the ball and we manually configured the connection together.


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## Greg (Jan 19, 2005)

Another bit of advice: Get yourself a router and forego any DSL connection software. You can configure the router to handle your PPPoE login details and your connection is "always on".


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## hammer (Jan 19, 2005)

bvibert said:
			
		

> Windoze 98 isn't too bad, kinda prone to locking up... but not too bad. I'm still running that at home. Definately ditch the AOL and IE though...


I'd second the comment on IE.  I've been using Firefox for several months now and it works great.  The only problem I have is that the Sunapee trail map doesn't work right.
As far as the AOL software is concerned, I'd be worried about putting any of that stuff on my machine.  I don't know the details, but I've heard that it's pretty invasive to your system.



			
				Joshua B said:
			
		

> I installed Verizon DSL for a friend last night. It hung at the "connecting to server" stage. I had to call them and literally wait over 20 minutes to speak to a customer service rep. When I did speak to one, she was on the ball and we manually configured the connection together.


Did you have to install any of the Verizon software?  They offer MSN Premium but I'm not sure what that would really buy me.


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## bvibert (Jan 19, 2005)

Greg said:
			
		

> Another bit of advice: Get yourself a router and forego any DSL connection software. You can configure the router to handle your PPPoE login details and your connection is "always on".



Definately a good idea, I hated all the crap that SBC installed on my machine the first time I installed DSL.  I have a router now, much bettter and cleaner!


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## skijay (Jan 19, 2005)

I am ditching the PC, it is cheaper to buy a new one than to upgrade.


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## Greg (Jan 19, 2005)

skijay said:
			
		

> I am ditching the PC, it is cheaper to buy a new one than to upgrade.


Congrats and probably a smart move. 5 years is more than a reasonable life expectancy for a PC. As for the new box, you're going to have to consider XP Pro or Home (assuming you're going with Windows). Keep in mind that if you need to connect remotely to your home PC from another location, you'll want XP Pro. Most of the other Pro "features" are ones the average user can live without. I would also recommend getting the computer form a reputable vendor (Dell, IBM, HP, etc.) versus some computer show, but that's just me...


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## hammer (Jan 19, 2005)

Greg said:
			
		

> 5 years is more than a reasonable life expectancy for a PC.


I wish that the bean counters where I work would realize that.
I've seen a number of co-workers go more than 5 years between PC replacements, and I'm over 5 years on my laptop with no new one in sight.  :-?


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## skijay (Jan 19, 2005)

XP Home,  This PC is strictly home use, basically use to download from camera to photoshop and upload to web, web searching, forums.  I am not into online gaming.  

I have burned about 7 CDs in 5yrs.  I have the 3 left in the 10 pack that I bought when I bought the PC.    

This is all the result of my attempting to install the cable modem!  It is going to be an expensive week by the time it is over.


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## Greg (Jan 19, 2005)

skijay said:
			
		

> It is going to be an expensive week by the time it is over.


Yeah, but you'll be cruisin' once it's all set up...  8)


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## skijay (Jan 19, 2005)

Well it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I have my cable modem hooked up to a new PC.  and I am running the wireless 802.11b wireless device.  

This PC & broadband Internet connection is so much faster!

The first thing I did when I hooked up the modem was to go to the windows updates page and install all of the XP updates.  They are all in.


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## Greg (Jan 20, 2005)

skijay said:
			
		

> The first thing I did when I hooked up the modem was to go to the windows updates page and install all of the XP updates.  They are all in.


If on a router, a good practice would be to set up XP to automatically update. Right-click My Computer --> Properties --> Automatic Updates tab. It may be enabled by default. I can't remember. Also, get yourself a good virus protection app and keep the virus definitions updated. Finally, periodically run *Ad-Aware* to keep the system clenan from spyware. Congrats on the new PC. Once you have broadband, it's hard to imagine life without it...


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## skijay (Jan 20, 2005)

Thanks for the information.  I will make sure the XP updates automatically.  I have not installed any anti-spyware yet, that will be tonight as I start to install only the necessary devices to the PC (drivers for camera, printer, Palm). The PC came preloaded with AOL 9.0 & MSN, that will be gone!   I have the virus & firewall installed and enabled.


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## Joshua B (Feb 24, 2005)

riverc0il said:
			
		

> > How do you get DSL without a phone line connection?
> 
> 
> http://www.speakeasy.net/residential/onelink/



The lowest priced option on that page is $55.95/month for 1.5/256 bandwidth speed. Is that what you pay?


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## Paul (Mar 4, 2005)

I'm a WAN Engineer at SBC. I have a cable modem from Comcast despite getting a pretty good discount from the Evil Empire for DSL. (Of course, its not in my neighborhood anyway, nor are there any plans for it ever to be)
The biggest difference between the two? $$$

You get what you pay for.

Also, someone asked about VoIP. I would'nt just yet. VoIP works great on the campus environment, but when you attempt to go off-net, the Class of Service just isn't robust enough for a good, solid call. Too many packets are getting dropped and jitter is practically unavoidable when crossing networks.

just my $.02....


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## hammer (Mar 4, 2005)

I'm now having second thoughts.  The latest deal I can get from Verizon without a commitment is $34.95/month with a max advertised speed of 768K, which is a lot less than the 2-3M I'm now getting from Cable for an additional $14/month.

Good luck to everyone else out there in their quest for broadband...


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## dmc (Mar 4, 2005)

hammer said:
			
		

> I'm now having second thoughts.  The latest deal I can get from Verizon without a commitment is $34.95/month with a max advertised speed of 768K, which is a lot less than the 2-3M I'm now getting from Cable for an additional $14/month.
> 
> Good luck to everyone else out there in their quest for broadband...



I've also settled into using cable as a robust - fast - connection...
Only slows down on weekends - when kids are gaming...


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## cbcbd (Mar 4, 2005)

Greg said:
			
		

> skijay said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## skijay (Mar 8, 2005)

I have cable for the internet and NOT for my TV.  If cable "goes out" does that mean the internet connection goes out with it?


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## ctenidae (Mar 9, 2005)

Skijay-
Depends on why the cable's out. If the line's down, then yeah, you'll lose internet. If it's a problem at the origin, then your internet may stay up.
In other words, hard to say.


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## Caleb (Mar 9, 2005)

My Verizon cable always tests out impressively, but it routinely hangs when assessing and loading everyday websites like yahoo.com. i run firefox and ad-aware, and I've even tried eliminating the browser cache, but sometimes I have to ping a site 10 or 15 times before it will load. If this is the price of cable, it's really starting to wear on me. I can walk acoss the street and get lightning transfers with the library's DSl. C


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## Paul (Mar 10, 2005)

Caleb said:
			
		

> My Verizon cable always tests out impressively, but it routinely hangs when assessing and loading everyday websites like yahoo.com. i run firefox and ad-aware, and I've even tried eliminating the browser cache, but sometimes I have to ping a site 10 or 15 times before it will load. If this is the price of cable, it's really starting to wear on me. I can walk acoss the street and get lightning transfers with the library's DSl. C




wow, that's odd...

I have Comcast cable and have yet to encounter any problems. Have you called Verizon's support? I know a pretty good English / Indian translation website.  :lol:


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## Caleb (Mar 10, 2005)

Paul said:
			
		

> Caleb said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



yeah we've been working it. right now they claim the line is noisy on my end. all my wiring has been swapped out though, so we're basically at a mexican stand-off about it.  I'm ready for DSL as soon as it arrives on my side of the street... that's a crazy one too. C


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## hammer (Mar 10, 2005)

Has anyone with a Cable connection had any problems with losing the connection and then having to run "repair" on the connection to get it back?

I've been having this problem for the past few weeks with a machine running Windows XP.  I've done virus and spyware scans and it doesn't seem to remedy the problem.

I do plan on contacting Comcast support, but I'll need a full hour at home to troubleshoot since I'll most likely have to provide all kinds of gory details to the support rep...   :x


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## ALLSKIING (Aug 2, 2005)

Just hooked up my new computer...Thought everything was fast and I did a internet check Look out.
http://reviews.cnet.com/7009-7254_7...31&ISPID=&ISPNAME=&tag=cnetfd.dir&kbps=2777.4


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