Next message: Darryl Lee: "Re: [WinMac] Cable vs DSL (combined reply)"
Wow, what a response! Thank you all very much. I'll try to combine my replies and reply in line.
> ----------
> From: Peters J B (Brooks) CRBE
>
> First off, do you know that both alternatives are available?
>
Yes, I really do have both options are available.
> My DSL max throughput is always at the rated levels whenever I test it with saturated uploads or downloads (upload rate < download rate for me).
>
That's one of the things that sounds attractive about DSL.
> I've had residential DSL for about three years and have been very pleased once the early kinks were oversome. Although I used IPNetRouter to create a "internal" network for multiple Macs, PCS, and our TiVo, the various cable/DSL routers now available are probably simpler products to use.
>
I'll just be using it with one computer, my PowerBook 3400 running OS 9.1. It's got built-in ethernet.
> ----------
> From: shoman
>
> You are
> right in the difference between the two, cable can be faster but it depends
> on the "local area" network, DSL is more consistent in terms of speed. But
> the newspapers are constantly full of Verizon horror stories about DSL.
> Lotsa luck!
>
The DSL is will be from my local telephone Alltel whom I have a low opinion of already. That's what's got me worried.
> ----------
> From: Wilcox, Curtis
>
> The advertised speeds vary from company to company. Even each cable
> franchise may advertise different speeds. But the advertised speed hardly
> ever matters, it depends on how much bandwidth they've provisioned and how
> much its getting used. The only useful part of advertised speeds is the
> upstream rate, those numbers will be much closer to reality. If upstream is
> important (if you're running a server for the public or just yourself), pay
> attention to the upstream. DSL usually has better upstream rates than cable.
>
From what I've seen, both the cable and the DSL options have a slower upload than download but that shouldn't be a problem as I don't plan on doing much of any uploading or web server.
> Location absolutely matters, to the point where I don't think a
> recommendation can be made unless you can say specifically which companies
> you have to choose from. I'm very satisfied with my Time-Warner RoadRunner
> cable modem in Rochester, NY.
>
If cable, it would be Time-Warner RoadRunner or Earthlink over Time-Warner's cable network. Strangely enough, the Earthlink option is $8 per month less.
> DSL often requires using PPPoE which is like doing dial-up authentication
> over your broadband connection. I would find that to be a nuisance.
>
You lost me here. I thought the DSL is always on, much like a network connection one would have at the office.
> On my
> service, my IP assigned by DHCP almost never changes unless I change
> machines. I think DSL DHCP servers are usually set to frequently assign
> different IPs which makes it harder to use a home machine as a server.
> There's also the fact that you have to put filters on all your phone lines
> which are *not* connected to the DSL modem and I understand that some
> devices (phones, faxes) don't work with the filters.
>
They did say something about filters. I'm assuming that keeps the digital signal from blowing out your analog telephone devices?
> But I think all of that
> is really secondary to the quality of a company's customer service and of
> the service itself.
>
That's what I'm worried about, lack of customer service and technical knowledge, particularly on a Macintosh.
> ----------
> From: Rick Kent
>
> I have DSL at the office through Verizon (with a separate ISP), and
> Cable at home with AT&T (because I cannot get DSL in my home area.)
>
> For reliability, I prefer the DSL, because for the rare exception
> when some road crew took out half of the state of Washington two
> years ago, it has almost never been down. Cable seems to be down for
> periods ranging from a few minutes to several hours every weekend
> (and maybe more often, but that is when I am typically using it at
> home.)
>
That's a lot of downtime.
> Cable is slightly faster, but I don't think there are that many
> people in my home area who are on the net. So I am not sharing much
> bandwidth.
>
It's probably slower at night when folks are home using it more.
> I am able to have a different ISP with DSL, and I do because I did
> not like the customer service at Verizon's DSL department. I don't
> think that is an option with cable.
>
Check with Earthlink.
> Although I will also add that it
> is usually cheaper to use the DSL company as the ISP anyway.
>
> Since you have the choice, I would:
>
> 1. Ask other people on the same system about down times.
> 2. Figure you will get the same customer service with DSL as you do
> with your phone company, and with cable as you do with your cable
> company.
>
I'm not sure either would win a prize.
> 3. Compare price. (And compare apples to apples here, because there
> are usually several bandwidth choices with DSL.)
>
There is with Alltel DSL, the full regular version is $49/mo and a Lite version (256kbps download speed I think) is $35/mo.
> 4. See what kind of firm install date they will give you. In some
> areas it is 6 months or more for DSL. Cable is usually faster if
> your house is already wired.
>
The guy I talked with about DSL made it sound fast but I didn't specifically ask him. The trouble with cable is that while it's available on my street and my house is wired, I never had it connected when I moved in. I installed an antenna in the attic instead. I don't watch enough TV to pay for cable. So they'd have to run the cable from the box in my front yard to the connecting point on the side of the house. They'd have to do that anyway if I was getting cable TV.
> 5. Take a look to see where you want the modem, and figure you will
> need to get the phone line or cable to that point. It's usually
> easier and less obtrusive to run the phone line around walls,
> furniture, etc.
>
Phone wouldn't be a problem. I fixed that myself about a year ago by running a new line from the attic. But for cable I may have to make another trip up to the attic. No big deal this time of year. Hate going up there in the summer though!
> Either way, both cable and DSL are such a monumental improvement over
> dial-up that you will enjoy either one.
>
No doubt the speed increase, even on DSL Lite would be much faster than dial-up and free up the phone line too.
> ----------
> From: Changhsu P. Liu
>
> I tried both and personally I like Cable better. At the price range from
> ~$40 to $45, cable is much faster than DSL in download (250KB vs. 20KB) and
> about the same in upload (~20KB to 25KB) in the city I live (Cincinnati,
> OH). I have been with RoadRunner since Fall of 1999 and there might be
> 10-20 times I had connection problems and I might encountered slowdown
> problems less than 10 times. In the month I tried ADSL, I encountered 1
> connection problem. I have not noticed any slowdown problem although it was
> just slower all the time. So, the ratio of having problems are probably
> similar.
>
I guess 10-20 times in 3 years isn't too bad.
> Cable offers 3 distinctive IPs for each account. ADSL might be similar.
> With a router, it does not matter too much. If you'd like to serve webpage
> from home, you might need to ask if your ISP allows that. I know my friends
> with ADSL serve their web pages from home fine. I only serve web pages to
> relatives at certain time so I don't know if they would disallow if it's >
> public.
>
> My conclusion after trying ADSL for one month was both were not perfect
> (RoadRunner is notorious for bad news servers that have missing binaries).
> If you don't download files too often, either one would be OK. If you like
> to browse and download and try out software, cable is much better for its
> download speed.
>
Thanks for your comments! Overall it does indeed sound like a crap shoot when it comes to speed, customer service and availability.
....................................................................
Tom Roth * tel 336.716.4493
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Dept of Biomedical Communications
Medical Center Blvd * Winston-Salem, NC 27157
http://www.wfubmc.edu/biomed/
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: Thu Jan 16 2003 - 17:18:45 EST