DSL vs. Cable

**Theonemafia** · 02-23-07, 10:33 PM

tonight while i was playing i got a call from bell south with a good deal first they offered me $225 to switch form cable to DSL and get a 1.3mb upload so i got smart saying if i get anything less then 5mb we have not deal the guy finally offered 225+6mb download+ and 600kb upload for only 40 bucks a month.

i wanna know if DSL is better then comcast.

**digital** · 02-23-07, 10:40 PM

https://www.comcast.com/Localization...w/default.ashx

Mafia, not because in the cable business for Comcast now in Houston. But I have always like cable modem more then DSL. Plus to get the DSL speeds the advertising they have to be your next door neighbor.

Shit reason bigdog has cable modem he moved to far away from the closet DSL hub.

**Theonemafia** · 02-23-07, 10:44 PM

see but tell me this is not wort a try for 225 i mean if the speed sucks then say good bye dsl. and i still made my 225 no contract i can get the money and just say it sucks i love deals like that.

**flame** · 02-24-07, 12:23 PM

I have caable now, I used to have dsl and still have dsl at work and at the firehouse. By far cable exceeds dsl. I lived in town and had dsl, and then moved a good ways out from town and my only option was cable and it far exceeds dsl. I get lag at the firehouse and the switch station is less than 2 miles away so from personal experience cable is the way to go.

**Manse** · 02-24-07, 12:38 PM

in the beginnings of broadband, DSL was better than cable for gaming. Synchronous DSL meant you had higher upload rates than cable, because the upload and download rates had to be the same. The distance thing was a problem, but cable was bad if you lived in a crowded area because too many people sapped the lines

Now, bandwidth is cheap. Asynchronous DSL means you can have the higher download rates without having to match them on the upload side, so it loses that advantage. Most cable companies have expanded their fiber optic capabilities, among other changes. Before, you'd have a 1 Mbps line, that would drop down a lot if your neighbor got on. Now, you and your neighbor each have 4-7 Mbps, and who cares if you lose some off the top?

From a Tempest perspective, Cable is also more secure. Shielding is your friend, and is why cable doesn't have the distance limits DSL has. Electrical Engineering is your friend.

My Vote: get the DSl installed, cash the check, and try it for a month or so. speedtests, traceroutes, pings, etc. If it works, keep it. If not, swap back to the miles of shielded Coax that can bring your Tennessee beat down to the masses.

**~~Syrringe~~** · 02-24-07, 01:05 PM

cable pwns, screw phone lines

**digital** · 02-24-07, 01:10 PM

I can't wait for 2mbps upload speed

**Gumby** · 02-24-07, 08:38 PM

It really depends on who is providing it and where you live relative to the C.O. (Central Office) and how much your neighbors use their cable.
I used to work at an ISP/CLEC. I have some insights on this for you.
DSL is quicker, cable is faster.
If you live within two cable miles of the phone companies CO, DSL cannot be touched for gaming. Generally speaking DSL has better upload speed, again depending on provider. Cable has better overall bandwidth, assuming your neighbors are not all downloading every bittorent in the universe when you want to game. Again, check the providers and do some research on your local area with www.dslreports.com
When I worked at the ISP, we a nice SDSL package that was 6mb both ways that we offered and called it the gamers package. But we would only sell it close to the CO. Farther out, I would recommend Time Warner cable to my gamer customers because it was better at long range speed than our DSL. It also depends a lot on who services where you live. Where I live, both suck. I am about 14000 cable feet from the CO so DSL would be terrible for me and my cable company, which I am using, is Sudden Link Cable and the fastest upload is only 256k. I would kill for what Time Warner has or what Cox has. But my cable is a bit better than DSL
If you are close to the CO, then check to see if there are smaller ISPs offering DSL to you. Often they will be much faster than what AT&T/Bell-X is offering. I know we beat them badly in all aspects of the DSL service when I was working at a small ISP.

**Mcstrange** · 02-26-07, 07:04 AM

comcast sucks monkey balls though so theres always that to consider...

**...bigdog...** · 02-26-07, 10:13 AM

1.3 Mbps upload?

bullshit, if there ever was bullshit. Not on a DSL.

If you can get even 512 upload, you can start hosting your own 20-man CS server in your closet.