TCS - Cable vs. DSL - What You Need To Know

Cable vs. DSL - What You Need To Know

by Bruce Pechman
Atlanta PC Users Group
From the August 2002 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter

Decisions, Decisions

What a conundrum; she loves me she loves me not, caffeinated or decaffeinated, paper or plastic, and now Cable or DSL. For many of you, the choice of DSL may be determined by the proximity of your residence to your ISP's telephone junction switch. The rule of thumb is if you live more than five miles from your telephone company's junction switch, DSL probably won't be available to you. Based upon your address, ISP providers of your area will determine the availability of Cable, DSL, or maybe both. To get a brief idea of what broadband services are available in your specific area, I have provided some links at the end of this article under the Resources section. I would still recommend checking the major players in the Atlanta metro area by consulting the "Personal Technology" section in the AJC.

The Many Flavors of DSL

Let's get into DSL first. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a high-speed Internet connection through the telephone line. What many of you might not know is that there are eight subtly different types of DSL permutations. I created the table below for easy explanations:

DSL TYPESPEED RANKINGSRECOMMENDED USES
ADSL8 Mbps download
1.5 Mbps upload 		Home and small business; this is the type I recommend for most
G.lite1.5 Mbps download
384 Kbps upload 		Same as ADSL except for speed; bad for voice and multimedia applications
RADSL7 Mbps download
1.5 Mbps upload 		Same as ADSL but can adjust bandwidth during transmission based on line quality
HDSL1.5 Mbps both ways Requires two wire pairs; used by businesses as an alternative to T1
HDSL II1.5 Mbps both ways Same as HDSL, but over a single phone line
SDSL1.5 Mbps both ways Forerunner to HDSL II; same performance but available only within 10,000 feet of a central office
IDSL144 Kbps both ways A hybrid of DSL and ISDN technologies with no call setup delay
VDSL52 Mbps download
2.3 Mbps upload

The fastest DSL service; available only within 4,500 feet of a central office

Depending on the age of the telephony equipment in your home, it may need to be updated. Remember when you contact various ISPs to inquire about the specific type of DSL for which you are being quoted. Just a little advice--avoid IDSL like the plague. It will cost as much as ADSL per month, but will be a poor performer. ADSL is what you want in the DSL game and represents the best value on average (for the record, the "A" in ADSL stands for asynchronous).

The ABCs of DSL

DSL utilizes digital technology to send heaps of compressed data over traditional phone lines. How do they do that? This little trick involves using special modems at both ends to encode the data, and then transmit it over an unused frequency on the line. On your end you will need an Ethernet network card in your PC that in turn is connected to your DSL modem. Don't worry if you're unsure about this, your provider will take care of the whole ball of wax.

The Fable of Cable

Despite that I spent more time explaining and sorting out DSL technology, don't overlook the power of Cable. The fact is Cable modem and DSL services are not only very close competitors, but also share similar elements. You will need a similar Ethernet network card, Cable modem (instead of DSL modem), and a professional to do the initial installation. Cable modems do have one distinct advantage over DSL in that Cable service is very accessible. If you have Cable TV, chances are high you can subscribe to the Cable modem service or it will be available in your area shortly. In terms of speed and cost both DSL and Cable are similar. I use Cable and can tell you first-hand that the speed of downloads is awesome. I download 10MB files in one minute (that equates to downloading a 100MB file in about 10 min)! My average download speed is about 100KB to 177KB. By the way, AT&T Broadband took over MediaOne and they are the dominant Cable provider here in the Atlanta area.

Wrapping up and Pros and Cons

First let me state this: whatever services you choose make sure you get a money-back guarantee from the provider. Most will give you a 30-day MBG. This way you not only protect yourself, but if you are fortunate enough to have both DSL and Cable service available, you can sample each then decide for yourself. Some providers also have minimal standards of speed they will guarantee; ask about this up-front or get it in writing. Yes, both are considered "always-on" connections so security is always an issue. Do these two things if you are a concerned home user. Obtain a good grade personal software firewall such as ZoneAlarm (Free at www.zonealarm.com). Second, disable "File & Print Sharing" from your Network control applet. Note that Cable is a shared bandwidth, so in theory you will receive diminished performance over time as more users are added to your node. I find this to be greatly over-exaggerated. In my subdivision, for example, we have over 500 homes. I did a survey talking with neighbors over the year on the prospect of getting Cable. The bottom line is 10 out of 100 would want to shell out the extra $40 to $50 per month to receive a broadband connection. Remember, unless your company will pay for it, or you are a true enthusiast, you will probably pass until the prices get much lower.

Resources



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Tulsa Computer Society 08/02/2002
Don Singleton, President