Welcome to the Invelos forums. Please read the forum rules before posting.

Read access to our public forums is open to everyone. To post messages, a free registration is required.

If you have an Invelos account, sign in to post.

    Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion Page: 1 2  Previous   Next
DSL/Cable internet
Author Message
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantchibul
formerly abrg923
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 462
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
For those of you who have used both, what do you prefer?

I just switched from Comcast (I hate that company with an absolute passion, one of the worst-ran organizations I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with), and now have DirecTV and AT&T DSL. So far, I'm thrilled with the DSL - I haven't noticed any difference at all. Just curious what experiences others may have had.
"I am Andrew Ryan and I am here to ask you a question:
Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his own brow?

No, says the man in Washington. It belongs to the poor.
No, says the man in the Vatican. It belongs to God.
No, says the man in Moscow. It belongs to everyone.

I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something
different. I chose the impossible. I chose…
Rapture."
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantdjskyler
It's not where you start
Registered: March 17, 2007
United States Posts: 125
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
My AT&T DSL is working well for the time being, but it's been a bumpy ride.  Last year when the company was SBC Global, some tech accidently flicked a switch and cut my speed in half.  Technical support for that problem was all about convincing me that I didn't have the knowledge to understand how to measure internet speed.
This year, under the AT&T banner, tech support instantly recognized that there was a problem and flicked the switch back to full speed.  So props to AT&T for that, anyway.
But now I notice that my speed is much faster late at night than mid-day.  I thought that speed wasn't supposed to vary on DSL.
Speed issues aside, it's pretty reliable.  The local network is up about 363 days a year. 
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantJAFO
Registered: March 14, 2007
United States Posts: 113
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
What are your up/down speeds with DSL?
JAFO

Registered DVD Profiler user since 10/14/2002

"Welcome to the party pal." - John McClane, Die Hard
"Grab your ankles and kiss your ass goodbye JAFO. We're going down." - Frank Murphy, Blue Thunder
 Last edited: by JAFO
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantRifter
Reg. Jan 27, 2002
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 2,694
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting chibul:
Quote:
For those of you who have used both, what do you prefer?

I just switched from Comcast (I hate that company with an absolute passion, one of the worst-ran organizations I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with), and now have DirecTV and AT&T DSL. So far, I'm thrilled with the DSL - I haven't noticed any difference at all. Just curious what experiences others may have had.


First, let me say I'm talking about my area.  The same company may be fine in other areas.

DSL around here sucks big time.  We have AT&T and a large local company.  Then we have Insight Cable.

The biggest problem with the DSL is that you pay through the nose for full speed.  Then, there are the problems with people monkeying with settings as someone else mentioned.  Just because they say its supposed to be a dedicated line at such and such speed doesn't mean it will be 24/7/365.  DSL is also subject to the vagaries of the old point to point copper wire system in most places.  If you live in an older town like I do, many of those connections haven't been touched in decades and have so much crud built up on them its a wonder regular phone calls even go through.

Now, cable, on the other hand, is new and runs over fiber optic lines most everywhere these days.  I got cable here several years ago, and even then it was twice as fast as the best DSL available at the time.  They have bumped the speed UP twice in the last three years.  Now its approaching T1 speed, and the cost is roughly the same per month.  DSL is still only half as fast, and rates have tripled in that same time frame.

The cable folks also contacted me and said I needed to replace my cable modem because the one I had (which I owned) was no longer compatible with the faster speed upgrades, so they replaced it at no cost to me, and I now own the new one.  Despite some problems with storm related outages during this last winter, I have not had any problems with cable worth mentioning.
John

"Extremism in the defense of Liberty is no vice!" Senator Barry Goldwater, 1964
Make America Great Again!
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorKatatonia
Retired Profiler
Registered: March 13, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 20,111
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
I've never used DSL, so I can't comment on that.

I've had Charter Cable internet for about 4 or 5 years now, and for the most part it's been fast (and I mean f-a-s-t) and smooth. Once in a while it goes down due to technical problems or repairs, but usually only briefly. I recently bought a new Motorola Cable modem to replace the old Webstar modem, and it seems even faster than before.
Corey
 Last edited: by Katatonia
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantdeadman36g
got 1200 and counting!
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 262
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Been using cable for 2-3 years, and besides the usual technical problems (or being late on the bill  ) the speed is lightyears above dial-up (never used DSL) and it has served me well
DVD Profiler user since October 1, 2004
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorBluefox75
I don't belong...
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 147
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I use both, at home and work, respectively.

As Rifter noted, in older towns, the DSL architecture can suffer depending on the age of the wiring. Our Windstream (spun off of Alltel) DSL T1 line at the office works okay most of the time but when it storms or we have a lot network traffic, it drags.

At home, I use a Cox high-speed cable connection, which worked wonderfully until I went wireless. It still works really well, better than DSL, unless you have a neighbor burn your cable line off the pole when he decides to burn the brush around your shared fence, then not tell you about it. The wireless issue is strange, in that I can no longer watch streaming video. The video will start, run a few seconds, then stop. (I'm looking for a fix for that, in case any techies here have suggestions.)

But all in all, I'm happy with cable...
I was wise once; when I was born, I cried - Welsh proverb
 Last edited: by Bluefox75
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantnuoyaxin
prev. known as ya_shin
Registered: March 13, 2007
Reputation: High Rating
Taiwan, Province of China Posts: 3,432
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
IIRC, I was told once, that both depend on different things for the speed.

With DSL the speed will go down the further you are from the first connection point/server or whatever.

With Cable the speed depends on how many users in your neighborhood connect to the same point/server with you.

So, your mileage will vary...

(I think I have something like 1M up and 4M down (well, it's ADSL) and doing a speedtest it usually comes rather close. I am not in the USA though...)
Achim [諾亞信; Ya-Shin//Nuo], a German in Taiwan.
Registered: May 29, 2000 (at InterVocative)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantkemper
Vodka martini... shaken..
Registered: March 13, 2007
Ireland Posts: 402
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I use Verizon DSL and have been very happy.... Pay for the 768KB service and regularily see above that for connection speed... gusee it helps living a block away from their distribution point.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantRossRoy
Registered: March 13, 2007
Posts: 793
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
My first high speed connection with ADSL, at like 1mbit down and 384kbit up. Worked well enough at the time (several years ago).

Then the company (Sympatico/Bell, to not name them) was offering an Premium High Speed package, which I decided to take. I had for all of 5 days.

Day 1: no problem. Speed was blazingly fast (for the time) and all was well.

Day 2: Speed drops to below standard high speed, so I call tech support, do their usually uselessness at Level 1, they finally decide to escalate to Level 2, so they send a tech over.

Day 3: Tech arrives, checks out my computer, the modem, the quality of signals and decides the modem if defective and changes. Speed is back up, noticeably not as fast as it was on the first day, but at least it's faster than normal.

Day 4: Speed drops again to below stndard high speed, call up tech support, at least they escalated straight to Level 2 (you know, those that actually know what they are talking about), and they check a few things on their end and decide to send a tech over.

Day 5: Tech arrives, checks a few things, concludes there's no reason for it not to work, so it must be the house phone wiring. Hum.. HELLO! The house is NEW, built less than 5 years ago! So the wiring IS FINE! (re-checked by an independant phone technician, not affiliated with Bell/Sympatico in any way). What I figure is I was too far from the access point for the super high-speed access, and instead of telling me that and keeping me as a customer with the regular high speed, they tried a stunt to keep me paying for the full super high speed, even though I would never have been able to get it.

So I call accounting, cancel my account, switch to cable, and never looked back.

Right, I have a nice Extreme High Speed package (from Videotron), which is advertised as 10mbits down and 1mbit up, with no transfer limits! . Speed drops a little at around 7PM in the evening, but it's nothing drastic. I've been a happy customer since and would never switch back to DSL. Oh, I've had one little snag once, and it was quickly identified as being the modem itself. Quickly as in before even testing anything, the tech changed the modem, and all was well

As for comparing the two, I guess if you're in a good area for DSL it can be just as good as Cable, but for most of the people I know around here, they ALL vouch strongly for Cable.

Usually, Cable has lower ping times (excellent for games), and great sustained transfer speed (but DSL also has that).

Speed variations because of load has just way too many variables involved to really make a valid comparison.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorwidescreenforever
Under A Double DoubleW
Registered: March 13, 2007
Reputation: High Rating
Canada Posts: 5,481
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I don't know too much about Comcast as I use Shaw services here in Canada,, but did hear and read this fantastic item in Tuesdays News about Comcast .
In the 60's, People took Acid to make the world Weird. Now the World is weird and People take Prozac to make it Normal.

Terry
 Last edited: by widescreenforever
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantMark Harrison
I like IMDB
Registered: March 13, 2007
Reputation: Great Rating
United States Posts: 3,321
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userVisit this user's homepageView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I've used both in the past and had great luck with both.  Although my preference would be for cable since, if nothing else, it's a less complicated setup.  On the other hand, I much preferred giving my money to Verizon than Comcast.

These days we have FIOS (fiber optic service from Verizon) and LOVE it.  But that's obviously not an option for most people these days.
Get the CSVExport and Database Query plug-ins here.
Create fake parent profiles to organize your collection.
 Last edited: by Mark Harrison
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantkatharsis
Registered: March 13, 2007
United States Posts: 93
Posted:
PM this userEmail this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Tried both and honestly not 100% happy with either, but prefer cable over DSL.

That's one of the downsides living in Hawaii, you don't have the benefit of just switching to another company.  We got Oceanic Cable / Road Runner which is a AOL Time Warner company.  Had some issues with them before, but seemed to be resolved with getting all new wiring from the nearest hub to the apt.  Tried Verizon / Hawaii TelCom DSL and its a lot slower and buggy, more downtime and it seems to get you a lot more virus attacks.  So back to cable again, bit more expensive and yes, if there is a lot of people using at the same time in same building or the bulidings surrounding that are connected to the hub it does slow down a bit.  Mostly early evening or weekends.  Still fast enough to get the things done that I need.
We have a dedicated fios access at the office which is superb, but way overpriced.
- Life is just a form of animated death.
 Last edited: by katharsis
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorBroven
I am Jack's cold sweat.
Registered: May 9, 2007
United States Posts: 254
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I've tried both and at this point I prefer my DSL through AT&T.  The speeds are slightly slower in general than they were when I had Comcast, but I think the reduction in speed (barely noticable - I only know from running several speed tests before and after the switch) is worth it to avoid encouraging Comcast.
"I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world because they'd never expect it." - Jack Handey
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantbobb
Registered: March 14, 2007
United States Posts: 489
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
I used DSL through Verizon for 5 years and it only had one downtime that lasted for 4 hours. However as of February they put in the Fiber Optics and I went from 768 down/256 up to, 15 meg down/2 meg up.
I loved my DSL, but fear I may never move so I never have to go back.

And I started with a 300 baud in the 80's on my Vic-20 and I thought that was fast...

I was so much older then, I'm so much younger now.

Bobb
Do Cheshire Cats drink evaporated milk?
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantantolod
Since Dec 02, 2003
Registered: March 13, 2007
Reputation: High Rating
United States Posts: 940
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Like John, I live in an older town and had DSL through the local phone company. I live just over 1 block from the telephone main switching center and my DSL was spotty at best. About a year after I started with DSL, Insight re-wired the whole town and added cable internet. I switched and have never looked back. It is much more reliable, and 99% of the time is has been at least twice as fast as my best DSL speeds.
Kevin
    Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion Page: 1 2  Previous   Next