Atlanta Cracker Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I'm getting ready to move to a new house that currently doesn't have a cable line run to it. The plus side of this is that I'll now have Direct TV and Sunday Ticket!!! On the downside, it looks like DSL is my only option for internet unless I get cable wires run that may be at some cost and may give my wife the opportunity to squash the Sunday Ticket... However, I'm a little skeptical of the speed and fear that it may be slower than I am used to with Cable. I previously had DSL in my condo and Cable was about 20 times faster when I switched. I'm hoping speeds are getting better now and I don't have to worry about the cable thing. Bellsouth would be the provider. So, here's a little test you can run for free to help me compare: Bandwidth Speed Test Post your provider (and level of service if you have a tiered DSL), connection type, and the test results (Communications and 1MB Download speeds): At work I have a T1 @ 1.8 MBPS and 1MB download in 4.7 secs (slower than my cable at home) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABearWithFurniture Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 (edited) My DSL line... Communications 2.2 megabits per second Storage 271.5 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 3.8 seconds Subjective rating Great edit to add: $20 a month which my company pays for! Edited April 19, 2006 by ABearWithFurniture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I can help you here (keeping it very basic). DSL runs through your phone line (uses copper) and it is a cheaper alternative to Cable. Consistently in speed is the problem with DSL. Rarely will 2 DSL customers get the same speed because the distance between the company (actual location of servers) and you plays a significant role in the speed. Cable runs through CAT wire and the distance does not play a factor and can hold a higher bandwidth (meaning faster speeds). Cable is more expensive (almost double in some areas) and is more consistent. Cable companies charge so much because they can and people will pay. They also tend to cap your upload speed at lower speeds than DSL. That being said I ABSOLUTELY hate DSL. I was a Cable customer for a long time until I moved into my own place. I decided to go with the cheaper route and get DSL. Worst mistake. My speed is half what it was. I am switching back to Cable withint 2 weeks. Another thing to concider...what do you use the internet for? Do you play games or exchange alot of files (Bit-torent) or do you just surf and casually exchange files. If your a casual internet user who mosly surfs then you would not notice the speed difference between the two. However, if you enjoy playing online games and exchanging files you will see a huge difference. Just my 2 cents. I will never get DSL again (but keep in mind I need performance internet). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 i have dial up at home cnat get anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I can help you here (keeping it very basic). DSL runs through your phone line (uses copper) and it is a cheaper alternative to Cable. Consistently in speed is the problem with DSL. Rarely will 2 DSL customers get the same speed because the distance between the company (actual location of servers) and you plays a significant role in the speed. Cable runs through CAT wire and the distance does not play a factor and can hold a higher bandwidth (meaning faster speeds). Cable is more expensive (almost double in some areas) and is more consistent. Cable companies charge so much because they can and people will pay. They also tend to cap your upload speed at lower speeds than DSL. That being said I ABSOLUTELY hate DSL. I was a Cable customer for a long time until I moved into my own place. I decided to go with the cheaper route and get DSL. Worst mistake. My speed is half what it was. I am switching back to Cable withint 2 weeks. Another thing to concider...what do you use the internet for? Do you play games or exchange alot of files (Bit-torent) or do you just surf and casually exchange files. If your a casual internet user who mosly surfs then you would not notice the speed difference between the two. However, if you enjoy playing online games and exchanging files you will see a huge difference. Just my 2 cents. I will never get DSL again (but keep in mind I need performance internet). 1427663[/snapback] good info here...every DSL experience has been crap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 My DSL line... Communications 2.2 megabits per second Storage 271.5 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 3.8 seconds Subjective rating Great edit to add: $20 a month which my company pays for! 1427662[/snapback] Who's your provider? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 also my speed is about 4.-something MBPS...Comcast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Who's your provider? 1427686[/snapback] If you want to do further research go to www.dslreports.com They have all the carriers there and GREAT forums for tons of research. They even have a great tool where you enter your zip and it will tell you how far the DSL Company is from you. If its far be prepared for slow speeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 I can help you here (keeping it very basic). DSL runs through your phone line (uses copper) and it is a cheaper alternative to Cable. Consistently in speed is the problem with DSL. Rarely will 2 DSL customers get the same speed because the distance between the company (actual location of servers) and you plays a significant role in the speed. Cable runs through CAT wire and the distance does not play a factor and can hold a higher bandwidth (meaning faster speeds). Cable is more expensive (almost double in some areas) and is more consistent. Cable companies charge so much because they can and people will pay. They also tend to cap your upload speed at lower speeds than DSL. That being said I ABSOLUTELY hate DSL. I was a Cable customer for a long time until I moved into my own place. I decided to go with the cheaper route and get DSL. Worst mistake. My speed is half what it was. I am switching back to Cable withint 2 weeks. Another thing to concider...what do you use the internet for? Do you play games or exchange alot of files (Bit-torent) or do you just surf and casually exchange files. If your a casual internet user who mosly surfs then you would not notice the speed difference between the two. However, if you enjoy playing online games and exchanging files you will see a huge difference. Just my 2 cents. I will never get DSL again (but keep in mind I need performance internet). 1427663[/snapback] I use it to connect to my work computer from home so I need a pretty decent speed. Will use it for games down the road too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I use it to connect to my work computer from home so I need a pretty decent speed. Will use it for games down the road too. 1427712[/snapback] If $ isnt that big of an issue or your willing to shell it out for a premium service I would get your local cable service then. What I am doing to is, I am cancelling both my phone land line and my DSL and getting VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and a Cable Modem. This way the $ I lose on the Cable modem I make on the VoIP (since its cheaper than having a land line). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Verizon Biz DSL(supposed to be at 3meg ) Communications 1.4 megabits per second Storage 174.6 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 5.9 seconds Subjective rating Good have cable at home but only 750 or something like that...i have never had a problem with dsl or cable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckB Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 (edited) WOW! cable and internet Communications 2.9 megabits per second Storage 357.3 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 2.9 seconds Subjective rating Great I had DSL before I moved into this house. I lived about 3 miles from where I am now but was told it wasn't available in this area Honestly for me I don't notice a big difference in speed, but I only do surfing and occasional downloads, no gaming or anything like that. Unless you count hold em and Yahoo pool Edited April 19, 2006 by ChuckB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 WOW! cable and internet Communications 2.9 megabits per second Storage 357.3 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 2.9 seconds Subjective rating Great I had DSL before I moved into this house. I lived about 3 miles from where I am now but was told it wasn't available in this area Honestly for me I don't notice a big difference in speed, but I only do surfing and occasional downloads, no gaming or anything like that. Unless you count hold em and Yahoo pool 1427730[/snapback] Yah unless you really stress out the bandwidth you will not see a speed reduction in the two. By gaming i mean high end games like Counter Strike and other multiplayer shooters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 (edited) I can help you here (keeping it very basic). DSL runs through your phone line (uses copper) and it is a cheaper alternative to Cable. Consistently in speed is the problem with DSL. Rarely will 2 DSL customers get the same speed because the distance between the company (actual location of servers) and you plays a significant role in the speed. Cable runs through CAT wire and the distance does not play a factor and can hold a higher bandwidth (meaning faster speeds). Cable is more expensive (almost double in some areas) and is more consistent. Cable companies charge so much because they can and people will pay. They also tend to cap your upload speed at lower speeds than DSL. That being said I ABSOLUTELY hate DSL. I was a Cable customer for a long time until I moved into my own place. I decided to go with the cheaper route and get DSL. Worst mistake. My speed is half what it was. I am switching back to Cable withint 2 weeks. Another thing to concider...what do you use the internet for? Do you play games or exchange alot of files (Bit-torent) or do you just surf and casually exchange files. If your a casual internet user who mosly surfs then you would not notice the speed difference between the two. However, if you enjoy playing online games and exchanging files you will see a huge difference. Just my 2 cents. I will never get DSL again (but keep in mind I need performance internet). 1427663[/snapback] Mr. Ted makes some great points especially his last one. I have DSL at home and it's great but I use it to just surf. So My input may not really be useful. Edited April 19, 2006 by irish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cherni Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 If anyone has the opportunity to get Verizon FIOS, do it. The prices are great and the speed is just ridiculous. It's way faster than a T-1 or most methods of business connectivity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTed46 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 If anyone has the opportunity to get Verizon FIOS, do it. The prices are great and the speed is just ridiculous. It's way faster than a T-1 or most methods of business connectivity. 1427767[/snapback] I dont have any involvement with FIOS. But they use a FIber OpticS cable which is the equivalent to a cable wire (prob better) and they offer good speeds. So I agree FIOS is another good option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I have cable at work and dsl at the house. If anything, my dsl is faster, and is definitely more reliable. A lot of it depends on the cable lines as well. At my house our cable would go out two to three times a month (the reason I was able to talk my wife into Direct TV, and the ticket). I play multiplayer games all the time and never have a problem with dsl. I think I have been dropped from one game due to connection in the last 2 1/2 years on dsl. I've been dropped from two in the last month on cable. It really just depends on the provider in your area. If you have crappy phone lines then dsl is going to suck, but if your on the far end of your cable line and live out in BFE dsl is way better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Neutron Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I have Comcast cable and the test showed that file downloaded in 7.9 seconds. I don't know if it matters, but this is over my wireless network, not directly plugged into the cable modem. I'm happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 This is for the cable at work, I'll do the dsl when I get home. Communications 1.1 megabits per second Storage 129.4 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 7.9 seconds Subjective rating Good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABearWithFurniture Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Who's your provider? 1427686[/snapback] Started out as Pacific Bell, then it changed to SBC, and now it's AT&T. Just to add, I've never had one problem with the DSL itself, that's been great and extremely reliable. Have had problems with the SBC billing department though which takes months to straighten out sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 Started out as Pacific Bell, then it changed to SBC, and now it's AT&T. Just to add, I've never had one problem with the DSL itself, that's been great and extremely reliable. Have had problems with the SBC billing department though which takes months to straighten out sometimes. 1427848[/snapback] Interesting here in Atlanta. Cable is Comcast who was bought out by AT&T Broadband and DSL is through Bellsouth who just got bought by AT&T. Looks like eventually there isn't much of an option on which company to use, only which service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 (edited) Here's another site that doesn't restrict usage. I also think it's a little more accurate, but requires Java: http://www.wugnet.com/myspeed/speedtest.asp Edit for: Mine (Comcast Cable) 9.06Mbps DL 464Kbps UL Edited April 19, 2006 by rocknrobn26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABearWithFurniture Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Interesting here in Atlanta. Cable is Comcast who was bought out by AT&T Broadband and DSL is through Bellsouth who just got bought by AT&T. Looks like eventually there isn't much of an option on which company to use, only which service. 1427869[/snapback] Yeah, you'd be getting the same thing I have right now. They are doing a promotion for the DSL pro and I think it's around $16-$19 right now for 6 months to a year. Again, I've never had a connection problem with them and I speed merrily along. I play some games online occasionally and it works just fine. Just make sure that if you get it that once your subscription price time period is up, that they don't just start billing you whatever they feel like. They are supposed to send you an email stating that you need to resubscribe, but I've never seen it (probably goes into my junk mail). Than my bill start showing some $34 a month on it for DSL and I end up calling them once a month trying to get it back down...course they do give me credit once it gets resolved but it takes a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selly Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Download 1.95Mbps Upload 474Kbps Sprint DSL 1.0/256 plan, so I'm actually getting more speed than I'm paying for. I've never had any problems playing online games (WoW, Battlefield 1 and 2, UT2k4). There are higher plans available, but why should I pay for them. The cable around here has some reliability problems, my brother in law has RoadRunner and it usually goes out 3-4 times a week, and always slows down in the evening. The slowdown is probably because of the local node overloading from everyone in the neighborhood with cable internet hitting it at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 (edited) This is for the cable at work, I'll do the dsl when I get home. Communications 1.1 megabits per second Storage 129.4 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 7.9 seconds Subjective rating Good 1427837[/snapback] DSL at home Communications 1.1 megabits per second Storage 132.3 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 7.7 seconds Subjective rating Good So, my DSL at home is slightly faster at home than is my cable at work, and has more slightlymore storage. My DSL is much more reliable as I haven't had to go without internet at home in the last 2 1/2 years, but it has gone out a work at least a half dozen times in that time frame. Edit to add: Cable at work is Cox Communications, DSL at home is SBC global. Also, the cable provider at my house Northland is supposedly much slower than Cox, just started offering cable internet last year, and is much less reliable. Edited April 19, 2006 by Perchoutofwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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