Monday, February 1, 2010

Cable vs DSL Internet in My Area

By Paul Simmons

Consumers are often confused about the difference between Cable internet and DSL. They want to choose the best internet connection at the best prices, but the different speeds and plans offered by Internet Service Providers don't do much to help consumers understand the differences. In the end, they'll just not bother with all the details and proceed to sign up for whatever service that is in front of them. However, we'll be answering the most common questions in this article to help you make an educated decision.

Cable internet is generally quicker than DSL connection and download speeds can approach 20 mbps depending on the plan that you signed up for. Although cable allows extremely fast download speeds, you will probably not experience that type of performance. The reason for this is that your connection is shared with your neighbors and that will have an effect on the speed. As a result, you'll experience a steeper decrease in speed during peak hours. Even though you will be sharing your bandwidth with the neighborhood, surfing speed will continue to appear normal during moderate uses of browsing the internet and checking email.

Although some DSL technology can be faster than cable, most companies offer the more widely used ADSL that is normally slower than cable. Basic DSL speeds can be 384 to 768 kbps and faster DSL speeds can range anywhere from 6 mbps to even 20 mbps. Contrary to the cable internet network, you do not share your connection with neighbors so your DSL speed remains pretty consistent. However, the distance between you and the service provider's center will have an effect on your performance so the further you are from the ISP, the slower your connection will be.

Cable is usually somewhat pricier than DSL because the speed is usually faster. Prices normally run from $40 to $60 monthly depending on the plan that you select. There are ways to save more money. If you plan on getting cable TV and a home phone from the same cable internet company, there are specially priced bundles you can order from.

Prices for DSL can vary greatly depending on the speed option you choose, but the average price of residential DSL is cheaper than cable internet. Prices can run anywhere between $20 and $40 a month. Like cable, certain DSL companies like AT&T also offer TV and home phone packages at a lower overall price. If you are already signed up for their TV and phone packages, you might want to look into the bundle deals to save more money on your DSL internet connection.

Both DSL and cable are very reliable connections with outstanding performance to accommodate various users in spite of their minor drawbacks. If you plan on playing a lot of online games and downloading plenty of movies, you might want to get cable internet instead but you'll need to pay more than DSL. Basic DSL service is good enough for casual movies and online games, but if the performance is not up to your expectations, expect to upgrade to the higher speed.

Check for internet service availability to see how far you're located from the DSL internet service provider and work out the cost-benefit analysis to help you choose the right internet connection for the right amount of money.

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