Understanding DSL Versus Cable

Are you confused about your high-speed computing options? Have you ever looked up DSL cablemodem on the Internet when you needed information about what type of high-speed internet connection you should get for your house? There are a lot of decisions you need to make before you decide which one is best for you and your family. Both DSL and cable have advantages and disadvantages.

Both DSL and cable deliver high-speed Internet connections. A lot of this may just sound like technological stuff, but it is important to know which one of these options is the right one for you before you commit yourself to one or the other.

The speed of a cable modem can be anywhere from two mega bits a second to fifty mega bits per second, which is more than ten times the speed of a regular 56K modem. One of the disadvantages to a cable modem is that it is shared by a particular area, so depending on the number of people using the cable at one time, your speed may be affected. Since most people use the Internet often, you response time can be slow fairly often.

Another disadvantage to cable modems are that many cable companies try to get you also to subscribe to their cable television service. They do this by raising the price of the monthly cable Internet service if you don?t subscribe to their monthly television service.

DSL has disadvantages as well. For instance, DSL also has a response-time problem because all residential broadband services have a fixed channel capacity per area. Another disadvantage that many DSL companies have is that DSL Internet is not everywhere in the country. In the past few years, it has popped up in a lot more areas, but it is still not every where. Before you decide on which option to choose, you need to check to make sure DSL Internet is accessible where you live.

When it comes to the setup of the modem, they?re very similar. Whether you have DSL or cable, they work the same way to bring the Internet to your computer. You?ll have a power cable that powers on the modem. Then you?ll need two Ethernet cords, one to plug into your computer and the other one to plug into the modem. The other cord comes from the modem and then goes into a plate by the computer set up by your Internet service provider. Both DSL and cable Internet are transferred from a hub, which is a center where the Internet is distributed to multiple areas.

In some areas of the country a third option is now popping up--fiber optics. Fiber optics, which is a new technology, wires the Internet directly to your house. The wires in fiber optics make the Internet even faster than your other options. Fiber optic technology is still developing, and many areas of the country do not have it yet. If it is available where you live, though, it is a great way to get fast Internet access in your home.

frank j vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.dsl-service-providers-now.com Dsl Service Providers