Cable vs. DSL internet?

[kork13]

I'm considering changing my internet service from my current cable internet ($45/mo) to dry-DSL ($20-$25/mo). I really don't know much of the differences between them, except that I know DSL is slower (not sure how significant this is though). I don't do much on the internet, mostly just email, news, this site, and normally watch a few TV shows from Hulu every couple days. No games, no significant downloading, etc... Basically, I'm just looking for some opinions, and if you think the downgrade makes sense.

Another thought that may or may not matter... I use a wireless router for my roommates, who both use laptops (my desktop connects by wire). They're moving out shortly, and until then are on temporary duty out of town for most of that time. But will using the router and sharing the slower connection cause a problem for the periods that they are here?

[disneysteve]

I have cable at work and DSL at home, so I've got a reasonable idea of the differences. Cable is faster, but it really isn't a huge difference for most things. Yes, a webpage may load a bit faster. When you are watching streaming video, it usually buffers a bit quicker with cable, but really not enough to matter IMO. We gather around our laptop at home and watch streaming video periodically and have no problem. We were doing it every week when Pushing Daisies was still on as we weren't home on Wednesday nights so we'd watch it the next day.

One advantage of DSL (besides price) is that DSL is a direct line to you. Cable is a shared service. If lots of your neighbors have cable and are all on at once, it can slow things down. With DSL, it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing.

The only problem we've had with DSL, and it is significant, is that we seem to go through phases where the connection drops a lot. I used to call and complain but we pretty much came to the conclusion after a couple of service calls that the problem was the 45 year old wiring in our house and there was nothing they could do about it. Everything leading up to the house is fine. Sometimes, it will be fine for months at a time and then suddenly, we'll have a week or two where the service is off as much as it is on. Very annoying when it happens, but so far, not enough to make me want to pay more for cable.

[MonkeyMama]

I have to agree. We had cable and switched to DSL last year (slowest speed available). My dh streams a lot of High Def TV on his computer and worried it may be too slow, but we haven't noticed any difference. Internet download/upload speed seem same as always. Basically, it's been better than we thought it would be.

As far as other issues, it just depends on the provider. We have found the DSL to be FAR more reliable than our old cable service. Our cable used to drop in and out all the time.

We have ATT for DSL and I don't recommend them. Their modems are cheap and we've replaced two in a year already. Plus they think it's acceptable to make you wait 10 days, with no internet connection, for a replacement modem. We had earthlink DSL like a decade ago and never had any problems. (Yeah, we are dropping ATT and switching to fiber optic, in time. For now, they are so cheap so we put up with it).

[good2goo]

I have a cable connection with 12mbs dl, but whenever i do a speed test I am always at about 4mbs. I doubt im getting the full amount I am paying for with cable, but I love Hulu and all the other video sites like NBC CBS and even Bing now has some videos.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by good2goo

I doubt im getting the full amount I am paying for with cable, but I love Hulu and all the other video sites like NBC CBS and even Bing now has some videos.

Just to be clear, you can watch all that stuff with DSL or cable. I watch stuff online at Hulu and network sites with DSL all the time.

[graceful]

We had DSL for YEARS and I had absolutely no problems with the speed. Of course, DH always wanted faster "just because" but FIOS never came to our area.

Cable became cheaper per month for us and supposedly MUCH faster. So, I switched to whatever was cheaper.

I find that the speeds fluctuate greatly sometimes super fast, sometimes super slow but not enough to bother me too much.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by graceful

FIOS never came to our area

FIOS has come to our area and what a pain they are. Not only do I get mail from them every single week trying to convince me to switch, they also have people going door to door selling the service.

I'm not switching to FIOS until the price is competitive with what I now pay. Same goes for cable. Comcast and Verizon sell their triple package for phone, TV and internet, but the promo rate is about $30/month more than I pay now, and that rate goes up when the promo period ends. No thanks. I'll keep my DSL.

[Fizgig]

I think that the quality of DSL varies widely by location. Where I am, they advertized 3Mbps but in reality I only got about 300k. It was too slow for what I want to do - download podcast/Itunes TV shows, watch Hulu, stream Netflix movies to my TiVo, etc. Also, Verizon charged $45/mo.

I recently switched to Comcast cable internet, and am getting 10-20Mbps (depends on the night, but it's NEVER slow) for $23 a month including taxes. For where I live, it's the better choice.

Before you switch, you might consider calling in and asking them for a price cut, otherwise you'll cancel. You may have to be shuffled to a supervisor and they'll probably say no at first, but I've done this for years and there's always SOME promotional price they can put you on.

[junosama]

Cable is better. If you can get Optimum Online go with them they have a great and super fast cable internet service. IM in NY so thankfully they are in my area.

[Broken Arrow]

You know, it really does depend on your location, as well as the condition of your home wiring. With cable, I believe they can tell you what speeds you qualify for just through a phone call. For DSL though, a technician may have to actually come out and check the line, I'm not sure.