How Does DSL Compare to Cable?
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DSL Service
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DSL service is based upon a dial-up connection that uses a phone line and a modem to tap into phone signals to establish a wireless internet connection. DSL service is very secure, but its speed depends largely upon the user's proximity to a phone company's central office. DSL service is fairly easy to find in cites and suburban areas, but can be hard to come by or of poor quality in more rural areas.
There are three different types of DSL: ADSL, SDSL and IDSL. ADSL is the most common, designed for the casual home user and only supports a single network or connection. SDSL is a more business-focused DSL service and is designed to support multiple networks with consistent connection rates. IDSL is a type of low-performance DSL that is intended for those who are not close enough to a phone service tower for regular DSL and do not want to pay extra phone charges.
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Cable
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Cable service uses fiber optic wires in conjunction with a modem to form fast Internet connections. Cable service is more widely available than DSL, and the service quality does not fluctuate based on location. However, cable does tend to be more expensive than DSL and can become congested. Depending on your cable provider, you may also have a data streaming cap and can be denied service if you exceed this limit. Another problem with cable Internet service is that if you play online games or participate in video conference calls, sudden lag caused by spikes in usage can stall your connection, and interrupt your gaming or conferencing.
Comparison
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Cable is a readily available Internet connection method that is great if you need a fast, reliable and consistent connection. However, if you live close to a DSL central office, then you may be able to save money by using DSL, and may even have a faster connection speed, depending on your proximity. However, if you are not close to a central office, cable may be a better alternative, as DSL speeds can become very slow or unavailable the farther out they are.
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