Cable and DSL Connections

Get Up to Speed
by Matt Warren
Systems Analyst

   The revolution of the “information superhighway” is slowly becoming a reality. The old 56K modem isn't going to get us where we are going. Kids fire up the internet to listen to the radio, or trade their favorite songs and pictures. Parents log on to do research for work, or for new developments to comfort their loved ones suffering with Alzheimer's. As more and more of us discover this wealth, the dogged lines of dial-up modem transmission begin to get overcrowded to the point of failure.

The View from the Top
   Cable and DSL are the cheapest and most readily available. The others are possibly “things to come”, if the technologies survive and availability increases. Either cable or DSL is a world better than a 56K modem. DSL may offer more flexibility at a lower price. Cable may exclude operating a website at the entry-level subscription price. If you aren't already a television subscriber, there may be hidden charges. For absolute bandwidth, cable may offer higher maximum speeds, but since it is shared, you may never see those speeds. The cable company is probably more responsive to the immediate restoration of service if you lose your connection. After all, with cable, if you don't have access, it is likely that several hundred others in your area don't have access. After 50 or 60 calls in 5 minutes, the cable repair truck is probably on the way. If your DSL goes out, you may be the only person affected. Cable shared bandwidth is more restrictive of upload usage, and relies on the cable company for service…ok, if you've dealt with the telephone company, dealing with the cable company may sound like a good thing.

   With either type of service, a good provider will get you back online quickly. A bad provider will cause you more headaches than a needy co-worker.

Pie-Eyed Optimism
   Both Cable and DSL will provide you with many times the speed of a 56K modem. You will never hear the dreaded “busy signal” and never agonize through the screeching modem connection. They are a thing of the past. Just turn on the computer, open Netscape, and bam! You're online. Congrats, you've made the jump to light speed…or at least high speed.

   The true beauty of high speed will be obvious the first time you download a software patch, new printer driver, or mp3 file that used to take a couple of hours to download. This time, you click the link and watch the file download in seconds! Welcome home. In Central Ohio, we are very lucky to have a plethora of providers at reasonable prices.

The Downside - Cable Modem
   The price for service varies slightly, but basic service is offered for around $40 (assuming you already have cable TV). If you don't already have cable, the monthly fee increases. Price of installation and other fees may be added to this and can be negotiated or eliminated as part of a “special” run by the provider.

   Cable Internet service is not dedicated, straight-from-them-to-you service. It is shared bandwidth. You and possibly everyone else in your neighborhood are, in effect, sharing one connection. Granted, that is a very fast connection, but if your neighbor decides to download all 16 hours of the lost Wizard of Oz “flying monkey” footage and every work of literary fiction in the Library of Congress, you will quickly understand the downside of shared bandwidth.

   Although your provider may quote download speeds “up to” 5000 Kbps, in reality the provider will probably put a “cap” on the speed available to the least expensive subscription. The cap may be 512K. That means that you will never achieve higher speeds than 512, but the provider won't guarantee that you will always have speeds that high. You may never reach 512K at all. You may get download speeds ranging from 128 – 384K depending upon the time of day. Keep in mind, upload speeds will always be much slower than download speeds.

   Some cable providers require a more expensive subscription if you plan to host a web site. They may terminate your subscription if you try to operate a web site at the standard connection rate.

   Installation times for cable internet access can range from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, or more, but once installed, you are set for speed. That said, many people have incredibly fast connections, and minimal downtime using cable modems.

The Downside - DSL
   The price is similar to cable, around $40 (assuming you have a digital-ready telephone line). The installation price and hardware fees may be included or may be extra. You will have to negotiate this and look for provider “specials”.

   DSL sometimes has more downtime (short period outages) than cable access. Instead of one pipeline of data in the form of coaxial cable which is shared with 50 people, you have 50 individual telephone lines, all of which are equally susceptible to breakage, water damage, line noise, being cut by a backhoe when your neighbors install their new Jacuzzi, etc.

   Telecommunications companies have been known to abuse the length of time it takes to install the service. Even after installation, some customers require a second visit for the service to actually work properly. Your home must lie within 17,500 feet of the CO (central office) of the telephone company. At greater distances, signal degradation would prevent reliable data transmission using antiquated copper wire telephone circuitry.

   The speed of a DSL connection is relatively static. You will pay for the level of service you need. You can choose from several tiers of service, most of which start at 384K download, and 128 upload. DSL speed is not based on shared bandwidth. If your neighbor is a bandwidth hog, he will not affect your speed at all. Your connection is a direct, dedicated telephone line running directly to the CO (central office) of the telecommunications provider.

   If you plan to operate a web site, discuss this with your provider. DSL subscribers can often operate a personal web site from their home, for only the $40-$50 standard subscription fee to the local DSL provider. The only person who is affected by the amount of traffic on your DSL line is you, not your neighbors.

   Some DSL providers are very quick to respond, and others aren't, so shop around. Many customers of DSL are extremely satisfied with the service they receive.