DSL vs. Cable

The controversy on DSL versus cable continues. We all agree that high speed Internet is essential for a good online experience and to enhance productivity. The days of slow dial-up connections are limited. But what is the best high-speed option? In this, there appears to be a lot of confusion.

DSL is Digital Subscriber Line and Cable is Cable Internet. But while DSL is a dedicated connection between the computer and the providers? office and thus, there is no sharing of bandwidth, cable remains a shared service. The more the number of subscribers in the locality, the lesser the speed becomes. Thus with cable, you will get less speed in peak hours and good speed in odd hours. DSL technology also is distance sensitive. The longer the telephone line runs from the house to the phone company, the lesser the speed is likely to be.

The main differences between the two are in fact in speed, cost, security, reliability and availability, usability and quality of service.

When performing best, cable should give the user more speed than DSL. This is because, theoretically, cable can achieve networking speeds of 30 mbps. On the other hand, with DSL the speed cannot reach more than 10 Mbps. However this is rarely the case in practical situations. The truth is that, both cable and DSL performance vary depending on the pattern of use and traffic congestion on the Internet. This is a fact, which leads to both rarely giving peak performances.

Then another important issue is security. Which one is more safe ? cable or DSL? In this, it appears as if that DSL is winning the race. DSL technology is clearly superior when it comes to online security.

However on the other hand, a cable system is easier to install, understand and manage for most users. This is one area where cable scores over DSL. And if you buy a router in your cable set up, then the security aspect will enhance as well.

One advantage of cable is in convenience. Customers find it convenient that the same company that provide cable TV also provides the Internet access and it comes with a single monthly bill. On the other hand, a customer will need to sign up for DSL with the local telephone company, which means having to deal with another provider and having to pay one more bill.