I think the keyword here is ADSL vs DDSL.  While ADSL utilizes regular
copper wires for their main bus or distribution lines, DDSL uses fiber optic
cables which carries no load or transmission resistance.  ADSL using the
standard copper wires are very susceptible to the elements.  This is common
especially during rainy days.  Maybe I should say that this is part of the
process that communication companies are aware of but ISPs don't cover or
elaborate to their customers during marketing of DSL services.  Still,
considering the speed you get as compared to a dial up system, your ADSL is
more than a good investment though.

The DDSL on the other hand... well, my friend who works for the phone
company (that also happens to be my ISP) told me that the weakest link in
their DSL distribution bus is the tie-point to the station trunks.  These
are the local station where your home phone line is tied to the main, and
where phone company Techs use to troubleshoot your phone line.  The main bus
or DSL transmission highway they call it are made of fiber optic cables.
"No load/transmission resistance, weather resistant and less maintenance."
Hmmm, I think that's how they suckered me into subscribing to their service
at $39 a month!

Anyway Peter, I would recommend addressing your observation to your service
providers and find out what they have to say about it.  After all, if you
subscribe to a 1.5mbps and only utilizing 800kbps-1.0mbps, I think you're
being cheated on your subscription rate!

Emie DelRosario

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Shkabara" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] Cable downloading speed


I have ADSL and tried toast.net for a speed check. It came in lower than
what mcafee.com shows, but not a big difference. Toast showed 800kbps and
mcafee read 1mbps. To me it is disturbing that my speed is going down - it
had been at 1.5mbps when I first got it a few weeks ago! Still much better
than the old dialup 33kbps.

In reference to my speed drop, I suspect that phone line noise may be
contributing to the problem. I get some static on the voice side (it happens
after a rain). What else can cause such a slowdown in DSL?

Peter

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