Hello Mike,

Russ and Jean has provided excellent responses to you query. I would only
like to add my experience to that. Reliability, I think, is directly related
to your physical location and the provider for your area. I had DSL for
several years and the only equipment problem I experienced was solved by a
firmware update for the modem. I now use cable service and have had no
problems so far. You could check with other users in your area for any
problems they may have had.

I would suggest you avoid using the providers software if possible. That
shouldn't be a problem on your end using Windows XP. In most cases it's not
needed and many ISP's go so far as to modify the registry so your Internet
Explorer and Outlook Express title bar reads "Provided By xxxxxx". What a
way to advertise... that ranks close to the last thing I need.

As for speed, all else being equal, cable is faster. In my area, DSL tops
out at 1.5 Mbps and cable at 3 Mbps (advertised download speed). Both
providers offer a cheaper option with slower speeds. With DSL, distance is a
factor also. Most DSL providers won't provide service if you are more than
18,000 feet from the Central Office. That tells me that it affects speed and
reliability also. Personally... I would follow the advice Russ and Jean
offered and stay with Comcast (without the additional fee).

You also asked about checking the Internet connection speed. There are
several factors involved here also. The time of day, Internet traffic,
traffic at the test site, local conditions, etc., all have a bearing on the
results of any speed test. Expect less than advertised. Keeping this in
mind, here are several sites you can use:

CNET Bandwidth Meter Speed Test
http://reviews.cnet.com/7004-7254_7-0.html

broadband » Speed tests
http://www.dslreports.com/stest

Bandwidth Speed Test
http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/

TestMySpeed.com
http://www.testmyspeed.com/

TOAST.net Performance Test
http://www.toast.net/performance/

YourSpeed v2.3
http://www.numion.com/YourSpeed/

Good luck,
Sven Swanson, Sr.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael C. Williams" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2004 6:28 PM
Subject: [PCBUILD] DSL versus cable


I am not sure if this venue is appropriate for my question on DSL versus
cable, but I am looking for advice and/or recommendations.  Currently I use
Comcast cable at a total cost of about $46 per month for the connection and
modem rental.  I like the cable speed (is there a way to check download
speed?) and the connection has been very reliable.  Because I have two
computers connected thru a router and use two IP addresses, Comcast is going
to start charging me about $7 per month more.  I don't need 2 IP's, but
don't know how to connect both computers using only one IP address.  DSL is
now being offered in my area by SBC and I can get service for about $27 per
month.  There will be some startup cost, but only about $100 I think because
of promotional offers; also I will get 2 months free service.

Now for my question:  Is cable more reliable and enough faster to justify
this cost disparity which will be on the order of $26 per month?  For
information I have one Northgate desktop computer (Windows XP pro) and one
HP laptop (Win XP home) computer connected.  The SBC rep told me that a
firewall and spam protection are provided, but these may be what many ISP's
provide.

Thanks for any assistance provided.

Mike Williams

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