Poll: plz help me decide if I should keep DSL or cable!

Tummy

Golden Member
Jan 25, 2000
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Hi guys. For some reason, I can't decide, and it's really urking me. I know it must seem trivial, but I figure asking for opinions won't hurt, will it? :)

DSL
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I get 150k/sec downloads, set (1.5Mbps)
email servers are good and fast
service, when it works, is good, but in the 3 weeks that i've had it so far, it's been down a total of at least 1 week already (nimba virus and so on). Don't know if this will improve or not.
$40/month (canadian)
posted limits of 1g up/5g down, don't know how strictly they adhere to this

Cable
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I get anywhere from 50k sec (really bad, Th/Fri/Sat nights for example), up to as >300-400k/sec (3mbps!!!!)
email servers aren't too good; slow, down a lot, etc.
hasn't crashed on me since about march, except for about 5 minutes on friday night and 5 minutes on saturday (this pas weekend)
also $40/month (canadian)
also posted limits of 1gup and 5g down, but i know they don't monitor this too closely

Any help and opinions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys! (I hope I did this poll right)
 

GigaCluster

Golden Member
Aug 12, 2001
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If your neighborhood has other people that use cable, you will be forced to share your connection with them. When they are downloading something big, your connection will be slow as heck...

With DSL, however, the maximum speed is lower than theoretically on cable, BUT you have the line exclusively to yourself. You don't have to share it with anybody.

Analogy: a big highway (cable) where you have to share it with other cars and depend on time of day, etc., for good conditions, OR a narrow road built just for you that you can use whenever you want and it's always the same (DSL).

Bottom line: I RECOMMEND DSL.
 

Tummy

Golden Member
Jan 25, 2000
1,116
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Damn dude that is one good analogy!

What if that single lane that was all your own was more often shut down than the big highway, though? I dunno, maybe construction workers were doing something to it :)
 

jsbush

Diamond Member
Nov 13, 2000
3,871
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I would go with cable just because it really sucks when your out of an internet connection, especially when you pay 40$ a month. I would take stability over speed.
 

Poncherelli

Senior member
May 28, 2001
590
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thats a fast damn dsl connection for 40$, stupid verizon really gives me like 640up/90 down for that much and its the only broadband available where i live.
 

wildwildwes

Senior member
Jul 18, 2001
320
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If your DSL connection is down 1/3 of the time, and the worst you're getting with cable is 50k/second I think it's a no-brainer to keep the cable.
 

GunNut

Banned
Aug 7, 2000
162
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Well, i vant answer your question but heres is my dilema and maybe this will help you.
Ok i have DSL thru SWbell i pay $40 a month they quarantee up 128 kbps upload and up to 1500kbps (1.5mbps) Download.
But sometimes my download apeeds are as high as 2.2mbps (burst) and i can easily sustain a speed of 1.6-1.7mbps easily, on some speed tests i have hit 1.8 mbps!
Currently DSL is the only option for broadband in my area but cable is coming soon.
They are saying cable will be up to 384kbps/2.0mbps, up/down respectively.

Problems with cable are it can bog down with High usage so to say i would switch would not be worth it to me. and i dont upload that much to switch and possible loose download at times.