DSL or Cable.

My dad may be forcibly switching us to DSL instead of Cable and I was wondering what the downsides/upsides are to dsl over cable.

from http://www.satelliteinsight.com/dsl.html

DSL And Cable Comparison


Advantages

DSL

• DSL is cheaper than cable internet service!

• Always-On Internet Connection 24/7. No dial up. No busy signals.

• Connection is unique and speed is not affected by the number of users on- line at the same time. DSL speed stays consistent.

• Upload speed is comparable to cable. One study indicated that dsl is faster than cable modem service.*

• Customers can dial up services remotely when travelling.

• Optional Static IP address supports server hosting for gaming, home office users, and telecommuters.

• Surf the internet and talk on the phone at the same time.


* Based on a month-long benchmarking study by Keynote Systems, DSL was found to be 11% faster than cable modems.



Cable

• Always-On Internet Connection 24/7. No dial up. No busy signals.

• You can browse the Net, watch cable TV, and be on the phone at the same time.

• Downloads up to 100x faster than a 28.8K modem; however, typical speeds tend to be much lower than the maximum. Speed potential is greater.

• Cable provides bundled discounts for TV, Internet, and telephone services.

• &nbspCable offers a much wider service area.




Disadvantages


DSL

• Only as reliable as your phone line. Service may be subject to interruption by &nbspsevere weather.

• Service is currently limited to an area within close proximity of local telephone &nbspfacilities. (18,000 feet or a little over 3 miles)



Cable

• Service can be affected by the weather and reliability can be an issue.

• Shared bandwidth causes speed slowdowns especially during periods of peak demand. The more users on the system at the same time, the slower the connection speed.

• Shared bandwidth technology exposes users to privacy concerns.

• Dynamic IP address does not support server hosting for web site, e-mail or gaming.


Keep in mind that no service is perfect. Cable offers greater speed potential; dsl offers an individual Internet connection with more consistent high speed and a greater measure of privacy and security.


Additional features, such as firewall protection, spam blocking software and anti-virus software make dsl a popular choice for new subscribers. The bottom line is ...


DSL is cheaper than cable.


While neither service guarantees download speed for residential service, dsl presently gives you more benefits than cable. Accordingly, it represents the best overall value for high speed internet service today.

Cable > DSL by general rule. DSL tends to be a pain, and slower.

I have DSL and it is perfectly fine. No problems, always fast. Look at my earlier post, it depends on how close you are to the service station.

Just talking about the experience I and other people I know have. DSL is about half the speed, and stuff like logging on is stupid and annoying.

Are you a moron, you can set it so it never disconnects. It's so easy. Everyone around here has DSL since its a hell of a lot better than the cable service.

It depends on the area and how close you are to the service station too.

I second that. I have had both. Cable > DSL