Choosing between broadband options: Cable or DSL?
Imagine how
drab and difficult life would be without the Internet. In fact, most of
us cannot imagine how our predecessors survived without the Internet!
Communicating and obtaining information has never been so easy and fast
as it is now, and we must thank the Internet for this. It is so
indispensable that a variety of service providers offer it through
different mediums and in different schemes.
A broadband
connection is a must if you need to surf the Net for several hours each
day and upload and download large files. You save a lot time by using
broadband instead of a dial-up connection. Broadband connectivity can
be obtained either through DSL or cable modem and such facilities are
primarily available in urban areas. Let’s check out the advantages and
disadvantages of both systems.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
enables high-speed internet access and simultaneous use of Internet and
voice facilities. It is significantly faster than dial-up connections
and is cost effective. You can choose from a range of speeds according
to your requirement. In addition, with this service, you don’t need to
worry about busy signals. The downside is that DSL speed is affected by
the quality of your phone line as well as the distance your phone line
covers to connect to the phone company’s hub. Better quality and
shorter distance ensure better performance.
Cable High Speed
Internet is provided through cable lines and is generally known to be
faster than DSL connections. Cable Internet connection is always on,
which means that you do not need to connect for access. The high speed
and always on status, however, make your PC more vulnerable to viruses
and hackers than in the case of the DSL connection. Use both physical
firewall and firewall software to mitigate risks. In addition, install
efficient anti-virus software in your PC.
Although cable service
providers promise higher bandwidth and, therefore, greater speed the
than DSL services, in practice the gap between the two is narrowed due
to the following reasons. First, both types of service providers set
speed caps.
This could be because they feel that residential
customers will not require very high speed or because they want to be
able to accommodate more customers. The desire to provide equitable
distribution of bandwidth to all customers in an area is another
reason. By setting speed caps, service providers may also want to
charge higher for higher speeds and lower for lower speeds. Second,
cable services in an area slow down if lots of people access the Net
simultaneously.
Third, the quality of both services vary from
second to second depending on traffic congestion on the Net and
technical reasons. Fourth, certain home PCs may not be able to match
the speed of Internet connection, leading to lower quality.
Both
DSL and Cable Internet connections are available in some areas, while
only one type is available in others. The quality of service and cost
often depend on the service providers in an area and are not
necessarily related to the dfferent technologies.
