[G4] DSL and Cable modems: Which is better?

[Amir 'CG' Caspi]

I'm on SBC DSL on their 3Mbps plan.  I routinely max it out.  I used to be
on their 6Mbps plan and would consistently get 5.2Mbps downloads, any time
of day.  (I lost that plan when I moved, as they didn't offer it for a
couple of years.  They now offer a 6Mbps plan once again, and I will
likely sign up for it sometime soon.)

Note that Comcast does *NOT* guarantee their download rates.  While the
rates may be consistent, they are by no means guaranteed... they don't
even guarantee a minimum.  SBC at least guarantees you a minimum 1.5Mbps
if you are on the 3Mbps plan.  Granted, the guarantee on the 6Mbps plan is
also 1.5Mbps...

I am considering switching to Comcast as well, haven't really made the
decision yet.  I've been happy with SBC so far, although I would like a
faster connection, hence the quandary about switching up to the 6Mbps
connection vs. switching to Comcast.

						--- Amir

On Mon, 6 Mar 2006, Aaron Willems wrote:

> I too have been using Comcast for 5 years. I pay extra fot an 8 MB
> download. I sometimes get a little more. You are also correct that the
> Comcast Modem crashes about once a month. I usually have to reboot my
> modem (unplug it). Not a big deal. I'm happy with this service. Yes, I
> know sometimes during peak hours my connection drops to half to about 4
> MB. I can deal with that. I will not however go back to DSL. Yes, DSL
> provides a guaranteed bandwidth, but from my experience it's still too
> slow. I won't consider moving back to DSL until they provide a guaranteed
> 6 to 8 MB download speed.
>
> Just my 2 cents.
>
> --
> Aaron Willems
> aaron at macmanifest.com
> http://www.MacManifest.com
> Spreading the Good Word about Today's Macintosh.
>
>
> > My answer is Cable modem.
> >
> > Perhaps it is peculiar to my locality, but I have fantastically fast
> > modem service through Comcast.  When downloading from a fast server
> > (for example getting updated software from Apple), the peak DL rates
> > are something like 700 kBytes/sec, or 5.6 mbits/sec.  That is
> > equivalent to about four T-1 lines.
> >
> > The average DL speed is of course less, but almost always 200kBytes
> > (1.6 Mbits) per second.  That's about a T-1 line.  The cost is about
> > $55 per month, once you get past the introductory offers (first month
> > $20, etc.)
> >
> > The people I know who are on DSL get a 'guaranteed' 396 kbit/sec rate
> > or about 50kBytes/sec.
> >
> > I don't know the price of DSL.
> >
> > DSL uses the same phone lines that your voice phone uses.  (The local
> > telephone techs call this "flashlight wiring".) That is why you must
> > be within a certain distance (about three miles) from the nearest
> > telephone central station or repeater.
> >
> > The problems that Comcast had a few years ago have been solved.  The
> > worst situation I face today is when, for some unknown reason, I find
> > my internet connection dead when I start up.  I unplug the modem for
> > a half-minute or so, plug it back in, and things are fine.  This
> > might happen about once a month.
> >
> > I live in the San Francisco Bay area on the peninsula about 30 miles
> > south of San Francisco?
> >
> > What is your experience?  I would be especially interested in DSL
> > performance and price.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > earle