How does DSL compare to cable modems?
Although cable can be appealing because of its price, customers who are tempted to use cable modems should bear in mind that these services are generally not suitable for business use. A cable network is shared, so an increase in the number of simultaneous users decreases the performance speed of individual users’ lines. At times of peak Internet usage, cable modem speeds often decrease dramatically. Also, the upstream speed on a cable modem is generally no higher than 128 Kbps. This is significantly less than the 1.1 Mbps enabled by SDSL. Finally, a shared network is inherently less secure than a dedicated service like DSL. Neighboring cable customers can more easily intercept data or hack into another user’s computer.
Although cable can be appealing because of its price, there are some inherent drawbacks to cable modem service. First, the cable network is shared, which means as the number of cable users increases the speed on each individual\’s line decreases. At times of peak Internet usage cable modem speeds fall off dramatically. Second, a shared network is inherently less secure than a dedicated service like DSL, as neighboring cable customers can more easily intercept data or hack into another user\’s computer. Third, the upstream speed on a cable modem generally is no higher than 128 Kbps. Thus, cable modems are unable to provide acceptable levels of speed or security for business purposes, like video streaming, video conferencing, or sending large e-mails.
Although cable can be appealing because of its price, there are some inherent drawbacks to cable modem service. First, the cable network is shared, which means as the number of cable users increases the speed on each individual’s line decreases. Second, a shared network is inherently less secure than a dedicated service like DSL, as neighboring cable customers can more easily intercept data or hack into another user’s computer. Third, the upstream speed on a cable modem is generally no higher than 128 Kbps. Thus, cable modems are unable to provide acceptable levels of speed or security for business purposes.
DSL provides a dedicated service over a single telephone line; cable modems offer a dedicated service over a shared media. While cable modems have greater downstream bandwidth capabilities (up to 30 Mbps), that bandwidth is shared among all users on a line, and will therefore vary, perhaps dramatically, as more users in a neighborhood get online at the same time. Cable modem upstream traffic will in most cases be slower than DSL, either because the particular cable modem is inherently slower, or because of rate reductions caused by contention for upstream bandwidth slots. The big difference between DSL and cable modems is the number of lines available to each. There are no more than 12 million homes today that can support two-way cable modem transmissions, and while the figure also grows steadily, it will not catch up with telephone lines for many years. Additionally, many of the older cable networks are not capable of offering a return channel; consequently, such networks will need si
