DSL or Cable

[ReadyMan]

I'm getting 6.7mpbs dl speeds and 500kbps with my DSL service. I pay almost double what I'd pay for roadrunner cable service (though I do get a land line out of it).
I'm wondering if Cable is better and faster for gaming online.

Any thoughts on which is better?

Thanks!

RM

[Krom]

It varies by many factors with location being the largest of them. Cable has congestion on the node which can cause serious performance problems. DSL doesn't have last mile congestion, but can't match the throughput of modern docsis 3 cable. The only way to know which one is better at your house is to try them both.

Be warned: introductory rates and getting nickel and dimed from endless extra fees means that the cost is about the same regardless of who you go with.

Our cable is sold with a great big sticker that claims $39.99/mo (12 month introductory rate). You will never see a bill under $60 even during the introductory promo. If you bundle it with TV, the bill will never be less than $100. We have only the internet service from our provider because we cut the TV cord. Nowhere on the dozens of pages advertising the service do they mention what the unbundled non-introductory promo rate is. After you add it all up the actual cost we pay is a bit over $80, the "internet" portion is about $55. The tax is a couple dollars, everything else is detailed under a dozen different fees with all with dubious names like "regulatory recovery fee". Note: Only an actual from-the-government tax can (and must) be marked on the bill as "Tax", everything else, no matter what they call it, has nothing to do with the government (with the possible exception of being used to bribe regulators so they can get away with this).

When we had TV bundled with it, which included basic, expanded basic, on demand (comes with basic) and the high def package, the sticker price was $69.99/mo; the actual bill was $174/mo and consistently rose every 12-18 months before we finally axed it.

[Sirius]

So "regulatory recovery fee" means "extra charge we suck out of our customers to pay for our anti-competitive lobbying"?

[TOR_LordRaven]

Its true, it all depends on where you live - but I will say this...

I WAS paying $100 a month to AT&T, Plus $80 to DirecTV.. so $180 for Bundled services, and that included discounts.
I was getting 6bmps down, 512k up on the Internet
Unlimited Local and Long Distance calls on the phone
and had HD-DVR with 1 extra standard receiver from DirecTV.

In my area, the cable provider is MediaCom.

I switched, and the internet is much faster for me.

I get 12mbps Down, 1mbps up on Internet
Unlimited Local and Long Distance
and HD-DVR for the TV, plus 2 years of Starz movie pack free.

After taxes, I pay about $75, and the "Intro" rate lasts for the first 2 years, after that the price goes to $99/month.

I cut my TV/Internet/Phone bill in half by switching.

The PROS: Much faster internet
CONS: DirecTV has a superior DVR and menu system, but not enough to make me pay the extra bucks.

[snoopy]

Buy cheap dry loop DSL if you really want to save money. I have 1Mb service (I think, it's one step up from the cheapest) with Verizon. I get close to a Mb down, and abysmally slow up for $35 a month advertised, and my bill isn't more than $50 a month in reality. It's just enough to keep up with youtube/hulu/netflix if no one else is using the connection.

[TOR_LordRaven]

wow - my brother has the same service. 1mb down, but he pays $15 a month for it. $20 after taxes. No phone line, just DSL

[snoopy]

Yeah. I live in "Comcast and Verizon heaven" Philly.

[Foil]

I've had cable for about ten years now (Comcast in Denver, Cox in OKC). I've never had a complaint about the service (other than a dumb tech who screwed up a modem activation recently).

After the 'initial offer', cable pricing here for the 8-20Mbit (down, with 1-4Mbit up) service is a bit less than the comparable DSL pricing, but it's close.

One suggestion: If you can, obtain your own DSL/Cable modem. Otherwise the provider will charge you monthly for "equipment rental".

[AceCombat]

i have Comcast in ATL, with 30/8 Mbit for about 70-80$ Mo and it rules..... i can hit 3MBit throughput in the late hours... and AVG about 2.5 during peak hours

[Thenior]

I run a 26down/16up through charter. I usually get about 16down/5up, but is still pretty nice. It's about $120/mo.

[TOR_LordRaven]

Good lord - kids these days just don't get it.

I remember when I was the first kid on the block with a 28.8 modem - i was smoking everyone lol

This generation is growing up with HighSpeed internet in their pocket - and complaining about it.

[Foil]

I remember when I was the first kid on the block with a 28.8 modem...

Youngster. I remember upgrading from my 1200-baud to a 9600-baud, and thinking it was unbelievably fast.

[TOR_LordRaven]

thats when someone says - "Hey, you have a nice Baud!", and its not a pickup line.

[TOR_LordRaven]

Of course, i was using the Legendary MWave modem (Soundcard/Modem Combo)
Thus, I couldn't have sound in DOS games while playing online, so most of my days in Descent back then was spent listening to a CD.

I think it made me a better pilot though, cause i could see a slight framerate twitch just before someone came into view - i could always anticipate them around the corner.

then again, i sometimes didn't know someone was shooting at me from behind until their shots either landed or blew past me.

[Herculosis]

I remember when I was the first kid on the block with a 28.8 modem...

Youngster. I remember upgrading from my 1200-baud to a 9600-baud, and thinking it was unbelievably fast.

My first computer class was in highschool. The entire class shared a single teletype terminal, and you had to dial into a real computer using an accoustic coupler modem. When we started, we were running 110 baud. About halfway through the class, we got that cranked all the way up to 300 baud. At the time, everyone thought the thing screemed after the change.

When the youngsters start calling out youngsters, one starts feeling old.

[Thenior]

Good lord - kids these days just don't get it.

I remember when I was the first kid on the block with a 28.8 modem - i was smoking everyone lol

This generation is growing up with HighSpeed internet in their pocket - and complaining about it.

My first experience with Descent was playing online with a shared 28k connection. Yeah thats right, two people playing descent on one 28k dial up connection. Only worked decent half the time.

[fliptw]

My first experience with Descent was playing online with a shared 28k connection. Yeah thats right, two people playing descent on one 28k dial up connection. Only worked decent half the time.

My first online experience with descent? 1200 baud modem, 1 second ping times.

[Foil]

My first online experience with descent? 1200 baud modem, 1 second ping times.

Wow, was that even playable at all?

I remember playing on a 9600-baud, and it being barely playable.

[fliptw]

Not really. I think I managed a kill.

[CDN_Merlin]

My first online D2 game was on a 14.4kbps US Robotics modem. It was half decent. Been on cable since 1999.

[Sirius]

Yeah, think I had a 28.8k for D2 in '97. Switched to DSL in 1999 - soon with a dial-up supplement because it was limited to 600 MB a month with a charge of 20c for every megabyte above that. And it was very, very easy to blow through that kind of quota on a 6 megabit line.