Cable or DSL?

[Scorpio]

Yeah i know you're gonna say Cable is much better but i would probably disagree.

I've been having problems with comcast (Cable) for the past 3 months... never had a problem before but suddenly, my connection dropped really bad and i can't even upload anything... my connection goes up and down.

Right now, it's like i have a super 56k modem. And it's been 3 months now.
I'm tired of them saying everything is good when it's not.
So i'm thinking about DSL... i mean it's still fast. And at least i won't share the connection with any neighbors... Which i think is my problem with Comcast.

What do you think? Anybody with DSL who is happy with the speed?

[A_DeAngelo]

We converted from DSL to Cable about 2 years ago...

There are definately peak user periods in our neighborhood espiecially with
DreamWorks, Castle Rock, Morgan Stanley and others as neighbors!

DSL is best if your business is CLOSE to the telephone switching station (on a direct line). SBC (formerly Pacific Bell) did an ok job of maintaining the system
but we were down a great deal of the time even though we were 1/2 block from the trunk and 1/4 mile from the switching station...

Cable can be much faster depending upon the time you are on line but, Adelphia is just like all the rest.

I have to admit that the cable set-up was almost seemless.

We were kind of surprised (kind of), when we moved out of the old DSL location and looked into the unsecured building telephone box to see that someone had hacked into our line!

Cable is easy to hack into as well....

[Happysucks]

We have DSL and HAD Cable

Before you think of getting DSL you should know how far you are from the dmark. Too far, you can't get a connection. Too close, your lines will hit around 99/100 and could keep you from connecting.

But if you are in a good range, you'll love it.

[Scorpio]

Thanks guys... i actually talked to Comcast this morning.. and this guy is finally telling me there is a 3% packet loss... whatever that means.
So they are sending someone over this Sunday... i cross my fingers.

Anybody knows what this packet loss is?

[Happysucks]

Packet loss or Packet Drops:
http://www.dslreports.com/information/kb/packet+drops

[wildgirl]

I used cable before but I always have a problem on my connections so I decided to changed with DSL and thanks god it works great now

[Matt 26z]

Some connection problems can be attributed to your router if you are using one.

I had a Linksys that lost the connection once a day or more. Replaced it with a Microsoft brand router and now it's lost like once a month.

[gaybucks_chip]

Useful info about Comcast:

Most of their tech support is outsourced. Most of the first-line call centers are in the US, and are OK. The second-tier call center is in Canada (also outsourced) but the people there are exceptionally well trained and can diagnose a lot of things the first tier people can't. You can ask to be transferred to tier 2 support; some reps will do it and some won't, some even claim that it doesn't exist. But it definitely does.

There's also a local "escalations" office for each market area that the call centers will *swear* doesn't exist, but when you've had a problem that the regular people can't solve (such as months of crappy service), locating the local escalations office will nearly instantly solve your problems. In my case, when I've called them, usually a tech is dispatched within an hour or two, and usually the tech that shows up is a more experienced one than who shows up when the call is placed through regular channels. They (escalations) are also very fair about giving credit (sometimes substantial credit) if you've been getting crappy service. I don't abuse the escalations number and only call it when all else has failed... but it definitely works. If you absolutely can't find the one for your area, I can call mine and see if they have numbers for the other ones.

On cable vs DSL: YOu can go to dslreports.com and enter your address and phone # (landline at that address) and it will tell you the exact distance in feet from the wire center that handles your neighborhood. That will give you an idea how good the DSL service will likely be in your area. If you know how to read it, it will also tell you what hardware/software that wire center has and what services it's capable of offering (as in ADSL, T1, SDSL, etc) Here in SBC land, you can actuallly get really fast DSL (6+Mbit/sec down, 512K up) but it's pricey ($70/month or so) and you have to be within about 6-7000 feet from your wire center to be able to get it. Regular DSL (1.5Mbps) can go out to about 12000 feet, but generally, the speed gets pretty crappy after about 10,000 feet.

In our area, Comcast is offering I think about 4Mbps down and 300 up for $29-50/month, depending on how much you bitch about the price. You can get higher speeds from Comcast, but it's a lot more expensive and they don't discount as much.

[jIgG]

most of the time when you call COmcast support during the day, you'll end up calling your local center, even via the #800 or it will send you to Philly where their HQ are. Past 2am EST your call will go to Canada and they know nothing most of the time. I've called and gotten completely clueless people.


When you have cable problems check your modem's signal levels if they are off then it's a line problem.

If you have packet loss during trace route the problem could be in your area.

Here when the kids come back home, we slow down and pings go up during the first few hops, which are in our area.


When it comes to speed Comcast owns DSL. For stability DSL is #1. We've lived through tropical storms with our DSL on and everything outside soaked in water. Can't say the same about Comcast, we could have thunder in Ft. Lauderdale and the internet connection will start to time out.

If you're not too far from the Central Office and price isn't an issue, go with DSL. Just keep in mind you have to sign a 1 year contract

[ponyboy]

Optonline.net

Well when it first went in they had nothing but trouble. It would slow down like a super 56.6. After they came to the house about 25 times they finally fixed the problem. Plus One million phone calls. There great line is always, unplug your cable modem reboot your computer.
As far as uploading anything giant, they cap you! That means they feel you are running a server. A big no no with them.
Now let’s get to e-mail. Works about 75% of the time the first time outlook goes for it. If you have let’s say an e-mail account on a server some place. You can’t use optonline.net and outlook. Optonline has that blocked on port 25. If you go to business class service with cable vision then they unlock port 25. But, the price is double with out increasing the speed.
ADSL , well we are right at the limit for the service and the TECHS said that it wouldn’t be as fast. So for right now I have to deal with optonline.net
Good news I was told. There is a new service out by verizon called FIOS service if you can get it, get it! That’s fiber. Last year I was promised that it would be in by now. It turns out that cable vision is fighting them tooth and nail. Faster speeds and almost half the price! The day they time me that they can light up the main fiber here, that’s the day I get rid of cable vision!

[desslock]

We were kind of surprised (kind of), when we moved out of the old DSL location and looked into the unsecured building telephone box to see that someone had hacked into our line!

A:

Well YES! Just open your phone junction box and, armed with a pair of needle nose pliars, you can just have the time of your life. My friends in high school whose parents would not let them have their own phone line simply went and put a neighbor's phone onto the yellow and black wire pair.

DSL would be just as easy.

Geeks rule.

Steve

[agenda9]

I had DSL from 1995 to 2000 and Cable from 2000 to present. Now granted my cable experience is more recent so maybe the technology has improved, but I like cable better.

I always had problems with DSL and PacBell would come out and tell me the line must be wet and would switch me to a different line. I'd often get background noise on my voice line.

I've had very few problems with Cox Communications. I could be lucky - other people think they're terrible.

My brother is trying to get Verison DSL. Even though his neighbors on either side of him have Verizon DSL and the people across the street do, Verizon insists they don't offer DSL in his neighborhood. Go figure.

[ponyboy]

Hi called verizon today, found out there are going to ligh up my area by x-mass. gues that will be my x-mass gift to myself
oh there number is 1-888-get-fios
verizonfios.com

[jIgG]

you lucky bastard getting have that Fios .... :eek:

[ponyboy]

When I had called them in May they said by Sept. When I talked to a phone line man he said 2 years. When I just called sales they said by x-mass or 1st of year. In any case its good bye to optonline.net