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DSL Compatability

post #1 of 9
6/18/03 at 6:03pm
Thread Starter 
I'm considering getting a high speed internet connection at my house, and I can currently choose between two different services: Earthlink DSL and Comcast Cable. My question is this: Each phone line going into a house is actually 2 lines, but one is unused unless you hook it up. Does the DSL line, since it hooks directly into the phone line, use the second line, or does it actually use the first line in such a way that it doesn't interfere with the normal phone line? This will be critical in determining which service I buy because both of my default phone lines are already in use, and I'm not going to have an additional phone line wired in just so I can use the DSL when I'm already a Comcast Cable TV subscriber. I would prefer to use DSL, however, because I have used their service before and have been perfectly happy, but back then I only had one phone line in use. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks

-MageLogan
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post #2 of 9
6/18/03 at 6:13pm
DSL runs on a working phone line, and doesn't interfere with normal phone operation (as long as you have the filters in place). ie, you dont need ot pay for a new line.


Unless you're already getting cable and the cable internet seems like a good deal, I cant think of any reason not to use dsl.

Joe
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post #3 of 9
6/18/03 at 8:41pm
DSL is transmitted over your normal phone line at a different frequency. So it doesn't require 'tying' up a phone line. You can talk on the phone at the same time without a problem. You do however need to put a filter on any line that a phone is connected to but not the line connecting to the DSL modem, otherwise you hear very loud static. I've had no problems with my DSL. I've got DSL lite (256k bandwidth) get 20-30k download rates depending on server. I used to be on cable but got tired of the near crawl speed when the whole neighborhood was online, since all the cable users share the bandwidth. Plus all the da** script kiddies driving my firewall nuts with their constant probing.
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post #4 of 9
6/19/03 at 12:31am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the info beakmyn. That is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. I had read somewhere a while back about DSL using a higher frequency, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining it. Thanks for the help both of you. I guess I'm sticking with DSL.

-MageLogan
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post #5 of 9
6/19/03 at 12:59pm
I must reccomend DSL, especially right now! Is Verizon DSL available in you area? I don't know if Earthlink has this kind of promotion, but yesturday I upgraded my 640K/128K DSL to 1.5MB/380K for FREE!!! It was not advertised, but when I called Verizon they said that I somehow qualified for it. I only pay 34.99 a month for this speed. Comcast in my area offers the same speed, but for 44.00 a month. Plus, I don't have to share my bandwidth with anyone!
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post #6 of 9
6/19/03 at 2:12pm

Can be a tough choice...

Cable is usually faster unless:

A] You have tons of users in your area. Or someone in your neighborhood is running a porn site out of their house.

B] You pay more for a faster DSL connection.

C] Your cable provider has severly throttled your connection.

I am a network engineer who supports customers all over the U.S. who use tons of different providers of both DSL and Cable. DSL has the drawback of distance. You need to be close to the CO in order to get higher speeds. The unshared bandwidth is nice, but it often doesn't make up for the raw speed difference between the two. The upload capabilities are also far better on cable. You will almost always get much better performance providing a video or audio stream from your PC on cable modem than you will on DSL. If you are willing to pay more than the base package price, most cable providers will provide you with a guaranteed bandwidth that far surpasses anything available on DSL. Find two neighbors, one with each service and have them run the same bandwidth test from cnet or someplace like that. That is the best way to choose.

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post #7 of 9
6/19/03 at 3:06pm
For all those interested in the cable vs. DSL debate, check out the following thread(s):

http://sagerforums.com/showthread.ph...&highlight=dsl

http://sagerforums.com/showthread.ph...&highlight=dsl

They may help in your decision on which is better for you.


100th post! WOO HOO!
Here's a for me.
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post #8 of 9
6/19/03 at 3:15pm
well if you're willing to pay up, you can get 4Mb/1.5 on cable...
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post #9 of 9
6/19/03 at 3:48pm
http://www.frontieronline.com/images...comparison.gif

Currently enjoying the DSL HighSpeed and always get advertised speed and reliability.

If you want high speed internet for playing games then your major concern is going to be latency. Or if you speak gaming 'LAG'.
The more latency the worse your online gaming experiance will be.
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