[Hidden-tech] DSL vs cable internet for office

[Baer Tierkel]

We are in Amherst and just switched last month from Verizon DSL to Comcast Cable.  Our download speed went from approx. 2.6m to 8.3m, just an amazing difference.  Your mileage may vary.



On Mar 12, 2010, at 11:18 AM, Tom Goldsmith wrote:

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> 
> 
> Robert; 
> 
> I agree with you that DSL gives you a "dedicated" line, while Comcast gives
> you a "loop" you have to share with others.  (Then one thing about Comcast
> is how many others you share with.  Also the habits of those neighbor-users
> regarding, say, frequent downloads of large files which can impact YOUR
> response times.  ....If you notice that "busy times" (like after supper)
> slow your service down a lot, then what some might call "last mile"
> congestion can be the problem.  Especially for Comcast.)  
> 
> But I've got a somewhat different view about what determines speed for DSL.
> While problematic "old" copper can be a factor, those difficulties are more
> likely to be catastrophic, giving erratic and seemingly random headaches,
> perceived as worst when it has rained, and the like.  
> 
> I also believe, however, that DSL is linearly effected by the distance from
> the telephone company's "central station".  That is, the further you are
> "from town", the slower your DSL service must be.  This is just a rule
> determined by physics/electronics, and is one reason why Verizon doesn't
> like to invest in rural services.  That is, it can take a lot of electronic
> equipment for them to give you good service far from their usual central
> station.  
> 
> Then also, if you don't care for dealing with Verizon, have you looked into
> working with Crocker Communications?  They deliver DSL to many locations in
> western Mass, and fill in for Verizon where we'd all like to see less of
> that behemoth.  (I believe they still use some Verizon functions, but
> happily one does not need to deal with Verizon oneself.)  From what I've
> seen on Hidden Tech, Matt Crocker is very serious about delivering value
> with their services, and also very knowledgeable about how all of this
> works.  I'd suggest asking him if it is possible to deliver good DSL service
> to where you need it, and then to trust his answer.  ....Surely he can tell
> you if Comcast can be a good alternative for you in your circumstances.  
> 
> Also, if you want to learn which service can work best for you or your
> neighbors, you ought to seek to "quantify" what happens.  There are lots of
> "bandwidth" measurement tools out there.  Most of which measure both
> download and upload speeds.  http://www.bandwidthplace.com/ is one I've
> recently found to be useful.  (Download will always be much faster than
> upload.)  
> 
> Just MY thoughts.  Check it all out for yourself, within the context of your
> own environment, circumstances, and needs.  And try to separate, in your
> mind, reliability vs. performance.  
> 
> Tom Goldsmith  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
> [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of Robert
> Heller
> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 11:14 AM
> To: Val Nelson
> Cc: Hidden-Tech Listserv
> Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] DSL vs cable internet for office
> 
>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
> 
> 
> At Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:59:33 -0500 Val Nelson <val at valnelson.com> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> MIME-Version: 1.0
>> 
>>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's
> area.
>>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Hi HT friends,
>> Sorry to ask this age-old question but I feel overwhelmed by the tech talk
>> when talking to Comcast and Verizon. Can you help give me some perspective
>> on these options?
>> 
>> I need to set up Internet access in my office and these are the two
> choices
>> in my price range:
>> 
>> Comcast cable internet $59.95/month
>> 
>>   - Downloads 6-12 mb, uploads 1-2 mb
>> 
>> 
>>   - "Internet speeds up to 15 times faster than DSL"
>> 
>> 
>> Verizon DSL $49.99/month
>> 
>>   - "Up to 5.0M"
>> 
>> It will mostly be for one user at a time, but occasionally up to 5 users
> at
>> a time. I'm in a building that probably has no Comcast users yet because
>> they just installed it here, but eventually might have more.
>> 
>> Will I notice a difference in speed between these two options? I'm not
> doing
>> any major downloading or uploading but I give my browser a run for its
>> money.
> 
> DSL Speeds depend mostly on the copper quality.  *In Town* it *might* be
> good (or not).  Out in the woods it can be pretty bad.  Cable speeds
> mostly depend on who else in your neighborhood is also using the
> InterNet. 
> 
> (Technically [greatly simpified!] what is going on is this: with DSL
> you have a dedicated 'wire' to the central office, but the wire can be
> of poor quality.  With cable, you share a 'wire' with folks in your
> neighborhood.)
> 
> One other gotcha: DSL depends on the *old* copper telephone system. 
> Verizon wants to rid itself of this infrastructure.  The more rural
> parts of it are in various states of decay.  If (When) Western Mass
> Connect gets the fiber backbone and eventually the last mile gets
> wired, it is likely that copper system may even vanish.  (The fiber
> option system will effectively replace it.) 
> 
> 
>> 
>> Which option would you do?
> 
> If it was available where I live I'd go for Comcast, mostly because I
> really, really want to stop sending money to Verizon (a black hole).
> 
>> 
>> Thank you!!
>> 
>> Val
>> 
>> MIME-Version: 1.0
>> 
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> 
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