Highspeed internet questions

[sartre 0]

Ok, time to reveal (yet again) my ignorance. This time on the subject of highspeed internet. I currently have a modem and earthlink as my isp. I am moving next week, and thought I knew what I was doing until seeing all of the options. So, can anyone help clarify this all for me?

What's DSL? What's broadband? Is any of this the same as a modem? Is it easier (or even possible) to take my modem with me and just plug in it to the phone line at my new place, or do I have to go through Earthlink? When I signed up for phone and cable, both had options for highspeed internet as well. Is it a better deal to combine, and what does it entail as far as equipment/hookup?

I'm sure these are all easy questions, but I have no idea as to the answers!!! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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[Thunderbow 1]

DSL is highspeed internet available over the phone line. Broadband is used to describe any high speed internet, DSL, cable, etc. Take your modem with you but you probably have to go through a provider to set it up on their end before you plug in the modem. Cable is generally faster than DSL. If you went with cable internet you can go with Voice over internet provider (VOIP). I use Vonage and it is only $15/month for 500 minutes of local and long distance or $25/month for unlimited plus you can call quite a few foreign countries free. With this you don't need a land line at all. (Although I do like having a cell in case the internet goes down). With DSL you have to go with a land line because that is how you receive your internet.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.

[sartre 0]

Aahh, see, I knew it was simple! Thanks for the clarification.

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[klafollette 0]

There are several options. For a good reference site to services available in your area, check out http://www.broadbandreports.com/

DSL is usually provided by your phone company, but you can go through another provider that uses the phone company lines. Though if you have problems, there will be lots of finger-pointing between the line carrier and Internet provider. Speed and reliability depends a great deal on how far you are from the phone company's central office (CO), and how old the wiring is in your building/home/neighborhood.

Cable providers can provide a good deal if you already use them for television, bandwidth while advertised as higher than DSL can be slower during peak times since you share the same pipe as all your neighbors.

Depending on your location, there may be wireless options. I use a local service through for point-to-point wireless. An antenna on the side of my house is aimed at a local cell tower, and I get dedicated high-speed (3mbps down/1mbps up) that is rock solid. I pay a little more, but the reliability is worth it.

If you do a lot of traveling and have a laptop, you might consider a cellular provider like Verizon, T-mobile, who can provide a PC Card that will give you wireless Internet access virtually anywhere, though at reduced speeds compared to Cable/DSL and higher cost.

Check with each Internet provider to see if they also provide analog line modem dial-up numbers for times when there is an outage, and you absolutely need to get email or web access, or you are on the road. Sometimes this is included or an extra cost.

[Gawain 0]

DSL = Digital Subscriber Line. It uses your existing phone line, usually provided by your local phone company. The distance of your home to the phone company's "CO" (Central Office) puts limits on speed availability. The service is usually very reliable though, and the phone companies are the main door to the "internet" per se.

Cable, as provided by the cable company. Usually faster than DSL, no distance limitations. Pricing can be more expensive for the really fast stuff though, and while speeds are faster, that throughput is shared with other cable subscribers in the area. So, traffic will slow connections down. Some cable companies (like Comcast) use intelligent throughput management. So, if you're downloading a beefy file, instead of letting it clog traffic over time, they'll open the pipe up and get it out of the way. The downside is reliability overall. That, and many cable companies, since they aren't regulated, are not as well run as your local telco.

FTTP = Fiber to the Home, also known as FiOS, is new in many Verizon footprints and is really inexpesive considering the throughput you get. Like, $49.95 (month-to-month) for 15Mbps down/2Mbps up. That's the sh*t right there.

Satellite = Forget it.

ISDN = Also provided by the phone company, it's not fast, but it's faster than dial up. Not worth the money though.

My $0.02, run with DSL if possible. It's easy to set up, mostly provisioned through a home-set-up kit.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[skycat 0]

I've had both Qwest DSL and Comcast Cable here in Denver, and so far Comcast has been more reliable hands down. Also they have been much easier to work with when there was a problem.

If you decide to go broadband and need any help getting your modem (and router if you have more than one computer) set up just let me know.

Fly it like you stole it!

[labrys 0]

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DSL is highspeed internet available over the phone line.

It's not always "high speed" that depends on the plan you get.

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Broadband is used to describe any high speed internet, DSL, cable, etc.

No, broadband means the service you have is being multiplexed. Speed isn't a factor.

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Take your modem with you but you probably have to go through a provider to set it up on their end before you plug in the modem. Cable is generally faster than DSL.

No, that depends 100% on the providers. DSL can be much faster then cable if you have a POP nearby. Cable can be much faster if you don't have a lot of people sharing a feed.

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If you went with cable internet you can go with Voice over internet provider (VOIP).

That would be Voice over Internet Protocol. It works with any ISP, not just cable.

Owned by Remi #?

[sartre 0]

Ok, I'm back to confused. So with my modem, I have DSL? And do I take it with me or start from scratch at the new place?

It's these little decisions that are going to be the death of me!!

[Gawain 0]

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Ok, I'm back to confused. So with my modem, I have DSL? And do I take it with me or start from scratch at the new place?

It's these little decisions that are going to be the death of me!!

No. DSL requires a separate device, often called (incorrectly) a "DSL-Modem". When you move, just ask the phone company about DSL service when you're setting up your phone service.

I'm assuming that your phone provider may be Qwest (Colorado right?). Check out the Internet options on their web-site. It's pretty straight forward.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[Thunderbow 1]

Well, I tried.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.

[sartre 0]

And I very much appreciate everybody's input.

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[labrys 0]

When you get to your destination, post your options. Take what you can with you. No loss if it doesn't work out,

Owned by Remi #?

[sartre 0]

Good point. What am I going to leave it behind for?

It's pretty funny, actually, that this little detail is what I'm finding difficult to make a decision about, when I am virtually completely changing my life by making this move in the first place.

Kind of like how I can hurl myself out of an airplane at 13k, but I am too shy to walk through a crowded bar alone unless I'm a little buzzed.

[sunshine 2]

I have cable broadband and it's fuckin fast. At my old work we had DSL and it was not anywhere near as fast as my cable.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Shell666 0]

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I have cable broadband and it's fuckin fast. At my old work we had DSL and it was not anywhere near as fast as my cable.

My cable rocks too. I only switched because I HATE our local phone service provider and saved some $$ bundling my cable TV, phone and internet (over using phone and cable for a bit of each).

Want to see your bandwidth speed ... check this out (you get 3 free tests per month)

http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/

'Shell

[mcrocker 0]

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No. DSL requires a separate device, often called (incorrectly) a "DSL-Modem". When you move, just ask the phone company about DSL service when you're setting up your phone service.

Actually, It is correctly called a DSL Modem (or cable Modem). DSL is NOT digital, it is analog, just like cable service. The DSL modem MODulates and DEModulates the signal onto the upper frequencies of the copper pair. A DSL modem is almost exactly like a dialup modem except it has a much larger frequency spectrum to work with so it can send/receive more data. A Dialup modem gets it's spectrum chopped off at 4Khz because of the phone switch 8Khz sampling rate.

Both DSL & Cable are analog services, your digital signal from your computer is modulated onto an analog frequency and sent over the wire. The only true digital communications service running over phone lines is a DS-1 (twisted pair) or DS-3 (co-ax). Although almost all DS-1 service is actually HDSL over the wire on the street and is only turned back into its digital form in your building by a 'smart jack' which is really a HDSL modem.

Sorry, I'm a phone geek.

[sartre 0]

Oh lord, I'm in trouble now!!! I should just have made this a poll:

Should I:

-stay with earthlink & take the modem with me
-switch to comcast cable
-go through Qwest
-stay off the internet completely because I'm too stupid to understand the technology.

[labrys 0]

You're making it more complicated than it needs to be.

Go with whoever can give you the speed you want for the best price.

Where I live, cable is faster than the available DSL at the same price so I use cable.

In he last place I lived, only 15 miles from where I am now, the cable available at the same price as DSL was 1/5 the speed of the DSL.

Find out what plans and prices are available

Decide what speed you NEED if you can't afford to pay for the fastest option. See who offers that speed at the best price.

If it's DSL that looks cheaper, make sure they are including the monthly cost of having the actual phone line. If you don't need a phone line in your new place then DSL would probably be a bad chioce unless it's really cheap.

If you're going to have cable TV, find out if there's a bundled price with Internet.

Watch out for plans that offer speeds "up to" some number. That means they aren't guaranteeing they can deliver.

Owned by Remi #?

[ryoder 1,410]

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Should I:
-stay with earthlink & take the modem with me
-switch to comcast cable
-go through Qwest

If you are currently using an ordinary modem, that will work just as well at the new location. Why the need to consider changing service just because you are moving???

As far as Comcast vs Qwest, I have been using Qwest DSL for years. The people I know who use Comcast have been less than enthused about it, and some have been switching to Qwest due to unhappiness with Comcasts intermittent outages and utterly clueless (non)support.

Be aware if you get Qwest DSL they will try to ram MSN down your throat. You have the option of using a local ISP instead, and using Qwest just to connect you to it. I recommend www.frii.net or www.forethought.net.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Sutton 0]

Usually, Cable is faster, since it has alot higher of a potential.

If you can get cable, I'd recopmmend it over DSL. 99 times o ut of 100, Cable will be faster, and even if its not, it usually has a higher upload speed.

-Sutton