Use Skype to make Free Video Calls:

• www.VideoCall4Free.com

Feb 28, 2005

One area that people inquire some about is "Cable or DSL".  Well DSL varies carrier to carrier, but Cable tends to be similar in most areas.  The main thing to know for DSL is:

• How far are you from the Central Office or "CO" as it is called?

• What is the contract length?

• How fast is the upload speed?

Distance from your CO will dictate how fast your DSL can be.  The closer you are the faster it will be.  Most DSL has limits of around 18,000 feet or 6,000 meters.  That is around 3 miles.  The further out you are the slower DSL gets, so be sure to ask your phone company how far you are from the CO.  VoIP and Video Calls require fast upload speeds and DSL often has much slower upload speeds than Cable.

Test you Internet Connection at the following URL below.  Select any "Speakeasy" site

• http://www.dslreports.com/stest

When looking at Cable for your High Speed needs.  You will see Cable modems, the device that provides the high-speed connection into your home for sale in your local computer store.  Be careful when buying these units as they may be limited in maximum speed.  I purchased one and it was significantly slower than the unit the Cable installer had with him, so I rent my Cable Modems, this way I can exchange it with a new one if I find out something out I don't like about it on the forums.

If you want to do Wireless in your home, you will want the fastest High Speed Internet you can get as throughput will reduce when using Wireless.  Consider the new 802.11n Wireless devices as they will provide much higher throughput than 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g.  Fast Wireless is important if you want to do VoIP and Video Calls.

Another key aspect of getting DSL is the ability to convert your home number to Voice over IP or "VoIP" as it is called.  You cannot convert a local phone company number to VoIP to a service like Vonage for example if you use DSL as the phone company requires you keep your local phone service.  You can however convert you local phone service number to Vonage if you are using Cable for your High Speed internet.

The table below is a general comparison between Cable and DSL.

You can get Cable High Speed Internet if you do not subscribe to Cable television, in case you are a satellite lover like myself.  They may charge you more for it, but it still the best recommendation if you are going to be doing VoIP and Video Calls.

send me your comments:  

MG