DSL and cable providers both often offer deals to let you shave the price off your bill. You can also sometimes save money by bundling your internet with a cable TV or phone package. Read our guide to lowering your internet bill for a list of great deals and promotions.
You can usually opt for a self-install option, which brings down the fee significantly. Many DSL and cable internet providers also have recurring promotions that let you waive the installation costs or get a rebate with a VISA gift card—definitely ask about getting free installation when you sign up.
Some internet providers include the gateway as part of your monthly bill. Or, if you want to save some money on rental costs, you can buy the equipment yourself.
Speed is the biggest difference between DSL and cable internet. Cable, meanwhile, is like a souped-up Honda, letting you rev your Wi-Fi engine to the max if you so desire. You can find cable internet plans that deliver anywhere from 25—1, Mbps download speeds. Faster internet speeds come in handy if you use the internet for more advanced tasks like online gaming, content creation, running smart-home security cameras or attending video chats with large groups of people.
Cable plans also let you access mid-range speeds—not quite gigabit but still much faster than DSL. A cable internet plan in the range of — Mbps is perfect if you want excellent speeds at an affordable price that are capable of supporting large households.
If you want to learn more about internet speeds and find out exactly how many Mbps you need, check out our guide to internet speeds. Most online activity revolves around downloading data from the internet—like when we download a big file from work over email or stream the latest season of Shameless. But we also spend time uploading data, and upload speeds of 5 Mbps and up are ideal for any internet plan. DSL and cable internet both have much slower upload speeds compared to download speeds.
Cable upload speeds often span 5—50 Mbps. If you truly require the fastest uploads possible, consider seeking out a fiber internet plan. Fiber internet, which runs over fiberglass cabling, can hit 1, Mbps and in some cases even faster for both downloads and uploads. Just keep in mind that fiber will probably cost you more money than a cable plan.
Also, fiber is not as widely available as cable or DSL, so it may not be an option in your area. DSL and cable internet are both widely available across the United States. There are some limitations, however. EarthLink which also provides fiber internet in some markets stole the show across the board, taking the top spots for installation, billing, technical support, customer service, and more. Optimum, a cable internet provider, also performed well, taking third place for overall customer satisfaction and getting high rankings for reliability, billing, tech support, and customer service.
Xfinity, one of the biggest cable internet providers in the country, also got top marks, coming in fifth place for overall satisfaction. It takes first place for speed and comes in the top five for other crucial categories like customer service and reliability.
While we dig the simplicity of DSL, we think cable internet is still the best deal. Whether you want the cheapest plan possible or something megadeluxe with gigabit speeds or cable TV to match, cable internet providers have what you need. It delivers download speeds up to Mbps and is widely available across the United States. Cable is a type of internet that runs over a coaxial cable network—the same kind operated by cable TV providers.
DSL internet is slower than most types of internet, topping out at Mbps. You frequently back up large files to the cloud. You have budgeted for a higher-priced internet service that will go up after the introductory price. Find cable internet providers in your area. Compare DSL and cable internet. Contract 0—2 years Download speeds. Internet installation. If you do want to do self-installation, some providers offer a self-install discount. What is really involved in Xfinity self-installation?
Are there DSL or cable internet providers in my area? Compare internet providers in your area. Pros and cons. DSL internet. Affordable prices Minimal rate increases after intro period Great for basic tasks like checking email and streaming on one or two devices. Slower speeds than cable Quality degrades with greater distance from internet provider.
Cable internet. Fast, reliable connection Ideal for HD video streaming and gaming Low latency on multiple devices. The final verdict. Find my local internet providers. Which is faster: DSL or cable internet? What is the difference between DSL and cable internet? Is cable more reliable than DSL? Is cable internet available in remote areas?
Is cable or DSL better for gaming? Is DSL considered high-speed internet? Is DSL faster than dial up? Is DSL the same as a phone cable?
What type of cable is used for DSL? Interested in EarthLink, Xfinity, or Spectrum? Want to see what plans are available in your area? Enter your zip code below. CenturyLink vs. Author - Kristin Cooke After graduating with a degree in English from the University of Utah, Kristin learned to geek speak while working as a technical recruiter, interviewing software developers and tech companies. Editor - Cara Haynes Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.
Related Posts. Nov 10, Mbps vs. Nov 8, CenturyLink Nov 1, Oct 29, View Plans for EarthLink. View Plans for CenturyLink. View Plans for Frontier. While DSL is much faster than dial-up, the difference in speeds can vary greatly depending on availability at your location.
As mentioned above, DSL operates on a dedicated phone line, offering quality performance and connection. Cable internet, although fast and reliable, operates on a shared network, vulnerable to less than desired performance during peak usage times. Cable download speeds start around 25 Mbps up to 1 Gbps; upload speeds can stretch from 5 to 50 Mbps.
When it comes to cable vs DSL cost difference, there is not a huge amount of variability. Providers of both offer affordable plans for the budget-conscious and for those who want all the bells and whistles for their internet related business.
You also want to consider upgrades and add-ons when comparing prices. Regardless, DSL vs cable, there is no single broadband winner. Data is transmitted through plastic or glass wires as light waves. Fiber optics offer the most potential for high speed data transmission and is the clear solution for our growing bandwidth needs. If you want to know more about internet speeds, I suggest you go watch my video about it by clicking on this link.
DSL will give you between kilobits per second to 24 megabits per second download speed. But speeds are constantly being upgraded. Like at the recent Broadband World Forum in Amsterdam where companies announced that DSL speeds will be boosted to one gigabit per second in Cable internet on the other hand will give you speeds of up to megabits per second download speed.
However, again, this is shared bandwidth. Like DSL, cable internet providers are looking to provide gigabit internet in Fiber is really fast, like really, really fast. While DSL has yet to achieve gigabit internet speeds, fiber already has.
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