Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : America On-Line (AOL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gpowell who wrote (37190)	1/11/2000 1:48:00 PM
From: David E. Taylor	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 41369

Actually, it's the cable network on the street poles that needs to be upgraded for 2-way traffic, the line into the house is still a conventional co-axial cable. At least here on LI/NY, cost is the big differentiator between cable and DSL. From Cablevision, I have long distance phone service at competitive rates, local phone service at about 25% less than Bell Atlantic's monopolistic rates, a cable modem hookup for $39.95/month, plus regular cable TV. I also receive a discount on my cable bill based on the total phone billing, right now my $65/month cable bill has gone to essentially zero. I can add a second cable modem for $60 installation and $19.95/month, or network computers to run off one cable modem. I've noticed no slow down over the last year as Cablevision has ramped up its user base. Bell Atlantic's DSL service isn't competitive at these prices, and they'd better wake up before their local phone service revenue stream gets syphoned off big time. David T.

To: gpowell who wrote (37190)	1/11/2000 2:36:00 PM
From: Joseph Stratmann	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 41369

I have both Cable and DSL at home (evaluating both still) and my opinion as of now (after 1 yr of cable and about 3 months of DSL) is that DSL is much better. Now I should qualify that statement. My incompetant cable company still hasn't upgraded to bi-directional cable access so I transmit at 56k (if I'm lucky) via telco and download from cable. My DSL line is 128kup and 38k down. I've completed a slew of speeds tests on both and find a large variability in download speeds of the cable modem whereas the DSL connection is fairly consistant. Sometimes the cable is a tad faster, sometimes a bit slower than DSL. The cable modem connection has given me a number of problems. If my nephew plays any online games he will experience quite a bit of lag (attributable to the telco upload I'd guess) but the DSL works like a charm. The DSL technology requires you to be within something like 7000 feet of a central office (dont quote me on that number) but cable can be much much farther away. Someone said it's a myth that you can experience slower download speeds since you are sharing bandwidth with your neighbors. They further added DSL could be oversubscribed. I agree with the latter statement but not the former. You do share bandwidth on the cable side - that's a byproduct of the technology used. Whereas DSL you use your own line. Now these statements ONLY pertain to the connection from your house to their office. Most certainly, at that point (assuming one of the companies is incompetant) it's possible for the DSL be slower if they have poor switching equipment, dont use proxy servers, etc. But, just to keep it simple, only pertaining to the connection between your home and their office, cable shares bandwidth period. HOpe this helps. Joe