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Compare Cable and DSL High-Speed Internet Service

Cable and DSL high-speed Internet service.

If you are getting tired of your slow dial-up Internet connection, it may be time for you to upgrade to high-speed Internet. The two most common options for high-speed Internet are DSL high-speed Internet that you would get through your phone provider and cable high-speed Internet that you would get from your cable provider.

No matter if you choose DSL or cable high-speed Internet, both would be a immense improvement from a dial-up connection, and the speed you get with High-Speed Internet does not come with a corresponding huge price tag. Look below to evaluate some of the differences between cable and DSL high-speed Internet:

Ease of Installation

To help you decide if cable DSL or high-speed Internet would be easier to set up, you should determine where your cable jacks or phone jacks are in comparison to your computer. If your computer is far away from a cable jack, you will have to get someone from your cable company to install another jack near your computer, which may take time to schedule. Since you probably had your computer near a phone jack for your dial-up service, DSL high-speed Internet would be an easy choice since you can use the same jack you used previously for dial-up.

Speed

Proponents of both defend the speed and performance of DSL and cable high-speed Internet service. Although cable's theoretical bandwidth is higher, this speed will not truly be reached due to many factors, putting DSL and cable on even footing. However, one aspect that could affect the speed of your DSL high-speed Internet service is the distance you are from your DSL provider's central office. If you are far away from the central office, your service will be very slow or you will not be able to get service. If you are in a rural area, you should check on how far you are from your potential DSL provider's central office.

Price

As far as price goes, you should shop around. Though cable high-speed Internet is generally thought to be cheaper, prices may differ depending on what providers are available in your area. It truly pays off to look for the best price. You can easily compare the prices for cable and DSL high-speed Internet using WhiteFence.

To choose between the two, you need to evaluate what is more important to you: ease of set-up, speed or cost of service. Once you know what you want, your choice should be clear.