The Speeds of U-Verse DSL

AT&T;'s U-verse primarily runs all communications through DSL, which makes use of phone lines. Signals are transmitted from the lines to a central hub. The further away the hub is from the house, the slower the transmission speed. DSL speeds can also be affected by quality of phone lines and technical glitches. The U-Verse uses Asymmetric DSL, meaning that downstream speeds are much faster than upstream ones.

The U-verse offers multiple options for selecting DSL speeds so that you can pick the right speed for your needs. The slower the speed, the lower the monthly cost. DSL Pro's downstream speed is 3 megabits per second, which is designed to support email and social networking. DSL Elite's 6Mbps rate allows you to play simple online games like solitaire and offers more connection reliability than DSL Elite. DSL Max doubles Elite speeds to 12Mbps and is well suited for complex social networking, music downloads and photo file sharing. Max Plus runs at 18Mbps, allowing for better video streaming, Internet radio listening and large mail attachment downloads. The fastest speed, Max Turbo, is best for movie downloads and more intense online game play like massive multi-player games.

U-verse's DSL minimum requirements include a computer with a CD-ROM or DVD Drive, at least 64MB of RAM, and a subscription to the U-verse. Anyone using a laptop may also need an Ethernet card. You may also need a wireless router if your connection won't be near the DSL plug-in. If you use a Windows operating system, it must be Windows 2000, XP or current versions thereafter with 125MB of free disk space. Mac users must have OS 9 to OS X10.3 or higher and 100MB of free disk space.

The U-verse DSL speeds are comparatively faster than AT&T;'s standard DSL speeds. Basic DSL is less than 1Mbps. Express, Pro and Elite DSL connection speeds are 1.5, 3 and 6Mbps, respectively. Internet competitor Comcast offers Internet connection speeds of up to 105Mbps downstream speeds. However, this service can cost nearly $200 a month compared to the U-Verse's average DSL connection cost of $20 per month.