OT: Cable line...is it worth it?

[Slacker]

So, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of getting a cable hook-up instead of my current 56K
lightning bolt.

I'm currently paying $17 a month and the cable would be about $50, which is a lot.

For those of you that have already switched, was it worth it? Any regrets?

--
Slacker

 

[Penny S.]

Slacker wrote:
> So, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of getting a cable hook-up instead of my current 56K
> lightning bolt.
>
> I'm currently paying $17 a month and the cable would be about $50, which is a lot.
>
> For those of you that have already switched, was it worth it? Any regrets?

jeez, just the upgrade from a crawling dial up to 256 dsl at $21.95/mo was worth it!!

penny

 

[Flyingcoyote]

"Slacker" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
: So, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of getting a cable hook-up instead
of my current 56K lightning bolt.
:
: I'm currently paying $17 a month and the cable would be about $50, which
is a lot.
:
: For those of you that have already switched, was it worth it? Any regrets?
:
: --
: Slacker
:
:
:

In my area, the ADSL is better. I have friends who say where they are that the cable
connection is better. So it varies. I've had it for a few years now and I can't even imagine
going back to a modem.

It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both clock at 1.2Mbps+ (I have the
guaranteed 364kbps (or somewhere around there) u/d package) and it runs me an additional $50 on my
monthly phone bill. Definitely worth it if you spend a decent amount of time online.

Whenever I need to cut my bills back a little it's the cable TV hook up that goes first, then I
start on other things. The ADSL has yet be thrown out... and I haven't even considered it an option.
But then, I'm a total geek and spend a *lot* of time online.

--

FlyingCoyote http://www.boarsgut.com

--

 

[Kathleen]

Slacker wrote:
> So, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of getting a cable hook-up instead of my current 56K
> lightning bolt.
>
> I'm currently paying $17 a month and the cable would be about $50, which is a lot.
>
> For those of you that have already switched, was it worth it? Any regrets?

If you can afford it, it's worth it. No more tied up phone line (and ******-off friends and family),
and it makes browsing and net surfing a joy. There's a lot of things I'd cut back on before I'd go
back to a dial up service.

No regrets.

Kathleen

 

[Dean A. Stepper]

Do it. You won't regret it.

"Slacker" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of getting a cable hook-up instead
of my current 56K lightning bolt.
>
> I'm currently paying $17 a month and the cable would be about $50, which
is a lot.
>
> For those of you that have already switched, was it worth it? Any regrets?
>
> --
> Slacker

 

[Ruger9]

On Sat, 05 Apr 2003 03:25:20 GMT, "Slacker" <[email protected]> wrote:

>So, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of getting a cable hook-up instead of my current 56K
>lightning bolt.
>
>I'm currently paying $17 a month and the cable would be about $50, which is a lot.
>
>For those of you that have already switched, was it worth it? Any regrets?

Performance-wise, It's definitely worth it, especially if you like to download movies (like bike
movies). Money-wise, I'd say yes, but it was an easier decision for me: I not only had a $24 ISP
bill, but also a $17 phone line bill- I had a dedicated phone line for the computer. That's
$41/month. My cable service (internet) is only $50, including renting the cable modem.

No regrets.

ELi

 

[Ruger9]

On Fri, 4 Apr 2003 19:56:14 -0800, "FlyingCoyote" <[email protected]> wrote:

>It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both clock at 1.2Mbps+

It varies with location, but my cable modem is 10Mbps.

ELi

 

[Zilla]

Look into DSL too, if it's available. Cable modem is a shared bandwidth media, meaning the more
people use it, the less bandwidth any individual has, whereas DSL offers a constant bandwidth. Like
folks said, this is location specific. So if every one in your neighborhood likes downloading Pete
F's videos for example, cable modem will suffer but DSL will persist.

--
- Zilla (Remove XSPAM)

"Slacker" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So, I'm slowly warming up to the idea of getting a cable hook-up instead
of my current 56K lightning bolt.
>
> I'm currently paying $17 a month and the cable would be about $50, which
is a lot.
>
> For those of you that have already switched, was it worth it? Any regrets?
>
> --
> Slacker

 

[Clydesdalemtb]

Dean A. Stepper wrote:
> Do it. You won't regret it.

Unless your provider over-subscribes your local loop.

--
John G.

(Sniffer Pro is you friend in cases such as this ;-)

 

[..::Tbf::..]

--
http://members.rogers.com/theblackfoxx/ "Ruger9" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 4 Apr 2003 19:56:14 -0800, "FlyingCoyote" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> >It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both
clock
> >at 1.2Mbps+
>
> It varies with location, but my cable modem is 10Mbps.
>
> ELi
>

Depends on your usage. I thought 56Kps was the sh*t until I got ADSL, and then I was in heaven until
upgrading the cable which blows them all away.

I have triple opti' at the office which is linked to my home office pc, but for personal use, cable
beats anything out there.

Of course that means you spend more time online because you can get anything online in the snap of a
click instead of waiting for it to download.

 

[Penny S.]

Ruger9 wrote:
> On Fri, 4 Apr 2003 19:56:14 -0800, "FlyingCoyote" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>> It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both clock at 1.2Mbps+
>
> It varies with location, but my cable modem is 10Mbps.
>
> ELi

HI Ruger...you going to hang with us for a while now?

Penny

 

[G.T.]

Ruger9 wrote:
> On Fri, 4 Apr 2003 19:56:14 -0800, "FlyingCoyote" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>>It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both clock at 1.2Mbps+
>
>
> It varies with location, but my cable modem is 10Mbps.
>

Are you the only person on cable in your entire state? If you are getting anywhere near 10 Mbps,
even just from one or two sites, you are extremely lucky.

Greg

--
"Destroy your safe and happy lives before it is too late, the battles we fought were long and hard,
just not to be consumed by rock n' roll..." - The Mekons

 

[Bb]

On Sat, 05 Apr 2003 16:00:08 GMT, ..::TBF::.. wrote:

> Depends on your usage.

True, its a bit expensive if you don't use it all that much.

> I have triple opti' at the office which is linked to my home office pc, but for personal use,
> cable beats anything out there.

"Triple opti'"?

> Of course that means you spend more time online because you can get anything online in the snap of
> a click instead of waiting for it to download.

I'm even more in geek heaven. I have wireless in the house along with DSL, so we have a laptop
sitting next to the couch. Finding something online is just a matter of opening the laptop and
clicking away (its pretty much always on in the evenings).

To reiterate what someone else said, cable is a shared medium and a lot of it depends on how your
provider sets it up. I know of several people who've said that cable can be blazingly fast, but also
can be as slow as a modem if a lot of people are using it. I work with people who do networking for
a living so these guys don't just give opinions, they give transfer rates.

--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

 

[..::Tbf::..]

--
http://members.rogers.com/theblackfoxx/ "G.T." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ruger9 wrote:
> > On Fri, 4 Apr 2003 19:56:14 -0800, "FlyingCoyote" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >>It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both
clock
> >>at 1.2Mbps+
> >
> >
> > It varies with location, but my cable modem is 10Mbps.
> >
>
> Are you the only person on cable in your entire state? If you are getting anywhere near 10 Mbps,
> even just from one or two sites, you are extremely lucky.
>
> Greg
>
> --
> "Destroy your safe and happy lives before it is too late, the battles we fought were long and
> hard, just not to be consumed by rock n' roll..." - The Mekons
>

Not unheard of. I live in Toronto, Ontario and my home is about 5 minutes drive from the relay
hub for city. My transfer rates are through the roof. I can download a 500 MB file in about 10 to
15 minutes.

As mentioned, it's all in the way your ISP configures the service, and combined with the distance
and number of users who share the feed.

Also, usage spikes at various times of day. If you surf late at night or early in the day, the speed
usually averages 40 to 60 kps for most people I know around here.

 

[Slacker]

> Not unheard of. I live in Toronto, Ontario and my home is about 5 minutes drive from the relay hub
> for city. My transfer rates are through the roof. I can download a 500 MB file in about 10 to 15
> minutes.
>
> As mentioned, it's all in the way your ISP configures the service, and combined with the distance
> and number of users who share the feed.
>
> Also, usage spikes at various times of day. If you surf late at night or early in the day, the
> speed usually averages 40 to 60 kps for most people I know around here.

Hey BF,

Does your ISP guarantee you a minimum transfer rate and is there any way of knowing what the
actually rate would be at a given area before signing up??
--
Slacker

 

[Clydesdalemtb]

The ONLY thing I miss about my old job (besides the grossly over-inflated paycheck) is my OC-48
connection.

 

[..::Tbf::..]

--
http://members.rogers.com/theblackfoxx/ "Slacker" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Not unheard of. I live in Toronto, Ontario and my home is about 5
minutes
> > drive from the relay hub for city. My transfer rates are through the
roof. I
> > can download a 500 MB file in about 10 to 15 minutes.
> >
> > As mentioned, it's all in the way your ISP configures the service, and combined with the
> > distance and number of users who share the feed.
> >
> > Also, usage spikes at various times of day. If you surf late at night or early in the day, the
> > speed usually averages 40 to 60 kps for most
people I
> > know around here.
>
>
> Hey BF,
>
> Does your ISP guarantee you a minimum transfer rate and is there any way
of knowing what the actually rate would be at a given area
> before signing up??
> --
> Slacker
>
>

I signed up for this years ago when it was being run by @home in the US. When the company went bust
the service was returned to Rogers Cable in Canada. They never made any claimes on specific speeds
but did say that it was 35 to 80% faster than ADSL which it has been from day one.

The minimum transfer rate is 35Kps, but like anything that was subject to change, and at time my
downloads get down to around that level (rarely though).

You can't hold them to transfer speeds because those are condition dependent. BUT you can hold them
to transfer caps!

 

[Ruger9]

On Sat, 5 Apr 2003 08:05:31 -0800, "Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote:

>Ruger9 wrote:
>> On Fri, 4 Apr 2003 19:56:14 -0800, "FlyingCoyote" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both clock at 1.2Mbps+
>>
>> It varies with location, but my cable modem is 10Mbps.
>>
>> ELi
>
>HI Ruger...you going to hang with us for a while now?

Uh-oh. I've been made! Yeah- 2 different callsigns. Not on purpose, just kinda' happened that way
way back when I started on usenet, and I let it go long enuff that I didn't bother merging them
together. You'll find me as ruger9 or ELi on various MTB, backpacking, running, and other forums.

ELi/Ruger9

 

[Ruger9]

On Sat, 05 Apr 2003 16:50:25 GMT, "G.T." <[email protected]> wrote:

>Ruger9 wrote:
>> On Fri, 4 Apr 2003 19:56:14 -0800, "FlyingCoyote" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>It's that much better. I have PacBell ADSL, upload and download both clock at 1.2Mbps+
>>
>>
>> It varies with location, but my cable modem is 10Mbps.
>>
>
>Are you the only person on cable in your entire state?

I think it's based more on sector...or "neighboorhood"... I got cable as soon as it became
available in my area...it had been available everywhere EXCEPT my area for a few years. So I'm
probably one of the LAST people to get it on Comcast in my area, but one of the FIRST in my sector
that just went active.

The literature tham came with my modem says depending on several factors, I can possibly connect at
50Mbps. It's always been 10 Mbps tho.

ELi

 

[G.T.]

..::TBF::.. wrote:
>
>
> I signed up for this years ago when it was being run by @home in the US. When the company went
> bust the service was returned to Rogers Cable in Canada. They never made any claimes on specific
> speeds but did say that it was 35 to 80% faster than ADSL which it has been from day one.
>

Yeah, and that's probably being conservative. Any of my friends who have cable have anywhere from
50% to 200% faster speeds than my DSL. And if you check DSLReports.com you'll see similar numbers.
The two reasons I really like DSL is that it is very consistent, and DSL ISPs generally don't place
the types of restrictions on their customers that cable ISPs do.

Greg

--
"Destroy your safe and happy lives before it is too late, the battles we fought were long and hard,
just not to be consumed by rock n' roll..." - The Mekons