DSL and Cable modems are 2 forms of broadband connection systems. Now what exactly is a broadband system. Communication carriers or in simple words wires and cables are of 2 types.
1) Baseband - This is the type of media in which only one signal passes through the media at a time.
2) Broadband - In this type multiple signals can travel through the media at the same time. Cable that carried many channels is the example of this type.
So how do you define a broadband in reference to Internet access speed? Anything above 64kbps speed can be classified as broadband. We say 64 because modems can theoretically give speeds in the range of 56 kbps. The main advantages of broadband are that it is always ’’connected”, the speeds are considerably higher and you save a fortune on phone bills. The 2 main types pf broadband, which are available in India, are the cable and the DSL options. (The other option is Ethernet). I will explain these 2 to you in details and then in the ending will tell you which is the better option. Let us first start with DSL.
DSL
DSL full form is Digital Subscriber Line. It will give you broadband access over your current copper telephone wires. It is a high speed, ’always on’ connection that will let you use your telephone lines to access the net and make calls simultaneously. There are various types of DSL networks and I will tell you some of them. A point to note is that the speed of the connection is directly proportional to the distance of your service provider. So keep the service provider close to your house. The different types are: -
1) ADSL - Asymmetric DSL. As the name suggests, it provides higher speed for downloads than for uploads. This is mostly used in homes and individual users.
2) ADSL Lite - This is a lower speed version of ADSl. Lower speed ??? Yes, this is done because it simplifies the installation of the DSL connection at the users end.
3) R-ADSL - Rate Adaptive DSL. Similar to ADSL but the modem adjusts the speed of the connection according to the length and the quality of the line used.
4) HDSL - High Bit Rate DSL . It is a symmetric connection. It has similar upload and download speeds. It is mostly used for video - conferencing systems.
5) VDSL - Very High Bit Rate DSL. It is the fastest DSL connection over a single copper wire. It provides speed of up to 52mbps download and 2.3 mbps upload.
- How DSL works * - Voice and Data get transferred on the existing copper wires by using different frequency range on the same lines. Voice is own lower frequency while data is on the higher frequency. The technology to do this is in the DSL transceiver or the modem, which is installed both at your side and the provider’s side. A DSL modem at your side will send the data over the telephone line to the provider. There a device called DSLAM ( DSL ) Access Multiplexer ) will aggregate the incoming lines and redirect the voice traffic to the PSTN and the data to a high speed digital line which connects you the net. This is a highly simplified version of the way a DSL connection works.
So we end with the DSL chapter.
Cable Modem
Cable Modem is becoming a popular alternative among home users who prefer it to dial up access. Cable Internet means bringing the net to your house through the same cable that brings you TV channels into your TV. This is much simpler than the DSL network. It consists of the Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS ) at the cable guy’s place or your provider and the cable modem at your place. The cable modem at your place will let you access the net through your Cable TV ( CATV ) network. These are of 3 types :-
1) External Modem - This is the most common type of modem used. It is similar to the dial-up external modem. One side of the cable modem will be connected to the coaxial cable coming from your cable operator and the other side connects to your PC through and Ethernet Interface. So u will need an additional network card. But now u also get cable modems with USB interface.
2) Internal Modems - These cable modems will fit inside your PC and usually have PCI interface. They are cheaper than external cable modems and being PCI will fir only inside a desktop PC. I guess Mac and notebook users will need an external modem.
3) Set-top Box - These are usually offered by companies like Samsung and jadoonet. They allow you to access the net using your TV and a keyboard. It consists of a cable modem, which will connect the cable from your operator to the TV at the other end.
The Verdict
So what about the choice between cable and DSL connection. Well if you are lucky enough to have the freedom of choosing between both of them
(With the backbone and the bandwidths being offered the same by the providers) then the DSL option is better. Because Cable is a shared media, i.e., the cable, which comes to your house, is used by the neighbors also. As more and more users are added to thte segment that you are using, the available bandwith will be shared. So go for DSL.