[BasketofPuppies]

My contract with AT&T is over, and as a result my DSL bill (6 megs down, 3/4 up) has gone from $28 a month to $35 a month.

Comcast, my cable television operator, is offering cable Internet at the same speed for $20 a month for six months. The price increases to $43 after that, but when you take into account that I have to pay for landline telephone service--which I haven't used much since getting a cell phone--to get DSL Internet access, cable would still effectively cost me less than DSL.

I am considering switching, but I would like some input before I decide.

The big disadvantage cable has over DSL is lack of consistent speed, due to a shared cable Internet connection with everyone in your neighborhood. I live in the Streeterville/Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. (You know those postcards of Chicago? I live right behind those photographs.) To say the least, there are a lot of people in my neighborhood, so if anyone has experience with Comcast Internet in this area (or at least cable Internet in a high-population area), I would like to hear it.

Comcast claims that self-installation is an option only if you have only one computer you want connected to the Internet, and requires professional installation (read: expensive) and leasing a cable modem from Comcast (read: additional monthly fee) for multiple devices. Is this really true? My current setup has my DSL modem/router, three computers and my PlayStation 3 plugged into an ethernet switch. Would the same thing work with a cable modem in place of my DSL modem/router, or will I have to pay for professional installation installation and lease a cable modem if I switch?

And if I can buy a cable modem, which one is best, and where should I buy it?

[ghporter]

Have you researched AT&T's deals? Of course it's easier to do this before your contract expires, but you can usually get another good deal by signing another commitment. I've done that for the same package you have, and I'm getting the $28 rate for yet another year.

I can't recommend for or against Comcast because I don't have any experience with them. But I do know that TimeWarner has a history of being almost on top of things. When equipment fails, it fails; the telephone system is built to withstand equipment failures because it's used for actual life-or-death functions, but cable is just TV, right? A friend of mine went with TW's package deal and gets TV, Internet and telephone all over his coax. Except that the coax goes dead now and then (not often!) and he's stuck without a landline OR his house alarm.

As for Comcast's claims about what's "needed," they're based on Comcast's "need" to soak you for more money. You will be installing ONE connection to the cable system through the modem: your router. That's all it takes. From your post, I can't tell if you have a combined modem and router or separate devices-if it's combined, hit OfficeDepot or similar store and get a house-brand router for $40 or so. You should note that almost every broadband provider thinks that every customer has pudding for brains, so they make the instructions ve-ry sim-ple...and expect that you'll need a lot of help with things like "plug in the power brick." With US, right here, you don't need ANY on-site help with installing that stuff.

But I think your first step is to call AT&T and tell 'em "I just noticed that my DSL contract expired! Can I set up a new one without losing this great rate?" (That's what I've done at least once or twice-I don't keep track of that sort of contract dates very well.) It can't hurt.

[genevish]

Originally Posted by BasketofPuppies 

The big disadvantage cable has over DSL is lack of consistent speed, due to a shared cable Internet connection with everyone in your neighborhood. I live in the Streeterville/Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. (You know those postcards of Chicago? I live right behind those photographs.) To say the least, there are a lot of people in my neighborhood, so if anyone has experience with Comcast Internet in this area (or at least cable Internet in a high-population area), I would like to hear it.

Comcast claims that self-installation is an option only if you have only one computer you want connected to the Internet, and requires professional installation (read: expensive) and leasing a cable modem from Comcast (read: additional monthly fee) for multiple devices. Is this really true? My current setup has my DSL modem/router, three computers and my PlayStation 3 plugged into an ethernet switch. Would the same thing work with a cable modem in place of my DSL modem/router, or will I have to pay for professional installation installation and lease a cable modem if I switch?

And if I can buy a cable modem, which one is best, and where should I buy it?

I have Comcast, but live in Marietta, Georgia (north of Atlanta).

1. I have heard for years that the shared nature of a cable modem causes slowdowns, yet in the many years I've had a cable modem, I've never noticed a problem. I play online games as well, and never seem to have issues. I had slower service and more issues with DSL.
   
2. If you're somewhat computer savvy, you should have no problems with self-installation. Just plug a Linksys (or your favorite brand of router) into the cable modem and go from there. The claimed need for professional installation is about them making more money, not about any technical issues.

-Scott

[ghporter]

Not all cable systems, even those owned by the same local company - even in the same city - are properly configured. Often, the congestion that leads to slowdowns is VERY local and one neighborhood may have no problem while the next one over has huge problems. Be careful to check out how your NEIGHBORS do with their cable Internet connections before you commit.

[olePigeon]

If you switch to Cable, kiss internet gaming goodbye. I've given cable three tries at three different locations (with different computers, modems, etc.) and it has always resulted in high packet loss and increased ping times.

Never going to use Cable again. DSL for me. I just hate the stupid voice line bundling with DSL, I want it a la carte.

[-Q-]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

If you switch to Cable, kiss internet gaming goodbye. I've given cable three tries at three different locations (with different computers, modems, etc.) and it has always resulted in high packet loss and increased ping times.

As ghporter says, this depends on where you are. I game fine on the internet, with ping times in the 40-50s regularly. I think if you can find some local feedback you'd be better off. Check out Broadband Reports to see if there's some feedback for your Chicago neighborhood.

[mduell]

The myth that DSL has more consistent speed than cable it just that, a myth. You hit the same congestion (oversubscription) issue with DSL when you get to the central office with tens of thousands of other subscribers.

In my experience cable is consistently faster and cheaper per megabit than DSL in numerous cities across the country.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by mduell 

The myth that DSL has more consistent speed than cable it just that, a myth. You hit the same congestion (oversubscription) issue with DSL when you get to the central office with tens of thousands of other subscribers.

In my experience cable is consistently faster and cheaper per megabit than DSL in numerous cities across the country.

No doubt this is true in a lot of places. But it's very smart to check out how people in one's area experience either before going with one of them. SBC/AT&T has been VERY good for me since...2000? Compare that to local RoadRunner performance over that period, and you're likely to find that, even if RR is now at least as good as DSL, there are a ton of DSL subscribers that won't touch RoadRunner because of TimeWarner's performance and business track record. It is quite useful to check out the reviews at BroadbandReports' site, as linked above.