FAQ - DSL VS CABLE, Which Is Better?

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When the cable infrastructure is new or well maintained, cable modems are typically faster for downloads than most if not all DSL lines. But, cable has some disadvantages over DSL too. Since cable is a shared media, there is always a possibility that performance may degrade over time as more and more additional households plug in, connect additional devices (videos, game machines) to the TV lines.

A cable company may react slowly to solve these kinds of problems, as they never sell access by speed, or promise consistent speed or latency.

One of the largest disadvantages of cable over DSL is the upstream (return path). Cable companies are using a very narrow band for return signaling, below all the space allocated for TV channels. This band is prone to RF interference and is very limited in capacity. Upstream transmissions may therefore compete with others in the area, get delayed (suffer high latency) due to noise fighting techniques, and cable Terms Of Service typically prohibit any kind of constant upstream use. Internet use is shifting away from central servers broadcasting to many individuals and some interesting peer-to-peer applications are appearing (games, voice and video applications, communal libraries). These applications need a strong upstream channel.