# To Cable Modem Or Not To Cable Modem That Is The Question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 1999, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496 "1999-11-02T14:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![StrTrkr777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@StrTrkr777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrTrkr777)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/21 "1999-11-03T15:04:00Z")
You may want to check on the N.I.C. part of your statement. I rent my cable modem, but I had to either provide my own NIC or buy from them. I bought a 10/100 for less than $20 and they wanted to charge $100 for theirs and I do not think it was more than a 10. Jeffery ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/22 "1999-11-03T17:08:00Z")
JBENZ, you didn’t mention newsgroup feed. Cable modems have horrid newsgroup feeds. If youre going that fast, you want great binary news feeds. Also, some limit how much you can data you can get [like 1 gig a month or something]. ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/23 "1999-11-03T17:23:00Z")
My newsgroup feed thru RoadRunner is just fine. It’ll pull binaries at the full 1.1Mbps anytime. ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/24 "1999-11-03T17:27:00Z")
And I can say with confidence that RR doesn’t have any kinda of bandwidth limits. I do frequent binary downloads, and once a week I do remote tape backups from my server across town. The backups alone constitute about 6 gigs a month. ---
**Author:** ![Donj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Donj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donj)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/25 "1999-11-03T17:28:00Z")
I suggest going with adsl…it is comparative in cost and kicks cables ass for reliable, consistent connections. I have many friends with cable modems and @home service and Ive heard nothing but complaints from them about the support and service. Thats my thoughts, not yours. Im Donj. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/26 "1999-11-03T17:47:00Z")
In our area, our cable modem is faster upstream and downstream than adsl of the same price (a more expensive adsl would be faster) Since I run streaming video from our computer, I need the faster uplink…which, btw, my sweet husband UndeadDude got reversed up there… “Our cable modem, with RR in the DC area is great. Consistent fast speeds. It is definitely fast in both directions, tho the down speed is faster than the up speed (~1.1Mbps up, ~250Kbps down).” This should have been ~1.1Mbps down, ~250Kbps up * * * – O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/27 "1999-11-04T04:26:00Z")
Ya know, I am getting the distinct impression that people are much happier with Road Runner than they are with @Home🙂 Kinda sucks that you can’t choose the one you want. I guess I should just be thankful that I’m in a Road Runner area. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/28 "1999-11-04T09:15:00Z")
I am unlucky enough to be stuck with a unidirectional cable modem (i.e. cable downloads, phone line uploads) And get this : these morons BUILT A 14.4 INTO THE CABLE MODEM FOR UPLOADS!! Can you believe that? Top speeds I have ever gotten : **downstream : 90 kb/s** (from [ftp.direcpc.com](http://ftp.direcpc.com) , a good site to test your speed. There’s NEVER anyone on it) **upstream : 1.7 kb/s** Quite a difference, eh ? And of course the bastard cable co says it’ll be THREE YEARS before they upgrade to bidirectional cable. _sigh_ If you have a choice, go with DSL (unless you can get bi-dir cable) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/29 "1999-11-04T10:21:00Z")
Also, the idiots decided they were gonna charge $90 a month for the service, when other areas were getting bidirectional cable and DSL for $50/month. I pointed this out to them and talked them down to $50. – Bobby Boucher, cable companies are THE DEVIL!!! ---
**Author:** ![The\_LION](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e7dd6/32.png) [@The\_LION](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_LION)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/30 "1999-11-04T13:35:00Z")
Hello again to all. st777 I just double checked T.W Houstons R.R page and it says that they provide everything modem,N.I.C.,jumpers,etc. Donj The local telco (S.W.B.T.) is real proud of it’s DSL,ADSL and ISDN services. Cost is a factor in my decision,enhanced phone service plus net access would cost me anywhere from 1.5 to 2 times my cost now (line + ISP),cable cost is the same or slightly less. Most Bang for the buck. ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/31 "1999-11-04T13:52:00Z")
There are advantages to DSL. First of all, cable modem access is (as was noted above) shared access. This may not matter in terms of speed at first, when there aren’t many other CM users in your area, but the more people they hook onto the line, the slower your performance will be. DSL, on the other hand, is a dedicated connection; you get all that bandwidth to yourself and you don’t have to share. A related issue is security. I’ve read that the shared access of a cable modem is more vulnerable to hackers. Something to think about. Second, do you really want your Internet connectivity in the hands of a company with as lousy a record of customer service and reliability as the freakin’ cable company? I don’t know about you, but when I want to KNOW something is going to work, I’ll pick the phone company over the Keystone Kable Kops anytime. * * * Live a Lush Life Da Chef ---
**Author:** ![MadPoet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@MadPoet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPoet)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/32 "1999-11-04T15:52:00Z")
Locally (Portland, OR) AT&T@Home (formerly TCI@Home (formerly just @Home (just wanted one more set of parens))) is making a big push to sign people up. Free install, free “modem” (router) and free first month, with no yearly contract. GTE is making DSL unattractive: They are now selling 256k+ connections, but the fine print shows a guarantee of a whopping 10k/s. Cable is 20 bucks a month cheaper too. * * * [http://www.madpoet.com](http://www.madpoet.com) The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496/33 "1999-11-04T20:37:00Z")
> [@](#): > > This may not matter in terms of speed at first, when there aren’t many other CM users in your area, but the more people they hook onto the line, the slower your performance will be. DSL, on the other hand, is a dedicated connection; – Chef Scott Road Runner had a decent retort to this. Their point was that all bandwidth is really shared. The difference is how far down the pipe the sharing starts. Cable could have a bottleneck closer to your house, but DSL could have a bottleneck as well once your data gets out of your neighborhood. It really depends on the vigilance of the service to avoid this on either side. I partially buy that but not totally. Certainly the vigilance of the provider is the most important factor, but it seems to me that the cable provider can have a bottleneck anywhere that a DSL network could _plus_ the possiblity of a bottleneck in your neighborhood. On the other hand, the cable pipe is a bigger pipe, so it might be cheaper for the cable people to widen bandwidth on the local scale. I can say that in the 3 months that I have had cable service, the lowest drop in speed I have seen is about 15%, which is still about a third more than the top speed of similarly priced DSL in my area. > [@](#): > > A related issue is security. I’ve read that the shared access of a cable modem is more vulnerable to hackers. – Chef Scott Before today, I would have said that this is true, but only if you have file/print sharing turned on. But check this out from the Road Runner FAQ: > [@](#): > > Can other Road Runner users see the data I send and receive? > > No. Every byte of data Road Runner sends to its cable modems is encrypted with the widely-used DES encryption algorithm designed by the U.S. government. Any data sent from your computer to the Internet is also encrypted, and none is ever sent to other Road Runner cable modems in your neighborhood. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-cable-modem-or-not-to-cable-modem-that-is-the-question/10496.md?page=1)