Cable vs fast DSL - comparison?
Cable vs fast DSL - comparison?
I'm relocating to a rural area, trying to get a better comparison of what my internet will be like out there. At the moment I have cable internet - 25mbps dl w/ 8 ul. Speeds are totally fine for gaming/streaming. The area I'm moving to will only allow for DSL or Satellite. Downside with satellite is the high latency - therefore I doubt I can game. The DSL package that was offered was 25mbps dl w/ 3 ul, they are also in the closest rural city which is 6-7 miles away. How does the latency compare versus cable? Since I would be 6-7 miles from the isp, that could mean my latency would be decent?
Ping from ADSL and Cable feel quite alike. The main focus lies in each ISP's configuration and the number of hops involved rather than the underlying tech. ADSL tends to be tougher to achieve high speeds (especially in Canada), but at similar rates it should offer performance close to Cable, maybe even more reliable.
I did the opposite of what you asked, and I think you might have lower latency because there’s less traffic from a less busy location.
Being 6-7 miles away from the DSL node would result in much slower speeds—only about 5 Mbps, let alone 25 Mbps. It’s likely either a closer remote exists or the ISP is misrepresenting the available bandwidth. If a node within 3-4 miles is reachable (depending on the cable path), DSL performance should be comparable to cable internet. In fact, historically DSL often offered lower latency than cable, though that gap has narrowed over time.
among all the challenges I've faced, rural locations will likely offer slower internet because it isn't very cost-effective for companies to lay fiber optic cables into remote areas like parts of Egypt. In some cases, you might not find a standard ISP and would need a satellite-based wireless solution. However, the actual speed depends on your location, the state you're in, and whether the ISPs have invested in providing quality service there. Checking ISP websites can give you a better sense of what to expect based on the area you're moving into.
When you receive DSL, request your service provider to switch it to FAST mode rather than interleaved, which will lower your ping to fiber speed. The download performance may not be great, but there will be no delays.