difference between DSL & ADSL?

[Tbag]

Im going to get 8MB broadband soon and have been looking for wireless routers & broadband in-line filters and i came across DSL & ADSL but dont know what im getting or whats the difference.

[psx_pirate]

DSL = Digital Subscriber Line .... ADSL = Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line ..... the Asymetric bit means that the upstream and downstream have different speeds ... ie. 8 meg broadband will be 8mb/s down but may only be 512kb/s up (actual upstream speed varies between isp's) ... in the uk most broadband is Asymetric, however broadband through cable is usually refered to as DSL (although in truth its actually ADSL) whilst broadband though a phone line is always refered to as ADSL.

Most routers will handle both DSL and ADSL (as theres not really much difference other than upstream speed) ... when buying a router just check that it will handle the service you are getting ... the best option is to buy a dsl/adsl (often labeled as cable/adsl) router .... if you do not require a router with built in modem then almost all routers will work ... a router with built in adsl modem is for adsl broadband only (ie for broadband via a phoneline ... it wont be any use if you get your broadband from a cable company like ntl or telewest etc)

IMO ... look for a linksys router as they seem to be popular and very reliable .... steer clear of sitecom ... i've just replaced my sitecom router (with a linksys) due to it keep dropping out because it gets to hot during the summer and this causes the router to go apeshit

[CrayonEater]

They are the same thing. Typically, Digital Subscriber Line is substantially slower than cable, though that depends on where you are and what plan you are on. (The "A" just stands for Asymmetric, the proper term for DSL) and is not always the case. Anyway, 8.0 Mb is pretty good, but check out DSLreports to find out how well the services available in your area stack up. Also, understand that speed can degrade based upon how many people are on your segment of the system at one time, and that seems to affect DSL customers somewhat more than cable, in my experience, in my experience.

You may not even be ABLE to get DSL; I live in a very populated area in the Northeast U.S. and everyone here has broadband - but no DSL. It's all cable. That's true around here even in fairly urban areas. DSLreports should cover the UK for you.

Incidentally, are you sure you need wireless? More security problems you need to worry about. I know too many people who don't pay for internet because they have a neighbor with wireless. Also, realize that a lot of the home networking routers and firewalls (esp. Netgear, unless things have improved over the last few months) can't handle a 5.0 Mbps connection let alone a 8.0 Mbps one. They saturate and fail above certain speeds. Make sure you look at LAN-to-WAN speed ratings (if a product doesn't have one, find something else). The reason I mention this is that it seems a lot of people have been suddenly hitting a "wall" in terms of connection stability, and it coincides with their providers upgrading network speeds.

[psx_pirate]

Addition .... make sure the router has the correct WAN connector for the modem (if your using one that is supplied by your isp) .... for cable modems the WAN connector on the router will need to be an Ethernet port whilst for almost all phoneline (ADSL) modems the WAN connector on the router will need to be USB

If you plan to buy a router with built in ADSL (phoneline) modem then this information is irrelevant

[ROF]

Also, understand that speed can degrade based upon how many people are on your segment of the system at one time, and that seems to affect DSL customers somewhat more than cable, in my experience.

DSL is not effected by this. You are speaking of cable.

[Tbag]

thanks for the help

[JerryB]

Im going to get 8MB broadband soon and have been looking for wireless routers & broadband in-line filters and i came across DSL & ADSL but dont know what im getting or whats the difference.

Hi,
note: anything above a 56k modem is considered broadband.. smiling.. so the kind of boradband connection your thinking of makes a difference on the answers...

Actuallly you have some excellent answers however this 8 MB connection.... we don't don't know what you palnning to get........ it sounds like your getting a cable modem , cable modem you can expect a max of 10MB however realisticly because of customer load (time shareing) 3-8 MB ..

dSL modems lines is generally much cheaper... espcially on the lower levels.... contracts are genererally written for speeds you want..ie: 184k , 386k, 512k, 712k, 1.1meg and 1.5 MB I can not remember any one going higher than that..... because it get expensive and cable modem ends up looking a lot cheaper smile...!!

[Tbag]

ADSL = Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line ..... the Asymetric bit means that the upstream and downstream have different speeds ... ie. 8 meg broadband will be 8mb/s down but may only be 512kb/s up

can it be as low as 512k?

[nutstoyou]

You say you're in the UK and about to get 8meg broadband. Have you done any research to see what's available to you at your location? Use the link to check,
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php
Dont just believe the tv ads as 8meg speeds are only available in a small but growing number of areas.

[edDV]

Give us the link to the webpage that claims 8Mb/s ADSL. This is highly unusual and needs investigation. Typical ADSL is 768Kb/s (line limited), 1500Kb/s and 3000Kb/s.

Anything more needs explanation.

In the US, cable offers higher bitrate connections at higher payment rates but the peak rate depends on local subscriber load (worse in evenings) and if you use too much bandwidth, you get kicked off (maybe with a warning). With DSL, the loading happens inside the telco company trunk lines, not the ADSL link. There aren't many reports of subscribers being kicked off for excessive use of ADSL. ADSL lines are highly regulated at the state level in the USA and at the national level in most other nations.

[greymalkin]

yeah and 3Mbps where I live is pretty common now for dsl rather than 1.5.
Not sure why anyone thinks a 54-108Mbps wireless connection can't handle 8Mbps. Do you have any way of qualifying/quantifying that statement? Even with 80% overhead a 10mbps signal should still be able to get from source to destination.

[nutstoyou]

http://www.adslguide.org.uk/newsarchive.asp?item=2615

Gives an insight into adsl max, your modem will sync at the fastest stable speed. Roughly speaking for 8meg you'd want to be no more than half a kilometre from the telephone exchange. At 1 km you're down to 6mb with speeds reducing with the distance from the exchange going down to 512kbs at 5km.
The adslguide site has all the info on UK broadband you could need.

[edDV]

yeah and 3Mbps where I live is pretty common now for dsl rather than 1.5.
Not sure why anyone thinks a 54-108Mbps wireless connection can't handle 8Mbps. Do you have any way of qualifying/quantifying that statement? Even with 80% overhead a 10mbps signal should still be able to get from source to destination.

Wireless has many ways to drop below 5 Mb/s, depending on the technology and the local situation. If you are talking about 54G, that requires parallel connections and all 54G equipment. This might be possible out in a rural barn with no metal in the walls and no neighbors. The rates are always advertised as peak burst, and not as sustained rates needed for video. As such, they work better for file transfer than for streaming.

With 54G wireless your rates drop if you have any any B equipment, any interference from neighbors or if S/N drops due to distance or obstructions.

[TBoneit]

Talk to your DSL Provider, It may be that the DSL Modem is router. Here in the USA The single port DSL Modem has a built in router that we just fed into our network to share teh internet. The one they provided at Home is a four port/wireless/DSL modem all in one piece.

You may not even need a router

[CrayonEater]

ot sure why anyone thinks a 54-108Mbps wireless connection can't handle 8Mbps

Are you talking LAN-to-LAN speeds to LAN-to-WAN? LAN-to-LAN is fine; most of the networking gear out there can handle max rated speed. LAN-to-WAN (i.e. between you and the internet) is a different story, and much if not most of the SOHO stuff out there will crap out well before 8.0 Mbps. Lookie here:

http://www.tomsnetworking.com/lans_routers/charts/index.html

This chart's probably a little generous and tests mostly wireless speeds. But wired stuff isn't immune either; I can tell you that the Netgear MR814 (wired mode) craps out around 5.5 Mbps, the Netgear FVS-318v2 craps out at 4.0 Mbps, and the Linksys BEFSX41 (and probably BEFSR41) gets shaky around 3.0 Mbps and with as little as 20 connections. All with latest firmware. Granted some of the stuff I listed isn't the absolute latest out there, but some of the latest isn't much better either. YMMV Buyer Beware.

[greymalkin]

good info guys..I don't know why the max/sustained speeds never crossed my mind...it's just like the max wattage they always stamp on car amplifiers :P.

[lordsmurf]

Also, understand that speed can degrade based upon how many people are on your segment of the system at one time, and that seems to affect DSL customers somewhat more than cable, in my experience.

DSL is not effected by this. You are speaking of cable.

That's a myth. All systems can be bogged down by too many users. What they refer to as "not slowed down like cable" is one of those loophole measurement things (sort of how Apple used to show it's CPU is 25x faster than a PC when that was clearly misleading). In reality, it doesn't mean a damned thing. Misleading and urban legend.

[ofbarea]

TIP: Try CableNut. These tweaks somehow are able tomaximizes the broadband bandwidth. For what I have seen (not very scientific testing) my wireless transfer rates have improved also.

[Lucifers_Ghost]

Here's my spin.

As has already been mentioned a few times, DSL and ADSL are one in the same. My isp (which I also work for) offers "dsl" service which is an ADSL. Its a 5 meg down / 800 kb up. Pretty decent. They are now delving into fibre optic in certain areas for 10, 12, and 16 meg, but thats for another topic.

The only "dsl" service that is different is SDSL (Symmetical). This is where your upload and download speed are the same. From what I know (which isnt all that much) there are few left who offer this type of service.

Something that Lordsmurf alluded too is also correct, sort of. The "myth" about dsl not being slowed down at peak times is just that .. a myth. However, the slow downs on dsl during peak times are much less than that of cable. For cable, during peak times, its not unheard of to see a 35% drop in speed. With dsl, over the course of the last 2.5 years at two different residences, I have never noticed a drop of more than 10 - 15%. Of course, thats just from my experiences.

Good luck!!

LG

[TBoneit]

Maybe I'm just lucky then that my DSl Throughput stays at the rated 3.0Mbs speed? I have software that telles me what I am getting and it stays rock solid whatever I'm doing unless I hit a slow server or, when My brother who is on my router too is browsing through the aviation NGs looking at the videos of plane flights/mishaps. But even then I know why my part of the speed is down but the overall is till 3.0.

[Supreme2k]

That's a myth. All systems can be bogged down by too many users. What they refer to as "not slowed down like cable" is one of those loophole measurement things (sort of how Apple used to show it's CPU is 25x faster than a PC when that was clearly misleading). In reality, it doesn't mean a damned thing. Misleading and urban legend.

Exactly.

Even if I were to get a 50% drop during peak (has never happened), it would still be faster than any dsl we have available here.




I have cable, atm, but I've been getting calls every other day from a few dsl providers who promise me 4.5M speeds. After I tell them that I was only able to get 384k when I had it, they give me a "We'll check on that.", then don't call back.
Well, kinda. See, they'll call back, but like it's a new call. I ask them if they've checked on the speed issue, and the vicious cycle starts again.

BTW, I've been paying $19.99 for cable for 18 months now (recently locked in for 36 months, price, not contract) and routinely get 8-10M dl. My wireless always gets the max, even on the $6 11Mb USB connection in the kid's room.

[RLT69]

That's a myth. All systems can be bogged down by too many users. What they refer to as "not slowed down like cable" is one of those loophole measurement things (sort of how Apple used to show it's CPU is 25x faster than a PC when that was clearly misleading). In reality, it doesn't mean a damned thing. Misleading and urban legend.

I was going to say that

Not only that but your cable provider should provide a MINIMUM speed! Which is nice. Adelphia guarantees a minimum of 1 Mb. I normally get around 2-3Mb. My fiance can only get max of 768Kbs from Verizon DSL and she RARELY gets 768Kbs. Such much for DSL being better than cable.

When they, Verizon, finally runs fiber, then I'll consider switching. Until then cable trumps DSL (over copper).

[KBeee]

Yeah, I too agree with LS.
It depends on the Contention Ratio. ADSL, and ADSL Max being fairly new to the UK contention is pretty rare at the moment. Usually the ratios offered are 50:1 or 20:1 - you pay more for a 20:1 contention ratio of course.
Also I think the UK advertising guidlines prohibit calling an ADSL line just "DSL", because it would be deceptive.

[Nelson37]

The slowdown issue with cable modem versus DSL refers to a difference in the network topology. On DSL, you have your own line to the central office; while you are sharing total bandwidth with other users, it is ALL of them on that particular office trunk line, this being a fairly large number. With cable modem, you are on a smaller network segment with anywhere from 16 to 64 other users in your neighborhood. Just one or two heavy users on that segment will slow all others, as well. With DSL, it slows down primarily during peak Internet usage periods, this "slowdown" basically affecting the entire internet. Cable "slowdown" events can and do depend on far more localized issues.

The terms "dsl" and "adsl", while having distinctly different meanings, are pretty much used interchangeably by reps who essentially do not know the difference.

[MistaED]

>Addition .... make sure the router has the correct WAN connector for the modem (if your >using one that is supplied by your isp) .... for cable modems the WAN connector on the >router will need to be an Ethernet port whilst for almost all phoneline (ADSL) modems the >WAN connector on the router will need to be USB

>in the uk most broadband is Asymetric, however broadband through cable is usually refered >to as DSL (although in truth its actually ADSL) whilst broadband though a phone line is >always refered to as ADSL.


These are completely misleading and uninformed statements. ASL/DSL modems usually have both a usb and and ethernet port for connectivity for you to choose from, depending on what you find more convenient. Also, cable is NEVER referred to as DSL. They are two totally different broadand transmission technologies. In any case, if it's a wireless router you are looking for, amny people find the Linksys brand easy to set up, use, and upgrade with both 1st party and independent firmwares, depending on your expertise on routers.

[vitualis]

Give us the link to the webpage that claims 8Mb/s ADSL. This is highly unusual and needs investigation. Typical ADSL is 768Kb/s (line limited), 1500Kb/s and 3000Kb/s.

I would assume that to be ADSL2+ speeds.

For example, in Australia, they are rolling out ADSL2 which has speeds of up to 24 Mbit/s: http://www.tpg.com.au/products_services/adsl2plus_pricing.php

As for the "difference" between DSL and ADSL, it is analoguous to the difference between a "cup" and a "round cup".

Regards.

[CrayonEater]

f it's a wireless router you are looking for, amny people find the Linksys brand easy to set up, use, and upgrade

FYI, somebody posted a real negative review from Tomshardware the other day on two of the newest Linksys wireless routers; apparently they screwed up what once was a top-notch product. Of course, I don't know from firsthand experience, but thought I'd give everyone a head's up.

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=302809

Supreme2k-

BTW, I've been paying $19.99 for cable for 18 months now (recently locked in for 36 months, price, not contract) and routinely get 8-10M dl.

Crap, where do you live, man? I can get 10Mbps but it costs $149 a month. I pay $50 a month for 6.5 Mbps. Although my provider never slows down no matter when, I'd love to fine $20 cable.

[KBeee]

As for the "difference" between DSL and ADSL, it is analoguous to the difference between a "cup" and a "round cup".

Regards.

If you're an average home user then yes, but a small business that needs the 8Mb upload speed of an 8meg DSL package, and ends up with the 0.5Mb upload speed of the 8 meg ADSL package would have grounds for complaint if he was sold it because the sales person called ADSL DSL.

[handyguy]

You should compare the prices, my local provider has them at two price rates.

But also consider if you want a dynamic or static IP. Static costs more.

[Supreme2k]

Crap, where do you live, man? I can get 10Mbps but it costs $149 a month. I pay $50 a month for 6.5 Mbps. Although my provider never slows down no matter when, I'd love to fine $20 cable.

I have Comcast. When they first arrived in my neighborhood, they had that promo going, for 1 year. When y $19.99/mo. year was up, they were havng the promo again "for now customers". I (lightly) complained that I was a faithful customer, and they let me have it. Weird thing was, they locked me into that price for 36 months, but I said that I didn't want a contract (that's why I dropped dsl). The guy then says that it is a lock-in for price, but the service is month-to-month

OTOH, they're pretty competitive in this area, hence the dsl phone calls every few day (plus about a bazillion "Come Back!" and "Why hassle with cable?" flyers).