Cable, Broadband or DSL? How to Choose Which is Best for You

For many the thought of using an internet connection that is always on is like leaving your door unlocked whether you are going out, lounging around the house, or simply going to bed. Well, you just wouldn't do it, most of us will lock our doors when we are home, it's about security, it just feels safer if the deadbolt is on. Think of your broadband connection the same way, there are systems in place that act like your deadbolt and for added safety you can even have a surveillance system to watch over you computer. Broadband users are attractive to internet intruders because they have a connection that is always on. To a predator this can be like having your windows open all the time, you are susceptible to being spied upon by an internet voyeur. I personally find that exceptionally creepy, and feel much more comfortable if my windows were shut, and my doors were locked. Broadband has security features that do just that, shutting your computer off from people nosing around your files looking for anything they can use to gain information on your surfing habits or even banking information.

Operating systems come with a feature called a firewall, which is a software program in place to protect your computer from outside traffic. Depending on the settings you choose you can control all request from the internet that try to access your computer. You can think of a firewall as a deadbolt on your door, the settings give you the options of locking the door entirely or allowing others limited access with your permission. Broadband packages come with a modem, if you modem is from the Internet service provider, it will already have a firewall program installed, buying it retail requires you to make the setting yourself, be careful and read the documentation.

Like I mentioned before, just because your internet connection is always on, it is an irresistible target for those in the business of gathering information, like in the cases of identity theft. There is no need to panic and snatch the connection from the wall, there are very effective security measures available to you. Anti-spy ware and virus protections act like a surveillance camera for your computer, monitoring all the activity that takes place while your computer is online, a good anti-spy ware program runs in the background quietly and intercepts unwanted intrusions, informing you when it does so. With your firewall and anti-spy ware in place you can feel a little more comfortable with a connection that is always on.

With this in mind, have you chosen a broadband service provider? My first experience with broadband was Dsl, having had enough of the meandering speeds of dial up, I decided it was time for a faster connection. I chose Dsl which runs on an existing telephone line in your home, and after my kit came in the mail, and a few moments unpacking the gear and installing filters for the other phone jacks in the home, I was up and running. Initially the increased speed was phenomenal, but over time I noticed that the connection speed wasn't consistent, after calling my provider and having an enlightening conversation with an informed customer service representative, I found that my internet speed was directly reflected on my distance from the hub, yeah he said hub, I pictured an office with a giant computer in it with thousands of wires protruding from it like a scene from the matrix. Surprisingly I was not entirely wrong, the hub also know as the Central Office, is simply an office housing the technology that offers and maintain internet in your area, and yes there are a lot of wires. The quality of your service, mainly the speed of your connection, is dictated by distance from the hub, the closer you are to the hub the faster your service, and the farther away you are, the weaker the signal, reflected in a much slower speed than a user located nearer to the hub.

Cable, the more popular of the broadband options, is widely considered to render the faster speeds over Dsl is a different technology. Cable requires you to subscribe to service through your cable company, so if you don't already have cable you will have to sign up for a service, there are several packages to choose from. Cable broadband speeds are dictated by the package you sign up for as well as your geographic location, yes, your friends in another region of the country may actually get a faster connection. Connection speeds are set by the internet service provider. Another factor influencing internet speed for a cable connection is how much bandwidth other residence in your area are using. It sounds like you are sharing your internet, but not at all, but let's just say that if you were trying to make it home in 5 o'clock traffic the trip home will take a bit more time than if you left a little earlier getting ahead of the traffic, thus getting you where you want to go a lot faster. If you are in question about how fast your connection is you can go to several websites on line and have your internet speeds clocked. Speed test are usually free and take only seconds to execute.

You don't have to have broadband to connect to the internet you can still use your old dial up if you wanted, your access to a lot of the information and sites will greatly be limited. Dial up can't supply the bandwidth for a lot applications on the internet today. So If you watch streaming media, like You Tube, MTV, or the news on CNN your ability to watch this medium may be degraded or you may not be able to watch at all. This is one of the benefits of broadband over dial- up.

The dial-up connection offers a maximum speed of 56 kilobits per second - Kbs, Broadband advertises speeds up to 5 megabits per second - Mbs. The latter does depend on some of the previously mentioned factors, like region and distance from the source. The difference is staggering, let's say you wanted to download a 3 megabyte tune of your favorite pop hit, with dial-up this could take upwards of 20 minutes, with a broadband connection the same download could be finished in under a minute. There is no question that broadband is the connection of choice in this age of mostly information delivered faster is better. The choice to use Cable or DSL is subjective to the factors above, but the pricing plans for each are virtually the same in most places.

Almost any computer with at least 64 mb of ram can be connected to a broadband connection. I've personally used an old Compaq Presario with 64 mb of ram running Windows 98 2^nd edition operating system. Now the performance of the computer itself left many things desirable, but even on that old computer my internet speed was fantastic. So if you got an old one laying around or even if your new one acts up, feel free to break out the old work horse and have at it, you can access sites like Myspace, provided you set up an account, and all the interactive social applications available. Broadband does not discriminate against the elderly