Cable Internet versus ADSL

Hi all,

Just arrived in UK. I wonder whether it is better Cable or ADSL here.

Not being interested in a fixed phone line (I have a mobile and a an
active VOIP service), I was opting for cable Internet, but I heard
horrible things about NTL (my only possibility here).

In case I would opt for ADSL, I also wonder whether I am obliged to pay
the rental fee/monthly, even if I don't what a phone line (for voice).
Thanks.

Cheers,
Irena

> In case I would opt for ADSL, I also wonder whether I am obliged
> to pay the rental fee/monthly, even if I don't what a phone line

If you opt for ADSL, then yes you must still pay the monthly line rental for
the phone line.

ADSL gives you a wide range of ISPs to choose from, although the speeds are
slower than cable. As a home user, ADSL gives you a choice of 512k or 1 Mb,
whereas cable has 750k and 1.5 Mb. However, on the flip side NTL has a 1 GB
per day download limit, whereas most ADSL ISP's have no monthly bandwidth
restrictions.

Also, if your house has never had cable before they'd probably have to dig a
big trench up the garden to install it, and they don't tend to be very good
at doing it neatly. ADSL doesn't need this since it works over your existing
phone line.

In message <4186bfb1$0$552$(E-Mail Removed)>, Chris
Jones <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>ADSL gives you a wide range of ISPs to choose from, although the speeds
>are slower than cable. As a home user, ADSL gives you a choice of 512k
>or 1 Mb, whereas cable has 750k and 1.5 Mb. However, on the flip side
>NTL has a 1 GB per day download limit, whereas most ADSL ISP's have no
>monthly bandwidth restrictions.

Is this a cheers easy?
How can you talk such bollox in a matter of fact kind of way?
ADSL is available up to 2Mb/s with most providers if your line is
compatible. Most ADSL ISPs _do_ have monthly bandwidth restrictions.
Unlimited or uncapped connections are not the entry level nowadays.

www.adslguide.org.uk for details.
--
Pete Devlin
[{//////news03//////at\\\\\secondrow/////co\\\\\uk}]
Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.
Kaiser Wilhelm

On 1 Nov 2004, in uk.telecom.broadband, Irena wrote:

>In case I would opt for ADSL, I also wonder whether I am obliged to pay
>the rental fee/monthly, even if I don't what a phone line (for voice).

Yes, unfortunately. Something that might help you choose ISP if you go for
a BT line and ADSL is the website <http://www.ADSLguide.org/> with lots of
information and allows you to search for combinations that may be suitable.

For example, you might search for a free installation and low price per
month with a low contract length (rather than a 12 month contract).

Watch out for free setup, low monthly fee deals - some have a cancellation
fee (50+ pounds) if you close/move before using them for 12 months. Peter.

"Chris Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4186bfb1$0$552$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In case I would opt for ADSL, I also wonder whether I am obliged
>> to pay the rental fee/monthly, even if I don't what a phone line
>
> If you opt for ADSL, then yes you must still pay the monthly line rental for
> the phone line.
>
> Also, if your house has never had cable before they'd probably have to dig a
> big trench up the garden to install it, and they don't tend to be very good
> at doing it neatly. ADSL doesn't need this since it works over your existing
> phone line.
>

Dig a big trench? When NTL installed my cable, they just sank a spade to its
full blade depth in my lawn, wriggled it about a bit, then dropped in the cable,
(not even in protected conduit), and pressed the turf back with their feet.

On Tue, 2 Nov 2004 09:12:16 -0000, "GwG" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Dig a big trench? When NTL installed my cable, they just sank a spade to its
>full blade depth in my lawn, wriggled it about a bit, then dropped in the cable,
>(not even in protected conduit), and pressed the turf back with their feet.

At the risk of sounding like a sketch from the 70s, you had it lucky.

Most folk in Oxford seem to get the cable laid along the surface of
the ground, even if that means running it over the parking space in
front of their house, along a gutter or over a pavement. I /did/ have
it lucky, they looped it over the top of my rosebushes but left me
enough spare to be able to later on lower it to sit on top of the
gravel...

> How can you talk such bollox in a matter of fact kind of way?

Gotta love usenet.

> ADSL is available up to 2Mb/s with most providers if your line
> is compatible.

Of course it's available. However, if you take a moment to actually read
what I said rather than just criticising, you might read "As a home user",
since most home users will not be prepared to fork out the cost for 2 Mb.

> Most ADSL ISPs _do_ have monthly bandwidth restrictions.
> Unlimited or uncapped connections are not the entry level nowadays.

Most/many/whatever... the important point is that you have a choice, whereas
with cable you're stuck with NTL's 1 GB daily cap.

Now let me ask you, why do you bother answering a post just to put down
other people who are only trying to be helpful? Does it somehow fill an
empty void within your heart?

In message <4187ed8d$0$43634$(E-Mail Removed)>, Chris
Jones <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>> How can you talk such bollox in a matter of fact kind of way?
>
>Gotta love usenet.

Indeed, apart from the shite that's peddled around at times.
>
>> ADSL is available up to 2Mb/s with most providers if your line
>> is compatible.
>
>Of course it's available. However, if you take a moment to actually read
>what I said rather than just criticising, you might read "As a home user",
>since most home users will not be prepared to fork out the cost for 2 Mb.

So you speak for most home users? It gets worse. ISPs divide their
products into home or business and target customers accordingly. They
all seem to have a 2Mb home product, you'd better inform them their
business models are flawed.

>
>> Most ADSL ISPs _do_ have monthly bandwidth restrictions.
>> Unlimited or uncapped connections are not the entry level nowadays.
>
>Most/many/whatever... the important point is that you have a choice, whereas
>with cable you're stuck with NTL's 1 GB daily cap.

No you're not.

>
>Now let me ask you, why do you bother answering a post just to put down
>other people who are only trying to be helpful? Does it somehow fill an
>empty void within your heart?
>
The poor chap that asked the question needed help and information. You
gave him a heap of opinionated nonsense. I felt the need to highlight
this just in case he acted on your misguided advice. I'm really just too
nice and caring for my own good.
--
Pete Devlin
[{//////news03//////at\\\\\secondrow/////co\\\\\uk}]
Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.
Kaiser Wilhelm

pete devlin wrote:
> In message <4187ed8d$0$43634$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> Chris Jones <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>> How can you talk such bollox in a matter of fact kind of way?
>>
>> Gotta love usenet.
>
> Indeed, apart from the shite that's peddled around at times.
>>
>>> ADSL is available up to 2Mb/s with most providers if your line
>>> is compatible.
>>
>> Of course it's available. However, if you take a moment to actually
>> read what I said rather than just criticising, you might read "As a
>> home user", since most home users will not be prepared to fork out
>> the cost for 2 Mb.
>
> So you speak for most home users? It gets worse. ISPs divide their
> products into home or business and target customers accordingly. They
> all seem to have a 2Mb home product, you'd better inform them their
> business models are flawed.
>
>>
>>> Most ADSL ISPs _do_ have monthly bandwidth restrictions.
>>> Unlimited or uncapped connections are not the entry level nowadays.
>>
>> Most/many/whatever... the important point is that you have a choice,
>> whereas with cable you're stuck with NTL's 1 GB daily cap.
>
> No you're not.

Sorry to but in but try reading NTL's TOC, it is there in black & white. If
NTL don't do anything about it most of the time that is their decision but
the 1gig per day is a fact....

In message <41880390$0$33602$(E-Mail Removed)>,
Kráftéé <kraftee@spammersbogoff&die.kraftee.plus.com> writes
>Sorry to but in but try reading NTL's TOC, it is there in black &
>white. If NTL don't do anything about it most of the time that is
>their decision but the 1gig per day is a fact....

I'm not disputing that - NTL are not the only cable company. Although to
be fair to Mr Jones, I had missed the bit in the OPs original post where
he says that NTL is his only possibility. Well pointed out kind Sir.
Would you like a position on the usenet pedants society? We're
recruiting just now.
--
Pete Devlin
[{//////news03//////at\\\\\secondrow/////co\\\\\uk}]
Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.
Kaiser Wilhelm