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As you know, dialing in to the Internet these days can be like "trying to shower with a squirt gun" and many home users like you are feeling the need for speed as they come to depend on Net access not only for information and communication, but for services and activities like commerce and entertainment. Cable providers, ISPs, and telephone companies are in a competitive scramble to offer consumers reliable, cost-effective connectivity. It's likely that the right choice for you will depend on what's available where you live and how much you're willing to spend. Here's what we're talking about: Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) uses ordinary copper phone lines to carry both voice and data to your home
-- the data part of the line provides a "dedicated" or continuous connection to the Internet. DSL only works if your home is reasonably close to a phone company central office currently equipped with the service. In contrast, the cable modem is a device more like a network interface card than an actual modem, that lets your home computer use a local cable TV line to connect continuously to the Net. Data download speeds are typically faster than uploads, and are affected by the number of subscribers using the service in a given area. Scientific American's October online edition takes a comprehensive look at the new broadband technologies in a collection of feature articles titled "High-Speed Data Races Home." But, because cable services are not yet available in all areas of the U.S. or internationally, and because DSL offerings vary significantly depending on the local telco, your best bet is to talk to people in your neighborhood to get the facts about installation and quality of service. "Cable modems or DSL: Which is better?," a Salon.com technology column, offers advice and insight, pinpointing key differences and reviewing concerns about performance, security, and support. An article from SeattleTimes.com addresses
similar concerns. How did we find this information? Well, we searched in Yahoo! on "broadband" and our first result pointed us to a Yahoo! Full Coverage special report called High-Speed Internet Access, which offers news stories and sources, related web sites, opinions, and editorials on this very hot topic.
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