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Comcast cable v. Verizon DSL

QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 20, 2003
12,125
6,196
Bay Area
hi all,

I need help deciding whether to go with Comcast cable internet or Verizon DSL. The comcast is much faster (6 Mbps vs. 1.5 Mbps max on the DSL) but either would probably be fast enough.

The real question is this - can either or both of these services be shared (2 macs, one wired and one wireless, both on 10.4) simply by hooking a router to the modem? Both providers talk about having multiple IPs, but both providers want a heck of a lot more money for that. Can't I just share the signal with both my macs using a router?

Thanks!
 
we have comcast right now and im using my laptop while my mom is using the desktop with no problem. all we did was hook up a router and an airport. i dont know about verizon.
 
comcast, I have 6 Mbps DSL from Alltel, and its blazing fast, compared to the 1.5 Mbps I upgraded from. Also, comcast is said to have better customer support and stuff. So definitely comcast

it's comcastic! :D
 
IMHO, go with cable. At least here in SC, RoadRunner is light years ahead of DSl in terms of reliability, consistency, and of course........ speeeedddd......

But whatever you do, do NOT, EVER, EVER tell them that you intend to run more than one computer from that connection. As you have eluded to, they want an a*sload of money for multiple IP's. If you have to have an install tech come to your house, HIDE your other computers where they gaurenteed to NOT see them.

TWC tried that crap with me 2 years ago, following the report from the install tech that I had a laptop in the same room where my tower was, so he automatically ASSUMMED I would running them both, and told the billing dept to "upcharge" me an extra $19.95 per month for the second connection.......

To say I went ballistic/postal on them is the #1 understatement of the year :) My phone still has burn marks on the handset, and it glows in the dark too....... :)

Just install it and get it up & running on the first mac, then later add the router and be happy :)
 
thanks for all the good responses! I like the sound of cable better. So it should work to just hook a router up to the modem?
 
QCassidy352 said:
thanks for all the good responses! I like the sound of cable better. So it should work to just hook a router up to the modem?
Click to expand...

Correct.

My setup: Comcast's modem -> Linksys Wsomething54 -> my MBP and the GF's iMac both with airport. It was quite easy to set up, no headache required.

Don't forget security.
 
I have Comcast at my college house. Something goes wrong pretty regally. Sometimes the whole net goes down, sometimes the DNS goes down, always something. My parents had Verizon DSL. It was noticeably slower than cable, especially when multiple users were on it. The best part was that in 3 years it never had a problem. They upgraded to FIOS about 5 months ago. FIOS is amazing. Look into it and see if it is in your area. It is reliable, fast, and cheap.
 
I have FIOS, and they have a history of blocking inbound ports (like 80, so people couldn't easily have web servers at home) and switching IP addresses at the flick of a hat. My Vonage router had a hell of a time until a number of firmware updates helped to fix the problem that my neighbors, with the same router but Comcast, never had.

It's a bit better now, due to constant complaints, but remember that the primary reason for FIOS is to allow them to cut the copper to your house, ending anyone else's ability to use it to provide services in the future. They're tired of others making money off of their lines, and FIOS attempts to rectify that.

That said, FIOS's 2Mbs upload is stunning, and worth looking into if the other things don't bother you.
 
Either way, just get this. Then, if it's comcast their network authenticated the MAC of the modem, so the router is 0 config. With DSL, you just configure the router to use PPPoE with your username and password through their setup page.
 
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I use comcast, it's amazing. I have great service, almost never have had problems. The set up was messed up because the cable split which we were using had become inacitve (it wasn't used for at least 10 years) so there wasn't actual cable power going through it. Simple call to Comcast tech support showed that problem and they sent guys out free to jump it and boom it was ready to go.

The only real problems i've noticed is that the obvious that if cable service gets interrupted the internet will temporarily go down. This happens maybe like once a year for about an hour or so, but other than that it's been constant, great, fast, service. I've shared it between my brother's notebook and my desktop and noticed NO speed difference. That AND download speeds are amazing, even at peak internet times.

Comcast is really worth the money if it isn't a strain to have the extra from what DSL costs. :)
 
We have Comcast here and love it. Yes you can easily share the signal with MANY computers if you wanted (with a router-->hub). Anyhow, sharing the signal generally does not slow the signal down much at all unless all computers on the network were doing heavy downloading at one time. Then it may slow down, but I have never noticed a slow down. At our house we have the signal as follows:

Comcast modem-->D Link Ethernet Router (not wireless)-->Gateway PC upstairs and Ethernet Hub downstairs-->(from the hub) my Mac G4, as well as my Asante Ethernet to Localtalk Bridge, which then goes to my Laserwriter Select 360.

What did I have to do to set it up for internet? Nothing. It just worked with the default settings of the computer.
 
I'm very happy with Comcast...I run mine directly to an Airport Express which serves my three laptops.
 
thanks a lot guys, very helpful feedback. That wireless + wired router seems the way to go, and i think that comcast sounds great. it's a little more money, but not that much... i think it would be worth it.
 
unfortunately not sharing the same dilemma as you.. top speed here is a underwhopping 3M on cable (compared to 48M in Tokyo 2 years ago!). complaining aside, you might want to check the up speed before you make a decision. my cable line is only 250kbs up and that is a major bummer if you send large files for example.. I've found it a pain for webdesign too.. the local DSL here offers 758 (or something) up stream. I'd imagine you'd find the same there. (Once they bump their line to 5M, I'm quitting cable!).

YoJI
 
good point about the upstream yogjitani. The upstream on the DSL is 384Kbps and 768Kbps on the comcast cable.
 
Mernak said:
we have comcast right now and im using my laptop while my mom is using the desktop with no problem. all we did was hook up a router and an airport. i dont know about verizon.
Click to expand...


.....same, same....except I have Verizon

really, this is what you should expect from any internet provider these days
 
SmurfBoxMasta said:
IMHO, go with cable. At least here in SC, RoadRunner is light years ahead of DSl in terms of reliability, consistency, and of course........ speeeedddd......

But whatever you do, do NOT, EVER, EVER tell them that you intend to run more than one computer from that connection. As you have eluded to, they want an a*sload of money for multiple IP's. If you have to have an install tech come to your house, HIDE your other computers where they gaurenteed to NOT see them.

TWC tried that crap with me 2 years ago, following the report from the install tech that I had a laptop in the same room where my tower was, so he automatically ASSUMMED I would running them both, and told the billing dept to "upcharge" me an extra $19.95 per month for the second connection.......

To say I went ballistic/postal on them is the #1 understatement of the year :) My phone still has burn marks on the handset, and it glows in the dark too....... :)

Just install it and get it up & running on the first mac, then later add the router and be happy :)
Click to expand...
When I first got cable modem (2001ish?) I heard about people trying to be charged on a per-machine basis, but I think the providers realized there was no point and just stopped caring. No service person has yet to bat an eye when they find out I have multiple machines on the same connection.


Lethal

EDIT: Go w/cable. Unless you live right next to the DSL mainline it's always going to be significantly slower.
 
Comcast technicians come to my house now and then and they always see the very obvious 7 or so Quadras networked in my basement, as well as the wireless router.

Back in the late 90s they used to mention the one-machine rule, but I haven't heard any of them say that in many years now.
 
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