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Just ten years ago the hopeful clang of a dial-up modem was a sign of technological advancement. I f you had Internet at home you were tech savvy!
These days, however, the choice of Internet connection can be totally bewildering. As well as ADSL, not to mention satellite, many Australians scoping around for broadband deals now have to compare cable, wireless and the impressive speeds of ADSL2+.
If you live in an urban area and are able to feast on such technological bounty, the following is a quick guide to the pros and the cons, including a low-down on the relative damage each type may inflict on your bank account.
ADSL versus ADSL2
ADSL2 is the next big thing in a long line of broadband technologies. Just starting to make its mark in the Australian market place, ADSL2 is fast, providing higher downstream rates of up to 12Mbit/s for spans of less than 2.5km, and (potentially) up to 24Mbit/s for spans of less than 1.5km. Ideal for bandwidth heavy applications such as streaming video, ADSL2 will be increasingly rolled out with existing ADSL equipment, although users will need ADSL2 compatible modems to benefit from the quoted speeds. The following points measure ADSL2 against the others: ADSL, cable and wireless broadband.
Cable, Wireless, ADSL or ADSL2?
- Speed – If you are concerned about speed and speed only, then you need ADSL2. With Optus, the ever popular Internode, Exetel, iiNet and others involved, there is an increasing amount of choice. Maximum speeds with cable clock in at 1700kbs with BigPond, while wireless lags a little, with nothing over 15,000kbs. It should be noted that quoted speeds are only ever the maximum possible speeds – you may never experience them at all. It depends on your Internet service provider (ISP) and location almost as much as the amount you pay.
- Costs – If all you care about is cost, ADSL is the best option, as the number of ISPs offering services means greater competition. That said, there are some fairly cheap wireless plans available if you can put up with the slower speeds (sure – you can get fast wireless but if you do go for the premium options it is expensive, plain and simple). Cable can be an okay option, especially if you already watch cable TV as bundled packages could make your Internet service better value.
- Location – ADSL2 is not within reach of many Australians yet. Wireless also only has a certain distance it can travel and is therefore not available outside metropolitan areas. Cable Internet is only available where cable TV wires have been laid down. Although ADSL is the most widely available, if you are a long way from your service provider the speeds will be considerably slower for you than their advertised maximums.
- Competition – If you're of the opinion that more ISPs mean more competition and lower prices, you’re correct. Looking at it from that perspective: dozens of small ISPs offer ADSL, more and more are provide ADSL2 and wireless, and only two offer cable. A logical approach therefore, if you are motivated by pricing, might be to start looking at ADSL, then ADSL2 and wireless.
- Constancy/Connection Quality – Surfing using an ADSL connection can be a mixed bag – the quality gets lower the further you are from the ISP. Also, when compared to cable, ADSL is less likely to maintain a constant speed. But cable has its problems – a fast connection can exist in theory but you are sharing bandwidth with your neighbourhood and this affects your experience. Wireless broadband is subject to interference from devices such as cordless phones and fish tanks.
- Hardware and Extra Costs – Apart from a modem and wireless router (if you want to share the Internet), ADSL is the cheapest type of Internet to set up. With cable you may have to pay to get the cable laid, if you don't already have cable TV, as well as forking out for a cable modem – which only one computer can connect to. Wireless Internet also requires a costly new modem, as does ADSL2.
