How Business DSL & Cable compare to T1/T3's
Posted by Brian Duke on Tue, Apr 01, 2008 @ 10:53 AM
I've run into some business owners that have asked about what makes a T1/T3 so much better than their Business DSL or Cable so I figured an explanation would come in handy.
Business DSL - Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) use your existing copper wire phone lines to connect your computer to the Internet through the use of special equipment. DSL offers bandwidth at lower costs, but it is not sufficient for most businesses because of its limitations. For example, if your building's existing wiring is old and deteriorating, it can affect the transmission speeds you will get from your DSL lines. Also, the transmission speed you will receive from your DSL line is heavily dependent on your office's proximity to the phone company's central office.
DSL lines are usually only recommended for consumer and small business (1-4 people) users with light Internet requirements as the typical max speeds of 1.5Mbps for Download and 768kbps for Upload.
Business Cable - Cable Internet connections work through existing coaxial cable lines that are typically used for television. The downfall of cable Internet is that it employs the use of shared bandwidth; meaning multiple users in your area connects to the same cable drop and uses the same available bandwidth. This is why most businesses and consumers rarely ever receive the advertised speeds of their cable providers.
Business cable is usually recommended for individual consumers with light to medium Internet requirements and small businesses with light Internet requirements. The maximum speeds of business cable vary, but have been known to reach 6Mbps for Downloads and 768kbps for Uploads however during peak Internet usage (business hours) you can expect far less bandwidth to be available.
T1's and T3's differ from cable and DSL as they provide reliable, consistent, and dedicated bandwidth. Unlike cable and DSL, there is no sharing of bandwidth when you employ a T1 or T3 solution. You are guaranteed to receive the maximum bandwidth the circuit can provide. The standard speed for a T1 is 1.544Mbps, while the speed for a T3 is 44.736Mbps.
Learn more about NEDS T1/T3 solutions at: NEDS T1 | T3
Find a permanent link to this article here: DSL, Cable, and T1/T3's