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Upgrade and Tweak Your ConnectionApr 17 '01 (Updated Apr 20 '01) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line My experience with two high speed providers suggest a clear winner: RoadRunner cable. Results may differ for other areas. If you are using 56k connection or slower and want faster connection, but can't choose between cable and DSL, here is my experience with Winfire and RoadRunner, two high speed providers. I live in Encino, California and my experience does not represent those in other areas. DSL I was attracted to Winfire because it provided free DSL service. There were many problems activating the line, and the the modem conflicted with other hardware that I have. Although this may not be typical to all DSL services, in general DSL subscribers encounter a lot more problems then cable subscribers. Also, Winfire is now out of business and there are no other free DSL service now, maybe not ever. One advantage of DSL over cable is the dedicated line. DSL connection is not shared among other subscribers, so is independent of your neighboring population. The quality of the line, however, varies significantly for different providers. Cable My experience with cable access is much more satisfying. I am having RoadRunner now, which partners with Time Warner and other cable companies to provide this service. I ordered a self installation kit and I got two months free plus a $50 Vons certificate for installing the kit myself. The speed is very high, often 1.5Mbps as claimed. The speed fluctuates with time, since the line is not dedicated. But all in all I find cable to be more reliable than DSL. Then again it depends on the area you are in: the infrastructure and the number of subscribers in your area make a difference. Tweak After getting a fast connection, you will want to tweak it. Go to dslreports.com and click on Tools. There you will find speed test and tweaks to improve your connection. The actual link for the tweak is "http://www.dslreports.com/tweaks" It makes a huge difference because Win 9x is not configured for high speed access. Changing certain settings improve your connection significantly.  |
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