I had ISDN before cable modem was available in my area. I had the usual
"didn't work the first time" problems that everyone has heard of over the
years, eventually traced to a incorrect setting in the ISDN switch.
While the ISDN itself was almost always working, between firmware problems
on the terminal adapter and the Cisco 5200 on the other end causing easily
reproducable disconnections, I think cable modem/VPN connection to work
has been just as reliable at most times and much faster. (Running X or
other chatty protocols over ISDN was a recipe for frequent disconnection)
The notable exception is during storm related power problems: with ISDN my
connection to work would stay up with the Terminal adapter plugged into
the UPS, but since the cable company does not have their equipment in the
neighborhoods backed up in any way I am disconnected with power problems
anywhere in the local loop.
Speed has not been an issue with cable, it has typically been faster at
its worst than 128k ISDN at its best.
On Sat, 21 Jul 2001, James L. Rice wrote:
> DSl won't be offered in my suburban area (21 miles from DT Dallas) until
> 3rd Qtr 2002, so I opted for ISDN. It was insanely easy to set up, it
> costs about the same as DSL, but it never goes down. The download speed
> is slower than DSL or cable, unlike most of the DSL or cable subscribers
> around Dallas, the speed is a constant. My brother-in-law, who lives to
> play TribesII or Unreal, has a cable modem that slows down drastically
> at night when everyone is home and online. I'll probably get business
> class DSL (5 static IP's and a dedicated router, 1.5mb dl. 384 up)when
> it becomes available here, but I may keep the old reliable ISDN as a
> backup anyway.
>
> James
>
> Richard Erlacher wrote:
> >
> > I'm not sure what the current status is, but back in '95 or so, we had enough
> > ISDN customers to warrant a server just for them. Our customers certainly
> > didn't complain back then, since ISDN offered flexibility and performance not
> > available on a DS0 service costing 5x as much.
> >
> > I was somewhat surprised, after attempting to get ISDN service here at my house,
> > as DSL wasn't yet being offered, to learn that Emanuel Stiebler has ISDN at his
> > somewhat remote mountain home. With all the limits on distance from the C.O.
> > I'd have been the last to expect to get ISDN service so far from town.
> >
> > Nevertheless, if you have any questions about ISDN and the quality of service,
> > I'd say it might be useful to ask him. Everyone else I know who once used ISDN
> > has gone to DSL or some other level of service. My neighbor has a really
> > high-bandwidth microwave link to some obscure ISP and he tells me he's getting
> > the equivalent (in bursts) of DS3 rates. I've yet to visit his newly organized
> > facility, but with the hardware I've seen him bring in over the past half-year,
> > I don't doubt his claim.
> >
> > Dick
> >
>
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Received on Sat Jul 21 2001 - 10:14:27 BST