Advantages and Disadvantages of DSL

What are DSL's major advantages?

• Speed.  It is fast.

• Availability.  It is always on. 

• Convenient.  It does not tie up your telephone line like dial-up service does.

• It does not interfere with caller ID, call waiting or other telephone features.

• It saves time.

What are DSL's biggest drawbacks?

• It is not available everywhere because of technological limitations. Copper lines can carry data using DSL's high frequencies only so far.  At some point the quality of the transmission erodes. 

• The speed that your DSL service provider boasts of for your connection can vary within a range and the access speeds that are quoted at maximum rates.  The same thing happens with modems and dial up accounts.  Variations in speeds are tied to the physical condition of the copper telephone line used for your DSL connection or the number of computers hooked up to your DSL link in your home or office.