Dsl speed how fast

As of June , Qwest's DSL offering is one of the fastest in the nation with download speeds of up to 40 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps.

For even faster speeds, you'll need to evaluate cable or fiber-optic Internet offerings, unless the DSL provider can guarantee you the speed you need under an alternative plan. When evaluating DSL technology, be aware that your distance from the provider's central office will affect the speeds to which you will have access.

The closer you are to the central office, the faster Internet speeds you'll have. Depending on the provider, you may be required to sign a long-term contract for service. If your Internet usage is going to be intensive, you should review the terms of service on the provider's website to ensure your usage will remain within the plan's monthly data cap.

Downloads include loading websites and saving music files. Upload: Data sent from your computer to the Internet. Sending an email or posting a picture to social media is uploading. Bandwidth: The amount of information your Internet connection can handle at one time. Mbps: Megabits per second. It is the way your data transfer speed is measured, and how your ISP describes your upload and download speeds.

You may also see Kbps kilobits per second for slower speeds, or Gbps gigabits per second for faster speeds. Latency: The time it takes for data to travel round-trip between a computer and its ISP. What Affects Your Internet Speed Internet speed measures how quickly data is transferred from the web to your device.

Necessary Equipment To access the Internet, you need a modem to communicate between it and your devices. You May Also Like. Regardless of the internet activity, dial-up is considered slow internet because it can only offer speeds up to 56 kbps. DSL is the most common internet service type with speeds lower than 25 Mbps. Some cable internet services offer slow speeds as a low-cost internet option but are often capable of providing much higher speeds for a higher monthly cost.

Fixed wireless is a popular internet solution in rural areas. It uses broadcast towers to transmit and receive internet signals. Depending on provider and location, speeds can vary between Mbps, but tend to be on the slower end. An internet speed test will give you a good idea of whether or not you have the necessary speeds for your household.

For best results, take the speed test with a wired connection. Try these helpful hacks to improve your internet speed. Or if you just want more bang for your buck, check out providers near you with more speed for the price. Rather chat? Give us a call: Pro Tip: For best results, use an Ethernet cord to connect your router or modem directly to your device before you run the test. If you have slow internet, there may be other internet providers in your area that offer faster speeds.

Or, your current internet provider may offer plans with higher speeds. File sizes for things like music, movies and pictures vary, but a movie can range from 1 to 7GBs depending on the length and picture quality.

Keep in mind, upload speeds from internet providers are often significantly lower than download speeds. Some fiber-optic providers, however, do offer upload speeds comparable to their advertised download speeds. These download and upload times are estimates, based on a constant speed. As mentioned above, there are many factors, such as the number of connected devices and types of internet activities performed, that can affect internet speeds and the time it takes to perform a given task.

Shop internet providers, plans and speeds in your area with our internet experts. David joined the Allconnect team in , specializing in broadband and TV content. As a Senior Writer, David is motivate… Read more. Read bio. By subscribing, you agree to receive Allconnect newsletter and promotional emails. Because of this, the DSL connections can seem more consistent, even if they are overall slower than cable.

The big downside of DSL is the phone cable itself; telephone cables usually top out at around 40 Mbps down, while cable can deliver closer to Mbps under ideal conditions.

However, shared bandwidth and unmaintained infrastructure often results in equivalent effective speeds for either technology much lower than 40 Mbps. Distance between ISP office and residence is also a factor with DSL connections, as residences farther from the central office generally receive slower speeds and higher latency than those closer to the office.

Cable solves some of the problems associated with DSL service low bandwidth, outdated infrastructure but comes with its own host of potential failure points. The biggest con when it comes to cable is higher cost, largely a product of lack of competition among cable providers — cable infrastructure is more expensive than telephone, so many Americans only have access to one provider if they want true broadband internet.

The other problem point with cable is bandwidth sharing. Since bandwidth is shared within neighborhoods, oftentimes cable will be slowed to the same speed or lower than DSL during peak use times. Fiber is by nature unaffected by electromagnetic interference like copper, making it much more resilient to outside factors — like proximity to other infrastructure and weather.

Overall, fiber has few faults outside of cost and limited availability. We can expect that fiber will continue to grow to the point that it will, one day, be as available as cable internet. As our society increasingly relies on high-speed internet, the thirst for faster internet will likewise grow. Cable Internet Summary Cable download speeds are usually in the 10— Mbps range, while upload speeds are 5—50 Mbps.

Fiber Internet Summary Fiber internet download speeds can be anywhere from —1, Mbps.