Cable Internet Access

What is internet Cable?

The term refers to a technology that delivers broadband Internet service over this infrastructure to homes and small businesses.

How does it work?

Cable companies use the same coaxial cable that brings x channels of quality programming to your TV set to deliver data at high speeds to your home or office. Users in a neighborhood share the available bandwidth provided by a single coaxial cable line. Therefore, connection speed varies depending on how many people are using the service at the same time. In most areas this has been eliminated due to redundant and fiber networks.
The connection to the Internet is on most of the time regardless of you turning off your computer. Logging on again it is no big deal, since the process takes only a few seconds and doesn't tie up your phone line.

How fast it is?

Most providers offer service with between 3 Mbps and 30 Mbps bandwidth for downloads, and bandwidth between 384 Kbps and 6 Mbps for uploads. The rated maximum bandwidth of a connection often cannot be reached. Web pages loaded about three to five times quicker than with dial-up. The real difference comes when downloading multi megabyte files, which can show up on your computer in minutes rather than the hours required for dial-up.

DSL vs. Cable

Cable's theoretical bandwidth limits are higher (but you'll never reach them), it's more consistent from user to user unless your next-door neighbor is downloading heavy files of information.
With DSL, you get higher speeds the closer you live to the phone company's central office.

Requirements

Basically, you will need a pre-wired cable connection, which could be your regular TV cable connection; a modem, which usually comes with the service; an Ethernet card, which most nowadays computers are equipped with; and a company that services your area.