Cels Forum

Concerning security, cable is same as modem : data
travel among the same cables.

If you transmit information using a secure server (SSL)
like mine, there isn't any risk as everything is
crypted.

But there is one thing dangerous with TV-cables : usualy
they don't use router but bridges. And often they work
also for the IPX protocol used by Windows/NT.
That's mean that if you have that protocol installed
(client for Microsoft network) and if you don't change
the default identification setting (most people don't
even know they exist), anybody can read the content
of your hard disks, perhaps even write to it or use
your printers... pretty neat, no ? :)

As for the rest, there is many type of cable. What you
are refering to is probably TV-cable. Speed "should"
be better than with a dial-up modem but as there may
be many people using the same cable as yourself, it
may become very slow.

There is also all the type of "digital subscribe lines"
using dedicated copper cable. (leased line connection).
(IDSL : ISDN DSL, SDSL : Symetic DSL, ADSL : Asymetric DSL,
HDSL : Highspeed DSL, MDSL : Multiple rate DSL and VDSL :
very high speed DSL).

When using this, you have one cable dedicated for yourself
so you won't share the bandwdith with anybody else.

But in the end, you can never know how good one provider
is without testing it for sometime : Whatever the speed
of the line you get at home, it won't be of any use
of your provider has a too small backbone connection.
It may sell you VDSL (at 25Mbps in both direction) but
if it is itself connected to the internet with a 64Kbps
line, it won't be of much use... :)

Just remember one things : In USA, were it is the cheapest,
a T1 connection (1.54Mbps in USA or 2Mbps in Europa) costs
around $700-$1000 per month at least. So when you get
offered a so-called "same speed" for $50 a month, there
is a trick...

Cheers,
Yann Stettler