Always-on capabilities. No waiting for a connection, ever. You can have the Internet up and running 24/7 without interfering with your phone.
Separate from your phone line. Dial-up service ties up your phone line; DSL uses a phone line, but doesn’t tie it up; cable Internet uses a fiber-optic cable, never touching your phone line. Chat on the phone, order pizza while playing an online game, or do business on the phone and the Web all at once, with no interruptions. At least, not from your phone line.
It’s fast. If you’re used to using dial-up service, which is slower than molasses, then hang on to your seat when using cable service. You won’t believe the difference. There’s often no or very little lag time, meaning you don’t have to find something else to do while waiting for an e-mail—or even a video—to load.
Shared cables mean slower downloads. Cable modems use shared connections. So when a bunch of people in your neighborhood are surfing for the latest Super Bowl commercials or checking weather reports on the big storm all at once, you might experience more lag time. DSL doesn’t have this, because users are on individual, specified lines, not shared lines.
Cable Internet access costs more than dial-up (though the cost is competitive with DSL service). It’s a given that you’ll pay more for better service. Expect to shell out a few more bucks for cable service than for dial-up service.
More security risks. Always-on technology ups the importance of having some firewall protection. Make sure your computer is protected from intruders.