DSL or Digital Subscriber Line, is another form of high-speed Internet access. It, like the dial-up modem, uses a portion of the telephone line to transmit signal though calls can still be placed while surfing the net.

DSL is usually not as fast as some companies imply. Electromagnetic noise (also called crosstalk ) generated by other nearby electronic devices can adversely affect DSL performance. The condition and age of the phone line to the Central Office also plays a role in overall performance DSL.  And, of course, no matter how fast your connection, you're subject to traffic jams once you get to the central office location or the Web. Note, too, that most DSL service is asymmetric--the download speed is faster than the upload speed. For example, some DSL accounts offer 384-kbps download but only 128-kbps upload access.

DSL is typically marketed using the "best capable speed" rather than what is typical for users in the area. Because DSL uses a portion of it's bandwidth speed for internal processes, a connection rate of 80% of advertised speed is considered a good connection.

With Wireless:

• Symmetrical speeds
• Not hindered by crosstalk
• No telephone line necessary
• Advertised speeds are the speeds you get.