Cable Connection/Ethernet or USB

Tom Mortensen · Post by **Tom Mortensen** » 20 Aug 2001 6:54 pm

I have decided to connect to the internet via cable modem. I have been advised that an ethernet connection is faster than connecting through the USB.
Any advice from those in the know?
OR...am I completly confused on this issue!
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Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 20 Aug 2001 7:02 pm

Ethernet is about 10 times faster than USB I believe. Cable modems support 10 Mbit/sec (the speed of the most common network cards) while USB maxes out around 1 Mbit/sec.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 21 Aug 2001 12:15 am

Although the Ethernet connection is faster, the line speed is generally less than T1 (1.44Mb) so either port would work.

However, I run my cable modem on the Ethernet port so my USB ports are available for other uses.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 21 Aug 2001 6:15 am

Jack, I believe you meant to say that T1 is close to 1.44 MB (megabyte) not Mb (megabit). I regularly do downloads in the 4-500 Mb range and occasionally hit 750 Mb. To my knowledge, USB isn't nearly that fast. I hear that Blue Tooth is supposed to be though.

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 21 Aug 2001 6:58 am

I've got a USB connection for my ethernet adapter. It's plenty fast for the cable modem. (It's also a wireless network).

Using an ethernet card is cheaper, and will give you higher speeds if you ever hook up a real home network. But it won't matter at all for just a cable modem connection.

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George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 21 Aug 2001 2:01 pm

OK guys... not to split hairs, but from my recollections, a T1 is 1.544 Mbps (Mega bits per second). It's the digital equivalent of 24 voice grade telephone lines.

Just my thoughts...

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 23 Aug 2001 4:45 pm

T1 is 24 DS0 channels. A DS0 channel is 64Kb (kilo Bit).

Jim, communications channels are either rated in bits per second or baud rate. Bits per second on a synchronous circuit and baud on an asynchronous circuit. "Byte" is a computer term and not carried over into communication link terminology.

Jeff Agnew · Post by **Jeff Agnew** » 24 Aug 2001 6:13 am

Jim,

Cable modems support 10 Mbit/sec (the speed of the most common network cards) while USB maxes out around 1 Mbit/sec.

The USB 1.1 standard calls for 12Mbits/sec. USB 2.0 offers somewhere between 200 and 400 Mbits/sec. That's still less than half the speed of FireWire.

The problem with USB devices is that they rarely achieve their advertised throughput. Poor cable quality and inconsistent shielding tend to degrade most consumer perhipherals.

If you're really bored, here's an article describing USB and FireWire(1394) speeds.

Tom, another problem with USB devices is that they share the bus. Not only does that reduce the avaliable throughput but they tend to interfere with each other. If you think you might add another USB device in the future, it will need to share the bus. That's one reason USB-based CD-Rs, for example, rarely achieve their rated speed. A quality PCI-based Ethernet card will be a much better solution for your cable modem.

Regards,
Jeff