No More Confusion! Find Out If You Have ADSL or VDSL

Every person on this planet asks for a faster and more reliable internet connection to avoid the stressful situation of lags or buffering. The spinning wheel has become a symbol of anxiety and we do not want it while streaming our favorite content, playing games, or video calling. However, rest assured that high-speed internet access is no longer a fantasy since there are reliable connectivity options like Cox internet packages out there to rescue you and make this dream come true and that too, at a reasonable rate. 

As much as the quality of your chosen internet service provider matters, so does your choice of the right internet connection type. Whether go for ADSL or VDSL is quite an important discussion while choosing a suitable broadband connection. Undeniably, both ADSL and VDSL are among the most widely used types of internet connections all across the world. Generally speaking, VDSL is capable of providing faster speeds as compared to ADSL connections. 

Both ADSL and VDSL are popular among the users because of better affordability but there are plenty of differences between the two and here is how you can find out whether you have an ADSL or VDSL connection. So, let this post uncover all about ADSL and VDSL you ought to know. Read along!

What is meant by ADSL?

ADSL or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line leverages the telephone line that leads to our homes or office premises and is mainly used for calling purposes. This telephone line is composed of a pair of copper wires, which are responsible for carrying audio signals to the telephone receiver, and at the same time, transmit internet data to the modem but at a frequency that differs from the audio signals. The condition of the copper wire will thus affect both the audio as well as the internet signals. 

ADSL is very cheap as compared to the other pricey internet types. Unlike cable or fiber internet, no separate infrastructure is required for ADSL. Since it uses the same telephonic copper wires for internet transmission, you can find it available literally everywhere.

What is meant by VDSL?

VDSL or Very-High-Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line is another technology that utilizes the same Digital Subscriber Line for sending and receiving internet signals. VDSL is a newer technology as compared to ADSL. Thus, it offers a better experience to the users in terms of speed and reliability. VDSL makes use of the same telephonic lines more efficiently. 

Differences between ADSL and VDSL

Here is an overview of the major differences between ADSL and VDSL connections:

• Speed

The major difference that is of prior importance to the users is speed. Among these two internet types, VDSL provides a higher speed than ADSL connections. 

VDSL can offer download speeds up to 70 Mbps while ADSL can provide download speeds of around 24 Mbps at maximum. 

As far as the upload speeds are concerned, VDSL offers an upload speed of 10 Mbps, while it is much lower in the case of ADSL.

• Usage

You can run high bandwidth apps like Skype, Netflix, or YouTube with possibly no or less lag with VDSL. Nevertheless, this may not be true for ADSL. 

• Cost

As far as the price is concerned, there is not much difference. So, you are likely to find both ADSL and VDSL plans with minimal or at times, no significant cost variation. Generally, VDSL can cost a little more than an ADSL connection. 

Coverage

ADSL is more readily available than VDSL. However, broadly speaking, the majority of the providers across the globe offer both services. 

Loss of Signal

Both ADSL and VDSL signal strength depends on the distance. So, the greater the distance between the user and the switching station, the lower the signal strength. VDSL signals are likely to attenuate faster as compared to ADSL. 

How to find out if you have ADSL or VDSL?

In order to find out if you have ADSL or VDSL, you must pay attention to the source of internet accessibility. 

Through the internet speeds you experience, you can easily predict whether it’s an ADSL or VDSL connection. VDSL is an up-gradation of ADSL and offers much higher speeds than ADSL. You can run a speed test to determine your current internet speeds. If it falls below 20 Mbps, then clearly your connection is ADSL. 

So, now that you know how to figure out ADSL and VDSL, you can check if your plan is updated to VDSL or whether you are still stuck with ADSL. Running a reliable speed test is the key!

Concluding Remarks

As discussed in the aforementioned points, both ADSL and VDSL are different types of Digital Subscriber Line technology. VDSL is capable of higher speeds, greater signal attenuation, and supports more online applications, while ADSL has wider coverage, slower speeds, and can cover a longer distance.