What is more secure: cable modem or DSL? Wired or wireless connections?

  • Thread starter Thread starter RayLopez99
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R

RayLopez99

Rule of thumb and Urban Legend used to be: cable 'shared' by everybody on the same cable path (magic token) hence not as secure as "point-to-point" DSL, and 'wireless' connections can be intercepted by the FBI agent in the parked van with tinted windows sitting outside your apartment. so DSL beats cable and wired beats wireless: DSL > Cable , wired > wireless.

Modern rule: (as told to me by a guy who installs cable modems): no difference between cable and DSL modems anymore re security or even throughput (peak speed when many users on cable). Same for wireless/wired: anybody can read your emails or plaintext at the DSL server anyway, so no real securityunless you are using a VPN and/or HTTPS connection. so equality all around.. Marketing pitch or fact?

Comments?

RL
 
Rule of thumb and Urban Legend used to be:  cable 'shared' by everybodyon the same cable path (magic token) hence not as secure as "point-to-point" DSL, and 'wireless' connections can be intercepted by the FBI agent in the parked van with tinted windows sitting outside your apartment. so DSL beats cable and wired beats wireless: DSL > Cable ,  wired > wireless.

Modern rule: (as told to me by a guy who installs cable modems): no difference between cable and DSL modems anymore re security or even throughput (peak speed when many users on cable).  Same for wireless/wired:  anybody can read your emails or plaintext at the DSL server anyway, so no real security unless you are using a VPN and/or HTTPS connection. so equality all around.  Marketing pitch or fact?

Comments?

RL
Click to expand...

can't speak to the relative security re: cable vs. dsl, but your cable
guy friend really doesn't get wireless security. a) it's not just the
FBI it could be just about anyone depending on what kind of wireless
encryption you're using, b) if you accidentally connect to a rogue AP
then even VPN and/or HTTPS won't save you. think about this - they
started at 802.11A and they made it all the way to 802.11N (or maybe
even farther by now). do you really expect them to ever get it right?
 
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