Further, your data is usually transported through many routers, any one of which may be overloaded at that time, causing your download speed to slow down. There are two issues to consider. The first is the technology itself. At the present state of the technology, cable modem maximum stated download speeds can be up to four times faster than DSL speeds. There's a catch with cable modem technology, however.
Cable is delivered in a loop topology.
This means that the same piece of cable is used to provide service to many subscribers in a neighborhood. As a result, the actual bandwidth available to each individual subscriber deteriorates as additional subscribers use the service. Actual cable modem download speeds may be far, far less than the stated speeds. In contrast, DSL service is provided on a dedicated line in a star topology. Your download and upload speeds are constant, unaffected by the traffic imposed by other users in your neighborhood.