DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line.
From 2Wire's DSL tutorial:

• DSL is fast - DSL modems are much faster than analog modems. Each type of DSL provides different maximum speeds, from twice as fast to approximately 125 times faster than a 56.6K analog modem. The only speed limit with DSL is the speed of the Internet and all the different computers attached to it.
• DSL doesn't tie up your phone line - DSL doesn't interfere with phone calls, even though it uses your regular phone line. What this means is that you can be on the Internet and you can pick up the phone and make a phone call on the same line. With DSL, you won't have to worry about missing calls, or logging off the Internet to order a pizza, and then logging back on when you're done with the call.
• DSL is always on - Your DSL connection is always there. There's no need to dial up and listen to your modem squawk every time you want to do something online. And there's no frustration about the line dropping when you're in the middle of browsing or downloading. Want to check your e-mail? Set up your computer to check for new e-mail and notify you when you receive something instead of logging in and checking it yourself. Want to look at just one Web page? Just open your browser and look.
• DSL is reliable - Phone company networks are among the most reliable in the world, experiencing only minutes of downtime each year.

What is doesn't mention is that DSL is insecure. At the U. you have the protection of the U's border router plus others. At home, you're at the mercy of your ISP and the internet. See the Computer security page for more information.

See the SSH and (vs.) VPN page for information on how to connect to the U. and the Department from home across broadband connections.

For more information, see these pages:
2 Wires has excellent information on DSL, including a DSL Tutorial section which also has some information on cable modems as well.
The University of St. Thomas has an excellent article on selecting an Internet Service Provider (ISP), pricing: dsl vs. cable modems, and more.

DSL is available widely, however availability can literally change from house to house, since the connection must be within a certain number of feet (16,000 is the published number) from a central office. The techmart page, as well as Two Wires or DSLreports can tell you if you're close enough, given your phone number.

Cable Modems use your cable line to provide the internet access.

Cable modems tend to be a bit cheaper and faster, but they aren't as secure, since you're basically being put on a network with your neighbors. I.E. if you want to run appleshare or windows networking with your neighbor, this is the way to go, but if you don't want your neighbors poking around on your machine, you'll need to be sure to secure your machine.

Also, cable modems aren't available in Minneapolis yet, but is available in St. Paul and many of the suburbs. Check with your cable provider, or go to techmart to see if your location is covered.

The CableModem Help page has a lot of information on cable modems, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), and a Basics page.

The University of St. Thomas has an excellent article on selecting an Internet Service Provider (ISP), pricing: dsl vs. cable modems, and more.

A comparison between the two tends to favor cable modems. but it's an individual decision. I would probably prefer DSL, because of the variability in speed on cable modems, and the security. But that's just me.

The University will soon be (or is already) offering special price breaks on broadband connections for people associated with the U (students, faculty and staff). However, the U. won't provide the actual access, because it would be too difficult and pricey to try to compete with the local broadband providers.

However, they will provide price-breaks, and a secure way to access the U's computer resources using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which would allow users from home to access to subscriber services such as GeoRef.

The VPN alone will not allow access to Departmental machines. You will also need to use SSH. See the SSH and (vs.) VPN webpage for more information.

Basically, a VPN will encrypt all of the data going across it, making it much safer than a standard modem connection.

Connections can be purchased at Techmart, click on "High Speed Access".

This page isn't necesarily complete. Check the "Last Updated" in the upper left hand corner.