Last night, I spent some time with the computers downloading and moving things around. I was very happy to see that the DSL is faster. Going to ~130kpbs down with 5kpbs up. This is without the trouble of disconnecting all the unusued phone hookups, checking the wiring, or rerunning the wires. I haven’t tried a straight speed test.
Since, DSL uses phone lines the upload speed counts against the download. It’s kind of like having a 150kpbs pipe. If you upload at 30kpbs your down speed drops to 120kpbs. There is an upper limit on both no matter what happens. You won’t be able to download faster than 140 or 150. And you won’t be able to upload faster than 50 or 60.
When I originally tried DSL at the second apartment I was a little disappointed, because the speed was ~100kpbs down with no up. I optimized the heck out of it too. Shield telephone lines from the wall (hard to find), disconnecting all unnecessary phones, and speed testing till I hit on the right combination. There was a 20% difference (20kpbs) from the worst to the best setup.
The last apartment was 115-120 and it seemed to rise over time. The house is getting 130 without optimization. Very cool.