Cable internet is internet access via the cable TV companies. There are two kinds of service. One uses a cable modem to connect to a computer, and the other uses an enhanced cable box that provides Internet access directly at the TV. Locally, most suburban and urban customers use a cable modem to connect their computer(s) to the internet. But, you cannot get cable internet service if cable TV is not available in your area.

The most common local service is Time Warner's cable internet service, called Road Runner. Road Runner provides its customers with a cable modem. Cable modems can dramatically increase the bandwidth between the user's computer and the Internet service provider. Download speeds have reached 6 Mbps and beyond, but the connection is asynchronous. In order to prevent users with lower-cost cable access from hosting high-traffic Web servers, the upload speed is considerably slower, from 10 to 20 times slower. Cable operators also routinely change IP addresses assigned to users to prevent them from web hosting.

Cable internet is a shared medium, and the individual user's speed will vary depending on how many customers are sending or receiving data on that cable segment at the same time. For example, when the kids come home from school around 3pm, many cable users experience a corresponding slowdown.