it is not faster than dsl but absolutely better than dial up! We currently have it hooked up to our desktop computer and it is nice to be able to go directly to the internet without having to dial up. If you plan to hook to a desktop with a modem and also connect a wireless router to run a wireless laptop then make sure you check the requirements for running the wireless router and that your desktop has all the features. We have family next to us who went with the same satellite internet as ours and they run a desktop and wireless laptop and they love it! It is costly to some degree but when you can't get dsl then this is the next best thing.