Dial-up Options

"56K" connections. The most-common, and least expensive, type of Internet connection involves a computer with a standard internal V.90 modem with an ordinary phone line running from a computer to a phone jack. This type of connection, often referred to as a "dial-up" connection or "standard dial-up," requires you to establish Internet connectivity with an Internet service provider, often referred to as an "ISP."

This method requires you to have an ISP-provided telephone number that your modem dials into to establish the connection. Because of the data-transfer limitations of phone lines, only up to 56 kilobits per second (known as 56Kbps or, more popularly, 56K) of data can be transferred at one time. In the world of Internet connections, this is considered slow.

This type of connection is fine for sending and receiving e-mail messages and for viewing web pages comprised of mostly text. But this type of connection is problematic when sending and receiving large file attachments, viewing multimedia-rich web pages, and hearing and viewing audio and video files.

A 56K connection is recommended as an inexpensive solution for small businesses and home offices with simple e-mail and limited web surfing needs that don't require extensive use of multimedia or the exchange of large file attachments.

ISDN. ISDN (Integrated Digital Services Network) is a more-advanced type of dial-up connection that can transfer data up to 128Kbps, double that of a standard phone-line connection.

This setup is a true digital connection, rather than the digital-analog combination of standard dial-up, allowing it to use ordinary phone wires at double the normal data transfer capacity.

The faster speed means it costs more than standard dial-up, but it's better at handling data transfers, and the true digital connection means it's more reliable than standard dial-up connections.

Many businesses use ISDN for telecommuting or remote workers who need to communicate to a business's main office. That's because ISDN give workers access to standard office communications tools, such as an Internet connection, e-mail and fax capabilities, and telephony, because it can simultaneously support voice and data transmission.

ISDN requires additional hardware beyond a standard dial-up connection. A dual telephone wire setup dedicated solely to the ISDN connection is required as well as an ISDN router in your office. (A router is a network device use to data between two or more networks). This equipment typically is installed by your local phone company.

It's also a good idea to first check with the phone company to ensure ISDN is available in your area before buying any hardware, as about 10 percent of the United States lacks ISDN service.

Broadband Connections

DSL. DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology uses the same twisted copper telephone lines as standard dial-up and ISDN, but with drastically improved speed. DSL can be up to 140-plus times faster than 56Kbps modems, and up to more than 60 times faster than ISDN. It's also popular because it's relatively inexpensive compared to other broadband connection options.

The increased speed found with this type of Internet connection is achieved by using sophisticated modulation technology in a direct connection between DSL-connected computers and the telephone company. In fact, your computers' physical distance from the phone company determines, in large part, the speed of your DSL connection. That's why it's a good idea to subscribe to DSL only if the phone company providing it is located close by, at least within three or four miles.

There are different types of DSL available. The most common are ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) and SDSL (Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line).

With ADSL, data downloads take place up to 8 megabytes per second (Mbps), and uploads are up to 1Mbps. This type of service is ideal for businesses needing access to the World Wide Web and the ability to send and receive large multimedia files.

SDSL offers the same download and upload speeds: up to 1.544 megabits (not megabytes) per second. This symmetrical speed makes it ideal for e-mail and web servers on small networks as well as interoffice communications. It is also often more expensive than ADSL and doesn't support standard phone services.

Broadband connections such as DSL-in a huge advantage over standard dial-up and ISDN-are an "always-on" connection, meaning computers with DSL connection have continuous connections to the Internet. This is an important consideration if you have many workers who need frequent access to the Internet and the ability to send and receive large data files.

Cable. A cable Internet connection, unlike the previous types of connections we've discussed, doesn't use phone lines at all. Instead, this technology takes advantage of existing television cable lines and "cable modems" to transfer data at very fast rates: 42Mbps for downloads and 10Mbps for uploads.

This type of connection is heavily marketed by cable companies to residential areas, given that most homes are already wired with television cables. This makes it a popular choice for home offices, although the subscription rates are higher than dial-up connections and DSL. Still, the price is generally reasonable for small businesses and the high-speed, always-on connection makes for a highly reliable and very fast Internet connection.

Because of the continuous connection that flows through phone cables, cable connections, like DSL connections, are not highly secure from unauthorized entry by hackers. It's highly recommended that computers with these types of connection are protected by a firewall (a set of related hardware and software used to protect a network).

T1 and T3. These high-speed Internet voice and data networks are very expensive and recommended only for larger companies using a computer network.

A T1 line is a high-speed, always-on, highly reliable connection established usually with fiber-optic lines that can carry 24 digital voice channels or data at a rate of up to a phenomenally fast 1.544 megabits per second. T1 connections are often used for both a company's phone system as well as a high-speed, always-on Internet connection. A T1 connection is usually shared by many workers at a company simultaneously needing continuous high-speed Internet access.

A T3 line is used most often for huge networks, like those that comprise the Internet or for hosting heavily visited websites. Digital data is transferred at 44.746 megabits per second, a huge broadband connection needed by only the largest networks and website hosts.

by Robert H. Fraass on Friday, March 11, 2005