Different Types of Internet
Connections
all use different hardware and each has a range of connection speeds.
As There are many ways a personal electronic device can connect to the
internet. They technology changes, faster internet connections are needed
to handle those changes. I thought it would be interesting to list some
of the different types of internet connections that are available for home and
personal use, paired with their average speeds.
Dial-Up (Analog
56K).
Dial-up access is cheap but slow. A modem (internal or external)
connects to the Internet after the computer dials a phone number. This
analog signal is converted to digital via the modem and sent over a land-line
serviced by a public telephone network. Telephone lines are variable in
quality and the connection can be poor at times. The lines regularly
experience interference and this affects the speed, anywhere from 28K to
56K. Since a computer or other device shares the same line as the
telephone, they can’t be active at the same time.
Broadband
Broadband connection refers to any type of high-speed
Internet connection that involve the use of high-speed transmission media and
communication device to transmit data.
Types of Broadband Connections
Broadband includes several high-speed transmission technologies such as:
The broadband technology you choose will depend on a number of factors.
These may include whether you are located in an urban or rural area, how
broadband Internet access is packaged with other services (such as voice
telephone and home entertainment), price, and availability.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
DSL is a wireline transmission technology that transmits data faster over
traditional copper telephone lines already installed to homes and businesses.
DSL-based broadband provides transmission speeds ranging from several hundred
Kbps to millions of bits per second (Mbps). The availability and speed of your
DSL service may depend on the distance from your home or business to the
closest telephone company facility.
Cable modem service enables cable operators to provide broadband using the
same coaxial cables that deliver pictures and sound to your TV set.
Most cable modems are external devices that have two connections: one to
the cable wall outlet, the other to a computer. They provide transmission
speeds of 1.5 Mbps or more.
Subscribers can access their cable modem service by simply turning on their
computers, without dialing-up an ISP. You can still watch cable TV while using
it. Transmission speeds vary depending on the type of cable modem, cable
network, and traffic load. Speeds are comparable to DSL.
·
Fiber optic technology converts electrical signals carrying data to light
and sends the light through transparent glass fibers about the diameter of a
human hair. Fiber transmits data at speeds far exceeding current DSL or cable
modem speeds, typically by tens or even hundreds of Mbps.
·
The actual speed you experience will vary depending on a variety of
factors, such as how close to your computer the service provider brings the
fiber and how the service provider configures the service, including the amount
of bandwidth used. The same fiber providing your broadband can also
simultaneously deliver voice (VoIP) and video services, including
video-on-demand.
·
Telecommunications providers sometimes offer fiber broadband in limited
areas and have announced plans to expand their fiber networks and offer bundled
voice, Internet access, and video services.
·
Variations of the technology run the fiber all the way to the customer’s
home or business, to the curb outside, or to a location somewhere between the
provider’s facilities and the customer.
Wireless
·
Wireless broadband connects a home or business to the Internet using a
radio link between the customer’s location and the service provider’s facility.
Wireless broadband can be mobile or fixed.
·
Wireless technologies using longer-range directional equipment provide
broadband service in remote or sparsely populated areas where DSL or cable
modem service would be costly to provide. Speeds are generally comparable to
DSL and cable modem. An external antenna is usually required.
·
Wireless broadband Internet access services offered over fixed networks
allow consumers to access the Internet from a fixed point while stationary and
often require a direct line-of-sight between the wireless transmitter and
receiver. These services have been offered using both licensed spectrum and
unlicensed devices. For example, thousands of small Wireless Internet Services
Providers (WISPs) provide such wireless broadband at speeds of around one Mbps
using unlicensed devices, often in rural areas not served by cable or wireline
broadband networks.
·
Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) provide wireless broadband access over
shorter distances and are often used to extend the reach of a
"last-mile" wireline or fixed wireless broadband connection within a
home, building, or campus environment. Wi-Fi networks use unlicensed devices
and can be designed for private access within a home or business, or be used
for public Internet access at "hot spots" such as restaurants, coffee
shops, hotels, airports, convention centers, and city parks.
Just as satellites orbiting the earth provide necessary links for telephone
and television service, they can also provide links for broadband. Satellite
broadband is another form of wireless broadband, and is also useful for serving
remote or sparsely populated areas.
Downstream and upstream speeds for satellite broadband depend on several
factors, including the provider and service package purchased, the consumer’s
line of sight to the orbiting satellite, and the weather.
Broadband over Powerline (BPL)
BPL is the delivery of broadband over the existing low- and medium-voltage
electric power distribution network. BPL speeds are comparable to DSL and cable
modem speeds. BPL can be provided to homes using existing electrical
connections and outlets. BPL is an emerging technology that is available in
very limited areas. It has significant potential because power lines are
installed virtually everywhere, alleviating the need to build new broadband
facilities for every customer.
