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There
are plenty of ways for a person to get to the Internet. But, the way
most people arrive is through their Internet Service Provider (ISP). These
are the people that allow you to dial into their network and connect
to the rest of the backbone of the internet.
Some providers
offer only dial in by standard modem, some by cable modem and then
there are some that offer DSL. The last two being the high speed broadband.
You can even find a DSL provider that offers free connections if you
buy the modem from them. They are Broadband
Digital Group it may be just what you are looking for.
Standard Modems
The "standard" speed for modems is currently between
28.8 Kbps and 56 Kbps. Those speeds can provide effective communications via
e-mail and Web sites that do not have extensive graphics. Advantages of standard
modems include low cost and compatibility with standard telephone lines.
Although the bandwidth and speed of modems continues to improve, they are far
too slow for most video applications. In addition, two modems of different
speeds will communicate at the slower of the rates. For example, if you have a
56 Kbps modem, but your Internet Service Provider has 28.8 Kbps modems, you will
only be able to communicate at 28.8 Kbps. Other factors, such as the amount of
congestion on the Internet, also affects the transmission rate.
Cable Modems
In some areas, cable companies are offering Internet access
through the same cable that delivers television signals to our homes. If your
area has been configured for this service, you can connect a cable line to a
network card on your computer.
The main advantage of cable modems is the bandwidth. Cable modems can bring
data to your computer at roughly 400 times faster than a regular modem
(Salvador, 1996). If you have a 10 Mbps network card in a computer, you may be
able to receive information at that speed.
DSL
When you connect to the Internet, you might connect
through a regular modem, through a local-area network
connection in your office, through a cable modem or
through a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection. DSL is a very
high-speed connection that uses the same wires as a regular telephone line.
Here are some advantages of DSL:
- You can leave your Internet connection open and still use the phone line for
voice calls.
- The speed is much higher than a regular modem (1.5 Mbps vs. 56 Kbps)
- DSL doesn't necessarily require new wiring; it can use the phone line you
already have.
- The company that offers DSL will usually provide the modem as part of the
installation.
But there are disadvantages:
- A DSL connection works better when you are closer to the provider's central
office.
- The connection is faster for receiving data than it is for sending data over
the Internet.
- The service is not available everywhere.
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