Analog: Dial-up Internet Access
Also called
dial-up access, an analog Internet connection is both economical and slow. Using a
modem
connected to your PC, users connect to the Internet when the computer
dials a phone number (which is provided by your ISP) and connects to the
network. Dial-up is an analog connection because data is sent over an
analog,
public-switched telephone network.
The modem converts received analog data to digital and vice versa.
Because dial-up access uses normal telephone lines the quality of the
connection is not always good and data rates are limited. Typical
Dial-up connection speeds range from 2400 bps to 56 Kbps. Today, analog
has been widely replaced by broadband (Cable and DSL).
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
Integrated services digital network (
ISDN)
is an international communications standard for sending voice, video,
and data over digital telephone lines or normal telephone wires. Typical
ISDN speeds range from 64 Kbps to 128 Kbps.
B-ISDN - Broadband ISDN
Broadband ISDN
is similar in function to ISDN but it transfers data over fiber optic
telephone lines, not normal telephone wires. SONET is the physical
transport backbone of B-ISDN. Broadband ISDN has not been widely
implemented.
DSL – Digital Subscriber Line
DSL is frequently referred to as an "always on" connection because it
uses existing 2-wire copper telephone line connected to the premise so
service is delivered simultaneously with wired telephone service -- it
will not tie up your phone line as an analog dial-up connection does.
The two main categories of DSL for home subscribers are called ADSL and
SDSL. All types of DSL technologies are collectively referred to as
xDSL. xDSL connection speeds range from 128 Kbps to 9 Mbps.
Recommended Reading: Cable vs. DSL.
ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
ADSL
is the most commonly deployed types of DSL in North America. Short for
asymmetric digital subscriber line ADSL supports data rates of from 1.5
to 9 Mbps when receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16
to 640 Kbps when sending data (known as the upstream rate). ADSL
requires a special ADSL modem.
ADSL+2 - ADSL Extension
An extension to ADSL broadband technology that provides subscribers
with significantly faster download speeds when compared to traditional
ADSL connections.
ADSL+2
works in the same fashion as ADSL a special filter is installed on a
subscriber's telephone line to split existing copper telephone lines
(POTS) between regular telephone (voice) and ADSL+2. ADSL2+ service is
most commonly offered in highly-populated metropolitan areas and
subscribers must be in close geographical locations to the provider's
central office to receive ADSL2+ service.
SDSL - Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Short for symmetric digital subscriber line,
SDSL
is a technology that allows more data to be sent over existing copper
telephone lines (POTS). SDSL supports data rates up to 3 Mbps. SDSL
works by sending digital pulses in the high-frequency area of telephone
wires and cannot operate simultaneously with voice connections over the
same wires. SDSL requires a special SDSL modem. SDSL is called symmetric
because it supports the same data rates for upstream and downstream
traffic.
VDSL - Very High DSL
Very High DSL (
VDSL)
is a DSL technology that offers fast data rates over relatively short
distances — the shorter the distance, the faster the connection rate.
Cable - Broadband Internet Connection
Through the use of a
cable modem
you can have a broadband Internet connection that is designed to
operate over cable TV lines. Cable Internet works by using TV channel
space for data transmission, with certain channels used for downstream
transmission, and other channels for upstream transmission. Because the
coaxial cable
used by cable TV provides much greater bandwidth than telephone lines, a
cable modem can be used to achieve extremely fast access. Cable
providers typically implement a cap to limit capacity and accommodate
more customers. Cable speeds range from 512 Kbps to 20 Mbps.
Recommended Reading: What is 250 GB?
Wireless Internet Connections
Wireless Internet,
or wireless broadband is one of the newest Internet connection types.
Instead of using telephone or cable networks for your Internet
connection, you use radio frequency bands. Wireless Internet provides an
always-on connection which can be accessed from anywhere — as long as
you geographically within a network coverage area. Wireless access is
still considered to be relatively new, and it may be difficult to find a
wireless service provider in some areas. It is typically more expensive
and mainly available in metropolitan areas.
Recommended Reading: Webopedia's Wireless Networking Standards page.
T-1 Lines – Leased Line
T-1 lines
are a popular leased line option for businesses connecting to the
Internet and for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) connecting to the
Internet backbone. It is a dedicated phone connection supporting data
rates of 1.544Mbps. A T-1 line actually consists of 24 individual
channels, each of which supports 64Kbits per second. Each 64Kbit/second
channel can be configured to carry voice or data traffic. Most telephone
companies allow you to buy just one or some of these individual
channels. This is known as fractional T-1access. T-1 Lines support
speeds of 1.544 Mbps. Fractional T-1 speeds are 64 Kbps per channel (up
to 1.544 Mbps), depending on number of leased channels.
Bonded T-1
A
bonded T-1is
two or more T-1 lines that have been joined (bonded) together to
increase bandwidth. Where a single T-1 provides approximately 1.5Mbps,
two bonded T1s provide 3Mbps or 46 channels for voice or data. Two
bonded T-1s allow you to use the full bandwidth of 3Mbps where two
individual T-1s can still only use a maximum of 1.5Mbps at one time. To
be bonded the T-1 must run into the same router at the end, meaning they
must run to the same ISP. Typical Bonded T-1 (two bonded T-1 lines)
speed is around 3 Mbps.
T-3 Lines – Dedicated Leased Line
T-3
lines are dedicated phone connections supporting data rates of about 43
to 45 Mbps. It too is a popular leased line option. A T-3 line actually
consists of 672 individual channels, each of which supports 64 Kbps.
T-3 lines are used mainly by Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
connecting to the Internet backbone and for the backbone itself. Typical
T-3 supports speeds ranging from 43 to 45 Mbps.
OC3 - Optical Carrier
Short for
Optical Carrier,
level 3 it is used to specify the speed of fiber optic networks
conforming to the SONET standard. OC3 is typically used as a fiber optic
backbone for large networks with large voice, data, video, and traffic
needs. Speeds are 155.52 Mbps, or roughly the speed of 100 T1 lines.
Internet over Satellite
Internet over Satellite(IoS)
allows a user to access the Internet via a satellite that orbits the
earth. A satellite is placed at a static point above the earth's
surface, in a fixed position. Because of the enormous distances signals
must travel from the earth up to the satellite and back again, IoS is
slightly slower than high-speed terrestrial connections over copper or
fiber optic cables. Typical Internet over satellite connection speeds
(standard IP services) average around 492 up to 512 Kbps
SOURCE BY: WEBOPIDEA..
