subject: Types Of Internet Connections [print this page] There are different ways of how people can connect to the Internet. Some of the factors that will affect your decision regarding what type of Internet connection to use are the budget, location and its availability, not to mention the Internet speed. As you can see, Internet connection advances hand in hand with the technology. And this varies based on your Internet Service Providers (ISP). But of course, the speedier the Internet connection is, the better the work is.
The most common types of Internet connections are listed below:
Analog This is also called the dial-up access. The analog connection is very affordable but very slow. You need a modem, a phone line and an ISP to connect to the Internet. The modem is the device that is used to convert the analog data to digital or from digital data to analog. Once the modem is connected to your computer, you have to dial a phone number which is given by your ISP in order for you to connect to the network. Quality-wise, the Internet connection is poor since the maximum speed is only up to 56 kbps.
DSL This type has different kinds like ADSL, SDSL and VDSL. You do not have to dial any phone number on your ISP anymore. Also called xDSL, this only uses a 2-wire copper telephone line. This always on connection ranges from 128 kbps to 8 mbps.
Cable The speed of cable Internet ranges from 512 kbps to 20 mbps. This provides fast access to the Internet with the use of a cable modem that connects via cable TV lines and this transmits date through the use of TV channels. For higher speed and bandwidth compared to telephone lines, this uses coaxial cable.
Satellite This provides access to the Internet through a satellite that orbits around the earth in a fixed position. With a speed of 492 to 512 kbps, the satellite connection provides an uninterrupted, although a little slower connection compared to broadband connections because data is being transmitted at very long distances.
Wireless Internet Connections This is also called the wireless broadband and it uses radio frequency bands. The wireless Internet connection can be accessed anywhere within the network coverage area. The speed depends on the signal or bandwidth you are receiving. You will have faster and better connection if you receive a higher bandwidth. This is one of the latest Internet connection types and mostly available in metropolitan areas and this ranges on an average speed of 54 mbps.
Internet2 With a speed of 100 gbps, this is known to be the fastest Internet connection although this is not easily available. In order to satisfy the demand for high speed Internet, a networking consortium which conducted research and education work created the Internet2.
