Broadband Internet connections have made surfing the Web faster and
easier than ever. What once needed to be done via a slow dial-up
connection is now a part of everyday routine thanks to the availability
of DSL connections to the majority of homes in the country. So happy
were people to ditch their old modems for the faster speed that many
paid little attention to what having a DSL connection really means,
beyond the obvious implication that they don't have to suffer through
those annoying dial-up sounds.
What is DSL?
DSL is an acronym for Digital Subscriber Line and is the technology
that is responsible for bringing high-speed Internet service to homes
and small businesses. Using the same standard copper lines that are used
for normal telephone service, DSL connects to the Internet 50 times
faster than the old dial-up modems. Even though it uses the same wires
as the dial-up connection, some types of DSL allow a user to surf the
Internet and talk on the phone at the same time. Also, unlike the old
modems that required a user to dial in when they wanted to use the
Internet, DSL is always connected.
Types of DSL
There are two main types of DSL: ADSL and SDSL. They differ in how fast
they can send and receive information. ADSL, which stands for
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, provides a large amount of download
speeds and smaller amounts of upload speeds. SDSL, or Symmetric Digital
Subscriber Line, provides the same amounts of download and upload
speeds. Because many home computer users don't require the need to
upload large amounts of data, ADSL is the most commonly used type of DSL
connection. In addition, because SDSL provides the high bandwidth for
both uploading and downloading, there is not enough space onthe existing
wires to allow for telephone use while online. With an SDSL connection,
a separate telephone line is needed. Other types of DSL connections
include the High bit-rate DSL (HDSL), which provides speeds comparable
to a T1 line, and the Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL),
which offers extremely fast speeds over a short distance.
DSL vs. Cable
Another type of broadband connection is through the use of cable modem
services. Like DSL connections, cable services provide download and
upload speeds much faster than regular dial-up connections.
However,
unlike the DSL connection, which uses telephone lines, cable modems use
cable television lines. While cable modems offer speeds that at times
can be twice as fast as a DSL connection, they are also subject to
outside forces that other connections aren't. Cable modem technology
uses shared bandwidth, which means that the number of other users
accessing the cable network can slow things down for individual users.
DSL operates on its own bandwidth, making the download speeds much more
consistent.
Additionally, a cable modem's speed can be affected over
time as more houses add more connections to the network, such as video
game systems and other Internet-connected devices. In the end, both DSL
and cable connections offer lightning-quick connections, meaning each
user must decide which is right for them based on a number of factors
including their preferred download and upload speeds, the price of the
service and the reliability of the service provider.
credits:
technewsdaily
