There are faster DSL speeds, but these are typical.
What is DSL?
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a service that offers a faster Internet connection than a
standard dial-up connection. DSL is about the same cost as having a second phone line.
Most DSL technology uses existing 2-wire
copper telephone wiring to deliver high-speed data services to businesses and homes.. The DSL service attaches to your existing phone line. This gives
24/7 access and does not tie up the phone line and cause it to have a busy signal. In its
various forms--including ADSL, HDSL, IDSL, R-ADSL, SDSL, and VDSL--DSL offers users a
choice of speeds ranging from 500 Kbps to more than 50 Mbps.
These digital services will be used to deliver bandwidth-intensive applications
like video on demand and distance learning. More immediately, today DSL is for the first
time putting high-speed Internet access within the reach of small and medium-size
businesses. DSL takes existing voice cables that connect customer premises to the phone
company's central office (CO) and turns them into a high-speed digital link.
Over any given link, the maximum DSL speed is determined by the distance between the
customer site and the Central Office. Most ISP's offer Symmetric DSL data services at
different speeds-- 384 Kbps, 784 Kbps, 1.04 Mbps and
1.54 Mbps, and up to 6.0 Mbps--so customers can choose the rate that meets
their specific needs. At the customer premises, a DSL router or modem connects
the DSL line to a local-area network (LAN) or an individual computer. Once installed, the
DSL router provides the customer site with continuous connection to the Internet.
If you're looking
for more speed out of the Internet then DSL may be the solution for you. You can download a
25MB file in just under 3 min. and browse through 25 web pages in about 13 sec.
Here is a chart to show the speed comparison from analog to digital:
TYPE OF DATA / AVERAGE DOWNLOAD TIME |
FILE LENGTH | 56 KBS MODEM | DSL - 384 KBPS | DSL - 1.5 MBPS |
| Browsing the Net - 25 web pages with text and graphics | 2.5Mb | 52 seconds | 13 seconds | |
| A 20-second video | 8Mb | 2 ¾ minutes | 43 seconds | |
| Download entire Netscape 4.0 or Internet Explorer 4.0 browser software | 25Mb | 8 2/3 minutes | 2 1/5 minutes | |
| DirectX | 24.7 MB | 1 hr 17 min | 5minutes | 1 minute |
Pros: Cheap, high availability
Cons: Slow, tend to drop connections
Pros: Fast, constant connection, reasonable price - although slightly higher than DSL.
Cons: Bandwidth can decrease as more people in your neighborhood get cable modems, not available in all areas.
Pros: Fast, constant connection
Cons: Not available in all areas
Pros: Fast downloads
Cons: Expensive (But prices are dropping)
Some services require an analog connection in addition to the satellite connection, bad weather can interfere with your connection.
There are faster DSL speeds, but these are typical.
Note: If you have a home security
alarm system, please check with
them before you hookup DSL. You may need a special
filter on that line.
