spewn
Programmer
- May 7, 2001
- 1,034
i'm trying to install software and it is asking me for my internet connection type...
DSL
ISDN
LAN/T1, etc...
but nowhere is there an option for cable...what should i go with?
- g
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations bkrike on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
what is a cable modem considered in ref. to speed? trying to install..
- Thread starter spewn
- Start date
- Status
i'm trying to install software and it is asking me for my internet connection type...
DSL
ISDN
LAN/T1, etc...
but nowhere is there an option for cable...what should i go with?
- g
Crustyoldbloke
Technical User
DSL everytime Press any key to continue or any other key to quit...
Phil
Please tell me if the answer I gave was helpful or a bus ride out. Without your feedback I won't know.
Phil
Please tell me if the answer I gave was helpful or a bus ride out. Without your feedback I won't know.
Crustyoldbloke
Technical User
Following up, this might be of interest to you.
Home connectivity for the most part is dependent on your phone wiring. Whether you use a plain old regular modem with the familiar phone cords (referred to by annoying computer people as RJ-11 jacks) or you're lucky enough to have DSL (digital subscriber line) service offered in your neighborhood, your data is being sent over the same lines and wires as your voice phone calls. The two types of Internet access that don't depend on copper phone lines are cable modems and T1 access, but first let's talk phone lines.
By far the cheapest way to access the Internet is by dialing a local number with a 56K modem (about $80). This is also the slowest method. One notch faster is an ISDN (integrated services digital network, if you must know) line. An ISDN line requires that you buy or rent a special modem ($300) to receive Internet data at up to 128Kbps (kilobytes per second) which is at least twice as fast (and usually faster) as a 56Kbps modem. ISDN is rapidly losing favor to DSL lines, which are similar in that you use a special (and expensive -- $300) "box" (not called a modem) to compress and transfer data over POTS (plain old telephone service -- I kid you not). The slowest type of DSL line transmits data around 300Kbps; 1.56Mbps service is available.
DSL service runs about $50 a month on the cheap end but can often cost far more when you factor in the cost of the DSL box. DSL service also requires you to be relatively near your phone company's DSL hub, and that fact disqualifies most people, which probably makes your local cable company happy, as they are quite willing to offer you fast, cheap (about $40 a month) Internet access over their fiber-optic network. The speeds are competitive with DSL lines. The other non-phone method of accessing the Internet is over a T1 (1.5Mbps) or T3 (44.7Mbps) system. Theoretically you could have this kind of access in your home, but T-service is a business solution meant to provide hundreds of users with data services at the cost of hundreds of dollars. Your ISP probably uses a T1 line; your neighbors don't.
So how do you choose? Simply put, you choose by cost. Ask yourself what you're willing to spend per month and then match the technology available in your region to your price range. Unless you're living in a major urban center, you might find you don't have that many options. Many regions have cable access but not DSL or vice versa. Be wary of contracts locking you into two-year service agreements. Technology changes rapidly, and today's apparent bargain might not be worth it in the long run. Also be aware that the industry is expanding rapidly, and although your only rapid-access option at the moment is an ISDN line, you might be better off waiting a few months until cable or DSL become available.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, fast access may not matter one whit depending what you do online. Much of the Internet's slowness is a result of heavy Internet traffic slowing down the remote Web servers. The fastest access in the world won't speed up your experience if the Websites you frequent are extremely popular and prone to slow delivery speeds. If you've never had access to a fast connection, I highly recommend you try before you buy.
Press any key to continue or any other key to quit...
Phil
Please tell me if the answer I gave was helpful or a bus ride out. Without your feedback I won't know.
Home connectivity for the most part is dependent on your phone wiring. Whether you use a plain old regular modem with the familiar phone cords (referred to by annoying computer people as RJ-11 jacks) or you're lucky enough to have DSL (digital subscriber line) service offered in your neighborhood, your data is being sent over the same lines and wires as your voice phone calls. The two types of Internet access that don't depend on copper phone lines are cable modems and T1 access, but first let's talk phone lines.
By far the cheapest way to access the Internet is by dialing a local number with a 56K modem (about $80). This is also the slowest method. One notch faster is an ISDN (integrated services digital network, if you must know) line. An ISDN line requires that you buy or rent a special modem ($300) to receive Internet data at up to 128Kbps (kilobytes per second) which is at least twice as fast (and usually faster) as a 56Kbps modem. ISDN is rapidly losing favor to DSL lines, which are similar in that you use a special (and expensive -- $300) "box" (not called a modem) to compress and transfer data over POTS (plain old telephone service -- I kid you not). The slowest type of DSL line transmits data around 300Kbps; 1.56Mbps service is available.
DSL service runs about $50 a month on the cheap end but can often cost far more when you factor in the cost of the DSL box. DSL service also requires you to be relatively near your phone company's DSL hub, and that fact disqualifies most people, which probably makes your local cable company happy, as they are quite willing to offer you fast, cheap (about $40 a month) Internet access over their fiber-optic network. The speeds are competitive with DSL lines. The other non-phone method of accessing the Internet is over a T1 (1.5Mbps) or T3 (44.7Mbps) system. Theoretically you could have this kind of access in your home, but T-service is a business solution meant to provide hundreds of users with data services at the cost of hundreds of dollars. Your ISP probably uses a T1 line; your neighbors don't.
So how do you choose? Simply put, you choose by cost. Ask yourself what you're willing to spend per month and then match the technology available in your region to your price range. Unless you're living in a major urban center, you might find you don't have that many options. Many regions have cable access but not DSL or vice versa. Be wary of contracts locking you into two-year service agreements. Technology changes rapidly, and today's apparent bargain might not be worth it in the long run. Also be aware that the industry is expanding rapidly, and although your only rapid-access option at the moment is an ISDN line, you might be better off waiting a few months until cable or DSL become available.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, fast access may not matter one whit depending what you do online. Much of the Internet's slowness is a result of heavy Internet traffic slowing down the remote Web servers. The fastest access in the world won't speed up your experience if the Websites you frequent are extremely popular and prone to slow delivery speeds. If you've never had access to a fast connection, I highly recommend you try before you buy.
Press any key to continue or any other key to quit...
Phil
Please tell me if the answer I gave was helpful or a bus ride out. Without your feedback I won't know.
- Status