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Before I go into all the technical
jargon I thought I would clear up all of the confusion with
abbreviations and units of measure. The following table
explains some common measurements:
| bit |
b |
0 or 1 |
| byte |
B |
8 bits |
| kilobit |
kb |
1000 bits |
| kilobyte |
KB |
1000 bytes |
| megabit |
Mb |
1000 kilobits |
| megabyte |
MB |
1000 Kilobytes |
| gigabit |
Gb |
1000 Megabits |
| gigabyte |
GB |
1000 Megabytes |
You can test your internet speed by clicking
the image below.
Dial-up Internet
The speed you connect to the Internet
with dial-up is determined by a number of factors like the
speed of your modem, the modem type and speed supported at
the number you dialed, the quality of the phone lines in
your area, and the amount of traffic on the Internet. These
factors will always make your connection speed less than the
speed listed on your modem or by your provider.
In the case of a 56KB modem, other
factors besides those mentioned above, prevent the modem
from actually connecting at 56KB. 56KB is actually the
theoretical speed of the modem. In the real world,
connection speed is generally in the 20-45KB range for these
modems. Take it or leave it, Take it: 56KB modems still
have the fastest connection speed for dial-up. Leave it: Go
for Cable or DSL internet.
The distance away from the ISP has the
largest impact on speed and connectivity with traffic coming
in second. Depending on the time of day, you may not be
able to connect because too many people are logging in at
the same time.
Cable Internet
Cable internet has one of the
fastest, most stable internet connections in the world.
While dial-up, as we covered in the last section, connection
speeds range in the lower 20 to 45 KB/s range, cable runs
along the 100 to 10,000 KB/s range. An easier explanation;
it can take between 15 minutes and half an hour to download
6 megabytes of data with dial-up. That is about four 3.5
inch floppy disks. With cable you can download that same
amount in under 30 seconds.
Best of all, cable internet uses
existing wiring but doesn't tie up your phone line like
dial-up and has absolutely no effect on picture quality on
your television. Cable internet is online all the time.
When you shut your computer down, the cable modem is still
holding the internet signal. The very second you turn on
your computer, you are online. You never have to wait for a
connection. You never get a busy signal.
The distance from your ISP is not the
largest factor in cable internet's case. The number of
people on the same single cable line of your street, block,
or area can have a small effect on service quality and
speed. There isn't really a way to tell the quality of
service until you get it an try it out.
DSL Internet
DSL or "Digital Subscriber Line" is a
service through your phone company usually. It also uses
currently existing wiring but adds a "filter" to every phone
jack in the house. Basically, it works this way: Your DSL
modem stays connected all the time. The "filter is more
like a splitter. It divides your phone line from a two lane
highway to a four lane highway. One lane sends data, one
sends voice. One lane receives data and one receives voice.
The downside to DSL is the same as
dial-up. It is still internet through a phone line and
subject to the same limitations in distance and line
quality. The farther you are from the ISP, the slower and
the less reliable your service is. Line age and quality is
also an issue for both dial-up and DSL. Asking your phone
company to come lay new line is like asking Bush Jr. to be
the first president to kill himself. They won't do it even
if all will benefit from it. |
