Connection

Dial-up access is a form of Internet access via telephone line.[1] The client uses a modem connected to a computer and a telephone line to dial into an Internet service provider's (ISP) node to establish a modem-to-modem link, which is then routed to the Internet. Dial-up requires no additional infrastructure on top of the telephone network. As telephone points are available throughout the world, dial-up remains useful to travelers. Dial-up is usually the only choice available for most rural or remote areas where getting a broadband connection is impossible due to low population and demand.[citation needed] Sometimes dial-up access may also be an alternative to people who have limited budgets as it is offered for free by some, though broadband is now increasingly available at lower prices in countries such as the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and the United Kingdom due to market competition. Dial-up requires time to establish a telephone connection (several seconds, depending on the location) and perform handshaking before data transfers can take place. In locales with telephone connection charges, each connection incurs an incremental cost. If calls are timecharged, the duration of the connection incurs costs. Dial-up access is a transient connection, because either the user or the ISP terminates the connection. Internet service providers will often set a limit on connection durations to prevent hogging of access, and will disconnect the user — requiring reconnection and the costs and delays associated with it.[citation needed] In recent years, the availability of dialup access numbers has been shrinking. Most notably in part due to consolidations within the primary U.S. modem network operators such as MCI, Qwest, Sprint, and Level3, who have refocused their attention to broadband Internet access services.

Performance Modern dial-up modems typically have a maximum theoretical speed of 56 kbit/s (using the V.90 or V.92 protocol), although in most cases 40-50 kbit/s is the norm. Factors such as phone line noise as well as the quality of the modem itself play a large part in determining connection speeds. Some connections may be as low as 20 kbit/s in extremely noisy environments, such as in a hotel room where the phone line is shared with many, many extensions. Dial-up connections usually have high latency that can be as high as 400 ms or even more, which can make online gaming or video conferencing difficult, if not impossible. First person shooter style games are the most sensitive to latency,[citation needed] making playing them impractical on dial-up, however some games such as Star Wars: Galaxies, The Sims Online, Warcraft 3, Guild Wars, and Unreal Tournament are capable of running on 56 K dial-up.

While surfing the Internet, do you find yourself going to get a cup of coffee, grab a magazine or retile your bathroom between page loads? If so, chances are you're using a dial-up connection, and a sneaking suspicion may be growing on you: Is your connection actually getting slower? It is and it isn't. As always, the connection speed of dial-up is limited by the bandwidth of phone lines; but at the same time, the average file size for Web content is getting larger and larger. More people are using broadband connections that can handle a bigger load, so Web sites feel more comfortable bulking up their pages. It takes a lot time to squeeze all of that data through a dial-up connection. New technology offers a solution to the slow-down that doesn't necessitate broadband. Services like NetZero and EarthLink are now offering "high-speed dial-up." According to ads for these services, you can get connection speeds that are five times faster than traditional dial-up service. So how is this possible? In this article, HowStuffWorks examines what it takes to speed up your dial-up. First let's address what we know you're all wondering, "What is that unusual noise the modem makes when it's making a connection?"

A Very Special Handshake When you think of dial-up Internet service, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the strange sort of "R2-D2 in a blender" type chirping that the modem makes as it connects. This song is called the handshake protocol, and it is the first thing that bogs down the speed of dial-up Internet. The handshake protocol, as the name implies, begins the conversation that allows data to be sent to and from your computer using the Internet. There are actually two separate handshakes that occur in this process. The first half is the modem initializing the Internet connection. We'll call that the modem handshake. The second part is the software handshake. That deals with authenticating the user's access to the ISP (Internet Service Provider). When your computer is chirping away, it is introducing itself to your ISP. High-speed dial-up providers can't do anything about the modem handshake, but they can speed up the software handshake. The standard software handshake goes something like this: Your machine: Hello, my name is Sparky. ISP Server: Hello, Sparky. Your machine: I am John's computer. ISP Server: John who? Your machine: John Smith. ISP Server: I know 32,422 John Smiths. Your machine: He is one of your customers. ISP Server: Does he have an account number? Your machine: Yes. ISP Server: What is that number? Your machine: 5546743897 ISP Server: Ah, yes. OK, go ahead, 5546743897. You have access.

This is a simplified explanation, of course, but you can get the idea of the back-and-forths that need to occur in the handshake protocol before information can be sent or received. Highspeed dial-up providers have cut down on this back-and-forth by creating a system that allows the conversing machines to remember responses to questions. This makes for a much shorter conversation: Your machine: Hello, my name is Sparky. ISP Server: Ah, hello, Sparky. Aren't you John Smith's machine.

Your machine: Yes, his account number is 5546743897. ISP Server: Go ahead, 5546743897. You have access.

This shorter handshake equals much faster connection times. The increase in speed varies by machine, but in some cases it can reduce the handshake by up to 50 percent. What might take 45 seconds with a "normal" dial-up service becomes maybe a 30-second process with a high-speed service.

High-speed dial-up allows your machine to establish a connection with your ISP in a fraction of the time it takes with standard dial-up.

In the next sections, we'll learn what happens to accelerate dial-up after your machine and the ISP have established a connection. What does DSL stand for? DSL stands for “Digital Subscriber Line”. It is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of local telephone network. The connection speed of DSL varies greatly ranging from 128 Kbps to 24 Mbps depending on service plans and ISP. Most DSL internet providers offer ADSL service to home users. ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line which indicates a difference in upload and download speed (the upload speed is usually lower than the download speed). In contrast, Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) offers equal download and upload speed.

How does DSL work? DSL technology transfers data from the computer to the phone line via a DSL modem. The DSL modem converts digital data from the computer into a voltage signal of a suitable frequency range which is then transmitted over the phone wire. DSL technology allows simultaneous transmission of digital data and voice services, so phone and fax usage is not affected when you are connected to the internet. Unlike cable internet which offers service to multiple users by sharing the same cable, DSL provides a dedicated connection. However, the distance of your phone line from the ISP operation center could affect the connection speed.

Advantages of DSL 1. Connection speed is much faster than dialup internet access. 2. You can use the same phone line for internet and phone services, that is, your voice / fax services are not affected while you are connected to the internet.

3. More and more phone lines are now equipped for DSL services. DSL is available in more service areas than cable internet. 4. Dedicated connection. Connection speed is not affected by the number of users in your neighborhood. 5. Easy setup. Service plan does not need to be tied with cable TV service.

Disadvantages of DSL 1.

Slightly higher cost than dialup internet access.

2.

Higher security risk than dialup connection. A personal firewall is needed to protect your computer.

3.

Not all phone wires are equipped for DSL service. May not be available in rural or remote areas.

4.

Connection speed is affected by the distance between your phone line and ISP operation center.

5.

Usually, you can only get special discount or activate your DSL service when you use the same ISP for your local phone service.

Dialup vs DSL Differences between dialup and DSL Dialup

DSL

Occupy a phone line

Phone line is not affected by internet connection

Phone line is used for either voice service or internet connection

Simultaneous transmission of data (DSL) and voice or fax services

Connection speed: < 56 Kbps

256 Kbps to 20 Mbps

Have to dial an access number to connect to the internet

Always on

Connected using a computer modem

Connected through a DSL modem

Unique IP address for each connection

Static IP address (higher security risk)

Low monthly fee

Higher monthly fee

Easy setup, no setup fee

Self installation is usually free. A setup fee is needed if installed by a technician.

Available to everyone with a phone line

Not every phone line is equipped for DSL service. May not be available in some remote / rural areas.

Definition of dialup connection Dialup (Dial up) connection requires the use of a modem and a phone line to dial into an internet service provider’s (ISP) node, in order to get access to the internet. The data transmission rate is usually 56 Kbps or less. Dialup internet access was very popular in the past but is now steadily replaced by broadband internet services.

Advantages of dialup (dial up) internet access: 1) Everyone has a phone line, dialup connection is available to everyone with a computer and a modem (including built-in modem). 2) Dialup may be the only choice available for rural or remote areas where broadband connection is not available. 3) Low cost. You can get dialup internet access for under $10/month. 4) Easy setup. Simple equipment.

Disadvantages of dialup (dial up) connection: 1)

Your phone line is occupied when you are connected to the internet. Some ISPs provide caller ID service which allows you to see who is calling while you are connected. This is still quite inconvenient if you are downloading a file and have to abandon your download to answer the call.

2)

Sometimes you may get a busy signal when calling the access numbers, this rarely happens nowadays as most ISPs will let you choose multiple access numbers and then select the one that is available automatically.

3)

Some ISPs charge the user based on the connection duration, an additional cost on top of the monthly fee.

4)

The data transmission rate is rather low. With a rate of 56 Kbps or less, you will have a hard time downloading large files such as video clips, software, sharing photos with your friends and families, or playing online computer games.

Remarks: If you are living in rural or remote areas where affordable broadband internet service is not available, dialup internet access would be your choice. You can get accelerated / high speed dialup connection for a few extra bucks per month. However, the term high speed dialup is a bit

misleading as its data transmission rate is not comparable to broadband internet such as DSL and cable.

What is high speed 56K dialup internet service? Some internet service providers offer dialup connection using acceleration technology and call this high speed dialup internet access. They claim that this technology can help you surf up to 4x or 5x faster than regular dialup service. Acceleration technology compresses text and graphics more efficiently to reduce the size of these files. It also uses caching to retain some web pages and page elements that you have previously viewed, so the more you have viewed certain web pages, the faster they are loaded. Accelerated dialup connection also uses techniques to maintain a persistent connection between the modem and the server so less time is wasted in re-establishing TCP/IP connection. However, this technology cannot speed up the download of media files, secured web pages and email attachment. The result of acceleration technology may vary depending on the page elements, file types and how often you have viewed the web pages, etc. In reality, the term high speed dialup internet service is a bit misleading. High speed internet such as DSL is capable of transmitting 256 Kbps or more regardless of file types or page elements. In contrast, accelerated dialup access does not increase the overall throughput of the line but only improves the efficiency of available bandwidth, and its performance is affected by file types, page elements and cache data.

Broadband Internet, also called High Speed Internet, is an internet connection offering high data transmission rate of 256 Kbps (kilobits per second) or more. Broadband internet access is becoming more popular in developed countries in the 2000s. This is because the price of high speed internet access has dropped considerably over the past few years and broadband access has become available to more areas. The most popular broadband technologies for home users are DSL and cable internet. In some rural areas where DSL and cable internet access are not available, satellite internet can provide high speed internet access at some extra cost. For those who need broadband access while traveling on the road, wireless internet (WI-FI) would be a good choice. The data transmission rate of broadband internet access varies greatly from 256 Kbps to 24 Mbps depending on the internet service providers and their service plans. The actual transmission rate is also affected by other factors such as the number of subscribers sharing the bandwidth and the distance from the service station.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Broadband

Advantages of Broadband Internet Access:

1. Connection speed is up to 100 times faster than dialup connection. You can download pictures files, software in seconds or minutes instead of hours. Online gaming is only possible using a broadband internet access. 2. It does not affect the phone line. For DSL internet access, you can use the same phone line for both voice/fax and data transmission. For cable internet access, you are connected to the internet via the cable network. In either case, your phone line is not occupied while you are connected to the internet. 3. It is convenient because the internet connection is always on. 4. You don't need to dial an access number and risk getting a busy signal. 5. Broadband internet offers unlimited access and you won't be charged based on the connection duration. 6. Broadband internet not only gives you high speed internet access, it can also provide cheap phone services via VoIP technology.

Disadvantages of Broadband Internet Access: 1.

High monthly fee compared to dialup internet access.

2.

Higher security risk than dialup connection. A personal firewall is needed to protect your computer.

3.

Not all phone wires are equipped for DSL service. May not be available in rural or remote areas.

4.

Not all cable TV networks are equipped for cable internet access. May not be available in rural or remote areas.

Cable Internet

Cable internet refers to the delivery of internet service over cable network. A cable modem is used to transfer data signal using unused bandwidth on a cable television network. However not all cable infrastructure is capable of two way cable modem transmission, so having cable television network does not necessarily mean that cable internet service is available in your area. In general, cable internet is capable of providing higher connection speed than DSL internet service. The download speed can reach up to 30 Mbps and the upload speed up to 2 Mbps. However, cable internet providers often add a speed cap on residential service plans so the actual bandwidth is usually lower than these values. In addition, cable users in a neighborhood share the bandwidth provided by the same cable line. Therefore, connection speed will fluctuate depending on the number of people using the service at the same time. Almost all cable internet service providers tie up cable internet access with cable television subscription. Many also provide VoIP telephone service. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. VoIP converts the voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that travels over the Internet.

VoIP phone service is usually much cheaper than regular phone service. Many VoIP providers offer unlimited nationwide calling and low international calling rates. However, VoIP service requires broadband internet connection so in case of power outages when your cable modem (or DSL modem) is disconnected, you will not be able to make phone call or emergency call over the internet.

Advantages of cable internet access:

1. High connection speed 2. Convenient – you are always connected to the internet 3. Does not affect your phone line. You don’t need to switch your local phone service provider.

4. Connection speed is not affected by the distance from ISP operation center 5. Easy setup with self installation kit Disadvantages of cable internet access:

1. Higher price than dialup and DSL connection 2. Higher security risk than dialup or DSL (personal firewall is needed) 3. Not available to all cable TV networks 4. Bandwidth is shared over the same cable line. Connection speed is affected by the number of people using the internet at the same time in your neighborhood.

5. Usually tie with cable TV subscription