Tuesday, May 22, 2007

High Speed Cable Internet:

What Is DSL?

DSL is an acronym for Digital Subscriber Line.

DSL is a low cost broadband technology that enables high speed access to the Internet.

Broadband DSL Internet access is available in many areas for an affordable monthly cost of between $20 - $60.
How Does DSL Work?

DSL transmits high speed data over common copper telephone lines that are already installed in your home or business.

DSL technology utilizes the unused bandwidth of your existing phone line to enable simultaneous phone conversations and high speed Internet access without requiring an additional line.
Types Of DSL Technology?

There are several types of DSL transmission methods.

* ADSL - Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line
o ADSL provides much faster download speeds than upload speed. This is the most common DSL technology for home use.
* SDSL - Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line
o SDSL technology provides equal download and upload speeds. Typically used by businesses.
* HDSL - High data rate Digital Subscriber Line
o HDSL technology provides faster DSL speeds. Typically used by businesses. Limited availability.
* VDSL - Very high data rate Digital Subscriber Line
o VDSL technology provides very fast DSL speeds. Used for distribution of television video, high speed Internet, and telephone services by telecommunications companies such as Qwest. Limited availability.

How Fast Is DSL?

DSL speed depends on many factors including the type of DSL technology you use and the distance you are from the central office connection.

DSL transmission speeds range between several hundred kilo bits per second "Kbps" to several millions of bits per second "Mbps". However, even the slowest DSL connection is many times faster than a standard dial up modem connection.

DSL Internet service providers usually market several different DSL Internet access packages offering various speeds and price ranges.
What Are The Advantages Of DSL?

Broadband DSL service has many advantages over a standard dial-up Internet connection.

With DSL you are connected to the Internet as soon as you turn on your computer. There is no need to dial up your Internet Service Provider, so you can surf the net without typing up your telephone line.

In addition to the "always on" convenience, DSL provides much faster download speeds. You no longer have to wait for automatic updates or large files to download. Graphic intensive web pages, audio, and video clips will load quickly.

DSL also makes it much faster and easier to download or send large email attachments such as photos and videos to family and friends.
What Equipment Do I Need?

The equipment needed for DSL Internet access is similar to other high speed broadband technologies.

A digital interface commonly known as a DSL modem connects your computer to the DSL line.

The DSL modem usually connects to your computer via a Network Interface Card (NIC) using a standard CAT5 network patch cable. Most computers come with a network card installed, otherwise they are inexpensive and easy to install.

If you have a home network you can also connect your DSL modem to a router to enable broadband DSL Internet access for your entire network.
Is DSL Internet Access For Me?

Only you can answer this question, since everyone has different needs and expectations.

You can compare ISP 1 high-speed DSL Internet providers using our broadband DSL comparison page.

http://isp1.us/article/how-dsl/

What happened to free Internet access?

When Did Free Internet Access Start?
The concept of free Internet access started way back in 1998. Soon there dozens of free Internet providers boasting millions of registered users. Names such as FreeWWWeb, Free Internet, WorldSpy, NetZero, Juno, Kmart's BlueLight, American Express AMEXOL, just to name a few.

How Did Free Internet Access Work?
With most free Internet access providers, you had a floating advertising banner on your screen while you were online. Some of them made you click on an advertisement periodically or they disconnect you. The free ISP received advertising and e-commerce revenues to help offset the costs of providing the free Internet access.

FreeWWWeb & WorldSpy were fast, reliable, highly rated Nationwide Free ISPs that didn't require a floating advertising bar. I used these free Internet providers myself for several months and was very satisfied with their performance and reliability.
How Was Free Internet Access Marketed?

FreeInternet.com, a popular free isp, spent over 89 million dollars in venture capital on operational losses and advertising campaigns. FreeInternet's advertising campaigns included a television commercial staring basketball star Shaquille O'Neal and Baby Bob, an animated baby character.

Kmart and American Express also spent millions of dollars marketing their free Internet services. Kmart distributed millions of BlueLight free Internet CDs through it's large network of retail stores.

What Happened?
Unfortunately, at least for free Internet access customers, all good things come to an end and free Internet providers proved to be no exception. The advertising and e-commerce supported free Internet access model collapsed more rapidly than ENRON.

By the July of 2000 virtually all the free Internet service providers had filed for bankruptcy, shut down or discontinued offering free Internet access.

Kmart even discontinued it's popular BlueLight free Internet service and started referring it's existing free ISP customers to NetZero.

Did Any Free ISPs Survive?
NetZero and Juno were exceptions, they continued to provide advertising and commerce supported free Internet access. They also acquired certain assets and customers of FreeInternet.com, FreeWWWeb.com & WorldSpy.com now defunct free ISPs.

As time passed NetZero and Juno limited their free Internet service in an attempt to entice their existing customers to switch to one of their paid Internet access plans. Soon after NetZero joined forces with Juno to form the company United Online.

Can I Still Get Free Internet Service?
As of November 28, 2006 when this article was written, NetZero was still offering 10 hours per month of free Internet access.

* NetZero 10 Free Hours / Month
o 10 free hours of web surfing
o Free 1 GB email account
o Spam and email virus protection
o Thousands of access numbers

The rest of the former free ISPs have either been acquired by other companies or been converted to fee for service ($$$) Internet service providers.
Are There Low Cost Alternatives?

Basically there are two options when it comes to cheap Internet access. You can choose a low cost dial up or high speed broadband service provider.

* Dial Up Internet Access
o Lowest cost
o Single computer
o Light to moderate use
o Ties up a phone line
o Slow download speeds

If you need light to moderate Internet access on a single computer, then standard or accelerated dial up Internet access is the cheaper option and provides reasonable service for a lower cost.

If you choose one of the inexpensive dial-up Internet providers that we feature. You'll receive dependable dial up Internet service for the lowest monthly cost.

* High Speed Internet Access
o Higher cost
o Multiple computers
o Heavy use
o Doesn't tie up a phone line
o Fast download speeds

If you want to connect multiple computers to the Internet simultaneously or are a heavy Internet user, then you should consider upgrading to a broadband high speed connection.

Anyone who has surfed the net using a traditional dial up Internet connection is aware of how painfully slow web pages seem to load. Broadband high speed Internet access is extremely fast and increasingly becoming a virtual necessity in today's high tech society.

ISP 1 suggests that you try one of our low cost high speed Internet providers that meets your specific needs and expectations. You'll receive blazing fast, reliable high speed Internet service for a reasonable monthly cost.


http://isp1.us/article/free-internet/