Modem       DSL       Cable DSL       T1       T3       DS3       OC3

To connect to the internet most homes use connections such as dialup or DSL (ASDL).  A business location normally uses a Business DSL (SDSL), T1, T3 / DS3 or OC3.  

Now the question is, just what does all that mean?   Here I will explain what all this means and the links on the left will help you to research more detail about these connections and see what is available in your area.   Several of the links can even be used to get pricing for internet connections to your house or business. 

             

Typical home use:
DSL:  (Over Phone Lines)
Typically in your home you will have ADSL.  The DSL arrives at your house on your phone line and supplies DSL service over the same line.  Each phone location has a filter installed where the phone plugs in, to filter out the DSL signal.   Without this filter you would hear a strange low volume noise on the telephone. 

Typical costs for DSL will be around $15.00 to $40.00 a month.  The closer your are to your provider, the higher the available speed will be.  The further your are from your provider, the slower the DSL speed will be.  

Here is a link to a good description on how distance affects the available speed for DSL
--> DSL Distances .

Although you may be close enough to get the maximum speed, you may be offered the slower ones too, but at a lower cost.  So when you see that discounted offer, always compare the maximum speed offered to your actual location.

Download and Upload speeds are not the same for ADSL.  Download speeds are generally greater than upload speeds.   This is acceptable to most home users since most of the time home users download from the internet.  

So just what speeds are offered? 
Here are some examples:
UPLOAD               DOWNLOAD       
16 to 640Kbps      1500 to 6000Kbps    Note:  1500Kbps is the same as 1.5Mbps
                                                     Note:  6000Kbps is the same as 6.0Mbps            

Because distance is a factor on speed and if you can get DSL, you may want to consider Cable DSL.   Cable DSL normally arrives over a Cable TV line, where Cable TV is available.
The internet connection rides over the cable wire to a cable modem.     

Many times Cable DSL is faster than telephone DSL lines and is available in areas where normal DSL is so far from the provider it is not offered over the telephone line.  The downside to Cable DSL is that it is a single line back to the cable company equipment for many houses.  So if many people around you have Cable DSL the speed available may be a less. 

Here is a link to a good explanation of Telephone DSL v/s Cable DSL: 
Telephone DSL v/s Cable DSL

To purchase a DSL connection:
It is best to go to an internet site that will help you find everything that is available in your area.   One such site is Everything DSL or you can use any of the others that are mentioned in the links on the left side of this page. 

You will typically enter your phone number, a few other items and then you will see available providers and costs from each.   Remember to select Residential and not Business.

If you want Cable DSL then go to your local cable providers web site or call for pricing.
It is important to know that you do not always have to purchase Cable TV to get cable DSL.   Cable DSL without Cable TV is possible as long as your Cable TV provider offers by itself.


28.8 modem:
Today modems are used typically in an area that is not served by some form of DSL or you want the cheapest possible connection to the internet. 

Although, dialup is usually the cheapest, it will tie up your phone line every time you are using it, so callers will get a busy signal.  If your computer gets compromised by some bad virus or malware, the computer may even call a long distance phone number.

Dialup typically runs at 28.8 Kbps compared to DSL, which is typically at least 10 times or more slower than the speed of a DSL connection.    


 


Typical business use:
Business DSL:
Typically stated as SDSL.  Its speed is typically fast to upload and fast to  download.
Speeds will vary due to distance from your provider, however below are some example speeds that are offered. 

In addition to the cost of service you will have to also have a phone line that this SDSL can ride on.  Typically this is a POTs line (plain old telephone) line.  Many phone companies charge $50 per month for this phone line, if it is located at a business. 

Many providers will not guarantee the uptime or dependability of a DSL service.   This dependability is one reason many  businesses choose a T1 over a DSL.  
UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD
144Kbps       144Kbps

UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD
384Kbps       384Kbps

UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD
768Kbps       768Kbps

UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD        Note:  1100Kbps is the same as 1.1Mbps
1100Kbps      1100Kbps

UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD
1500Kbps      1500Kbps            Note:  1500Kbps is the same as 1.5Mbps


T1 or Fractional T1 or NxT1:
When discussing a T1, we also have to look at the variations of the T1.  It can be a Full T1 or a Fractional T1.  

A T1 can also be bonded to more T1's to effectively double the speed.
We refer to this as NxT1.  Here are a few examples:
NxT1 connects 2, 3 or 4 dedicated T1 circuits.
The speed then would be 3 Mbps, 4.5 Mbps or 6 Mbps, respectively.

When you get a price on this T1 service you should also ask if you pay for the local loop or is it included in the price from your bandwidth service provider.   A POTs line or (plain old telephone) line will not carry this signal.

This service typically has a guaranteed up time and is more reliable than DSL

Full T1
UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD
1500Kbps      1500Kbps            Note: 1500Kbps is the same as 1.5Mbps
                                           Note:  A T1 can be bonded

Fractional T1
UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD
512Kbps       512Kbps

UPLOAD       DOWNLOAD
768Kbps       768Kbps
 

Ethernet:
A cheaper, high speed connection direct to a carrier's backbone.   This is typically offered when a ISP provider's network runs close to your building rather than provisioning individual local loops.

Connection rates and service quality can vary.  Cost savings can outweigh the cons of the quality provided.

When you get a price on this Ethernet service you should also ask if you pay for the 
local loop or is it included in the price from your bandwidth service provider.   A POTs line or (plain old telephone) line will not carry this signal.

Rate available are 10M , 100M , and 1,000M . 


T3 or DS3:
This is a 43 Mbs connection.  The local loop to the service provider is installed for 43 Mbs, however your access port is normally setup for a slower rate.  The local loop connection consists of 672 individual channels.  Each of those channels supports 64Kbps each.  This connection is quite expensive and it can be installed to only use some of the 672 channels to lower the cost.  A T3 or DS3 has the same capacity of 28 T1s.

You should start with maybe 9Mbs or higher service.  If you only ask for say 6Mbs you may find that bonded T1's are cheaper.   The advantage of the T3 over a T1 is that it has greater flexibility to expand up to that maximum of 43 Mbs.  

When you get a price on this T3 or DS3 service you should also ask if you pay for the
local loop or is it included in the price from your bandwidth service provider.   A POTs line or (plain old telephone) line will not carry this signal.


OC3 (Typically a service provider):
OC3 (Optical carrier) circuits are provisioned using fiber networks and provide carrier-grade throughput speeds when terminated into a carrier network for bandwidth transit. Multiple rates can be provided as follows: