What You Need To Know About Broadband Before You Choose Your Broadband Internet Provider

Instant, speed is the change in advancement, which humanity has experienced so far
in this age of rapid development.

Whether it is in the field of transportation, or in rapid diffusion of information, speed
decides everything. The internet has made tremendous contributions in transmitting
data, the innovation of broadband has also made a mark to carry out the given task in
a fraction of seconds. Sometimes people working long hours and having less free time
to think, forget what instant access broadband can do to change their lives over
night.

This site gives you all the information about various services and their related
technology, its providers, cost and everything you'll need to know. Run through the
site now, and learn more about broadband and more importantly.... why you should
have it!

What is Broadband?

Generally, it is defined as a high-speed, high-capacity transmission medium that helps in
transmitting large amounts of data in the form of signals from multiple independent
network carriers. Furthermore, in network engineering the term is used to mention
the method that allows two or more signals to share a medium simultaneously. This
transmission is normally done on a single coaxial or fiber - optic cable by establishing
different bandwidth channels. Broadband service can support a wide range of
frequencies and helps in transmitting data, voice and video over long distances. It not
only helps in their transmission but also aims to have a high speed, high quality, low
cost and an easy to use Internet connection at home.

Types:

Broadband services are delivered mainly through telephone lines, cable connections, via
one or two way satellite systems and even by radio. Based on its mode of
transmission, broadband is classified further into four main types:

The Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)

cable broadband Service

satellite broadband Service

wireless broadband Service

Adsl is unique with its typical characteristic style to transmit data in one direction than
the other. It primarily uses an analogue modulation scheme, unlike others using band
technology based modulation. With Cable Broadband the transmission is basically
carried with the help of an Ethernet modem for accessing internet services through
the cable. It also provides a lot of broadband solutions to everyone. Satellite
broadband on the other hand is very reliable, since it can be used from almost
anywhere. They also come in two different types namely the ?one-way? and ?two-
way? connections. Similarly, Wireless Broadband uses an arrangement of fixed
antennas that allows the user to have access with high speed Internet connections
over the air. They deliver fast Internet access by means of radio waves as a
replacement for cables or wires.

Benefits:

There are good many reasons to consider having broadband. They provide a great
help both in your home as well as in your office. Being at least 10 times faster than
conventional dial-up connections, they assist in your business, giving broadband service
reports, increased sales, greater cost savings, better productivity, improved employee
satisfaction and by providing a overall healthier bottom line result. Moreover, they help
in going global with your own interactive website, and multiple email addresses
provided for a more efficient web service.

Similarly, in your home it helps by allowing you to have permanent connection to the
web through an Always-on facility that avoids the need to dial up every time you want
to surf the web or send an e-mail. With broadband in your home, you don?t need a
second line to make and take phone calls even when you are online. In addition, they
have fixed monthly charges to lessen the burden of extras and may offer other
options, including the pay-as-you-go scheme.

Believe it or not! Broadband is and always, going to be the cheapest online option for
the coming generations and also the tool for the future!!!

Configuring Wireless Networks

Configuring a wireless network involves setting up a wireless router or access point and installing wireless adapters on the networked computers. The wireless router must be placed in a central location because the computers closer to the router or access point obtain faster network speeds. The wireless router needs to be connected to a power source and a source of Internet connectivity so that all computers on the network are provided Internet access.

A wireless router is not mandatory for setting up a wireless network. Almost any computer with a wireless adapter and a wired connection to the Internet can be used as an access point. Next, the wireless network must be provided a name. This is usually referred to as SSID. All the computers on a WLAN must share the same SSID.

Each computer connected to the wireless network should have a wireless LAN card (also know as Wi-Fi adapter) installed. Wi-Fi adapters can be configured after installation of TCP/IP based networking on the individual computers. On computers using Microsoft Windows operating system, adapters usually have their own graphic user interface accessible from the taskbar after the wireless networking hardware is installed. This allows a user to enter the SSID and enable the WEP. For a WLAN to function accurately, all the adapters must use same parameter settings.

One can also opt for automatic wireless configuration that supports the IEEE-802.11 standard for wireless networks. This minimizes the configuration that is required to access the wireless network. Once you enable automatic wireless network configuration on your computer, you can move across various networks without reconfiguring your network connection settings. As you move from one place to another, automatic wireless networking searches for a network that is available and notifies you about the same. You can select the network that you want to connect to and the network configuration wizard updates your wireless network adapter to match the setting of the access point of the new network.

VPN - Overview of Virtual Private Networks

Virtual Private Network is a network within a network. This is very popular with businesses that have people working remotely. Basically what we have here is a utilization of the network already provided by the internet. The internet infrastructure can be used as the network for remote employees to access their corporate systems.

Corporate environments have a far greater need for tight security. This is achieved by creating a VPN (virtual private
network) on top of the normal internet connection. This type of connection allows for greater security and encryption. Only authenticated users can access the corporate network and the data being transferred cannot be intercepted.

So this VPN (virtual private network) connection is being run through the internet public network.

Two components are needed to make this scenario work. First, there needs to be a corporate server setup which has the server
VPN software installed (and a good router with a firewall). The next would be to have the client VPN software installed on the remote employees machines. Once the client machine is on the internet, they would use the VPN client software to communicate to the corporate server VPN where authentication occurs. Once the server identifies the connecting client as a valid machine, access to the network is granted. From then on all information to/from the client to the server is traveling along this virtual private network and is protected by the additional layer of encryption and security provided.

Finally, there can be a cost savings if determining whether a leased line or VPN is for you. Leased lines can increase in price based on the geographic distance between sites. A virtual private network does not and in fact is more scalable. (This is a general statement ONLY. It's best to consult with your communications broker prior to making this decision. A broker
will be able to provide much more information when compared to speaking with a specific vendor)

VPN is definitely a viable option for businesses small and large that have remote employees, need site-to-site access with remote offices or secure dial-up connections.

This article is just a very general overview. You should use this only as a starting point to even determine whether or not this type of technology is for you. During your evaluation of this technology, you should consider what type of implementation your looking to do; remote access, site-to-site, secure dial-up. Additional areas to research would be security, firewalls, encryption, server type and IPSec (internet protocol security protocol).

Evaluating Bandwidth Choices - ADSL vs SDSL

Looking for bandwidth? That can be a daunting and frustrating task even in the best of situations. There's lots to consider in order to make the right decision for your needs. Below you'll find some help when evaluating ADSL vs SDSL. Factors covered include Technology, Speed, Description, Application, Pros, Cons, and Costs.

Technology: ADSL

Speed: 768Kbps to 6.1 Mbps downstream. Upstream speeds range from 64Kbps-1Mbps.

Description: The most common type of DSL. Deployed over a copper wire pair in conjunction with an analog phone line.

Application: Commercial and consumer Internet service. Popular with consumers because of low-cost, short provisioning times and high download speeds.

Pros: High-speed access at a relatively low-cost. Availability is approaching 70% in most major metropolitan areas. Installation times are often less than 30days.

Cons: Not available in all areas. Slow upload speed. Bandwidth is aggregated at the Central Office and is subject to oversubscription. Not ideal for businesses or heavy users.

Costs: Consumer services starts at around $30-50. But....the pricing for these connections varies widely depending on the carrier and location of service. For example...it's likely to be more costly in rural areas and some local/regional providers may offer better rates than Tier 1 carriers.

Technology: SDSL

Speed: Up to 2.3Mbps both ways.

Description: A form of HDSL, provisioned over a single twisted-pair of copper wire at distances up to 12,000 feet.

Application: Ideal for businesses due to symmetrical data transmission speeds and advanced features such as multiple IP addresses.

Pros: High-speed access at a low-cost when compared to T-1. Often provides more features than ADSL.

Cons: Not available in all areas. Bandwidth is aggregated at the Central Office and is subject to oversubscription. More costly and longer install times than ADSL.

Costs: Business service starts at around $50-80 and can be as high as a few $100 monthly. But....the pricing for these connections varies widely depending on the carrier, location of service, and the application for which the connection is being used. For example...it's likely to be much more costly in rural areas. While some local/regional providers may offer better rates than Tier 1 carriers...you'll have to consider possible tradeoffs in stability and reliabilty.

Different Internet Options

How many ads have you seen just today for different internet companies? It can be a staggering amount. Think about this as well. For every commercial, every billboard ad, and every internet ad that you see there are hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting it. That is quite a huge amount of money being used to get your attention and get you to switch from one company to the next. The real question is though, who has what you need and the right price.

It is often hard to choose one from the next because they all claim to have the best rates out there. Sure, when you compare one company's dial up rate to another company's cable rate, there is a large difference. The first order of business for you, then, is to choose the type of method you want to use fnr your internet access. You can choose dial up which uses your phone line. You can be charged by the minutes, hours, or a flat rate here. But, remember, being online means to access to the phone.

Another option is the cable modem or DSL. In each of these cases, you are accessing the internet in a different manner, but the process is basically the same. DSL runs through your phone line, but does not clog up the lines. A cable modem is used to access the internet through your cable company. This type of internet access costs much more than dial up but allows you the flexibility to be online and on the phone for a flat rate every month.

When you compare apples to apples, you'll be able to see what the differences in internet companies are. When it comes time to choose, you'll have a different way of choosing. Compare prices, yes, but do not forget to compare other factors like abilities, speed, features, and the ease of use. Some internet companies offer spam blockers, virus scans, and even firewall protection. Others are a basic internet hook up that offers fewer frills at a better rate.

One of the best ways to know which company has a good history with its members is to look for testimonials. But, stop, don't get them from the companies, get them from people you know. Did you get an email from a friend? What is his ISP, or internet service provider? Ask him how he likes the company. First hand knowledge of the ISP will allow you to make a fair choice in one company to the next. They are all competing for your business so give them a run for your money!

Get Internet On The Go

Always wanted to tour the US in an RV but afraid to leave your internet business? Well now you can with satellite internet!

Yes, you can now have satellite internet hooked right up to your RV, car, boat or any other moving vechicle so while you are camping in Nevada, you can be emailing your friends back in Maine to tell them how nice it is! If you need to stay in contact with business associates, then this is your ticket to freedom.

While you are enjoying life on the road, you can be shopping, getting the latest news and even viewing satellite weather to help you plan your trip.

When you have your RV outfitted with satellite internet, you will have a state of the art internet connection.
In fact, it will be one of the fastest internet connections you've ever used. The satellite feed to your RV comes from a satellite orbiting the earth and directly into the satellite dish mounted on your RV. With this connection you can surf the internet at amazing speeds.

But satellite internet isn't just for RV's. You can have it in your car, your boat and even on your house. If you have a catering service or sell products at fairs or shows, this type of internet service is perfect for you. Even in an emergency, you can get internet fast with a flexible and convenient satellite dish.

If you are traveling, your satellite internet can also give you phone service and a whole network of information. With a satellite, you can enjoy voice over ip which is technologically better than regular phone and costs less too! And the best part is that to use the phone via your satellite connection you won't need to buy any special hardware or software and the voice quality is as good as that on your cell phone.

If you plan to do business son the go, you can get a VPN or Virtual Private Network with your satellite service. This effectively creates a private network between your satellite dish and the home office - a network that no one else can tap into so that your business communications remain secure even if you are thousands of miles from the office.

New advances in satellite technology open up new worlds for internet users. No longer are we tied to our desk, but we are free to move about the country and still be able to perform our daily work tasks.

What a Broadband Phone Really Is

You may have heard the terms broadband phones,internet phones, or even voice over internet protocol, but do you really know what they mean or how they work? With the gaining popularity of these on line communication tools, you should understand exactly what these things really are and how they do what they do.

Broadband phone actually uses voice over internet protocol (VoIP) to carry phone calls through the internet. This is an alternative way to transmit the call to the traditional telephony network. To say it another way, the calls go through the internet instead of traveling through traditional phone lines.

How does it work, though? The VoIP, when you place a broadband phone call, converst your voice into what can be best described as tiny digital packages. These packages are fired over the internet and then changed back to the signals necessary for the receiver to transmit them in language that you understand as the voice on the other end.

To get a broadband phone, you do have some options. A hardware broadband telephone uses an adapter. You connect this hardware to the router on your network or to your PC directly. Another option is software. The broadband software is a program that makes broadband calls.

This technology is being called the future of communications. Such hype is sending communications companies into a frenzy as they race to offer it so as not to get left in the dust as more and more of the public drops traditional phone service for broadband phones. Companies that fail to get in on the broadband call business risk going the way of the dodo. With that in mind, many of the companies are already offering VoIP technology, and every day more are joining in.

The reason the broadbad phone companies are so popular is that they can be done cheaper than traditional phone services. You see, because the calls bypass regulary Telco tolls, the companies using broadband can offer much lower rates. This is particularly true on long distance calls, making them similar to cell phones in that sense. While currently the broadband phone services may not offer quite as much reliability and quality as traditional phone lines, the technology is improving almost constantly and wont be far behind. For the money, though, the internet is already showing itself as the way to go to save on phone service.

If you decide that going with one of the many broadband phone companies [http://www.orlandodailytimes.com/category/technology-reviews] is the way you want to go, then you will need to make sure you have a couple of things so that your transition to cheaper phone calls will be smooth. First, you will need to make sure you have a good reliable broadband internet service in your home. You will next need a telephony adapter installed. You will be plugging your home phone into the telephony adapter which will then plug into your cable or DSL modem with a network cable. Since internet connections are reliant on the modem which is powered by electricity, you will lose your phone service if you lose power. One thing you may want to consider, since you wont lose your cable’s function with an electricity loss, is to get some sort of power source you can plug into the modem in case of a power outage. Get all of that together, call the company of your chose, and you will be using the internet to make your phone calls before you know it.

3G EV-DO or How the Internet Got Its Wings!

The Internet, as most people know it, is history.

It just seems like yesterday the Internet was just one
big mass of wires and cables; a glorified file sharing
warehouse with more than a few too many lines sticking out.
One enormous LAN party that just got out of hand, causing a ruckus
and spilling out down the block and around the world; creating too
many millionaires for no good reason and causing too many sleepless
nights surfing the neon pink.

The Internet quietly crept into every facet of our lives...
no subject or topic was left unexplored in this binary medium.
Suddenly, there it was, the authority on everything. Our lives
encyclopedia-ed to death by bits and bites.

But the Internet has always been perceived as a connected medium;
tied together by cables, servers and networks. Until now that is,
because now everything has changed. And it's about time, the Internet
has been tied to the ground for far too long, it's time for
liberation. Independence Day. Bring it on!

The Internet is going Wireless -- for real this time.

There were a few false starts; you can Bluetooth yourself silly,
but you won't get much further than 30 feet or so. The BlackBerry
is great but a little limiting. And Wi-Fi services have been around
for a long while but those were not really convenient, if you have to
find something; it's not convenient. Finding a 'hot spot' is the
space age equivalent of finding a 'needle in a haystack'; takes
way too much time.

What changes things, what has finally given the Internet its
liberation?

Verizon Wireless 3G EV-DO (evolution-data optimized) and other
companies offering similar services around the world. This new
technology will change how we view and use the world wide web.
Verizon Wireless began commercial operations in Oct. of 2003 and
is now expanding to over 125 million US consumers by the end
of 2005.

With download speeds of 400 to 700 kbps and bursts up to 2 Mbps,
3G has really given us wireless Internet this time. It has or will
turn the Internet into a truly wireless system that's devoid of any
cables or lines and really make it omnipotent. It will be everywhere.
No space within our biosphere will be without the Internet very soon.

For now Verizon Wireless or 3G is mainly located in the USA but
this will quickly change as other 3G companies and systems start up
to fulfill the demand. Wi-Fi may play a role too but will it go the
way of the 'Beta'?

However, this wireless universe could not be possible without one other key
element. The one element that also helped give the Internet its wings.
The answer might or might not surprise you. What really gave the Internet
its groove? Can you guess? Give up?

Finally, we come to the last element of this brand new liberated
Internet -- the little notebook computer. Don't underestimate the
power of this great little revolutionary device, it is doing for
the Internet what the cell phone did for the phone industry -- making
it wireless, portable, and accessible anywhere.

It could even be argued that it was the little notebook computer
that gave the Internet its freedom. Finally cutting the cable and
freeing the web, once and for all.

Once we had a portable computer that we could tuck under our
arm and take anywhere; we naturally wanted to take the Internet
along with it. After all, a computer without the Internet is like
having Mickey Mouse without Disneyland -- a real downer -- any kid
can tell you that!

Once the notebook or laptop computer gained in popularity, the demand
for a wireless Internet grew right along with it. The portability
factor being a strong selling point for both the notebook and the
Internet.

Likewise, in order to take full advantage of each of them; for
business operations, for personal communications, for emailing, for
web surfing... a wireless portable Internet was the obvious
next step. They compliment each other perfectly and one is not
completely whole without the other.

Technology has created this unholy trinity (the Internet, wireless
connections and the notebook computer) to fulfill our need for a portable
communication system that we can take and access anywhere. Until now,
the Internet was limited, tied to cables and wires...it never really
got off the ground!

But watch out; the cables are cut, the training wheels are off, the
bells are starting to ring real fast and this child has found its groove.

Every time a notebook opens, the Internet gets its wings!

Internet Service Providers

Internet Service Provider or ISP is a company that provides access to the Internet.

Before choosing an ISP, it is important to assess your company's business and marketing goals. You should find out what your organization will be using the Internet for. Once you've determined this, you can contact ISPs that serve your geographic area and ask them about their services. Those questions below will help you better understand that your local ISP offers.

Technical Questions About Reliability

1. Does the connection work at all hours of the day?

2. When are you busiest?

3. Does the connection support the speeds/types of hardware/software you want to use? Have specific questions to ask them. Know your operating system and the software that you need to use. Does the provider support 56K? Does it use the U.S. Robotics' x2 or Rockwell/Lucent's K56flex standard or both of them?

Technical Support and Troubleshooting

1. Is support part of normal service or an added cost?

2. What are the hours of coverage for network operations?

3. Is telephone support available via a local call, 800 number, or long distance?

4. Is there technical help available via e-mail? If yes who answers the questions and how soon?

5. Is there help and/or manuals available online?

6. Is there a user-friendly interface to Internet resources?

7. What software is provided and/or required?

8. Are the Internet tools that you need (such as e-mail, telnet, FTP, Usenet/News, Gopher, WAIS, WWW, or Lynx) available?

Business Arrangements and References

1. Are free trial connections available?

2. What local and 800 phone numbers are available for you to use?

3. Can multiple users access the same billing account simultaneously?

4. Can multiple user IDs/mailboxes use the same billing account?

5. Are there surcharges for any types of connections or particular hours of the day?

6. What kind of contract or services agreement is required?

7. What options are available for billing and payments? Discounts for pre-payments?

8. Are there refunds for early termination or if service is not satisfactory?

9. Are there any options that will reduce (or increase) your costs?

10. Are group discounts available? (Start your own group!)

11. After placing an order, how long does it take to make the connection active?

12. Are there charges for file storage?

13. Is space for Web pages included?

14. If you travel and want to access the Internet while you are on the road, ask about accessing your ISP from the cities you visit.

15. How long has the provider been in business?

16. Can you get answers to your questions in writing?

17. Ask for names of two to three similar users and check with them regarding their experience.

Some DSL Broadband Definitions

Often too many people get confused with all the definitions, here we have explained in easy to understand terms.

ADSL:

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line - asymmetric meaning it's faster downstream than upstream.

ASAM:

Advanced Services Access Manager -Whether you have a DSLAM or ASAM in your exchange doesn't really matter. They do the same thing. See DSLAM's as well.

ATM:

Asynchronous Transfer Mode - a method of encapsulation which is capable of many virtual circuits. With these, providers (ISP's) can split an ATM connection (155Mbit or 622Mbit) up into many connections. ATM isn't just used for DSL but in the case of DSL it's used to provision each customer.

Contention Ratios:

A contention ratio is the number of users to xMbit of bandwidth. For example some providers offer 2Mbit DSL, with a ratio of 50:1, meaning 50 users to 1Mbit of bandwidth.

CPE:

Customer Premises Equipment, the term that describes the equipment used on the customer end of a connection, for example your DSL modem/router or cable modem.

DSL:

Digital Subscriber Line.

DSLAM:

Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer - They are placed in DSL enabled Telecomm exchanges, when your modem syncs up and the DSL light comes on, it means you are connected. When data travels down your connection, it goes from the CPE -> DSLAM -> RAN -> ISP

ERX:

Edge Routing Exchange. See RAN.

IPNet:

Telecommunications backhaul networks for carrying traffic from the customer to the ISP, i.e. carrying traffic from RAN's to ISP's.

Ping or Latency:

A ping measures the time in milliseconds that it takes for a packet to travel from your computer to a remote computer and back to you again. Just because you can't ping a given host, quite a lot of providers are beginning to filter ICMP (pings come under this protocol) traffic because it is commonly used to attack hosts and wastes a lot of bandwidth.
Many providers also give low priority to ping (ICMP) traffic which may mean your ping at a command line isn't very good, but in say a game, things may be fine.

RAN:

Regional Access Node These aggregates many DSLAM's connections and then feed the data to an ISP

RTT

Round Trip Time - the time it takes in milliseconds for a packet to go from A to B and back again. See ping.

SDSL

Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line - symmetrical meaning the same speed up and down.

Units

There is a major difference between UPPER and lowercase

MB = MegaBytes

Mb = Megabits

kB = KiloBytes

kb = Kilobits

MB/s = MegaBytes per second

Mb/s = Megabits per second

kB/s = KiloBytes per second

kb/s = Kilobits per second

There is 8bits to a Byte, 8kb = 1kB

1Meg connections only transfer at 128kB/sec
or an 8Mb connection only transfers at 1024kB/sec or 1MB/s