Internet Services Facts
The following table lists various services you can use to connect to the Internet. Method Description
Dialup A dialup connection uses a modem connected to the phone line to communicate with another host through a wide area connection. • Dialup connections use the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Phone lines are sometimes referred to as POTS (plain old telephone service). • Multiple standards define how to send digital data over the analog phone lines at various speeds and compression ratios. Standards include: V.24, V.32bis, V.34, V.42, V.44, V.90, and V.92. • Dialup connections are available anywhere a dialup telephone line exists. • Data transfer rates include 28.8 Kbps, 33.3 Kbps, and 56 Kbps. The V.44 standard adds compression, allowing effective data transfer rates above 56 Kbps. • Dialup connections cannot be used for both voice (phone calls) and data at the same time. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) DSL provides broadband digital data transmission over existing telephone lines. • DSL divides the telephone line into multiple channels. One channel is used for analog voice, while the remaining channels are used for digital data. • There are many DSL standards (such as ADSL, SDSL, and HDSL), collectively referred to as xDSL. • Depending on the type of DSL used...