Broadband Speed Table

Introduced in 1988, ISDN is an all-digital telephone service that operates over standard copper phone wires. It supplies two independent 64-Kbps (64k x 2=128k) channels that can be used for voice or data. ISDN is widely used for corporate remote access, but it can also be used as an Internet connection. Most major ISPs support dial-up ISDN at no additional charge. From the user's point of view, ISDN works like a conventional modem connection: Your phone company provides the line and phone service, but you need to provide your own phone equipment and ISP account.

At 128k, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) provides fast access to the Internet relative to standard dial-up access, but is slower and less scalable than the other technologies mentioned here. In addition, ISDN is not actually a true dedicated connection – it is not always on. ISDN provides simultaneous voice and data transmission on standard copper phone lines, but you are assessed per-minute charges for the time you spend connected to the Internet, which can add up. To connect a PC to an ISDN line, you will also need a terminal adapter, or TA--the ISDN equivalent of a modem. For these reasons, the popularity of ISDN is waning.

There are several types of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), including ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) which provides different upload and download speeds and is most popular with consumers, and SDSL, which provides the same speed in both directions and is most popular with businesses. However, this new technology is not yet available in many parts of the country. Furthermore, the speed you’re able to get depends on your distance from the telephone company’s local office and other factors. 

ADSL is offered by an increasing number of local phone companies, but availability is spotty and pricing varies widely, with typical 1.5-mbps service ranging from about $40 to well over $100 per month. Some phone companies will act as your ISP for a DSL connection, but many just provide a DSL connection between you and your ISP or your office intranet--which means you'll need to factor in the ISP charge as well.

COST: Monthly charges start at approx. $40 for Consumer-class DSL (ADSL) or $150 for Business-class DSL (SDSL). Also to use DSL, you'll need a DSL adapter, often (and incorrectly) called a DSL modem. Some providers give you the adapter as part of the service; others require you to purchase it from them. Expect to pay from $100 to $250 to get started. 

If you plan to share DSL you would need either a DSL Routing adapter, the model number of the adapter will usually end in an "R" (642r). This is most typical with business and will give you 5 user blocks. Or you can use a regular DSLm and separately purchase a standard router for about $189 or so and accomplish the same thing. Both have to be configured and unless you are very technically inclined do not attempt it yourself. NTI can help you with this. Also see DSL-Cable Modems under Tech Tools.

ONE WAY: Satellite offers speeds at 400+ kbs (kilobits per second), and more often than not you will get much more than that. That's over eight times faster than a 56K modem, and more than three times faster than a dedicated ISDN line.  You have two modems in your computer, your regular 56k modem that you probably have now for transmitting data through your regular phone line, and a USB external satellite modem for downloading data. You will get 56k speed when you are sending and 400+kbs when you are receiving, that average of the two will be your net speed.

TWO WAY: With 128k on the uplink and 400+kbs on the downlink, two-way is the way to go. No  phone line necessary and it is always on...no dialing in to an ISP!. A special device will attach to the satellite dish itself and you will use a different type of modem. Actually it is a set of two modems, still USB,  piggy backed...one for the uplink and one for the downlink, both 400kbs speed and no need for the conventional 56k modem.


COST: There are several plans to choose from ranging from $19.99/mo with restricted hourly use but the most economical is the $39.99/mo unlimited plan for the one-way and $69.95 for the unlimited two way. The unlimited plans include an ISP. For the one-way they do offer a package which does include their ISP service but at this time there is no local dial up connection in the Naples, FL.

Cable modems provide Internet access over upgraded cable TV networks. Service is generally available only in residential areas, and only to about 25 percent of existing cable-wired homes; but that's growing rapidly. Cable modem offer speeds up to 1.5 mbs (megabytes per second)

There are only two cable services currently available in Naples, FL , Comcast and Time Warner (RoadRunner). Both offer 2-way high speed Internet access through a cable modem. Both utilize your existing tv coax cable and they great thing is that you do not tie up your phone line while you are connected.

You have a special modem which the cable companies will come out and install  in your computer. Speeds will vary but 384kbs up and 1.5mb on the download side is what is typically expected from a cable modem although higher speeds are available is select areas. Cable modem service almost always includes unlimited Internet access, and locating a service provider is simple: Just call Comcast or Time Warner to see if cable modem access is available in your area. 

If you have more than one computer and you wish to share the high speed access, Naples Technology specializes in that area. Just give us a call and we will give you the details. Dont even think about asking the cable company for information or guidance in sharing your connection....they will have nothing to do with it. That is where we come in. Once the cable company has installed the cable modem, give us a call to complete the job of sharing...we will be glad to help. 

COST: Your cable company will charge about $150 for the initial install, and the service runs from $35 to $50 per month. Downloads range from 384 Kbps to several million bps. The cable modem itself is an external box that you rent or buy from your provider and attach to your PC via an Ethernet connection. 

For larger organizations, it's generally more cost-effective to utilize dedicated access services for outbound and inbound calling. A leased line, sometimes referred to as T1, is a private, dedicated line that goes directly from your office to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), providing transmission at 1.54Mbps (40 times the speed of a standard dial-up modem). If you don’t need that much speed, you can purchase a fractional T1 leased line, which is simply a T1 line split into segments and divided among users. Leased lines provide guaranteed bandwidth, since they are not shared with other users.

A leased line connection is also available at T3 speed (45Mbps) or fractional T3 speed (starting at 3Mbps). However, these transmission rates are faster and more expensive than most small businesses need or can afford. T3 is primarily used by ISPs.

COST: You don't even want to know....The approximate Hardware Cost: $2,700.00-- $3,800.00, plus a startup fee generally around $1,500.00, then $700 to $800+ per month.

Find out what your options are. There is no point trying to decide between DSL and Satellite if DSL is not available in your area. Call the the local phone company to find out for sure. Then call your cable provider to see if cable modem is an option. And Satellite, (provided that you are not in a condo or apartment building and you have a clean line of sight to the south), is always an option no matter where you live. Once you have gather your list of options you can make a more informed decision. If you need help, give us a call !

Bits(b), Bytes(B), and Baud

Bits and bytes are a measurement of electronic information. A byte is always 8 bits. Communications speeds are usually measured in bits per second while many computer operations are measured in bytes per second. A "56k" modem is 56 kilobits and a "2m" DSL connection is 2 megabits per second. "128MB" of RAM is 128 megabytes. Ideally when abbreviations are used, b means bits and B means bytes. Baud rate is another measure of transmission speed and is the number of actual signals sent per second. At one time it was equal to the bits per second, but modern technology allows us to send more than one bit per electric signal.

Mega(M) and kilo(K)

Traditionally kilo means one thousand exactly. In the communications world engineers call a thousand bits transmitted in a second 1 kilobit per second. Makes sense. Now while 1000 is a nice round number for humans to work with, it isn't for computers. Mathematically speaking humans use decimal or base 10 numbers and computers use binary or base 2. 1024 is 2 to the power of 10 which is a significant binary value and so is represented by kilo in the computer world. Mega is similar except it means one million and in the computer world is 1024 kilo or 1,048,576. Ideally when abbreviations are used, k means 1000 and K means 1024.