Finding the Proper Internet Connection for You

Common methods of Internet access include dial-up, landlines, T-lines, Wi-Fi, satellite and cell phones.

Dial-up connections are the most common type of Internet connection available from ISPs, but also the slowest and usually the least expensive. A dial-up connection allows users to connect to the Internet via a local server using a standard 56k modem, the PC literally dials a telephone number and then connects to the server's modem. Once connected, users are free to search the web as they please, however, compared to modern speeds of broadband Internet, dial-up is very slow and can only nominally transfer at 56 kilobits per second. Broadband download speeds range from 1Mb/s for slower ADSL to 25-30Mb/s for faster cable, from thirty to nine hundred times faster than dial-up.

Asymmetric digital subscriber lines (ADSL) have become a widely available Broadband Internet access connection, providing a variety of data rates. The connections work by splitting the function of a phone line into separate channels for voice telephone calls and for data. Thus, a user can talk on the phone and be connected to the Internet at the same time. There are other versions of DSL also being used to provide Internet access such as VDSL (Very High Speed DSL), or SDSL (Symmetric DSL).

Cable Internet access, the principal competitor to DSL, is offered at a range of prices and speeds overlapping that of DSL, but tends to concentrate more on the high end of the market.

The satelite internet access represents the access provided through satellites. The service can be provided to users world-wide through Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. Geostationary satellites can offer higher data speeds, but their signals cannot reach some polar regions of the world. Different types of satellite systems have a wide range of different features and technical limitations, which can greatly affect their usefulness and performance in specific applications.

Wi-Fi provides wireless access to computer networks, and therefore it can be done for the Internet itself. Hotspots providing such access include Wi-Fi-cafes, where a would-be user needs to bring their own wireless-enabled devices such as a laptop or PDA. These services may be free to all, free to customers only, or fee-based. A hotspot need not be limited to a confined location. The whole campus or park, or even the entire city can be enabled. Grassroots efforts have led to wireless community networks.