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Types of Internet Access
Technologies
Accessing the Internet and Connecting Your Network
Various technologies are available to both access the Internet and connect
your network to the Internet. Each technology or service has its advantages
and limitations. Choosing one over the other should be carefully considered.
Cable
Cable can be used to access and connect to the Internet. It is used for
high-speed Internet access. It is "always on", and is generally for home
usage rather than for business purposes. A cable Internet connection is much
faster than any type of dial-up connection. However, at this current time,
using cable for business applications is not as advantageous as using some
of the other technologies. You cannot connect a network to the Internet with
cable.
Due to the current inherent limitations of cable technology, it is not
usually a viable solution for businesses. These limitations include the
wiring ( most businesses are not wired), congestion and delay ( the more
people using cable, the slower the service), "shared" connectivity, security
(your neighbors may be able to access your files), and cable's inability to
support any type of web or email server.
Modem
A 56 Kbps modem is a good starting point for Internet access and lower end
applications, especially those businesses on a modest budget. This
technology is a dial-up service. Each user needs his own modem and phone
line to dial-up and be connected to the Internet. You must have a jack with
a phone line located near the computer. Remember that the modem ties up the
phone line so you won't be able to use the phone and computer at the same
time. If you want to use multiple devices simultaneously, you should
consider choosing another technology/service.
Modem technology can be costly if you add many users. The cost of many phone
lines and modems may be prohibitive. One way to solve this is to install a
modem on a server computer and use software that enables your users to
access the modem as a shared device. NetWare, Windows NT Server, and Windows
95/98 cannot accomplish this, so you have to purchase additional
modem-sharing software to enable the server to share its network with the
network. If you decide to set up your network this way, the downside is that
only one network can access the Internet at the same time. Also, performance
is never on the high-end due to the limitations of this set-up. Another way
to share modems on the network is to set up a separate computer to function
as a communications server. You can then install one or more modems in the
communications server computer so that your network users can access the
modems. Special software will be required. The best way to share modems is
to install a special-purpose device that connects your network to the
Internet via modems. These devices are readily available on the market.
PRI ISDN
You can use Primary Rate Integrated Services Digital Network (PRI ISDN) to
both access the Internet and connect your network to the Internet. It is a
dial-up service and does not require a modem. It's quite a bit faster than
modem service. PRI ISDN has 23 B channels plus one 64 Kbps D channel. Each
channel has a 64Kbps capacity, enabling a total transmission speed of up to
1.536Mbps. Additionally, since you can split the line into separate
channels, multiple users can talk on the phone and use the computer at the
same time. Each user can work at a speed of 64 Kbps.
DSL
DSL is an excellent Internet access solution for SMBs. It is an affordable
and easy-to-install way to access the Internet and connect your network to
it. This high-speed "always on" service lets you access the Internet over
ordinary phone lines at speeds up to 8 Mbps for downloads and 1 Mbps for
uploads (i.e., (Asymmetric DSL).
A DSL modem and an Ethernet card are required for installation. A splitter
may also be required. A splitter is a frequency filter that separates the
high frequencies used for sending data upstream and receiving downstream
data from the low frequency range used for voice. These high and low
frequencies are transmitted at the same time.
T-1
T-1 is a leased Internet access service and network-connect technology best
suited for large networks where 20 or more users are accessing the Internet
at the same time. T-1 is about 10 times as fast as ISDN and has speeds up to
about 1.54 Mbps. As many as 24 users can use the service simultaneously with
each using 64 Kbps. It is an "always on" service.
T-1 can be used to connect a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) to the telephone
company's central office (CO). T-1 is frequently used to connect remote
LANs.
Fractional T-1
If T-1 is a good solution for your business, and you don't have 20 or more
users, you can lease a portion of a T-1 line. This will keep your expenses
down and still give you a premium service for accessing the Internet and
connecting your network to it.
T-3
T-3 is a high-end leased service used by many medium-to-large sized
organizations for accessing the Internet and connecting a network to it. A
T-3 line can transmit data at up to 44 Mbps. That's extremely fast! It's the
equivalent of 28 T-1 lines. As many as 672 users can use the service
simultaneously while working at 64 Kbps. T-3 is an excellent solution for
businesses with large calling volumes (i.e., calling centers). It is an
"always on " service.
T-3 can be used to connect a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) to the telephone
company's central office (CO). T-3 is also used to link remote LANs.
Fractional T-3
If T-3 is a good solution for your business, and you don't need the full T-3
line, you can lease a portion of it. This will keep your expenses down,
allow you to have many users, and still give you a premium service for
accessing the Internet and connecting your network to it.
Frame Relay
Frame Relay is used for large-scale applications requiring accessing the
Internet and interconnecting LANs. It is also used to connect LANs to WANs.
Frame Relay's data rates range from 56 Kbps to 45 Mbps, giving you a wide
range of flexible options to choose from for your unique business needs. It
is an "always on" service.
If your LAN Internet usage varies significantly throughout the day, and has
bursty data, Frame Relay may be the best solution for you. With Frame Relay
Internet access, you can maximize your Internet connectivity at key times
throughout the day by "bursting" up to the full limit of the transport you
choose. A burst is a specific amount of data sent or received in one
intermittent operation. Bursty data uses bandwidth only sporadically. It is
sent intermittently and does not use the total bandwidth of a circuit 100
percent of the time.
