What is Broadband and do I really need it?

There is a dizzying array of ways to connect to the Internet these days. From the tried and true 56k modem to the prohibitively expensive satellite uplink, we keep searching for more and faster ways to surf the web.

The three most common ways to cruise the information superhighway are dial-up modems, DSL (digital subscriber line), and now Broadband.

First, some definitions:

• Modem - A device for transmitting usually digital data over telephone wires by modulating the data into an audio signal to send it and demodulating an audio signal into data to receive it. You connect to the Internet through your modem.
• Bandwidth - The amount of data that can be passed along a communications channel in a given period of time.
• Broadband - A transmission medium capable of supporting a wide range of frequencies, typically from audio up to video frequencies.
• DSL – Digital subscriber line. A type of modem.
• Dial-up – A connection to a data network over a standard phone line.
• 56k Modem – The standard computer modem that you plug a phone line into. The modem transfers data at 56 kilobits per second, or 56,000 bits per second.

The basic modem that comes with almost all new computers is called a dial-up, or 56kbps modem. It is the oldest type of the three and the slowest. You connect this modem to the Internet by plugging a regular phone line into the port in the back of the modem.

DSL—Little Work, Lots of Speed

The DSL modem works on the same line as the 56 kbps modem, but it uses a larger portion of the bandwidth. A DSL modem is normally provided free when you buy DSL service from your phone provider.

DSL modems typically don’t need any additional wiring; they use the phone lines you already have. While DSL service is normally about three times faster than regular dial-up, it gets slower the farther away you are from the provider’s central office.

Cable—The Ferrari of Modems

Cable modems are the Internet connection provided by a cable TV operator, typically with at least 1.5 Mbits (1.5 million bits) per second of download bandwidth. A cable modem can be used to achieve extremely fast access to the World Wide Web (50-100 times faster than modems that work over normal telephone lines).

Unlike the typical cable system—where TV signals can only be broadcast to the home—information is transmitted in both directions. Cable modems require a little more set-up time—an external modem is connected to your computer via a special cable called a CAT-5, or Ethernet cable.

Most people use a 56kbps modem to connect to the Internet. This speed is fine for reading e-mails and online news. But you need higher speeds to download large files, like video or audio clips. For example, on some news websites you can view video broadcasts like you would see on your television. With a dial-up modem, downloading this file can take minutes to hours, but with cable or DSL, it will take only seconds.

---

“Ask Joe,” is the Erickson Tribune's monthly advice column featuring Joe Fino, Erickson's webmaster and computer advice specialist. Joe will answer your computer-related questions, so if you are having trouble setting up an e-mail account, fixing an error, or even attaching a new pair of speakers, don't hesitate to ask Joe.

Have a computer or technology-related question for Joe? E-mail your question to: askjoe@ericksonmail.com

Subscribe: