Week 3 EOC: 3 x Internet

The wave of the future is mobile. Gaming, surfing the internet, productivity, you name it. People want to take what they love and what they have to do with them, and they want it to be fast and convenient. “Cell phones and cell-phone radio towers send packets of digital information back and forth to each other via radio waves. In the case of a phone call, the packets of information carry voice data.” (How Stuff Works) The integration of internet with all the features of a palm-top computer is becoming the most prominent aspect of internet use.

One of the most standard means of accessing the internet is by DSL, or Digital Subscriber’s Line. It is a fast, dedicated line, the same as a normal telephone line or POTS, which using the standard copper wiring to transmit the digital signal. “DSL exploits this "extra capacity" to carry information on the wire without disturbing the line's ability to carry conversations.” (How Stuff Works) In many ways DSL is the preferred method of home internet access due to its ability to provide good, “high speed” internet access though it does have its limitations in terms of how much bandwidth it can funnel through at high speeds. Overall it is a reliable and moderately fast internet connection.

The final, and technically fastest way of accessing the internet is through use of cable internet. Unlike DSL, Cable works of the digital TV cable lines. It also provides for a faster connection speed with a higher bandwidth than DSL. “When a cable company offers Internet access over the cable, Internet information can use the same cables because the cable modem system puts downstream data -- data sent from the Internet to an individual computer -- into a 6-MHz channel.” (How Stuff Works) Another main difference is while DSL is a slower line with narrower bandwidth, Cable shares its high bandwidth with a community of internet connections. So if you have a cable modem then you are sharing your connection speed (depending on the time of day) with up to 100 other internet users. This makes the choice of internet options wholly dependent upon when you surf the internet, and what your usage type is.