High Speed Internet

Today, there are a multitude of options available for high
speed internet access whether for home or business use. For
the home user, especially for the telecommuter or trader, 
it's important to be able to access large amounts of 
information as quickly and reliably as possible. For businesses,
it's vital to remain omni-present even if the face of a
tidal wave of simultaneous accesses. Telephone modems are
fine for casual home users who want to write email and
occasionally browse the web in their spare time but they
don't provide the immediate access of a broadband connection.

For the home user, the best options are generally either a
cable modem or one of the variants of DSL. Cable modems
are generally cheaper than DSL and can often obtain faster
transfer speeds than DSL. However, DSL provides a guaranteed
throughput rate and usually better overall reliability.
Since the cable network connection is shared between 
multiple users, speed is often dependent on what the other
people in the neighborhood are doing. However, DSL access is
limited to within 2 miles of the local telephone company's
central office.

For businesses, the first thing to consider is exactly
how much throughput is required at any given time. DSL is a
good answer for small businesses with little bandwidth needs.
Anything bigger should consider getting a Tier line installed.
Tier lines offer the best quality in connectivity and guarantee
bandwidth available. A Tier 1 line, also known as a T1, offers
a 1.5 Megabit per second connection but generally costs
about $1500 per month because of it's guaranteed reliability.
Smaller businesses may consider a Fractional T1 line which
can dynamically change it's speed depending on current need.
Larger businesses may need a T3 or faster connection if they're
supporting a large number of simultaneous users. Another
option if the business is just serving data would be to co-locate
a machine with a provider. It allows them to handle all of the
bandwidth needs while allowing the business high flexibility in
the management of their system.

As with everything, someone looking into broadband access needs
to weigh the cost of each option with their needs for bandwidth
and reliability. Before deciding on an option, it is also
important to find out any restrictions availability in the area.
Find out if the broadband provider has multiple connections to the
backbone in case one of their peers goes down. Also, be sure
to read the Terms of Service for the provider to ensure everything
is as expected. Don't be afraid to ask providers questions when 
things are unclear. Good luck and happy downloading!

Ken Witherow

This article is Copyright 2000, Ken Witherow. All rights reserved.
For questions or comments, email phantoml@rochester.rr.com