What Is a DSL Internet Connection?
Consumers have a number of options when it comes to connecting their computers to the Internet. Dial-up access using a telephone modem was the first method most consumers used to access the Internet. As communication technology advanced the ability to access information at greater speeds became available to home computer users. One popular high-speed option for Internet access is the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).
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History
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According to Syix.com, DSL was originally developed as a means of allowing high-speed video streaming, utilizing existing the existing telephone line infrastructure. The first commercially-viable DSL lines were introduced in 1989. The new technology quickly became one of the most popular formats for consumer high-speed Internet access.
Function
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DSL uses the same twisted-pair copper telephone lines accessed by traditional telephone modems. Unlike traditional modems that must dial in to an Internet Service Provider in order to connect the computer to the Internet, DSL uses a special router which plugs into an existing telephone jack and provides a bridge to the computer. The router connects the computer to the telephone company's Digital Subscriber Line Access Multi-plexer, permitting a high-speed connection to the Internet.
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Benefits
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According to Syix.com, DSL can access the Internet at speeds that are at least 35 times faster than traditional dial up. DSL provides an Internet connection that is always on. Consumers can use their existing telephone line for both land line telephone service and for Internet service at the same time. DSL is not subject to being kicked off-line by an incoming telephone call.
Speed
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Internet Service Providers may offer their DSL customers the option of purchasing the level of service that best meets their needs. Faster DSL connections may be purchased at a greater cost than slower DSL connections. According to high-speed-internet-access-guide.com, low end DSL Internet speeds may range from 768 thousand bits per second (Kbps) to 1.5 million bit per second (Mbps). More advanced DSL protocols can exceed seven Mbps. DSL is typically the low cost provider of high-speed Internet service when compared to other popular methods such as cable modem, fiber optics or satellite.
Considerations
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DSL technology does not share a line the way cable modems do, resulting in an Internet connection that may be more secure. DSL is a distance sensitive technology and may experience significant degradation in speed if the end user is located more than 9,000 feet from the DSL hub, according to high-speed-internet-access-guide.com.
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References
Resources
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