Types of Internet Speed

DSL connections are typically used for desk computers.

More than any other factor, the speed of your Internet connection determines your usage experience.

For almost every aspect of Internet usage, having a faster speed is optimal. In fact, many Internet features are inaccessible at lower speeds. However, higher speeds are not available everywhere, particularly in rural areas, so figuring out how to receive the best speed possible for your home or business is sometimes challenging.

Dial-up

Do you remember dial-up? In urban areas it's largely a thing of the past, but in many rural areas, including in the U.S. it's still the primary tool some use to access the Internet. Dial-up uses a speed of 56 kbps, preventing many web pages using Flash from being accessed, and makes downloading files as small as a few megabytes take hours and prevents live streaming.

Satellite

An expensive upgrade from dial-up but a must for rural users wanting a faster speed connection, satellite Internet access allows for speeds at an average of 500 kbps, which is slower than most cable connections but almost 10 times the speed of dial-up. Satellite connections can be disrupted by bad weather.

Cable

Cable Internet is delivered via cable television lines. This is available only in areas where cable television is offered, which means many rural areas cannot receive cable Internet. Speeds vary from 512 kbps to 20 Mbps, with the quickest speed being offered by fiber-optic cables.

DSL

A digital subscriber line, commonly abbreviated to DSL, is delivered over a regular telephone line. Unlike dial-up, a DSL Internet connection utilizes a voltage signal converted digitally by the user's DSL modem, allowing simultaneous telephone and Internet usage because of the higher frequency DSL uses. Due to the cost considerations of providers, DSL is not available in most rural areas. Speeds vary from 128 kbps to 8 Mbps.

Wireless

Wireless Internet is available in two formats, the most common being a local wireless network typically limited to a few rooms in a building. Internet access is delivered via a wireless router connected to the cable, DSL, satellite or dial-up hub. The speed of this connection varies depending on the principal connection as well as the number of users on the wireless network and sometimes weather conditions. This type of wireless network can be found in both urban and rural areas.

The second type of wireless connection is a rural wireless tower which beams a DSL access over a wireless signal to subscribers. The speed varies depending on connection speed of the DSL network the wireless tower is connected to, and the wireless signal is sometimes disrupted by weather conditions.

References

• Washington Post; Rural Areas Find Internet Answer in the Air
• Computer Too Slow; Types of Internet Connections
• Fournier Computer Service; Internet Connection Types

Resources

• Testmy.net; Internet speed detection program download