Everybody is on the internet nowadays. With the evolving technology that we have right now, a child of 6 years of age or even younger is already exposed to a tablet pc or even mobile phones capable of connecting to the World Wide Web, and because of this everybody is looking for the best internet connection that they can have. A lot of people in America is dreaming of having Google Fiber which has a starting connection of 1000 megabits per second. Imagine loading a 10 minute video in YouTube and the video loads before you can even think of the next video to load. But since it’s not available everywhere we have to look at the current options that we have, and of course look at the different types of internet connections available.
Not all internet connections works the same and although it looks like a whole new scary world out there when choosing the best one for your home, you just need to know the basic and you can start your comparison from there. Just remember the name and what to expect from using or getting that type of connection.
Dial up
This is what most of us used to have back in the 80’s – 90’s. What it does is a modem (internal or external) connects to the internet after the computer dials a phone number. The analog signal is then converted into digital via the modem and then sent over a land – line serviced by a telephone network. It’s cheap but really slow as the speed can go anywhere between 28 kbps to 56 kbps.
Luckily there are several types of broadband connections which one might avail. And comparing broadband connection that is right for you is easy.
DSL
This is an internet connection that is always connected despite using your phone connection. This uses 2 lines so your phone is not tied up when your computer is connected to the internet. The speed is between 128Kbps to 8 Mbps.
Cable Modem
Cable modem allows cable operators to provide broadband connection using the same cables that deliver pictures and sounds to your TV. Cable modem uses two connections: one for the cable wall outlet and the other to a computer. Usual speed is 1.5 Mbps or more.
Fiber
In its simplest terms, the signal is light and the medium is a special type of flexible glass or clear plastic cable. Since glass allows light to travel well, you can imagine just how fast this connection is. The actual speed you may experience will vary depending on a variety of factors, such as how close to your computer the service provider brings the fiber and how the service provider configures the service, including the amount of bandwidth used. Fiber transmits data at speeds that can exceed current DSL and cable modem speed usually by the hundreds of Mbps.
Wireless
Wireless, or Wi-Fi, as the name suggests, does not use telephone lines or cables to connect to the internet.   Instead, it uses radio frequency.  Wireless is also an always on connection and it can be accessed from just about anywhere. The speed will vary from 5 Mbps to 20 Mbps.
Cellular
Cellular broadband services are also becoming available from mobile phone service providers. These services are generally appropriate for highly-mobile customers and can also be used to connect your laptop to the internet. Generally, they provide lower speeds, in the range of several hundred Kbps.
