Type of Internet Connection/Access Method
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There are several ways of connecting to access the Internet. These connections vary in techniques, speed, way of connections, use purpose, etc. These are –
(A) Dial Up Connection
- Dial-up is rare now and hence less used.
- It was considered the first widely used method for internet access.
- It is a cheap and traditional connection.
- Dial‑up is an Internet (or remote network) connection over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using an analog modem.
- For a dial-up connection, a working analog phone line, an ISP access number, a username/password, and a modem with drivers are required.
- It uses analog phone lines to connect to the internet, like DSL, but unlike DSL, only one type of communication can go through the line at a time.
- A dial-up modem converts digital data to audible tones, dials a phone number, negotiates a link, authenticates, and then carries IP traffic over a serial link.
- For a dial-up connection, a dial-up modem is required, and the user must dial a telephone number to connect with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) through a telephone line, through the PSTN.
- Here, a dial-up modem converts digital signals from a computer into analog signals that go over the analog phone line by making a phone call to the ISP’s server.
- In dial-up, we can’t use both the Internet and phone line service at the same time, as in DSL.
- During data transfer, IP packets are encapsulated in PPP frames over the serial link, and when we hang up or an idle‑timeout triggers, the link is torn down and the call drops.
- The transmission speed of dial-up connections is: 28.8–53.3 kbps downstream; 28.8–48 kbps upstream (V.92), often less on noisy lines.
- Dial-up modems are slower than other connections due to modulation time, error correction time, and PSTN switching.
- Its connection time is 10–30 seconds.
- It is less reliable due to being sensitive to line noise, long cords, poor house wiring, and electrical interference.
- Dial-up modems are unable to use certain types of high-speed connection services, such as cable and DSL.
- A dial-up connection uses either the PPP or SLIP protocols, which are typically unencrypted on the link and hence less secure.
(B) Leased Line Connection
- A Leased Line is a private, dedicated, fixed-bandwidth, high-speed internet access or connection between a service provider and a user, provided by a telecom operator.
- A leased line is a dedicated telephone line assigned to a specific business/branch.
- A leased line is a system of internet access in which a dedicated cable from the telephone company/ISP is used to connect users’ offices or branches, enabling users to transfer large volumes of data over the internet.
- It is called a “leased” line because the customer rents (or leases) this private connection from the service provider for our exclusive use for a fixed monthly cost.
- Unlike regular broadband connections, which are shared by many users, a leased line is used only by the customer who is paying for it, ensuring consistent speed and performance at all times.
- A leased line provides symmetrical speeds, meaning the upload speed is the same as the download speed, which is ideal for businesses that require large file transfers, video conferencing, hosting servers, or cloud-based operations.
- It is available 24/7 and comes with a high Service Level Agreement (SLA) from the provider, often guaranteeing uptime of 99.9% or more.
- In terms of operation, the service provider sets up a private communication path, often using fiber optic cables, copper wires, or microwave links, between the customer’s location and the provider’s network.
- Leased line connections have the same functionality as a dedicated line, but leased lines have a low cost with some added flexibility. Actually, instead of paying for a full, physical phone line, we only pay a monthly bill based on usage, which makes leased lines much cheaper than physical lines.
- This link is always active, and the bandwidth is reserved solely for the customer’s use, which means there is no slowdown during peak hours.
- Normally, a single channel leased line offers speeds of up to 10Mb/s, while a double channel leased line can provide up to 40Mb/s.
- Advantages
- A leased line gives us a dedicated internet connection, which means we do not have to share our bandwidth with neighbors or other users, so our speed always stays consistent.
- The upload and download speeds are the same, so we can send files to the cloud, host servers, or make video calls just as smoothly as we can browse or download content.
- It is highly reliable because telecom providers guarantee uptime through service level agreements (SLAs), often promising that the connection will be available more than 99.9% of the time.
- A leased line provides low latency, which means that online communication such as video conferencing, gaming servers, or VoIP phone calls works with minimal delay.
- Since the connection is private, it is also more secure than normal broadband, making it harder for outsiders to intercept or misuse our data.
- Leased lines are always on, so we do not need to dial in or wait for the connection to start; it is permanently available whenever we need it.
- Because the connection is stable and predictable, it improves productivity for businesses that rely heavily on internet-based applications, remote work, or branch-to-branch communication.
- Disadvantages
- A leased line is much more expensive than a regular broadband connection, which makes it less affordable for small businesses or individuals.
- The installation process can take a long time, sometimes weeks or even months, because the service provider has to physically set up a dedicated line to your location.
- Leased lines are not available everywhere, especially in rural or remote areas where telecom companies may not have the required infrastructure.
- Even though they are reliable, leased lines still depend on physical cables or wireless links, which means they can face downtime if there is accidental damage, such as road construction cutting the cable.
- The monthly rental cost is fixed regardless of how much or how little we use the line, so it may feel wasteful for businesses that do not always need high-speed internet.
- Customers are usually locked into long-term contracts, which can be restrictive if our business needs change or if we find a better option later.
- Since leased lines are designed mainly for organizations, they require technical setup and support, which may be difficult for individuals without IT staff.
- Use or Applications
- Leased lines are commonly used by banks, corporate offices, call centers, universities, and organizations that need fast and reliable internet or data transfer between multiple sites. They are also used to connect branch offices to a central data center or to provide internet access with guaranteed performance.
(C) ISDN Connection
- ISDN stands for “Integrated Service Digital Network”.
- ISDN is a form of digital telephone and data networking that was used initially in North America and Europe but it is introduced world wide for commercial use in 1988 and gradually replaced the use of modems for transfers of data from storage devices, PCs, and the Internet.
- ISDN is used with digital subscriber line (DSL) technology to enable faster data transmission rates over ordinary phone lines.
- The common data rates in ISDN were 64 and 128 kilobit per second.
- ISDN transmits multimedia data in digital form.
- ISDN works with analog telephone line, fax machine and DSL connections.
- Comparatively costly.
(D) DSL Connection
(a) DSL(Digital Subscriber Line)
- DSL was initially called digital subscriber loop.
- It is a form of broadband connection.
- DSL connects to the Internet via a ordinary copper wire telephone lines but does not require physically a landline phone at home.
- It is always on and there is no need to dial a phone number to connect as in Dial Up connection.
- Unlike dial-up, we can use both the Internet and phone line at the same time in DSL.
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a group of technologies that transmit digital data across the wires of a local cellular network.
- The faster forms of DSL typically available to big businesses are :
- High data rate Digital Subscriber Line (HDSL); and
- Very High data rate Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL).
(i) ADSL(Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
- The word DSL is typically used in telecoms marketing to refer to Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), the most typically deployed DSL technology.
- Services given to residential customers mainly.
- ADSL service typically gives faster speed in the downloading and less speed in the uploading.
- ADSL allows faster downstream data transmission over the same line used to provide voice service, without disrupting regular telephone calls on that line.
(ii) SDSL(Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
- Used typically by businesses for services such as video conferencing, which need significant bandwidth in both upstream and downstream.
(E) Broad Band Connection
- Broadband is a high-speed internet access which is faster than traditional dial-up access.
- It has a wide bandwidth data transmission technique that transports several signals and traffic types.
- Broadband connection is provided through either cable or telephone composition.
- It does not require any telephone connection hence we can use both telephone line and internet connection simultaneously without affectiong others.
- In broadband connection, more than one person can access the internet connection simultaneously.
- In this connection, the medium used is coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, twisted pair cable or radio wave.
(F) Fiber Optic Connection
- It is one of the fastest home internet options available today.
- Fiber optic internet is a type of internet connection that uses fiber optic cables to transmit data with extremely high speeds and high-quality continuously.
- The only disadvantage of fiber optic internet is comparatively costly and less availablity.
(G) Cable Connection
- Cable is a common internet access method for high-speed internet.
- This is usually done dedicately using coaxial links as cable TV connection.
- It uses coaxial cable which is capable of transferring data at much higher speed than common telephone line.
- The cable method of internet access is used in fast data-transfer applications. This cable is called 100-base-T Ethernet cable.
- The cables used to connect workstations together are 10BaseT and 100BaseT cables. The cables used to connect servers to concentrators, routers, and switches are 1000BaseT cables.
- Higher security risk than dialup or DSL connection.
- Comparatively costly than dial up and DSL connection.
(H) Wireless/WiFi Connection
- WiFi stands for Wireless Fidelity. Vic Hayes is considered as Father of WiFi.
- The normal range of a WIFi is about 90 meters (300 feet) from the transceiver.
- Normally at least 7 or more end users can be sharing the same master transceiver & still each be able to get up to 1544 Kbps data.
- Wireless or Wi-Fi internet connections connects to the internet without the need of telephone lines or wires.
- This internet connection use radio frequency for connectivity and data transfer.
- It is always-on connection and this connection can be accessed from anywhere within its range and the speed may vary from different locations.
- Wireless is a link that is constantly available and can be accessed from almost anywhere within its range.
- The internet speed usually varies, ranging from 5 Mbps to 20 Mbps.
- Speed is affected in bad weather condition.
- More flexible method for a user than others.
(I) VSAT/Satellite Internet
- VSAT stands for “Very Small Aperture Terminal“.
- VSAT is a satellite communication technology that uses small dish antennas (typically 0.75–2.4 meters in diameter) to transmit and receive data via satellites.
- VSAT is used to provide internet access, data transfer, and other telecommunications services.
- VSAT operates mainly at the Physical Layer (Layer 1) for signal transmission but works with higher layers through modems and network protocols for data transfer.
- Satellite internet is a special type of Internet access in which a client connects with satellites circling high overhead using a unique dish.
- Structure/Components of a VSAT
A typical VSAT terminals comprise a small dish antenna (typically 1.2 to 2.4 meters in diameter), a transceiver, and associated networking equipment, which are detailed as follows:-
- VSAT Terminal (Earth Station)
- A small antenna dish is installed at the user’s site.
- Outdoor Unit (ODU)
- Mounted on the antenna, includes a Block Upconverter (BUC) for transmission and a Low-Noise Block Converter (LNB) for reception.
- Indoor Unit (IDU)
- A modem that connects to the user’s devices or network.
- Satellite
- Usually, a geostationary satellite (at ~36,000 km/more altitude).
- Hub Station (Central Hub)
- A large Earth station that controls and manages VSAT communications.
- It uses line-of-sight technology.
- VSAT systems use geostationary satellites to establish a two-way communication link between the VSAT terminal and the satellite in space. This enables data transmission over long distances, making it particularly useful in remote or rural areas where terrestrial infrastructure is limited. Thus, this type of connection is mostly suitable for remote rural areas, such as those in the sea, forest, or desert, or for areas where a broadband connection is not yet functioning well.
- VSAT technology can be cost-effective for providing connectivity to areas where laying traditional communication infrastructure (such as fiber optic cables) would be impractical or cost-prohibitive.
- There are two types of satellite internet connection: one-way connection(=perform only download work) or two-way connection(=perform both upload and download work).
- Satellite internet companies generally provide 12 to 100 Mbps speeds.
- Satellite internet is a good choice for smaller families, government agencies, businesses, etc., to use the internet.
- VSAT technology is used in various applications, including broadband internet access for remote locations, corporate networks, maritime(marine) and aviation communications, and disaster recovery.
- VSAT systems are known for their reliability, even in remote and challenging environments. However, they can be susceptible to weather-related disruptions, such as heavy rain or extreme atmospheric conditions, which may affect signal quality.
- Types of VSAT Networks
Following types-
- Star Topology
- All VSATs communicate via a central hub.
- Best for internet, banking, and corporate networks.
- Mesh Topology
- VSATs communicate directly with each other through the satellite.
- Best for real-time applications like VoIP.
- Hybrid Topology
- A combination of star and mesh for flexibility.
- Star Topology
- VSAT Workings
- User data → Indoor Unit (IDU) → Outdoor Unit (ODU).
- ODU transmits a signal to a geostationary satellite.
- Satellite relays the signal to the Hub Station or directly to another VSAT.
- Finally, for internet or other services, the hub station connects to terrestrial networks.
- Frequency Bands Used
- C-band: Larger antennas, more resistant to rain fade.
- Ku-band: Smaller antennas, higher bandwidth, more rain-sensitive.
- Ka-band: Higher speeds, smallest antenna size, more susceptible to weather issues.
- Advantages
- Works in remote and rural areas.
- Quick deployment compared to laying cables.
- Reliable even in difficult terrain.
- Supports multiple services (data, voice, video).
- Disadvantages
- High latency (due to ~72,000 km round trip to satellite).
- The weather can affect the signal (rain fade).
- Higher operational costs due to the large setup cost compared to fiber-based internet.
- Limited bandwidth compared to terrestrial broadband.
- Applications
- Banking & Financial Services – ATMs and remote branches.
- Education – Remote learning in rural areas.
- Telemedicine – Connecting rural clinics to urban hospitals.
- Corporate Networks – For remote offices.
- Maritime & Aviation – Ships and aircraft internet access.
- Disaster Recovery – Communication when terrestrial lines are down.
(J) Cellular Connection
- It is an alternative way of internet access.
- In this method, our mobile phone modem or hotspot connects with the closest cellular tower.
- The speed directly depends on the distance from cellular tower.
(K) Hotspot Connection
- Hotspots are spots/locations that provides Internet access over a wireless local area network (WLAN). This location is joined to an Internet service provider via a router.
- A user or client connects with Wi-Fi connectivity, which enables electronic equipment to connect to a Network or exchange information wirelessly via radio waves, is used in hotspots.
- Hotspots location may be phone-based or stand-alone, commercial or public-access.
(L) WiMax
- WiMax stands for “Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access”.
- It is broadband wireless internet access connection.
- It offers fast broadband connections over long distance up to 30 miles.
- It is non-line-of-sight technique.
- It shows multi-functionality.
- Data quality is slightly poor.
- Set up cost is high.
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