Are Dial Up & DSL the Same Thing?

A dial-up internet connection uses a phone line to connect to the Internet. A computer uses its modem to connect to the Internet service provider's server via the user's phone line. Most modems can send and receive 56 kilobits of information per second, which is roughly equivalent to 7 kilobytes per second. The information travels through the phone line in analogue form and must be converted to digital form on each end by the modems, which slows a dial-up connection's processing time.

DSL stands for digital subscriber line, and it is another way for users to connect to the Internet. Like dial-up, DSL uses the phone lines in a building to communicate with the Internet service provider. It uses additional hardware, however, to separate the landline into two lines, one for phone calls and the other for Internet. This allows a computer to remain constantly connected to the Internet, even when someone is using the telephone. DSL connection speeds vary.

When a computer connects to the Internet via dial-up, its modem dials its ISP's modem and must then wait for a connection. DSL connections are continuous, so users do not have to wait for a connection to establish each time they want to use the Internet. DSL connections are considerably faster than dial-up, and they send and receive data in digital form, so the modem does not have to convert it in and out of analogue form. DSL users are able to connect to the Internet and make phone calls at the same time, while dial-up users are not.

Dial-up users generally pay for Internet use by the minute, the same way they would pay for a phone call. For people who seldom use the Internet and do not regularly send or receive large files, this is an economical system. Dial-up connections are available more or less anywhere there is a phone line. DSL users generally pay for Internet on a monthly plan that allows them to send and receive a certain amount of data. If they exceed this limit, they incur additional fees. DSL connections may not be available in some rural areas.