Different Kinds of High-Speed Connections

DSL, or a digital subscriber line, transmits Internet data through the telephone line into your home or business. Unlike dial-up Internet, however, it does not tie up the phone line, allowing you to stay connected at all times. This kind of connection requires a DSL modem, which connects to the phone jack via a telephone line and to the computer via an Ethernet cable and translates the incoming analog signals into digital signals that your computer can use. Download speed varies with your location and the distance the signal needs to travel in order to reach your computer, but it is generally faster than wireless or satellite Internet and equal to or slower than cable.

Cable Internet operates similarly to DSL, but enters your home or business via the cable television line. It is potentially the fasted kind of broadband connection, and unlike DSL, the distance from your Internet provider does not greatly affect it. Users share the bandwidth of the major cable lines, however, so the speed tends to fluctuate with the number of Internet users at any given time. Like DSL, cable requires a modem to convert the analog signals to digital.

Wireless Internet is transmitted from cell phone towers to a wireless router via radio waves. The router converts the radio waves into a digital signal, which it then emits to the surrounding area, creating a local area network, or LAN. An Internet user must have a wireless card installed on his computer, but it does not need to be connected to a modem by an Ethernet cord. This kind of connection is convenient for mobile users and is available for computers, cell phones and PDAs. It is slower than DSL and cable connections and is easier for hackers to tap into.

Satellite Internet is the slowest of the broadband connections but is available nearly anywhere in the world where there is a clear view of the sky. It requires a satellite receiver/transmitter, a coaxial cable and a satellite modem but no pre-existing telephone or television lines, so it is often used in rural areas where DSL and cable Internet are unavailable. The satellite dish transmits and receives signals from the service provider's satellite, which the modem then converts to digital signals for the computer. The download speed is unaffected by location or the number of users but varies with the weather.