Why DSL or Digital Subscriber Line is the Most Cost Effective Broadband Internet Solution

When you connect to the Internet, you can connect through a regular (dial-up) modem, through a local area network (LAN) connection at your office, through a cable modem (cable Internet), or through a digital subscriber line (DSL). ) Connection.

For me, the DSL connection is the most cost effective solution that the home office and small business can take advantage of to grow a business. Not only is it widely available, but its reliability and high-speed capabilities make it one of the preferred access services.

DSL is a high-speed broadband connection that uses the same wires (2 wires) as a regular phone line. Simultaneous use of voice and data (internet) one can log on to the internet while also using the line to make voice calls. The speed connection is much higher than that of a normal modem which can reach a maximum of 56 Kbps only. DSL can use your existing phone line or be delivered as a standalone DSL connection. The company that offers DSL will usually provide the modem as part of the installation.

One disadvantage of DSL is that a DSL connection works best when it is closer to the provider’s central office. The connection is faster for receiving data than it is for sending data over the Internet. The service is not available everywhere due to distance limitation.

All types of DSL service fall into one of two basic categories: symmetric and asymmetric. Symmetric types of DSL allow the same bandwidth between the subscriber and the service provider in both directions.

Asymmetric types of DSL or ADSL support relatively more downstream bandwidth (from service provider to subscriber) and less upstream bandwidth (from subscriber to service provider). ADSL is popular with Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

ADSL uses two computers, one at the customer’s end and one at the Internet Service Provider, which is usually a telephone company or other DSL service provider. At the customer location there is a DSL transceiver also called Customer-Premise Equipment or CPE, which can also provide other services. The DSL service provider has a DSL Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) to receive connections from customers.

A DSL or CPE modem is like a transceiver equipment, it transmits and receives packets of data (information) through a common telephone cable. These data packets are actually digital signals, but since the digital signal cannot travel very far, the DSLAM at the ISP headend transforms the signal from digital to analog signal for transmission over an analog channel (telephone cable). two wires) usually up to 5 km away from the central office and the DSL or CPE modem converts the signal back to digital. The DSL modem is the equipment where data from the user’s computer or network is connected to the DSL line. The DSL modem can be connected to a customer’s equipment in a number of ways, although most residential installations use USB or Ethernet 10 base-T (RJ-45) connections.

The DSLAM at the service provider is the equipment that actually allows DSL to happen. A DSLAM is the point of contact where a dedicated high-speed link to the Internet called a backhaul connection terminates. An E1 (2048 Kbps) or T1 (1536 Kbps) dedicated Internet is an example of a backhaul Internet link that can be used to serve 80 to 100 DSL subscribers. DSL technology is the reason why Internet connection is getting cheaper. It is capable of sharing or distributing a dedicated connection (backhaul) to several subscribers for greater use while maintaining quality of service. The cost of the service is significantly reduced.

DSLAM takes connections from many DSL subscribers and aggregates them into a single high-capacity Internet connection. DSLAMs are flexible and can support multiple DSL types at a single central office and different varieties of protocol and modulation. In addition, the DSLAM can provide additional functionality, including routing or dynamic IP address assignment for clients.

ADSL is a distance-sensitive technology: as the length of the cable connection increases, the quality of the signal decreases and the speed of the connection decreases. The connection is much more stable the closer the user is to the central office. With a maximum effective service length of 18,000 feet (5,640 meters), some ADSL providers generally limit the distance they serve to a maximum of 3.5 km. Beyond this, some subscribers are enjoying speeds below the promised maximums.

Committed Information Rate (CIR) and burst are two factors to consider when choosing a DSL service. Remember, DSL is a shared Internet connection service depending on the port settings or package variation of service providers. Bursting is the term used to describe a service that does not guarantee a certain speed. The connection bandwidth can vary from the maximum of the subscribed port speed (as provided by the ISP) to a minimum of 32 Kbps. DSL offering Committed Information Rate (CIR) or Minimum Guaranteed Speed ​​is much more desirable because it ensures a secure connection to the international Internet gateway.

When choosing an ADSL package that fits the requirements of your home or small business, try asking your ISP about the recommended number of users and the type of application that the DSL package can support. Typically, the residential package only supports up to 1-2 PCs. However, with competition and greater availability of other broadband Internet access, the ADSL packages currently offered by ISPs can support all types of voice, data and video applications and at higher speeds.