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As first announced in Spring 2006 and subsequently published several times
since then, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) will end dialup service
completely on June 30, 2007. As users have switched to other options over
the years, the university's modem pool usage has declined dramatically. OIT
is planning on using the resources previously dedicated to this service in
new ways to support the growth and success of the university community.
For those who rely on the campus modem pool for their Internet connection,
we have put together some terms, definitions, and pointers to information
on acquiring Internet access from a commercial ISP.
Table of contents:
For starters, here are a couple of terms which need defining:
- Internet Service Provider (ISP): A company or organization that
supplies Internet connectivity to home and/or business customers. ISPs
support one or more forms of Internet access, ranging from traditional
modem dial-up to DSL and cable modem broadband service. An ISP may
provide a combination of services including Internet access, domain name
registration, hosting, and Web hosting.
- Transmission speed terms:
Kilobit: One thousand bits
kbit/s: Kilobits per second
Megabit: One million bits
Mbit/s: Megabits per second
- Upstream: Information your computer is sending to the Internet.
For most cable, DSL and satellite connections, the upstream speed is
usually much slower than the downstream speed. If you are providing
Web content, you'll want this value to be as high as possible.
- Downstream: Information your computer is receiving from the
Internet. For most cable, DSL and satellite connections, the downstream
speed will be much faster than the upstream speed.
Back to table of contents
There are various methods of Internet access, each has benefits and drawbacks.
Here are the basic choices you have:
- Dial-up: A form of Internet access through
which the client uses a modem connected to a computer and a telephone line
to dial into an Internet service provider's node to establish a
modem-to-modem link, which is then routed to the Internet.
Requirements: Computer, modem, standard telephone line, dial-up
service.
Speed: Up to 56 kbits/second (usually max of 54kbits/second).
Advantages: Price is inexpensive compared to cable/DSL providers.
Disadvantages: Slow speed negatively impacts multimedia content;
usually must reconnect each time.
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL): A family
of technologies that provide digital data transmission over the wires of
a telephone local network.
Requirements: Computer, DSL modem, DSL service.
Speed: The download speed of consumer DSL services typically ranges
from 256 kbits/s to 24 Mbit/s, depending on DSL technology, line
conditions, and service level.
Advantages: Faster than dial-up modem access; current telephone
provider may offer reduced prices on bundled services.
Disadvantages: Not as fast as cable modem access; the further you
are from the phone service office, the more the service degrades.
- Cable modem: A type of modem that provides
access to a data signal sent over the cable television infrastructure.
Primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access, taking advantage of
unused bandwidth on a cable television network.
Requirements: Computer, cable modem, cable service.
Speed: 3 to 30 Mbit/s.
Advantages: Faster speeds than dialup or DSL; connection always on;
cable service provider may offer reduced pricing on bundled services
(cable TV, Internet service and phone service).
Disadvantages: More expensive than dialup; connection speed
affected by cable use of surrounding neighbors.
- Satellite modem: A type of modem that
provides access to a data signal sent over the satellite television
infrastructure. Primarily used to deliver broadband bandwidth in locations
where terrestrial Internet access is not available and in locations which
move frequently.
Requirements: Computer, satellite modem, satellite service.
Speed: Up to 24 Mbit/s, depending upon the company.
Advantages: Internet access via satellite is available worldwide,
including vessels at sea and mobile land vehicles; faster than dial-up
or DSL.
Disadvantages: Weather can interfere with satellite signal; slower
than cable modems.
- Fiber Optic Internet Access: A type of modem that
provides access to a data signal sent over a fiber optic infrastructure.
Requirements: Computer, fiber optic modem, fiber optic service.
Speed: Up to 5 Mbit/s upstream, up to 30 Mbit/s downstream, depending upon
the company and service agreement.
Advantages: Faster than dial-up, DSL or cable Internet connections.
Disadvantages: The fiber optic network which drives the technology is still
being built, so the service is generally only available near major cities.
Prices for fiber optic access may not be able to directly compete with cable
providers' service due to new infrastructure costs.
Back to table of contents
Where to get information on ISPs
Back to table of contents
General Internet Service Provider related pages:
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