Types of Internet Access

Dial-up Dial-up uses a phone line connection to your ISP to establish a connection. It involves dialing a telephone number on a telephone line. The user’s modem or computer then decodes information coming in and encodes any information going back out. The advantages of dialup connection is that it’s available to everyone with a computer and a modem and it is low cost so even rural families can afford it. The disadvantage of dial up is that it is very slow and you cannot use your landline when using dial up.

Broadband Broadband is the most commonly used type of internet access. It uses telephone lines or your ISP’s network of cables to connect a modem to the internet. This modem then connects to a router which then connects the routers network to the internet. This can include phones and computers. Broadband uses the term Bandwidth to describe how fast the broadband connection can send and receive information in one second. The faster the bandwidth the faster the internet connection. The advantages of this is that the speeds are fast, you can still use the landline whilst the broadband is in use and you can connect multiple devices at once. The disadvantages are the faster the broadband, the more expensive the subscription is and they are not 100% secure all the time.

Fixed Broadband This connection is the same as broadband but works through a fixed line connection to your home. An advantage of this is that it is more widely available than standard broadband and in lots of areas its faster than 4G network. Most packages also offer unlimited broadband and its more reliable than standard broadband. The disadvantages of fixed broadband is that it cannot be transferred from place to place like normal broadband and you have to pay line rental which can be expensive for certain packages.

Fixed Wireless Fixed Wireless is a type of high speed internet access that uses radio signals to connect to a fixed location which is then connected via cables to your ISP. This type of connection is used mostly for people who are in rural areas or have very few underground cables. The advantages of this are that fixed wireless for business has the ability to connect users in remote areas without cables. Subscribers can also be added, removed and edited without changing the main infrastructure. The disadvantage is that it needs to be able to see a ground station which means tree or hills in the way can obstruct a connection and it is generally expensive.

Satellite This type of internet access uses a satellite to create a two way connection between a satellite dish at the ISP location and their customers house. It is mostly used for those in rural areas and where tradition fixed line broadband is not available. The advantages are that it has a very big bandwidth, it has a large coverage area and can be cheaper over longer distances. The disadvantages are that the initial cost is very large and it is susceptible to interference and noise.

Wireless Hotspots A wireless hot spot is any area where you can access the Internet using a wireless device. A hot spot is created by setting up a wireless local area network. In most hot spots, you must bring your own device to access the hotspot. The advantages of a wireless hotspot are that it allows you to connect to the internet when away from home or work. Lots of wire less hotspots are also free so you do not need to pay anything to connect and you can connect multiple devices at once. The disadvantages are that some wireless hotspots require a payment for access such as in airports and when a large amount of people are using the hotspot the speeds of the connection can be very slow. Also if a wireless hotspot is hacked, the hacker can access your information as you device is connected to the network.

Mobile Phones On a mobile phone you can access the internet using mobile data which is usually included in the package you pay for from your mobile network provider. You have a certain amount of Gb or Mb you can use each month without extra charge but if you exceed the amount you have to pay extra. The advantage of this is that you do not need to be in a specific place to access the internet with mobile data and you do not need any extra wires making it very convenient. The disadvantages are that you do not get guaranteed connection everywhere so you will not have a constant good connection speed and using the data can become expensive if you regularly exceed your given allowance. The speeds of mobile data are also not as fast as speeds you may find in your home or workplace making downloading large files or amounts of data difficult.