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 conventional telephone line. The users modem or computer then decodes information coming in from audio form and encodes any information going back out into audio form An early predecessor to dial-up internet access was created in 1979 by Tom Truscott and Steve Bellovin. It was called USENET. Dial-up is used mainly for rural areas where broadband is unavailable and for people who cannot afford a broadband subscription However Dial-up has very slow speeds.

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 much data the broadband connection can send and receive in one second. The faster the bandwidth the faster the internet connection However broadband can often be limited by your ISP which can cap it and make it slow.

Fixed Broadband This connection is the same as broadband but works through a fixed line connection to your home. Instead of the cable running straight from your ISP to your home the cable runs to a box in your area and the box then has cables leading to your house. This method of broadband is most commonly used because its both cheap and fast. However if the ISP cabinet down your road is damaged then all the internet down your road will go down.

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. It is often more expensive than traditional DSL due to the newer technologies it uses. This type of connection is used mostly for people who are in rural areas or have very few underground cables. However fixed wireless is limited. It often needs to be able to see a ground station which means tree or hills in the way can obstruct a connection. Rain or fog can also affect the speed of the connection

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. However, it is more expensive than traditional DSL connection

Mobile Phones Mobile phones can connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi and using Mobile Data. To use the Wi-Fi your phone will connect to a Router through IP or SMS signals. The router then connects to a modem which then connects the network to the internet. Mobile data works by transmitting phone signals to a transmitting tower which then connects you to your mobile phone provider. Roaming/mobile data is used by most people with a mobile phone as it allows them to access the internet everywhere. Mobile data is quite expensive and is limited to a certain amount of data. This means accessing videos or streaming services can be very expensive on mobile data.

Wireless Hotspots A Wireless hotspot is when somebody with any form of internet access makes it available for anybody nearby. Some hotspots are free and some cost money. A Wireless hotspot is derived from one of the other types of internet access. It can be Broadband, Fixed Wireless or Mobile Data. Hotspots are used because they allow people to access the Internet when they are outside in public locations. It’s useful for people who cannot afford mobile data. Cafes and restaurant often have hotspots to attract customers. However hotspots can be slow and limited. This often means if somebody is downloading big files on a mobile hotspot other people may not be able to access the internet.