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Internet Connection: Dial-up, DSL, Cable, FIOS, and Internet Phone Service.
With speed steadily improving many people have options that were never before open to them. First lets talk about some of the practical numbers we see in day to day use. These aren't based on what the company tells you its theoretical maximum is, but rather based on real world experience:
| Connection Type | Practical Speed | Time to download a movie |
| Dial-Up | 33 Kbps | 41 hours |
| DSL | 800 Kbps | 2 hours |
| Cable | 2000 Kbps | 45 minutes |
| FIOS | 1500 Kbps | 1 hour |
| Satellite | 200 Kbps | 7 hours |
| Mobile Broadband | 120 Kpbs | 13 hours |
Let's explain some of these terms first:
Satellite: Is the only high speed option in some rural areas. It's accessibility is what makes it unique.
Mobile Broadband: While it depends upon cellular coverage, this option is portable, with cards small enough
to plug into a laptop.
Kbps: The case of the b is very important. Internet service providers talk about Kilo-bits per second, but
computers always report Kilo-bytes per second, shown as KBps. To convert divide Kbps by eight, or multiply KBps by
eight. For example if your computer reports a 30 KBps download then it's the equivalent of 240 Kbps.
Movie: A well compressed movie will fit on one CD-ROM, or about 700 MB.
Hidden Pros and Cons
Verizon's new DSL service comes with a router, as does their FIOS service. To their credit these are preconfigured
for encryption and ready to go. Unfortunately, the FIOS router is much more difficult to configure for anything
beyond basic e-mail and web browsing. This limits its utility for games, and special services like FTP and Web
Hosting. Both the DSL and FIOS routers, being custom have very limited compatibility with existing range
extenders.
If you already have Cable or FIOS the benefits of switching (TV services asside) to the other are a fairly moot point.
Need help? Contact us any time.
Our technical staff is available to assist you with all your hardware and software needs.
Tips and suggestions provided to you by Computer And Network Support, LLC
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