Understanding DSL: The Basics and BeyondSep 18 '01 (Updated Jan 11 '02) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Knowing how DSL works, one can now choose, with confidence, which provider in his/her local area will give them the best service for their money.
DSL, digital subscriber line, is one of the fastest growing high-speed internet services around. Incorporating your existing phone line, you can acheive speeds "up to 50 times faster than your modem". The question is, does DSL really go that fast and is it really worth the money you spend on it? Let's go over all the basics and hopefully it will allow you decide whether DSL is for you or not. What is DSL DSL, as I've stated before, is defined as digital subscriber line. It runs through your phone line and connects to a dsl modem which then connects to your computer through an ethernet card (normally you can find an ethernet card at any of your retail computer stores anywhere from 50-150 dollars). DSL, once connected, provides your computer with an instantaneous connection to the internet, unlike your dialup modem which has to connect via dialing up to an internet provider. DSL service is your internet connection and provider all in one, so you won't need any extra internet service providers. Once you try the service for the first time, you will definitely notice an increase in the speed at which files are downloaded to your computer. You will also notice an enormous decrease in the time it takes for your favorite graphically enhanced webpages to load. How Much Does It Cost? DSL service isn't cheap. Matter of fact, it's more expensive than cable modem (which uses your existing cable television lines for service). Nowhere have I seen DSL monthly subscriber charges to be less than 40 dollars a month. You must realize there are also initial and installation charges which can be fairly expensive. DSL companies will either send you a 'self-install' kit which includes the modem, filter, and ethernet cable which will allow you to install the service yourself. They normally charge 100-200 dollars to send you this kit. You can also get them to install it and that normally costs 100 dollars extra, on average. Most companies will give you better deals if you signup for yearly contracts, which I think is something that shouldn't be done unless you are solid that the service you are getting is what you want. They will normally waive the install fee or the fee of the modem if you signup for contracts. I would suggest checking out friends/family who have the service and deciding then if its worth signing up for the year contracts. You can always try it for a month and then signup for a year contract, it might cost you some more money, but you will probably not be disappointed. How Fast Is It? Of course this question has to be asked. You're paying more money for this service, so what types of speeds are you expecting to see? Well, I'll explain right off the bat that most of the numbers I can throw out won't mean much to the majority of people, so instead of giving you the numbers, which you can see from any DSL company's website, I will instead give you some times that I've recorded for downloads and whatnot. * A one meg file was downloaded in roughly 9 minutes on 56k and it took DSL about 15 seconds. * A graphically intense webpage took a 56k modem 1 minute to download and it took DSL 5 seconds. * An .mp3 file which normally takes 25 minutes to download through 56k took 35-40 seconds on DSL. Those few examples might allow you to estimate how fast DSL service is compared to dialup at 56k. I'm sure these numbers mean a lot more to most people than the actual megabit speeds the companies give you. NOTE DSL speeds will fluctuate from user to user, and there's a few reasons for that. Most people who have cable complain that during peak hours their speeds go down, but that is not the case for DSL. DSL is a dedicated line to your house and therefore there really isn't a 'lag time' when there are many users connected. There are, however 2 big reasons why your speeds can vary: 1) Your distance from the location of the DSL service area (known as the CO). The further you are, the slower your speeds will be. Most companies will make sure to tell you this and get the closest CO to your house to insure fast speeds. Most companies also won't connect your DSL unless they know they can get you the speeds they promise. 2) Quality of your home phone line. If your lines are shaky and static-prone even without a DSL line, then you might have some problems with the DSL service. It all makes sense seeing as how your DSL will use your existing phone line to communicate. If that line is old and unstable, then that will be the outcome of your DSL service. If this is the case, talk to your local phone provider to do a good check on your lines. (make sure you have that line backer charge paid for on your bill, so if there are any problems with your phone inside, they will cover it). Is DSL Worth It? DSL, in my opinion, is definitely worth the money you spend for it. Consider the following: * Right now you have some type of internet service, whether it be a local provider or something such as AOL or MSN. These services cost anywhere from 15-25 dollars a month for dialup service that caps you at 56k, provided you have a modem that fast and you can connect to a server that is that fast. * You also probably pay for a second phone line (avg. 25 dollars a month) or if not, you're spending at least 5 cents/call for your internet connection, which if you say you connect 2-3 times daily, you are spending 4-8 dollars only on the connecting to the internet. * It's a slow connection So, you estimate that you're spending anywhere from 25-35 dollars a month on internet service, and that's not even a fast service. So, if you spend roughly 10-15 dollars more, you're getting a connection speed that is much much faster and is online whenever your computer is on. What Companies Should I Check Out? A great website I found was http://www.dslreports.com. This site provides users with complaints, comments, testimonials for the various DSL services located in the United States. One can also find out what DSL services are located in their local area by simply inserting your zip code. I've noticed that DSL isn't always the same for the same company across the United States. Sometimes a particular company will excel in service in one area and completely bomb in another with complaints and whatnot. That is why I suggest you check this site out and realize which DSL services are the best in your local area. Benefits: I'll list the benefits that I've noticed with DSL, and perhaps it might give you an easier way of drawing your own conclusions. + Much faster than dialup especially in the page loading and downloading of larger files such as mp3 or graphics. + Always connected to internet (no extra phoneline/phone call fees) + Monthly fees not unresaonable when compared to the cost of maintaining an internet service along with hassle-free phone usage + No need for any extra internet providers, DSL service is the all in one package: internet connection and provider (along with normally a few email accounts, some webspace, one IP) Drawbacks: Some of these drawbacks might prompt you to really look hard into the local DSL providers. - Depending on your location from the DSL provider, your speeds could vary - Most companies will charge you a few hundred dollars to provide you with the modem and inital startup service - Most companies will not service you unless you subscribe to yearly contracts, whether it be 1,2 or 3 years - Not everyone can get DSL, it depends on if a company is in your area (check dslreports.com) - Most DSL services will give you ONE IP address, meaning unless you setup your own local network or pay for extra IP addresses, your DSL service will only connect to one computer in your house, giving those who have many computers a few problems Overall If you're one of those people who need to have lots of speed in their internet connection or just would like to have hassle free online connections, then I would suggest trying DSL out for at least a month. I'm going to almost guarantee that you won't want to go back to dialup after you experience the speed difference between DSL and your dialup modem. Yes, the costs are somewhat high, but it all comes together when you add-up all the costs you're currently spending to get to the internet. For not much more than what you are spending now, you can get speeds that are much faster with a connection thats on when your computer is on. Hopefully the above article was enough to get you started at looking at the various DSL services available in your area and hopefully you'll try out the services for a bit and notice if it's what you're looking for in your connection to the net.  |
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