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| 08 | 2007 |
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| Connectivity: Parsing Data Transfer Terms, Part I |
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Deciding what type of internet access to use for home and business connectivity as well as website hosting means wading through a laundry list of specs and acronyms. We’ve compiled a two-part cheat sheet of definitions and features to help you decipher GB from Gb and get the most bits for your buck.
Speeds Defined
Most of us are well aware of the dial-up modem speeds from the early days of internet access. We have a general knowledge of how they work (with the use of a phone line and the modem in your computer), and are familiar enough with the 56k limitations to know how painfully slow it is. That’s 56,000 bits per second – which might be ok for viewing or emailing plain text, but throw in an image or a file attachment, and you’ll be spending most of your time waiting for things to upload and download.
When it comes to the variety of broadband options, however, our awareness gets a little fuzzy, and with good reason. A search on Wikipedia to try to determine the exact definition will tell you that even the organizations who set the standards, can’t come to a consistent conclusion about what defines broadband. “The International Telecommunication Union Standardization Sector (ITU-T) recommendation I.113 has defined broadband as a transmission capacity that is faster than primary rate ISDN, at 1.5 to 2 Mbit/s. The FCC definition of broadband is 200 kbit/s (0.2 Mbit/s) in one direction, and advanced broadband is at least 200 kbit/s in both directions. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has defined broadband as 256 kbit/s in at least one direction and this bit rate is the most common baseline that is marketed as ‘broadband’ around the world.” In essence, despite the inconsistencies among organizations, we know two things to be certain: one, broadband in its most simple terms simply means high-speed internet access; and two, most of the world defines high-speed internet access as a minimum of 256 kbits/s.
A speed of 256 kbits/s simply means a data transfer rate of 256,000 bits of data per second. To make things more confusing, it’s important when viewing any transfer speeds to understand the difference between bits and bytes. A 1MB size hard drive is not the same as the 1 Mb speed of your internet access. It would seem to many that “bytes” is a plural version of “bit.” It’s not quite that simple. A bit is one binary digit. From the early days of computer classes, you’ll remember that a bit can be either a 0 or a 1. A byte, on the other hand, is composed of 8 bits, for example 10011101. This difference in the specs is typically represented by a simple change in capitalization. For example, Kb is equivalent to “kilobit,” while kB, or KB, is a “kilobyte.” With a ratio of 8 bits to 1 byte, you can see how quickly the difference adds up when we’re talking about 10 Gb (gigabits) versus 10 GB (gigabytes). To help distinguish between the two, bits (b) are typically the form of measurement used when describing transfer speeds, while bytes (B) are generally used to measure more tangible items like hard drive space.
Broadband Options
With that knowledge and a definition of what constitutes broadband internet access, let’s review some of the most popular ways to get these high-speed transfer rates, their differences, and the best choices for your home, office or website hosting. At the top of the list are the two most widely used methods of acquiring high-speed internet access: DSL (digital subscriber line) and T1 (sometimes referred to as DS1). There are big differences not only in the speeds of these two methods, but also in the quality, costs and even the customer service.
DSL utilizes a method of transfer similar to the old 56k dial-up in that it provides access from a phone line to your modem. However, by putting voice and data on different frequencies, you are able to get those faster speeds and use the internet and the phone simultaneously. The caveat is that in an effort to reduce costs and compete with other broadband providers, many telecommunication and ISP companies actually provide a version of DSL called ADSL. ADSL, or Asymmetric DSL, means that your upload time is slower than your download time. This is opposed to SDSL (Symmetric DSL) in which your upload and download speeds are the same. The reasoning behind ADSL is that most users download more data than they upload, in the form of web pages, audio, video and emails. For example, typing a web address into your browser or filling out an online form sends out far less data than the web page must return. While this discrepancy in upload and download speeds may be fine for home use, according to Network World, “if you host your own e-mail or web servers, ADSL won’t work well. After all, if you have a 768Kbit/sec downstream connection and you’re trying to download a file from a server with a 128K bit/sec upstream line, that hourglass gets old.” If you have a small company, or are not hosting your own e-mail or web servers, however, SDSL may offer a cost-effective alternative to the much higher costs of T1 service while at the same time offering you symmetric upload and download speeds.
Another dilemma with DSL pertains to your distance from the source. The further you are from your provider’s location, the longer it takes data to reach you. You’ll find that your data transfer speeds drop considerably. This distance-sensitivity also means that if you’re more than a few miles from the provider’s location, you may not be able to get DSL at all. On the reverse side, if you’re in a congested area, and if your provider is taking on more subscribers than it can handle, you may feel the effects of slower rates, especially during peak hours, because you are sharing the same line with your neighbors.
A T1 line’s availability, however, is not limited by distance. Although, the further you are from the source, the higher your rate will be. And considering that even those close to the source will usually pay hundreds per month and more for access, T1 may not be an efficient solution for small or mid-size businesses located far from T1 providers, and are not typically used for home use due to the considerably higher price tag. Despite the difference in costs, the advantages of T1 are attractive. The upload and download speeds are always symmetric – 1.544 Mbits/sec in both directions. And unlike many other types of broadband providers, T1 service typically comes with a contract and service agreement that guarantees your uptime and your bandwidth. In addition, it usually means you’ll also receive much better customer service. Like DSL, T1 service can also handle both voice (in the form of Voice-over IP) and data, which means that your company’s data network can receive all the benefits of VOIP on the same line. For those looking for the service benefits of T1, but for a fraction of the cost, some providers offer fractional T1 lines. This means, you can purchase a 1/4th or 1/10th or other portion of a T1 line. Of course, you’ll also receive a fraction of the speed as well, but your upload and download times will still be symmetric, and you’ll still receive the benefits of guaranteed uptime and great customer service. However, for mid-size to enterprise-size business, T1 is one of the best options, particularly for companies hosting their own voice or data network.
Another alternative, and the largest competitor of DSL, is cable internet access. Cable internet works much the same that DSL does, except instead of being transmitted via your phone line, cable companies utilize unused bandwidth from their television network and use it to offer data transmission in the form of internet access. This also means you’ll need to acquire a cable modem to enable internet access. Like DSL, cable internet offers high-speed access, but it can usually handle a higher bandwidth rate than DSL. And, like residential DSL, residential cable internet users share the neighborhood coaxial cable line, which means that too many subscribers, congestion in the line, peak hours, and other factors can slow your bandwidth. Cable internet access can also handle voice data in the form of VOIP, but that usually means paying extra for a third-party provider such as Vonage or Skype to handle your telephony solution. This ability gives consumers the option to forego their land line completely and run phone, internet and cable television all through the same provider. Some cable internet providers may even offer special packages for businesses that guarantee uptimes, but it is a far less common business choice than T1 or DSL.
One of the fastest internet connections is via Ethernet. Ethernet connections can offer 10, 100 or even 1000 Mbits/sec transfer rates. Nearly all computers now come with an Ethernet card built into their motherboards. For those of you with students in college, Ethernet connections are usually the standard for campuses. This doesn’t mean however, that students are actually getting the full 10, 100 or 1000 Mbits/sec transfer rates. Like cable internet, Ethernet users are typically sharing the line with other users in their building or area. Although Ethernet use is relatively standard among colleges and universities, one of the most common places you’ll find an Ethernet connection is in a data center where they are used to setup the local area networks (LANs).
Although the initial part of your ISP selection process may be narrowed for you simply by the availability in your area, it’s still important to review your needs and select a provider that offers you the highest bandwidth, security and, if possible, a written guarantee of uptime and service. This same process holds true when selecting a company to host your website. In Part II of "Connectivity: Parsing Data Transfer Terms," we look at the factors to consider when selecting not only a hosting company for your website, but also how to determine your needs based on your website’s traffic and content.
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About The Brookfield Group
The Brookfield Group has become a leader in IT, ISP, ASP and web solutions by providing next level technology solutions managed by experts who give you peace of mind without the tech-talk. The company's services are customized to fit any enterprise-size businesses and include: IT project management; hosting solutions and maintenance; systems security and patches; telecommunications services, server and desktop setup, repair and applications; network infrastructure design; audio visual products; surveillance and security solutions; as well as a variety of other software, hardware, services and accessories. Located in Carmel, Indiana, more information about The Brookfield Group products and services is available at www.thebrookfieldgroup.com or by calling 317.524.6000.
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