Round Table
Services - Communications
The communication technology with which you connect
to your internet service provider is largely dictated by what your local
telecommunications companies (telco) have on offer. In some cases your
telco may also be your ISP. If you live in a city or town you are likely
to have more options in terms of telco and technology than the rural
dweller. The dominant technologies are dialup, broadband and ISDN.
Dialup
Dialup communication from your PC to the
ISP is achieved by connecting a modem to your
telephone socket. The modem can either be a unit external to the PC or
a card within the PC. A connection to the ISP is initiated by a dialler
application on the PC, a little like making a voice call with your
telephone.
It is cheap when used
during off peak periods but relatively slow at around 56kbps at
theoretical best. Practical best data rate will be less
than this depending upon, amongst other factors, the type of modems
you and the ISP have installed. A small number of ISPs use very slow
modems. If you have bought a shiny new super duper V.92 56kbps modem
and the ISP has a much slower modem the fastest data can transfer is
at the rate of the slowest modem.
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You cannot use the telephone whilst connected to
the internet. Some modems are supplied with software that will inform
you when an inbound call is being received whilst connected to the
internet. Some modems are also capable of sending and receiving faxes.
The US Robotics 56k Internal Voice Faxmodem is an example of a modem
with these characteristics. |
There
is a usage threshold at which alternative connectivity options are
worth considering. The actual threshold point is dependant on the type
of agreement you have with your telco/ISP and hours spent
online. Broadband may become viable if your original selection of
dialup was based upon cost alone. Broadband will give you the added
benefits of "always on" internet, faster downloads and simultaneous
voice calls.
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