Sandbox: Internet Connection Options Page 1 2 3

How Do You Get On The Internet? Here in the Sandbox the need for speed is most noticeable on the Internet. What’s the difference between phone modems, cable, and satellite?   Phone Modems Phone modems are rated by speed. Mama’s first modem was 14.4Kb. Today modems go at 56Kb. That’s slow! The problem isn’t the hardware; it’s the phone lines. Plain Jane phone lines can’t go any faster than 56 kilobytes. Actually, the FCC limits the transfer rate to 53k. In comparison, Mama’s local area network screams along at 100 Mbs. That’s 2000 times faster than the Internet transfer rates! But, that’s life as we know it. Modem manufacturers have improved performance by adding file compression and other file transfer technologies. Still, it’s like sucking mashed potatoes through a straw…An alternative to a regular phone line is an ISDN line. ISDN is a bigger “pipeline” than a simple phone line..