Are you still using dial up Internet? The price might be right, but what about the time it takes to load pages? It takes about 3-4 times as long to browse the web on a dial up connection versus a high-speed one. What else could you be doing instead of waiting for pages to load? Do you ever want to watch videos online? It’s hard with a dial up connection. Today I’m going to go over your options for upgrading your Internet connection to a faster service. Keep in mind that not all of these options are available in all areas. You will have to adapt these guidelines to your situation.

I’m going to go in order of average speed, so the first option listed is the slowest and the last will generally be the fastest. Remember, these are all significantly faster than dial up, and faster doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive.

Glossary of Internet Terms

I would like to go over a few common terms about internet connections before I continue.

• Kbps: kilo-bits per second. This is a measure of data transfer speed. The higher the better.
• Mbps: mega-bits per second. One megabit=1000 kilobits.
• Down or download speed: these words represent data that is coming from the Internet to your computer. If you download a video or view a website, data is being transferred to your computer. This is referred to coming “down” to your computer.
• Up or upload speed: these refer to data your computer sends back to the Internet. These speeds are typically lower than download speeds because you don’t need as much bandwidth. You send data from your computer when you request a webpage or upload a video to a website. Most data is sent to your computer.
• Bandwidth: the amount of data sent or received over a given amount of time.

DSL

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) uses your existing phone lines for a high-speed connection. You do not need any new wires or connections with DSL. You will, however, need a DSL modem. This is not the same as the modem you use for dial up now. It is separate from your computer and converts the DSL signal to something your computer can understand. These can be easily bought from a store like Best Buy.

DSL speeds range from 768 Kbps to 6 Mbps down. This is on the lower end of high-speed internet. Also, keep in mind that your speed will not always be at the max posted speed. Many factors will limit your actual usable download and upload speed. The cost for this service typically ranges from $20 to $40 a month.

Cable

This is the most common high-speed option. The Internet access arrives through the coaxial cable running to your house that may also feed your cable TV. Consumer cable services typically run downstream speeds between 2 Mbps and 20 Mbps. Like DSL, you will need a separate modem to convert the signal. Cable is often the better value for speed versus DSL. Prices range from about $40 to $80, however, there are usually “introductory rates” where you get the same service for cheaper for a certain number of months.

FiOS

FiOS is a new fiber-optic broadband service offered by Verizon. FiOS offers the highest available speeds to American consumers. FiOS speeds start at 10 Mbps and go up to 50 Mbps. These plans are more expensive than cable, but offer bitrates that many cable providers do not. FiOS is currently available only in select cities, but Verzion is planning to expand its coverage.

Verizon has to install a special data cable in order for you to use this service. They offer to do it for free if you sign up for a yearly plan. You will also need a modem for this service, which you can get from Verizon.

Satellite

What if Cable and DSL aren’t available where you live? Answer: Move. Actually, there is still a high-speed option. Satellite Internet is available in the United States and can reach anybody, even if you are in a remote location. A satellite sends a signal to a satellite dish on your house. The major downside is that satellite Internet is very expensive compared to the other services. Also, the average speed offered is much slower than the other services, and bad weather can slow your signal or keep you from connecting to the Internet completely. I only recommend this option if none of the other services are available in your area.

The rest of the story is the same as the other services, you need a satellite modem to connect to your computer to the signal, and you get always-on service.

Next Week

Hopefully you can use this information to help sort out the confusion regarding high-speed internet access. As the web becomes more complex and media driven, dial up users are going to be missing out on more and more. High-speed Internet is one of those things where once you use it you don’t go back.

Next week we will be covering how to get all of the computers in your house connected to your new Internet connection.