There are really multiple kinds of modem/dial up
situations. We will pretend that there are only two types.
Most of you are used to dialing into an ISP (perhaps you have
an AOL account, or an account with Earthlink). There are also
devices that allow you to maintain a nearly continuous
connection. These devices sense when you've been disconnected,
and redial the ISP immediately.
Cable Modems
Cable modems share multiple users on the same
bandwidth. It has the advantage of being cheap to maintain and
supply, and the disadvantages of having a lot of people that
you might not like sharing the same packet space with
you.
xDSL, or Digital Subscriber Line
ADSL (Asymmetric) and SDSL (Symmetric) are the
most common types. Any DSL simply uses high quality copper
phone lines going into your home to provide high speed
broadband service. While bandwidth is not shared with multiple
neighbors, the end routers and other devices are still
shared. No matter who provides the service, the wire itself
still comes from your local phone company.
Satellite Service, such as Starband or DirecPX
For those who don't qualify for the other types of
broadband access, and yet who might not want to stay with the
slower speeds provided by modems, there is access via
satellite. The downlink speed is not bad, although not within
broadband speeds. The uplink speed is usually equal to or less
than modem speed. This type is only recommended for those
without other access.
