How are you connected?

Connecting to the internet, is a major function of many home computer systems. To this end, the method by which you choose to make that connection can make a difference. I know that many people swear by whatever connection that they have, but today I am going to give you some facts on the most popular methods and let you decide.
The basic 56k dialup modem is the starting point for looking at internet connection methods. This is the onramp that enabled most to ride the information highway in the 1990s’. A 56k dialup modem takes the digital data from your computer and converts it into analog to send it over the phone line. Once it’s sent, the receiving computer decodes the data from analog. The problem with a 56k dialup modem is that there are faster methods on the market. Also, a dialup modem doesn’t allow you to use your phone line while you are connected.
Next we step into the world of broadband. Broadband has a larger bandwidth than a 56k dialup. More bandwidth will give you more space to upload and download data. Cable modem connections are an option that many have chosen. Like 56k modems, Cable modems can either internal or external. Instead of sending data across the phone line, they send data from your cable modem on a single channel that multiple users can access. The cable modem sees this single channel the same way that it sees a television channel. This generally works in the users favor because as long as there is not a lot of traffic, you should see pretty good upload and download times.
DSL or a digital subscriber line is the major contemporary of the cable modem. DSL also uses the regular phone line like the 56k dialup modem. The type of DSL that most people have is called asymmetric DSL. ADSL gets it speed by dividing up the frequencies in your phone line. Like the cable modem, DSL assumes that more internet users download data than upload, so the download connection is faster than the upload. A reason why DSL is not everywhere is because the service degrades that further that you are away from the DSL providers' central office.
People whom, for whatever reason, live where cable or DSL is not an option, may want to look at a satellite connection. At 500kbps, satellite connections are slower than cable and DSL, but it is about 10 times faster than a 56k dialup. It sends an upload and download signal by satellite dish.
For those in the need for something even faster than DSL or cable, you may want to consider very high bit-rate DSL or VDSL for short. It has a speed of about 52mbps compared to cables 30-40mbps on a single channel or DSLs’ 8-10mbps. VDSL is only carried by selected number of companies in a selected number of markets; so this may be the deciding factor of if it is even an option.