Network Bandwidth

There are many different types of networks a computer can be connected to. Many are connected to the world's largest wide area network, the internet. The speed of your connection to the Internet depends on the amount of bandwidth you lease from your Internet service provider. The type of media Internet service providers use is also a factor in determining the bandwidth. Digital subscriber lines or DSL providers such as AT&T compete directly with cable Internet providers such as Comcast or Cox.

Media DSL Internet service providers use is telephone lines whereas cable Internet service providers use coaxial cable to transmit signals. The coaxial cable is capable of higher speeds and increased throughput compared to telephone lines that ADSL providers use. Maximum downstream throughput of ADSL media is 6 Mbps whereas cables maximum downstream throughput is in excess of 100 Mbps. Since phone wire infrastructure is already in place for the majority of residential and business customers, it tends to be cheaper and more widely available.

DSL can only reach so far without the help of devices called repeaters that boost the signal levels. It operates over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and can support multiple data and voice channels on one line. The A before ADSL stands for asymmetrical which means it can download faster that upload. Broadband cable also uses asymmetrical data transfers. Both media require a modem to modulate and demodulate signals for transmission and reception.

Another type of wide area network technology is asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). ATM media uses fiber optic cable or CAT 5e or higher twisted pair cable. ATMs throughput is over 600 Mbps and has a fixed packet size for data transmission. ATM is often deployed over SONET wide area network technology. A synchronous optical network or SONET has amazing fault tolerances due to its double ring topology over fiber optic cable. SONET infrastructure is the choice when linking WANs between countries.

While technology advances so will the network infrastructure. As bandwidth speeds in the 3-6 Mbps range will work well for most users, higher bandwidth is available for those who need it such as gamers or professionals who download large files from a server on a regular basis. Many forms of network infrastructure exist, except residential users are usually only familiar with the infrastructure that is already built into their homes; cable and PSTN.