Thread: Understanding Broadband!

Introduction
Before getting started let us know what broadband actually is.
Broadband has two parts broad which means wide or large and band which is a short form of bandwidth.

But what is bandwidth?
Let us assume bandwidth as a highway with cars travelling on it.
highway here is network connection and cars are the data. The wider or larger the highway more cars travels on it. Thus they reach their destinations faster.
The same principle applies to computer data -- the more bandwidth, the more information that can be transferred within a given amount of time.

So it might be clear that the broadband is actually a high speed internet i.e., they have a large bandwidth. This is the simple definition of broadband that could be understood from looking at the word itself.

Hope all is clear till now.

Now let's see its types.
1.ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
Equipments required.

- Connection is done using a landlines(telephone) present at home.
Benefits:-
- High Speeds.
- Phone calls can be received or dialed even when connected to the net. Like dial up connection it doesn't make the phone line busy.
Disadvantages:-
- Not available in rural areas
-If your home is located far away from the nearest telephone exchange you might get only the restricted speeds.
-ADSL also uses the same telephone line in your street.
If many people in your street have ADSL and are online
at the same time, performance can be affected.




2. Cable
Equipments required

-This brings broadband into your home via your TV
cable service. The cable company runs a wire from
your street straight into the back of your computer.
Benefits:-
- Faster than ADSL.
-Telephone not needed.
Disadvantages:-
-Like ADSL,we can suffer speed restrictions if everyone in
the street is using internet at the same time.





3. Satellite
Equipments required.

OR

- connection using a satellite dish or flash drives like MTS. tata photon etc.
Benefits:-
Handy for people in remote places where ADSL or cable connection is not available.
Disadvantages:-
- expensive
- Signal delay resulting in slow speeds.
- Poor weathers can also interrupt the connection.

Essential Information
Mostly I find many people confused in choosing their ISP
Buying broadband for the first time or switching to a new
service can be a little confusing. There are lots of companies
offering different speeds and deals which makes it hard to
get straightforward advice. Look out for these three things
before you sign up.

Speed
Broadband comes in different speeds, which is measured
in megabits per second(Mb) or Kilobytes per second(KB). In India, I think 256Kbps and 512kbps are the most common ones.
If you want to use your broadband for heavy downloading then I suggest you to choose the speed of 2mbps to 4mbps.


Usage
There are mainly two type of usage plans.
Unlimited and restricted.
Unlimited is good if you download a lot. Although speed restriction can be seen in unlimited plans.
Restricted services offer great value. The caps put on
them are enough for most people and if you go over
your limit you won’t get cut off; you just have to pay a
supplement to use more. With a basic 1GB restriction you
can enjoy 76 hours a month of Internet surfing, download
240 music songs, listen to 36 hours of web radio or a
mixture of all three.


Free Equipment
To tempt you into buying broadband, many providers offer
free equipment when you sign up, such as a modem or
free connection. You should check that technical telephone
support is free, as many charge premium rates for any help
you may need. A thirty-minute call to solve a problem
could cost you the equivalent of three or more months’
subscription.



That's it.
I Hope this article will help many people in choosing the broadband connection type with appropriate plans.

Good one. Keep writing.

Good job!
Reps added!

Well done! Will share with friends whenever they need to make this decision.