iCheck Microsoft Office 2003 Introductory

These articles further explore computer safety, ethics, and many other topics covered in the Technology Handbook found in the student edition.

Navigating the Internet (p. H37)

Introduction Learn more about modems.

Directions Read the information below and apply what you learn to answer the questions. Check your work carefully, and click Check Answers.

Speed on the Internet

Internet speed is determined by the type of modem and Internet connection that you have. In general, the more expensive the modem and Internet service, the faster the Internet connection.

The slowest, and least expensive, type of modem is a telephone modem. This type of modem uses a dial-up connection, meaning that it uses telephone lines to connect to the Internet. A dial-up connection relies on what is sometimes referred to as POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service. Originally, POTS was intended for voice communications, but in the past decades, many Internet users have come to depend on the telephone companies for their Internet connections. Due to high Internet traffic on phone lines as well as the limitations of a telephone modem, dial-up connections are often quite slow. To be exact, a telephone modem has a speed of 56 Kbps (56 thousand bits per second). Another disadvantage of a telephone modem is that your telephone line is busy while using the Internet. In other words, you cannot receive or make any calls as you e-mail or surf the Web. Additionally, some multimedia Web pages cannot be viewed using a telephone modem.

The digital family of modems and Internet connections are much faster, albeit more expensive. Digital modems use digital signals, instead of the analog signals used by POTS, to send and retrieve information over the Internet. Digital signals are much faster and more efficient than analog signals—digital modems can be from 20 to 100 times faster than a telephone modem, enabling not only higher speeds but also greater access to multimedia Web pages. The three major types of digital modems are discussed below:

• A DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem, as does a telephone modem, uses telephone lines to connect to the Internet. However, a DSL connection is different than a dial-up connection in several ways: a DSL connection is always on, so there is no need to dial in to connect; a DSL connection uses digital technology that is much faster than POTS; and the digital signals that a DSL modem sends and receives do not interfere with telephone service, so you can make and receive phone calls while connected to the Internet.
• A cable modem uses a TV cable to connect to the Internet. Many of its advantages are similar to those of a DSL modem: its processing speed is much faster than a telephone modem; the connection is always on; and although a cable modem transmits signals on a TV cable, the Internet connection does not interfere with cable TV service.
• A satellite modem, as its name suggests, uses a satellite dish to connect to the Internet. Some cable TV companies now provide small satellite antennas that enable you to both connect to the Internet and receive cable TV. As is the case with cable modems, a satellite modem is much faster than a telephone modem, its connection is always on, and it does not interfere with cable TV service.

The main drawbacks of digital modems and their corresponding Internet service are cost and availability. A digital Internet connection can cost around twice as much as a dial-up connection, and although nearly anyone with phone service can set up a dial-up Internet account, digital Internet service is not offered in many areas, especially rural areas and small towns.

1			What does POTS stand for?
2			What is the processing speed of a telephone modem?
3			Name one advantage of digital Internet connections over dial-up connections.
4			Name one drawback of digital Internet connections.