In today’s high-tech world, simply living your day-to-day life without being “plugged in” to the online world and World Wide Web is almost unheard of. Newer and younger generations have almost never heard of “dial-up” Internet access as high-speed Internet options are all too common in most areas.
Dial-up providers still do exist, however, including companies like NetZero and EarthLink that offer dial-up services on a countrywide basis.
The major disadvantage with dial-up, though, is the fact that you must use your own telephone line to get a link to the World Wide Web. With your phone line and dial-up, 56K modem hooked together, you can traverse the Web by consuming all the resources your phone line has to offer.
On the flip side, the major benefit to having high-speed broadband is the fact that you can use your phone and the Internet simultaneously as one service does not interfere with the other. In most cases, with the exception of traditional DSL Internet services, you can subscribe to high-speed online without even utilizing your telephone line.
For most people, this is the ideal situation as you don’t need to worry about paying for nor maintaining something you don’t need.
Cable Internet Providers
An option that you have if you want high-speed Internet without phone lines is a cable Internet service. Cable internet providers are able to provide your house with an Internet connection via coaxial cable. A coax cable carries hundreds of channels, each in different signals.
The coax cable connects from your modem on the inside of your house to a connection in the wall, which typically runs to the outside of your house to the provider’s main cables. Like your cable television, the Internet also uses different channels from your cable provider: some for upstream data and others more downstream.
When you have the cable modem hooked directly to your computer, you’re instantly able to tap into your Internet connection with little configuration of your system required. All of this is done without phone lines, essentially eliminating the need to buy any sort of cable “package” that a company might offer.
Naked DSL Services
Though traditional DSL services require the use of a phone line, high-speed internet DSL services that are known as “naked DSL” do not. Naked DSL services are a relatively new service as the first offerings of services weren’t seen until around 2005. While traditional DSL Internet uses your phone line, naked DSL separates the actual digital subscriber line part of the service from the PSTN service.
Though naked DSL should cost less than a bundled Internet and phone service, some DSL providers keep “package” prices lower and naked DSL prices higher. Naked DSL services are available from companies like Qwest Communications, AT&T and Verizon Communications.
Mobile Internet Services
Another major method of subscribing to high-speed Internet services without public switched telephone network service is mobile Internet service. Mobile Internet is offered by cellular providers like Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Cingular and Verizon Wireless. The cellular towers, which act as 3G and 4G networks, allow you to access the Internet from either your phone or a portable computer like a notebook laptop or netbook.
To subscribe to mobile Internet, you either a 3G- or 4G-capable device or a laptop card or modem that provides a direct connection to the cellular towers. Once you’re locked onto the tower, you can check your email, play online games and conduct work all from the mobile web services you’re able to access. Depending on your specific provider, the size of the data package and the amount of mobile web you’re offered and allowed to access varies.
The Cost and Speeds
After deciding on the high speed Internet you want to subscribe to, you’ll need to evaluate the costs and speeds of each service provider. Before you can evaluate the costs, however, there are a few things you need to know.
For starters, a mobile Internet plan is generally going to be priced a bit higher than cable Internet or naked DSL for the simple fact that you can use your Internet whether you’re at home or traveling the country.
Second, you might want to think twice about subscribing to the “turbo” or “boost” package that cable Internet providers usually offer. With “turbo” or “boost” packages, you rarely see a dramatic increase in speeds, and this is especially true if you’re connecting your Internet modem to a wireless router that limits your connection speeds anyway.
Extending your High Speed Internet
Once you’ve select a high speed Internet provider, you naturally want to get the best speeds as you possibly can. There are many steps you can take to ensure that you’re getting the fastest speeds whether you’re on a mobile Internet plan or you’re using a home broadband connection. For example, you can install a wireless range extender on your laptop, extending the WiFi coverage you get while you’re in your home or out.
In addition, you can see an improved overall performance if you opt for 802.11n-capable devices instead of 802.11g or older. Wireless 802.11g routers emit a longer-range signal than those of its predecessors, which means that you’ll experience a strong connection no matter where you are in the house. Wireless “N” routers support higher speeds that are offered by Internet service providers more so than wireless “G” and “B” routers.
While you do have a few decisions to make, you’re better off if you stick to a broadband Internet connection that doesn’t require a phone line, assuming you don’t need the telephone service. There are many options available, including mobile Internet services, naked DSL, and cable Internet packages, all of which can get you instantly connected to the Internet.
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