| Tuesday, 2010-03-16 | Voice: 843.770.1000 |
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Contact our staff about DSL! |
What are the benefits of DSL? In addition to its very high speed, DSL modems have many benefits over analog modems. Unlike the dial-up connections required for analog modems, your DSL connection is always on. That means no more logging on and off, no more busy signals and no more waiting for the connection to happen - it's always there. Another benefit is the ability to use the phone at the same time the data connection is on; you don't have to choose between the two.  How fast is it? The DSL modem can download data at speeds ranging from 256 Kilobits per second up to 5 Megabits per second. Will it always connect at maximum speed?At DSL speeds, the limitations are much more the performance of the Internet server you're trying to reach and the amount of traffic on the Internet. The Internet is a loosely coupled network of computers that are transmitting data by different methods through different computers at different speeds, so the speed you receive data with a DSL modem is limited by these factors. How does it work?DSL works by splitting the phone line into two frequency ranges. The frequencies below 4 kHz are reserved for voice, and the range above that is used for data. This makes it possible to use the line for phone calls and data network access at the same time. It is called "asymmetric" because more bandwidth is reserved for receiving data than for sending data. Download speeds range from 256 Kilobits per second up to 5 Megabits per second, and upload speeds range from 128 to 640 Kilobits per second. This is useful because many users of the Internet receive much more data than they send. DSL modems follow the data rate multiples established by North American and European standards. In general, the maximum range for DSL is 5.5 km (18,000 feet). As distance decreases toward the telephone company office, the data rate increases. Another factor is the gauge of the copper wire. The heavier 24-gauge wire carries the same data rate farther than 26-gauge wire. If you live beyond the 5.5-kilometer range, you may still be able to have DSL if your phone company has extended the local loop with optical fiber cable. Will it work with my computer?Here are the computer requirements Recommended PC Pentium 233MHz or higher 64MB Ram 250MB Available Hard Drive Space CD or DVD Drive Windows 95 or higher (NT service pack 4 and up) MAC Power G3 or higher/233MHz 64MB Ram 150 MB Available Hard Drive Space CD or DVD Drive Mac OS 8.1 or higher Minimum PC Pentium 166MHz or higher 32MB Ram 110MB Available Hard Drive Space CD or DVD Drive Windows 95 MAC Power G3 or higher (166MHz) 32MB Ram 150 MB Available Hard Drive Space CD or DVD Drive Mac OS 8.1 or higher How much does it cost?If this is for your Residence Click Here. If this is for your Business Click Here. Is DSL Available in my area?DSL is available in limited locations at this time. Please Click Here to see the current areas DSL is available or contact our office at 843-770-1000 ext 251 for further information. Will DSL affect my regular phone calls?In most cases, DSL will not interfere with your phone calls and vice-versa. In some cases when you are using the same phone line for both DSL and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), you will need to add a simple filter between your phone and the wall jack. Will I have to change my e-mail address?That depends on whether ISLC is currently providing your e-mail account. If your currently have an ISLC account then your email address will remain the same. If do not currently have an ISLC account you will need to discuss the matter with your current ISP. Some ISPs providing mail forwarding services or mail-only accounts that you may be able to use if you want to continue using your current email address. Web-based e-mail clients, like Netscape's Webmail or Hotmail, will not be affected by a change to DSL service. DSL vs. Cable modems?DSL provides always-on high-speed Internet access over a single dedicated telephone line; cable modems offer always-on high-speed Internet access over a shared cable television line. One major difference between DSL and cable is the cable connection is shared among all users in a neighborhood, and will therefore vary, perhaps dramatically, as more users in a neighborhood get online at the same time. Cable modem upstream (from the home to the Internet) traffic will in many cases be slower than DSL, either because the particular cable modem is inherently slower, or because too many people in a neighborhood are trying to send or receive data at the same time. The big difference between DSL and cable modems, however, is the number of lines available to each. There are no more than 12 million homes today that can support two-way cable modem transmissions, and while the figure is growing steadily, it will not catch up with telephone lines for many years. Only about 20 percent of homes are ready for cable modems now, compared to 50 to 60 percent of homes that are ready for DSL service. Additionally, many of the older cable networks are not capable of offering a return channel; consequently, such networks will need significant upgrading before they can offer high bandwidth services. Another significant difference is customers can still use a dialup account when on vacation or away from home. Remote dialup access is rarely offered with cable access. We also provide coast-to-coast roaming at no charge** in over 1600 cities including most major metropolitan areas. **Up to 50 hours of roaming usage per month. There's a $.20 per hour charge for usage over 50 hours. |
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Email:support@islc.net |