| Broadband ADSL
Since many people are thinking about upgrading to broadband internet in the
near future, we thought we'd give a bit of an introduction to ADSL, probably the
most suitable and cost-effective option for a home PC.
We've broken down our guide into the following sections:
We hope you find this information helpful in deciding for yourself if ADSL,
or any other broadband internet connection, is the right way to go. Of course,
if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact us.
What are the Benefits of Upgrading to
ADSL?
The main purpose of ADSL is to enable high-speed access to the
Internet. This allows the end user to have fast access to streaming media, large
websites, multiplayer gaming and a wide range of other Internet applications.
ADSL will help a company deliver on the enormous benefits of telecommuting,
simply because the high speed of ADSL will remove many of the practical
obstacles to giving end users the feel and dynamics of access into a corporate
network. It will be just as if they were sitting in the company's offices.
ADSL enables access to corporate networks for telecommuters,
as well as exciting new interactive multimedia applications such as multiplayer
gaming, video on demand and video catalogues.
Benefits of ADSL:
- Speeds 5-25 times faster than a conventional 56kbps modem
- Simultaneous Internet and voice/fax capabilities over a
single telephone line
- Uninterrupted, high-speed Internet access that's always
on-line
- No waiting time to connect - you’re online as soon as
your pc is on
- Cost-effective solution for residential customers,
telecommuters and small businesses – no dialup phone costs
- Receive almost instant alerts on your PC screen as soon as
someone sends you an email
- Data Security that exceeds other technologies
- Unlimited Number of Network Users
How Does ADSL Work?
ADSL can transmit up to 6 Mbps to a subscriber, and as much as
832kbps or more in both directions. An ADSL circuit connects an ADSL modem on
each end of a twisted pair telephone line, creating three information channels
– a high speed downstream channel, a medium speed duplex channel, and a POTS
(Plain Old Telephone Service) or an ISDN channel. The POTS/ISDN channel is split
off from the digital modem by filters, thus guaranteeing uninterrupted
POTS/ISDN. It provides speeds up to 8 Mbps downstream (to the user) and up to 1
Mbps upstream, depending upon line length and loop and line conditions.
ADSL depends upon advanced digital signal processing and
creative algorithms to squeeze so much information through twisted-pair
telephone lines.
How Does it Compare to Cable or
Satellite?
ADSL has a big advantage when it comes to setting
up the connection. Since ADSL uses ordinary telephone lines it means there's no
cables to be installed, saving on costs. Cable connections require a coaxial
cable to be installed from the street to your house making their setup fees
considerably higher (Telstra charges $189* without the modem). The majority of
satellite configurations also require this.
In terms of the equipment to set up the connection, ADSL and
cable both use modems. ADSL modems, however, are available generically and if
you are able to keep the same modem even if you decide to switch to another
internet provider. This is not the case with cable modems. ADSL modems are also
cheaper in most cases (Telstra cable modems cost around $210*). Satellite
connections require a satellite dish, and therefore can prove to be quite
costly.
Since there are very few cable internet providers in Australia
and only a handful of companies offering satellite connections, the plans are
quite expensive in terms of access fee and included downloads. By comparison,
with a large number of ISPs offering ADSL connections, the competition for the
best value plans is pretty fierce. Right now, we feel that the best value plans
are being offered by Westnet, and we chose to become a Westnet Agent to enable us
to offer
these plans to you. Plus, we feel Westnet has the best customer service on
offer.
Cable plans, however, are often uncapped (no restrictions on
speed) whereas almost all ADSL plans are. This means that with a cable
connection you can download large files quicker than with an ADSL connection.
However, for ordinary browsing the difference is barely noticeable. The
performance increase over your old modem, however, will be blatant. For example:
| File Size |
33.6K modem |
ISDN 64K |
ADSL 256K |
ADSL 512K |
ADSL 1500K |
| 128KB |
30 seconds |
16 seconds |
4 seconds |
2 seconds |
1 second |
| 6MB |
24 minutes |
12.5 minutes |
3.1 minutes |
1.6 minutes |
32 seconds |
| 40MB |
2.7 hours |
1.4 hours |
21 minutes |
11 minutes |
3.5 minutes |
To put that in terms of their maximum download speed:
| 33.6K modem |
ISDN 64K |
ADSL 256K |
ADSL 512K |
ADSL 1500K |
| 5KB/s |
10KB/s |
25KB/s |
50KB/s |
150KB/s |
*Telstra Cable Installation Charges for 3-month contract -
$399 for modem and installation, $189 for installation only. Information correct
at November 2004.
What are the costs?
It is important to consider that ADSL plans are subscribed on
a monthly fee basis, however initial costs need to be taken into account.
Setup Fee:
This is the cost of setting up the service, which covers
registration of your account with your ISP and your local telephone exchange.
This is a once-off fee. Note that there is no installation fee as this is done
yourself (ADSL connections require simply to plug the modem into your computer
and into the phone line). Currently at around $99.
Equipment:
This is typically just the cost of the modem. For a single
computer connected to the internet, a USB or Ethernet ADSL modem will suffice. For a number
of PCs connected to the internet, the choice of modem depends on the setup of
the network. Options include wireless modems. The cost of these other modems range from $79 - $299, regardless
of the plan.
Other Charges:
These charges are incurred if you make changes to your
address, your plan or your connection type or cancel your plan before the end of
your contract. Check with your ISP.
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