In today’s times, most people rely on the internet for work and leisure. People can work from their homes, watch streaming movies, and even communicate with other people as long as they have an internet connection. Therefore, it is not surprising that people who move to a new home will always check for the availability of a fast and reliable internet connection.
However, not all internet connections are the same. Some service providers may offer cheap monthly connection rates but provide only slow internet speeds. Other providers may set up a fast connection for you at the start but will falter when it comes to their after-sales customer service. Therefore, it is important for you, as a homeowner, to know the type of internet connections that service providers are offering. So, here are the basics of a home internet setup:
Types of Internet Connection
The term broadband is used to refer to different types of high-speed internet access. However, high-speed in this case is a relative term because what may be a fast connection to some may be a disappointment to others. The type of internet connection your service provider offers will determine the maximum speeds of your connection.
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
DSL is a broadband internet that is transmitted over existing copper telephone lines. Since most streets already have existing telephone lines, it would be easy for service providers to tap into the existing telephone lines to provide your home with a DSL internet connection. However, the speed of your DSL connection will depend on the distance of your home to the nearest telephone company’s facility. Most DSL connections can provide a maximum of 100 Mbps, but you will get an average of 25 to 40 Mbps on average.
- Cable Broadband Modem
A cable broadband modem provides your home with an internet connection using the same coaxial cables used to provide your home with cable television. With cable internet, you can watch your favourite cable shows while simultaneously accessing the internet. Cable broadband internet speeds are generally faster than DSL; however, the downside of cable internet is that your bandwidth will decrease if you have neighbours that share the same cable line with you.
If you are a heavy internet user that is into downloading content from the internet then this is one of the better options for you. Broadband Modem has better speeds and can offer higher bandwidths. For example, if you want to download movies from platforms like the ipiratebay which are in high resolution and have sizes like 5GB or 10GB, then this is the home internet connection you should go for.
- Fibre Optics
With fibre optic technology, electrical signals that carry data are converted to light, then travel through glass fibres. And since data is converted to light, it is transmitted as fast as the speed of light. If you have an internet setup using fibre optics, your home can have internet speeds as high as 10000 Mbps or 10 Gbps. With these speeds, you will be able to download a 2GB movie in 1 second.
- Fixed Wireless Internet
Fixed wireless internet is a broadband signal that is being sent wirelessly from the main access point to individual receivers installed on top of homes in underserved areas. This type of internet connection is ideal for homes in rural areas far from transmission lines. The access points are usually supplied with broadband internet coming from fibre-optic lines. However, the receiver from a house should be directly in sight of the access point.
Your choice of the type of internet connection for your home will depend on how you will use it and your budget. If you like to stream movies, you should choose the cable broadband modem or the optical internet setup. These two types of internet connection will allow you to enjoy your movies without the annoying buffering lags. Likewise, if you work from home, you can optimise your productivity by having fast and reliable internet speeds.