What is ADSL?
by Bradley Salzwedel

ADSL- Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is a new fast growing technology which provides a fast and permanent connection to the internet. ADSL is asymmetric which means that the speed of download is different to the speed of upload. For example, a 512Kbps/128Kbps connection means you are receiving data up to 512Kbps and outputting data up to 128Kbps. ADSL works by splitting your current phone line into two separate channels. One of these channels is used for voice and the other for data usage.

So what does all this mean?

Well, here is a summary of the benefits of ADSL and why you should perhaps consider moving away from a standard dial-up connection -

• ADSL is connected 24/7. It is therefore not necessary to pay dial-up fees each time you connect to the internet.
• The speed of ADSL is largely greater than a regular dial-up connection. It allows more data to be sent over the existing copper telephone lines.
• You don’t need to miss important telephone calls while you are connected to the internet. With ADSL you are able to receive calls while being on the internet at the same time.
• ADSL is not charged by the minute like dial-up modem connections. A fixed charge is added to your phone bill every month. The charge depends on the ADSL package you buy.

Not convinced? Have a look at the chart and see for yourself the differences in download speed between a standard 56k modem and an ADSL modem – 256/64:

This is a basic diagram of how ADSL works:

What are the disadvantages of ADSL?

• An ADSL connection works better when you are closer to the provider's central office. The closer you are to the exchange the faster your connection will be.
• The connection is faster for receiving data than it is for sending data over the Internet.
• The service is not available everywhere

So where can I sign up?

South Africa fortunately has a large number of companies offering ADSL. Each company offers different packages depending on your particular needs. Generally, all ADSL solutions come with a cap limit. A cap could either be 3Gig, 4Gig, 5Gig or uncapped. The ISP will monitor the amount of traffic you produce in your use of the internet. Your ADSL usage is determined by all traffic generated and includes the upload (sending of information), download (receiving of information) as well as network and protocol overheads. Once your traffic “spent” reaches your cap limit, your connection will be lost or extremely slow. Generally speaking a 3GIG cap can be used for home use, a 5GIG cap for a small business and uncapped for a large business. Some home users however might need an uncapped solution. It all depends on your specific needs.

Here are some ISP’s that offer ADSL:

• Draytek (www.draytek.co.za)
• Wireless Dimension (Resellers) (www.wd.co.za)
• Telkom (www.telkomsa.net)
• MWEB (www.mweb.co.za)
• IS (www.is.co.za)
• Axxess (www.axxess.co.za)
• webafrica (www.webafrica.co.za)

Have a look at the different solutions they offer and decide which is best for you.

Other technologies

There are a number of different DSL technologies. ADSL is probably at the moment the more popular one, due to its price and so on. Some other key DSL technologies are SDSL(symmetric), VDSL(very high bit rate DSL), ADSL 2+ and more recently ADSL 2++. VDSL and ADSL 2+ offer enough bandwidth to allow video services. Some other technologies that provide connection and are still fast are Vodacom’s 3G. Here is a brief description on 3G - The Mobile Connect Card takes advantage of the Vodacom 3G Network, offering connection speeds that are up to 7 times faster than a 56K PSTN modem dial up connection- Vodacom.

Click on the following link to read Intoweb's article on 3G technology>>

Conclusion

With the internet being the gateway for the ever increasing demand for information and communication, speed and reliability is what is needed. ADSL has been the best response for these demands. The regular dial-up connection is hardly sufficient anymore. With our lifestyles becoming ever increasingly busy, time is gold dust, and time wasted while trying to dial a connection or download a file that eventually times out because of slow bandwidth, is just not on. Intoweb believes that ADSL is an excellent solution, especially fo small to medium businesses, of if you are an internet surfer that's constantly on the net.

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