Fournier Computer Service

What Types of Internet Connections Are Available

Simple:
The basic types of Internet available for Homes and very small businesses are:

• Dial Up - (Telephone) - The slowest connection available. Extremely meager needs only.
• Satellite - (Dish) - Both expensive and slow. For more info see details.
• DSL - (Telephone) - The slowest of the "high speed" connections.  For moderate use.
• Cable - (Cable) - The standard "high speed". Often the best option for sharing.
• Fiber Optic - (Fiber Optic Cable) - Also provides very fast speeds.

In the end, for most people the best solution will come down to how you use your computer and how much you can afford.

Details:
It is important to know that each type of connection (except dial up for the most part) offers different packages with different prices. These packages can vary from area to area and also between different service providers. Many times, the high end of one package may overlap the low end package of another connection type. In general, the speeds are arranged as shown above from slowest to fastest.

• Dial-Up - This oldest and slowest connection type can provide bandwidth up to 0.056 Mbps (56 Kbps). It uses your telephone line and you cannot use the telephone and the computer at the same time. For an average of $10 per month the value of price to performance works out to be $178 / Mbps.
• Satellite - Despite its claims, satellite connections are only for people with no other options - perhaps those that live in a very, very secluded area off the beaten path. Satellite connections have high monthly fees. It offers "high speed" bandwidth at the cost of low daily download limits and horrible latency (see "How Is Internet Speed Measured"). The average value is $60 / Mbps
• DSL  - Internet comes in through your telephone lines. However, in order to use DSL you must be located within short distance of a DSL sub station as the signal is lost quickly as it travels down the line. The telephone can be used at the same time as the computer but special filters for your phone lines may be required. Ask your local company (telephone) for details. The value of price to performance ranges from $30 - $5.60 / Mbps depending on the package.
• Cable - Internet comes through your TV cable and you are able to watch TV, talk on the phone, and surf the web at the same time. There is no distance requirements so most people are eligible for this service. The value of price to performance ranges between packages from $10.30 - $2.50 / Mbps
• Fiber Optic - The new comer to the Internet service lineup it makes it easier than ever to afford large bandwidth. If you have a large office, many computers, or just extreme needs then this is the connection for you. Plans vary but fiber offers the highest maximum bandwidth available before prices skyrocket. The price value depends on your plan but is around $3.10 / Mbps.

How Is Internet Speed Measured

Simple:
Traditionally, Internet, or connection speed refers to the maximum amount of bandwidth available. While this may be an adequate measure of speed, it certainly is not accurate to what you as the end user may consider 'speed'. Bandwidth is measured in bits per second (bps) and most commonly today is measured in the thousands or millions (K - Kilo, M - Mega).

Details:
There are 3 main parts to your Internet speed. Download, Upload, and Latency (also called Ping). All 3 are important to understanding your speed. It is also important to know that your "speed" as purchased from your provider is the maximum speed available - not the average speed.

For best understanding, let us compare your Internet connection to water flow for a moment. When you turn on a garden hose water comes out at a flow speed (perhaps 2 gallons per minute). That is the "bandwidth" of the water - or the amount per minute. Now imagine that you just bought a new hose and it is 500 feet long. When you turn the spigot water starts to flow but you have to wait 30 seconds before it finally comes out the end of the very long hose. That time spend waiting is called "latency" - or the delay. Even though you had to wait 30 seconds for the water to begin coming out, it is still flowing at the same speed (2 gallons per minute). Now lets apply this to Internet Speed.

• Download Speed - The "Bandwidth" or maximum flow speed of information coming TO you from the outside world. Usually measured in Mbps (Example: 5.0 Mbps).
• Upload Speed - The "Bandwidth" or maximum flow speed of information being sent FROM you to the outside world. Usually Measured in Kbps (Example: 512 Kbps). Upload speed is almost always significantly less than download speed.
• Latency / Ping - The time delay it takes information to be sent between you and your destination. Latency is usually measured in ms (mili-seconds). 1000ms is equal to 1 second, 500ms is equal to 0.5 seconds (one half-second).

How Can I Test The Speed of My Internet

Simple:
To measure the current speed of your Internet connection you can click here to run a speed test online.

Details:
 Each test can be run from a different location. The closer the location the better your ping will be (in general). The majority of sites and Internet services used by people are in their own country, however, they may be located anywhere so it is recommended that you try selecting a close, as well as a far away locations when running speed tests. Some providers will recommend you use a speed test on their own website but you should consider using the link above to ensure that the test has not been "optimized" to portray better results. Also be away that many providers use techniques to simulate faster speeds. You may get a message on the test saying it detected such techniques.

Why Is My Internet So Slow

Simple:
If you feel that the Internet is slow it could be caused by:

• Line Congestion
• Computer Infections
• Slow Computer
• Slow Browser
• Poor Wireless Signal
• Slow Website
• High Latency
• Low Download Bandwidth
• Low Upload Bandwidth

Details:
There are many reasons you might experience slow Internet. It is important to understand if the Internet itself is slow, or if it is only slow on a specific computer. A speed test usually helps. The majority of complaints of slow Internet are resolved by cleaning the computer of infections / malware, turning off things that can cause your browser to bog down, and even switching to a faster browser. 

• Line Congestion - Connection speeds are "up to" a maximum. When you purchase a 3 Mbps package from your local provider you are getting access to a maximum of 3 Mbps but there is no minimum or average specified. You, and your 300 or more closest neighbors all may each have a maximum of 3 Mbps bandwidth to use, but the neighborhood as a whole must also share a maximum bandwidth (usually 54 Mbps). The provider is betting that you will not all be on at the same time - but in some cases it happens and you can experience very slow Internet.
• Computer Infections - If you are infected with a Trojan, or other malware there could be more at work when you try to use the Internet. Some infected computers get setup with a proxy that forces all Internet requests and information to first go through a malicious web server or a hacker's computer. This would be like having a friend, ask a friend, to ask a friend to pass the salt.
• Slow Computer - Usually, people own a computer that is adequate for using high speed Internet. However, many computers are running slower than normal for other reasons including Spyware, Infections, dust buildup and many other reasons.
• Slow Browser - It may seem like a good idea to have Google, Yahoo, Ask, MSN, Itunes, Anti Virus, and 7 other toolbars installed for convenience but how convenient is it to slow down your browser? Every time you click "Go ahead and install this" you are likely slowing down your browser. To make matters worse, if you are using Internet Explorer then you might as well give up. Try using a faster browser, but be careful when you install them, the migration wizard may help you copy over favorites and cookies but it will also likely copy over incorrect settings as well if Internet Explorer is already affected by malware.
• Poor Wireless Signal - The fastest Internet in the world will not help you if you have a poor and slow connection from your laptop to your wireless router.
• Slow Website - When you talk to another person face to face you can only listen to them as fast as they are talking. There is no way to listen faster than they are talking. The same is true when downloading a website. You can only download a website as fast as it can be uploaded to you. Some popular websites might be uploading to millions of people at the same time, so sometimes it just cant keep up with you. If one website loads fast and another slow - this is usually the issue.
• High Latency - Latency is the delay it takes for a piece of information to travel from you to its destination (or vice versa). It is possible for you to have a hard time getting to a specific website, or in the case of Satellite Internet every website. The reason Satellite feels so slow even though it has high bandwidth is because each piece of data has to travel to outer space, back down to earth, then to its final destination, then back to the Satellite providers main location, then back to space, then back down to your house all before you even begin to receive any information. That trip might take an average of 1.5 - 2.0 seconds. Once the download begins it should finish quickly - but every single time you click on anything there will be another 2 second delay. This is not only true for Satellite - but of any communication between two computers with a high latency.
• Low Download Bandwidth - If you do not have enough available bandwidth to download then the Internet will feel slow. This could be caused by congestion, or by not having enough bandwidth in your package to support your needs (especially if you are sharing a connection).
• Low Upload Bandwidth - The Internet is 2 way communication. In order to download a web page, or email you must first make a request to have it sent to you. If you are unable to make the request in a timely fashion then the proper data cannot be sent to you in a timely fashion. Most Internet providers will give you significantly more download bandwidth than upload. You may even have less than you think. If you are hosting, or sharing music, pictures, movies, or a website from your computer - or one of your computer - then you could be causing the Internet to feel slower.

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