Introduction
As the Internet moves from dial up connections to high bandwidth links, three principle Technologies vie for user’s attention. Cable modems, which allow users to connect using the cable television network, seem to be first out of the gate with broader availability and lower costs with some concern about the security issues. ADSL, a service available through the telephone network, is reputed by some sources to offer greater potential for the future. And last but not least is Wireless Broadband; this is a newer technology, which use’s a satellite signal, from the satellite you will then run the coaxial cable into the wireless router, then run the RJ45 into your hub, switch, or computer.As the use of information technology grows, both personally and commercially, we see hardware capability expand continuously. At the same time the demands of users and the software they employ promptly exploits new capacity to its limits. The explosion in use of the Internet that has occurred in recent years leaves us with the limited bandwidth available as a bottleneck in the continued growth of the systems we use. Those who have been using dial up connections since the mid-eighties will know that each time the technology moves to a higher speed, whether from 300 baud to 1200, the great leap to 9600 baud or the more recent move to 56k baud, we are told that we are approaching the limits of what is possible using ordinary telephone lines. Each time, the pundits have been wrong but now, at 56k it seems they may finally be right and the search for alternatives is on (Clark, 99). The Internet has gone from a small user base of email correspondents to wide consumer use for web-based information over the past few years. These uses approach the limits of present telephone dial up connections. Audio and video need more bandwidth to come into their own. If, as some predict, we will move to the use of thin clients with programs residing on distant servers, higher bandwidth will be a necessity. “There are alternatives to telephone dial up lines such as ISDN, T1 or T3 leased lines, and others however it seems that they do not offer the combination of speed, economy and availability users want”(Angell, 01). This paper will examine the present state of the three technologies, ADSL, Cable, and Wireless. I will review cost, speed, availability and security of these services as we consider these to be the principle criteria by which users choose between them. I will offer my conclusions and sources of information for further research. Before examining these details, some background on these technologies may be of use to the reader.
