Connecting the internet to your home

There are a number of different technologies that may now be used to connect your home to the internet.

Dial-up
Still the most common way to connect homes to the internet, this approach uses a dial-up modem and a phone line to send and receive messages from your internet service provider. While using a dial-up internet connection you cannot use the same phone line to make phone or fax calls. Dial-up connections tend to allow speeds of up to 56Kbps.

DSL
DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, technology also uses a phone line and a modem to connect your home to the internet. However, the system is capable of much faster speeds as it sends signals digitally through the telephone wire. The most common form of DSL used in Australia is ADSL, which commonly supports speeds between 256Kbps and 2Mbps. A new form, called ADSL 2+, is now being introduced. This supports speeds up to 24Mbps.

Cable
This form of internet access uses a separate cable to the telephone network and can offer very high connection speeds, in excess of 50Mbps. Commonly used to deliver both internet access and cable television, it is available in Australia in major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra and several regional areas.

Wireless
There are several different wireless technologies currently used in Australia to deliver internet access including Wi-Fi and CDMA. This is commonly used by business people when travelling, but is also becoming an affordable option for home users who are unable to receive cable or DSL services. Generally wireless speeds fall between 56Kbps and 1Mbps depending on the technology.

Satellite
Involving the use of communications satellites in orbit, satellite internet access has been used by people in remote areas who cannot receive DSL or even wireless internet access. Satellite tends to be a more expensive solution and delivers speeds comparable to ADSL.

ISDN
A service once used by many companies, ISDN or Integrated Services Digital Network uses dedicated high-quality phone lines to provide higher internet access speeds than dial-up modems. As ISDN generally only provides speeds from 64kbps up to around 192kbps and is significantly more expensive as new lines are often required, the service is not as popular as broadband alternatives.

Broadband over powerlines
A service still in its infancy, Broadband over powerlines(BPL) involves using the electricity network to deliver internet access. The service has been introduced in the US, Europe and Asia and is currently being trialled in Australia.