What kind of internet connection do you have?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around various types of internet connections, their speeds, and the implications of upgrading to higher bandwidth options. Participants share personal experiences with their internet service providers and discuss the relevance of different connection types, including DSL, T1, T3, and OC lines. The conversation touches on both consumer and business needs for internet speed, as well as future expectations for bandwidth capabilities.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express satisfaction with their current internet speeds, questioning whether an upgrade would provide noticeable benefits.
  • Others argue that for basic browsing, lower speeds may suffice, while higher speeds are advantageous for activities like file sharing.
  • Several participants discuss the reliability and speed of T1 and T3 connections, with some suggesting these technologies are becoming obsolete in certain contexts, while others assert they remain relevant and reliable.
  • There is a mention of the growing popularity of OC lines for businesses, with discussions on the cost and availability of such services.
  • Some participants speculate on future internet speeds, including the potential for terabit speeds and the implications for home users.
  • Concerns are raised about the differences between bandwidth and latency, with a few participants emphasizing that high bandwidth may not be necessary for typical home use.
  • There are discussions about the stability and reliability of DSL compared to dedicated lines like T1 and T3, with varying opinions on the effectiveness of business-grade DSL.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the necessity of higher speeds for home users, with some advocating for upgrades while others believe current speeds are sufficient. There are competing views on the relevance of T1 and T3 technologies, with some asserting they are outdated while others maintain they are still widely used and reliable.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various internet technologies and their characteristics, but there are unresolved assumptions about the future of internet speeds and the specific needs of different user groups. The discussion includes technical terms and acronyms that may require further clarification for those unfamiliar with the subject.

Nothing000
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I have been using 4 Mbps high speed for about 6 months now and have been pretty happy with it. Just the other day my internet service provider started offering 9 Mbps for 15 extra dollars per month. Do you think that this increase in speed is worth an extra 15 dollars? Do you really think that I would notice a difference if I did get the faster speed?
 
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what do you do with your connection?
if its just browsing the internet, then even 1Mbps would be more then enough... for filesharing the more bandwidth you got the better off you are, though id save my money and just be a little more patient...
 
Be a little more patient for what?
 
My ISP upgraded from 4 Mbps to 8 Mbps about a year ago, and in single PC browsing use the difference isn't all that big and at first hardly noticed (well, still noticeable, and sure VPNs, downloads etc. 'hogs' can use the extra - there it is does come handy). Since got 3 computers at home the difference when using 2-3 at the same time is clear.
 
Nothing000 said:
Be a little more patient for what?
for my files to download...
 
very funny.
 
6MB down 512 up
 
When will we have Gigabit*s^-1 speeds?
 
When will we have Gigabit*s^-1 speeds?

Is that Gig * s (to the power) -1?

If you mean Gig speeds.. we already do, but its too expensive for a consumer..

http://www.level3.com/673.html

we have OC3 at my work..
 
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  • #10
Yes, sorry. I meant Gig / second, I just thought the way I wrote it looked cooler. What speed is T1 and T3?
 
  • #11
Oh, I found it. T1 is 1.544 Mbit/s, and T3 is 34.368 Mbit/s. Wow, t1 and t3 are outdated. I did not know that.
 
  • #12
That OC3 looks very fast. I am going to get it in my apartment. Do you think it costs more than my high speed through my cable company? :biggrin:
 
  • #13
Nothing000 said:
Oh, I found it. T1 is 1.544 Mbit/s, and T3 is 34.368 Mbit/s. Wow, t1 and t3 are outdated. I did not know that.
A T3 (DS3) is approximately 45 megabits per second (44.736). T1s and T3s are the most common speeds for data and internet and are not outdated.

OC3 (155 mbps) and above is growing in popularity for businesses as prices decrease and availability increases. I'm doing one for a client right now.
 
  • #14
Nothing000 said:
Oh, I found it. T1 is 1.544 Mbit/s, and T3 is 34.368 Mbit/s. Wow, t1 and t3 are outdated. I did not know that.

T1 and T3 are faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar more reliable then consumer internet connections
 
  • #15
Pengwuino said:
T1 and T3 are faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar more reliable then consumer internet connections
Yes, you're correct, I'm impressed! :approve:
 
  • #16
A T3 (DS3) is approximately 45 megabits per second (44.736). T1s and T3s are the most common speeds for data and internet and are not outdated.

I would argue that they are becoming obselete, for teleco no, but as a last mile technology I would say so.. In Europe at least
 
  • #17
Anttech said:
I would argue that they are becoming obselete, for teleco no, but as a last mile technology I would say so.. In Europe at least
Not in the US, here they are growing in number, not declining. More smaller businesses that could not previously afford T1 & T3 are moving up to them and disconnecting DSL and cable as it is not as reliable.

What are businesses in Europe replacing them with?
 
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  • #18
What are businesses in Europe replacing them with?

For Internet, SHDSL and other SDSL forms.. xDSL here is very stable.. and is used by a lot of small to medium size buisness.
The bigger Buisness are using MPLS on there backbones and consolidating Voice, Video and Data using MPLS as the carrier between Hub and Spoke Sites. In fact so are most teleco companies, soon Mobile phones here will have IP addresses.. :-D I can't wait!

As far as I can see most large business are using SONET protocols at the data link and physical layers, not ISDN.. That is the Trend here, people are moving of ISDN protocols onto Optical and Home users are using DSL
 
  • #19
I have Verizon DSL that runs at T1 speed, 1.5 mbps. Comcast High-Speed Internet is the most popular around here, offering 3 mbps. Although I am happy with my connection, any OC line would be nice.

If you like OC3 (155 mbps), take a look at OC12. It runs at 622 mbps!
 
  • #20
So when will we be using tera-bit per second speeds?
 
  • #21
There are already routers that can route 50Tb/s
 
  • #22
Then what is the limit!?
 
  • #23
When do you think we will be using 50 Tbps speeds for home computers? 10 years?
 
  • #24
There probably won't be any need, home users will never need to route that much data.. What is probably going to happen is latency times will decrease as switching techniques become faster and faster.

Bandwidth and latency are not the same thing.
 
  • #25
What bandwidth would be needed to stream HD video?
Because that will definitely be needed be home computer users.
 
  • #26
Anttech said:
For Internet, SHDSL and other SDSL forms.. xDSL here is very stable.. and is used by a lot of small to medium size buisness.
DSL doesn't have the reliability, mean time to repair, or SLAs that dedicated access has, so it's considered a step backwards to go from dedicated T1 to any type of DSL.

The bigger Buisness are using MPLS on there backbones and consolidating Voice, Video and Data using MPLS as the carrier between Hub and Spoke Sites.
MPLS is in the cloud though, not the access loop, it's been around for a few years here as a WAN option.

In fact so are most teleco companies, soon Mobile phones here will have IP addresses.. :-D I can't wait!
We already assign static IP addresses for our wireless connection cards to use in wireless WANs as a replacement for hardwired frame sites.

As far as I can see most large business are using SONET protocols at the data link and physical layers, not ISDN.
ISDN is pretty much obsolete here in the US except as a local services feature since many PBXs still require the signaling for Real Time ANI and screen pops, in a data network it's mostly only used as a backup, but even that's going away with our wireless WAN disaster recovery service.
 
  • #27
Anttech said:
There probably won't be any need, home users will never need to route that much data.. What is probably going to happen is latency times will decrease as switching techniques become faster and faster.

Bandwidth and latency are not the same thing.

Wasn't there a famous quote of someone saying home users would never need to exceed 14.4 or 28.8kbps...
 
  • #28
I still don't see a need to have speeds as fast as 28 kbps. :rolleyes:
 
  • #29
ISDN is pretty much obsolete here in the US except as a local services feature since many PBXs still require the signaling for Real Time ANI and screen pops, in a data network it's mostly only used as a backup, but even that's going away with our wireless WAN disaster recovery service.

yep, that's exactly what I said.. I know you are aware that T1 and T3 are ISDN technologies (DS)?

DSL doesn't have the reliability, mean time to repair, or SLAs that dedicated access has, so it's considered a step backwards to go from dedicated T1 to any type of DSL.
Actually BUISNESS grade dsl does.. You should see the SLA I have on some of our sites here.. I can call the MD (CEO) of the ISP if a problem isn't resolved in 24Hours, I have his Direct Number

We already assign static IP addresses for our wireless connection cards to use in wireless WANs as a replacement for hardwired frame sites.
Sure.. But not over GSM you dont.. And especially not in the states.. GSM technology is going IP, I wasnt talking about wireless
 
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  • #30
We already assign static IP addresses for our wireless connection cards to use in wireless WANs as a replacement for hardwired frame sites.

Dont mix up speed and bandwidth.. There arent one and the same. Anyway I can't think of any reason why on Earth someone would need to pass 50Tb/s of Data, only the top teir ISP that are converging there networks use these routers on the backbone. Basically they are routing traffic for millions of people.
 

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