Bandwidth and Security

By Dr. Steve O'Neil, N'Fusion, Inc.

For several years we have been waiting with baited breath for the Bandwidth Fairy to visit our computers and give us the speed to accomplish fast Internet access, download usable video and audio clips, and give us the ability to move large files quickly from place to place. As fate would have it, about 75% of those surfing the 'Net today still do it with dial-up connections. There are emerging technologies, however, which promise to rectify this situation soon. Foremost among them are cable access, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), and wireless technologies.

The leading contenders at this time are DSL (and its variants) and cable modems. These solutions are typically easy to install and use, they are fast, and they are always on. The latter point is both an advantage and a disadvantage as explained below. New data on High Speed Internet (HSI) services (combining cable, DSL, ISDN, and satellite users) projects there will be 16.6 million subscribers by 2004 (Yankee Group) and up to 28 million subscribers by 2005 (Dataquest, Inc.).

The List reports it is the definitive buyer's guide to local Internetservices.

DSL service runs from about $50 to $200 per month plus some installation fee. Pricing depends on where you live and who your provider is. The bandwidth you can get for this ranges from up to 8Mb/s downstream, to the 100~400kb/s range upstream. This differential in speed is why the most popular version of DSL is called "asymmetrical." All versions run on an analog twisted copper wire pair, which a modem translates into high-speed digital signals. Service distances are limited to about three miles from the provider's point of service. It provides three channels: high downstream, lower upstream, and a regular phone line. This is a dedicated service which means no bandwidth sharing. To see if DSL or other technologies are available in your area, go to The List http://www.OneRS.net/102df-540. Here you will be able to search by a U.S., Canadian, or foreign location, by state, then by area code. Individual provider services are listed together with links to those providers. For a high level overview of the technology, visit the 3com site http://www.OneRS.net/102df-541 . If you are really hard core, the DSL Forum http://www.OneRS.net/102df-542 has application notes, case studies, standards, meetings and events, and several technical tutorials. You have to be a member for full access to the site's contents. If you want more Internet Access Provider resources, the best is probably B.J. Herbison's IAP Meta List http://www.OneRS.net/102df-543 which purports to list all the access providers in the world.

The 3com site provides a high-level overview on DSL technology.

Cable is the other technology gaining ground in the 21st century. The appeal of cable is its wide availability, fast speed, and ease of installation and use. Telecom experts estimate that today cable lines pass by more than 100 million U.S. homes. Office access is quite a bit spottier. Cable typically provides bandwidth of up to 3Mb/s downstream, and 50~200kp/s upstream. This is up to 15 times faster than ISDN. While these are very good stats, there are a couple of problems with cable. As it is an always-on connection, it is necessary to build firewall protection in order to prevent hackers from accessing your system. The other main criticism of this solution is that it uses "pooled" bandwidth. That is, the fastest speeds are available only if there are no other users on your connection. If your neighbors are avid surfers, your speeds will be lower than advertised. If you already have cable in your house, a cable modem can be installed and activated in a couple of hours. Many cable operators periodically offer free installation and a monthly fee of from $25 to $100 per month depending on your location, vendor, and the features you want. One of the most complete sites I have found for cable information is CATV CyberLab http://www.OneRS.net/102df-544 . Here you can find cable news resources, modem information and market data, user resources, service providers, and numerous technology tutorials.

The last of the mainstream bandwidth technologies in common use today is ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). Operating over copper phone lines or optical fiber, this technology is widely held to be the least interesting of all current bandwidth solutions. Part of this is no doubt backlash against local and regional phone companies that made this technology expensive, difficult to install and configure, and occasionally unreliable. While various tricks can be used to increase bandwidth to the T1 level, most typical ISDN installations max out at 128kb/s (64kb/s if you are using one of the bearer channels for voice or fax). Primarily used in the 1980s and '90s, ISDN is slower than DSL and can be more expensive, running about $100/month in most areas. To use it, you need a digital line and router as well as professional installation.  Here you can get specific information on the technology, cost and speed comparisons vis-à-vis alternative solutions, and a glossary of terms if your head is spinning. You can also find out what type of software upgrades may be necessary in order to run this technology on Windows.

The last of the newer technologies many are evaluating is the wireless approach. This whole area is just developing, and is most commonly seen in wireless modem services, Palm VII and similar Internet-enabled devices, and in IR communications. Satellite possibilities also loom on the horizon. Meanwhile, our next article will focus on how to take appropriate steps to implement the security steps necessary to support always-on, high speed Internet access.

Steve O'Neil, Ph.D. is President of N'Fusion, Inc., an editorial and Internet consultancy which aids technology companies in integrating their print and online strategies, improving advertising and branding accountability, and building end-to-end e-commerce solutions. The company is headquartered in the Tampa Bay, FL area with offices and affiliates throughout the US, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. Steve can be reached at stephenjo@earthlink.net or 727-742-9169.