tinsleyNET IT | Getting you online
If you’re using your home phone line for internet connection, it’s likely that you’re connected to an ADSL line (Asymmetric DSL) but there are other variants of DSL that may be available in your area, with VDSL currently being rolled out across the UK offering higher upload and download speeds.
Hope you’re ready for a lot of acronyms and initialisms !
Prior to DSL, most home users had dial-up internet, using a Modem and a connection speed of up-to 56 kbits/second. This tied up the phone line with data transmissions in the audible frequencies, if you were on the internet and someone picked up a handset on the line, they would hear squeaks and squeals as the data was sent and received. The infrastructure that makes up the telephone network was designed to carry only data in the audible frequencies, however the wires that actually connected the various parts of the Telephone Network (called the PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network) were capable of transmitting a much wider bandwidth.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a data connection that uses the frequencies outside the audible range. To make use of this previously unused bandwidth the exchanges were upgraded with technology to send and receive data over the same cables to your home, but at this higher frequency. The DSL switches at the local exchange (Called DSLAM) are then connected outside of the telephone network to the internet, meaning that the connection can be always on and not tie-up the PSTN. This way it can be left ‘open’ or in use constantly. Because it’s outside the audible frequencies, you can use the phone simultaneously to make voice calls without interrupting anything.
At the consumer (your home or business) end, the DSL modem is connected via a filter that splits the voice data from the internet data. The DSL modem then sends the internet data via your homes network to the laptops, smartphones, TV and any other IoT connected devices, and with more connected devices cropping up in the home, having a reliable and fast home connection is becoming more and more important.
As with all evolving technology, boffins quickly worked out other ways to squeeze more data into the available bandwidth, and a family of DSL connections sprang to life catering for homes that were further away from the exchange, or in rural areas where the exchange was not updated with new technology as quickly as more urbanised areas.
| xDSL Variant | Max Download Speed (Receiving data) | Max Upload Speed (Sending data) | Max Distance (From exchange) | Notes |
| IDSL ISDN-DSL (Integrated Services Digital Network) | 144 Kbps | 144 Kbps | 35,000 ft | Requires a single dedicated phone line. Can make use of pre-installed ISDN lines and equipment. |
| HDSL High bit-rate DSL | 1.54 Mbps | 1.54 Mbps | 12,000 ft | Requires two dedicated phone lines. Receives and sends data over separate lines at a fixed speed, roughly the same speed as a T1 line. |
| MSDSL Multirate Symmetric DSL | 2 Mbps | 2 Mbps | 29,000 ft | Requires a dedicated phone line and offers a choice of data rate set by the provider. |
| SDSL Symmetric DSL | 2.3 Mbps | 2.3 Mbps | 22,000 ft | Requires a dedicated phone line for sending and receiving data. Data speeds are the same for upload and download. |
| RSDSL Rate Adaptive DSL | 7 Mbps | 1 Mbps | 18,000 ft | Can be used with existing phone lines, the speed of this connection will adapt to the conditions on the line. |
| ADSL Asymmetric DSL | 8 Mbps | 800 Kbps | 18,000 ft | Can run over most standard home phone lines. The download speed is higher than the upload speed. Ideal for most home users. |
| VDSL Very high bit-rate DSL | 52 Mbps | 16 Mbps | 4,000 ft | Can be used on a standard phone line (if it’s connected to a VDSL exchange) and offers much greater upload and download speeds. |
You may be on a superfast broadband, but does it feel that way?
With more people making use of flexible working arrangements and working partly or full-time from home, and the Internet of Things (IoT) meaning more devices are being connected to your home network, it’s little wonder that the perceived speed of many home networks is well below expectations. Even superfast broadband can sometimes feel like it’s at snail pace if your home network is not running at it’s best.
Business networks and home networks are getting closer and closer in design and use, with IoT devices being connected to home networks and more people choosing to work from home, the humble ‘home broadband’ is no longer suitable in lots of cases. If you rely on your home network to be running at it’s best, there are two key areas to assess.
First of all, are you on the best broadband package? If you do work from home, consider a business class package that offers lower contention ratios, or if it’s available in your area upgrade to a faster DSL connection.
Secondly have a look at the home side of the network. If you are mostly WiFi based make sure your wireless access point is not being blocked by dense walls or other frequency zapping materials. Check that you are not overloading the WiFi with too many connected devices and that the ethernet cables are in good condition and not excessively long, and also check your DSL/WiFi access point’s settings to make sure you are running up-to-date firmware and have the best configuration possible.
For businesses who are suffering internet fatigue, many of the same pinch points exist. Overloaded wireless access points, poorly configured firewalls and routers, and hardware issues can all add to an overloaded connection. Add to that any remotely accessible servers, remote users connecting to the company network and and branch-office connections and it is very clear that business networks need to be running in prime condition 24/7
A home network review will cost £75 but book one before September 30th 2016 and mention this blog post to get a £25 discount.
Business network reviews are based on your network complexity so please phone for a quote, book before September 30th 2016 and mention this blog post to get a 15% discount.
tinsleyNET IT Services Consultant
IT Support for small to medium or large sized businesses, home office workers and home users
across the UK. Based in the West Midlands and Shropshire.
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