DSL has its roots in telephone lines
To understand how DSL works, you need to have a general understanding of how telephone lines work. Telephone lines work by sending signals through copper wires. These wires run from your home to the road. There, they are packed into a thick cable and bundled with over 100 other wires. The cable either runs directly to the phone company’s switch board or to a box on the side of the road which acts as a digital concentrator. From there, the signal can be directed anywhere in the world.
So what does this have to do with DSL?
Telephones only transmit voice signals over the copper wires. Voice frequencies typically range from 0 to 3,400 Hertz (cycles per second), however the copper wires are capable of handling much more bandwidth then is used by regular telephone lines.
This is where DSL comes in. DSL takes advantage of the extra space available on these wires. By using different frequencies (high frequency for DSL and low frequency for normal telephone) DSL is able to transmit data through the phone lines without interrupting your regular telephone service. This is achieved using a device called a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) splitter. Telephone frequencies are routed one way while the DSL frequencies are routed the other way.
Of course, historically, it makes sense for phone companies not to use this extra space because it allows them to have a higher capacity of phone lines in a smaller space. However, modern technology uses digital signals instead of analog signals so DSL can safely use much more of the telephone line’s capacity without interrupting the signal.
Advantages of DSL
Because of these advancements in technology, DSL comes with many advantages. First of all, it allows you to keep your internet connection open and talk on the phone at the same time. Before DSL, unless you had a separate phone line for the internet, you couldn’t talk on the phone at the same time you were on the internet. Additionally, the connection speed is much greater than a regular modem which allows pages to load faster and for faster download speeds.
Since DSL works directly with your existing phone lines, it doesn’t require any new wiring. Unless your house hasn’t been renovated since 1875, you can use your existing phone line to connect to the internet. Also companies that provide DSL also usually provide a modem to go with your connection as part of the installation. DSL is so easy to install that some companies will simply send you the hardware and you can install it yourself. This saves you both time and money.
By: Saleh Tousi
Posts Tagged ‘Old Telephone Service’
DSL – How it Works
February 6th, 2010Internet Telephone Service – VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) Services and Providers
November 6th, 2009
As you start to consider VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) as an alternative to conventional POTS (plain old telephone service) for your home or office, you will have to choose a VoIP service provider. Just like conventional telephone service or mobile cell services, you must have someone provide you with connectivity to the rest of the world.
This may seem to be confusing. You are already connected to the outside world through your broadband connection. You have already used your computer to speak with others using an instant messenger service so you know basically it can be done easily.
A VoIP service provider supplies two critical components: a gateway between the broadband Internet world and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and telephone directory service.
The gateway that bridges the broadband network with the PSTN allows access to you so that you can dial and complete calls to any telephone anywhere in the world. Remember, just because you are connected to the Internet does not mean connectivity to the telephone network. This is regardless even if you access the Internet through your telephone line service provider; they are two completely separate entities. This gateway bridges the connection between these two distinctly different worlds.
The directory service provides you with a ‘telephone number’ that allows other people to call you. This directory service associates your IP address with this telephone number so that calls can be properly routed to you when dialed from the outside world, no matter whether it is another computer, a telephone or a mobile phone.
As you shop for a service provider, you need to first determine what your needs are for a telephone provider. What is your intent? Do you want to keep your POTS (plain old telephone service) line and continue to make local calls and use a PC-based VoIP service to make all your long distance and international calls. This can be the best solution for those that need to keep your POTS line for reasons such as security system monitoring, etc. If you do this, you will still have to pay for you land-line based telephone plus any costs associated with VoIP.
What about a complete home or office phone replacement service? There are many service providers that can provide you with a solution that can completely eliminate the need for POTS service. Depending upon you technical ability, you can buy the hardware from one provider and the VoIP service from another. Or you can opt for a single box provider that will give you everything you need: hardware, software, installation, support and ongoing telephone service for a single monthly payment.
As of the date of this writing, there were about 25 highly rated VoIP providers found that would provide me with varying levels of service, systems and support. You really have to sit down and determine your needs before you begin shopping as the list of these providers continues to grow and the choices of the services that they provide are as varied as apples to hub caps!
By: Jeff Runyon