CertiGuide to Network+  9  Chapter 0111: Wide Area Networking       9  V  High-Bandwidth Individual Remote Access

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Real-World DSL

As a consumer, you are most likely to encounter ADSL and perhaps SDSL technologies. As an IT technician, you may see SDSL, and possibly ADSL. Since the xDSL landscape is changing, and availability of specific types of DSL still somewhat unpredictable, it is worthwhile to be familiar with the other types as well.

For individuals, one of the neat things about DSL is that, as with ISDN, one single phone line can be used for voice and data simultaneously. This makes a DSL line often more economical than two “land lines,” one for voice and one for your Internet connection, if you’re a dedicated surfer.

DSL is much more commonly used by individual users to connect to a public ISP, than to connect directly to a corporate network. That’s because of the costs involved in the hardware required to handle incoming DSL connections.

To connect to the Internet via DSL, you’ll need a DSL “modem” card for your computer or DSL-capable router that lets you connect your entire LAN to the Internet via DSL. Since there are so many different varieties of DSL, the provider of your DSL service will often furnish you with the proper equipment, or at least a list of recommended hardware known to work with their network. Expect this to cost $100-$400, if your provider doesn’t furnish it for free (or at their wholesale cost) as an incentive for you to subscribe. As with most anything, you get what you pay for, and higher-priced routers offer more flexibility (ease of connecting an entire LAN) as well as additional features like the ability to block (filter) certain types of Internet traffic for security purposes.

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