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Life in the fast lane.


The lowdown low·down  
n. Slang
The whole truth: gave us the lowdown on what happened at the party.

lowdown low (inf) n he gave me the lowdown on it →
 on high-speed Internet See broadband.  access

Broadband service See broadband and broadband service provider. , DSL DSL
 in full Digital Subscriber Line

Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary
, cable modems. You've probably heard these terms in association with Internet access See how to access the Internet. , but exactly what technologies do they offer, and how can they benefit you?

Here are some "plain English Plain English (sometimes known, more broadly, as plain language) is a communication style that focuses on considering the audience's needs when writing. It recommends avoiding unnecessary words and avoiding jargon, technical terms, and long and ambiguous sentences. " definitions to help you when you're ready to take the plunge:

Broadband -- Broadband technology broadband technology

Telecommunications devices, lines, or technologies that allow communication over a wide band of frequencies, and especially over a range of frequencies divided into multiple independent channels for the simultaneous transmission of different signals.
 could be considered as the doorway to the world of Internet services delivered at very fast speeds. These services are provided via a pipeline that consists of cable or telephone lines. Broadband uses digital and fiber-optic technology to compress large amounts of voice, video and data information. Thus, more information is transported than with a regular cable, telephone or wireless connection.

DSL -- Digital Subscriber Line See DSL.

(communications, protocol) Digital Subscriber Line - (DSL, or Digital Subscriber Loop, xDSL - see below) A family of digital telecommunications protocols designed to allow high speed data communication over the existing copper telephone lines between end-users and
 (DSL) uses the same copper wires that carry voice traffic to your telephone to carry high-speed data. Your PG's connection to the DSL network is usually done through a modem. The modem digitally divides your telephone line into three channels: One handles telephone traffic, another handles upstream data from your computer to the Internet and the third handles downstream data traffic from the Internet to your computer. It doesn't tie up your telephone while you're online as a dial-up service does. And it won't interfere with caller ID A telephone company service that sends the caller's telephone number between the first and second ring of the call. If the calling number is not blocked, the calling number is displayed on the handset or base station of the called party. , call waiting or other telephone features. There are several types of DSL services available, offering a variety of upstream and downstream data transmission rates. DSL service can deliver data from 6 to 125 times faster than the standard dial-up connection's speed of 28.8 or 56 kbps. DSL also provides an "always on" connection. What that means is that, once you've turned on your computer and clicked on your DSL connection to the Internet, the link stays active as long as your computer is on. There is no need to dial a telephone number and wait for your modem to connect you to the Internet.

Cable modems -- Cable modems are devices that provide a broadband Internet connection using a cable TV network. A separate channel is assigned for two-way exchange of data. Before this type of service can be provided, the cable operator has to upgrade its network with digital and fiber-optic technologies. Most cable systems provide speeds about 20 times faster than a 56.6 kbps dial-tip connection. However, you can experience a slowdown in speeds due to congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load.

congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity.
 on the cable connection. You are actually sharing that connection with others in your vicinity. Thus, the more people who use the connection, the slower the transmission rate. A cable modem also provides an "always on" connection. Once you've turned on your computer and clicked on your connection to the Internet, the link is active as long as the computer is on. And, a cable modem will not interfere with your TV set because it has its own separate channel for its data transmissions.

Security -- There are security issues that you should be aware of with both DSL and cable modems. Any connection to the Internet, especially "always-on," carries a risk that a hacker could infiltrate your computer. Someone could read, delete or alter files, as well as send e-mail with your name on it. There are some precautions that you can take:

* If you have a Microsoft operating system, be sure to turn off the file-sharing function.

* Get a good anti-virus program and do a complete scan of your computer each week.

* Don't open an e-mail attachment or run a program without first running a virus scan virus scan Informatics A computer program that can ID code–geek speak for computer program subroutines–often found in computer viruses. See Computer virus. .

As an additional precaution, you may even consider getting a firewall. It monitors your Internet connection and refuses to let anything suspicious into your computer. There are a variety of different types of firewalls available, either hardware components or software programs that can even be downloaded from the Internet.

Gwen Ferguson is an applications systems specialist at the Detroit Regional Chamber.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Detroit Regional Chamber
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Article Details
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Author:Ferguson, Gwen
Publication:Detroiter
Article Type:Brief Article
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Jul 1, 2001
Words:635
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