Are used to connect a computer to a telephone line for dial-up internet access

The predecessor of the modern Internet, the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, or ARPANET, was a partnership between the military and research institutions. It went online in 1969, but by the end of the 1990s, Internet access had become a mainstay of entertainment and commerce, and connection types and speeds blossomed. How you make an online connection depends on your location and determines your access speed.

Dial-Up Access

1. To make an Internet connection over a telephone line, you connect your computer to a modem and the modem to your phone line. "Modem" combines parts of the words "modulator" and "demodulator," designating the two halves of the modem's role in making an online connection. The modem deciphers the signals it receives from other computers over the phone line, and then replies with signals that translate your activity into something the receiving systems can understand. Unlike other online connections, dial-up access runs on an as-needed basis and only when you instigate it, triggering your modem to dial an access number and establish online service.

DSL and Cable Connections

1. Digital Subscriber Line connections come in various forms depending on the relative speed of the two portions of the connection. Most residential DSL connections constitute ADSL service -- asynchronous DSL -- in which download speed vastly exceeds the pace at which you can upload information. DSL service runs over traditional hardwired phone lines, along with or instead of voice communications, and becomes available only in locations close enough to phone company equipment setups. In another always-on scenario, cable broadband runs over the same coaxial wiring that carries TV signals. This service tends to run faster and cost more than DSL. Because cable TV provides a largely residential entertainment option, businesses located in office parks and other areas away from residential neighborhoods may lack access to cable broadband. In addition, the service's speed can drop if local demand causes congestion.

Satellite Services

1. Satellite services can provide broadband Internet access in rural or outlying areas unreached by wired phone lines or cable connections. Similar to satellite TV service but running on different antennas and receiving equipment, this broadband option requires an unobstructed aiming path between a small dish and the orbiting satellite. Wiring connects the antenna to a modem device that then connects to your computer. Bandwidth and uptime can fall prey to the same forms of service interruption that degrade satellite TV signals, including rain, snow and high wind. In addition, service plans typically include monthly bandwidth caps that can make these options difficult to implement for business purposes.

Mobile Methods

1. With the advent of full-featured smartphones and tablet devices, many people conduct their online activities through wireless access. These services can reach speeds that rival or equal traditional wired broadband, including DSL and cable connections. Gaining access to these networks requires a location close enough to a cellular service tower to provide enough signal to make a connection. You can plug a USB modem device into a notebook computer to access wireless service, or connect your phone to your computer to share the bandwidth. This sharing process, called tethering, typically involves paying additional fees to the provider of your mobile phone service.

In computer networking and Internet terms, a dial-up connection is a method of connecting a computer with another device. Using standard telephone line service, this type of connection is commonly found in use as a way for a personal computer to connect into the Internet in locations where high-speed Internet access is not available but telephone service is. This type of connection is called dial-up because the initiating device, usually an Internet user's personal computer, will literally pick up the telephone line signal and dial up the telephone number of a receiving device, usually an Internet-connected modem.

Why is it Called "Dial-Up Connection"?

Dial-up connections are a connection between two devices using standard telephone service. When this connection is initiated, it is done so by a device that picks up a regular telephone line. It picks up the line and listens for a dial tone. Once it hears a dial tone, it dials a standard telephone number of the receiving device, which is also connected to a regular telephone line. So, it is called dial-up because the devices literally dial each other up to connect.

Uses of a Dial Up Connection

Dial-up connections are found almost any place that telephone lines and computers coexist. It is also used by credit card processing equipment, electronic bulletin boards, email machines, serial networks and more.

Speed of dial up connections

The condition of the telephone line has a lot to do with the maximum speed of the dial up connection. Under optimal circumstances, a 56kbps throughput can be maintained. Real world speeds typically vary between 18kbps and 48kbps.

Dial Up Connection providers

The service needed in order to dial-up connect to the Internet is available from many sources. Free services can sometimes be found, along with pay services like AOL, MSN, Earthlink and other ISP companies.

Comparison of speeds

Dial-up connections can connect at a speed up to 56kbps, whereas DSL or cable Internet service can today reach speeds of 20,000kbps.

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