If you're tired of a slow, dial-up connection, here's what you need to know about cable and DSL.

The Web is full of useful information and it's a valuable research tool. Unfortunately, few of us who use dial-up, modem connections have the patience for the time that it that takes Web pages to update. And if you add video to the mix, the pause can become interminable. The problem, of course, is the limited bandwidth of a dial-up connection-the Web that can only pump so much information through a 56Kbps modem and telephone line. Like money, bandwidth is something you can never have too much of.

Fortunately, technologies such as cable and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) deliver the Internet at blazing speeds, and it's likely that one, or maybe even both technologies are available in your home town. With download speeds that can be as fast as 10Mbps (that's an "M" folks), you'll find that the Web can deliver information in almost no time at all.

Call Your Cable Guy
Cable-based Internet access relies on the same cable that brings those myriad of television channels into your home. With cable access, you don't make Internet connections across a phone line or analog modem. Your computer houses a conventional Ethernet (networking) card that connects to a special cable modem, which, in turn, connects to your television cable.

With cable, your Internet connection is always on. This means that you never have to dial-in and connect (unless your cable provider only offers a "hybrid" service-cable download with analog modem upload), you don't tie up a phone line when connected to the Net, and you'll never run into those frustrating busy tones during peak times. On the downside, you share your cable data pipe with your neighbors, and during peak times, your performance can slow down. How much, depends on your particular situation.

To see if you have cable-based access, call your local cable provider (the same one who provides cable television in your town), and ask whether cable access is available in your city. If the representative says that your town is wired, don't jump for joy yet. As it turns out, parts of a city can have cable Internet access, while other parts may not. In fact, there are cases in which one resident has cable Internet access, while the neighbor next door or across the street does not. In this case, the cable company will follow their schedule for installing the necessary junction boxes that support the service, and you'll have to wait.

If you're lucky enough to have a home that's wired for the service, you'll make an appointment so technicians can come to your home to wire the cable, and connect your PC to the cable modem and line. Many cable companies are offering tiered services, the more you pay per month, the faster the performance.

DSL
DSL is technology that works across the same telephone lines that now carry your voice and dial-up Internet connections, and is available through your local telephone company. Like cable-based Internet access, DSL gives you a dedicated Internet connection that is always on-you don't have to dial-in. The other cool aspect is that you can be connected to the Internet, and still talk across the very same telephone line-there's no need to have a second telephone line just for Web surfing.

On the downside, to subscribe to ADSL (Assymetric Digital Subscriber Line), the most popular form of DSL, your home must be within 3 miles of the telephone company's central office. According to the phone companies, some 60-70% of you are probably within this distance to your closest central office, and should be eligible for the service. The availability of DSL depends solely on your local telephone company. As with getting cable-based access, you'll need to contact your local telephone company to see what's available.

If you're tired of waiting for your Web, there are new technologies that definitely speed things up. You may even end up believing that the Web can fly.

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