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Different types of DSL

Michcom.Net currently provides SDSL, ADSL, and IDSL. However, DSL has many additional flavors as well.

When discussing the different flavors of DSL it is important to understand the concepts of upstream and downstream. Downstream is like downloading. It means information is traveling from the Internet to your computer. Examples would be opening a web page on your computer screen, or opening e-mail messages.

Upstream, on the other hand, means you are sending information from your computer to the Internet. Examples of information traveling upstream are sending e-mail messages or hosting a web server. If you have ever tried to send e-mail with a large attachment, like pictures, large spreadsheets, or electronic presentations, you understand how a sluggish upstream connection can really slow down your business.

SDSL (Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line)
SDSL is a symmetrical service, which means that information travels upstream and downstream at the same rate. It was designed for applications requiring high speeds in both directions. SDSL speeds begin at 192 Kbps and go as high as 1.1 Mbps. SDSL is well suited for business applications because of its symmetrical nature.

ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line)
ADSL is an asymmetrical service, which means that information travels downstream at a different rate than it travels upstream. ADSL is faster downstream than upstream. Upstream speeds are 128 Kbps - 384 Kbps while downstream speeds can be as fast as 768 Mbps. ADSL is primarily used by residential power users who spend most of their time online downloading information.

IDSL (ISDN DSL)
IDSL is essentially used to provide DSL service to customers who do not qualify for SDSL or ADSL. IDSL is capable of reaching customers who are up to 36,000 feet away from the telephone company Central Office. IDSL operates at a symmetrical speed of 128 Kbps.

HDSL (High bit rate Digital Subscriber Line)
HDSL was developed as a faster cousin to ISDN, and it enabled telephone companies to offer T-1 (1.544Mbps) speeds over regular copper phone wire without the use of repeaters. However, HDSL requires two pairs of wires, making it more expensive to provision than newer DSL flavors that operate on one copper pair. HDSL is the oldest and most heavily deployed version of DSL, but HDSL is not available from Michcom.Net because of its higher price.


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