Networking Technologies
Comparing Cable, DSL, and ISDN
More users are connecting to the Internet and other networks using something other than a
LAN or a dialup modem connection. The general availability of high-speed broadband
services has allowed many users to move away from dialup connections to an always-on,
dedicated connectivity technology. The three most popular alternatives to dialup
connectivity are Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN),
and cable.
The common thread among these three services is that they are all transmitted across
analog systems. DSL and ISDN transmit digital data across the analog POTS (Plain Old
Telephone Service) lines of the telephone company. Cable transmits its digital data across a
coaxial cable system, which is primarily used to carry analog (and now some digital)
television signals.
The processes of installing and configuring the hardware is similar for all three types
of broadband services, except for the type of hardware that is used in the connection. All of
these services are, in effect, providing a LAN connection as far as the PC is concerned.
Broadband Hardware
The data speeds and types of hardware that are used to interface the broadband carrier
lines to a home or office PC are listed here.
Hardware Device
Cable
Modem
Modem or bridge
Bridge or router
Asymmetrical DSL refers to the fact that this type of DSL uses different data speeds to
upload and download. For example, a common service of ADSL is about 128 kilobits per
second (Kbps) for upload and 384 to 512 Kbps for download. Anytime that you see DSL
referred to generically (such as DSL or xDSL), the reference is typically to ADSL.
3
The most common standards used for networking PCs are the WiFi standards. With all of the wireless and satellite technologies, it
is the hardware that interfaces the PC to the network that is
different not the entries in the PC's network configuration.
They all use expansion card NICs (wireless NICs with a small
antennae on the back of the PC) or PC card-type network
adapters that interface to wireless hubs and network access
points (NAPs).
4
Because most networks change (and they change fairly frequently), it's good practice to
assign IP addresses dynamically. Each PC that is attached to the network and is configured
to obtain an IP address automatically requests and is assigned an IP address to use for a
specific length of time by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. Beginning
with Windows 95, all versions of Windows include a DHCP client.
Using APIPA
On occasion, a network PC boots up and finds that the DHCP server is not available. When
this happens, the PC continues to poll for a DHCP server using different wait periods.
The Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) service allows the DHCP client to automatically
configure itself until the DHCP server is available and the client can be configured to the
network. APIPA allows the DHCP client to assign itself an IP address in the range of
169.254.0.1 to 169.254.254.254 and a Class B subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The address
range that is used by APIPA is a Class B address that Microsoft has set aside for this
purpose.
You need to know the following network terms for the Networking Environment.