If you are considering signing up for DSL, you may wonder how DSL compares to dial-up. In this comparison, we will compare dial-up with ADSL, the most common DSL service that connects through a telephone line.

Dial-up and DSL both transmit information through your copper phone wires, but the process is different. A dial-up modem converts the analog signal on your phone line into digital information your computer can translate. Your ISP's modem must convert from digital to analog so it can travel on the phone lines. DSL uses the same lines, but bypasses the digital-analog-digital conversion. This means data can travel faster and the analog phone line can still be used while your connected to the Internet.

The total monthly price for dial-up is about $7-20 dollars a month, and installation is usually free. In some cases, the dial-up modem is not functioning or not automatically installed on the computer, so you would need to buy $20-40 modem. DSL's monthly rate can be anywhere from $15-100 a month, depending on the speed desired and the location of the consumer. More equipment is necessary for DSL and the installation is more complicated, so you can expect about $50 in start-up fees.

Dial-up exceeds DSL in transportability and availability. Dial-up service is available to any computer and any land line phone, which means you can take dial-up with you if you travel or move. Since DSL is strictly available to homes within a certain distance from the phone company's central office, rural areas can rarely be served. Many times several hundred feet determines whether or not DSL is available.

Furthermore, many phone companies do not allow other DSL companies to provide service on their customer's lines. This monopoly can increase the price of DSL, or keep DSL from being available without changing phone companies. When signing up for another company's DSL is possible, further complications can occur when activation and technical support is necessary.

A DSL set-up process takes at least several days and sometimes as much as two weeks, due to the changes to your phone line and the equipment shipping and set up time. Dial-up has a very simple to set up because the phone company does not need to be involved, and no major changes or expensive equipment is necessary. All you need is one phone cord and your existing phone jack and computer. Unless you have to wait for a setup CD to be mailed to you (which is often not necessary), you can be connected within half an hour of signing up. Of course, this means you can also change your connection set up or set up multiple connections with little effort.

DSL is a constant connection with high-speeds compatible with online games, downloads, and videos, but the price, availability, and setup procedure may be critically deterring factors. Dial-up is a simple, available, and cost effective option for many basic online uses, but will not keep up with some high-speed activities.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

DSL is an acronym for “Digital Subscriber Line”, and is a type of broadband connection that typically uses the phone line to transmit information. It does not, however, inhibit the use of the telephone, like dial-up. The DSL connection and the telephone both use the lines at different frequencies and therefore go unnoticed by the other. DSL is usually a dedicated connection, so you can quickly access webpages at any time.

Telephone companies are usually the DSL provider, but sometimes other companies have an agreement with the local phone company, who provisions the user's line. DSL transfers data between the phone company's central office, the analog phone line, and a DSL modem. This is the same path dial-up, but DSL is able to use the telephone lines to full potential by eliminating the digital to analog to digital conversion that takes place with a dial-up connection. DSL is completely digital, and can therefore transmit more information and much faster.

Most DSL services work this way—through a land line phone. This type of DSL will not work on a VIOP or cable provided phone line. Dry-loop DSL is sometimes available and does not require an active phone service. New DSL customers must check with local phone companies and search online to find what kind of DSL service is available to them. They should also find out if 1, if it requires a land line phone, and 2, are there several providers to choose from. Once this information is obtained, there are a few additional factors that help make the decision on which plan is best:

Speeds available and needed: The possible connection speed for DSL is typically determined by the user's distance from the telephone company's central office. DSL is often not available at all to rural homes for this reason. DSL speeds usually range from .5 mbps to 6 mbps (megabits per second) in download speeds. Depending on the type of DSL, the upload speed can be equal to, but is usually less than the download speed. Typical Internet users will download more often than upload, so this is usually not a problem. Many factors can effect connection speeds, so sometimes the advertised speed is greater than the actual speed experienced by the user.

Even the slowest download speed on DSL most likely sufficient for normal web-surfing, email, and basic audio and video streaming. Higher speed plans may be necessary if the connection will be routed to other computers and wireless connections, or if the connection is needed for heavy usage and frequent downloads and uploads.

Price and other fees: Depending on the location of the individual and area competition, DSL can cost anywhere between $12-100 a month, as well as equipment and installation fees. The prices also differ depending on the download speed desired by the individual, and could be an introductory rate or include a contract. This is important to keep in mind. If two companies offer “DSL”, one at $14 a month and one at $24, the second might be double the speed as the other, and contractual requirements or eventual price increase on the “cheaper” plan could result in more expenses in the long run. DSL is rarely the same across the board.

The process of provisioning the DSL service to the telephone line and completing the set up usually takes several days, sometimes as much as two weeks. When new users order DSL service, they can expect several costs upfront, like buying a modem and other equipment. Some DSL providers will allow their customers to buy their own modem, but then will not be able to tech support it if it doesn't work. Those who want to use their wireless card on a second computer will need to buy a router, which is not always included in the DSL package. Many department stores and computer stores offer a variety of DSL modems and routers, so it may be helpful to shop around.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

Having Internet service in the home is becoming more necessary than ever before, but proves difficult for many rural and low income families. Dial-up internet may be your sole solution to get that much needed Internet service. Whether you’re preparing to connect for the first time, or connecting in a new home, some preparation is necessary to ensure that you will be able to use dial-up. You may want to cover all these checkpoints before signing up with the ISP.

1. Your phone line. You must have an analog landline telephone service to have a dial-up connection—not just a phone jack, or a digital VoIP phone, or even a cable-provisioned phone. Dial-up modems will not connect if they do not detect an analog dial-tone. Your cell phone may have a dial-up modem that can be used with dial-up. Check with your phone provider if you are not sure of these details.

2. Your dial-up modem. Most computers have dial-up modems already included, but some computers are now available without dial-up modems. For your desktop computer, check your tower for a phone port (laptops would have a phone jack along the back or sides). It should look just like the phone jack in the wall and may be labeled with the picture of a phone jack or the word “line”. The dial-up modem phone port is not the same as the Ethernet port, which is slightly larger and used for broadband cables. If you don't have the phone port, you don't have a modem. You will have to buy an external modem, with you can usually find online or in a computer or department store.

3. Your dial-up features. You need to have call waiting on your phone service if you want to be notified of incoming calls while you are online. You also need a V.92 modem—the latest standard for dial-up modems. Caller ID is not necessary, but beneficial if you want to determine if it is worth disconnecting from the Internet to take the call. To check what type of modem you have on your computer, check the phone and modem options on your control panel, refer to the computer/modem manual, or check with a local technician. All new modems come with the V.92 features.

4. Your access numbers. Check with your potential ISP for an access number for your area. Ask for several numbers if they have them and call your phone company to verify that these numbers will not incur any charges on your phone bill. Even if you have unlimited long distance, you should try to obtain the nearest number possible to keep a better connection. Your long distance phone company may have a policy for using data transfer numbers excessively, so check with them anyway.

5. Your total expenses. There are variety of ISP’s available to choose from, so do a little research. Do they have contracts or hidden fees? What are the payment methods? What do the plans and prices cover, and do the prices change over time? While a cheap price is appealing, you don't want to sacrifice quality. However, be on guard for additional “features” that are not worth the extra cost. Clarify the signup, billing, and cancellation procedure to avoid unseen fees and complications. Is there a satisfaction guarantee? There are many ISP’s wanting your business and offering great prices. Once you have chosen your ISP, look for a first time customer discount and save more money!

Now that you are prepared for dial-up Internet, you can connect quickly and avoid some “first-timer” complications.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

Have you ever tried to get help over the phone and waited for hours, just to talk to someone who is poorly trained and is difficult to understand? Are you paying more than $15 for dial-up? Have you been misinformed about hidden fees, contractual agreements, or found cancellation nearly impossible? It sounds like you know a few things about what makes a poor quality dial-up service.

Finding the best ISP can be difficult. If you were to make a list of who provides dial-up Internet, you would probably include AOL, Earthlink, and Netzero. While these companies have become brand names in the dial-up world, they are among hundreds, maybe thousands of dial-up Internet services available. It would be easy to sign up with these well-known companies or the first dial-up service you find in your area, but you could be making a mistake.

Most of the prominent dial-up companies have outsourced their customer service and technical support call centers in order to save money and avoid the hassle of hiring and training their own employees. This only causes never-ending issues with customers and is one of the top reasons customers are not satisfied with their ISP. Some companies require you to sign a contract or charge fees for technical support or cancellation. Multiple factors will affect your Internet service satisfaction, and just because everyone knows who Netzero is doesn't mean they are the best.

You may be surprised what a smaller company has to offer. They might not have been around since the beginning of dial-up, but they probably understand a few things that you want and need. They are concerned about making and keeping great relationships with their customers, not just making money or trying to convince you to switch to broadband. Finding the best dial-up company for your needs will take a little research.

Fortunately, some of this research has already been done. Several websites list the top dial-up providers, based on factors that you would want to know. These sites list less-known ISP's who invest more time to make a more quality experience for you. These three websites are a great place to start:

• ISPCompared.com

• Cheap56K.com

• TheISPGuide.com

There are many comparison websites, but these sites listed above have the widest selection, updated information, and simple navigation.

You will see the basics about each listed company, including the price, ratings, features, and special offers. You will also see written reviews, which can be helpful in narrowing down your options. Keep in mind that single, highly negative reviews could be an isolated situation that does not reflect the opinions of the average user.

Many dial-up companies offer a first-time customer discount. These review websites often directly link to that site's promotional web page, and includes the discount offer. Why not save money where you can?

Choosing the best ISP could be a process of trial and error. These three websites will help make your first choice the right one. You may also find some general information about dial-up and Internet services that will further aid your online experience.

Many companies sell dial-up, and just because everyone you know uses Earthlink, or you had AOL growing up doesn't mean you have to be one of their customers too. Take advantage of a competitive market and find the service that is right for you.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

The dial-up market declines as the broadband Internet services become more widely available at lower rates. Broadband offers faster downloads and web-surfing, flawless video and audio streaming. Dial-up, although it cannot compare in speed to broadband, is still being used by millions, and far from becoming obsolete. Here are a few reasons why dial-up isn’t going away any time soon.

Many people have no choice but dial-up. In the larger cities and other more populated areas in the U.S., wireless, dsl, and cable are becoming more prevalent each day. However, many thousands of rural homes are yet to gain access to most or all types of broadband internet. The majority of them have the choice between a very expensive and potentially unreliable satellite, or slow, but cheap dial-up. Unless these people are using their home internet for business purposes, satellite is hardly worth the expense.

Dial-up is simple to set up. Setting up a dial-up connection takes a matter of minutes. Any computer that has a dial-up modem can be set up with a phone cord to any analog phone line. Finding a dial-up provider is easy, and most of them provide an inexpensive service the same day, unlike many broadband services that require contracts, shipping of expensive equipment, and complicated set up processes.

Some people have minimal surfing habits. Live video and audio streaming is usually not possible without broadband, but reading news, emailing, and banking are certainly no problem for dial-up. Some people, especially in the older generations, do not spend much time online and only need it for a few necessities. Many of these people grew up with dial-up and simply don’t want to change. Since dial-up is often much less expensive, it makes an appealing offer.

Broadband is often available at work. Some people have internet access all day at work and therefore don't use it enough at home to justify paying large amounts of money on broadband. Therefore, dial-up is a back up solution for occasional use.

Dial-up can be improved. The two biggest complaints about dial-up is that it is too slow and ties up the phone line. There are several solutions for slow speeds, like accelerators, different browsers, and other software to help speed up your browsing or downloading. Internet call waiting is now available on most (V.92 standard) modems, and alerts the user of an incoming call while connected.

Dial-up travels. Anyone can establish a dial-up connection at a vacation home, business trip, or hotel in minutes. In comparison, moving even to the other end of the house can be a challenge with all the wires, and equipment required for broadband Internet. With the service being provisioned directly on-site, a dsl, satellite, or cable connection is restricted only to that home. A dial-up customer simply changes their access number if they move to a new home (assuming they move some distance). A broadband customer would have to reinstall all their equipment, and often reorder the service even if they had to relocate several blocks away!

Until broadband becomes more broadly available, or available at less expensive rates, dial-up will continue to meet the needs of those who simply don't have another choice or wish to save money.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

A common misconception among dial-up users is that some ISP's can provide a faster dial-up service than others. This is rarely true. Dial-up connection speeds are often affected by local issues, such as your land line, modem, and telephone service.

Therefore, choosing a dial up provider is important not because one is necessarily faster than another, but because of the quality of customer service, details in payments and fees, and other important factors. The following are 7 areas that will help you pick the ISP that best suits your needs.

• Rankings and promotions. There are many websites who categorize Internet services based on the service quality of various dial-up providers. Search for companies that show up in the top five of several ISP comparison websites. Also, these sites will often link to the ISP’s current promotion specials. Why not get a discount if while you're at it?

• Access numbers. You should check to make sure there is at least one (preferably several) local access numbers. Most ISP’s have a large variety of access numbers to choose from, but just like telephone numbers, if they are not local, you have to pay to use them. The telephone company can verify whether or not an access number would incur any charges.

• Promotions, fees, and contracts. These factors affect how much you will pay in the long run. If you don't ask all the questions upfront, a rise in costs or late fee can come as an unwelcome surprise later. Is the advertised price what you will actually pay? Does the price go up after some time?

• Terms of service. Some of the legal jargon will rarely apply to the average user, but many companies list grounds for termination or limitation of services, or reserve the right to monitor their customer's online activities, etc., in their terms of service. Even if you don't read them, you are still agreeing to them by signing up for service.

• Software requirements. Some ISP’s require that you use their software to connect to the Internet. This is not necessary. Proprietary software is convenient, but it is often bombarded with advertisements or not work at all on your computer if you are using an old or less prevalent operating system. These programs can also slow or corrupt your computer, even after the service has been canceled. You may want to find an ISP that does not require connection software for these reasons. Some software is necessary if you want extras, like accelerators and internet call waiting programs. However, these programs could conflict with software already installed or have system requirements not compatible with your setup. You may want to discuss these issues with your ISP before you download their software.

• Customer service and technical support. Is tech support free? Is it by phone or email? What hours is it available? Where are the calls directed? Many prominent ISP's like AOL and Earthlink outsource their call centers outside the U.S. to save money. This results in poorly trained agents with scripted and impersonal communication. Essentially, these call centers are a waste of time for complicated tech support issues.

• Cancellations. Most companies have a specific method of canceling. If you don't follow that procedure, you probably haven't actually canceled your service. Find out how about the company's cancellation procedure, requirements for refunds, or possible cancellation fees before you agree to sign up.

Once you find a company fits your preferences and you have asked all the questions described above, you will have a satisfactory service and avoid some common frustrations that could arise in the future.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

Email clients, like Outlook Express, can be helpful, quick, and easy, but they can also cause problems or be unsuitable for your needs. Here are a few reasons why you may prefer using an email client:

The Pros

Email clients limits your online time. An email client is beneficial to get what you need and disconnect from the Internet more quickly. You can quickly download new messages and send composed messages, usually in a few minutes. The messages are then available offline to read at your leisure, compose replies to them, organize in folders, or delete. This is especially appealing to dial-up users who don't want to tie up the phone line.

Email clients avoid disconnect issues. If you check messages on your server's website, you have to be online to open, read, compose, delete, and organize emails. On a dial-up connection, you could get disconnected for reaching a session or idle time limit. Furthermore, your modem could suddenly drop the connection from line noise or other problems. This would cause the email you just composed to be lost. On an email client, everything is saved on your computer, so you won't lose anything by getting disconnected.

Email clients save your contacts. Your email client saves your contacts to your computer instead of the server who provides your email. If you use your provider's website for email, you will immediately lose emails and contacts if you switch providers or your account is otherwise lost or terminated.

Email clients are especially helpful if you don't have a constant connection, or if you work on only one computer. Here are a few reasons why people prefer mail websites or can't use email clients:

The Cons

Email clients have problems downloading large emails. A picture or attachment greatly increases an email's size. Downloading these messages takes much longer, and could result in a timeout error. This means that one large email can prevent all the other emails from loading. Checking messages directly from a website allows you to view emails without downloading all of them first. You can view all your messages, then download the attachments at any time.

Email clients are restricted to one computer. If you use a more than one computer to check and compose messages, email clients are a hassle. For example, if you want to access your email from work, you will not have access to everything saved on the email client at home—contacts, folders, drafts, or previously downloaded messages. If you download new messages to an email client at work, they will be completely inaccessible to your home computer. Suppose to avoid this, you specify to download only a copy of your new messages, so you can download them to both computers. Then you have to access the website anyway to delete the messages to avoid filling your server inbox with read messages.

Email clients can have connection and security issues. A simple set up error could prevent downloads. You will get a connection error if use the wrong server addresses, connection settings, and port settings. If you switch connections, you would have to change your settings again. Your antivirus program may block your email client from receiving messages for no apparent reason. Also, all messages flagged as spam by your email provider will not download to your client, so you could be missing an email because it was mistakenly labeled as spam by your email server. These issues would all be avoided by directly accessing your email online.

If you prefer to use email clients and you get an error sending or recieving messages, be sure you are connected and able to view webpages. You may need to contact your ISP to make sure you have the correct settings and check for large incoming messages.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

A dial-up modem is an electronic device that converts, sends, and receives packets of information over an analog telephone line. The word “modem” is an abbreviation of modulator/demodulator. This describes the process of converting data from digital to analog (uploading information), then from analog to digital (downloading information).

Uploading includes clicking on links, saving new content to web documents, and sending emails. Your modem converts these digital commands to analog frequencies that can be transported over the copper telephone wires. Downloading is anything that you receive from the Internet, like webpages, email messages, updates, and software programs. Your modem translates frequencies sent by your ISP's modem to bytes of data your computer can interpret.

When you initiate a dial-up connection on your computer, you are prompting your modem to attempt to reach and communicate with a remote computer, or your ISP's modem. Your modem places a call based on the access number you have selected, or that has been preselected by your ISP's software. The call is dispatched through your local telephone company to the ISP's modem.

When the ISP's modem is reached, the two modems send and receive test packets of information to negotiate on a connection speed that will be optimal and functional for accurate communication. The following factors effect the connection speed that will be possible:

• the quality/type of modem you have (e.g., what compression technology it has)

• the amount of line noise on the phone lines that could inhibit communication

• the distance to the telephone company's central office that the signal has to travel.

If the packets are sent too quickly, the information can get lost or jumbled, so a slower connection could be faster in the long run.

Your connection is then established, or allowed, providing your username and password is verified as an active account with the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your modem can adjust its speed while you are connected to accommodate increased line noise, etc. When you choose to disconnect, the modem drops the call and the connection is terminated.

Dial-up modems have come a long way from its earliest models. Only a few decades ago, modems were sending individual bytes of data at a time. Modems now send packets of information at a rate of approximately 56 kilobits per second, hence, the 56K modem, introduced in 1996.

Several versions of the 56K modem have since been developed. The V.90 standard, broadly accepted by 1998, had the compression technology of K56Flex and X2 modems, created by competing modem companies. Both produced a download speed as high as 56 kbps and an upload speed of 33.6 kbps, but they were not compatible with all phone companies and dial-up providers. V.90 resolved these compatibility issues and became the internationally accepted modem standard.

In 2004, the V.92 modem standard was introduced to consumers, and is still the latest standard available today. V.92 connects faster and uploads as fast as 48 kbps. It also introduced Internet Call Waiting, alerting users of incoming calls while connected, and Modem On Hold, placing the Internet connection on hold for several minutes while taking an a call on the same telephone line.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

There are several common misconceptions about dial-up connection speeds. For example, even if you are using a 56K modem, you are unfortunately not really connecting at 56 kbps. Because of physical limitations and FCC regulations, the highest connection speed possible on dial-up is 51-53 kbps. Most people connect at about 24-48 kbps (kilobits per second).

When you first get connected on dial-up, you should get a pop-up in the lower right corner of the screen telling you your connection speed, e.g., “You are now connected at 32.4 kbps.”

If you don't see a pop-up, you can also check your connection speed while you are connected. From your control panel, open your Network Connections window and double-click the icon for your dial-up connection. Your connection statistics should show in that window and the speed will be listed first.

Once you determine your speed, you can determine download times. However, you must first understand units of measurement and conversion rates. When measuring transfer rate (ie., how many bits can be downloaded per second) of Internet connections, the size increments are 1000. Therefore, a kilobit is 1,000 bits, and an megabit is 1,000 kilobits, etc.

Storage capacity on hard drives and cell phones, etc., and sizes of files or software programs, etc., are measured in bytes. This is not to be confused with bits. A byte is 8 bits strung together. Bytes are notated with a capital B, and bits with a small b. Therefore, a “kb” is a kilobit and a “KB” is a kilobyte. Bytes are always in size increments of 1,024 since they use the binary counting system used to store information on computers. Therefore, a kilobyte is 1,024 bytes, and a megabyte is 1,024 kilobytes, etc.

Since all Internet downloads are measured in bytes (webpages, files, pictures, and programs), you have to do a little math to understand how quickly dial-up (measured in bits per second) can download it. Remember, a byte is 8 bits, and one KB is 8 kb! First, multiply the file size in kilobytes by 8 to convert the file to kilobits. Then, divide it by the number of kilobits per second your connection will transfer.

For example, if you want to know how quickly a 500 kilobyte (KB) file (perhaps a picture that was emailed to you) will download on a 40 kbps connection, first convert the file to size in bits. 500 kilobytes (KB) = 4,000 kilobits (kb). Then divide the bits by 40 kbps. 4,000 kilobits / 40 bits per second = 100 seconds, or almost two minutes.

Larger downloads are often measured in MB's, which means you have to convert them to KB's before you can convert them to kb's. 1 MB = 1,024 KB = 8192 kb. 1 MB on a 40 kbps connection would download in 204.8 seconds, or just over three minutes.

A song is usually about 3 MB, so it would take about 10 minutes. If you downloaded a large program like Adobe Reader, which is 35.7 MB, the download time would be about 2 hours on a 40 kbps connection.

The actual download time will be close to your calculation, however, your connection speed can change while you are connected if your modem has to adjust its speed to accommodate line noise. Your download times may also be longer if other processes on your computer are using your Internet connection, such as automatic updates or web-surfing while you wait. Minimize your online activity during a download and check with your local computer technician for ways to eliminate bandwidth-consuming processes faster downloads. Read more about increasing your download times on dial-up.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

Dial-up Internet depends on several factors to both establish and maintain a connection. There are 5 factors that contribute to your connection speed. Therefore, improvements made to these factors could greatly increase your connection quality and speed. Here's how each of these factors can effect your connection speed:

Your modem. Dial-up has changed greatly from the time it was first developed. The most recent and widely used model of dial-up modems is the 56k modem with a V.92 standard. The maximum download speed is up to 56K, but several factors affect your actual connection speed. The V.92 version features faster start-up time (establishing the connection), faster uploading speeds, and Internet call-waiting (the ability to put the Internet on hold if you get an incoming call while you're online). Most computers (even as far back as Windows 98) have a 56K modem by now, but not all computers have the V.92 standard. You may be able to greatly improve your connection speed by switching to V.92 if you don't already have it. You should definitely upgrade to a 56K modem if you are using anything older.

Your phone cord setup. Do you have multiple configurations of phone cords and splitters running through your house? You may be sacrificing the quality of your Internet connection. An ideal set up would be one short (less than 4 feet) phone cord going straight from the phone jack in the wall to your computer. A splitter or a cord longer than 5 feet increases your chances of having slower connections or disconnects. You may need to reevaluate your setup to check if any changes can be made. Many computer's modem port has another outgoing port directly beside it labeled “phone”. Instead of using a splitter, plug your phone cord going to your telephone into the “phone” port in the back of your computer, to give your modem the most direct connection.

Your interior phone lines. If the telephone cord wiring in your house is damaged or aged, they may need to be replaced. Also, if it runs too close to florescent lights or electrical appliances, you are much more likely to experience line noise that can slow your connection speed. Frequent humming or static on the phone line will inhibit the modems from hearing the analog signal they use to transport information. If possible, plug a telephone to the jack at the source outside your house. If the line is clear there, you know the static is coming from wiring issues inside your house.

The exterior phone line. If the line noise is still evident outside your home, your phone company may need to repair or replace the phone lines going to your house. Also, the greater the distance you are from the telephone company's central office, the more susceptible you are to slow or dropped connections. This is why rural homes have slower or no dial-up service in their area.

The access number. Your ISP provides the access number that your modem dials to reach their modem and establish a connection. Occasionally, a slow connection, busy signal, or dropped connection is due to a network outage on the access number you are using. You should ask your ISP for several access numbers for your area so you have a few to choose from if one of them stops working well. Also, check with your phone company if the access numbers are local. This not only helps establish a better connection, it also keeping you from stacking up long distance charges!

While there are some things that simply cannot be helped, there are improvements that can be made. Keep in mind that your connection speed is only one factor in how quickly you can access websites and download files. Check for tips online, call your ISP, or see your local computer technician for ways to improve your computer's speed and browse faster online.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!