Internet Connection Type

Remy_3D

Explore the Internet connection type that you have.

56k / v.90 modem
Cable Modem
DSL Modem
Satellite - DirectPC, etc.
Fixed Wireless Internet (WLAN)
Fiber, direct Ethernet or other 4Mbps+ services

Remy_3D

Dial-up modems might be slow but they are not going away any time soon. It’s the only kind of Internet connection you can get on the road. Additionally, it is the only service financially available to many.

Sharing The Connection
One of the big problems with dial-up solutions is not the speed; it is the fact that more and more applications are being written for 'always on' internet connections. Programs like to 'call home' to see if updates are available - not to mention all the spyware out there trying to report back to it's manufacturer. Many people find their modem dialing out at random times because some stray piece of software is running somewhere and trying to connect to some internet resource.

Connection Sharing Options

Hardware Solutions:
Many broadband routers have serial ports that allow the connection of an external serial modem. The analog modem is considered a 'backup' to a broadband connection but can be operated without the broadband connection. The big problem with this solution is the lack of control over the hang-up process. You must go to the routers admin page to hang the phone up or wait for a period of inactivity. If you have a dedicated phone line for your modem communications then this might be ok.  If not, a using a broadband router to share a modem is not a good idea.

Note, most modems these days are WinModems - even the external modems. This means the modem uses your computer to do most of the processing. Routers will NOT work with WinModems.

Software :
For Windows: Built into most Microsoft operating systems (Win98SE+) is a connection sharing utility called Microsoft ICS (Internet Connection Sharing). Like broadband routers, it relies on NAT (network address translation) to allow all your computers to connect to the internet using a single internet connection. Although not robust, it is free.

Other Solutions  
There are a variety of software based internet sharing solutions and almost all of them work with modems.

--Old Information

Bonded Modems
Back before broadband was available just about everywhere, somebody (supra was the first I think) came up with the idea of using two modems at the same time to double your upload and download speeds. This required two modems, two phone lines and often two ISP accounts. The concept turned into bonded modems that supported up to 4 modems at the same time!
http://www.56k.com/reports/bonding.shtml

MultiLink PPP
The next evolution of dial-up modems is something borrowed from the ISDN world - MultiLink PPP.  This bonds two or more dial-up connections together to form a single faster connection.  It is even supported on the OS level in most Microsoft operating systems.

[ Last edited by Remy_3D on 21-2-2004 at 06:02 PM ]

Remy_3D

Cable modems may be the most readily available broadband internet connection followed closely by DSL (anyone have some stats?). They can reach nearly every home that has access to digital cable television. At about $40-$50 per month, cable modems are still a premium service over traditional phone lines.

Speeds:
Cable modems boast some of the fastest download speeds. Most cable modem companies cap the download bandwidth at 1.5Mbps but some people have reached speeds of up to 3 or 4 Mbps. I could count on about 500-800Mbps throughput in a community that has had cable modems for a while. The upload speeds are fairly slow and are limited to 64 or 128Mbps. Unlike DSL, you can not yet purchase different service levels to increase the bandwidth available.

Shared Bandwidth
Cable modems work by assigning upload and download 'channels' to communities of people in your neighborhood. Although your download speed might be capped at 1.5Mbps, that bandwidth is shared by many people in your neighborhood. If someone runs a streaming audio server or other server that sends a lot of data, they could tie up the upload channel for 20 or 30 people making their Internet access much slower than it should be.

Network Security
Cable modems put your computer in the same 'logical' network neighborhood as your neighbors. All the computers directly connected to a cable modem in your neighborhood think they are on the same LAN and try to communicate with each other. These computers then show up in Microsoft's Internet neighborhood ready to be browsed. If network shares are presented to your cable modem neighborhood, you can bet that someone is going to 'browse' the neighborhood and try to access your shares. That is one of the reasons it is SO important to have a software or hardware firewall with a cable modem.

Sharing the connection

Hub and multiple IP address'
Most cable modem companies will try to tell you that you need extra IP address' to share the connection. This is a bad idea.

Options are Open
Your options are complely open when it comes to sharing your cable modem Internet connection
  Sharing with Microsoft ICS
  Sharing with a Broadband router
  Sharing with a Linux router
  Other Connection sharing software

One Way Cable Modems
There are still some one-way cable modems out there in use.  These modems use a telephone modem for the 'up' stream and the cable modem for the 'down' stream. They can not be shared with a broadband router or Microsoft ICS.  Check into some of the other software solutions for internet sharing .

Remy_3D

DSL is now available in some form to just about anyone in a metro area. DSL comes in many flavors, speeds and service levels. For the most part, common DSL connections fall fall into categories - Standard, USB and AOL-DSL.

Getting DSL
Subscribing to DSL is easy on the Internet. Companies are falling over backwards trying to get folks to sign up. I ended up with DirectPC on my network because they were one of the few places that could reach my home at a reasonable price.

Features
DSL features are all about the 'package' you purchase. Download speed, upload speed, IP address' etc are all selectable. Soon other kinds of services will be available like video on demand and voice communications (VOIP).

Faster is better of course - on the upload and download side. If you plan to run a game server or plan to send files to people often - the basic 128k upload speed will probably not be fast enough for you. Try to find a service with at least a 256k upload path. If you own a ReplayTV 4000 and want to send shows to friends, get as fast of an upload path as you can afford. For game servers, figure 48k of bandwidth per user.

Sharing the connection

AOL-DSL
Sharing All DSL services are easily shared with software or hardware EXCEPT AOL-DSL. AOL decided to implement a custom version of PPPoE that broadband routers do not work with. (See this article about 'bringing your own DSL service to AOL)

USB-DSL Modems
Sharing First, check to see if your modem also has an Ethernet port on it. It might be labeled 10/100 or LAN and look like a large telephone jack. If your DO have one, then your modem does both Ethernet and USB - your options are open for connection sharing because any broadband router will work with it.

Options are Open
Unless you have a USB modem or AOL-DSL, your options are complely open when it comes to sharing your cable modem Internet connection
  Sharing with Microsoft ICS
  Sharing with a Broadband router
  Sharing with a Linux router
  Other Connection sharing software

A Note on PPPoE
Many DSL modems use an authentication and communication model called PPPoE. Your DSL connection probably uses PPPoE if you need a 'login and password' to connect to the Internet. Although sharing a PPPoE connection was difficult a couple years ago, all broadband routers have installed PPPoE supporting serviced in their routers and work very well.

A Note on Multiple IP address'
Some DSL providers will give you more than one IP address - often 4 or 5. These IP address can be used for other computers so you do not need a broadband router or other sharing solution. Be aware though, file sharing across such a network is not safe. If you have multiple computers connected to a DSL modem through a simple router or a switch, disable file and print sharing and run a firewall on all computers. Having a broadband router in place allows you to transfer files safely and acts as a basic firewall to your whole network.

[ Last edited by Remy_3D on 21-2-2004 at 07:22 PM ]

Remy_3D

Sharing the Connection
Plain and simple, Satellite connections can not be shared using hardware. Broadband routers do not work with satellite connections because special software needs to be loaded on the computer or device that talks directly to the satellite dish. This is obviously impossible to do with a router.

All software based internet connection sharing programs should work just fine - just be sure all your satellite software is loaded on your machine that is acting as the server. Also make sure your satellite software is NOT loaded on the other machines.

Ethernet or USB?
If you have a choice, I would probably go with the USB connection on a Windows computer and Ethernet on Linux. This way, only one network card needs to be placed in your computer to enable internet connection sharing. Sometimes it is VERY hard trying to get two network cards to run in a desktop PC without having IRQ conflicts.

Applications, VPN's,Ggames and Satellite LAG
Satellite Internet connections have a sever LAG time associated with them - there's no getting around this. Once you start downloading or uploading, good speeds can be obtained but any application that requires a lot of 'handshaking' will not work well. I would not bother trying to play any multi-player games over a satellite connection, nor would I use any kind of VPN software. Both of these applications in particular require continuous communication handshaking and are therefore almost unusable.

Other Resources:
The best place to find high quality Satellite Internet connection information is DirectPC Uncensored. They cover all the tips, tricks and problems you might run into long the way. http://www.copperhead.cc/

Remy_3D

In places where DSL and cable modems are not available, your next stop is a wireless ISP. A wireless ISP (known as a WISP) sets an antenna on a tower and broadcasts an Internet signal to everyone within sight - sometimes as far as 35 miles. Subscribers rig an antenna on their roof pointed at the WISP antenna, plug in a special 'modem' and end up with a fast reliable internet connection. Simple!

Update: 5/20/2002 - 3rd generation fixed wireless available soon.  These new fixed wireless services will be more reliable and have better coverage than old services.  Signals will no longer require line-of-sight and will cost the ISP less to install. Look for national rollouts soon!

The Technology
The technology behind a fixed wireless broadband provider is fairly simple. The frequencies used however are sometimes prone to weather. Lightning, storms can impact the reliability of the connection. In the early days heavy rain also disrupted connections but fewer and fewer people are complaining about such things

The speed of your wireless connection is completely dependent on your service provider and their connection to an Internet backbone. Throughputs can be as high as 1.5Mbps or as low as 128Mbps depending on the service level your provider offers. Ping times to your provider should be VERY low - around 5-6MS. Your actual lag time or ping time will depend on the service providers connection

Sharing the connection
Sharing your internet connection depends on the type of modem you received. USB modems have no choice other than a software based solution . Modems with Ethernet may choose a broadband router - no special consideration is required for the broadband type.
  Sharing with Microsoft ICS
  Sharing with a Broadband router
  Sharing with a Linux router
  Other Connection sharing software

A note on IP address
If your Internet IP address starts with 192.168. or 10. then you do not have a real internet IP Address - you have been assigned a private IP address. This is not uncommon for new broadband providers. Read this document to understand what you can and can not do.

Remy_3D

What is Ultra-broadband?
Ultra-broadband is an internet connection above 3Mbps. Most DSL plans top out at 1.5Mbps. The fastest cable modems top out at 3Mbps. 3Mbps+ is in the realm of Fiber and direct Ethernet connections.

From what I understand, these ultra-broadband connections come into the home in a variety of ways but end up as simple 10/100 Ethernet(RJ-45). This makes them very easy to share with software or a broadband router.

Sharing with Software:
Just about any Internet connection sharing software will work with these connections. Make sure to run it on a fast computer (500Mhz+) to ensure your broadband connection is not bottlenecked by your internet sharing computer.

Sharing with Hardware:
Broadband routers are not powerful beasts. Most Internet connections max out at around 1Mbp so most broadband routers were never built for 5Mbps or 7Mbps Internet connections. The problem worsens when you enable statefull packet inspection or run VPN's or other advanced networking software. The point is, most consumer broadband routers are going to be a bottleneck for your Internet connection at about 2.5 to 3Mbps.
The solution of course is to find a consumer level router with enough 'umph' to handle your ultra-broadband connection. As far as I know, only the Nexland Products have the kind of throughput you need. Nexland's consumer routers max out at about 6Mbps. After that, you need to look into some very expensive professional hardware - remember, a T-1 is only 1.5Mbps so most pro hardware tops out at 2-3Mbps too! IMHO, Nexland Products are your only choice.

802.11b/a considerations:
If you plan to install 802.11b (11Mbps wireless) on a network that is connected to an ultra-broadband connection be aware that your wireless network has the potential of being a bottleneck. With encryption enabled, most 802.11b wireless networks only get 2.5-3.5Mbps. Without encryption, you are only looking at 3.5 at 4.5Mbps. With this in mind, consider 802.11a - the 54Mbps wireless Ethernet standard. 802.11a has a throughput of about 22Mbps - plenty fast.

A note on IP address
If your Internet IP address starts with 192.168. or 10. then you do not have a real internet IP Address - you have a private IP address. This is not uncommon for ultra-broadband connections. Read this document to understand what you can and can not do.