The Internet has long ceased to be some kind of addition to our lives, becoming its integral part. Too many everyday activities and entertainment depend on the World Wide Web. But in order to enter it, you need something more than a cord plugged into an outlet.
Let's consider the main types of Internet connection: features, equipment used and user reviews for one or another type. The options are not very diverse, but nevertheless, everyone can choose something of their own for specific goals and conditions.
Cable connection
This is the most popular type of internet connection. The provider serving your area brings a cable to your apartment, through which the signal enters the house. In such cases, as a rule, only two connection options are used - via an optical cable and via a twisted pair cable.
Twisted Pair
As for the twisted pair, everything is simple here. A twisted cable (copper) is drawn from the junction box at the entrance and connected to your system unit or router. Almost all high-rise buildings are connected in this way. Find out what typeconnecting to the Internet (cable) in this case is very simple: if you have thin wires (compared to fiber optics) and an average speed of up to 100 Mbps, then twisted pair is worth it. If the cable is thicker and the speed is higher, then it is fiber.
Optical cable
In another case, "optics" is brought into the apartment, which is connected to a special junction box directly in the house. This type of Internet connection has one very serious advantage - it's speed, which can reach up to 1 Gbps.
Through an optical cable, you can easily get not only access to the World Wide Web, but also use telephony and television services. That is, instead of three laid cables, you get one.
In turn, the cable type of Internet connection has two options for working with network protocols - local and virtual. Consider them in more detail.
Local network
The whole point of local protocols is that your ISP simply assigns you a separate IP address. The provider includes all computers in one large network, where he can safely control each address. In addition, this type of Internet connection is distinguished by the presence of a dynamic or static IP.
The dynamic option is the easiest, because all network settings fall on the shoulders of the provider, and the user does not need to adjust anything himself. How to find out the type of Internet connection in this case? If you have plugged the cable into the computeror a router and after a couple of seconds got access to the World Wide Web, it means that you have a dynamic IP, otherwise the operating system will ask for additional login parameters.
The static version is more finicky in terms of access. Before each session, the system will request data for accessing the Internet, which the provider should have provided you. They do not change, so it is enough to enter them once, and in the future the operating system will itself access the network.
This option is most convenient for online services that constantly ask you for a static IP address. How to find out what type of internet connection is in this case? Most modern routers are able to determine the type of connection and inform the owner about it. If you are using outdated or frankly budget equipment, then you can simply call your provider and clarify all the information you are interested in. They will also help you deal with the competitive router model and tell you how to find out the type of Internet connection on your device.
Judging by the feedback from users on numerous specialized forums, providers prefer to "put" subscribers on a static IP. For example, the same Rostelecom (the type of Internet connection is cable) completely implements the Internet only for “static”, because in this case it is much easier to track each individual user in terms of subscription fees and the provision of some additional services. As for the quality itselfconnection, a lot depends on the cable used (fiber/twisted pair) and your equipment (router/network card).
Virtual network
Virtual private network, or, in other words, VPN, are encrypted communication protocols, where the exchange of all information between the user's computer and the provider is encrypted, greatly increasing the security of the network. In total, there are two main types of VPN connections - these are PPPoE and PPTP (L2TP).
One of the most popular types of virtual network is PPPoE protocols. To connect to the Internet, you only need a username and password. The Windows platform recognizes this type as a broadband conditional dialing connection.
A much less popular type is PPTP (L2TP), because when entering a password with a login, the user must specify the exact address of the provider's server. Another distinguishing feature of a PPTP connection is the encryption method, which is fundamentally different from PPPoE. One of the most famous providers working on this protocol is Beeline (home Internet). The type of connection from other providers may also vary depending on the conditions of the area (proximity of the tower, the required speed, etc.).
Reviews about this type of connection vary greatly. Some are quite satisfied with the frequently changing data stream speed (watching videos, working with text information, etc.), but for some this is a critical moment. The latter are, as a rule, gamers who need low ping (server response delay), that isgood throughput. For example, if you have an MTS Internet connection type via a VPN connection (flash modem), then in the popular MOBA games League of Legends and DOTA, the ping will range from 90 to 120 ms. While through a cable connection, the response time does not exceed 40-60ms.
Combined connection
This type includes several types of Internet connection. The virtual network is the priority connection type here, and dynamic or static IP addresses are used as an additional resource. That is, the difference between them lies in the manual or automatic entry of data about the provider's server.
This type is considered one of the most difficult and is rarely used. It is often used by municipal services with a multi-level office structure: pension fund, gas services, employment centers, etc.
Telephone line
Fiber-optic cable seriously dominates over telephone lines, but for a number of reasons (rural areas, remote settlements, etc.) it is not advisable for an ISP to pull an expensive Internet cable. In this case, having a home phone somehow helps out, that is, an ADSL or Dial-Up connection.
ADSL-connection allows you to surf the Internet at a low speed, approximately within a dozen megabits. For most ordinary tasks, this is quite enough. For full network operation, you will need a modem and a telephone cable. For both devices to function simultaneously andcorrectly (a computer with a network and a telephone), a splitter is needed that branches the loops to both the home phone and the system unit.
Dial-Up connection is, as they say, the last century. In this case, if you are working on the Internet, the telephone line will be busy. In addition, the data transfer rate is limited to 56 Kbps, which, by today's standards, is very, very low. Despite all the shortcomings of the Dial-Up connection, it is sometimes used in difficult terrain.
Judging by the feedback from users, this connection method is practically not in demand, because even watching videos on the YouTube channel in low resolution is a real problem. The only thing you can count on with such a connection is only letters, pictures and music in low bitrate.
Satellite Internet
One of the most expensive types of connection, but at the same time almost ubiquitous. A satellite dish allows you to access the World Wide Web even in the wilderness, where there are no simple communications. The only condition is good visibility of the orbiting satellite, which is not a problem for a venerable provider.
Surely many are familiar firsthand with satellite TV. In the case of the Internet, the principle is the same, with the only difference being that a block with a transmitting head is additionally installed on the plate to transmit data in both directions.
The speed of a channel is measured in tens of megabits. One of the mainThe disadvantages of this type of connection are exorbitant rates and expensive equipment.
Wi-Fi
Many people are probably familiar with Wi-Fi protocols. Someone has a router installed at home, and someone uses free entry points in public places. Wi-Fi covers, as a rule, areas that are difficult to access for cable connection, such as cottage villages and other private sectors. For work, the operator installs base stations that provide a network to a nearby area within a radius of five to ten kilometers.
You need a special receiver to connect, and if you are at a considerable distance from the base station, then a special antenna that amplifies the signal will not interfere.
