DSL Technology

What is DSL?

Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) use your existing, copper telephone line to provide you with a high-speed Internet or Intranet connection from your home or business.  Connection speeds for DSL typically range from 128 kbps to 1.54 Mbps, bringing it in-line with T-1 speeds.  DSL achieves higher data transfer rates by utilizing more of the available bandwidth spectrum.  Ordinary telephone service only makes use of the 0 ~ 3400 Hz frequency range, which accounts for the 56 Kbps speed limit on standard dial-up analog modems.  DSL technology breaks the 3400 Hz frequency boundary by outmoding the digital-to-analog conversion that dial-up analog modems perform and connecting both ends digitally.  Hence, larger bandwidth is available, allowing for greater transfer rates.

DSL Variations

There are several variants or "flavors" of DSL such as SDSL, IDSL, ADSL, HDSL, and UADSL/G.Lite.  At the highest level, there are two main categories of DSL:  symmetric and asymmetric.  Symmetric versions include SDSL and IDSL.  As the word implies, symmetric DSL provides the same speeds for both downstream and upstream directions.  This technology  is ideal for business applications such as email, file transfer, LAN, and server hosting.  Asymmetric versions include ADSL, RADSL, and UADSL/G.Lite.  In this technology, the upstream speeds are significantly slower than the downstream speeds.  This technology is well suited for residential applications such as Web surfing which, in general, does not require a high upstream speed.  

Business vs. Residential Services

In general, business DSL services offer SDSL technology due to the fact that many businesses require a higher upstream speed for file transfers out of their location (as would be the case if a server is hosted).  This higher upstream speed is not offered by ADSL technology.  Aside from the purely technical aspects of the differing DSL technologies, there are other factors which must be taken into account when determining the ideal solution for your needs.  In order to have your internal server and/or network be recognized by the "outside world" you must have a static IP addressing scheme for your DSL connectivity.  This is the type of IP address that comes with a business class SDSL offering.  Most residential class ADSL offerings only allow for dynamic IP addressing.  An analogy to this is to have a temporary address that could and will change over time.

Another consideration is the service level to expect from both service classes.  Business DSL usually comes with some sort of service level agreement (SLA) to guarantee a certain level of performance of the DSL circuit.  Residential class services normally do not come with any service level guarantees and they offer only a best-effort class of service.  In addition, outages can be more commonplace with a residential offering. With SpeedGate's residential DSL services, however, you can expect the same level of service that we provide our business accounts.

SpeedGate offers three different types of DSL service so you can pick the one most closely tailored to your needs:

  • IDSL -- ISDN Digital Subscriber Line -- up to 144Kbps*
  • SDSL -- Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line -- from 192Kbps* to 1.1Mbps
  • ADSL -- Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line -- up to 1.54Mbps*

For more information, please see:

  • Benefits for you and your business
  • FAQ -- Frequently Asked DSL Questions

or call SpeedGate sales at (949) 341-0800 for complete details!

IDSL

An ISDN Digital Subscriber Line offers speeds up to 144 Kbps* and can operate with your existing ISDN modem. It is a two-way connection that offers the same speeds for both your inbound and outbound transmission of data. It can also operate with an existing ISDN connection to avoid the additional cost of a router.  

SDSL

The same two-way connection is also offered as a Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (or SDSL) which performs both the inbound and the outbound transmission of data at super high speeds (from 192 Kbps* to 1.1 Mbps). SpeedGate's 1.1 Mbps service is almost equal  to the speed of a T1 service line without spending hundreds of dollars more per month. And with SDSL the same router is used for all symmetrical speeds, unlike ISDN.

ADSL

An Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (or ADSL) uses the slower band (384 Kbps*) for the outbound transmission of data and the faster band (1.54 Mbps) for inbound transmission of data. This is a great option for those who are looking to download massive amounts of information!

 

With SpeedDSL Business Service you are choosing a complete broadband solution for your business.  We are committed to superior Internet technology with unsurpassed business support. There are no hidden line maintenance charges, services fees, etc. The pricing is complete and no additional invoices will be sent to you.

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