Terminology aside, it is clear that not all internet connections are created equal. Just take a look back at the world’s dial-up days. Remember the squawky, squeaky sounds that would emanate from the massive box connected to your phone line, only to provide you with internet service that took minutes to browse, and hours to download a small file and days to download or transfer any significant data? Of course, this innovative modem swiftly spurred companies and network services all around the globe to create what most internet users take advantage of today: simple broadband connections like Cable and DSL. These services are currently the typical ones used by an average household or small business. Yet, there are other options out there for small yet growing businesses. Cable and DSL connections are indeed fast connections for home users, but the T1 connection has been staple of larger networks for a number of years now. The questions that many people are finding themselves asking now are, Is a T1 connection better than a DSL connection, and second, Is a T1 line appropriate for my networking needs as a small business?

The more important of these two questions is the first. The simple, solid fact is that T1 connection is much better than DSL connection. Both are members of the broadband group, because they provide a wider bandwidth base than traditional phone line based connections. In fact, nearly every broadband connection uses a data cable type called the CAT-5 or CAT-6. If they all use the same cables, you might wonder, how can they have different speeds? The difference in network speeds is both the bandwidth of the service that you input through the cables, and the difference in the way that bandwidth is processed. Because DSL and T1 begin with different bandwidth ratings and process them in a different manner, they are distinctly different animals in the world of internet service and networking systems.

The simple fact of the matter is that T1 lines have a much higher upload speed than DSL or cable. As such, it is able to handle the usage from up to 50-100 people browsing the Internet. This is not doable with a DSL or cable line. This makes it easy to see that DSL or cable, although fast, is an inferior networking system for a business. The most important feature of a T1 network is that it can distribute its bandwidth equally between up to 24 separate users, meaning that it can handle a much wider base of employees without needing any sort of boost or loop technology added. DSL or cable is not a steady, consistent connection the way that T1 is. It is a gamble, and while one moment a user might receive transfer speeds in excess of 500kbps, the next second this speed can easily drop to 40 kbps, or something equally horrendous making it difficult to send heavy data files.

It is the consistency of T1 lines that make them in such great demand for a business. If you would like more information regarding a T1 service or would like to find out different ISPs providing such broadband services, please visit www.shopforbandwidth.com, where you can find out about the T1 services in your area.