by Mak

Created on: September 19, 2008   Last Updated: January 01, 2009

Just imagine that internet function stopped worldwide for a day. What will happen to the email, banking, transacting businesses, stock trading, chatting, down loading songs or movies, reading online news paper and magazine and blogging. I can not think how many other functions will stop working normally.

For internet uses you need a computer, a connection (by cable or wireless) and an internet service provider. Probably you have started forgetting that there is a connection for internet access called dial up connection, which is very slow and in most of the packages keeps the phone engaged. For new generation like yours, broad band wireless internet connection is the way to connect to internet and now the race is how fast the data transfer speed could be? Have ever you heard your friend banging head and screaming, "Faster, hey it is not moving at all, what a damn connection is it?"

Did you ever wonder how the broad band connection works? From same ISP provider why some time the speed is fast and sometimes very slow? You may have banged your head for slow speed but the fact is that, with present technology fluctuations in data packet transaction is almost unavoidable. Slow speed could be due to the internet service provider's problem or the way end user using the computer, connections and gadgets. If you have an old computer with lesser memory, irrespective of the band width ISP provider is giving, you will have slow data transfer speed. If you have a home network and too many users are connected together, your surfing speed will be reduced considerably. If you have too much telephone extension from the same line, internet speed will be affected.

Some factors outside the internet service provider and consumer's control can affect internet surfing speed. For example many of your neighbors are on line together, weather condition, time of the day, etc. can cause to slow down speed transfer to and from your computer.

When you are using broadband through telephone line, signal through your telephone line reaches the telephone exchange, it splits up the voice component and computer package signals. Voice goes to PSTN and transfers to the exchange or telephone, where it is suppose to destine for. Packet signals send to internet service provider, where it is supposed to reach. Return packages from ISP comes back to the computer through the exchange. For cable and wireless connection, your computer connects with ISP directly or through some relay stations or boosters.

Are you up to speed? Are you happy with the time it is taking to down load your choice movie? Probably most of you would say," More speed would have been better". If you are not happy with speed and you have checked all the gadgets at your end for optimum performance, your internet service provider or the cheap package could be responsible. Some internet service providers unable able to give the band with they advertised in the package or promised. The speed shown on the network connection is the maximum data transfer rate the ISP can provide for the given under the given circumstances only, most of the time the transfer rate will not be same as shown. There are websites, including BBC, where you can check actual data transfer speed of your connection.

I have just checked my speed from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7416471.stm', it shows 5.0 Mbps, my network connection showing as 11.0 Mbps. What a pity, the person giving advise himself is a victim of slow speed.

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