Dial-up Connection
The term dial-up connection refers to an Internet connection
through a dial-up modem. This means that the dial-up connection is initiated by
dialling into an Internet service provider’s modem bank through a standard
telephone line.
The earliest modems required the person to put the telephone
handle into the modem. Sound was then generated by the modem to transfer data
over the dial-up connection. The latest modems can be connected directly to the
telephone line. Dial-up connection speeds have increased vastly. The latest
modems are more than one hundred times faster than the earliest dial-up modems.
Today, dial-up connections are somewhat outdated. Most
people now use broadband connections such as cable or DSL. These are much
faster than dial-up connections. However, dial-up connections still have some
advantages. Broadband connections are not available everywhere. For example,
travellers often still have to rely on a dial-up connection to use the
Internet. Some homes are also located too far from a telephone exchange for DSL
to work. In such a case, they need to rely on satellite or a dial-up connection
for Internet access.
