High-Speed Internet Connections

• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) uses an existing telephone line (the same line as your voice service). A [free] modem or router is connected to an Ethernet card in your computer. The maximum speed is 512Kbps, but you typically get a little less. This is 10 times faster than your dial-up modem. For more information click here.
• Cable connections use your existing TV cable with a special modem to handle the digital signal. The maximum speed is 1,500Kbps. The actual speed depends on how many people are sharing the server modem. At times the service can be quite slow. For more information click here.
• The pros and cons of DSL and Cable.
• Satellite access to the Internet is also available. Click here for the real deal on this expensive approach to high speed.
• A firewall is required to keep hackers out. They look for unprotected high-speed connections. An excellent [free] firewall is ZoneAlarm from Zone Labs. Do this just after you get your broadband connection installed as it is a 3.6MB file. (from Bruce Saunders)