Provider Links

Service Provider Links

• These are the connections which are used by Service Providers to connect their customers to the internet or create a WAN for interconnecting remote offices.

Satellite

• There's a satellite dish installed at the customer's location which provides a connection to a satellite in orbit.

• The orbital satellite relays data between the Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) to the Service Provider Equipment, then through the Service Provider's network to the Internet.

• Commonly implemented in areas which does not allow Service Providers to implement physical cabling to the customer location.

• Requires a line-of-sight for communication.

• Can provide high latency (response time).

• Weather conditions commonly affect communication.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

• Internet Service Providers (ISPs) usually install a modem at the subscriber (customer) location.

• The DSL model connects to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) lines.

• The PSTN lines connects to the Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) which forwards the customer traffic to the ISP network, then to the Internet.

• DSL uses digital signals and requires a splitter to separate the telephone signal from the internet signal.

• DSL works up to 5.5 km in distance.

• In Symmetric DSL, both the upload and download bandwidth are the same values.

• Asymmetric DSL, the upload and download are not the same. Usually the download bandwidth is greater than the upload.

Cable

• Commonly used on residential customers.

• A cable modem is installed on the customer's location, which is connected to the Cable Model Termination System (CMTS) via coaxial cable.

• When using cable, it uses Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) which is an international telecommunication standard that supports 10 Gbps download speeds and 1 Gbps upload speeds.

• As more customers uses the cable network, the bandwidth is shared. Therefore, as more customers uses the Internet at the same time, each customer will notice their internet speed is reduced.

Leased Line

• Provides a connection with dedicated bandwidth.

• This dedicated connection is provided between the customer and the Service Provider network.

• This type of connection is usually more costly as the bandwidth is statically allocated to the customer.

Metro Optical

• This connection uses fiber optic network to provide high speed connectivity.

• Usually cost less then typical Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH).

• Works with Ethernet technologies.