Internet Modems

There are a number of different ways that a person can access the Internet. The particular method that someone uses to connect to the Internet can dramatically change the online experience for the user, for better and for worse. New technological innovations and available networking infrastructures are the major considerations which affect how someone will access the web, and these factors have changed considerably over the years. Since the beginning of the Internet the speed of communication has dramatically increased and this has affected not only the quantity of information transmitted but the very nature of this information as well.

Modern innovations in wireless technology have also changed the way that people go online. These developments are very unique as they change the nature of the online experience not necessarily through speed but through a change in usage behavior. To get a grasp on these new developments we need to compare how someone today uses the Internet compared to someone 20 years ago.

Dial-up access was the first widely used method to go online and was used during the 1980’s and 90’s. In 2008 only about 10% of American users still use dial-up Internet access, mainly because there are many faster types of connections now available. Dial-up Internet access has been so popular in the past because it used already existing telephone lines in order to transmit data. The telephone lines worked hand in hand with a modem on either end of the connection which were used to route Internet protocol data packets through regular telephone lines. Dial up access is still used in a lot of countries where broad band installations are not yet available.

The common land line broadband connections that are so widely used today can be transmitted over coaxial cables, fiber optic or copper wires, and can operate at a number of different speeds. These types of broadband connections are much faster than dial-up and allow the user to access a lot more information in a shorter time span. T-carrier systems including T1 lines offer an even faster data transmission rate than common broadband speeds but are much less common.

Changes in the speed of an Internet connection can dramatically change the behavior of an Internet user. It is now possible for a business to run a multimedia online marketing campaign through social media and search engine marketing. It is also common place today for a user to access audio and video files when they are online, however back in the days of dial-up this was not possible. This allows another level of richness and detail into the online experience that makes it more relevant to people’s lives. The speed of some connections allow applications like web cam communication and online role playing games to be a reality and offer users online possibilities that were simply not there in the past.

It is not all about speed though, and the wireless revolution has also changed the way that people behave in relation to the Internet. A wireless connection can allow a user to participate in a more liquid relationship with their computer, allowing access from more locations both at home and away from home. As Internet connection technologies have changed and evolved over the years, both in terms of speed and accessibility, both user behaviour and the access to different online media have changed and evolved as well.