Rev it up: longing for faster Internet access? Check out these new and upcoming options

Entrepreneur, March, 1997 by Cheryl J. Goldberg

But all the bits and bytes required to transmit this information can really bog down computer performance. To improve performance with these new applications, you need a bigger pipeline to shuffle bits and bytes between your computer and the Web. In other words, you may need a faster modem - if not now, then most probably within the next year or two. (Of course, some performance problems are due to excessive traffic on the Web. If you can't get on at all; or if you access a Web site, see that there's a text-only version of the page, call that up, and still experience poor performance, there may just be a lot of Web traffic.)

How can you speed up access? You have several options, depending on your time frame. New modems that were in development at press time, and should be on shelves by the time you read this, promise to transmit at speeds of up to 56.6 Kbps (kilobytes per second), up from the current 33.6 Kbps standard. Another option is upgrading to ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) technology, which offers data transfer speeds of 128 Kbps. (ISDN service is not available in all areas, however, and is more expensive and more complicated to use than non-ISDN modems.)

Within the next few years, you'll have the option of switching to newer, even faster technologies that are on the horizon. Cable modems, which are being tested nationwide, run over cable TV lines and will be able to receive data at speeds of up to 6 Mbps (megabytes per second) and upload data at speeds of 640 Kbps. Eventually, these modems will be able to receive data at speeds of 10 Mbps. Another upcoming technology, ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line), will have speeds similar to the cable modem.

* GOOD CONNECTIONS

Several modem vendors, including U.S. Robotics, Rockwell, Diamond and Motorola's Information Systems Group, have new modems that should be available by the time you read this and will transmit data at 56.6 Kbps, nearly double the rate of today's fastest modems.

The speed boost will be most noticeable when users access or download data from the Internet as opposed to uploading information to the Web. For example, Motorola's architecture can provide 56.6 Kbps speeds from Internet service providers (ISPs) to users and 33.6 Kbps speeds from users to ISPs.

If you want options for upgrading, Cardinal Technologies' Cardinal Voyager is a 33.6 Kbps modem that is upgradeable to ISDN and will also be upgradeable to 56.6 Kbps when that technology becomes available in the next few months via software downloadable from the Web. The price ranges from $149 to $199, with the ISDN upgrade at $79; prices for the 56.6 Kbps upgrade were not available at press time.

* IN THE FAST LANE

ISDN has been around for years but has only recently become popular, thanks to the explosion of interest in the Internet. ISDN speeds allow you to download files in about a quarter of the time you could with a 28.8 Kbps modem.

Why would anyone use a 56.6 modem when ISDN is available? Because ISDN, to put it bluntly, can be a pain in the neck. It is more expensive than other means of connecting, and depending on the know-how (or lack of it) of your local phone company, setting it up can be a slow, hassle-filled process.

To get started, you need to order an ISDN line from your local telephone company, connect a digital modem to your PC, and order ISDN service from your online service or ISP. Here are the details:

* Order the line. You'll first need to find out whether ISDN service is available in your area. It's now an option for most city and suburban dwellers in the United States. But even if ISDN is generally available, it may not be available in every area of your city. For example, some areas of Phoenix don't have access to ISDN service. Availability in rural areas is even more spotty.

Ask your local phone company whether it offers a service called ISDN basic rate interface (BRI). This service provides two 64 Kbps channels that can behave as a single 128 Kbps data pipeline. The BRI does not require any special wiring, but the phone company must configure the switching equipment. ISDN service costs up to $300 for installation, with monthly service charges ranging from $35 to $100, depending on which region of the country you're in.

If many users in your company want ISDN connections, Siemens Business Communication Systems offers a service called Office Point that allows several users to share ISDN BRI lines, thereby lowering the per-user cost.

* Connect a digital modem. ISDN, or digital, modems, such as U.S. Robotics' Sportster ISDN 128K Terminal Adapter, start at about $250. These "modems" are actually network adapters and require an NT-1 unit to complete the connection. When purchasing your modem, make sure it includes an NT-1 unit.

Many digital modems come with ports for attaching analog modems, fax machines or phones. This allows you to use one 64 Kbps channel for your computer and the other for your phone and fax, rather than having to get two or more separate phone lines for all your equipment. It's especially important to have analog support so you can reach people or online services that don't support ISDN modems.