The Fundamentals Of OC3 Bandwidth...What It Does For Your Business

When searching for just the right bandwidth solution for critical business network applications a common choice is what's termed an OC3 circuit. An OC3 circuit works as a reliable fiber optic backbone for large networks with substantial voice/data/video traffic needs. For example....corporate headquarters phone lines (PBX and/or VoIP), company Supply Chain Management (SCM) systems, facility high security networks, Hospital medical imagery and diagnostic systems, data recovery and backup networks, video conferencing facilities, multi-media or virtual design centers, and ISP backbones.

OC3 is the abbreviated term for Optical Carrier level 3, and is used to specify the speed level of fiber optic networks over SONET. The speed itself is measured through SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) standards.

Specificly, the Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) includes a set of signal rate multiples for transmitting digital signals on optical fiber. OC stands for Optical Carrier and the number following specifies the speed of the fiber optic networks conforming to the SONET standard. The base rate OC1 is 51.84 Mbps. Therefore an OC3 circuit delivers 155 Mbps.

OC3 is optical carrier (fiber) connected by equipment capable of speeds up to 155.5 Mbps......and is designed to take, synchronize, and transport data and voice at that speed of 155 Mbps reliably. Due to their potential load delivery capacity....OC3 applications are used most often by large enterprises with significant bandwidth requirements or as an ISP backbone. By definition.....an OC3 is the equivalent of 84 T1s or 3 DS3s/T3s. To put it in perspective....an OC3 circuit is capable of 2,000 simultaneous voice transmissions with each transmission carrying variable data types alongside the voice!

An important factor to consider is that OC3s can be burstable, which allows you to start small and increase your bandwidth as your needs grow. A Burstable OC3 is the ideal solution for businesses who seek ultra-fast connectivity for their Internet needs.....and don't require full OC3 load capacity just yet but may in the future. Options cover selection from 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 140, or a full 155 Mbps of service.

Fiber Optics is a technology that uses glass (or plastic) threads (fibers) to transmit data. A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulated onto light waves.

Fiber optics has several advantages over traditional metal communication lines. They have a much greater bandwidth than metal cables. This means they can carry more data. They are also less susceptible than metal cables to interference, and they are much thinner and lighter than metal wires. This enables the data to be transmitted digitally over fiber optics rather than resorting to analog transmission.

Additionally, OC-3 is most often made up of what is called a "SONET ring" to maintain it's reliability (redundancy) during its high speed transmissions.

A common method of back up used with SONET ring is called a "bi-directional ring topology." This bi-directional ring is a physical topology which deploys two sets of fiber strands.

The first strand for the connection is for sending and receiving. The second strand will reroute traffic from the original transmission in another direction should the first strand break or malfunction. Therefore bi-directional ring topology helps ensure constant reliability within an OC3 SONET based network.

So just what does an OC3 circuit do for your business?

With an OC3 bandwidth solution your network will deliver optimum speed and load for any large scale voice/data application requirement you have....with reliable and secure digital technology performance.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses

T1 Lines

A T1 line is used for carrying information and other data between Internet service providers and private networks. T1 lines carry a variety of services from one carrier to another or customer. T1 lines are usually fiber optic cables, but some are made of copper at the ends. It can carry voice, data, images and other information through four copper wires. With multiplexing, all these can also be carried through a single circuit on a T1 line.

With a bandwidth of 1.544 megabits per second, it acts as a digital communication link and is usually supplied by a telephone company. T1 lines are the most common way of high speed Internet access and are uninterrupted by traffic from other lines. But these are not meant for individual users or for personal computers. T1 lines are used by large business concerns and some medium sized businesses which can afford them.

A T1 line is split into lesser kilobits per second communication channels to carry voice and data over networks. Also known as a DS1 line, a normal T1 line contains 24 different channels to be used for data transfer over the Internet. Typically, this will be 24, 56 or 64 kilobits per second and data transfer will be at a rate of 1.5 megabits per second. This is almost six times more data that can be transferred through a residential modem.

For normal Internet browsing, these lines can manage hundreds of users and still maintain high speed of data transfer. Even for more complicated Internet activities, these can handle multiple users without any difficulty. T1 lines typically terminate at the customerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs premises and ends as channel banks, TDM Mux or D/I Mux.

T1 lines have many advantages over any other means of high speed Internet access. It is universally available and has a guaranteed 24\7 uptime with very little chances of breakdown. They cut down on your phone bills by placing 23 phone lines for long distance service apart from high speed Internet service.

T1 Lines provides detailed information on T1 Lines, T1 Line Prices, How To Test T1 Lines, Cheap T1 Lines and more. T1 Lines is affiliated with T3 Bandwidth.

New ISP- Ten Tips for ISP Shopping

Looking for a new Internet Service Provider (ISP) but don't know which one to choose? Though difficult, it's something we all must do every once and a while. This article will make your ISP shopping experience much easier.

Before signing up for an ISP, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I need dial-up or broadband? If you use the Internet for more than three hours a week, you should get broadband. Generally, the lowest speed broadband is the same price or only a little more than dial-up and significantly faster.

2. If I'm going to use broadband, how will I get it?
There are a variety of ways to get broadband Internet. The two most common and probably the best are through a phone line (DSL) or a cable line (cable). Less common ways to get broadband are through WISPs (wireless Internet Service Providers) or via your satellite dish if your satellite TV provider offers it. WISPs and satellite Internet are generally used in rural areas and are more expensive than DSL and cable broadband. Some areas now have fiber optic broadband, such as Verizon FiOS. Fiber optic Internet offers speeds much faster than typical broadband and is the best choice if available.

3. What ISPs are available in my area?
Gather a list of all available ISPs in your area.

4. What download speed do I need?
If you use your Internet infrequently, you can probably get away with a 256 kbit download speed. For online gaming (and I do not mean games like Internet Checkers), the faster connection you can get, the better. If you plan on setting up a home network and having more than one PC on the Internet at the same time, make sure you have at least a 1.5 mbit download speed. There is no need to get Internet faster than 1.5 mbit unless you share your Internet with others on a home network, download large files frequently, or play online games.

Note: Note that Internet speeds are measured in kilobits and file sizes are measured in kilobytes or megabits and megabytes if the number is 1000 kilobits or kilobytes or more. There is a huge different between bits and bytes! In fact, One kilobyte is equal to 8 kilobits! For example, a 3 mbit (3000 kbit) broadband connection will only yield a download speed of 384 kilobytes at the most.

5. What upload speed do I need?
You're upload speed is less important than your download speed. You should only pay attention to how fast your upload speed is if you use bittorrent, upload files to the Internet frequently, play online games, or plan on running any kind of server, such as a game server or web server. Upload speeds are often much slower than download speeds and like with download speeds, the higher they are, the faster they will perform. Upload speeds are measured in kilobits and megabits respectively.

6. Do I want to run a game or web server?
If you want to run a server, you will need a dedicated IP and your ISP must allow servers. Read your ISP's terms of service to make sure they allow customers to run servers.

7. Are there any limits to my Internet connection?
Make sure there aren't any limits on your Internet you don't know about, such as a monthly download limit.

8. What ISP is the best?
Search the Internet for reviews about your local ISPs. I personally recommend Dslreports.com for ISP reviews.

9. Cost and Features
Weigh the cost and features of each potential ISP. Which has the best value for the money? Does one ISP have a feature you really need? Can you get more speed for the same price with another ISP? Do I need to pay extra for a modem? Are there any termination fees?

10. Choose an ISP
After completing steps 1-9, it's time to choose an ISP! Sign up, set up your new Internet connection, relax, and have fun on the web!

Daniel Foster is the owner of PC Fastlane, a great place to find computer help, interesting articles, tech news, a list of over 160 free PC games, and more. http://www.pcfastlane.com

Usefulness of Broadband Internet Access

Broadband Internet is the American way when it comes to Internet service of choice. Americans love things that are bigger, faster and stronger. In the auto Industry we Americans are addicted to SUV's. Our fast food places have our favorite giant burger, like the Big Mac, and the all American Internet service of choice is of course, broadband.

Though we prefer bigger and better, there are those who are content with small economy cars, a burger from the dollar menu, and dial up ISP. No, these people aren't cheap, their frugal, and a wise group at that. In today's economy it pays to pinch your pennies. Some people just aren't impressed by high speed Internet since it cost's more.

What the frugal may be unaware of is the usefulness of broadband Internet access can far outweigh the cost and even save you some money. Not just a little money, a whole lot of it! I know, you're wondering how broadband can save money when it costs more than dial up ISP. In a word, technology. That's right, put your broadband Internet to work.

Broadband Internet can save you money in ways you never thought possible, like gasoline and wear and tear on your automobile. Broadband Internet can even save you money on entertainment cost's such as movie rentals, and music CD's. Broadband Internet even saves you time wasted browsing online, and for some of us time is money.

How can broadband Internet save money on gas? Just think about this, how much money in gas does it cost you to go out and rent a movie on DVD from the rental store? Just one gallon is over 2 dollars. How much gas do you burn making that trip each year? How much rubber is worn off your tires and how many miles is added toward the next oil change?

With broadband Internet you can download your own movies. Some online movie rental stores charge you the same amount for 30 days as your local rental store charges for 24 hours! You can even download some movies for free and burn them to DVD. The same concept applies to things like movies and video games. The list is endless.

Did you know broadband Internet can save you a ton of money on phone service? If you have broadband cable or DSL you can take advantage of VOIP or voice over Internet protocol. VoIP also known as broadband phone service can cost as little as 15 dollars a month, and the big advantage to this is it offsets the higher cost of broadband Internet access immediately.

Even if dial up ISP were free, it could never save you any money and is hardly as useful as broadband. I am sure you can think of other ways to reduce your cost of living by using broadband. So to the frugal I say, keep your economy car, order from the dollar menu, but by all means, take advantage of the overwhelming usefulness of broadband Internet access. You'll be glad you did.

Daymon Hoag is the Editor for Cheapest Service and provisioner of Cheapest-Service.com High Speed Internet

Broadband over Power Lines

Hi-Speed Internet Access Through Your Power Plug!

It's called BPL and it's being tested right now. Is it coming soon to a power plug near you?

Imagine this: You plug your BPL modem into any power socket in your home and you're instantly connected to a high speed broadband ISP. Sound too good to be true?

Maybe... maybe not.

BPL does seem to have more than its share of pros and cons.

The Pros

Aside from the fact that nearly every home in the country is connected to the power grid, this exciting new technology offers several other advantages over current broadband Internet service connections.

First is the fact that no professional installation or additional wiring would be needed in your home. True 'plug-and-play' technology.

Another interesting aspect of BPL is that every electric device is connected to the electric distribution network. That means that BPL could let chips in every electric device talk to each other. Much simpler and more cost effective than putting a wireless chip in every appliance.

Imagine the possibilities if your alarm clock, light switch, water heater and coffee maker could talk each other! Or how about this scenario: You unpack and plug in your brand new flat-panel TV and it automatically connects to the cable box, DVD player, your Home Theater system and the Internet.

Even more than the communications aspect, electric utilities are interested in BPL because it could give them an intelligent electric grid that is both more secure and more reliable. That in turn could lead to less pollution and lower electric power costs.

The Cons

The above-ground utility wires that carry BPL signals can also act as antennas and cause radio frequency interference with airplane radios, emergency, military and police radios, HAM radios and short-wave broadcasts. This possible interference is central to the debate over whether or not the FCC should allow BPL to exist.

How Broadband Over Power Lines Works

There are two different technologies under development: Access BPL and In-house BPL.

Access BPL

Access BPL combines the technological principles of radio, wireless networking, and modems. It uses medium voltage power lines carrying about 7,200 volts (the ones that you see at the top of electric utility poles) to carry broadband Internet traffic. It can send data over power lines and into homes at speeds between 500 kilobits and 3 megabits per second which is currently comparable to cable and DSL modem speeds.

But turning the power grid into a stable, high-speed system of data transmission is tricky.

Those medium voltage power lines lines are just one component of a power grid. In addition there are generators, high voltage lines, substations and transformers that help carry electricity from the power plant all the way to your plug. And all of them interfere with data transmission.

So first BPL bypasses high-voltage power lines using either fiber-optic or telephone lines to inject the data into the medium-voltage power grid downstream. However the data can only travel so far before it begins to degrade. So special devices (called repeaters) are installed on the lines to take in the data and amplify it for the next leg of the journey.

There is also no way to run a clean data signal through a transformer. To overcome this, one BPL model uses two other devices, a coupler and a bridge to distribute Internet traffic. These are attached at the power pole and allow the data to bypass the transformer and enter the low voltage lines attached to your home. There are also wireless systems that bypass the low voltage lines altogether.

From there Access BPL uses a special modem that is about the size of a common AC adapter. It simply plugs into a 110 volt wall socket and has an Ethernet cable that connects to your computer (wireless versions are also available). BPL modems use silicon chips specifically designed to send signals over medium voltage power lines and separate data from 110 volt electric current. These are available right now and several electric utility companies in over 26 states are quietly doing pilot programs.

In-house BPL

In-house BPL networks machines within your home or office. In-house BPL products can easily comply with the radiated emissions limits listed in Part 15 of the FCC's Rules, because they connect directly with the low voltage electric lines inside your home or office. This technology has little to do with actually connecting to the Internet and is available in stores right now.

Is BPL coming to your neighborhood soon?

Bottom line... Don't count on it! At least not soon. The radio interference issue is serious enough that at least one utility company was forced to terminate its pilot program prematurely.

Is the idea going to die? Don't count on that either. The concept has enough merits and profit potential that BPL developers and investors alike refuse to give up. And that attitude will most likely persist until the FCC finally says "no way".

Dave Oetter is the managing editor for http://www.CheapandFreeISP.com who have been helping people find the best affordable Internet access and other TelCom products and services since 2001.

Satellite Internet Access - What You Should Know Before You Buy

When it comes to choosing a broadband internet connection, you only have three major options to choose from, cable, DSL, and satellite internet. Of the three, cable and DSL are the fastest, but they are not portable, and they are not available in most rural areas. However, satellite internet service can be had almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere where you have an unobstructed view of the southern sky, and in some cases you can even take it with you as you travel.

So how does satellite internet service work anyway? Well, the internet data is transmitted to a network of satellites that orbit high in our earth's atmosphere. From there it is beamed down to be received by those who have the necessary equipment to be able to decode it and display at on their computers. So in order to receive satellite internet service, you will need to have a satellite dish, and modems for both uploading and downloading data from the satellite, as well as a capable computer system.

Because high speed satellite internet service is not dependent on cables or wires it can be received almost anywhere, and therefore it makes an excellent choice for those who live in rural parts of the country, or those who live in areas where cable and DSL are not available, and who want to take advantage of a high speed broadband internet connection.

Although satellite internet service is much faster then dial-up, in fact almost ten times as fast, it does not approach the ultra-fast speeds of both cable and DSL service. So if cable and DSL are available to you, either one of them may be a better choice for broadband internet access. However, in the absence of either cable or DSL, satellite internet service is much more preferable then dial-up.

Another great advantage of satellite internet service is its portability for people who are always on the go and travel a lot. For instance, many RVers make good use of satellite internet in order to have a high speed web connection pretty much anywhere they go across the country.

There are generally two options for these kind of travelers, either tripod mounted satellite dishes, or vehicle mounted units. Actually, either one can work very well when correctly set up, but the tripod mounted dishes provide much more flexibility for location of the dish, and they also cost quite a bit less than the vehicle mounted units when initially purchased. There are several companies that now have this kind of equipment available for sale, and they can be found very easily by making a search on the internet.

As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why satellite internet access can be a good choice for many consumers, but there are also drawbacks that must be considered as well. Hopefully, the information that we presented in this article can help you make an informed decision before you buy satellite internet services.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including communication. You can find broadband satellite internet services and info on satellite internet speed and more by visiting our communication website.

Freedom And Responsibility On The Internet

As this year draws to a close, it also brings down the curtain on what we could effectively call the first Internet decade. While the Internet has been around for much longer than a decade, in many ways 1995 was the year when many of today's biggest names on the Internet were founded.

What a dynamic 10 years it has been for the Internet, comprising both the flight to stratospheric heights and the crash followed by a more cautious approach to get back on the feet. Thankfully, we seem to be running again...

The Evolution of Internet

Internet, also known as the World Wide Web, did not always exist. This is hard to believe for my 4 year old son. For him, it is natural and simple to play an Internet game, or sit with me to look at pictures of his favourite TV show online. So I decided it would be a good idea to tell him, and many others, a bit about how Internet became what it is today. I will keep it simple, avoiding the usage of technical terms.

Back on 1969, a network called ARPANET was born. This network evolved to be the Internet we know today. ARPANET was created by ARPA, which stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency. ARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense of the United States. At first, ARPANET connected 4 educational institutions. By 1971, it connected 15. This network was not easy to use nor open to the wide public. People who used it (computer experts, scientists, engineers) had to learn a complex system.

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