CompTIA A+ 220-1201 (2.7 - Internet Connection Types)

Satellite networking

• Communication to a satellite

- Non-terrestrial communication

• High cost relative to terrestrial networking

- 100 Mbit/s down, 5 Mbit/s up are common

- Remote sites, difficult-to-network sites

• High latency

- Some systems have 250 ms up, 250 ms down

- Starlink advertises 25 ms to 60 ms

• Not always a perfect option

- Line of sight, rain fade

Fiber

• High speed data communication

- Frequencies of light

• Higher installation cost than copper

- Equipment is more costly

- More difficult to repair

- Communicate over long distances

• Large installation in the WAN core

- Supports very high data rates

- SONET, wavelength division multiplexing

• Fiber is slowly approaching the premises

- Business and home use

Cable

• Broadband

- Transmission across multiple frequencies

- Different traffic types

• Data on the "cable" network

- DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification)

• High-speed networking

- 50 Mbits/s through 1,000+ Mbit/s are common

• Multiple services

- Data, voice, video

DSL

• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

- Uses telephone lines

• Download speed is faster than the upload speed (asymmetric)

- 200 Mbit/s downstream / 20 Mbit/s upstream are common

- ~10,000 foot limitation from the central office (CO)

- Faster speeds may be possible if closer to the CO

Cellular networks

• Mobile devices

- "Cell" phones

• Separate land into "cells"

- Antenna covers a cell with certain frequencies

• Tethering

- Turn your phone into a wireless router

• Mobile hotspot

- Standalone devices

- Use your phone for other things

WISP

• Wireless Internet Service Provider

- Terrestrial Internet access using wireless

• Connect rural or remote locations

- Internet access for everyone

• Many different deployment technologies

- Meshed 802.11

- 5G home Internet

- Proprietary wireless

• Need an outdoor antenna

- Speeds can range from ~ 10 to 1,000 megabits per second