OVERVIEW OF EMERGING TRENDS IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

I. DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION

The word distributed in terms such as “distributed system”, “distributed programming”

and “distributed algorithm” originally referred to computer networks where individual computers
were physically distributed within some geographical area. The terms are nowadays used in a much
wider sense, even referring to autonomous process that run on the same physical computer and
interact with each other by message passing. While there is no single definition of a distributed
system, the following defining properties are commonly used:

 There are several autonomous computational ethics, each of which has its own local
memory.
 The entities communicate with each other by message passing.

*In this article, the computational entities are called computer or nodes.

A distributed system may have a common goal, such as solving a large computational
problem. Alternatively, each computer may have its own user with individual needs, and the
purpose of the distributed system is to coordinate the use of shared resources or provide
communication services to the users.

Other typical properties of distributed systems include the following:

 The system has to tolerate failures in individual computers.

 The structure of the system (network topology, network latency, number of computers) is
not known in advance, the system may consist of different kinds of computers and network
links, and the system may change during the execution of a distributed program.
 Each computer has only a limited, incomplete view of the system. Each computer may
know only one part of the input.

HISTORY

The use of concurrent processes that communicate by message-passing has its roots in
operating system architectures studied in the 1960s. The first widespread distributed systems were
local-area networks such as Ethernet, which was invented in the 1970s.

ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet, was introduced in the late 1960s and
ARPANET e-mail was invented in the early 1970s. E-mail became the most successful application
of ARPANET and it is probably the earliest example of a large-scale distributed application. In
addition to ARPANET, and its successor, the Internet, other early worldwide computer networks
included Usenet and FidoNet from the 1980s, both of which were used to support distributed
discussion systems.
 The study of distributed computing became its own branch of computer science in the late
1970s and early 1980s. The first conference in the field, Symposium on Principles of Distributed
Computing (PODC), dates back to 1982 and its European counterpart International Symposium
on Distributed Computing (DISC) was first held in 1985.

DEFINITION

Distributed computing is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A

distributed system is a model in which components located on networked computers
communicate and coordinate their actions by messages. The components interact with each other
in order to achieve a common goal. Three significant characteristics of distributed systems are:
concurrency of components, lack of a global clock, and independent failure of components.
Examples of distributed systems vary from SOA-based systems to massively multiplier online
games to peer-to-peer applications.

Advantages of Distributed Operating Systems

 Give more performance than single system

 If one computer in distributed system malfunction or corrupts then other node or computer
will take care of
 More resources can be added easily
 Resources like printers can be shared on multiple computers

Disadvantages of Distributed Operating Systems

 Security problem due to sharing

 Some messages can be lost in the network system
 Bandwidth is another problem if there is large data then all network wires to be replaced
which tends to become expensive
 Overloading is another problem in distributed operating systems
 If there is a database connected on local system and many users accessing that database
through remote or distributed way, then performance become slow
 The databases in network operating is difficult to administrate than single user system

Examples of Distributed Operating Systems:

 Windows Server 2003

 Windows Server 2008
 Windows Server 2012
 Ubuntu
 Linux (Apache Server)
FOUR IMPORTANT GOALS

1. Connecting Users and Resources

 The main goal of a distributed system is to make it easy for users to access remote
resources and to share them with others in a controlled way.
 It is cheaper to let a printer be shared by several users than buying and maintaining
printers for each user.
 Collaborating and exchanging information can be made easier by connecting users
and resources.
2. Openness
 Openness is an important goal of distributed system in which it offers services
according to standard rules that describe the syntax and semantics of those services.
 Open distributed system must be flexible making it easy to configure and add new
components without affecting existing components.
 An open distributed system must also be extensible.
3. Scalable
 Scalability is one of the most important goals which are measured along three
different dimensions:
a. A system can be scalable with respect to its size which can add more user
and resources to a system.
b. Users and resources can be geographically apart.
c. It is possible to manage even if many administrative organizations are
spanned.
4. Transparency
 It is important for a distributed system to hide the location of its process and
resource. A distributed system that can portray itself as a single system is said to be
transparent.
 The various transparencies need to be considered are access, location, migration,
relocation, replication, concurrency, failure and persistence.
 Aiming for distributed transparency should be considered along with performance
issues.

FIVE MODELS OF DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM

1. Minicomputer Model

The minicomputer model is a simple extension of the centralized time-sharing system. A

distributed computing system based on this model consists of a few minicomputers (they may be
large supercomputers as well) interconnected by a communication network. Each minicomputer
usually has multiple users simultaneously.
 2. Workstation Model
A distributed computing system based on the workstation model consists of several
workstations interconnected by a communication network.
3. Workstation – Server Model

A distributed computing system based on the workstation – server model consists of a few
minicomputers and several workstations (most of which are diskless, but a few of which may be
diskful) interconnected by a communication network.

4. Processor – Pool Model

The processor – pool model is based on the observation that most of the time a user does
not need any computing power but once in a while the user may need a very large amount of
computing power for a short time.
5. Hybrid Model

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES:

1. Client Server

Architectures where smart clients contact the server for data then format and display it to
the users. Input at the client is committed back to the server when it represents a permanent change.

2. Peer – to – peer

Architectures where there are no special machines that provide a service or manage the
network resources. Instead all responsibilities are uniformly divided among all machines, known
as peers. Peers can serve both as clients and as servers.

3. Web Proxy Server

A proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application) that acts as an

intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to
the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource
available from a different server and the proxy server evaluates the request as a way to simplify
and control its complexity.

4. Web Based Applet

Applets are used to provide interactive features to web applications that cannot be provided
by HTML alone. They can capture mouse input and also have controls like buttons or check. In
response to the user action an applet can change the provided graphic content.

MIDDLEWARE

 Software that provides services beyond those provided by the operating system to enable
the various components of a distributed system to communicate and manage data.
  Supports and simplifies complex distributed applications. It includes web servers,
application servers, messaging and similar tools that support application development and
delivery.

Types of Middleware

1. Message – Oriented Middleware (MOM)

It is a middleware where transactions or event notifications are delivered between disparate

systems or components by way of messages, often via an enterprise messaging system. With
MOM, messages sent to the client are collected and stored until they are acted upon, while the
client continues with other processing.

2. Content – Centric Middleware

Offers a simple provider – consumer abstraction through which applications can issue
requests for uniquely identified content, without worrying about where or how it is obtained. Juno
is one example, which allows applications to generate content requests associated with high-level
delivery requirements.

3. Intelligent Middleware (IMW)

Provides real-time intelligence and event management through intelligent agents.

DISTRIBUTED DATABASE

A database in which storage devices are not all attached to a common processing unit such
as the CPU and which is controlled by a distributed database management system.

Types of Distributed Database

1. Homogeneous Distributed Database

It has identical software and hardware running all databases instances and may appear
through a single interface as if it were a single database.
2. Heterogeneous Distributed Database

It may have different hardware, operating systems, database management systems and even
data models for different databases.

NETWORK MANAGEMENT

 The process of administering and managing the computer networks of one or many
organizations.
 Software that enables network managers to perform their functions is called network
management software.
NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Software that is used to provision, discover, monitor and maintain computer networks.

Purpose: to help reduce the burden of managing the growing complexity of computer networks

Functions:

1. Provisioning. This function enables network managers to provision new network

devices in an environment.
2. Mapping or Discovery. This function enables the software to discover the features of a
target network.
3. Monitoring. This function enables the network management software to monitor the
network for problems and to suggest improvements.

NETWORK CONTROL SYSTEM

It is a control system wherein the control loops are closed through a communication
network.

Types of Communication Networks:

1. Fieldbus is the name of a family of industrial computer network protocols used for
real-time distributed control.
2. Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies commonly use in local area
networks (LANs) and metropolitan area networks (MANs).
3. Wireless Networks, e.g. Bluetooth or ZigBee

II. NETWORKING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

NETWORKING

The interconnection of two or more networks in different places, as in working at home

with a link to a central computer in an office.

Network

A system of computers that are joined together so that they can communicate by
exchanging information and sharing resources.

Network Management System

A network management system (NMS) is a set of hardware and/or software tools that allow
an IT professional to supervise the individual components of a network within a larger network
management framework.
Network Design

Network Design refers to the planning of the implementation of a computer network

infrastructure. It is generally performed by network designers, engineers, IT administrators and
other related staff. It is done before the implementation of a network infrastructure.

Network design involves evaluating, understanding and scoping the network to be

implemented. The whole network design is usually represented as a network diagram that serves
as the blueprint for implementing the network physically.

Network Protocols

Network protocol is a set of rules that governs the communication between computers on
a network. Rules of network protocol include guidelines that regulate the following characteristics
of a network: access method, allowed physical topologies, types of cabling and speed of data
transfer.

Types of Network Protocol

1. Ethernet – the Ethernet protocol is by far the most widely used one. Ethernet uses an
access method called CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Detection).
This is a system where each computer listens to the cable before sending anything through
the network.
2. Fast Ethernet – to allow for an increased speed of transmission, the Ethernet protocol has
developed a new standard that supports 100 Mpbs. Fast Ethernet requires the application
of different, more expensive network concentrators/hubs and network interface cards. In
addition, category 5 twisted pair or fiber optic cable is necessary. Fast Ethernet is becoming
common in schools that have been recently wired.
3. Local Talk – it is a network protocol that was developed by Apple Computer, Inc. for
Macintosh computers. The method used by Local Talk is called CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense
Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance). It is similar to CSMA/CD except that a
computer signals its intent to transmit before it actually does so. Local Talk adapters and
special twisted pair cable can be used to connect a series of computers through the serial
port.
4. Token Ring – the token ring protocol was developed by IBM in the mid-1980s. The access
method used involves token-passing. In Token Ring, the computers are connected so that
the signal travels around the network from one computer to another in a logical ring.
5. FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) – is a network protocol that is used primarily to
interconnected two or more local area networks, often over large distances. The access
method used by FDDI involves token-passing. FDDI uses a dual ring physical topology.
Transmission normally occurs on one of the rings; however, if a break occurs, the system
keeps information moving by automatically using portions of the second ring to create a
 new complete ring. A major advantage of FDDI is high speed. It operates over fiber optic
cable at 100 Mbps.
6. ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) – is a network protocol that transmit data at a speed
of 155 Mbps and higher. ATM works by transmitting all data in small packets of a fixed
size; whereas, other protocols transfer variable length packets. ATM supports a variety of
media such as video, CD-quality audio, and imaging. ATM employs a star topology, which
can work with fiber optic as well as twisted pair cable.
7. Gigabit Ethernet – the latest development in the Ethernet standard is a protocol that has a
transmission speed of 1 Gbps. Gigabit Ethernet is primarily used for backbones on a
network at this time. in the future, it will probably also be used for workstation and server
connections. It can be used with both fiber optic cabling and copper. The 1000BaseTX, the
copper cable used for Gigabit Ethernet, became the formal standard in 1999.

Types of Network

1. LAN – Local Area Network – connects network devices over relatively short distance.
2. WAN – Wide Area Network – spans a large physical distance.
3. WLAN – Wireless Local Area Network
4. MAN – Metropolitan Area Network
5. SAN – Storage Area Network, System Area Network, Server Area Network, or sometimes
Small Area Network
6. CAN – Campus Area Network, Controller Area Network, or sometimes Cluster Area
Network
7. PAN – Personal Area Network

Other Types of Area Networks

1. WLAN – a LAN based n Wi-Fi wireless network technology

2. MAN – a network spanning a physical area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN,
such as a city. A MAN is typically owned and operated by a single entity such as a
government body or large corporation.
3. Campus Area Network – a network spanning multiple LANs but smaller than a MAN,
such as on a university or local business campus.
4. Storage Area Network – connects servers to data storage devices through a technology
like Fibre Channel.
5. System Area Network (also known as Cluster Area Network) – links high-performance
computers with high-speed connections in a cluster configuration.

Home Networking

A home network or home area network (HAN) is a type of computer network that facilitates
communication among devices within the close vicinity of a home. Devices capable of
participating in this network, for example, smart devices such as network printers and handled
mobile computers, often gain enhanced emergent capabilities through their ability to interact.
These additional capabilities can be used to increase the quality of life inside the home in a variety
of ways, such as automation of repetitious tasks, increased personal productivity, enhanced home
security, and easier access to entertainment.

Business Networking

A business network is a type of business social network which is developed to help business
people connect with other managers and entrepreneurs to further each other’s business interests by
forming mutually beneficial business relationships. There are several prominent business
networking organizations that create models of business networking activity that, when followed,
allow the business person to build new business relationships and generate business opportunities
at the same time. A professional network service is an implementation of information technology
in support of business networking. Chambers of Commerce and other business – oriented groups
may also organize networking activities.

Wireless Networking

A wireless network is any type of computer network that uses wireless data connections
for connecting network nodes. Wireless networking is a method by which homes,
telecommunications networks and enterprise (business) installations avoid the costly process of
introducing cables into a building, or as a connection between various equipment locations.
Wireless telecommunications networks are generally implemented and administered using radio
communication. This implementation takes place at the physical level (layer) of the OSI model
network structure.

TELECOMMUNICATION

 It was adapted from the Spanish word Telecom. It is a compound of the Greek prefix tele,
meaning “far off”, and the Latin communicare, meaning “to share”.
 It is the transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the
user’s choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and
received. It is the exchange of information over significant distances by electronic means.
The information may be in the form of voice telephone calls, data, text, images or video.

Roles of Telecommunication

1. Transmit Data

Perhaps the most important role of telecommunication is fulfilling its most basic
purpose of transmitting data. The technology includes telephony and video conferencing,
facsimile, broadcast and interactive television, instant messaging, email and distributed
electronic collaboration.
 2. Improve Efficiency and Productivity
Telecommunication has radicalized the phrase “do more with less”. It essentially
reduces the costs of all transactions. For example, your customers can use the phone or the
internet to make and cancel orders without an employee being onvolved.
3. Reach More Customers
Arguably the greatest contribution of telecommunications technology is its
empowering firms to reach more customers with fewer resources and manpower. Online
credit card processing and phone payment, virtual meetings, queued customer service lines,
remote monitoring, even basic home and network security monitoring and the like are
examples of how your firm can service more clients.

Telecommunication Links

It is a communication channel that connects two or more communicating devices.

Telecommunication links may be implemented with various communication media. Six potential
media are employed to implement telecommunication links.

1. Twisted Pair – a communication medium consisting of a pair of wires.

2. Coaxial Cable – a communication medium that consists of a relatively thick central
conductor shielded by several layers of insulation and the second conductor just under the
cable’s shell.
3. Fiber Optics Cable – high-capacity communication medium that consists of many strands
of pure glass with a data carrying core in the middle, surrounded by a reflective coating
and a protective sheath.
4. Terrestrial Microwave – long-distance telecommunication by means of microwave
signals travelling on the surface of the earth.
5. Satellite Transmission – form of microwave transmission in which the signal is
transmitted by an earth station to a satellite which rebroadcasts the signal to the receiving
station.
6. Radio Transmission – wireless communication technology that transmits voice or data
over the air using a lower frequency band that microwaves.

Telecommunication Links being used includes:

1. Electronic Commerce (E – Commerce)

It is a type of industry where buying and selling of product or service is conducted
over electronic systems such as the internet and other computer networks.
2. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
It is a document standard which when implemented acts as common interface
between two or more computer applications in terms of understanding the
 document transmitted. It is commonly used by big companies for e-commerce
purposes, such as sending orders to warehouses or tracking their order.
3. Business-to-Business Commerce (B2B)
It describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a
manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer.
4. Database Management System (DBMS)
A collection of programs that enables you to store, modify, and extract information
from a database.
5. End-User Computing (EUC)
It refers to systems in which non-programmers can create working applications.
EUC is a group of approaches to computing that aim at better integrating end users
into the computing environment.
6. Computer Bureau Service (CBS)
A company or an organization that offers data processing and online services to its
customers at a fee. The fee is charged for data storage and time spent on processing
the data.
7. Internet, Intranet, Extranet
Internet – set of linked networks throughout the world that facilitates inexpensive
communication and information transfer among computers.
Intranet – a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to share
information, operational systems, or computing services within an organization.
Extranet – is a computer network which allows controlled access from the outside,
for specific business of educational purposes.

Forms of Modern Telecommunications

1. Electronic Mail (E-mail)

It is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more
recipients. Modern email operates across the internet or other computer networks.
2. Voice Mail

It is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange

personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process
transactions relating to individuals, organizations products and services, using an
ordinary telephone.

3. Teleconference
Teleconference, also known as teleseminar, is the live exchange and mass
articulation of information among several persons and machines remote from one
another but linked by a telecommunications system.
4. Videoconferencing
 It is the conduct of a videoconference by a set of telecommunication technologies
which allow two or more locations to communicate by simultaneous two-way video
and audio transmissions. It has also been called ‘visual collaboration’ and is a type
of groupware.
5. Facsimile
From the Latin fac simile which means “make alike”. It is a copy or reproduction
of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is
as true to the original source as possible.
6. Electronic Bulletin Board
A computer that is running software that allows users to leave messages and access
information of general interest.

III. THE INTERNET

 It is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the internet
protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link billions of devices worldwide.
 It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic,
business and government networks of local to global scope, linked by a broad
array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies.
 It carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the
inter-lined hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web
(WWW), electronic mail, newsgroups, voice over IP telephony, and peer-to-
peer networks for file sharing.

History

1957 The US Department of Defense formed a small agency called ARPA (Advanced
Research Projects Agency)

1966 The first ARPANET plan is unveiled. Packet switching technology is getting off
the ground, the small university networks are beginning to be developed.

1969 ARPANET was created by the ARPA of the US Department of Defense. He

network was used data packets and peer-to-peer routing so that even if one
computer stops functioning, the message will still be receiving thru other routes in
the network.

1970 Universities began using the Internet Protocol to connect to the ARPANET to
access the Pentagon’s Computers. Although Pentagon’s computer access is
restricted, universities’ computers can communicate freely. Because the IP
software was a public-domain, joining the network became simple. This led to the
growth of the network.
1983 The military segment broke off and became MILNET.

1986 The National Science Foundation (NSF) began the NSFNET, a backbone that
connected the nations’ five supercomputer centers at high-speed. NSF upgraded the
network repeatedly, setting a blistering pace for commercial entities from using the
backbone.

1994 The NSFNET was carrying 10 trillion bytes of Internet traffic per month.

1995 NSFNET reverted to a research network, the US internet backbone traffic is now
routed through interconnected network providers.

1998 – Present The internet continues to experience staggering growth. More people use the
internet to get connected to others, find information, conduct business and share
information than ever before history.

Services of Internet

1. Electronic Mail
The transmission of messages over communication networks.
Example: Google mail, yahoo mail
2. Listserv or Mailing List
It works by subscribing to the list then you will receive a copy of e-mail from
anyone who sends e-mail to the Listserv. At the same time, if you send an e-mail
to the listserv, everyone on the list will have a copy of your message.
It is a simple way for a group of people to communicate with one another through
e-mail.
3. Usenet
An electronic bulletin board service consisting of Newsgroups, newsfeeds, and
newsreaders.

Newsgroup Clients – are programs that let you read and participate in a Newsgroup. It is called
Newsgroup Reader.

4. Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

This service, you can chat with other internet users all over the world in real-time.
IRC client – there are several IRC clients that support in the internet. EFnet,
Undernet, IRC net, Dalnet and IRCHighway are some of the popular networks in
the internet. In order to connect to this server, you need IRC Client.
5. File Transfer Protocol
It is used for transferring large files through the internet. You can connect to an
FTP server by using an FTP Client.

FTP Clients are needed in order to connect and download from the FTP servers.
 6. Telnet

Used for remotely accessing computers over the internet. You can log on to a
remote computer and issue commands available like you are in front of the actual
computer.

Telnet Clients are used to connect servers offering Telnet access. Since Telnet requires that you
are connected to the server at all times, communication is done through a command line.

7. Gopher
A system developed whereby many types of information could be displayed and
accessed in a simple menu-based structure.
8. World Wide Web (WWW)
A network hypertext system that allows documents to be shared over the internet.
It interconnects millions of documents.
It relies in 3 mechanisms:
a. A uniform naming scheme for locating resources on the Web (e.g., URLs)
b. Protocol, for access to names resources over the Web. (e.g., HTTP)
c. Hypertext, for easy navigation among resources (e.g., HTML)

Browser – a software program that requests, interprets and presents worldwide web documents.
Its two main jobs are: 1) Retrieving documents from the web and 2) formatting them for your own
system.

Hypertext – a text has been linked to other documents.

Advantages

1. Unlimited Communication
The Internet has made it easy for people to communicate with others because it is
cheap and convenient. The only costs incurred are those paid to the internet service
provider. The Internet acts as common global platform where people explore
ideologies and cultures without limitation.
2. Abundant Information and Resources
The internet is basically a globally accessible repository of knowledge and the best
part is everyone gets to chip in. you can also get the latest news, breakthroughs in
all fields including medicine and even research publications at the click of a button.
3. Easy Sharing
You can use social media sites such as Facebook or an IM app. They will all get
the news at the same time. you can also share music, videos and any other file.
4. Online Services and E-commerce
 Today it is possible to carry out financial transactions online. You can transfer
funds, pay taxes and utility bills or book movie tickets over the Internet in the
comfort of your office or home. The growth of e-commerce has made it possible
for people to shop for most things online.
5. Entertainment
This is one of the major reasons why many people enjoy surfing the Internet. You
can watch movies, listen to music, read your favorite celebrity gossip columns and
play games over the Internet.

Disadvantages

1. Theft of Personal Information

The use of Internet for banking, social networking, or other services, often makes
our personal information vulnerable to theft.
2. Spamming
It refers to sending unwanted e-mails, which serves no purpose and needlessly
obstruct the computer system.
3. Malware Threats
One of the most annoying problems with the internet is the ease with which any
malware can infect our computers. The internet users are often plagued by virus
attacks that harm their computers and important files.
4. Age-Inappropriate Content
Pornography and age-inappropriate content is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of
the internet. The worst being underage porn, which is largely rampant in the deeper
parts of the web.
5. Social Isolation, Obesity and Depression
The biggest problem with having the internet is its ability to create rifts between
the real and virtual world. The virtual world can often seem so alluring that once
hooked, going back to real life seems daunting.

Internet Service Provider

It is our gateway to the internet. It provides us with internet services to link you to the
internet. Most users subscribe to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for their dial-up access.

Connection Options:

 Modem
 ISDN
 Cable Modem
 T1 Line or T3 Line
ISP Connection Types

1. Modems
 An electronic device that converts digital signals into analogue.
 The speed of current modem is measured in kilobits per second (kbps)

Types

 Internal Modem – is in form like a sound card. They are inserted in one of the motherboard
slots.
 External Modem – is plugged in a COM port or by USB Cable.

2. Cable Modem
 It is hooked to computers not through phone line but through coaxial television
cable.
 It is very fast which are great for network gaming over the internet.
3. DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
 In a DSL connection, you are using a 2-way phone line to connect to the internet,
without disturbing your phone.
 It is the most common form of home internet connection today, and is also very
popular for small businesses.

Types:

1. ADSL (Asymmetric DSL)

 Its distinguishing characteristic is that the upload and download
speeds are different. Usually the download speed is faster than your
upload speed and this is because the typical user will be
downloading things more often than uploading things.
2. SDSL (Symmetric DSL)
 Its distinguishing characteristic is that the upload and download
speeds are the same.
4. Tier 1 or T1
It is a digital line that is usually private and used for businesses. The businesses that
use T1 tend to have more control over their line than other options. It also is
considered more reliable. Its speeds are roughly the same or lower than Cable and
DSL, reaching up to 1.5Mbitsps upload and download. This upload/download isn’t
amazing, however T1 lines do well for smaller businesses.
5. Tier 3
It is a bigger, faster, more expensive version of T1. It can get up to 44Mbitps upload
and download speeds. It is great for medium/large businesses, as it provides a good
 deal of bandwidth. T2, T4, T5 all exist as well, with the higher numbers being faster,
however T1 and T3 are the more common ones.
6. Fiber Optics
Optical or fiber optic internet is the upcoming replacement for DSL and Cable. It
is already used in some T1 and T3 lines; however, it is rare to be seen in houses
right now. It has a very high max speed, and the speed can be continually upgraded
as time brings better technology without having to change the physical cable.
7. Satellite
It is good for people who travel a lot or live in a very isolated location who are
unable to get any of the other “normal” connection types.
The most expensive type of internet and it isn’t too fast. However, you pay for the
convenience and it brings you a lot of it.
8. Wireless
Wireless internet is like satellite, however instead of using a satellite orbiting the
earth, you are using cellphone towers to connect to the internet.
It is still slower and more expensive than DSL and Cable.
Wireless is often the best options in rural and remote locations for the simple reason
that it is often one of the only options.