POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service

Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) refers to the standard telephone service that most homes use. POTS
has been available for more than 100 years from analogue telephones prior to the introduction of electronic
telephone exchanges into the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

In contrast, telephone services based on high-speed, digital communications lines, such as ISDN, DSL and
FDDI, are not POTS. The main distinctions between POTS and non-POTS services are speed and
bandwidth. POTS is generally restricted to about 52 Kbps (52,000 bits per second). However, some new
digital line communications such as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and Integrated Services
Digital Network (ISDN) connections provide some part of their channels for "plain old telephone service"
while providing most of their bandwidth for digital data transmission.

ADVANTAGES

 Services

 According to Business Journal, the absence of a landline number can create

a "low rent" image. Many banks and credit card companies require a landline
phone number. Satellite providers require landline numbers to order pay-per-view
entertainment. Some pizza delivery services will not deliver without providing a
landline number.

Quality and Safety

 Traditional landline phones continue to have better coverage and voice

quality, particularly in rural areas. Landline phones also continue to operate
during a blackout or even a short power outage. If a cell phone's battery dies, it
requires electricity to operate. Parents should strongly consider retaining their
landline. Babysitters have no way to call in case of an emergency unless she
carries her own cell phone. In addition, 911 calls cannot be traced back to a cell
phone.
MODEM

A modem (modulator-demodulator) is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to

encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the
transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and
decoded to reproduce the original digital data. Modems can be used over any means of
transmitting analog signals, from driven diodes to radio. The most familiar example is a
voice band modem that turns the digital data of a personal computer into modulated
electrical signals in the voice frequency range of a telephone channel. These signals can
be transmitted over telephone lines and demodulated by another modem at the receiver
side to recover the digital data.Modems are generally classified by the amount of data
they can send in a given time unit, normally measured in bits per second (bit/s, or bps).
They can also be classified by the symbol rate measured in baud, the number of times the
modem changes its signal state per second. For example, the ITU V.21 standard used
audio frequency-shift keying, aka tones, to carry 300 bit/s using 300 baud, whereas the
original ITU V.22 standard allowed 1,200 bit/s with 600 baud using phase shift keying.

ADVANTAGES
Having low cost

DISADVANTAGE
Time consuming

BROADBAND
Broadband is often called "high-speed" access to the Internet, because it usually has a
high rate of data transmission. In general, any connection to the customer of 256 kbit/s
(0.25 Mbit/s) or greater is more concisely considered broadband Internet access. The
International Telecommunication Union Standardization Sector (ITU-T) recommendation
I.113 has defined broadband as a transmission capacity that is faster than primary rate
ISDN, at 1.5 to 2 Mbit/s

The standard broadband technologies in most areas are ADSL and cable internet. Newer
technologies in use include VDSL and pushing optical fiber connections closer to the
subscriber in both telephone and cable plants. Fiber-optic communication, while only
recently being used in fiber to the premises and fiber to the curb schemes, has played a
crucial role in enabling Broadband Internet access by making transmission of information
over larger distances much more cost-effective than copper wire technology. In a few
areas not served by cable or ADSL, community organizations have begun to install Wi-Fi
networks, and in some cities and towns local governments are installing municipal Wi-Fi
networks. As of 2006, broadband mobile Internet access has become available at the
consumer level in some countries, using the HSDPA and EV-DO technologies. The
newest technology being deployed for mobile and stationary broadband access is
WiMAX.
Advantages of Broadband Internet Access:

1. Connection speed is up to 100 times faster than dialup connection. You can download
pictures files, software in seconds or minutes instead of hours. Online gaming is only possible
using a broadband internet access.
2. It does not affect the phone line. For DSL internet access, you can use the same phone line
for both voice/fax and data transmission. For cable internet access, you are connected to the
internet via the cable network. In either case, your phone line is not occupied while you are
connected to the internet.
3. It is convenient because the internet connection is always on.
4. You don't need to dial an access number and risk getting a busy signal.
5. Broadband internet offers unlimited access and you won't be charged based on the
connection duration.
6. Broadband internet not only gives you high speed internet access, it can also provide cheap
phone services via VoIP technology.

Disadvantages of Broadband Internet Access:

1. High monthly fee compared to dialup internet access.

2. Higher security risk than dialup connection. A personal firewall is needed to protect your
computer.
3. Not all phone wires are equipped for DSL service. May not be available in rural or remote
areas.
4. Not all cable TV networks are equipped for cable internet access. May not be available in
rural or remote areas.

ISDN LINES
ISDN, which stands for Integrated Services Digital Network, is a system of digital phone
connections which has been available for over a decade. This system allows voice and
data to be transmitted simultaneously across the world using end-to-end digital
connectivity.
With ISDN, voice and data are carried by bearer channels (B channels) occupying a
bandwidth of 64 kb/s (bits per second). Some switches limit B channels to a capacity of
56 kb/s. A data channel (D channel) handles signaling at 16 kb/s or 64 kb/s, depending on
the service type. Note that, in ISDN terminology, "k" means 1000 (103), not 1024 (210)
as in many computer applications (the designator "K" is sometimes used to represent this
value); therefore, a 64 kb/s channel carries data at a rate of 64000 b/s. A new set of
standard prefixes has recently been created to handle this. Under this scheme, "k" (kilo-)
means 1000 (103), "M" (mega-) means 1000000 (106), and so on, and "Ki" (kibi-) means
1024 (210), "Mi" (mebi-) means 1048576 (220), and so on.
(An alert reader pointed out some inconsistencies in my use of unit terminology
throughout this Tutorial. He also referred me to a definitive web site. As a result, I have
made every effort to both conform to standard terminology, and to use it consistently. I
appreciate helpful user input like this!)
There are two basic types of ISDN service: Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and Primary Rate
Interface (PRI). BRI consists of two 64 kb/s B channels and one 16 kb/s D channel for a
total of 144 kb/s. This basic service is intended to meet the needs of most individual
users.
PRI is intended for users with greater capacity requirements. Typically the channel
structure is 23 B channels plus one 64 kb/s D channel for a total of 1536 kb/s. In Europe,
PRI consists of 30 B channels plus one 64 kb/s D channel for a total of 1984 kb/s. It is
also possible to support multiple PRI lines with one 64 kb/s D channel using Non-Facility
Associated Signaling (NFAS).

Advantages of ISDN lines

Speed Line

Speed is the most obvious advantage of ISDN line, the maximum limit for commonly used dialup
connections is 56 kbps and due to many factors this limit reduce to only 45 kbps. Where as ISDN lines
possess multiple digital channels which operates simultaneously by using same regular one pair copper
wire. If telephone company can provide digital connections then change in speed can occur, this way digital
signals can be transmitted through telephone lines rather than analogue. The digital signals can provide
better transmission rates comparing analogue setup.
Multiple lines for Multiple Devices
If multiple services are required by consumer for example, fax, video conferencing, telephone etc, separate
telephone line will be required for each device, where as ISDN line can handle multiple services at single
line. There are eight channels which can be supported by ISDN lines simultaneously. That means one single
ISDN line can support telephone, video conferencing, fax, credit card machine and other services together
on single line and all these devices can work simultaneously

Connection Time V.34 or V.90 modems usually takes up to 30 to 60 seconds to make connection to the
network where as ISDN lines takes less then 2 seconds to make connection live to be used.

Disadvantages of ISDN lines

There are some disadvantages associated with ISDN lines and they are as follow.

ISDN lines are more expensive when compare to the regular landline telephone system.

• ISDN provider companies and ISDN users are require to have special dedicated line and than can
encore at extra cost.

T LINES
A dedicated phone connection supporting data rates of 1.544Mbits per second. A T-1 line actually consists
of 24 individual channels, each of which supports 64Kbits per second. Each 64Kbit/second channel can be
configured to carry voice or data traffic. Most telephone companies allow you to buy just some of these
individual channels, known as fractional T-1 access.

T-1 lines are a popular leased line option for businesses connecting to the Internet and for Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) connecting to the Internet backbone. The Internet backbone itself consists of faster T-3
connections.

T-1 lines are sometimes referred to as DS1 lines.

DSL TECHNOLOGY
DSL is a family of related technologies that bring high-speed network access to homes and
small businesses over ordinary telephone lines. Enjoy this introduction to the basics of DSL
networking. Following is a description of the different versions of DSL. Note that these
versions are often collectively referred to as xDSL.

• HDSL (High-Speed Digital Subscriber Line) HDSL is the most common

and mature of the DSL services. It delivers data symmetrically at T1 data
rates of 1.544 Mbits/sec over lines that are up to 3.6 kilometers (12,000 feet)
in length. Generally, HDSL is a T1 service that requires no repeaters but does
use two lines. Voice telephone services cannot operate on the same lines. It is
not intended for home users, but instead is intended for the telephone
company's own feeder lines, interexchange connections, Internet servers, and
private data networks.
• SDSL (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line) SDSL is a symmetric
bidirectional DSL service that is basically the same as HDSL, but operates on
one twisted-pair wire. It can provide data rates up to the T1 rate of 1.544
Mbits/sec.
• ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) ADSL is an asymmetric
technology, meaning that the downstream data rate is much higher than the
upstream data rate. As mentioned, this works well for a typical Internet
session in which more information is downloaded from Web servers than is
uploaded. ADSL operates in a frequency range that is above the frequency
range of voice services, so the same wire can carry both analog voice and
digital data transmissions. The upstream rates range from 16 Kbits/sec to as
high as 768 Kbits/sec. The downstream rates and distances are listed here.

Downstream Rate Downstream Distance

1.544 Mbits/sec 5.5 km (18,000 ft.)

2.048 Mbits/sec 4.8 km (16,000 ft.)

6.312 Mbits/sec 3.6 km (12,000 ft.)

8.448 Mbits/sec 2.7 km (9,000 ft.)

• VDSL (Very High-Data-Rate Digital Subscriber Line) VDSL is basically

ADSL at much higher data rates. It is asymmetric and, thus, has a higher
downstream rate than upstream rate. The upstream rates are from 1.5
Mbits/sec to 2.3 Mbits/sec. The downstream rates and distances are listed in
the following table. VDSL is seen as a way to provide very high-speed access
for streaming video, combined data and video, video-conferencing, data
distribution in campus environments, and the support of multiple connections
within apartment buildings.

Downstream Rate Downstream Distance

12.96 Mbits/sec 1.4 km (4,500 ft.)

25.82 Mbits/sec 0.9 km (3,000 ft.)

51.84 Mbits/sec 0.3 km (1,000 ft.)

• RADSL (Rate-Adaptive Digital Subscriber Line) This service is also

similar to ADSL, but it has a rate-adaptive feature that will adjust the
transmission speed to match the quality of the line and the length of the line.
A line-polling technique is used to establish a connection speed when the line
is first established.
• DSL Lite (or G.Lite) DSL Lite is considered a "jump-start" technology that
is meant to deliver DSL to the greatest number of users, as fast as possible.
While it has a lower data rate than other DSLs, it does not require that the
telephone company do anything to the lines. In addition, equipment to handle
DSL Lite is becoming readily available at a low price.

A related technology is VoDSL (Voice Over DSL). This is discussed under the topic
"Voice/Data

DSL's Advantages
 Independent services: Loss of high speed data does not mean you lose your telephone
service. Imagine your telephone, television, and Internet access going out when a cable company
amplifier/repeater dies.

 Security: Unlike cable modems, each subscriber can be configured so that it will not be on the
same network. In some cable modem networks, other computers on the cable modem network
are left visibly vulnerable and are easily susceptible to break ins as well as data destruction.

 Integration: DSL will easily interface with ATM, Nx64, and WAN technology. Telecommuting
may get even easier.

 High bandwidth
 Cheap line charges from the phone company.
 Good for "bursty" traffic patterns
DSL's Disadvantages
 No current standardization: A person moving from one area to another might find that their
DSL modem is just another paperweight. Customers may have to buy new equipment to simply
change ISPs. Expect standardization within 1-2 years. Currently in U.S. West territory the version
of DSL being implemented is RADSL or Rate Adaptive DSL.

 Expensive: Most customers are not willing to spend more than $20 to $25 per month for
Internet access. Current installation costs, including the modem, can be as high as $750. Prices
should come down within 1-3 years. As with all computer technology, being first usually means an
emptier wallet.

 Distance dependence: The farther you live from the DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer), the
lower the data rate. The longest run lengths are 18,000 feet, or a little over 3 miles.

 Access: Once again, rural areas get shorted. These markets are not as profitable for the
Telco.

 Asymmetry. Downstream/Upstream ratios may be unacceptably high (3 or more). There is

nothing new here, as X.90 (56kbs) and cable modems also suffer in this area. Expect this to
improve within 2-3 years.

Networks."

DIGITAL PONE LINES

The newer of the two, digital technology breaks your voice (or television) signal into
binary code—a series of 1s and 0s—transfers it to the other end where another
device (phone, modem or TV) takes all the numbers and reassembles them into the
original signal. The beauty of digital is that it knows what it should be when it
reaches the end of the transmission. That way, it can correct any errors that may
have occurred in the data transfer. What does all that mean to you? Clarity. In most
cases, you'll get distortion-free conversations and clearer TV pictures.

You'll get more, too. The nature of digital technology allows it to cram lots of those
1s and 0s together into the same space an analog signal uses. Like your button-rich
phone at work or your 200-plus digital cable service, that means more features can
be crammed into the digital signal.

Compare your simple home phone with the one you may have at the office. At home
you have mute, redial, and maybe a few speed-dial buttons. Your phone at work is
loaded with function keys, call transfer buttons, and even voice mail. Now, before
audiophiles start yelling at me through their PC screens, yes, analog can deliver
better sound quality than digital…for now. Digital offers better clarity, but analog
gives you richer quality.

But like any new technology, digital has a few shortcomings. Since devices are
constantly translating, coding, and reassembling your voice, you won't get the same
rich sound quality as you do with analog. And for now, digital is still relatively
expensive. But slowly, digital—like the VCR or the CD—is coming down in cost and
coming out in everything from cell phones to satellite dishes.

When you're shopping in the telecom world, you often see products touted as "all
digital." Or warnings such as "analog lines only." What does it mean? The basic
analog and digital technologies vary a bit in definition depending on how they're
implemented

CABLE MODEM CONNECTION

A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data
communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable
modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable
Internet, taking advantage of the high bandwidth of a HFC and RFoG network. They are
commonly deployed in Australia, Europe, Asia and Americas.

- A cable modem is a device that enables you to hook up your PC to a local cable
TV line and receive data at about 1.5 Mbps. This data rate far exceeds that of the
prevalent 28.8 and 56 Kbps telephone modems and the up to 128 Kbps of Integrated
Services Digital Network (ISDN) and is about the data rate available to subscribers of
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) telephone service. A cable modem can be added to or
integrated with a set-top box that provides your TV set with channels for Internet access.
In most cases, cable modems are furnished as part of the cable access service and are not
purchased directly and installed by the subscriber.

A cable modem has two connections: one to the cable wall outlet and the other to a PC or
to a set-top box for a TV set. Although a cable modem does modulation between analog
and digital signals, it is a much more complex device than a telephone modem. It can be
an external device or it can be integrated within a computer or set-top box. Typically, the
cable modem attaches to a standard 10BASE-T Ethernet card in the computer.

ADVANTAGES

 Speed and Location

 Cable data transmission speed is less dependent on the distance between

the home cable connection and the location of the ISP when compared to DSL
service. DSL customers who live far from a telephone hub have slower service
than those living closer.
No Phone Line Required

 A telephone line is not necessary for cable service, an advantage for an

increasing number of people choosing to have a cell phone as their only
telephone. Many cable providers also offer Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
telephone service, allowing customers to make telephone calls over the Internet.
This service is usually much cheaper than regular telephone service.

Reliable Service

 Cable connections do not have the service drop-outs associated with wireless
or satellite connections. Satellite service can be disrupted during bad weather or
sunspot activity, and wireless service is affected by microwave ovens, cordless
phones and other electronic equipment.

DIS ADVANTAGES

Price

 Cable connections are typically more expensive than DSL. As of 2009, DSL
pricing for regular service was generally about half that of cable Internet. Cable
Internet usually requires subscribing to cable television service, an additional
expense for people not interested in cable TV.

 Availability

 Cable is usually not available in rural areas and often is not available even a
short distance from city limits, because of the high cost to the provider of
installing cable lines. Low-population areas may not be seen as cost-effective for
recouping the cost of the infrastructure.

Security Issues

 Cable connections are less secure than DSL because each subscriber shares
cable lines with other people in the immediate area. A tech-savvy user can
access neighbors' computers unless they have firewall software installed

WIRELESS NETWORK
The wireless communication revolution is bringing fundamental changes to data networking,
telecommunication, and is making integrated networks a reality. By freeing the user from the cord, personal
communications networks, wireless LAN's, mobile radio networks and cellular systems, harbor the promise
of fully distributed mobile computing and communications, any time, anywhere.
Focusing on the networking and user aspects of the field, Wireless Networks provides a global forum for
archival value contributions documenting these fast growing areas of interest. The journal publishes refereed
articles dealing with research, experience and management issues of wireless networks. Its aim is to allow
the reader to benefit from experience, problems and solutions described

ADVANTAGES
Convenience

Wireless Networks can help make connecting to the internet much more
convenient. You don't need an ethernet connection so you can connect
anywhere with a strong enough signal and a wireless network that is publicly
accessible without a password.

Devices

Many different devices can be used over a wireless network. These include
laptop computers, Cellular phones, Blackberry devices, and handheld computers.

Speed

Wireless networks are less reliable with connection speeds than connections
using an ethernet cable. This is due to the risk of dead spots where the signal
is either weak or non existant. Weather, and signal interference also play a
role in weakening a connection.

DIS ADVANTAGES
Limitations

1: When accessing websites using a wireless connection with a cellphone,

many websites give you a version of their standard website with less
functionality. You will only have access to portions of these websites, with
Espn.com and Weather.com being two specific examples.

Security

2: When using wireless networks, security is an issue. Make sure it is a

password protected network if you are surfing the internet and entering
information. personal
 ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a cell-based switching technique that uses
asynchronous time-division multiplexing.[1][2] It encodes data into small fixed-sized cells
(cell relay) and provides data link layer services that run over OSI Layer 1 physical links.
This differs from other technologies based on packet-switched networks (such as the
Internet Protocol or Ethernet), in which variable sized packets (known as frames when
small packet switched networking, making it suitable for wide area data networking as
well as real-time media transport.[3] ATM uses a connection-oriented model and
establishes a virtual circuit between two endpoints before the actual data exchange
begins.[4] ATM is a core protocol used over the SONET/SDH backbone of the Integrated
Services Digital Network.referencing Layer 2) are used. ATM exposes properties from
both circuit switched and

ATM Advantages
• ATM supports voice, video and data allowing multimedia and mixed
services over a
• single network.
• High evolution potential, works with existing, legacy technologies
• Provides the best multiple service support
• Supports delay close to that of dedicated services
• Supports the broadest range of burstiness, delay tolerance and loss
performance through the implementation of multiple QoS classes
• Provides the capability to support both connection-oriented and
connectionless traffic using AALs
• Able to use all common physical transmission paths like SONET.
• Cable can be twisted-pair, coaxial or fiber-optic
• Ability to connect LAN to WAN
• Legacy LAN emulation
• Efficient bandwidth use by statistical multiplexing

ATM disadvantages
• Flexible to efficiency’s expense, at present, for any one application it is
usually possible to find a more optimized technology
• Cost, although it will decrease with time
• New customer premises hardware and software are required
Competition from other technologies -100 Mbps FDDI, 100 Mbps Ethernet
and fast Ethernet
• Presently the applications that can benefit from ATM such as multimedia
are rare
The wait, with all the promise of ATM’s capabilities many details are still in
the standards process