LESSON 4 SERVICES AND CONNECTIONS part VII

4.2.2 Plain Old Telephone Service
POTS, or plain old telephone service, is still the most widely used method of accessing the
Internet. Its primary disadvantage is its low speed, but in many cases this is made up for by its
wide availability. Most national Internet service providers have a large number of local access
numbers, and almost everyone still has a phone with a land line. In theory, if you had an
acoustic modem and a pocket full of change, you could connect from almost any public
pay phone. Not that you would really want to do that.
POTS is slow. The fastest telephone modems are rated at a speed of 56,600 baud. That,
however, as they explain in the small print, is a lie. Power constraints limit the actual download
speed to about 53,000 baud and the effective rate is usually much lower. This doesn't
compare very well with DSL or cable modems.
That said, telephone service is widely available, and POTS based ISPs are relatively cheap
(and sometimes free). You wouldn't want to trade pirated movies over POTS, because it's
immoral, illegal and ties up your phone line all night and maybe into the afternoon, but you
could certainly send friendly, text based e-mails to Granny. And if you used telnet, you could
even do it with a dusty DOS based machine that you pulled out of the basement.

 

4.2.2 简易老式电话服务

POTs 或者简易老式电话服务，是连接因特网最广泛使用的方法。主要的缺点是速度太慢，但在多数情况下

因为广泛实用性而被使用。大多数国内互联网服务提供商拥有大量的本地接入号码，几乎每个人都有带路线

的电话。理论上，如果你有一个声响调制解调器和满袋子的零用钱，你可以从几乎任何公用电话上接入网络。

你可能真的想做这件事。

POTs速度慢。速度最快的电话调制解调器速度为56600波特。但是，和他们解释这是局部速度一样，是假的。

功率束缚限制了真实的下载速度，为53000波特，有效的速率通常更低。这和DSL或者电缆调制解调器不能比较。

也就是说，电话服务更实用，基于ISPs的POTS相对便宜（有时候免费）。你不会希望通过POTS交易私人电影，

因为很邪恶，非法并且占用电话线一整晚甚至到第二天的下午，但是你可以给外婆发文本格式的电子邮件。如果

你使用了远程登录，你可以通过一台从地下室里拖出来落满灰尘的DOS系统电脑做到这些。

 

4.2.3 DSL
DSL or digital subscriber line, is a method of sending large amounts of information over the
wires that already exist for the POTS. Its main advantage over POTS is that it is much faster
than analog modems, and it provides a permanent connection. In addition, it allows you to
make and receive regular telephone calls while you are connected to the Internet. Its main

disadvantage is that its availability is limited by your proximity to the telephone company's
switching equipment – if you live too far down the line; you're out of luck.
Exercises:
Using a web search engine, find two companies that supply DSL access. What other services
do these companies provide (telephone service, tv service . . . )?

 

4.2.3 DSL

DSL，又称数字专用线，是通过为POTS而存在的线来传递大量信息的方法。和POTS相比较最大的优势是速度更快，

同时提供固定连接。另外，它允许你在联网时接听和拨打电话。最主要的缺点是它的有效性和你离电话公司交换开关

地址的远近有关—如果你离得太远，那么就没那么好运了。

练习：

使用一个网站搜索引擎，找出提供DSL服务的公司。这些公司还提供哪些其他的业务（电话业务，电视业务。。。）？

 

4.2.4 Cable Modems
Cable modems do not use the traditional telephone lines to connect to the Internet. Instead
they make use of the optical fiber lines that are used by cable companies to transmit digital
cable signals. Like DSL, cable modems allow you to make and receive regular telephone calls
while you are connected to the Internet, and they provide a permanent connection, but
cable modems are generally faster than DSL.
Cable modems have two basic flaws. The first is that cable modem access is a shared
resource, so your connection speeds will be decreased when there are other users in close
geographic proximity. The second is that cable modem access is only available in areas
where cable companies have installed the necessary fiber optic wiring.
Exercises:
Using a web search engine, find two companies that provide Internet access through cable
modems. What other services do these companies provide (telephone service, tv
service . . . )?

 

4.2.4 电缆调制解调器

电缆调制解调器不利用传统的电话线联网。它们通过电缆公司使用的光纤线来传输数字电缆信号。和DSL一样，

电缆调制解调器允许你在联网同时接听和拨打电话，它们也提供固定连接，但是电缆调制解调器通常比DSL速度快。

电缆调制解调器有两大基本错误。第一个是电缆调制解调器通路是一个共享资源，所以你的联网速度会因为其他用户

地理位置和你很近而降低。第二个是电缆调制解调器通路只能在电缆公司安装了光纤线的地区适用。

练习：

使用一个网站搜索引擎，找出通过电缆调制解调器提供上网连接的两个公司。这些公司还提供哪些其他的业务（电话业务，

电视业务。。。）？