WHAT IS BROADBAND??

At first blush, the term broadband is simple enough:

anything having to do with a wide band of electromagnetic
frequencies. But, as anyone visiting Broadband Daily is
sure to know, broadband -- as used by companies, the
media, policymakers and pretty much everybody else is
itself subject to a wide band of definitions.
To the average consumer, broadband is high-speed access
to the Internet. More specifically, broadband is cable
modem and DSL service, with maybe a few scattered
wireless and even satellite options. In terms of current
revenue generated by cable, phone, wireless, satellite, and
tech companies, broadband is virtually synonymous with
high-speed Internet access.
Yet broadband enables far more than high-speed Internet
access, which is merely the first of what no doubt will be
an expanding array of new technologies that changes all the
rules of the communications game. The rapidly growing
use of a fat pipeline to deliver new forms of
communication, entertainment and information is also
broadband.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY BROADBAND:

Among the new services that fall squarely in our view of

broadband:
Voice-over-IP (Internet protocol) is the first of these new
technologies to take advantage of broadbands fatter pipe
to deliver something new. What VoIP will bring, aside
from more phone lines at lower costs, is still unclear but
most everything on the VoIP drawing board, such as
integrating voice messages with emails, is made possible
only over a broadband platform.
Web-based video-on-demand is a reality today, with
full-length motion pictures available for streamed or
downloaded viewing, subscription packages of Major
League baseball, around-the-clock news feeds and more.
Web video, however, is still in its infancy given that the
majority of home users are still on dial-up. Once were
all broadband, video content of all kinds delivered via
broadband-enabled web connections could be as
common place as broadcast, cable or satellite feeds.
Interactive TV is also alive and kicking today, but is
nothing compared to what it will be once the Internet
reaches TV sets. Even though the tide of Internet TV
applications has rushed forth since the late-1990s, and
just as quickly receded, no one doubts that someday, and
someday soon, the web will reach the TV set, whether
via modem-equipped set-tops, home networking or some
combination of the two. Once this happens, other

technologies developed for broadband, such as

videoconferencing using VoIP and VOD via the web,
will take over the most mass-market of venues: the living
room.
A lot of debate centers on speed of transmission as the
major dividing line between what is and is not broadband.
The Federal Communications Commission says that
connections with speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least one
direction are broadband connections.
Some hard-nosed high-speed junkies say that broadband
begins at 1.5 Mbps. Some policy advocates, who mostly
promote a technology overhaul that benefits tech suppliers,
say broadband doesnt begin until speeds reach 10 Mbps,
and is ideal at 100 Mbps.
The truth is, broadband is relative. For the dial-up user, 200
kbps is broadband, or at least broader band. For the mobile
phone user, 200 kbps over a handset is super-fast, at least
for now. Cable keeps setting the gold-standard for
broadband speed, with most cable companies upping the
throughput rates to 2 Mbps, 3 Mbps and even 5 Mbps to
keep pace with cheaper, but still-slower DSL competition.
Phone companies vow to try to keep pace with cable, but
1.5 Mbps is the prevailing rate for DSL.

BROADBAND AS ISP:
Are you still connecting to the internet using a dial-up?
Why not consider broadband?
If you already have a broadband ISP, are you sure you are
getting the best deal?
This guide leaves out the techie talk that you really dont
need to know, but includes all the information, some
technical, some business, that you should be aware of
before purchasing broadband or changing your broadband
service provider. It includes an up-to-date review of the
main isps and packages currently available, to help you
choose the best deal to meet your requirements, and gives
some alternatives that you may like to explore should
broadband not yet be available in your area.
What is it?
Broadband internet access provides the ability for you to
access the internet at much faster speeds than a dial-up (the
most common connection being 10 times faster). You will
find that with broadband, using the internet becomes a
much more enjoyable experience. You dont have to sit
banging your head against a wall whilst you wait for a page
to download and as a result, the internet becomes a much
more useful part of your working day, allowing very quick
access to information that would normally require hours of
searching in libraries or time wasted on the telephone. You
dont have to wait for your computer to connect
broadband connection it is almost instantaneous, without
any dial-up necessary, and even though it uses your

telephone line for the connection, you can still use your
telephone at the same time as the internet.
What are you waiting for?
The availability of broadband has increased and the price
come down considerably over the past year, so much so
that it may now cost just a couple of extra pounds a month
to replace your dial-up access with this much better
technology. If you havent got a broadband connection yet,
dont waste any more time and go order one now (well,
after you have read this article) - I promise you wont look
back. In fact, once youve got used to it, you will start to
wonder how you ever managed without it.
The Only Downside
Unfortunately not everyone in the UK can yet get
broadband, although it is now available via telephone
exchanges serving over 90% of homes and businesses in
the UK.

FACTORS CONSIDERED WHILE CHOSING ISP:

OR
WHAT FEATURES MAKE BROADBAND A BEST ISP:

SPEED:
The main measurement for an internet connection is that of
bandwidth or speed. All computer data is measured in bits',
a bit being the smallest size of data, equivalent to a single
digit. When talking about sending or receiving computer
data we talk in 'Kilobits' (one thousand bits), 'Megabits'
(one thousand Kilobits) and 'Gigabits' (one thousand
Megabits).
The speed at which we receive data over our internet
connection is obviously important. This is measured in the
amount of bits we receive (the downstream of data) per
minute, in Kbps (Kilobits per second) or Mbps (Megabits
per second, for the really fast connections).
The amount of data we can send is also important,
especially if we are sending a lot of files somewhere across
the internet, but it is not as important as the rate at which
we receive data, because when you use the internet you are
receiving data all the time, but only sending data
occasionally. The rate at which we can send data is usually
standard across the different broadband services - 256
Kbps. But the rate at which we can receive data is usually
much faster the most standard speed being that of 512
Kbps, which is approximately 10 times faster than a
standard dial-up internet connection.
THATS BROADBAND IS BETTER THAN OTHER ISPs

Sometimes you will hear the term broadband referred to as

ADSL or DSL. This stands for Asynchronous Digital
Subscriber Line the Asynchronous part refers to this
difference in speed for sending and receiving data.
When purchasing a broadband service, the speed at which
you can receive data should be considered along with the
price of the service. A lot of the cheaper broadband deals
currently advertised are only running at a receiving rate or
256Kbps, which is only 5 times faster than a dial-up, or
even 150Kbps, just 3 times faster than dial-up. However,
you can also pay for a service that is faster than the
standard 512Kbps connection, should speed be your main
priority.
Download restrictions.
Some ISPs are now putting download restrictions onto their
cheaper broadband packages, often referred to as a cap,
which will limit the amount that you can use the internet
without running into penalties. Every time you use the
internet to browse, send and receive emails, play games,
listen to music, watch a film or get some new software, you
are in effect downloading (receiving) and 'uploading'
(sending) data. To give you an idea of how much data you
maybe downloading and uploading in any one month,
heres a few guidelines:
Web browsing can average at about 15 Mb per hour
(this is with broadband access - remember that as soon
as you get your faster internet access, you maybe
spending the same amount of time online but viewing
a lot more data in that time).

 Receiving or sending about 20 emails could average at

around 1 Mb for 20 emails (obviously depends on the
size of your emails - attachments could make the files
a lot larger).
Listening to one hour's radio via broadband would use
about 15 Mb.
Downloading a music track would take about 6 Mb.
Playing an online game with broadband could use
around 12 Mb per hour.
It can be really difficult to accurately estimate how much
data you are likely to download and upload, but you can
actually download a little program onto your computer that
can monitor just how much you are sending and receiving
over a set period, in order to help you decide whether a
restricted broadband service is an option for your usage, or
whether you really need to pay that little bit more and go
for an unrestricted service:
Don't forget, if you use one of these programs with a dialup connection, do take into account how much more data
you are likely to be sending and receiving with a
connection that is around 10 times faster - don't think that
because of the quicker speed to will probably spend less
time online, in reality the opposite may happen as you start
to get much more use out of the internet with broadband
and you find new ways of usage that you wouldn't have
considered with a dial-up.
If you do decide to opt for a restricted service, make sure
that you read the small print of your ISPs broadband

contract to see what penalties you may be running into

should you step over the download restrictions and also
how easy it is to upgrade your package should you decide
at sometime that you need to move on to an unrestricted
service.
CONTENTION:
Contention means how many other users maybe sharing
your broadband line. The usual contention ratio is 1:50,
which means that in theory, your broadband line could be
shared with up to 50 other users, but in reality, this number
is not likely to reach is maximum, and not all users are
likely to use the internet at the same time, hence having a
1:50 contention ratio does not often have any detrimental
effect on the speed at which you receive your data.
However, you can pay more with some ISPs for a lower
contention ratio, such as 1:20, and this is often found with
the more expensive business packages, where several users
in one business may already be sharing the same broadband
connection, so a lower ratio is considered a more suitable
option.
Connection charges:
Many ISPs are now offering a free connection. Where you
do have to pay for connection, the standard charge in the
UK can be anything from around 25 to around 100 for
the more expensive packages. If you manage to get a

smaller contract than 12 months, it will be usual to have to

pay a connection charge so that your ISP does not end up
out of pocket should you only stay with them for a short
time.
Modems:
Many ISPs are now offering a free modem with their
broadband package. This usually means that the modem is
provided on a rental agreement, whereby the modem
actually remains the property of the ISP therefore if it
breaks they provide you with a replacement. The good
thing about these agreements is that the ISPs rarely ask for
the modem to be returned to them at the end of the contract.
Make sure to check your small print to see what the
situation is with your modem. What happens if it breaks?
Do you have to pay any delivery costs? Do you have to
return the modem at the end of the contract?
Not all ISPs will provide a free modem. If your chosen ISP
does not provide a free modem, they will most likely
suggest that you purchase a modem from them, but you
may first like to shop around. One benefit of purchasing
your modem from your ISP, is that if there is a problem
with your connection at any time, your ISP be able to
support you fully and not blame the problem on a modem
that you purchased elsewhere.
There are two types of modem those that will plug into
the USB port of your computer, and those that will plug
into an Ethernet network card on your computer. Some
older computers do not have USB ports. Operating systems
that are Windows 95 or before also do not provide support

for USB, in which case you would have to upgrade your

operating system to use a USB modem, or opt for one that
works with an Ethernet card. Make sure you check what
connection method a modem uses and its compatibility
with your computer before you purchase some ISPs only
provide USB modems.
Wireless:
If you would like to share your modem connection with
several people in your house at the same time, or if you
would like to surf from anywhere on your property
(including your garden) without having to plug into the
modem, then you may like to consider a wireless router.
The router is just includes a modem and plugs into your
phone socket just the same, but then instead of you
plugging your computer into the modem, data is
transmitted to and from a small wireless receiver that is
plugged into your computer. Some newer computers
actually come with an in-built wireless transmitter (known
as Centrino technology), but this is not necessary as you
can easily buy and attach a wireless transmitter to your
computer. If you have several computers in your house, fit
them all with a wireless transmitter and then they will all be
able to use your broadband connection via the router at the
same time.
Length of contract:
Most broadband contracts are for a 12 month period. If you
want to cut the contract short, you will still have to pay for

the full 12 month duration. A few ISPs are now offering

shorter contracts or a no ties (no minimum length) contract,
but these packages maybe more expensive or include a
connection cost that would normally come free.
Relocation:
If you are likely to move house within the next 12 months,
either choose an ISP with a very short minimum contract,
or look for an ISP that can get you reconnected in your new
premises with minimum disruption. It is usual to have to
pay a reconnection cost if you change premises and there
can also be a delay of a few weeks from when you move
house to when you get re-connected. If this is likely to be
an issue for you, make sure you find out how your chosen
ISP can help you when you move, before you sign-up for
their contract.

Thats why broadband can be considered as best

,speedy,and cheaper ISP to date.

INDEX
WHAT IS BROADBAND?
SERVICES PROVIDED BY BROADBAND.
BROADBAND AS ISP
FACTORS CONSIDERED WHILE CHOSING ISP

A
Seminar Report
On
Object Oriented
Application Design
SUBMITTED TO:

SUBMITTED BY:

Mr. Umesh Vats(Coordinator)

Priyanka
Rollno:MCA 03/009