Broadband ISPs
GUIDE

XDSL (Phone Line) Connections

Description: It is easy to get caught up in the acronyms that we are bombarded with when it's time to decide what kind of broadband internet connection to go for. XDSL is one such example. Read on to find out more.

Cable connections, satellite connections, phone line connections? it is small wonder that we get confused when we are trying to figure out how each type of broadband service differs from another.

A typical example is xDSL. DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line, and while that is a simple description there are actually several different types of DSL line in existence, which is what the ?x' stands for. When you see xDSL written down anywhere, you can take it to mean all of the various types of DSL service available. The one thing they all have in common however, is the fact that they all rely on your current phone line to bring you broadband speeds.

An xDSL broadband connection is about as close as you can get to a dial up internet connection - without the slowness and without having to wait to be connected. Not only does the connection stay on all the time, you can also make and receive calls while you are surfing the internet. This is ideal if you were ever starting to get frustrated by the limitations of dial up access.

There are half a dozen different variations of xDSL broadband which sit under that umbrella term. The one which is best for you will depend on what you do when you go online. An asymmetric DSL will give you a faster surfing speed than a standard DSL line, and should be considered if you don't tend to download too much from the internet.

If you want the best speed possible you should opt for the VDSL option; beyond that however you need to start thinking about whether cable is a better bet.