 Fiber Optic Internet and other Ultra-broadband Connections
What is
Ultra-broadband?
Ultra-broadband is an internet connection
above 3Mbps. Most DSL plans top out at 1.5Mbps. The fastest cable
modems top out at 3Mbps. 3Mbps+ is in the realm of Fiber and direct
Ethernet connections.
From what I understand,
these ultra-broadband connections come into the home in a variety of
ways but end up as simple 10/100 Ethernet(RJ-45). This makes them
very easy to share with software or a broadband router.
Sharing with Software:
Just about any Internet connection sharing
software will
work with these connections. Make sure to run it on a fast computer
(500Mhz+) to ensure your broadband connection is not bottlenecked by
your internet sharing computer.
Sharing with Hardware:
Broadband routers are not powerful beasts.
Most Internet connections max out at around 1Mbp so most broadband
routers were never built for 5Mbps or 7Mbps Internet connections.
The problem worsens when you enable statefull packet inspection or
run VPN's or other advanced networking software. The point is, most
consumer broadband routers are going to be a bottleneck for your
Internet connection at about 2.5 to 3Mbps.
The solution of course is to find a consumer
level router with enough 'umph' to handle your ultra-broadband
connection. As far as I know, only the Nexland Products have the kind of
throughput you need. Nexland's consumer routers max out at about
6Mbps. After that, you need to look into some very expensive
professional hardware - remember, a T-1 is only 1.5Mbps so most pro
hardware tops out at 2-3Mbps too! IMHO, Nexland Products are your
only choice.
If you plan to install 802.11b (11Mbps wireless) on a network
that is connected to an ultra-broadband connection be aware that
your wireless network has the potential of being a bottleneck. With
encryption enabled, most 802.11b wireless networks only get
2.5-3.5Mbps. Without encryption, you are only looking at 3.5 at
4.5Mbps. With this in mind, consider 802.11a - the 54Mbps wireless
Ethernet standard. 802.11a has a throughput of about 22Mbps - plenty
fast.
A note on IP address
If your Internet IP
address starts with 192.168. or 10. then you do not have a real
internet IP Address - you
have a private IP address. This is not uncommon for
ultra-broadband connections. Read this document
to understand what you can and can not do.
Ultra Broadband
News
Ultra-Broadband
ISP's
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