- DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line Internet service, uses the phone line, but the way it uses it is much different. Instead of using regular phone numbers to dial into Internet service, DSL broadcasts and receives Internet signals at a higher frequency than traditional phone messages. This allows the signal to stream freely from and to your computer, with the help of a modem that helps to facilitate this signal.
- The central office (CO) is where the DSL signal is processed, transmitted and sent back to the user. The proximity of the user to the central office determines the speed and quality of the DSL connection. The closer you are to the CO, the better your signal will be. If you are out of range of a CO, you will have to use "Dry Loop" DSL, which uses a local signal to produce low-quality DSL.
- The way DSL travels between the CO and back to the user can vary depending on what type of DSL is being used. Asymmetric DSL is the most common and simplest form. It supports a single network or connection and broadcasts above the regular frequency as detailed above. Symmetric DSL is much faster, but as a result, the signal has a larger frequency and will need a dedicated phone line (as opposed to a shared line). Integrated DSL is a low-performance grade and uses a data line to carry the signal around a local network using a copper wire that transmits a data signal instead of voice.
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