The Lowdown on Cable Internet

Cable Internet is a form of Internet access, which uses the same technology that cable TV uses. To use this kind of Internet connection, customers normally link their cable modems to their TV coaxial outputs, occasionally with the help of splitters. On the other side of this connection is some sort of CMTS (Cable Modem Termination System). This can offer connectivity to anything between 150,000 and 4000 customers within a 160 km radius. Frequently, cable Internet provides sizable downstream and upstream bandwidth, however both of these might be restricted if a large number of customers are simultaneously connected.

Just like other Internet services, cable Internet makes use of shared bandwidth pools for customers who reside in the same locale. Normally, these systems share the access network bandwidth, which is the technology that links the CMTS to the modem. This might lead to service problems during periods of peak access, which could lead to issues with network connectivity and slower transfer speeds.

Nonetheless, customers who use cable services often save money on digital packages featuring Internet access, cable TV and digital telephone services - on one bill. People who use the telephone a lot can pay for the 'bigger' price of cable Internet access, from the savings they make on their telephone bills. You should research the options for this type of service in your city, to see what is on offer. One thing that this service does need is a broadband modem. Most of the time, the cable company provides a complimentary preconfigured modem, which you have to send back if you cancel your subscription. Of course, you can use your own modem if you prefer.

Broadband cable modems offer an extremely fast way of connecting to and using the Internet. Basically, cable signals process data and relay it to the modem, where it is decoded. Then, the computer linked to the modem gets an electronic signal, which it can decipher for the computer user's benefit.

All broadband cable modems possess some basic components. They all have tuners, which ensure that they only receive signals from specific parts of cable lines. This stops undesirable data stream interceptions. Also, these modems all have demodulators, which receive signals from the tuners and convert them for identification by their A/D (analog/digital) converters. The A/D converters are the components that decipher the data from the signals, into a format that customers' computers can understand.

In spite of the odd technical hitch, TV Internet companies usually put into place numerous safeguards, to prevent service problems during peak periods. The bandwidth which every customer uses might be tracked, so that all customers can receive a fair amount of the available bandwidth. Occasionally, caps on bandwidth might be enforced, if certain customers have transferred lots of data during a billing period, or are using excessive amounts of downstream or upstream throughput. These sorts of caps might be introduced only during periods of network stress, or they might be kept in place for a longer period of time.