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1. You are hosting a website, e-mail server or a backend database on the server(s) in your network.
2. You are unable to get DSL or Cable in your area and a T1 may be your only option.
3. If you Voice Over IP network requires a T1. |
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A T1 is about three times slower than the internet connection that most people
use at home. A T1 is a dedicated internet connection that gives direct internet connectivity
to your Local Area Network from your Internet Service Provider. It’s basically
your own private freeway from your home to your office that no one else can
access—but in this case, your home is the Internet Service Provider (ISP).
A T1 runs at 1.5 megabytes per second DOWN and 1.5 mbps UP. Normally, internet
DOWN speeds are faster than internet UP speeds, this is because the majority of
businesses spend more time viewing websites (DOWN) than sending information to
the internet (UP). However, if you are hosting your own website through a web
server in your Local Area Network, then you are sending information UP to the internet and
therefore you will need more UP bandwidth. In this case, you may want to consider
a T1.
If you have cable or DSL at home then your DOWN speeds are usually between
4 – 6 megabytes per second (mbps) compared to 1.5mbps with a T1. Your UP speeds
with a cable or DSL connection range between .384 - .768, slower compared to a T1
with an UP speed of 1.5mbps. In general, the slower UP speed is fine at home or in most
small bussinesses because you are only viewing websites and sending e-mails*, instead
you may be paying an ISP a monthly fee to host your website and e-mails off-site for you.
T1s usually run around $250 - $600 a month. If your organization or business doesn’t
meet the above criteria, you may want to consider a standard business DSL or Cable connection,
which ranges from $80 - $200 a month. I've written a cost and service comparison of
SBC, Cox and Time Warner's business internet services. You can view that Tech Thought here: SBC, Cox and Time Warner Cost Comparison
In you business, if internet disconnects mean loss of productivity and money down the
drain then don't throw your money away by connecting a residential internet service to your
office. Spend the extra money for business service. With a business internet connection you get
at least one static IP**, better tech support and more reliable network hardware. SBC is a great
example. They use cheap modems for residential service that are prone to break and disconnect,
especially when they are trying to carry an entire office network. However, for business internet
service they provide Cisco routers which are very reliable and rarely disconnect.
* E-mails are sent UP to the internet, however, they hardly use any UP bandwidth,
unless you have an e-mail server in your Local Area Network, like Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. If
you send a lot of e-mails UP everyday than you might consider a T1
for more bandwidth, reliability and speed. However if you only have less than twenty employees
you probably won't have any probems hosting an E-mail server with a cable or DSL connection.
** A static IP gives you an address on the internet that never changes. This is in comparison to
a dynamic IP, an address that may change every 24 - 48 hours. ISPs offer businesses internet service with static IPs. A static IP will
allow you to host a website or an e-mail server or connect remotely to your office through a VPN connection.
In general, it is also a more stable connection than residential service because the hardware
and support is better.
Note: Many of you may have noticed that in various business districts
around San Diego Cox, SBC and Time Warner are not available. This may be related to competition
and "imposition on others territory". But it's more likely related to profitability.
In residential areas, most homes have 1 - 3 computers, so there would be one internet connection
per 2 or 3 computers. If the average office has 5 - 10 computers, then the average of computers per internet connection is much higher,
which equals less profitability for the big three. Smaller companies like Redwire,
Skyriver and Mpower Communications
are capitolizing on this by offering T1s at around $500 a month. Businesses get the short end of
the stick, because of slower DOWN speeds and higher costs. Hopefully competition will heat up
enough in the next few years to drive prices down, it may be sooner then that since Verizon is
edging its way into the market. |
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| Some Do-It-Yourself Tips for maintaining, repairing and troubleshooting your computer. |
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