Question

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of DSL, cable, fix wireless, and Sonet (OC-1).

Answer 1

DSL Advantages

• DSL gets easily interface with ATM and WAN technology.

• High Bandwidth

• Cheaper line provided by the telephone companies.

• Hard or almost difficult for a hacker to break in because each subscribers can configured in a way that no other

• computers are available to come with vulnerabilities.

• To keep in touch with employees within office DSL is very useful.

DSL Disadvantages

• The far you from Provider central office the lower the speed or lower the data transfer rates. the longest distance can be almost 3 miles.

• Very few companies across The world that are willing to provide its services through wire cos of low profit margin.

• More time wasted in repairing the downtime once its fails in connecting due to breaks of wire or any other climate conditions.

Fixed Wireless Internet Advantages

• Quick Installation - Efficient wireless internet service providers (WISPs) can have a customer up and running within days. This is due to the fact that most WISPs already have a built out network in their respective region. Typically, all that needs to be installed is a radio at the customer’s location which can then be configured to communicate with the nearest PoP.
• Flexible Bandwidth - Bandwidth speeds can be turned up or down based on needs of organization. Users can be added, removed or reshuffled with minimal impact on the cost or existing infrastructure. For this reason, fixed wireless is an excellent internet access option for businesses seeking a future-proof solution.
• Local Service Providers - Local carriers equal local support. According to WISPA, an average US-based WISP only serves 1,200 customers. Compare this to CenturyLink’s 5.9 million broadband subscribers. Handling fewer customers means the local provider can promise more efficient and effective customer service, normally with a regional base.  
• Reliable - The lack of cables means fixed wireless is not susceptible to issues that affect cable, satellite, DSL and even fiber. There are no cables that could be cut or interfered with. As a result, there is little to no ongoing maintenance required.
• Secure - Wireless technology has been tagged with the misconception that because signals travel via microwaves, security cannot be guaranteed. However, as the industry has grown, providers have developed impressive security protocols that ensure encryption, data privacy and a requirement for authentication and access control.

Fixed Wireless Internet Disadvantages

• Line of Sight - For the receiver radio and transmitter radio located at the WISP’s PoP, a line of sight is required. Any trees or large buildings blocking the path between the two will make the connection very difficult. Although there are ways around it, for example if the WISP has alternative PoPs to fall back on, a line of sight with the nearest PoP is usually the most desirable option.
• Cost - Fixed wireless can be more expensive than other internet access solutions such as cable, DSL and satellite. The reason for this is that fixed wireless is a dedicated service whereas cable, DSL and satellite are shared or “best effort” options. To summarize, with fixed wireless customers get the bandwidth and quality of service that they sign up for, whereas with more traditional internet access solutions, this is not always the case. For more information on this, click here.
• Singular Access Point - Although this is the case for the majority of wireless and wired solutions, it is worth pointing out that fixed wireless has a fixed access point at the customer location. Mobile solutions such as 4G LTE Wireless have the capability to support roaming as they rely on the cellular network to provide a broadband connection.

Advantages of SONET :

• Reduced cost
• It offers network survivability features
• It is compatible with legacy and future network
• Very high efficiency
• Allows transportation of all forms of traffic
• Standard optical interference
• De-multiplexing is easy
• Remote operation capabilities. remotely provisioned, tested, inventoried, customized and also reconfigured
• Can we used in SONET networks for fast restoral and protection
• Out of band management system

Disadvantages of SONET :

• No interoperable standard
• Tributary services require SONET mux services
• Low cost effective for low channel numbers.
• SONET/SDH network management system not well equipped to handle the DWDM method and management
• Bandwidth efficiency is a problem at higher capacity
• More overhead is required