A comprehensive guide to buying, testing, installing and troubleshooting modems.

A comparative guide to the technologies, capabilities, and costs of next-generation desktop connectivity With the advent of cable modems and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSLs), modem technology has entered a new and highly sophisticated realm that is light-years beyond PC modems. Integrating and interoperating at high transmission levels with telephone and cable broadcast infrastructure to allow for faster, clearer transmission of data-intensive Web pages, DSLs and cable modems are competing for attention in this massive emerging market. For network managers, LAN administrators, and corporate planners charged with purchasing, installing, and troubleshooting last-mile technology for their organizations, Gilbert Held details what you'll need to know to make informed choices for the future. Offering simple explanations and in-depth comparisons, this book considers the whole range of strategic, technical, and investment concerns, from cost analysis and bandwidth limitations to suitability for various business and residential applications. Held discusses why a new generation of modems is needed and why those modems require a different infrastructure from those that transmit data over the PSTN. The fundamentals of DSLs are presented along with a look at how cable modems operate. And a comprehensive comparison of DSL and cable modem technology is provided that covers their advantages and disadvantages as well as their potential use for business and residential subscribers. This book contains everything you'll need to know about next- generation modems including: * Information on how infrastructure and content variables map to Web wait time * Transmission fundamentals for current modem operations * Discussions on how different types of DSLs overcome bandwidth limitations * A survey of the DSL family * A tutorial in the cable TV infrastructure * Coverage of the cable modem standard * Comparative analysis of costs, throughput, and suitability for various applications

A communications expert tells how to telecompute, discusses hardware and software available, explains hints on computer application, and provides information on new technologies

This is a practical introduction to the key computing concepts of networks and communications, suitable for a first year undergraduate or industrial course. It provides the foundational knowledge on which to build a fully developed understanding of modern communications methodologies, techniques and standards. It will also be a useful professional reference companion.; The book begins with a general introduction to data communications and the options commonly open to the system designer. It then provides overviews of the key areas in which design decisions must be made: communication media; interface standards; network architectures; modems and multiplexers; network topologies, switching and access control; local area networks; wide-area networks; performance; software issues; security; and implementation.; As a second edition of an established text the book has been thoroughly revised and improved but retains the strengths of the first edition in its clear and well- illustrated exposition. It includes current developments in standards and architecture including ATM, B-ISDN, SNMP, TCP/IP, and other state-of-the- art features of the computer communications world.; In its first edition the book was an authoritative textbook and personal reference for industry. In this new edition it should be even more essential for all with a need for an accessible modern technical introduction to computer communications and networks. Suitable for a practically orientated computer science course at degree level or for an introductory industrial course.