ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
Offered by your local telephone company.

• Connection speed: Up to 128 Kbps (about 4 times a 28.8 Kbps modem)
• Pros: Available almost everywhere; frees your standard phone line
• Cons: Monthly fees must be paid to both phone company and ISP

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
Offered by your local telephone company, a DSL provides Internet access via existing telephone wires.

• Connection speed: Up to 1.5 Mbps (about 52 times a 28.8 Kbps modem)
• Pros: Very fast; frees your standard phone line; no need for separate ISP; fast download
• Cons: Expensive to install; not widely available yet; easy to hack; slow upload; complex and sometimes difficult installation

Cable Modem
Offered by your local cable provider, a cable modem provides Internet access via your existing coaxial cable TV line.

• Connection speed: Up to 2 Mbps (about 70 times a 28.8 Kbps modem)
• Pros: Very fast; low startup and monthly fees; frees your standard phone line; no need for separate ISP; widely available; easy to install
• Cons: Speed varies depending on how many people are online in your area; less secure since you're sharing a line with others; upload is slower than download

Satellite
Currently, offered only by two companies: Direcway and StarBand, which provide Internet access via a satellite dish. Dish can only receive data so you must have a dial-up to send/upload data (like sending e-mail). So you need to continue to subscribe to your ISP in addition to your satellite provider.

• Connection speed: 400 Kbps (about 14 times a 28.8 Kbps modem)
• Pros: Fast; can be used anywhere a satellite dish is used, including boats, RVs and rural areas where other broadband technologies might not be available
• Cons: Only download speed is improved; must still use your standard telephone line to send/upload data; expensive; monthly fees must be paid to both satellite provider and dial-up ISP