A Transport of Delight: IT Panel Article June 2003

As the Court rises for lunch the Judge asks you for a copy of a case that you have cited in your skeleton argument. Rifling through your papers you realise that you have left the necessary report in Chambers. At a pinch you could leave Court, walk to the bus stop, wait for a bus, get a bus to the train station, wait for a train, catch a train, get off the train, wait for a taxi, get to Chambers, pick up the report – and then go back the same way, just about making it back by 2:15 if you’re lucky.

Or you could make a phone call and get your clerks to fax the report over to you within five minutes.

It is obvious that the second option is the better – and, given the choice, the one that we would all take.

Yet many people connected to the Internet take the first course. They connect via a modem that has to dial up each time they want to send an e-mail or view a web page; they are connected at speeds that are claimed to maximise at 52 kbps – but never do – and they pay for each phone call. And if they’re very lucky the line won’t drop as they’re half way through downloading the latest security update from Microsoft. Sounds familiar?

If so, you should consider getting a broadband connection; that is to say a connection that is always on and generally at least ten times faster – although the latest speeds can be up to forty times faster.

ADSL or Cable?

The choice is between getting ADSL or cable. The former involves “splitting” an existing phone line. This process takes around 2-3 weeks to set up and, once done, you use the line as usual for voice calls and the high speed portion (with a new modem) for internet use.

A cable line is a dedicated line that is run from the street into your house. Again a special modem is required but this should be set up for you by the installer. This type of line is (in the author’s experience) more robust than ADSL and, should you be in a cable area, is probably preferable as it is also capable of being upgraded to greater sppeds.

How to get it?

Your current service provider may well offer an ADSL service. If you want to get cable check the website of your local operator (in London try NTL or Telewest). It is a sad fact of life that not all areas are covered by the technologies as yet and so you may be stuck with your existing connection. The position is changing rapidly, however, and so what you can’t get today you may be able to get next week – just keep checking.

How much does it cost?

Figures vary but you should expect to pay around the £25-30/month mark. Remember, however, that this figure includes the cost of all connected calls.

What else do you need to be aware of?

Security – you’re computer will be permanently connected so you must ensure that you have the latest anti-virus program and a firewall. Firewalls are not complicated to set up and, once done, will sit in the background and need little (or no) further input. Some (such as the excellent Zone Alarm) are even free for personal use.

Is it worth it?

Is water wet? A recent download of a 9.37Mb file took just 2 minutes 39 seconds via cable; the same file took 35 minutes on a dial-up connection. How important is your time to you?