Internet Connectivity

It's part of an ominous trend of governments taking control of internet access and content to assert authoritarian control over what citizens see and hear, as well as their ability to organize through social media.

By Margaret Hu

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing people to stay at home and use their devices way more than usual, some are wondering whether the internet could actually stop working from overuse.

By Nathan Chandler

The undersea cables that transmit the internet across the world are largely unprotected from terrorist or military attack.

By Patrick J. Kiger

And those satellites could provide you with crazy fast internet service.

By Tracy Staedter

Imagine a world where everyone — really, everyone — has access to the Internet. Google's Project Loon is trying to make that concept a reality ... using balloons.

By Bernadette Johnson

Your phone, your thermostat, even your doorbell can communicate with the Internet, relaying information about the devices — and you. How is all this connectivity affecting our world?

By Bernadette Johnson

Google's broadband Internet and TV service is often spoken of with near-reverence for its ultra-fast speeds. Why is it so much faster than other options?

By Bernadette Johnson

A connected world stretching from your blender to your thermostat to the satellites overhead? It seemed like a good idea at the time.

By Nicholas Gerbis

You want to set up Wi-Fi on your laptop, but you're not sure how to do it. We break down the steps required to set up a wireless router and connect to a Wi-Fi network on Windows PCs and laptops.

By Talon Homer

Wireless networking sure is convenient, but it can be slow. An emerging standard known as WiGig may make a difference -- you can transfer 25 GB of data in less than a minute! Will WiGig outlast its competitors?

By Nathan Chandler

Fiber Optics, the technique of transmitting light through transparent, flexible fibers of glass or plastic.

Your options for getting online are myriad, and the technology is ever-evolving. Learn about modems, cables, WiFi and hotspots in vehicles with images of Internet connection tech.

With movies, television, music and more being offered on the Internet these days, you need faster connection speeds. Is fiber optic technology the answer?

By Tim Crosby

Fiber-to-the-home broadband connections promise the next generation in connectivity to consumers. Learn more about FTTH broadband connections in this article.

By Tim Crosby

Wireless connections are the norm, and there are easy ways to improve your connection. Learn how to improve your wireless connection in this article.

By Andrew Crago

The United States isn't quite the world leader in Internet access that it once was. But how do you measure how wired a country is? Which ones are in the top 10?

By Jonathan Strickland

Learn about the amazing things that these networks can do and how they may provide free or cheap Internet access. We'll walk you through the technology behind "Municipal WiFi" and tell you why this term can be a misnomer.

By Tracy V. Wilson

WiMAX has hit technology news in a big way. This networking system can blanket a 30-mile radius with broadband access, compared to WiFi's 300-foot range.

By Marshall Brain & Ed Grabianowski

Imagine plugging your computer into any electrical outlet in your home and having high-speed Internet access instantly. Power line broadband is offered in a few U.S. cities, but there are groups and government agencies fighting to block further development. What's the controversy about?

By Robert Valdes

Under the impression that dial-up modems are out of style? Actually, tons of folks still use dial-up Internet access. Find out how high-speed dial-up makes the most of the original connection method.

By Robert Valdes

There are too many variables to make a generalization about whether Ethernet or USB is the better way to connect your home computer. Read this article to learn how to pick the right one for your system.

If you've been holding your breath for the next best thing in Internet connections, get ready to exhale. VDSL has five times the speed of regular broadband.

By Jeff Tyson

How do you access the Internet other than dial-up if you live too far from a phone company office for DSL and there is no cable TV on your street? Satellite Internet access may be worth considering.

It can be truly frustrating -- one minute you're zipping along just fine, the next, you can't get one page to load. What's causing the backup? Cable modems are part of a loop that begins at the cable company's central office, goes through a certain neighborhood or area, and comes back to the central office.

Fiber-optic lines have revolutionized phone calls, cable TV and the internet. It's a really cool technology that enables the long-distance transmission of data in light signals, and is used in many more ways than you think.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. & Chris Pollette