What is SDSL and How Does It Work?

SDSL stands for (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and is used as another means of achieving a high-speed Internet access connection. SDSL is referred to as "symmetric" because the data can be transmitted to and from the Internet with equal bandwidth. This varies from a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) where the line is designed according to whether you do more downloading or uploading to the Internet or a network.

How SDSL Works

SDSL is offered in different grades from an Internet Service provider to meet the needs of companies and organizations as well as home network users. The different grades are offered due to the fact that SDSL is frequently used by businesses that utilize Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Extranets, Intranets, or maintaining a Web presence. All of these components require large amounts of data uploads which require more bandwidth which can be provided by an SDSL connection. An SDSL connection is also used for network sharing where it is necessary to upload extremely large files.

SDSL requires use of all four wires in the telephone line. Two of the wires are used for uploading and the other two are used for downloading. As a result, any other devices that use the telephone line cannot be used when the SDSL is activated. Therefore it is necessary to install an additional line to serve these devices or use a dedicated line for the SDSL service.

An SDSL connection is always connected to the Internet so you do not have to log on every time you want to access the network. The connection requires the installation of an SDSL modem which can be obtained from the Internet Service Provider (ISP).

The speed of SDSL can vary and it is possible for Internet Service Providers to limit the speed according to the needs of the organization or home user. This is why SDSL is offered in different packages by an ISP.

SDSL Service

An SDSL service is geared toward businesses and organizations who deal with large quantities of data and files; however SDSL is also available to the home user who spends a lot of time with email and multimedia. SDSL service availability will vary according to where you are located and in some locations this type of connection is not available. The service is often offered by the larger telephone enterprises in the US and in other parts of the world.