isdn

[lloyd1e]

Could someone explain to me - using relatively simple terminology - what an ISDN is, how it works and how one obtains it? Many thanks in advance.

[spacechimp]

Why not ADSL?

[lloyd1e]

I have no idea what ADSL is either! Help!

[spacechimp]

Well, what do you need your internet for?

[lloyd1e]

Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.

[spacechimp]

?? Do you just browse the net and pick up emails or do you send and receive large numbers of large files at all hours of the day?

[lloyd1e]

I've been told I need an ISDN facility for work.

[spacechimp]

Did they tell you why, so you can take work home with you?

[bobjim1705]

ISDN is Integrated Services Digital Network - it's basically an advanced internet conenction over a standard phone line. It's often used for video conferencing, since video, voice and text can be transmitted at the same time.
I believe they're also used for 3-way phone calls.

[lloyd1e]

It's so that I can do voiceover work so it must be something that means I would be able to 'send' my voice.

[spacechimp]

I think that you should ask them to pay for it, seeing as they are the ones saying you require it.

[lloyd1e]

Thanks to bobjim 1705 and spacechimp for your input (intentional pun). I have an idea as to what's required now.

[fo3nix]

I was under the impression ISDN was for companies, and was rarely used now (because it's slow, about 128k?)

ADSL is just the same thing, more or less, but faster. it's broadband internet through your normal phone line. this just means you can access the internet (are you on dial-up now?), very fast. required for sending large-ish files, such as files containing your voice (assuming a fairly high quality).

[rojash]

As fo3nix says, ISDN is very slow compared with broadband. However it is available in some areas where DSL is not (for example, where I am).

ISDN provides two digital channels each of 64K, which means you can either use channel bonding to get a 128k connection, or (like most people), use one channel for a 64K connection, leaving the other channel free for analog phone, fax and modem calls. One 64k channel can carry two analog signals, so (for example) I can be talking to a customer on the phone whilst looking at their computer via an internet connection, and still someone else in the office can be sending a fax, talking on the phone, or even using dialup connection to the internet.

It works out much more expensive than DSL.

Oh one other thing, you can opt to have MSN (multiple subscriber numbering) which means that you can have 3 different phone numbers, so you could use one unpublished number for your net connection, and publish the other two as phone and fax.

Another advantage of ISDN is if you need a point to point connection with another computer. As long as they also have ISDN, you can call them directly without needing to go via the internet. I use this method to connect to my bank in London (much safer than Internet banking).

[theo_wyvern]

but you can use multiple isdn lines - we have video conferencing here and use four lines so get 512 connection.

if you are to do voiceover work 1 line should be sufficient and simply better than a phone line of course.