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Auerbach Publications
© 2001 CRC Press LLC
08/01
network (WAN) to the central location at which the Internet was acces-
sible. This very common design scenario was satisfactory when Internet
traffic and requirements were limited in scope and frequency. As the re-
quirements for Internet access grew, the number of connections grew in
direct proportion, until the WAN began to suffer. Shortly thereafter, as
the costs for direct connectivity declined and the Internet became more
and more a part of business life, it became an essential tool and greater
access was needed.
Presently, the Internet has become an indispensable utility for suc-
cessful businesses, and the volume of Internet traffic coursing through in-
ternal networks is astounding. The need for information now greatly
outweighs the cost of Internet connectivity. In the past, Internet connec-
tions had to be validated and carefully considered prior to implementa-
tion. Today the first question is typically, "How big a pipe do we need?"
not "Where should we put it?"
The vast adoption of the Internet and acceptance of it as a fundamen-
tal requirement has resulted in the increased density and diversity of the
Internet. Today, organizations have several access points and leverage
them to reduce load on other internal networks and provide increased
performance for internal users as well as providing service redundancy.
By leveraging the numerous existing connections, an organization can
implement VPN technology to enhance communication, while using a
service that was cost-justified long before the inclusion of VPNs.
BROADBAND
Before the existence of high-speed access to the Internet that is standard
today, there were typically only modems and phone lines that provided
painfully slow access. There were of course the few privileged users who
had ISDN available to them that provided some relief. However, access
was still based on modems and could be a nightmare to get to work
properly. The early adopters of remote access used modems to obtain
data or services. As the Internet became popular, modems were used to
connect to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that provided the means for
accessing the Internet. In either case, the limited speed capabilities were
a troubling constant.
Today’s personal and home access to the Internet can reach speeds
historically realized only with expensive lines that only the largest com-
panies could afford or obtain. At present, a simple device can be installed
that provides a connection to the ISP and leverages Ethernet to connect
to the host PC in the home or small office. Today, access is provided and
controlled separately from the PC and rarely requires user intervention.
The physical connection and communication medium is transparent to
the user environment. Typically, the user turns the computer on and the
Internet is immediately available. This is in stark contrast to the physical