What is a Leased Line? Its Types and Uses

A dedicated line which is provided by an organization to another, the length of the leased line depends upon the requirement and it can be used both for voice and data. A customer has to pay an upfront fee to connect either 10 Mbps or multiple Mbps bandwidth. It may cost $1000s to millions of dollars depending on its usage and availability.

This connection belongs only to that specific client and cannot be shared with anyone else. A leased line provides a fixed quality assurance as internet service providers (ISPs) use different technologies such as SONET/SDH, ATM, Ethernet, etc., for connectivity.

Leased lines provide 99% uptime as ISPs will not allow you to use the connection unless you are ready to pay the entire monthly amount. If you are looking for the best leased line providers in UK than wan.io is the best option for you to get it all the information about Leased line.

Synchronous versus Asynchronous vs ISDN

1)    Synchronous leased line:

It is a permanent physical connection between two locations at one speed. One of the most common types is T1, which runs at 1.544 Mbps. All data packets are sent at exactly the same time so that there is no disruption in communication. Time-division multiplexing (TDM) is used for synchronous connections that always start with an even number i.e 2Mbps, 4Mbps, 6Mbps etc.

After every six months ISPs have to charge rental separately for this type of landline connection as it can’t be stopped and started when required unlike asynchronous lines (discussed below).

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2)    Asynchronous leased line

It is a permanent physical connection between two locations at one speed. All data packets are sent on the basis of user requirements and not on clock synchronization. ISPs can start or stop this connection when required. This type of landline connection always starts with an odd number i.e 1.5Mbps, 3 Mbps, 9 Mbps etc.

3)    ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)

ISP provides service using existing phone lines for low speed connections through ISDN BRI (Basic Rate Interface) which uses two 64 kbps channels called B-channels for data transfer and one 16 kbps D-channel used for control purposes only.

To use this service ISP has to charge rental separately for both the B channels. The difference between asynchronous leased line and ISDN is that ISPs do not have to provide physical wire connection with ISDN as they are using existing phone lines for this purpose.

ISDN vs Analog Modem

1)    Analog modem

It is a physical device which allows you to establish a connection by dialing an ISP’s number over an existing phone line. If your computer has an 8-bit or 16-bit Sound Card Interface then you can directly establish a connection without buying any extra device, otherwise buy external analog modem or internal PCI based modem which plugs inside your computer’s PCI slot.

ISPs charge rental only when you connect with them for data transfer, i.e $15 per month if you connect with them 15 days a month or else they charge monthly rental + connection fee of $15 so it depends on you. ISP does not have to provide any wire connection with analog modem, all they have to do is provide their phone number and you can establish a dial-up connection over the existing phone line.

2)    ISDN

ISPs give ISDN modem along with BRI (Basic Rate Interface) so that customers can directly connect through the device provided by the ISP. This saves time as well as money for customers who are having trouble in establishing dial-up connections. One benefit of using ISDN modem is that once you establish your internet connection you don’t need to call ISP’s number again and again.

Leased Line for Home Use

If you are thinking of getting a leased line for home use, you will probably find that it is quite expensive. While for business use this may not be an issue, since the number of people in the house that need to access the line is limited and there are likely to be additional contracts covering other services (such as internet access), home users often look for alternatives.

Advantages of leased line for home use

Advantages of a leased line for home use can be a bit hard to grasp. The fact is, though, everything about yourself and the equipment you have should make your decision. This method of internet connection can go anywhere there’s a plug socket or power outlet which makes it ideal for using in remote areas with no wired services available.

Just remember that while it works fine on standard telecom wiring, older houses may have wiring from pre-electricity days which won’t support this type of network connection – so if in doubt, get a professional opinion before attempting to use Powerline networking in your home.

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Disadvantages of leased line for home use

One thing to remember is that when one product becomes very popular, its price drops significantly over time because of demand – so always keep an eye out for cheaper sources if available. This is not only applicable to leased lines but also in investing in any kind of technology including leasing lines from telecom service companies.

Shop around and compare prices! It could save you a lot of money.  Also take into consideration that these providers are usually fairly experienced or well informed about what they are selling or installing – having them do it for you might be advantageous because their installation costs may negate the cost savings you get by doing it yourself. Best wishes, and hopefully an article will help you choose which type of network connection is best for you.

Final Words

For additional details, you may also check out online forums which have threads about leasing lines from companies that specialize in telecom services. Just take note that these companies will charge you significantly more compared to other ISP’s or Telecom Services providers. Don’t forget that you can also compare prices from different internet service providers by using the search box below. The more information you have, the better decision you will make.