<P> In the early to mid-1980s, most Internet access was from personal computers and workstations directly connected to local area networks or from dial - up connections using modems and analog telephone lines . LANs typically operated at 10 Mbit / s, while modem data - rates grew from 1200 bit / s in the early 1980s, to 56 kbit / s by the late 1990s . Initially, dial - up connections were made from terminals or computers running terminal emulation software to terminal servers on LANs . These dial - up connections did not support end - to - end use of the Internet protocols and only provided terminal to host connections . The introduction of network access servers supporting the Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and later the point - to - point protocol (PPP) extended the Internet protocols and made the full range of Internet services available to dial - up users; although slower, due to the lower data rates available using dial - up . </P> <P> Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just broadband, is simply defined as "Internet access that is always on, and faster than the traditional dial - up access" and so covers a wide range of technologies . Broadband connections are typically made using a computer's built in Ethernet networking capabilities, or by using a NIC expansion card . </P> <P> Most broadband services provide a continuous "always on" connection; there is no dial - in process required, and it does not interfere with voice use of phone lines . Broadband provides improved access to Internet services such as: </P> <Ul> <Li> Faster world wide web browsing </Li> <Li> Faster downloading of documents, photographs, videos, and other large files </Li> <Li> Telephony, radio, television, and videoconferencing </Li> <Li> Virtual private networks and remote system administration </Li> <Li> Online gaming, especially massively multiplayer online role - playing games which are interaction - intensive </Li> </Ul>

The type and availability of access to the internet