Dial-Up Connection

What Does Dial-Up Connection Mean?

A dial-up connection uses a standard phone line and analog modem to access the Internet at data transfer rates (DTR) of up to 56 Kbps.

A dial-up connection is the least expensive way to access the Internet, but it also slowest connection.

Techopedia Explains Dial-Up Connection

A dial-up connection is established when two or more communication devices use a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to connect to an Internet service provider (ISP).

Many remote areas depend on Internet dial-up connections because broadband and cable are rare in remote areas with low population numbers.

ISPs often provide free dial-up connections, a viable alternative for budget-conscious subscribers.

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Margaret Rouse

Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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