INTERNET SERVICES VIA CABLE TV NETWORK

INTRODUCTION

Internet is a network of networks in which various computers connect with each other throughout the world. The connection to other computers is possible with the help of the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Each Internet user depends on a dial-up connection to connect to the Internet. This has many disadvantages like very poor speed etc. To solve the problem, Internet data can be transferred through Cable networks wired to the user’s computer. Different types of connections used are Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN) connection, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connection and Internet via Cable networks. Various advantages are high availability, high bandwidth to low cost, high speed data access, always on connectivity etc.

Communication between computers is a major part of the PC computing Industry. Thanks to the World Wide Web (www), no computer user is an Island. Whether using a dialup modem or broad band technology, virtually all PCs can be connected to other computers, enabling them to share files, send and receiving email, and access the Internet.

With the explosive growth of the internet, modem and network technologies were joined because both could use the same client software and protocols. Today, the most popular suite of networking protocols –TCP/IP – is used on both Local Area Network (LANs) and the internet. When you dial into an Internet Service Protocol (ISP), you are actually connecting to a network using a modem instead of a network interface card, and when you use most broadband services, your path to the internet typically starts with a network interface card, built in network card, built in network port, network – to – USB adapter, or even a wireless connection.

Thanks to the combination of huge multi megabyte downloads needed to update software and support hardware, dynamics websites with music and full – motion videos and increased demand for online services, even the fastest dial up modem (such as mtn fastlink, starcomms, visafones etc) which can download at just 53kbps, isn’t sufficient for heavy internet use. More and More users are taking advantage of various types of broadband internet access solution. But the most preferred to me is the cable decoder internet access system.

For many users, cable modem service which piggybacks on the same cable TV service line that brings your TV many channels, represent both a big boost in speed from the available with ISDN and a major savings in initial cost and monthly charges which your subscription fee covers.

Cable Modem Services normally is sold as an “all you can eat” unlimited access plan with a modest installation cost (materials to buy to commence installation). Because more and more cable networks (such as DSTV, HITV, CTL and the most recent DAAR SAT) support a single standard, you can choose any of the decoders of all this cable TV providers to connect your system to the internet.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This work aims to achieve the following objectives:

1.                  To show various internet connection method.

2.                  To show the efficiency of the Cable Internet Access.

3.                  To show cable modem and Cable Modem Terminating System (CMTS).

MOTIVATIONS

The world of today needs and relies on quality information and the internet makes such possible. It cuts across the Educational system, Social activities, Sport, Entertainment, etc. Hence, the need of being connected to the internet is very essential. With the advancement of technology, it has been implemented that the cable TV device used in our homes, offices, etc. has frequencies that can serve as a channel station and a connection to the internet, hence, achieving Internet Access through Cable TV Network.  

Cable TV make use of what is called Broadband Network, meaning the bandwidth of the connection is Split to simultaneously carry Man signals at different frequencies, for data networking (Internet access) purposes, cable system typically allocates one channel worth of bandwidth which is used to access the Net.
That means you can convert your HITV, DSTV, CTL, MYSPACE etc decoder to a modem to access the Internet. You can also connect your laptops and desktops to browse the Internet at a speed between 6mbps and 8Mbps, over 100 times which are far better than any Dial up Connection e.g. Starcomms, Multilinks and others.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Have you been paying for your internet browsing, do you always have to buy “mb” to access the net? Are you tire of subscribing to ISP before you can access the internet or do you have to buy time in a cybercafé to do your browsing while you have your DSTV,HITV,CTL,MYSPACE etc. decoders at home only for watching the TV. Do you know you can use your decoder as a modem to access the internet No Hacking! No cheat! 100% compatible with 98% decoder and it’s a legitimate way of surfing the net so why not give it a try.

Accessing the internet with narrowband is slow compared to cable modem which is a broadband and very fast means to access the internet.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INTERNET

The Internet began as a network funded by the U.S. government to support projects within the government, at universities and research laboratories in the US, but grew over time to include most of the world's largest universities and the research arms of many technology companies, used by a wider audience only came in 1995 when restrictions on the use of the Internet to carry commercial traffic were lifted.

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 10Mbit/s and grew to support 100 and 1000Mbit/s, while modem data rates grew from 1200 and 2400 bit/s in the 1980s, to 28 and 56kbit/s by the mid to 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 (NASs) 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, subject only to limitations imposed by the lower data rates available using dial-up.

HOW DOES THE INTERNET WORKS

Even though the Internet is still a growing technology, it's hard to imagine life without it now. Every year, engineers create more devices to integrate with the Internet. This network of networks crisscrosses the globe and even extends into space. But what makes it work?

To understand the Internet, it helps to look at it as a system with two main components. The first of those components is hardware. That includes everything from the cables that carry terabits of information every second to the computer sitting in front of you.

Other types of hardware that supports the Internet include routers, servers, cell phone towers, satellites, radios, Smartphone and other devices. All these devices together create the network of networks. The Internet is a malleable system; it changes in little ways as elements joins and leaves networks around the world. Some of those elements may stay fairly static and make up the backbone of the Internet. Others are more peripheral. These elements are connections; some are end points (the computer, Smartphone or other device you're using to read this may count as one), we call those end points clients. Machines that store the information we seek on the Internet are servers, other elements are nodes which serve as a connecting point along a route of traffic and then there are the transmission lines which can be physical, as in the case of cables and fiber optics, or they can be wireless signals from satellites, cell phone or 4G towers, or radios.

All of this hardware would not create a network without the second component of the Internet: the protocols. Protocols are sets of rules that machines follow to complete tasks, without a common set of protocols that all machines connected to the Internet must follow, communication between devices could not be possible. The various machines would be unable to understand one another or even send information in a meaningful way. The protocols provide both the method and a common language for machines to use to transmit data.

INTERNET CONNECTIONS METHOD

While technology changes at a rapid pace, so do Internet connections. The connection speeds listed below is a general snapshot, representing general average to maximum speeds at the time of publication.

As technology grows, so does our need for bigger, better and faster Internet connections. Over the years the way content is presented via the Web has also changed drastically. Ten years ago being able to center, bold, and produce text in different colors on a webpage was something to admire.  Today, Flash, animations, online gaming, streaming HD video, database-driven websites, ecommerce and mobile applications—to name but a few—are standards.

The need for speed has changed the options available to consumers and businesses alike in terms of how and how fast we can connect to the Internet.  The connection speeds listed below represent a snapshot of general average to maximum speeds at the time of publication. This is no doubt will change over time and Internet connection speeds also vary between Internet Service Providers (ISP).

·         Broadband DSL/ADSL/VDSL

·         Wireless Network (Wimax, Wi-fi, EVDO, HSDPA and UMTS)

·         Dial-up

·         Satellite

·         Broadband Cable

·         T-1, T-3 Lease Lines

·         ISDN

Analog: Dial-up Internet Access

Also called dial-up access, an analog Internet connection is both economical and slow. Using a modem connected to your PC, users connect to the Internet when the computer dials a phone number (which is provided by your ISP) and connects to the network. Dial-up is an analog connection because data is sent over an analog, public-switched telephone network. The modem converts received analog data to digital and vice versa. Because dial-up access uses normal telephone lines the quality of the connection is not always good and data rates are limited. Typical Dial-up connection speeds range from 2400 bps to 56 Kbps. Today, analog has been widely replaced by broadband.

ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network

Integrated services digital network (ISDN) is an international communications standard for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone lines or normal telephone wires. Typical ISDN speeds range from 64 Kbps to 128 Kbps.

B-ISDN - Broadband ISDN

Broadband ISDN is similar in function to ISDN but it transfers data over fiber optic telephone lines, not normal telephone wires. SONET is the physical transport backbone of B-ISDN. Broadband ISDN has not been widely implemented.

DSL – Digital Subscriber Line

DSL is frequently referred to as an "always on" connection because it uses existing 2-wire copper telephone line connected to the premise so service is delivered simultaneously with wired telephone service --  it will not tie up your phone line as an analog dial-up connection does.  The two main categories of DSL for home subscribers are called ADSL and SDSL.  All types of DSL technologies are collectively referred to as xDSL.  xDSL connection speeds range from 128 Kbps to 9 Mbps.

ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line

ADSL is the most commonly deployed types of DSL in North America. Short for asymmetric digital subscriber line ADSL supports data rates of from 1.5 to 9 Mbps when receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16 to 640 Kbps when sending data (known as the upstream rate). ADSL requires a special ADSL modem.

SDSL - Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line

Short for symmetric digital subscriber line, SDSL is a technology that allows more data to be sent over existing copper telephone lines (POTS). SDSL supports data rates up to 3 Mbps. SDSL works by sending digital pulses in the high-frequency area of telephone wires and cannot operate simultaneously with voice connections over the same wires. SDSL requires a special SDSL modem. SDSL is called symmetric because it supports the same data rates for upstream and downstream traffic.

VDSL - Very High DSL

Very High DSL (VDSL) is a DSL technology that offers fast data rates over relatively short distances — the shorter the distance, the faster the connection rate.

Cable - Broadband Internet Connection

Through the use of a cable modem you can have a broadband Internet connection that is designed to operate over cable TV lines. Cable Internet works by using TV channel space for data transmission, with certain channels used for downstream transmission, and other channels for upstream transmission. Because the coaxial cable used by cable TV provides much greater bandwidth than telephone lines, a cable modem can be used to achieve extremely fast access.  Cable providers typically implement a cap to limit capacity and accommodate more customers. Cable speeds range from 512 Kbps to 20 Mbps.

Wireless Internet Connections

Wireless Internet or wireless broadband is one of the newest Internet connection types. Instead of using telephone or cable networks for your Internet connection, you use radio frequency bands. Wireless Internet provides an always-on connection which can be accessed from anywhere — as long as you geographically within a network coverage area. Wireless access is still considered to be relatively new, and it may be difficult to find a wireless service provider in some areas. It is typically more expensive and mainly available in metropolitan areas.

T-1 Lines – Leased Line

T-1 lines are a popular leased line option for businesses connecting to the Internet and for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) connecting to the Internet backbone. It is a dedicated phone connection supporting data rates of 1.544Mbps.  A T-1 line actually consists of 24 individual channels, each of which supports 64Kbits per second. Each 64Kbit/second channel can be configured to carry voice or data traffic. Most telephone companies allow you to buy just one or some of these individual channels. This is known as fractional T-1access. T-1 Lines support speeds of 1.544 Mbps. Fractional T-1 speeds are 64 Kbps per channel (up to 1.544 Mbps), depending on number of leased channels.

Bonded T-1

A bonded T-1is two or more T-1 lines that have been joined (bonded) together to increase bandwidth, where a single T-1 provides approximately 1.5Mbps, two bonded T1s provide 3Mbps or 46 channels for voice or data. Two bonded T-1s allow you to use the full bandwidth of 3Mbps where two individual T-1s can still only use a maximum of 1.5Mbps at one time. To be bonded the T-1 must run into the same router at the end, meaning they must run to the same ISP.  Typical Bonded T-1 (two bonded T-1 lines) speed is around 3 Mbps.

T-3 Lines – Dedicated Leased Line

T-3 lines are dedicated phone connections supporting data rates of about 43 to 45 Mbps. It too is a popular leased line option. A T-3 line actually consists of 672 individual channels, each of which supports 64 Kbps. T-3 lines are used mainly by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) connecting to the Internet backbone and for the backbone itself. Typical T-3 supports speeds ranging from 43 to 45 Mbps.

OC3 - Optical Carrier

Short for Optical Carrier, level 3 it is used to specify the speed of fiber optic networks conforming to the SONET standard. OC3 is typically used as a fiber optic backbone for large networks with large voice, data, video, and traffic needs. Speeds are 155.52 Mbps, or roughly the speed of 100 T1 lines.

Internet over Satellite

Internet over Satellite (IoS) allows a user to access the Internet via a satellite that orbits the earth. A satellite is placed at a static point above the earth's surface, in a fixed position. Because of the enormous distances signals must travel from the earth up to the satellite and back again, IoS is slightly slower than high-speed terrestrial connections over copper or fiber optic cables. Typical Internet over satellite connection speeds (standard IP services) average around 492 up to 512 Kbps.

CABLE INTERNET ACCESS

In telecommunications, cable internet access, often shortened to cable internet or simply cable, is a form of broadband Internet access that uses the cable television infrastructure. Like digital subscriber line and fiber to the premises services, cable Internet access provides network edge connectivity (last mile access) from the Internet Service Provider to an end user. It is integrated into the cable television infrastructure analogously to Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) which uses the existing telephone network. Cable TV networks and telecommunications networks are the two predominant forms of residential Internet access. Recently, both have seen increased competition from fiber deployments, wireless, and mobile networks.

Broadband cable Internet access requires a cable modem at the customer's premises and a cable modem termination system at a cable operator’s facility, typically called a cable television head-end. The two are connected via coaxial cable or a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) plant. The cable company then connects to the Internet using a variety of means usually fiber optic cable or digital satellite and microwave transmissions. Like Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), broadband cable provides a continuous connection with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).While access networks are sometimes referred to as last-mile technologies, cable internet systems can typically operate where the distance between the modem and the termination system is up to 100 miles (160 km). If the Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) network is large, the cable modem termination system can be grouped into hubs for efficient management.

Downstream, the direction toward the user, bit rates can be as much as 400Mbps for business connections, and 100Mbps for residential service in some countries. Upstream traffic, originating at the user, ranges from 384Kbps to more than 20Mbps. One downstream channel can handle hundreds of cable modems. As the system grows, the Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) can be upgraded with more downstream and upstream ports and grouped into hubs for efficient management.

WHAT DOES A CABLE TV SYSTEM HAVE TO DO WITH THE INTERNET?

As Cable Companies began to proliferate and expand, they began to recognize that they could provide services in addition to TV signal. Many began to offer telephone services which of course they were able to do relatively easily because they already had a connection running into premises. In this respect they were competing with traditional telephone companies who also had a connection into premises. The recent spectacular growth of the Internet offers Cable Companies a further opportunity particularly since they can connect a user to the Internet at much faster speed. Anyone who uses the Internet knows that the faster the speed of access, the more useful and enjoyable the experience. Conversely, slow access can discourage frequent use and even deter it. Some Cable Companies spotted the now obvious opportunity if (i) they could provide Internet access and (ii) if they could provide faster speed.

When already connected to a cable system for Cable channels, you will only have to determine if your cable operator offers Internet access and what their rates are.

Cable TV Network is made up of coaxial cable lines that bring television signals to TV.

Each television channel is given a 6-megahertz channel on the cable.

Cable TV Networks are high bandwidth networks i.e. 550 to 750 MHz by their very nature of design.

These networks were traditionally built as one way networks carrying 60-100 Cable TV channels downstream i.e. from Head end to the Subscriber.

WORKING OF CABLE INTERNET

Internet over cable is a technology and service that uses the existing cable TV networks to bring Internet data to PC at a very high speed.

Instead of getting an Internet connection through your telephone wire, you get a connection through your cable network (the same place your cable TV Connection comes from).

Internet delivery over Cable TV requires a two-way network since information of selected website, etc. has to be transmitted to the Head end, from where it would be directed to the website of interest.

Higher frequencies flow toward the subscriber and the lower frequencies go in the other direction.

The television and the Internet transmission take place simultaneously on the same cable but at different frequencies.

	Figure1: Upstream and Downstream channels Source: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/how does the internet works

 

This allows the user to view TV and access Internet at the same time.

When a cable company offers Internet access over the cable, Internet information can use the same cables because the cable modem system puts downstream data (data sent from the Internet to an individual computer) into a 6-MHz channel. On the cable, the data looks just like a TV channel. So Internet downstream data takes up the same amount of cable space as any single channel of programming.  One downstream channel can handle hundreds of cable modems. Upstream data (information sent from an individual back to the Internet) requires even less of the cable's bandwidth, just 2 MHz, since the assumption is that most people download far more information than they upload.

Hence setting up of a robust two-way Cable TV network is the first requisite before deploying Cable Modems on a Cable TV network. This is done by upgrades to the amplifiers in the cable distribution network etc.

CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS AND OVERVIEW

Connection Requirements:

·          SPLITTER

·          Cable Modem at the customer end

·         Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) at the cable provider's end

·          RJ – 45 NIC Cable

·          Ethernet Cable

·          Router(WIRELESS OR WIRED if you intend to use more than one pc)

·          DECODER (mytv, hitv, dstv, daarsat etc.)

·          Coaxial to RJ-45 converter or adapter

·          COAXIAL CABLES

Overview

·          SPLITTER

§  There are many types of Satellite Decoder Splitter, you buy your favorite at the shops where it’s been sold what do we use the Splitter for? This enables you to create a parallel connection for the coaxial cable (this is the cable that is used to connect your decoder to the TV and as well as the decoder to the Dish hanged outside). The splitter will share the signal that comes from the dish outside between the TV and the Router cable modem, which will convert the signal to an internet signal

 

                                                                                                                              

·         CABLE MODEM

§  Definition of a Cable Modem: A cable modem is a device that delivers high-speed Internet connectivity via a cable television company which serves as the Internet service provider (ISP). A cable modem requires a subscription to cable Internet service, and will not function by simply

§  For Cable Internet access on PC, a Cable Modem is required at user’s end.

§  A cable modem is an external device that connects to the computer to provide high-speed data access via cable TV networks.

§  It has two connections; one to the TV cable wire and the other to a computer.

§  A Cable Modem sends and receives data to and from the Internet by using the existing coaxial cable network.

§  The modem translates cable signals the same way a telephone modem translates signals from a telephone line.

§  Cable modems translate radio frequency (RF) signals to and from the cable plant into Internet Protocol (IP), the communications protocol spoken by all computers connected to the Internet.

§  At the customer premise, a high quality two way splitter is installed on the Cable TV line, with one output connected to the Cable Modem and the second output connected to the TV.

§  Tuner: The tuner will contain a diplexer, which allows the tuner to make use of one set of frequencies (generally between 42 and 850 MHz) for downstream traffic, and another set of frequencies (between 5 and 42 MHz) for the upstream data.

§  Demodulator:

§  The most common demodulators have four functions.

§  A Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) demodulator takes a radio-frequency signal that has had information encoded in it by varying both the amplitude and phase of the wave, and turns it into a simple signal that can be processed by the analog-to-digital (A/D) converter.

§  The A/D converter takes the signal, which varies in voltage, and turns it into a series of digital 1s and 0s.

§  An Error correction module then checks the received information against a known standard, so that problems in transmission can be found and fixed.

§  MPEG Synchroniser: The network frames, or groups of data, are in MPEG format, so an MPEG synchronizer is used to make sure the data groups stay in line and in order.

§  Modulator:

§  In cable modems that use the cable system for upstream traffic, a modulator is used to convert the digital computer network data into radio-frequency signals for transmission. It consists of:

§  A section to insert information used for error correction on the receiving end

§  A QAM modulator

§  A digital-to-analog (D/A) converter

§  MAC:

§  The MAC sits between the upstream and downstream portions of the cable modem, and acts as the interface between the hardware and software portions of the various network protocols. All computer network devices have MACs.

§  CPU:

§  In the case of a cable modem the tasks are more complex than those of a normal network interface card. For this reason, in most cases, some of the MAC functions will be assigned to central processing unit (CPU).

Figure 3: Cable Modem and it Components (external and internal) Source: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cable-modem.html

                                                                                                        

·        Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS)

§  The Internet signals are in the digital domain and these need to be interfaced to the Analog Cable TV Network. This interface is termed Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) and typically serves 2000 – 3000 Cable Modems and is connected to a high-speed data link. A typical CMTS consists of an Input interface, Router, Cable Modem card and a powerful Microprocessor. 

§  At the cable provider's head-end, the CMTS provides many of the same functions provided by the DSLAM in a DSL system.

§  The CMTS takes the traffic coming in from a group of customers on a single channel and routes it to an Internet service provider (ISP) for connection to the Internet.

§  At the head-end, the cable providers will have, or lease space for a third-party ISP to have, servers for accounting and logging, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for assigning and administering the IP addresses of all the cable system's users.

§  The downstream information flows to all connected users, just like in an Ethernet network -- it's up to the individual network connection to decide whether a particular block of data is intended for it or not.

§  On the upstream side, information is sent from the user to the CMTS -- other users don't see that data at all. The narrower upstream bandwidth is divided into slices of time, measured in milliseconds, in which users can transmit one "burst" at a time to the Internet. The division by time works well for the very short commands, queries and addresses that form the bulk of most users' traffic back to the Internet.

§  A CMTS will enable as many as 1,000 users to connect to the Internet through a single 6-MHz channel. Since a single channel is capable of 30 to 40 megabits per second (Mbps) of total throughput, this means that users may see far better performance than is available with standard dial-up modems.

§  As the system grows, the CMTS can be upgraded with more downstream and upstream ports.

	Figure 4: Cable Modem Termination System Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_modem_termination_system

 

·         Ethernet Cable/RJ – 45 NIC Cable

§  This is a typical networking cable which we will use to network all the network devices that we have listed above such as the Router (Cable Modem), we will use it to make a connection from the Router to the computer to transmit internet.

§  Ethernet cables connect network devices such as modems, routers, and adapters. They transmit data using the Ethernet protocol. Most Ethernet cables have RJ-45 jacks on both ends, each with 8 pins. (They look similar to telephone jacks, which use 4 pins or 6 pins.)

§  Equipment using an Ethernet cable is referred to as wired.

§  Wireless equipment uses radio waves in place of some (or all) Ethernet cables. A network device that uses both Ethernet and wireless connections is usually called just wireless.

 

                                                

·        Router

§  A router is used to transmit internet to more than 1 computer system on a network setup, this enables you to network your connection to other system (PCs). This is also known as cable modem.

§   The connection runs the incoming cable connection to an external cable modem, which has an Ethernet connection to a router, which then connects

·          DECODER

§  A decoder is a device which is used to decode the satellite signal receive from the satellite dish into a video, the decoded signal converted into video is what we receive on our TV, The purpose of we connecting to the internet with a decoder is to convert your decoder to a Modem, a cable decoders is a modem because it modulates and demodulates, but it also functions as a tuner, a network bridge, an encryptor etc.

§  To connect your PC or laptop to a decoder to access the net, you do not use a serial port as with dialup modem.

·          COAXIAL CABLES

§  This connect the decoder to the splitter and one end of the cable goes into the TV while the other end goes to the WAN port of the router (Linksys Router)

§  Things to take Note before buying all the equipments required for setup:

§  Recommendable a router between a cable modem and a PC because a router not only allows more than one PC to be connected, but also provides a robust hardware firewall that helps shield your PC(s) connected to it from internet – based attacks.

§  You can directly connect PCs to a cable decoder using USB; I do not recommend that option because it precludes using a router (cable modem)

§  Some cable modems have a built – in router, in which case you don’t need to purchase a separate one. If your computer doesn’t include an Ethernet adapter built into the motherboard or a separate Ethernet card, you can install an Ethernet card into an available internal expansion slot or use a USB – based Ethernet adapter instead.

§  The cable modem connects to the CATV network using the same coaxial cable connection as your cable TV.

THE STEPS TO CONNECTION

Step 1

Headend: CMTS (Cable Modem Termination System)

One Headend supports @ 2000 Cable Modem Users on a single TV Channel

CMTS interfaces the CATV network to the Internet

CMTS output channel combined with TV video signals

CATV Network to Subscriber via coaxial cable

 

Step 3

Coaxial Cable cord, Splitter Port

Connect the coaxial cable from your dish to your satellite decoder splitter (i.e. the “in” part) and then connect one cable from the first “out” port to your decoder and the one from the second port to your Linksys modem; the cable can be purchased from any shop where they sell cable decoder while one of the other coaxial cable cords is connected to your television to watch satellite stations.

Step 4

Coaxial Cable cord, LINKSYS ROUTER

Connect the second Coaxial cable cord from the splitter to WAN port of your router (Linksys Router)

Step 5

Coaxial Cable cord

If your cable modem does not have an inbuilt router facility, you will need to connect your cable Modem to the CATV network of your router using the same coaxial cable connection as your TV, but might need to convert it

Step 6

Ethernet Cable, LINKSYS ROUTER

Connect the Ethernet Cable from the router to your computer system, which can stand as a client if you are using only one computer or server if you are networking more than one system, make sure that your computer has an inbuilt Ethernet adapter on the Motherboard or a separate Ethernet card, you can also install an Ethernet Card into an available internal expansion slot or you can alternatively use a USB – Based Ethernet Adapter instead. In our connection we use a USB –based Ethernet adapter on HITV Decoder

Step 7

LINKSYS ROUTER, RJ -45 Cable

At the back of the Linksys Router there are several ports, port 1 – 4 Stand as the LAN(Local Area Network) Port which can be used to connect 1 -4 CPU to the router with an RJ -45NIC Cable, in most cases the cables comes with the router when you purchase it. Connect 1 -4 CPU to the LAN Port of the router with your RJ -45 Cables, please don’t mistake it with the Ethernet cable, as is only to be used to connect the computer which is the server to the Router for network routing and also note that each of the CPU that connect to the Router LAN Port with the help of RJ-45 must have an inbuilt Network card install in them, while the server should have an Ethernet card adapter install on the board as mentioned earlier.

Step 8

The fifth port of the Linksys Router which stand as the WAN Port (Wireless Access Network) Connect the second coaxial cable that comes from the splitter to the WAN Port of the Router, but note that you need a converter which is an adapter that convert the coaxial cable to RJ -45 cable since the Router WAN port does not have a direct port for a coaxial cable

Step 9: The sixth port of the Linksys Router which is called the Uplink Port, the port can be connected to a Hub or a Switch to enable additional users or computers within the network range to share with the internet of your decoder via wireless access

 

                                                

	Fig 7: The Connection Setup

 

NEXT IS SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

1.      Start up your computer that we call the server, and click on the start button and then click on control panel

2.      Click on Network connection from the control panel tab

3.      Click on Create a new Network connection from the Network Connection from the control panel tab

4.      Select the Connect to the Internet Radio button and then click on Next button

5.      Select the Choose from the list of Internet Service providers [ISPs] radio button and click on Next button

6.      Finally Click on Finish button, then the connection will then come up

7.      Open up your Internet Browser and start browsing

Browsers Compatibility:

• Internet Explorer
• Google Chrome
• Opera
• Firefox

And much more…

Operating System Compatibility:

·        Windows Operating System  and Linux Operating System

What can this Internet Technology be used for?

• Personal Usage
• Group Usage in an Organization or Company
• Cyber Café
• Business Center for Email Service and Internet Calls

Benefits of using this Technology:

• Pay only monthly subscription for your cable TV and it covers the Internet Bill
• Browse with a very fast internet speed of 4mbs download speed
• Connect large number of Computer systems with the help of a Network devices
• Connection and configuration is simple and easy
• You can watch Cable TV while browsing the internet at the same time without conflicts
• No downtime for internet connection except if your subscription as elapsed, or one of the connection devices gets faulty
• You can buy two decoders to setup a mini cyber café and cable TV football center at the same time.
• No new software is required.
• Unlike ADSL, its performance doesn't depend on distance from the central cable office.

DISAVANTAGES OF USING THIS TECHNOLOGY

—  Bandwidth is shared over the same cable line. Connection speed is affected by the number of people using the internet at the same time in your neighbourhood.

—   Higher security risk than dialup (personal firewall is needed).

—   Not available to all cable TV networks.

—   Usually tied with cable TV subscription.

ANSWER TO SOME QUESTIONS!

QUESTIONS	ANSWER
How much can i get all this Material?	The Cable Modem cost N25, 000.             Splitter cost N3, 500, Apart from this Two, The Price for Others are just Peanut, But in a good estimate N30, 000 is ok.
What Kind of Decoder can I Use?	Well, I have Tried many Decoders and             almost all work either Strong or any, they all work.
Where can we Get the Materials?	You can get any of the Materials @ Computer Village, Ikeja. For those outside Lagos, You can ask for it in your computer stores.
Can I Make Use of Free to Air Decoder?	Yes Free to Air Decoder work smoothly and perfect.
Table 1   Can We use Startimes Or GoTv Decoder?	No, Startimes/GoTv Decoders those not make use of Broadband Technology, So it’s automatically out of it.

Limitations

v Cable connections are not available in every neighbourhood.

v All Cable Companies may not provide Internet access.

v It requires two-way data transfer. So cable equipment needs to be changed.

v ‘Always on’ feature, one needs a firewall and activation of other security features.

v Cable modems connected to the head-end equipment at the cable company are like your computer being connected to a LAN hub. When using a single Ethernet card, this results in other people on your branch of the network being able to 'see' data passing to your computer.

CONCLUSION

Cable Internet access is the principal competitor to DSL and is offered at a range of prices and speeds overlapping that of DSL.

Cable TV has a strong reach to the homes and therefore offering the Internet through cable is a scope for furthering the growth of internet usage in the homes.

The cable is an alternative medium for delivering the Internet Services; there are millions of homes with cable modems, enabling the high-speed internet access over cable.

Cable TV networks solve problems that occur in case of telephone lines for internet access. Feasible if certain basic requirements-two way cable network and better-quality cables are met. The cable TV networks as an alternative is worth considering

REFERENCES

http://www.steves-internet-guide.com/connect-methods

http://www.tipstut.com/3-methods-of-accessing-the-internet-without-dsl-internet-connection

http://www.naijaloaded.com/tutorial/viewtutorial.php?v_id=279&page=1&browse-free-using-your-dstv-hitv-daarsat-decoder-as-a-modem-for-free-8mbps

Horak, R (2008).Telecommunications and Data Communications Handbook.2nd edition.Wiley-Interscience.p. 791 ISBN 0-470-39607-5

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cable-modem.htm.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/how does the internet works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/broadband.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_Internet_access

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_modem_termination_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Access

http://www.seminarprojects.com/Thread-internet-access-via-TV-cable-network

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cable-modem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_modem_termination_system

http://www.hathway.com/brodband/prod_broadband_faq3.asp www.seminarsonly.com/.../Internet%20Access%20via%20Cable%20TV%20Network.ph

http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/internet_connection_types.asp

GLOSSARY
Access Point - A device that allows wireless-equipped computers and other devices to communicate with a wired network. Also used to expand the range of a wireless network.

Ad-hoc - A group of wireless devices communicating directly with each other (peer-to-peer) without the use of an access point.

AES - (Advanced Encryption Standard) - A security method that uses symmetric 128-bit block data encryption.

Bandwidth - The transmission capacity of a given device or network.

Bit - A binary digit.

Boot - To start a device and cause it to start executing instructions. Broadband - An always-on, fast Internet connection.

Browser - An application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.

Byte - A unit of data that is usually eight bits long.

Cable Modem - A device that connects a computer to the cable television network, which in turn connects to the Internet.

Daisy Chain - A method used to connect devices in a series, one after the other.

DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System) - Allows the hosting of a website, FTP server, or e-mail server with a fixed domain name (e.g., www.xyz.com) and a dynamic IP address.

Default Gateway - A device that forwards Internet traffic from your local area network.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - A networking protocol that allows administrators to assign temporary IP addresses to network computers by “leasing” an IP address to a user for a limited amount of time, instead of assigning permanent IP addresses.

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) - Removes the Router's firewall protection from one PC, allowing it to be “seen” from the Internet.

DNS (Domain Name Server) - The IP address of your ISP's server, which translates the names of websites into IP addresses.

Domain - A specific name for a network of computers.

Download - To receive a file transmitted over a network.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - An always-on broadband connection over traditional phone lines.

Dynamic IP Address - A temporary IP address assigned by a DHCP server.

EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) - A general authentication protocol used to control network access. Many specific authentication methods work within this framework.

Encryption - Encoding data transmitted in a network.

Ethernet - IEEE standard network protocol that specifies how data is placed on and retrieved from a common transmission medium.

Firewall - A set of related programs located at a network gateway server that protects the resources of a network from users from other networks.

Firmware - The programming code that runs a networking device.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - A protocol used to transfer files over a TCP/IP network.
Full Duplex - The ability of a networking device to receive and transmit data simultaneously.

Gateway - A device that interconnects networks with different, incompatible communications protocols.

RJ-45 (Registered Jack-45) - An Ethernet connector that holds up to eight wires.

Roaming - The ability to take a wireless device from one access point's range to another without losing the connection.

Router - A networking device that connects multiple networks together.
Server - Any computer whose function in a network is to provide user access to files, printing, communications, and other services.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) - The standard e-mail protocol on the Internet.

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) - A widely used network monitoring and control protocol.

SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) Firewall - A technology that inspects incoming packets of information before allowing them to enter the network.

SSID (Service Set Identifier) - Your wireless network's name.
Static IP Address - A fixed address assigned to a computer or device that is connected to a network. Static Routing - Forwarding data in a network via a fixed path.
Subnet Mask - An address code that determines the size of the network.

Switch - 1. A data switch that connects computing devices to host computers, allowing a large number of devices to share a limited number of ports. 2. A device for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electrical circuit.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) - A network protocol for transmitting data that requires acknowledgement from the recipient of data sent.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) - A set of instructions PCs use to communicate over a network.

Telnet - A user command and TCP/IP protocol used for accessing remote PCs.

TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) - A version of the TCP/IP FTP protocol that has no directory or password capability.

Throughput - The amount of data moved successfully from one node to another in a given time period.

TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) - a wireless encryption protocol that provides dynamic encryption keys for each packet transmitted.

Topology - The physical layout of a network.

TX Rate - Transmission Rate.

Upgrade - To replace existing software or firmware with a newer version.

Upload - To transmit a file over a network.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - The address of a file located on the Internet.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) - A security measure to protect data as it leaves one network and goes to another over the Internet.

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) - A method of encrypting network data transmitted on a wireless network for greater security.