Connections to the Future: Net Access Gets Faster, While Networking Goes Wireless.(Technology Information)

When it comes to the wires and connections that link users and networks, things are changing slowly, but they are changing nonetheless. The evolution of 56Kbps modems and ISDN, cable, and satellite links promises a new age of lower-priced, broader-bandwidth pipelines to the Internet and between peers. The future holds paths with the potential for near-instantaneous downloads, true multimedia applications distributed across networks, and push technology that won't drive you to push back.

Meanwhile, new wireless technologies are allowing remote users to link up to anything, from anywhere, anytime--and conventional wired LANs are reaching speeds that make classic 10Mbps Ethernet seem snaillike.

However, these options are not all created equal. To plan for the future, you'll need to understand the costs and trade-offs involved in picking one technology over another; that is, know the state of the art today and what it'll be later in 1998.

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