Current Trends in Networking: Technologies and Connectivity Options

This report provides an analysis of current networking trends and technologies, focusing on the challenges of internet connectivity on North Ronaldsay Island. The report begins with a geographical overview of the island and its current internet infrastructure, highlighting the limitations of existing dial-up and SHEFA-2 connections. It then explores alternative technologies like cable internet, DSL, 3G/4G wireless, satellite internet, and fiber optics, evaluating their speeds, costs, advantages, and disadvantages. The analysis considers the specific needs of the island, including the importance of tourism and e-commerce, and recommends potential solutions to improve high-speed and reliable internet access. The report considers the speed, cost, and technical aspects of each technology, offering insights into their suitability for different use cases.

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North Ronaldsay Geographical Information
The North Ronaldsay is an island that is part of Orkney archipelago which is in Scotland,
it is made of 691 hectares of land and among the other islands that forms Orkney archipelago.
However this island is in the northern part of the Orkney archipelago and it is number
fourteen in terms of size of the other island.
In this island there are various economic activities carried out which includes the farming
and fishing ,however the island has many tourists attraction features that attracts the tourists who
comes to the country during the holiday seasons ,the locals and the visitors come to see the
traditions and culture.
The island economy as it also depends on the tourism it has poor network connections
since the technology used is slow and not reliable ,this limits the ability of the visitors to book to
tour the country hence there is need to install a better internet connection to enable efficient
connectivity in the entire island.
Geographically this island is located in the map in longitude 59.371925, and latitude -
2.416359 as in the below maps:
North Ronaldsay

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Orkney archipelago
Current Available Internet Connection In The North Ronaldsay Island
The North Ronaldsay Island is facing some challenges with the current connections of
internet , this is because of the low access speed and the reliability of the internet connectivity .
However the available internet connection is through two technology which are not very
reliable ,however these two technologies includes the following:
Modern High Speed Links Via SHEFA-2
This is type of the technology that had been adopted to supply the internet services to some
part of the island, however this area is highly populated and hence it is not reliable due to its
variable nature.
However the SHEFA-2 is a type of communications cables that that are transmitted below the
sea and it connects the mainland and the Scotland through the North Isles, this internet
connection was succeeded by another technology called SHEFA-1 which was linked through
same routes.

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Dial-Up Links.
The dial-up link is another technology used to connect the island to the internet however, this
technology currently is quite obsolete and out of date.
However this is the technology that has connected the most remote parts of the island and the
mainland too where those area receive poor connection while others don’t get internet
completely.
This dial-up connection is a connection that requires one to use the a phone line in order to
establish connection with any server or hubs ,therefore to be able to communicate the users are
required to make dial-up ,however the users will be required to be always have a modem device
always in order to establish the internet connection .
Below are some of the major challenges caused by the dial-up internet connection as
discussed below:
i. Low connectivity speed.
The low speed is one of the major shortcoming in the dial-up connections, this is because the
number of bits transmitted per second are very little as 57000 byte for each second however this
is the lowest speed compared to any other technology available .
The loading speed is the most discouraging to the users since they don’t get access to any
information needed online.
ii. Instability in dial-ups connections.
There are some of the activity online that demands for a very stable source of internet
connection which includes streaming data live online or uploading large files ,however in some
places which need to connect the landline telephony are discouraged by the low speed
connections.
Among other activities that need high internet are the downloading, the calling process
among others.
iii. Demands a Phone Line
The dial-up connection is dependent on a mobile phone line , this line is used to do dialling
to enable internet connection ,therefore the internet is limited compared to other advanced

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technologies ,however this dial-up limits the users only to use internet only if they are accessing
from the internet service providers of that line,
However in case one is using the laptop he cannot move as he surf until he get the
destinations unless the laptop is installed with a wireless cards.
iv. There is engagement of the Phone Routes.
This is a situation where the landline phone was being used and therefore in case there are
calls there is a certain line that is engaged or termed to be busy this is in case there are some data
are being transmitted and therefore no other activity can be done until the process is fully
completed therefore it limit the user from sufficient supply to internet connection
Options Available To Provide High Speed And Reliable Internet Connections
The north Ronaldsay island having a number of challenges to connect to the internet there
are various challenges that is associated with where the visitors could not book online to visit as
tourists ,the online business also become a challenge together with the e-commerce transactions
(Robert ,2015).
. However there are a number of new technologies that can be adopted to install
better internet services and improve service to the people residing in the island, the following are
the alternative technologies that could be used instead to provide the internet services.
i. Cables Internet

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The cable is one of the technology used to supply the internet this is also referred to as
the TV cables internet ,this cable is mainly used in urbanized areas .
The TV cable has a capability to supply the internet connection at a relative speed of up
to 30 Mbps to 100 Mbps.These cable can be supplied by the television providers however the
only limit is the sharing of the internet among the nearby people and therefore the strength of the
internet declines as the number of users increases.
However to use this internet one requires to have the modem and a line which is
connected to the houses or through the TV cables that eventually supply house with internet
connection.
Below are some relative properties of the TV cables:
Speed
i. The Downward speed ranges between 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
ii. The rising up speed ranges between 2Mbps to 8 Mbps.
iii. The Latency level can be ranging between 150 ms to 500 ms according to the locations
Cost
i. The users require to pay $25 to $90 each month and then initial installation charges.
Advantages
1. The Cables internet provide the most fast internet connection for a long period.
2. It is appropriate when sharing some files ,downloading or even streaming some movies
online.
3. This is a better while using games since the latency is low.
4. It is most appropriate for many users like families since the computers can user one
shared cable.
5. The TV cable use is appropriate while using the TV ,and the VOIP telephones .

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Disadvantages.
1. These modems are likely to be quirky in some instances.
2. In case one need much downloads a booster is required to be installed which is more
expensive.
3. There are some cases where the games latencies tend to be busy compared to the
Bandwidth.
4. The internet connected will be shared to the nearby people and it lowers your speed
incase they do downloads.
ii. Digital Subscriber Line
The DSL is another technology that is used ,however there are three forms of DSL which
varies in terms of speed of the internet which includes : ADSL, ADSL2+, and VDSL2.
However after the Cable internet the DSL is a very good internet connection
technology ,this technology utilizes the telephone line in the respective premises.
The DSL provides internet with dialing speed of approximately 8 Mbps to 15 Mbps
which is quite enough for simple internet use and while using the games ,however to install these
technology one will install a modem and a single micro-filter.

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However below are some of the properties of the DSL internet connection.
Speed
i. The Downward speed ranges between 1.5 to 15 Mbps.
ii. The rising up speed ranges between 128 kbps to 1.0 Mbps.
iii. The Latency level can be ranging between 75 ms to 400 ms according to the locations
Cost
i. The users require to pay $35 to $50 each month and then initial installation charges.
Advantages
1. This is used conveniently by the user with subscribed telephone lines.
2. It is made more accessible in the remote and rural places compared with cables.
3. The bandwidth is not shared among neighbors and hence speed remains constant all
through.
4. It’s very appropriate to be used by those who play computer games online.
Disadvantages.
1. The ADSL is said to be slow compared to cables internet connection.
2. It is not very appropriate for heavy duties like to share and download files.
3. There is limitation of number of users and hence not appropriate for the group or family
members.

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iii. 3G/4G Wireless telephone phone internet connection.
This is a third option of internet connection which is most recommended for users who
are in the urban areas, however it is also ideal for those who travel or are in rural areas.
The introduction of the 4G and HSPA+ technologies makes things better since more that
100mbps are provided over a period of years ,therefore according to the current trend the 4G
seems to be the best internet connection as it is wireless too.
The 3G and 4G wireless connection required phones ,where the internet connection uses
the telephone tower and the telephone signals in order to supply the internet connections.
However these technologies are slow than the DSL although it is appropriate while using
the laptop devices where one need to link the modem to the USB ports.
Speed
i. The Downward speed ranges between 0.4 to 50 Mbps.
ii. The rising up speed ranges between 0.2 to 6 Mbps.
iii. The Latency level can be ranging between 250 ms to 800 ms according to the locations
Cost
i. The users require to pay $30 to $110 each month and then initial installation charges.

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Advantage.
1. This technology can be very good for those travelling, ate work, and residents of rural
areas.
2. It is more convenience to use it as you don’t rely on another internet source while moving
around the area.
3. The downloading speed in any 4G is approximately 21Mbps or beyond.
4. There is hopes that the 4G can supply a download speed of up to 100 Mbps or more.
Disadvantages.
1. It is quite expensive where it can cost between $30 to $120 monthly.
2. The signals received strength can vary if the distance between the cell phone and the
tower is changing.
3. If the subscription is the lower grade the internet speed is quite slow and can end up
frustrating users.
4. The number of users is limited as only one user is allowed at any given time hence many
machines cannot be used .
iv. Satellite Internet

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This is an expensive internet connection technology ,however it is most appropriate
incase one is located in a very remote place ,the only limitation is that it cannot allow file sharing
or mail sending ,however to use file sharing services one require to subscribe the full two way
connections although it is expensive (Devin, 2014).
The cost incurred to install satellite dish requires approximately $1000, where one require
to do monthly subscriptions of about $100 to $250 .
Speed
i. The Downward speed ranges between 0.5 to 1 Mbps.
ii. The rising up speed ranges between 0.1 to 1 Mbps.
iii. The Latency level can be ranging between 800 ms to 2500 ms according to the locations
Cost
i. The users require to pay$100 to $250 each month ,$300 to $1000 to buy satellites dish
and then initial installation charges.
Advantages .
 It is the best for internet connection in remote areas.
Disadvantages.
 The internet is quite slow with latency of 800 milliseconds.
 It is costly during the installation and while subscribing.
v. Fiber optics service
This is the modern internet connection that uses the optic media; this technology employs the
principal of light
The are various providers of the optic cable internet connection where its speed is ranging
between 300 Mbps to download and 65 Mbps for uploads. Below are some advantages of Fiber
cables.