Need for Speed July 14, 2009
Posted by joedob in general.add a comment
“No matter how fast you go, it’s NEVER fast enough“
Truer words were never spoken when dealing with computers. This fact has become painfully obvious over the past few weeks. It has always been true that when a new system or processor is announced, it’s always faster, sleeker, and more powerful than it’s predecessor. Now, with the advent of FiOS, DSL, & cable, and 1GB network cards, communication speeds have reached lightning speed.
Now, in an effort to save money in these budget tightening times, I recently took a look at our company network costs & found they were astonomical. (Thanks AT&T) After much research, I found that replacing our existing T1 lines with a hodge-podge of protocols, I could save about $5000 per month. Elated with these new found savings, I immediately began the daunting task of throwing out the old, & bringing in the new. But a funny by-product of today’s techonology quickly became apparent… The new network runs SIGNIFICANTLY faster.
In it’s day, T1 lines were the fastest thing around, & it was with great pride that I bragged to all that would listen about our state of the art network technology. As time passed, & we added more drops to our network, things slowed down, not dramatically, but enough. Advances quietly occurred, & soon, our hi-tech lines were as antiquated as their owner. So now, we have the latest new, bright & shiny technology.
However, the improvements came with a price. I now find myself impatiently waiting at home during my web surfing escapades, cursing at the snail-like downloads I’m suffering through. My company is advancing into the 21st century, while I’m locked in last millenia’s “2 cups & a string” at home.
Someday, FiOS will be available in my home area. Until then, as the infamous commercial goes, I’ll be waiting while my internet connection is “buffering, buffering, buffering”.
