NetworkingA+

Internet Connection Types for CompTIA A+ 220-1101

Understanding internet connection types is required for CompTIA A+ 220-1101. Technicians must know the available technologies, their speeds, limitations, and typical use cases to advise clients and troubleshoot connectivity. Different connection types suit different locations and use cases — fiber is fastest but not universally available, while satellite reaches remote areas where terrestrial options don't exist.

7 min

2 sections · 7 exam key points

1 practice questions

Wired Internet Connections

Cable internet (DOCSIS): uses the existing cable TV coaxial infrastructure. Speeds: 100 Mbps to 1+ Gbps (DOCSIS 3.1). Always-on connection, shared with neighborhood (speed can degrade when many users are online simultaneously). Equipment: cable modem connects to coaxial wall jack, then to a router. DOCSIS 3.1 supports multi-Gbps. Common for residential and small business.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): uses existing telephone lines (POTS) to deliver internet. ADSL (Asymmetric DSL): faster download than upload — suitable for residential. VDSL2: faster than ADSL, shorter distance from telephone exchange. Fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) uses fiber to a neighborhood cabinet then DSL to the home — faster than pure copper DSL. Speed degrades with distance from the telephone exchange. Equipment: DSL modem connects to phone jack.

Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH / FTTP): pure fiber optic connection from the ISP directly to the home. Fastest available option — symmetrical Gbps speeds. Equipment: ONT (Optical Network Terminal) converts fiber signal to Ethernet. Requires no modem in the traditional sense — the ONT serves this role. Fastest and most future-proof option but requires ISP fiber infrastructure in the area.

T1 / T3 / MPLS: legacy and enterprise WAN technologies. T1: 1.544 Mbps, dedicated symmetric connection — older business technology, largely replaced by fiber business internet. T3: 44.7 Mbps, multiple bonded T1s. MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching): enterprise WAN with guaranteed bandwidth and QoS — used to connect multiple business locations. Expensive but reliable.

Wireless Internet Connections

Cellular internet (4G LTE / 5G): mobile data connection using cellular towers. 4G LTE: 10–50 Mbps typical. 5G sub-6 GHz: 50–300 Mbps. 5G mmWave: 1–4 Gbps but very short range. Used as primary internet in rural areas, backup for wired ISP, and hotspot for travel. Mobile hotspot devices (MiFi) or smartphone tethering. Cellular modems also available for routers.

Satellite internet: reaches remote areas beyond DSL/cable/fiber coverage. Traditional geostationary satellite (HughesNet, Viasat): high latency (600–700ms) due to 35,786 km orbital distance — poor for gaming and VoIP. Starlink (Low Earth Orbit / LEO): much lower latency (20–50ms), faster speeds (50–200 Mbps), rapidly expanding coverage. Requires clear sky view for the dish — trees and buildings cause outages.

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA): ISP transmits via radio frequency from a tower to an antenna installed at the customer's location. Line-of-sight between tower and antenna is required. 4G/5G FWA: T-Mobile and Verizon offer home internet via cellular infrastructure. WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider): serves rural areas where wired infrastructure doesn't exist.

Fiber over Ethernet (FTTH) vs cable speed test: always test internet speed from a wired device (not Wi-Fi) to eliminate Wi-Fi as a variable. Use a speed test that tests both download AND upload — fiber is typically symmetrical (same up/down); cable is asymmetrical (faster download, slower upload).

Internet Connection Types for A+ 220-1101

Type	Medium	Typical Speed	Latency	Availability
FTTH Fiber	Fiber optic	1 Gbps+	1–5 ms	Urban/suburban
Cable (DOCSIS)	Coaxial	100–1000 Mbps	5–30 ms	Urban/suburban
DSL	Telephone (copper)	10–100 Mbps	10–40 ms	Wider than fiber
4G LTE	Cellular	10–50 Mbps	30–60 ms	Wide coverage
5G	Cellular	50–4000 Mbps	1–30 ms	Urban, growing
Satellite (LEO)	Radio (space)	50–200 Mbps	20–50 ms	Near-global
Satellite (GEO)	Radio (space)	25–100 Mbps	600+ ms	Near-global

Key exam facts — A+

FTTH: fastest, symmetrical, uses ONT equipment; best choice when available
Cable: DOCSIS, uses coaxial — shared bandwidth with neighbors, asymmetrical
DSL: uses telephone lines — speed degrades with distance from CO (central office)
Satellite (GEO): high latency (600ms+) — not suitable for gaming or VoIP
Starlink (LEO): low latency (20–50ms) — much better than geostationary satellite
FWA (Fixed Wireless): requires line-of-sight to tower; 4G/5G home internet option
Always test speed from wired device — Wi-Fi can mask ISP connection speed

Common exam traps

Satellite internet is just as good as cable for video calls and gaming

Traditional geostationary satellite internet has 600+ ms latency — signals travel 70,000+ km round trip. This makes real-time applications (gaming, VoIP, video conferencing) very poor. LEO satellite (Starlink) with 20–50ms latency is much better. Cable internet typically has 10–30ms latency — excellent for all applications

Practice questions — Internet Connection Types

These questions are representative of what you will see on A+ exams. The correct answer and explanation are shown immediately below each question.

Q1.A customer in a rural area has no cable or DSL service available but needs reliable internet for a home office including video conferencing. Which connection type provides the best latency for this scenario?

A.Geostationary satellite (HughesNet)

B.LEO satellite (Starlink)

C.Dial-up modem

D.Fixed wireless, but line of sight is blocked by a hill

Explanation: LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite service like Starlink provides 20–50ms latency and 50–200 Mbps speeds — suitable for video conferencing. Geostationary satellite has 600+ms latency which severely impacts video calls. Dial-up is 56 Kbps — completely inadequate. Fixed wireless requires line-of-sight which is blocked. Starlink is the best available option for rural high-latency-sensitive applications when terrestrial options aren't available.

Frequently asked questions — Internet Connection Types

What is the ONT and what does it do in a fiber internet connection?

An ONT (Optical Network Terminal), also called an ONU (Optical Network Unit), is the device installed at the customer's premises that converts the fiber optic signal from the ISP to an Ethernet signal the customer's router can use. It replaces the modem in traditional internet setups. The ONT connects to the fiber cable from the ISP on one side and provides an Ethernet port to the customer's router on the other side. Some ISPs use an all-in-one ONT+router device. The ONT is typically ISP-provided and not purchased by the customer.

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