T1 Router

A T1 connection is a copper line that can carry data at a synchronous 1.544 megabits per second. T1 routers can also be alternatively served through fiber optic in some cases. They are much more reliable than DSL and cable, only having a few hours or no downtime at all every month.

It works by having a direct line from your business or home connected directly to one of the internet service provider's web servers, rather than sharing the connection to other subscribers like DSL and cable. This provides consistent speeds almost all the time, even while being used by two hundred people for web browsing at once. This allows fast web browsing, data transfer, telephony, and other services.

A T1 router is the key component on your end in the T1 connection, as it is used to route all the internet traffic at your location through it. Some features that are expected of a T1 router are proper NAT routing tables built into it. A T1 router needs to make its own routing decisions all around the world, while a DSL or cable connection simply carries a data packet to the ISP's local network.

There are many different models of T1 routers, all manufactured by different companies in the networking business. An excellent T1 router for a T1 connection is the Cisco 1841, retailing at a price of $1500. It provides a performance increase over some other previous Cisco models and allows for more than 30 WAN interface cards to be connected, while providing many different connection ports for Ethernet and phone cables. The Cisco 1841 has a strong firewall, keeping intruders and hackers out of your network.

Many different interfaces can be connected with to the router, providing room for future expandability if ever needed. A cheaper, but still good alternative to the Cisco 1841 is the Motorola Netopia 4622-XL Router which comes at a price of $750 to $800 for a new unit. Like the Cisco 1841, it includes a firewall with a secure connection, and provides some Ethernet ports and phone jacks to connect equipment. The only main difference between the two is that the Cisco 1841 offers more interface ports for heavier usage, you may not need as many if you are a smaller business.

T1 routers can all be different in prices and feature set list, all businesses or people will have varying needs, so make sure to find a one that you will use most of the features on. A T1 connection is an extremely fast alternative to a regular DSL or cable connection and should be strongly considered if you run a business that often relies on the Internet.