Off-campus networking

PPP

PPP is short for Point-to-Point Protocol and consists of a telephone-based connection between the modem in your computer and the larger Internet.

Penn no longer provides PPP service. Instead, Penn recommends instead that, for those residing in the Pennsylvania-Delaware-NJ area, you consider DCANet, which has a dedicated connection to Penn's internal network and provides a discounted, supported PPP service for Penn customers. More information on this service is located here.

If you are travelling outside North America with your laptop, information on telephone and power adapters for specific countries is located at Travelsupplies.com.

DSL

DSL is short for Digital Subscriber Line. It makes use of unused telephone wiring already in your home, allowing you to be on the Internet while being able to take phone calls.

Connection speed is several times faster than PPP, but is accordingly more expensive. Still it is less expensive than cable and you may find this a suitable value if you do not subscribe to Comcast and instead obtain cable service through a satellite dish provider, such as Dish Network and DirecTV.

DCANet is one provider of DSL service, as well as Verizon (formerly Bell Atlantic). Prices are roughly $30-50 per month and it pays to shop around.

Cable modem

Cable modem connections utilize bandwidth available from the television cable signal going into your home.

Connection speeds are quite fast — and can even be faster than a campus connection, depending on usage in your neighborhood.

The cost can be roughly $40 or more per month, on top of any rental fees for cable modem or other equipment and your usual monthly cable bill.

Comcast Online service is the main cable modem service provider in eastern Pennsylvania. Other cable providers exist in the metropolitan Philadelphia area