DSL

(pronounced: D-S-L or diesel)

DSL is an abbreviation that generally refers to Digital Subscriber Line but can also mean Dick Sucking Lips when seen in texting, online chat, instant messaging, e-mail, blogs, newsgroup postings, and social media.

As a Digital Subscriber Line, DSL is a telecommunications line that provides a fast, permanent connection to the Internet. DSL uses the copper wiring found in almost every home and office. Special hardware attached at both ends of the line allows data to transmit at far greater speeds than standard telephone wiring. It also provides a constant connection to the Internet, 24/7 -- eliminating the need to dial-in to an ISP each time you want to get online.

A DSL line carries both voice and data signals. Similar to ISDN, they both operate over existing copper telephone lines (known as POTS) and require short runs to a central office. Connection speeds for DSL range from 1.544 Mbps to 512 Kbps downstream and around 128 Kbps upstream; many users prefer the fixed speed of a T1. There are several types of DSL, and xDSL refers to the family of digital subscriber line technologies:

* ADSL (Asymmetric DSL, where you can download faster than upload)

* CDSL (Consumer DSL)

* DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer)

* G.Lite (slightly slower than ADSL but much cheaper)

* HDSL (High bit-rate DSL)

* S-HDSL (Single Pair High bit-rate DSL)

* IDSL (ISDN DSL, which is DSL over an ISDN line)

* SDSL (Symmetrical DSL, where download and upload speeds are similar)

* RADSL (Rate Adaptive DSL)

* VDSL (Very High rate DSL)

* VoDSL (Voice-over DSL, which uses DSL for spoken telephone conversations).

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