Originally posted by stflook
A dial-up connection is a connection to the internet using the user's existing phone-lines. They dial into their ISP to connect.
I'm pretty sure CaseSensitive was joking, Stflook
Your definition isn't correct though. Well, your definition is correct, but you should narrow it down... I have ADSL, and I do the exact thing you described: I use my existing (50 years old!) phone-lines, and I dial into my ISP to connect. The same goes for Gstudios' advantages of dial-up. '(if you) Like getting a new IP addy everytime you get online' could be ADSL too.

Here's a (short) overview of existing technologies:

- Dial-up: a modem converts ('modulates') the digital signals coming from your computer to analog signals, and then puts them on the telephone line. The receiving modem converts ('demodulates') those analog signals back into digital signals.
(MOdulate-DEModulate). Most of those modems use V.90-technology, meaning a theoretical maximum of 56.000 bps (bits per second) download, and 33.600 bps upload. There's a difference between upload and download stream, so we speak about an assymetric connection here. The V.92 protocol should be available by now, too. The differences are a 40% faster upload (theoretically) and a three times faster connection negotation.

- ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) : same principle. ISDN uses a digital telephone line instead of an analoge one. Speed is about 64 Kbs. ISDN is a symmetric technology (upload speed = download speed).

- DSL: - ADSL (Assymetric Digital Subscriber Line): ADSL is an extension of the dial-up-technology. It uses the bandwith on your telephone line that is not used for telephony. You'll need a splitter to 'cut' the telephone line. More information can be found here.

- Cable: more information here.

And then there's satellite...
Here's what I know about it: computerdata is coded into an MPEG-videostream. A satellite is capable of sending signals to the earth, but is not capable to take care of the upstream, meaning you'll still need another (broadband) connection.