Both dial-up and leased-line links involve two peers that are connected by a communications medium. The next table summarizes the differences between the link types.
Leased Line |
Dial-up Line |
---|---|
Always connected unless a system administrator or power failure takes it down |
Initiated on demand, when a user tries to call a remote peer |
Uses synchronous communications |
Uses asynchronous communications |
Rented from a provider |
Uses existing telephone lines |
Requires synchronous units |
Uses less costly modems |
Requires specialized interfaces |
Uses standard serial interfaces that are included on most computers |