Penn State also provides the traditional dial-up service as well. Both of these services will get you on the internet, but there are a few differences between the two. First of all, Ethernet does not take up your phone line, as a dial-up connection would. This means that you can use the phone at the same time that you are using the internet. This way you don't have to worry about your roommate surfing the internet while you're expecting an important phone call.
Ethernet is also faster than regular dial-up, hundreds of times faster.
This means no more waiting for the web pages to download. Finally, Ethernet is always on. As long as your computer is on, it is also online. No more busy signals. It is recommended that you use the Ethernet connection that Penn State provides.