NEW YORK, Sept 17, 2008 -- iYogi, a next generation remote technical support company, announced today the expansion of their small business services to include support for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, enabling business owners to efficiently maintain their network without maintaining an IT department.

With more than 50,000 customers worldwide, iYogi offers support for more than 72 software applications and peripheral devices and offers specific service packages uniquely geared for small businesses, starting at $119.99 per computer/per year.

"There are currently 2.4 million small businesses in the United States that have server-based LANs," said Merle Sandler, research manager in the SMB program at IDC. "Solving networking -- related problems can be an area of concern for small businesses, which often lack adequate IT resources."

Windows Server 2003 is a multipurpose operating system capable of handling a diverse set of server roles. iYogi provides the following features and support options:

    • Active Directory

    • Group Policies

    • Rights Management

    • Network set-up

    • File and print server

    • Internet based services

    • Virtual Private Network

    • Rights Management Services

    • Terminal server

    • Remote Access Services


Customers can select from the following pricing plans, paying a flat rate per incident or purchasing an annual subscription.

Single Incident $ 180
One Year, Unlimited Access To Technical Support $ 1999.99

"iYogi leverages India's 20 years of experience in providing excellent technical support to customers across the globe," said President of iYogi, Vishal Dhar.

"We have expanded our personal off shoring model to deliver an incredible experience at a revolutionary price. Our support services for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server are provided by Microsoft Certified professionals with years of experience supporting Microsoft's products. They have a passion for helping small business and enterprise customers develop the potential of their technology investments."

iYogi's Remote Service for Windows 2003 Server along with all of iYogi's services is available to customers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. With a resolution rate of 86% and customer satisfaction rating of 93%, iYogi provides customers with an inexpensive and consistent option for their technical support needs.

ABOUT iYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, NY, iYogi provides personalized computer support for small business and home office users. iYogi offers 24/7 phone and online assistance for technologies we use every day and supports products from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing proprietary technology, iMantra, and a superior Microsoft certified team, iYogi delivers higher resolution benchmarks and service levels than competing services. For more information and a detailed list of supported technologies.
Visit us at : www.iyogibusiness.com


Contact Details:
Company Name : iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address : iYogi Inc.
12, Desbrosses Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free No. : 1-800-237-3901
Work Number : 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number : 1-888-867-2715
E-Mail : awadhesh.singh@iyogi.net

iYogi – a leading provider of technical support services with horizons in the US, UK, Canada and Australia – today announced the launch of its exclusive server monitoring tools for small businesses. The new product offers integrated technology solutions to surmount the users’ unique IT support requirements thereby enabling them to derive and share information, data, enable network performance analysis, and security trends critical to plan and mana ge their set of servers – 24x7.


Uday Challu, iYogi’s CEO commented, “Holding a significant niche for itself in the computer support industry, iYogi has always known to be on the forefront of adapting breakthrough technology to exceed customer service expectations. This time we have developed a tool offering value-add functionality which will help small business customers maximize the business outcomes of IT.”


iYogi’s monitoring tool provides real time observation and monitoring solutions to ensure more robust and reliable IT support and infrastructure for small buinesses. Small Business owners also get a comprehensive assesment of their IT environment to meet technology needs with the scalability for future growth and create preventative measures based on quick analysis of network device alerts, pre-failure indicators, performance benchmark and security issues.


The new Monitoring and performance tool will provide small business with the opportunity to test all technical and non-technical aspects of their servers and help them to strengthen overall IT infrastructure. The array of services will include: Patch Management, Security Auditing, Site Inventory, Real Time Alerting Script Based Management, and Rights Management Services for all critical server issues.


“Irrespective of the business being small or large, when the consumer chooses iYogi, he leverages the potential of an elite taskforce of Microsoft Certified System Engineers and Cisco Certified Network Associates, ready to service their critical assets, using the most advanced network asset tracking and Performance monitoring”, adds Challu.


Another factor where the Company aims to distinguish itself from its competitors is product pricing. Embracing the concept of service quality, iYogi offers competitively priced technical support services at no-haggle, low prices.


As for its small business support, the Company has integrated its exclusive Monitoring and Alerting Services under one price umbrella of just $480 annually. per server i.e. $49.99 per month. The price is certainly hard to find anywhere else.


For more information on iYogi Small Business Support, visit http://www.iyogibusiness.com/



Contact Details:
Company Name: iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address: iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no:1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number: 1-888-867-2715

iYogi Secures $9.5M in Series B Funding Led by SAP Ventures, With Follow-on Investment from Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners
iYogi, a Direct-to-Consumer and Small Business Technical Support Provider, Paves the Way for Personal Offshoring to Become India’s Next Success Story

New York, 24 July, 2008: Personal Offshoring, which is driving the next wave of India’s outsourcing success story, got a huge boost today when iYogi - a remote technical support

provider from India - raised $ 9.5 million in Series B financing from SAP Ventures, a division of SAP AG, Canaan Partners and SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank.

iYogi (www.iyogi.net) delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India. The company offers its customers an unlimited, annual service subscription for $119.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware Microsoft Windows operating system, software applications, peripherals and multifunctional devices.

“Personal Offshoring has created new investment opportunities in India with incredible growth potential,” said Doug Higgins, partner at SAP Ventures. “It is very exciting to see companies like iYogi challenging the traditional enterprise-focused offshore-service delivery model by creating a consumer-focused, direct-to-customer personal offshore model. iYogi is one of the fastest-growing companies in this market segment, and we look forward to working with them to create India’s next success story.”

“Our focus on the customer experience has helped us achieve a 93 percent satisfaction rate across more than 50,000 customers,” said Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi. “We are delighted to have the support of three terrific investors as we increase our market share and continue to provide the best technical support experience possible for our customers.”

iYogi will use the funds to fuel its expansion into 12 new regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and to increase its delivery of new services including PC recovery, anti-virus/spyware, data back-up and PC optimization.

“As consumer technologies grow in sophistication, consumers will be seeking the kind of home IT support services – including remote services offered by companies such as iYogi – to help them solve their most complex problems,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst, Parks Associates. “In primary research, we found more than one-third of consumers are willing to pay for competent and professional remote support services, and 60% express a strong interest in software solutions – what we refer to as ‘PC Dashboards’ – that automate many basic PC performance enhancement and troubleshooting features, solving many PC-related problems before they even are noticed by end-users.”

iYogi had previously raised $3.1 million in Series A financing from Canaan Partners and SVB in April of last year. “iYogi is one of the most promising investments for Canaan Partners,” said Alok Mittal, managing director of India at Canaan Partners. “Third-party, vendor-independent technical support is an exciting new service category, witnessing explosive growth. Customers are looking beyond the traditional vendor-provided support to remote channels for better problem resolution, faster service, and greater overall satisfaction. iYogi has created an incredible value proposition and price offering for its customers that is hard to beat.”

”Several next generation outsourcing companies from India are delivering a range of personal offshoring services for individuals and small businesses in the U.S. including online tutoring, tax preparation, remote executive assistance and research services,” said Suresh Shanmugham, managing director of SVB India Capital Partners, a venture fund affiliate of Silicon Valley Bank. “iYogi has leveraged the technical skills available in India along with process expertise to scale as a global technical support provider for millions faced with increasingly complex technology”.

About SAP Ventures
SAP Ventures invests in innovative and disruptive software and services companies globally. We pursue opportunities across all stages for outstanding financial return. Our goal is to bring substantial benefit to all parties by facilitating interaction between portfolio companies and SAP and its ecosystem of customers and partners. SAP Ventures has a successful track record of building industry-leading companies by partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and top-tier venture capital firms since 1996. For more information, visit www.sapventures.com.

About Canaan Partners

Canaan Partners is a global venture capital firm specializing in early-stage information technology and life sciences companies. Founded in 1987, Canaan Partners has $2.4 billion capital under management and has invested in more than 240 companies, completed 63 mergers and acquisitions, and brought over 50 companies public. The firm catalyzes the development of innovative mobile, Internet, CleanTech, networking, semiconductor, enterprise software and services, biotechnology and medical technologies to build next-generation market leaders. Canaan was an early investor in Acme Packet (APKT), Aperto Networks, BharatMatrimony.com, Blurb, DoubleClick (DCLK), ID Analytics, Match.com and SuccessFactors, along with dozens of other market-leading companies. Canaan is headquartered in Menlo Park, California and also has offices in Connecticut, India and Israel. For more information visit: www.canaan.com.

SVB India Capital Partners Fund and Silicon Valley Bank

SVB India Capital Partners Fund is a $54 million equity fund that is focused on Indian companies and co-invests across industries and stages with top-tier venture capital firms. Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for emerging, growth and mature companies in the technology, life science, private equity and premium wine industries. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 27 U.S. offices and five international operations. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group, with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support for $119.99 per year, iYogi now boasts more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 450 professionals servicing customers in the U.S., U.K., Canada fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit www.iyogi.net.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. iYogi shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

SAP and all SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries.
All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “predict,” “should” and “will” and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.




Contact:

Company Name:

iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd

Address:

iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no: 1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
F ax Number: 1-888-867-2715

When you are stuck using dialup, you may be having some issues with a slow running Internet connection. You know the type, slow downloads, slow connections, slow to open even the simplest website, and all of the fun things that can go along with dialup. However, you now have a solution, taking advantage of Internet accelerators to improve internet speed.

An Internet accelerator has been designed to increase internet speed up the process of downloading images and media over a dialup connection. It does this with a compression technology. The accelerator will actually compress all data and files, which means that your websites will now load a faster rate. This is especially useful when you visit the same sites repeatedly, because most accelerators have a save feature that allows you to keep something similar to a copy of the website to download faster the very next time you need to access the website.
Below are some of the major benefits that you can have just by using Internet accelerators.
Faster Than Standard Dialup
Thanks to the compression feature, web accelerators have the capabilities of pushing your dialup connection to its limit. Giving you the fastest possible connection over dialup, faster than you ever thought possible. Some areas still have not moved into the technology of broadband or faster types of Internet connection, therefore, they have no other option than to use dialup. If you must use dialup, why not use the fastest dialup possible with a web accelerator.
Cheaper Than Other Options
Even if you live in an area with DSL, Cable, or wireless capabilities, these options can really start to put a dent in your checkbook. If you are on a budget and simply cannot afford these higher speed connections, dial up with an Internet accelerator may be the right option for you. You can still access your favorite Internet sites for less money than those using cable or DSL and still faster than those using standard dial up without any type of accelerator.
Has Now Become A Standard Dial Up Feature
Many dial up companies are now offering Internet accelerators as part of their standard packages. In some cases, it may be the same price as the dial up package or you may have to pay a small additional fee to get the accelerator, but it worth the small fees charged by dial up companies. You can optimize your dial-up modem as far and as fast as it could possibly go, without having to spend a small fortune to get it. It Just Make Sense

It just makes sense to use web accelerators with your dial up Internet connection. You will just love the added speed, the added support, and the added time it gives you. Generally, you have to wait forever for your dial up connection to load your favorite websites, now you can load them in half the time, which mean have the wait. Get started with faster dial up right now.

Broadband is becoming an increasingly important feature of our everyday lives. From the way we run our businesses to the way we spend our free time, broadband is here to stay and if you haven't found a supplier yet it's about time you did. That aside, broadband can be an expensive business unless you're entirely familiar with the tricks of the trade required to get a good deal. After all, most broadband services are generic and it's just a case of paying for specification - therefore there's no reason not to realise these savings on your broadband package to increase internet speed.

The first thing that often determines pricing on a monthly basis is contract length. A month to month rolling contract will be far more expensive to maintain than a twenty-four month fixed agreement. Because you are committing more value to the provider the longer you sign up, the more you can be incentives for doing so. As a result, simply by tying yourself in for longer you can save a great deal of your monthly spends for the same level of service whilst also removing the hassle of having to continually change broadband providers.

Next, most customers fail to understand that their residence can actually have a significant bearing on their level of broadband service. Depending on where you live, it's something of a lottery as to the speed of broadband you can receive. Some homes can receive top speed broadband and other can receive only a fraction, yet there are still people paying for up to 8meg broadband despite a physical inability to receive that speed. Rather than paying for what they can receive, these people pay through the nose for no extra service - a simple way to lose money on a monthly basis. Check out the broadband speed in your area and only pay for what you can receive - it makes sense, but is so often overlooked.

Finally, the free modem and/or router problem is one that plagues money-conscious broadband customers worldwide. Obviously, the unit cost is spread through the monthly payments depending on your contract length, but could this still provide good value for money? It all depends on the cost of the router and what you would have to pay for your broadband on a monthly basis if you were to forgo the free model. By sizing it up on that basis, you should be able to calculate whether you're getting a good deal.

Securing a broadband package is something we all like to do with haste whenever we move house or finish up on our existing contracts. However that doesn't mean that we have to rush in blind to a bad deal. By thinking laterally about the services offered by the providers it is possible to understand where you can realise cost savings to help make sure that your broadband bill is as low as it possibly can be without compromising the service you can expect to receive from your provider, to leave you with more money in your pocket to spend once you actually get online.

Source : High Speed Internet

The internet is a growing and dynamic entity. Growing in exponential rate everyday and changing as just as fast. Naturally companies try to offer access to internet in growing number of ways. Dial-up, Broadband, Wi-fi and such. But we'll talk about broadband today and is it really that necessary to switch from dial-up to broadband.

Is it worth it to switch to broadband service? As most things are, it depends on you're situation. Dial-ups are cheap, today it's almost dirt cheap. That’s it's advantage, but don't expect to surf the net in cruising speed. If speed is what you want then broadband is significantly faster that dial-ups.

Back to the question. What really helps in deciding if switching to broadband is a must. Is try to ask yourself "How do I use the internet for?". By the way I’m a big fan of the saying “Questions Are Answers”.

If you're using the internet for:

- checking and sending e-mail

- chatting (without video)

- surfing for text based information

Then switching to broadband is a waste of money. like most people, they just use the internet for checking and sending e-mails. Dial-up will work for you just as fine.

If you're using the internet for:

- Downloading movies and music

- Watching streaming videos

- Chatting with video and voice

- Playing online games

Just like me. I use the internet for online games, checking my websites, downloading music and videos. So broadband was a huge help for my internet life.

To conclude. The internet is becoming the wave of the future. Easy access to information and services. But switching to broadband is up to you and you're needs. So I suggest that you ask yourself "How do I use the internet for?". Knowing the answer would be a great help in deciding if broadband internet is for you.

Does your broadband connection seem sluggish and slow? If so, try these tips for getting the most from your available connection speed and to improve internet speed.

Change your router

If you want to connect to broadband via a wireless network you need a wireless router. They can differ in performance levels and ease of use

Spring clean your browser

Every time you access a web page through your web browser, the browser stores or ‘caches’ it. Periodically clearing out your browser’s cache will help it to function more efficiently. To do this in:

Clean your browsers ‘cache’ regularly

Internet Explorer 7
From the Tool menu, click Internet Options. Select the General tab. Under browsing history click Delete. Next to temporary internet files, click Delete files. Click Close and then OK to exit.

Firefox 2
From the Tools menu, select Clear Private Data, and then choose Cache.

Safari
From the Safari menu, select Empty Cache. When prompted click Empty to confirm that you want to empty the cache.

Secure your wireless network

If your wireless network is unsecured then your neighbours may be logging onto it and sharing your broadband connection. This will decrease your own broadband speeds. You can secure your network by accessing the security settings within your router’s browser.

The time of day

Be aware that more people are attempting to access the internet at certain times of day than at others. Peak times include when America wakes up. If you can avoid going online at these busy times you’ll find you experience a faster connection.

Watch your distance

If possible try and connect your router or ADSL modem to the main telephone socket in your house. Also, if connecting the router or modem directly to a computer, use the shortest cables you can.

Boost your Wi-Fi signal

If you use wireless, rather than moving your PC closer to the router you could try replacing the aerial. The longer the aerial, the better the signal and the further its reach.

If you are contemplating broadband service for your Internet connection, you may have a general idea as to what is involved in broadband service. However, with that said, you actually may understand very little about broadband Internet service. Generally speaking, a person is better able to make an appropriate determination about a product or service if that person has a basic understanding about a given product or service in advance. The same holds true for broadband Internet service in the 21st century.

Broadband technically is defined as a transmission method that is capable of supporting or carrying a wide range of different frequencies. For example, the typical broadband connection or carrier is able to carry audio frequencies all the way up to more complex video frequencies. The interesting feature of broadband is found in the fact that such a protocol is able to carry multiple signals at the same time. This is accomplished by broadband being able to divide up its transmission capacity into different, distinct, independent bandwidth channels. Each of these independent channels within a complete broadband operates only within a specific range of designated frequencies.

Broadband communications or traffic are carried over designated lines, designated broadband lines. In most instances, broadband communications and transmissions are carried over coaxial or optical cable lines. These lines are being laid in new venues constantly. There has been a real drive in recent years to make broadband widely available in many cities and towns across the world.

One of the other characteristics that many people in both their personal and professional lives appreciate about broadband is found in the fact that it provides fast access to the Internet and World Wide Web. A person can access the Web and Net through a broadband connection many, many times faster than he or she could otherwise access the Internet through such avenues as dial up or DSL.

In addition, broadband is a very versatile medium. As mentioned previously, it is capable of transmitting audio and visual elements from a variety of sources of resource all at the same time. Therefore, through this versatile medium, you can most definitely multitask on the Internet. Additionally, thanks to broadband, you can view television programming, radio programming and even make telephone calls using the resources of the Internet and World Wide Web.

When broadband first was introduced onto the market, it actually was a rather expensive method for communicating, for accessing the various offerings of the Internet. However, in recent years, as broadband availability as increased dramatically, the costs associated with broadband have also dropped significantly. Indeed, many people have found broadband to be a very affordable alternative to other forms of connecting with the Net and for receiving other types of communication products and services.

Most Internet experts believe that within the very immediate future, broadband will be the most common way for people the world over to access the Internet and World Wide Web for a while variety of reasons and purposes.

Broadband Vs Broaderband

Almost 90% of internet users in the UK use a broadband connection, with average speeds of 2-8 Mbps. But because of technology becoming more and more advanced, such speeds may soon be too slow. Fortunately, there are new systems being developed which could deliver super-fast broadband to our homes.

The first is the use of fibre optics instead of the current copper cables. These fibres can carry speeds between 50Mbps and 100Mbps both upstream and downstream, meaning that uploading files to your online storage could be just as fast as downloading media from a website. Fibre optic systems can be expensive, in the region of £15 billion, but it could well be a reality in a few years.

VDSL (Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line) is a cheaper option which combines the use of optics with copper. VDSL can handle high bandwidth applications like VoIP and HDTV, as well as general internet access. Rolling out VDSL across the country will involve building 90,000 cabinets to house the cables at street level and will give users speeds of around 30Mbps

Wi-Fi has been available in the UK for some time, but the next generation, WiMax, will be able to deliver high speeds, around 70Mbps, over much longer distances, approximately 50km, all without the use of cables. In many countries WiMax is the predominant broadband infrastructure, and it shouldn't be too long before it becomes as commonplace as Wi-Fi in the UK.

Cable was perhaps the first method of delivering broadband to homes, and the protocol used currently is DOCSIS 1.0 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification). Version 1.0 is capable of speeds of up to 38Mbps, and a version 3.0 is being trialled in parts of the UK, and noting speeds of 50Mbps. It's hoped that eventually, DOCSIS will deliver around 120Mbps. This system has another advantage; unlike current methods, the connection speed isn't reliant on being close to the local exchange, and speeds should be consistent among all users.

But while these systems are still widely unavailable, there are a variety of other options for any broadband customer wanting to get a faster connection. Take a broadband speed test to find out what your current connection speed is. Use the internet to compare broadband packages to see if you can get a better deal.

'Broadband' can seem like a totally different language - MAC codes, line speed, capacity, routers, modems, LAN, WAN - does anyone really understand what all these mean? Unfortunately, this is an area of heavy jargon and it's important that you are able to come to terms with these factors in order to understand when you're getting a good deal, and to assist you in making your broadband package selection. Additionally, the contract terms offered by some broadband providers are in themselves equally confusing, and making sense of what's going on can be a tricky process. So what should you look for in selecting a broadband package, and what does it all mean?

Well, luckily for you you don't really have to understand what they all mean. But you do have to have a rudimentary knowledge of what you can expect. The most common base line is maximum speed, which will be expressed as KBPS, or kilobytes per second. Alternatively, it's just cited as being '2 meg' or '8 meg', as in 'megabytes per second'. Whilst the speed you choose will depend on what you use your broadband for, it will also turn on the quality of your broadband access and some local areas are physically incapable of receiving some faster speeds as a result of their current infrastructures. That said, bear in mind when you're buying an expensive package to investigate whether or not you can actually receive the full benefits of your contract.

Another common thing that is a feature of broadband packages is router inclusion. Many providers run special promotions that give away routers in order to encourage sign up. What many customers don't realize is that routers are essential components of the broadband setup if you intend to use more than one computer on that package, and thus it may actually prove to be a good value proposition if you can get a router thrown in for no extra cost.

Where this is an issue, just be sure that you understand the terms of the contract you're getting into. Some providers have contracts on a rolling monthly basis which can be good for students or for those that move a great deal for business reasons. However the vast majority look to tie down customers for twelve or even eighteen months at a time, with heavy 'get-out' penalties which can be quite restrictive. What that means is that you have to take care to ensure you end up choosing the right provider to begin with to avoid encountering any problems with long contract terms.

Broadband packages can present the opportunity for good value for money. Whether you are a consumer or a business, it's a crucial service in modern life and understanding what it is you require is half the battle in getting on your way to a bargain. By understanding both the technical aspects of the package as well as the terms and conditions of the contract to which you are agreeing, you can be fully prepared for any nasty surprises that happen to arise later down the line.

For any short of issues related to internet speed, fix browser problems, email support, increase internet speed

fix browser problems

fix browser problems

With the advancement of technology and new innovations in the field of communication, high speed Internet connection is slowly emerging as the most preferred means of Internet access today. High speed Internet connection has not only entered our offices and houses, but the local Internet service provider also offers various Internet access packages and cheap prepaid Internet plans for accessing high speed Internet services.

Modern day people are very busy and also much inclined towards instant gratification. They hardly have time and patience to wait for anything, so naturally in case of accessing the Internet also people do not approve of a very slow process. That is why Increase Internet speed connection is gaining more preference in comparison to dial-up connections.

Now, what exactly high speed Internet service is? High speed Internet service is a fast Internet service that transfers data much faster than the 56K telephone modem.
You can access high speed Internet service with the help of standard telephone dial-up modem which ties up the telephone line. Most notable advantage of high speed Internet is that it is almost five times faster than the standard dial-up connection, and is also cost effective. Today many of the Internet service providers, including AOL and Netscape, offer high speed Internet access without even charging any extra amount.

In case of broadband service, you can avail as high a speed as 70 times than the standard dial-up connection. Moreover, broadband uses Digital Service Line, cable, satellite, or radio towers to access the internet and does not tie up the telephone line while you are on the net. In broadband connection, to access Internet anytime he wants, the user does not require to wait for the modem to dial.

With a high Internet Speed access you can certainly find innovative and innumerable ways to enhance the speed of your work. Further, the cost factor also hardly matter, because with various service providers, like AT&T, Cingular, Nextel, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon offering multifarious access packages featuring Internet speed range, cost and facilities the users can avail advanced Internet access in a quite affordable price.

So, downloading videos or a 400MB file, listening to radio in few minutes is no longer a distant dream. With a myriad of prepaid Internet packages and cheap plans you may even expect a lot better performance from your high speed Internet connection.

US broadband penetration grew to 86.29% among active Internet users in November 2007. Narrowband users connecting at 56Kbps or less now make up 13.71% of active Internet users, down 0.38 percentage points from 14.09% October 2007 (see Figure 1).

Web Connection Speed Trends November 2007 - U.S. home users

Figure 1: Web Connection Speed Trends - Home Users (US)

Broadband Growth Trends in the US

In November 2007, broadband penetration in US homes grew 0.38 percentage points to 86.29% up from 85.91% in October. This increase of 0.38 points is below the average increase in broadband of 0.69 points per month over the last six months (see Figure 2). At current growth rates, broadband penetration among active Internet users will break 90

percent by May 2008.

Broadband Adoption Growth Trend - November 2007 - U.S. home users

Figure 2. Broadband Adoption Growth Trend - Home Users (US)

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games. Any child who is old enough to punch in a few letters on the keyboard can literally access the world.

But that access can also pose hazards to your children. For example, your 8-year-old might log on to a search engine and type in the word "Lego." But with just one missed keystroke, he or she might enter the word "Legs" instead, and be directed to thousands of websites with a focus on legs - some of which may contain pornographic material.

That's why it's important to be aware of what your children see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and what they share about themselves online.

Just like any safety issue, it's a good idea to talk with your kids about your concerns, take advantage of resources to protect them from potential dangers, and keep a close eye on their activities.

Internet Safety Laws

A federal law has been created to help protect your kids while they are using the Internet. It is designed to keep anyone from obtaining your kids' personal information without you knowing about it and agreeing to it first.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires websites to explain their privacy policies on the site and get parents' consent before collecting or using a child's personal information, such as a name, address, phone number, or social security number. The law also prohibits a site from requiring a child to provide more personal information than necessary to play a game or contest.

But even with this law, your child's best online protection is you. By talking to your child about potential online dangers and monitoring his or her computer use, you'll be helping your child to surf the Internet safely.

Online Tools to Protect Your Child

There are online tools that you can use to control your child's access to adult material and help protect your child from Internet predators. No option is going to guarantee that your child will be kept away from 100% of the risks on the Internet. So it's important that you be aware of your child's computer activity and educate your child about the online risks.

Many Internet service providers (ISPs) provide parent-control options to block certain material from coming in to your child's computer. There is also software that can help block your child's access to certain sites based on a "bad site" list that your ISP creates. Filtering programs can block sites from coming in and restrict your child's personal information from being sent online. You can also find programs to monitor and track your child's online activity. Also, it's a good idea to create a screen name for your child to protect his or her real identity.

Getting Involved in Your Child's Online Activities

Aside from these tools, it's a good idea to take an active role in protecting your child from Internet predators. Here are some steps that can help you do that:

  • Become computer literate and learn how to block objectionable material and spyware removal tools.
  • Keep the computer in a common area, not in individual bedrooms, where you can watch and monitor your child.
  • Share an email account with your child so you can monitor messages.
  • Bookmark your child's favorite sites for easy access.
  • Spend time online together to teach your child appropriate online behavior.
  • Forbid your child from entering private chat rooms; block them with safety features provided by your Internet service provider or with special filtering software. Be aware that posting messages to chat rooms reveals your child's email address to others.
  • Monitor your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.
  • Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child's school, after-school center, friends' homes, or any place where he or she could use a computer without your supervision.
  • Take your child seriously if he or she reports an uncomfortable online exchange.
  • Forward copies of obscene or threatening messages you or your child receives to your Internet service provider.

Many sites use "cookies," devices that track specific information about the user, such as name, email address, and shopping preferences. Cookies can be disabled. Ask your Internet service provider for more information.

It's also a good idea to set up some simple rules for your kids to follow while they're using the Internet. These rules may include:

  • Follow the rules you set, as well as those set by your Internet service provider.
  • Never trade personal photographs in the mail or scanned photographs over the Internet.
  • Never reveal personal information, such as address, phone number, or school name or location. Use only a screen name. Never agree to meet anyone from a chat room in person.
  • Never respond to a threatening email or message.
  • Always tell a parent about any communication or conversation that was scary.
  • If your child has a new "friend," insist on being "introduced" online to that friend.

Chat Room Caution

A chat room is a virtual online room where a chat session takes place. Chat rooms are set up according to interest or subject, such as skiing or a favorite TV show. Because people can communicate to each other alone or in a group, chat rooms are among the most popular destinations on the Web - especially for kids and teens.

But there are hazards to chat rooms for kids. There have been incidents where kids met "friends" who were interested in exploiting them through chat rooms. No one knows how common chat-room predators are, but pedophiles (adults who are sexually interested in children) are known to frequent chat rooms.

These predators sometimes prod their online acquaintances to exchange personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers, thus putting the kids they are chatting with - and their families - at risk.

Many pedophiles pose as teenagers in chat rooms. Because many kids have been told by parents not to give out their home phone numbers, pedophiles may encourage kids to call them; with caller id, the offenders instantly have the kids' phone numbers.

Warning Signs That Your Child May Be a Victim

There are warning signs that your child is being targeted by an online predator. Your child may be spending long hours online, especially at night. If there are phone calls from people you don't know or unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail, it's a good idea to ask your child about any Internet contacts. If your child suddenly turns off the computer when you walk into the room, ask why and monitor computer time more closely. Withdrawal from family life and reluctance to discuss online activities are other signs that you need to look more closely at what your child is doing online.

Contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI if your child has received child anything objectionable .

By taking an active role in your child's Internet activities, you'll be ensuring that he or she can benefit from the wealth of valuable information the Internet has to offer, without being exposed to any potential dangers.

India has become second largest wireless network in the world after China by overtaking USA, as per data available on CTIA (International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry) website.

The total wireless subscribers (GSM, CDMA & WLL(F)) base stood at 261.09 million at the end of March 2008. A total of 10.16 million wireless subscribers have been added in the month of March 2008 as against 8.53 million wireless subscribers added in the
month of February 2008.

Total 10.40 million telephone connections (Wireline and Wireless) have been added during March 2008 as compared to 8.49 million connections added in February 2008. The total number of telephone connections reaches 300.51 million at the end of March 2008 as compared to 290.11 million in February 2008. The overall tele-density is 26.22% at the end of March 2008 as against 25.31% in February 2008.

In the wireline segment, the subscriber base has increased to 39.42 million in the month of March 2008 as against 39.18 million subscribers in February 2008

source @ http://indiantelevision.com/release/...r/aprrel80.php

Are you ready to make the move from a dial-up internet connection to cable or DSL? for high internet speed experience If so, then you probably want to find out which one is better for you.

What is Cable?

Cable is a broadband internet frequency that transmits data over high-speed cable. The modem is set to where the cable hook-up is in your wall. Your internet service provider (ISP) sets the cable hook-up directly to your computer. Most cable installers are not trained in solving your computer software problems. If your PC doesn’t see the internet after connecting the cable modem, you may need help.

What is DSL?

DSL is a high-speed internet connection which uses your existing phone lines to work. You can have service through your modem anywhere there is a phone jack. When you order DSL service, they send everything to you in a box with directions. Sometimes this is confusing and you wish you had help to set it up.

Is there a way to tell which of the cookies on my PC are helping, and which ones are spying? - Harlan Davis, Warrenville, Illinois

Solution
A cookie is merely a small file that a Web site puts on your PC to identify you, or to store information about you or your computer, such as your IP address. The good ones save you the trouble of logging on to the site on return visits, a big help if you use subscription news services such as that of the New York Times.

The bad cookies are placed by ad companies that pay for the right to place advertising on the sites' pages (some sites also leave their own ad cookies). These files track your visits to pages that display their clients' ads (or their own), and they may tailor the ads you see to your browsing history.

Over time, cookies can reveal your browsing habits, though standard ad cookies, like those that DoubleClick uses, can't attach a name to a specific surfing trail.
That means, if you wipe out your cookies as soon as you close your browser, the ad networks never get a chance to track your surfing from session to session.

Internet Explorer 6 and 7 and Firefox 1.x and 2 have good cookie-handling procedures. IE lets you keep first-party cookies (left by the site you're visiting) but block those from third parties: Select Tools, Internet Options, Privacy, Advanced. In the Advanced Privacy Settings dialog box, check Override automatic cookie handling (see FIGURE 1). Under 'First-party Cookies', select Accept; under 'Third-party Cookies', choose Block. Ignore the session cookies option. Click OK twice.

Firefox 2 can accept, and regularly wipe away, any cookie you haven't explicitly told it to keep: Click Tools, Options, Privacy, check Accept cookies from sites, and in the 'Keep until' drop-down box, select I close Firefox. To keep cookies from a few trusted sites, click Exceptions, and in the dialog box, enter the URLs of the sites whose first-party cookies you wish to keep in the 'Address of web site' field. Click Allow for each, and when you're done, click Close And OK. If you're using Firefox 1.5, click Tools, Options, Privacy, Cookies, check Allow sites to set cookies, and choose for the originating site only.

Many security programs, including Norton Internet Security, PC-Cillin, and Ad-Aware, also identify and destroy known spying cookies.
Disable the Windows Key
Problem
I'm a computer gamer. Accidentally hitting the Windows key in the middle of a game is a disaster. Can I disable it? - Joe Barteluce, Kelso, Washington

Solution
You can with a little Registry tweaking. But back up the Registry first; see the boxed item below for details. Once the Registry is backed up, select Start, Run (just Start in Vista), type regedit, and press . In the left pane, navigate to and select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout (this is not to be confused with the 'Keyboard Layouts' option just beneath it). Click Edit, New, Binary Value, name the new value Scancode Map, and then double-click it. Enter the code below, which will wrap automatically as shown here:
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00
Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and reboot Windows. Your Windows key will be no more. If you want to disable the Windows key only for specific applications.

Back Up the Registry in Windows XP and Vista

It's always a good idea to back up the Windows Registry before installing new software or making other system changes. In XP, select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. Click Create a restore point, choose Next, and follow the prompts. In Vista, click Start, type sysdm.cpl, and press . In the User Account Control box, enter your password if necessary and select Continue. Choose System Protection, Create, and then follow the prompts. Another option, and the best for users of Windows 2000 .

Why do we get drawn to the Internet so much? One key reason is that you can find the kind of stuff you like to read. And there’s more info coming up every hour! Bloggers post blogs regularly, news sites get updated every few hours and new sites go live. To keep up with the latest on the Internet more easily, sign up for RSS feeds.

Let’s say you are interested only in sports or entertainment news, and find two or three blogs really engaging. To see if new content has come up you might be visiting the sites often. That’s a sheer waste of time. Instead you could be told instantly about the exciting new developments in the sports world, or that the blog on automobiles that you like to follow has a new post. You won’t have to visit each of the six or seven sites individually everyday.

That’s what RSS does. It stands for Really Simple Syndication. Yes, you heard that right! And like its name, the technology is really quite simple. RSS is a format that is used to collect and deliver content that is regularly updated, to those readers who are interested in that content.

How to subscribe to an RSS feed

If there are six websites that interest you, all you have to do is subscribe to an RSS feed from those sites. For this, you need an RSS reader or a feed reader installed on your computer. There are several free ones that you can download. The reader shows you all the updated information in one place.

Go to the site which you want the reader to track. Look for an orange button (a feed-icon) on the site, click it and add the web page’s address to your feed reader. And the next time you open up your feed reader, the new headlines and snippets of content (or in some cases, entire articles) will be displayed to you, all in one place. Some feed readers also let you search for content right inside them.

Now several news-related sites, bloggers and podcasters use RSS to let their readers and viewers know when new content is published. This feed is basically an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file that contains information regarding what you have published. The feed reader automatically checks the website for updates, compares it with what you have already read. If there is anything new, it informs you the next time you log in. Thus, it lets web developers and bloggers to reach specific audiences with greater ease, getting them increased traffic.

Feed readers or ‘aggregators’ are available for various platforms, including Windows, Linux and Mac. Some are integrated with email clients like Outlook and Thunderbird. Apart from these, there are also several web-based feed readers. Once you get your feed reader, find websites that you visit on a regular basis, see whether they offer RSS feeds, and subscribe to them.

The number of sites that offer RSS feeds is also growing day by day, and currently includes many popular sites like BBC, CNN, Wired, Forbes, etc. RSS makes it easier for you to find and keep up with the information you need.

With RSS, you save time, and you no longer need to join each website’s mailing list. And when you don’t want to receive news of a particular kind anymore, you don’t have to send out an “unsubscribe” request and wait to be taken off their mailing list. Just remove the website’s address from your feed aggregator.

Some of my RSS Feed of Interest

Windows Operating System

Computer Repair

High Speed Internet

Firewall Setup

Data Backup

Software Update

Standalone Printer

Software Update

Epson Printer Support

Lexmark Printer


Even if you’re paying top dollar for high-speed Internet service, you may not be getting the performance you expect. Follow our guide to boost your broadband speed.

If you’re serious about the Internet, chances are you spend anywhere from $30 to $99 per month for a broadband Internet connection. But regardless of how much you pay, are you getting all the speed that your Internet service provider promised you? And does your connection persist reliably without dropping out frequently or requiring modem reboots? With our quick guide, you can squeeze every last kilobit-per-second (kbps) of throughput out of your broadband modem and keep your connection running smoothly.

1. Test Your Connection Speed

Before you start tweaking, get a baseline reading of your downstream and upstream connection Internet speed. If possible, measure the speeds at different times of day, especially during the hours when you use the connection most frequently and at least once after midnight or 1:00 a.m. (when competition for bandwith is likely to be at its lowest level).

2. Update Your Firmware or Get a New Modem

If your cable or DSL modem is more than a couple of years old, ask your ISP for a new one. The exchange will probably be free; if there is a fee, you can usually waive it by agreeing to a new one-year contract. The latest cable modems meet the DOCSIS 2.0 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) standard. If you have a 1.1 modem and a high-throughput plan, you’ll likely experience a large speed increase just by swapping modems.

Even with a brand-new modem, make sure that you have the latest firmware installed. I upgraded my two-year-old Efficient Networks 5100b DSL modem from firmware version 1.0.0.39 to 1.0.0.53 and immediately saw my Speedtest throughput increase from 5.3 mbps to 5.9 mbps, just a hair below the 6 mbps that I’m paying for. Cable providers such as Comcast usually push new firmware to modems, so there’s no need for most cable modem users to perform upgrades themselves.

To update your DSL modem, you’ll have to connect to its Web interface, which means that you’ll need to know the IP address of the modem on your local network. This information should be in your user manual; alternatively, you can find default settings for most modems on the Internet. The address will probably look something like 192.168.100.1 or 192.168.0.1. Enter this character string into your browser and the Web interface should come up. You’ll likely have to sign in, using either a security code printed on the bottom of the modem or a default username and password (unless you previously changed it). Write down the login information for future reference.

Once you’ve logged in, check the firmware number on the status page and see whether a newer version of the firmware is available on the manufacturer’s site. If it is, download this more recent firmware to your PC and then find and run the firmware update procedure from the modem’s browser utility. Reboot, rerun Speedtest and see whether your data is traveling faster. Besides boosting transfer speeds, using a new modem or updated firmware can solve a host of nagging connection issues, such as intermittent dropouts.

3. Check Your Modem Parameters

While you’re updating the firmware, check some key parameters. First, the maximum allowed speeds (both downstream and up) should match your service plan. If they don’t, your ISP didn’t set your service up properly. Give your ISP a call and ask it to fix the setup remotely.

Second, look for signal-to-noise ratio (or SN margin) and line attenuation, both measured in decibels (dB). The lower the signal-to-noise ratio, the more interference you have and the greater the number of packets that will need to be re-sent because they didn’t come through the first time. For this reason, a noisy line can dramatically cut throughput. Line attenuation measures the drop in voltage that comes with splitting the signal (especially for cable modems) and with long runs of cable or older wiring. Excessive signal loss will cause a drop in throughput.

For DSL modems, anything above about 50 dB for line attenuation is poor and 20 to 30 dB is excellent. For signal-to-noise ratio, 7 to 10 dB is marginal and 20 to 28 dB is excellent. My modem’s SN margin registered at 12.5 dB, barely reaching the good range, and its line attenuation reading was 30.5 dB, which rates as very good. Note that acceptable ranges may vary depending on your service level and modem type (faster connections need to be cleaner), so check with your cable or DSL provider to see what numbers you should look for.

4. Troubleshooting Line Quality

If your off-peak Speedtest numbers didn’t measure up to your plan’s specifications and if you found poor signal-to-noise or line attenuation numbers, it’s time to troubleshoot your wiring. Excessive noise may cause intermittent dropouts, too.

Your first task is to determine whether the signal is already degraded when it reaches your house or whether your own wiring is at fault. To test this, move your cable modem as close as you can to where the wire first splits. If possible, take a laptop and power cord for your modem outside to the junction where it connects to the house. Retest and see if things improve. If they don’t, call your cable company. If your own wiring looks to be at fault, reduce the number of splits that occur before the wiring reaches your modem and/or replace the wire itself, which may be faulty. The ultimate solution for cable modems is to create a split directly after the junction box and then run a clean new cable directly to your modem, using the other split for all of your TVs (which are less affected by noise).

For DSL modems, noisy inside wiring tends to be due to the other phone equipment on your line. This interference is supposed to be controlled by the filters placed between the wall jack and each device. Make sure that they are all in place. If you still have too much noise, the best solution is to install a “DSL/POTS splitter” immediately after the phone box, where the wiring comes into the house, and then run a dedicated “homerun” wire straight to the modem. This arrangement will completely isolate your modem from the regular phone wiring - and the new wire should help, too.

If you don’t want to do this job yourself, you can ask your cable or phone company to perform both tasks for a fee.

Finally, improper grounding can be a source of noise, especially on cable. Make sure that all of your TV equipment is plugged into properly grounded outlets, with polarized plugs oriented in the right direction and without any three-prong-to-two-prong adapters. If you have an electric outlet tester, use it to check for excess voltage on your cable wiring. An electrician can find and fix any grounding problems, which are safety concerns as well.

5. Optimize Software Settings

Now that your cable or DSL line is as clean as you can make it, you’re ready to tweak your system and applications for maximum performance, and Improve Internet Speed too.

For optimizing network performance parameters in Windows XP or Vista, we like TotalIdea Software’s Tweak-XP Pro Premium and TweakVI Premium. Both programs simplify optimization without requiring you to understand Registry editing or hidden Windows settings. Both packages include dozens of tweaks in addition to network and browser adjustments. The Pro version of Network Magic, an excellent network monitoring utility, includes optimization capabilities as well.

System-level optimization is less important in Vista than in XP, since Vista tunes your TCP stack dynamically. In fact, Vista users can probably get away with just optimizing specific applications, especially their browsers. To speed up Firefox page displays, try Firetune or Fasterfox. Both are free and one-click easy. Fasterfox adds a few more customization options for expert users. Both tweak low-level Firefox settings such as cache memory capacity, maximum simultaneous connections and “pipelining” (performing multiple data requests simultaneously).

6. Accelerate Your Downloads

Frequent downloaders can save huge amounts of time by using a download manager like our favorite, FlashGet. FlashGet creates multiple simultaneous download links and then puts the file together afterward. All you do is click or drag download links to the FlashGet window; the program does the rest. It integrates with Internet Explorer and works with Firefox using a companion utility called FlashGot.

Security in 6 Easy Steps

  1. Change the System ID: Devices come with a default system ID called the SSID (Service Set Identifier) or ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier). It is easy for a hacker to find out what the default identifier is for each manufacturer of wireless equipment so you need to change this to something else. Use something unique- not your name or something easily guessed.
  2. Disable Identifier Broadcasting: Announcing that you have a wireless connection to the world is an invitation for hackers. You already know you have one so you don’t need to broadcast it. Check the manual for your hardware and figure out how to disable broadcasting.
  3. Enable Encryption: WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encrypt your data so that only the intended recipient is supposed to be able to read it.

WEP has many holes and is easily cracked. 128-bit keys impact performance slightly without a significant increase in security so 40-bit (or 64-bit on some equipment) encryption is just as well. As with all security measures there are ways around it, but by using encryption you will keep the casual hackers out of your systems. If possible, you should use WPA encryption (most older equipment can be upgraded to be WPA compatible). WPA fixes the security flaws in WEP but it is still subject to DOS (denial-of-service) attacks.

  1. Restrict Unnecessary Traffic: Many wired and wireless routers have built-in firewalls. They are not the most technically advanced firewalls, but they help create one more line of defense. Read the manual for your hardware and learn how to configure your router to only allow incoming or outgoing traffic that you have approved.
  2. Change the Default Administrator Password: This is just good practice for ALL hardware and software. The default passwords are easily obtained and because so many people don’t bother to take the simple step of changing them they are usually what hackers try first. Make sure you change the default password on your wireless router / access point to something that is not easily guessed like your last name.
  3. Patch and Protect Your PC’s: As a last line of defense you should have personal firewall and Install anti-virus software installed on your computer. As important as installing the anti-virus software, you must keep it up to date. New viruses are discovered daily and anti-virus software vendors generally release updates at least once a week. You also must keep up to date with patches for known security vulnerabilities. For Microsoft operating systems you can use Windows Update to try and help keep you current with patches.

It wasn’t too long ago that computers were a luxury rather than a necessity. Only the lucky and the wealthy had even one in their home and a network was something reserved for large corporations.

Fast forward a decade or so and everyone has to have their own computer. There is one for the parents and one or more for the kids to use for homework and games. Home users have gone from no Internet access to 9600 kbps dial-up Internet access beyond 56 kbps dial-up access and are moving on to broadband connections to increase internet speed or match the T1 connections they relish at work.

As the Internet and the World Wide Web have exploded into our culture and are replacing other media forms for people to find news, weather, sports, recipes, yellow pages and a million other things, the new struggle is not only for time on the computer at home, but for time on the Internet connection.

The hardware and software vendors have come forth with a variety of solutions allowing home users to share one Internet connection among two or more computers. They all have one thing in common though- the computers must somehow be networked.

To connect your computers together has traditionally involved having some physical medium running between them. It could be phone wire, coaxial cable or the ubiquitous CAT5 cable. Recently hardware has been introduced that even lets home users network computers through the electrical wiring. But, one of the easiest and least messy ways to network computers throughout your home is to use wireless technology.

It is a fairly simple setup. The Internet connection comes in from your provider and is connected to a wireless access point or router which broadcasts the signal. You connect wireless antenna network cards to your computers to receive that signal and talk back to the wireless access point and you are in business.

The problem with having the signal broadcast though is that it is difficult to contain where that signal may travel. If it can get from upstairs to your office in the basement then it can also go that same 100 feet to your neighbors living room. Or, a hacker searching for insecure wireless connections can get into your systems from a car parked on the street.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use wireless networking. You just have to be smart about it and take some basic precautions to make it more difficult for curiosity seekers to get into your personal information. The next section contains some simple steps you can take to secure your wireless network.

Broadband Security in 6 Easy Steps

- SPEED UP NETWORK BROWSING:

* Open up regedit.
* Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace.

Delete the key: {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}.

- FASTER WEB PAGE LOADING:

This tweak will help web pages load faster, it has no real effect on download speeds, just helps your pc look up websites faster thereby speeding up how fast the page loads and making web-surfing more enjoyable.

Navigate to this registry entry and change the following settings:

For XP & 2K

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\ServiceProvider

For 98, 98SE & ME

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP\ServiceProvider

On the right for ALL OS's change these entries: (ALL values are HEXIDECIMAL)

DnsPriority = 1
HostsPriority = 1
LocalPriority = 1
NetbtPriority = 1

To change the value right mouse click on the value and select modify and enter the values above once you have done all of them reboot to take effect and see how fast your pages load.

For 98 & ME they should look like:

01 00 00 00

- SETTING IE'S SETTINGS CORRECTLY

Open Internet Explorer and select Tools - Internet Options - under the General tab in the Temporary Internet files section select the Settings button.

Select "Every visit to the page" and set the amount of disk space to use: to no more than 100MB. Now select the Connections tab and select LAN Settings make sure EVERYTHING there is unchecked and select OK.

IE6 ONLY - select the Privacy tab and choose Advanced check the box "Override automatic cookie handling" and for First-party Cookies - Accept, Third-party Cookies - Block and check "Always allow session cookies.

Set your temporary internet cache to 100mb and delete it weekly.

- RESET YOUR MODEM REGULARLY

Another thing to do about once a week if you modem is on 24/7 is to power cycle your modem, just completely disconnect power from it for atleast 15 seconds and then power it back on.

- DNS CACHE FIX

By default Windows 2K & XP cache everything in the DNS cache service, both correct and faulty DNS lookups. To increase performance by eliminating the caching of faulty DNS lookups, change the following values from whatever their original values are to zero.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]
"NegativeCacheTime"=dword:00000000
"NetFailureCacheTime"=dword:00000000
"NegativeSOACacheTime"=dword:00000000

- USE ETHERNET INSTEAD OF USB

Always connect your modem via ethernet (Network Interface Card) instead of USB, ethernet is faster and much more stable. Also make sure you have the latest drivers for your NIC from the manufacturer NOT Microsoft, alot of times the drivers from the manufacturer have advanced settings that help optimize the performance of your NIC that the native Microsoft drivers don't have.

- SCAN WEEKLY WITH FOR SPYWARE

Make sure to keep Ad-aware, SpyBot and SpywareBlaster up to date and do weekly scans.

- UPDATE YOUR DRIVERS AND FIRMWARE:

Make sure you have the latest drivers for your NIC from the manufacturer. If you are using a router make sure you have the latest firmware.

- MINIMIZE YOUR AMOUNT OF PROTOCOLS:

For 2K & XP - Under your LAN connection - properties - general tab, uninstall all the protocols there that you do not need. *Note - If using 2K & XP and you are a stand alone pc then the only protocol you need is Internet Protocol TCP/IP.

- SETUP TCP/IP PROPERLY:

(XP Only) Setting your TCP/IP metric setting properly, it should be set to a value of 1. To do so do the following:

Open your control panel – select the network icon – right click on your LAN connection and select properties – highlight Internet Protocol TCP/IP and select properties – advanced – select the IP settings tab – in the interface metric box put the value 1 – ok. Also disable NetBios over TCP/IP if you are not file or printer sharing.

- FORWARD BUFFER MEMORY TWEAK:

This value controls how much RAM TCP/IP uses for storing packet data in the router packet queue.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters]

"ForwardBufferMemory"=dword:00024a00
"NumForwardPackets"=dword:0000024a
"MaxForwardBufferMemory"=dword:00024a00
"MaxNumForwardPackets"=dword:0000024a

*Note - These values should be adjusted according to your MTU value, the above are based on a MTU of 1500. For further support on Internet Speed, please visit Improve Internet Speed

Literally dozens of different utility programs are available on the Net, often free downloads, that promise to improve internet speed and performance of a home network. These utilities alter the computer operating system's default settings so that Web surfing, email, Internet conferencing, and other Web-based applications may work faster than before...

... . The vast majority of these programs run on the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems and are designed for broadband networks. In theory, those with high-speed network access stand to gain the most from network optimization and increase Internet Speed.

Most speed patches change TCP/IP settings in the Windows Registry such as the MTU size and other related sizes. Some patches alter parameters in Windows .INI files. Some may even replace system library files.

Consider the following tips when experimenting with this type of software:

1. Be sure to download programs that work with your specific operating system and network configuration. A patch designed for Windows 95 dial-up networking will probably not produce the desired results on a Windows 98 system using cable modem.

2. Stick with programs developed by or reviewed by well-known companies. Microsoft, for example, occasionally releases patches that are generally helpful bug fixes to operating system components. Newly-announced utilities from lesser-known organizations, on the other hand, may be more experimental or speculative patches that may do more harm than good in some situations.

3. Finally, consider making performance tweaks to your system manually rather than through use of a utility. Making changes "by hand" allows one to experiment more methodically and understand clearly where the modifications were made and where they can be undone. With utility software, much of it available only in binary form, the nature of modifications made may not be apparent or well-documented and thus much harder to undo. NEVER rely on the automatic uninstall capability of these programs!

Broadband speed patches can improve the Internet Speed and reliability of home networks with high-speed Internet service like cable modem or DSL. However, with so many variables involved in network performance, the only sure way to evaluate the quality of these packages is to (carefully) try them out on your systems.


If you have read How USB Ports Work, then you know that a USB port has a maximum data rate of 12 megabits per second (Mbps). However, of that available bandwidth, an individual USB device can use only up to 6 Mbps. And if you have several devices attached to the USB ports and they pump lots of data, this competition may further lower the data rate.

An Ethernet card, on the other hand, connects directly to the computer's bus. Ethernet cards come in two flavors: one that accepts 10 Mbps, and another that accepts 100 Mbps.

If you are on a cable modem late at night with no one else sharing the line, the cable modem can run at data rates faster than 10 Mbps. In normal circumstances, however, a few megabits per second is far more likely. Taking this into account, you could install a 100-Mbps Ethernet card if you want the best possible peak performance. Also, an Ethernet card is likely to be more consistent, since it is dedicated to network traffic (as opposed to a USB connection, which may handle traffic from a number of devices). One difference is the ease of installation. To install an Ethernet card, you have to open the computer casing, while the USB option takes 5 seconds to plug it in.

Increase Internet Speed l fix browser problems

If you're not getting the performance you expected from your high-speed Internet connection, here are some tips that might give you a Internet speed boost.

Start by checking the speed of your connection. Take a serious look at your computer. It might be part of the bottleneck. Computers rely on their processors to convert Web coding languages, such as HTML, JavaScript and Java, into the Web pages. The slower the processor, the more time it takes to convert Web coding into the sites displayed on your screen. Memory also is important. If you don't have enough, the computer will only be able to store part of a page to a few pages in memory at once. Additional pages are saved to the computer's swap file, which is memory created from free space on your hard disk. Swap memory (also called virtual memory) operates much more slowly than physical memory, so Web surfing to complex pages or sites with little memory can be a huge slowdown.

If you have an up-to-date PC with enough memory but your connection has suddenly slowed to a crawl, try rebooting your modem. If your modem has a reset button, push it to reboot. Otherwise, unplug the power cord from the modem. Give it a minute and then reconnect the power.

Then go into your browser and dump cookies, history and temporary files. In Internet Explorer, click Tools and Internet Options. On the General tab, click Delete Cookies, Delete Files and Clear History.

In Netscape, click Edit and Preferences. Under Navigator, find History. Click Clear History. Under Privacy & Security, click Cookies. Click Manage Stored Cookies. On the Stored Cookies tab, click Remove All Cookies. Under Advanced, click Cache. Click Clear Disk Cache.

If you're using Apple's Safari, click Safari and Empty Cache. Then click Safari and Preferences. Click Security, Show Cookies and Remove All.

Finally, reboot the computer.

Some people with cable access use splitters to separate the television and Internet signals. Splitters work, because the signals use different frequencies. But the cable company uses industrial-strength equipment. If you bought your splitter on sale at the five-and-dime, that could be the problem.

If you're using DSL, and you've added telephone extensions to every room in the house, that could be a problem, too. That has the effect of increasing the line loop, adding to the distance from the switching station. When adding lines, be sure you know what you are doing. Poor quality work or wiring can degrade the Internet signal.

Also, be careful of the networking cable that runs from the modem to the computer. If you roll over it with a chair, you could crimp the wires inside.

It is possible that your problem is in the wiring outside your home. The technical support people at your Internet service provider can check for problems.

Finally, a slow broadband connection isn't necessarily caused by a problem on your end. The Internet is made up of countless networks. Bottlenecks develop, and slowness could be a problem on a site, not in your computer.