COMPUTER SPECIALIST

Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7

2009-11-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Windows Easy Transfer is a tool for transferring files and settings from one system to another running Windows. Not only this, you can transfer data from one user’s profile, or from multiple user accounts. It helps you to decide what to move to your new computer, which transfer method to use, and finally perform the transfer. When you are done with transferring, it displays a reports of the transferred content. It also offers a list of programs that you might want to install on new computer.

Note: You cannot use this tool to move program files. It can transfer only data and program settings. You must then install your software programs on the new computer. Its also not capable to transfer any system files such as fonts and drivers. You can transfer files and settings using a network, USB drive or the Easy Transfer cable. You can order this cable on the Internet or contact computer manufacturer.

You cannot upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7. However, you can use Windows Easy Transfer to transfer files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 on the same computer. For this, you need to copy files to a removable media, such as an external hard drive or USB flash drive, or to a network share. Next, you will install Windows 7 and then migrate your files back from the removable media onto your computer. When you are done, you must re-install your software programs again.

Copy files using Windows Easy Transfer on XP computer.

• Insert the Windows 7 DVD while running Windows XP.
• Open Windows Explorer by right-clicking the Start menu, and then clicking Explore.
• Browse to the DVD drive on your computer and click migsetup.exein the Support\Migwiz directory.
• The Windows Easy Transfer window opens.
• Click Next.
• Select An external hard disk or USB flash drive.
• Click This is my old computer. Windows Easy Transfer scans the computer.
• Click Next. You can also determine which files should be migrated by selecting only the user profiles you want to transfer, or by clicking Customize.
• Enter a password to protect your Easy Transfer file, or leave the box blank, and then click Save.
• Browse to the external location on the network or to the removable media where you want to save your Easy Transfer file, and then click Save.
• Click Next. Windows Easy Transfer displays the file name and location of the Easy Transfer file you just created.

Transfer files and settings on Windows 7 computer.

1. If you saved your files and settings in an Easy Transfer file on a removable media such as a USB flash drive or external hard drive rather than on a network share, insert the removable media into the computer.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Windows Easy Transfer.
3. Click Next.
4. Click An external hard disk or USB flash drive.
5. Click This is my new computer.
6. Click Yes, open the file.
7. Browse to the location where the Easy Transfer file was saved. Click the file name, and then click Open.
8. Click Transfer to transfer all files and settings. You can also determine which files should be migrated by selecting only the user profiles you want to transfer, or by clicking Customize.
9. Click Close after Windows Easy Transfer has completed moving your files.

Open multiple instances of same program with Windows 7

2009-10-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Access several instances of an open application at the same time in Windows 7 with different tabs. The operating system also allows you to shift windows in a smooth manner and
Microsoft is much closer to making a completely secure operating system been. .

Many a times we need to open multiple instances of the same program, or to take remote troubleshooting help on phone. We also need to shift any open windows to view the other
one. A program needs to be closed or minimized again and again, and on a remote session often some times we are not able to catch the whole tips and we often blunder.

However, Windows 7 or windows xp 7 offers a panacea for this issue. The operating system allows you to open the same application in multiple instances as per your need.

Instead of opening the program again, you can simply press the SHIFT key and left-click on the first instance in the Windows taskbar to open a second one.

Problem Steps Recorder

The Problem Steps Recorder is an efficient tool in Windows 7 that can be used by the user to record the steps over phone by some expert. Hence, you don’t have to suffer calling again and again.

You need to start the recorder by entering psr in the Start Menu box and click on Start Record in the program interface. Screen shots will be taken from user actions. It is possible to add comments at any time if the user feels so. The whole recording will be saved as a zip file containing a slideshow of the actions.

Collect favorite folder

Want to add a favorite folders to Windows Explorer to be able to access them faster? Just drag and drop the folder to the favorites menu. It will remain there until you delete it with the delete key again.

Moreover, Windows 7 has introduced several new keyboard shortcuts for window management. Some useful ones are given below:

* [Windows Shift Left Arrow] or [Windows Shift Right Arrow] to move windows from one computer monitor to another.
* [Windows Left Arrow] or [Windows Right Arrow] to dock windows to the left or right side.
* [Windows Up Arrow] to maximize a window.
* [Windows Down Arrow] to restore or minimize windows.
* [Windows Home] to minimize all windows but the active one.
* Shortcuts to start pinned task bar items.
* Pressing [Win Number] will start a new instance of a pinned task bar item. You should also note that the items can be dragged and dropped into different positions easily.

Automate Administration with PowerShell

2009-10-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

Windows PowerShell 2.0, a useful feature in Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7, is a great boon to IT professionals yearning for a elevated management of computers in enterprises.

PowerShell 2.0 is built on the Microsoft .Net Framework and is especially designed for system administration providing great help to IT professionals to automate the administration of Windows operating system. The command tools in Windows PowerShell, named cmdlets, allows you to manage computers in enterprise.

Microsoft latest Windows 7 version also helps you to access data stores and supports Windows Management Instrumentation classes. The tool is designed to easily permit the addition of new features . Your own cmdlets, providers, functions and scripts can be added which enables you to use Windows technologies such as Active Directory Domain Services, Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption, the DHCP Server service, Group policy, etc.

IT professionals and developers might be most interested in these improved features in Windows 7 as it helps them to manage Windows at the command line. Developers can also use it to build script language

In a nutshell, following are the changes included in Windows 7 PowerShell:

1. More than 100 new cmdlets are included in Windows PowerShell.

2. Interactive session can be created with single computer and as many as computer can be run with the single command. A session can be established with it which allows you to receive remote commands from multiple computers.

3. With Windows PowerShell background jobs, you can continue to work on your session as the commands run in the background. Background jobs can be run on a local as well as on the remote computer.

4. With debugger, you can debug functions and scripts. Breakpoint can be set and removed with it and you can also check the values of the variables.

5. Modules in Windows PowerShell allows you to function as independent entity. Module package containing your cmdlets, providers, scripts, functions and other files can be distributed to the other users.

6. It supports new event infrastructure and transaction.

7. The messages and text can be displayed to users in multiple languages, with script internalization.

8. For enhanced user experience, not only help at the command line but also new online parameters are included in Get-Help cmdlet which opens updated version of each help topic.

Windows 7 features – Device Management

2009-10-19T00:34:00.000-07:00

One of the several salient features of Windows 7 is Device Management, which includes device stage and the devices and printer folder making it easier for a user to work with printers, cameras, phones, and music players.

The tool acts as a location for external devices that updates you with the device status information. Device Stage acts as a home page for your hardware in Windows 7. In earlier versions, you need to go to separate menus, but in Windows 7 this advanced feature will pop up all the functions of the device.

The user can also have a look at everything connected to the PC with Devices and Printers folder. Now you don’t have to worry about downloading the drivers as the drivers of the new devices will be downloaded automatically.

In Windows 7, default printing adjusts itself depending upon the connected network. If you are at home or work it gets aware of the location from where you are printing with Location aware printing feature. It also provides support for wireless alternatives to USB such as Ultra Wideband (UWB), Wireless USB (WUSB), Wireless Host Controller Interface (WHCI), Device Wire Adapter (DWA).

Moreover, it supports devices such as ambient light sensor, GPS, temperature gauge, etc. You can also enlarge the text display when using high resolutions . The tool provides improved support for external displays. You can easily toggle between the laptop screen and an external display by simply pressing +P key.

If you want to add a new device it can easily be done with Devices and printers as it also provide the place to add a new networked or wireless device and also to troubleshoot problems with it. It also provide Blue-ray Disc write support and standardizes the Display color as it helps in adjusting an LCD display to be as close as possible to the sRGB standard color space. The user can expect simpler device pairing, better security and better power savings.

Windows 7 with enhanced automation Enterprise management

2009-10-17T00:56:00.000-07:00

Windows 7 gives better accessibility and enhanced performance with improved automation. The efficiency of IT professionals can be increased with this feature. Earlier, the tasks which were solved manually and take hour can be automatically resolved now. The tasks are entirely automated, the problem is being detected and is automatically resolved. And the additional advantage of this feature is that it diminishes the possibility for human error.

The Windows Automation API 3.0 gives you the benefit of existing accessibility implementation in Microsoft Active Accessibility and its elevated framework design allows you easier integration with industry standards. Windows 7 Automation provide better properties and control pattern and faster UI automation implementation.

Scripting is enhanced in Windows 7 that is the most powerful and usable automation tool for IT professionals which includes elevated version of the Windows scripting environment: Windows PowerShell 2.0. Now no more understanding of complex languages such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++ or C# with Windows PowerShell 2.0 as it does not require the understanding of complex language. It is especially designed for system administration.

Any management task can be performed by IT professionals which they want to automate as PowerShell uses Windows Management Interface. You can have full control over any aspect of the system that supports management by calling command-line tool from PowerShell.
You require to install it on the computer in order to run a PowerShell script in case you are using Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. But in Windows 7 PowerShell 2.0 is in-built into the operating system therefore IT professionals don't require to deploy any additional PC to create, distribute and run PowerShell scripts.

PowerShell is used by administrators for creating system restore before troubleshooting, to edit the registry using transactions which is to make sure that the changes which are made are implemented.
Windows Connect Now is one of the technology designed for simpler wireless device configuration. Now with Windows Connect it is easier to create a wireless network at home or office. When you connect to a compatible router, Windows will walk you through all the necessary setup steps including naming your network and turning on the router's security features. Now you don't need to remember network settings when you connect a new computer. All you have to do is press the Wi-FI Protected Setup button on your router and it will automatically send the network settings to your computer. With Windows connect Now, users running Windows 7 can create network configuration settings and transmit them to the access point. Windows Connect Now (WCN) allows mobile and embedded devices, 802.11 access points (APs), and computers to securely connect, and exchange settings with each other. It allows you to easily set up a secure wireless network by using a USB cable or USB flash drive. Windows Connect Now uses one of the methods for easier configuration.

WCN-NET is Microsoft's standard for easier Wi-Fi configuration. It provides for configuration of devices using Ethernet in Wireless networks. In Windows it can search an unconfigured router, access point, base station or a device such as a Media Center Extender by using Upnp, authenticate with the device by using a personal identification number, provide wireless settings that are based on user selection and configure a wireless network over a wired Ethernet connection.

WCN-UFD writes configuration files to a USB drive for more secure wireless networks. It uses an API and an XML format to write configuration files.
WCN-MTP includes a Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) extension that enables an MTP initiator to provide an MTP responder with configuration parameters for joining a wireless network and supports more secure configuration of MTP-capable devices on wireless networks.

Change Your Account Picture in Windows 7

2009-10-16T04:03:00.000-07:00

Microsoft’s Windows 7 release will be a boon for users as now they will be allowed to change the picture that appears on the Start Menu and Welcome screen in Windows 7.
While using Windows 7 you must have noticed a picture that appears when you click the Start menu or access the Welcome screen. A picture represents your account. You can replace this default picture with your favorite one.
You can follow these steps to perform this task. Click the Start button and then click on your account image to open the "User Accounts" Control Panel. When the "User Accounts" Control Panel opens, click "Change your picture" and then choose the one you like from the gallery and set as a default picture for your account.
After that you will have to click the "Change Picture" button, and then close the "User Accounts" Control Panel.
Taking up another issue, you can use setup to show the computer name on your Windows 7 taskbar.
You usually check computer name manually by right-clicking on My Computer and choosing Properties. But in Windows 7 release you can display it on Taskbar.
You just have to create a new folder in Document folder with the same name as your computer name. You can find your computer name by right-clicking on My Computer and choosing Properties. Right-click on an empty area in the taskbar and choose Toolbars, then click on New Toolbar. Now you want to browse to the location of the folder you just created. Choose that folder and click the Select Folder button.
Thats all. Now your computer name will appear on the Windows 7 taskbar.
Another Windows 7 update is that you can also get an effective package from Dr. Web CuireIt against all virus and spyware in Windows 7
When you update your system with Windows 7, then you need a comprehensive package because your existing antivirus will lose the compatibility.
Dr. Web comes with a most efficient Anti-Virus called Dr. Web CuireIt. Its extensive scanner and virus will scan the complete system even without installation. You can get it from the website link http://www.freedrweb.com, absolutely free. You can combine this package with Windows 7 install package. First, open the website with the above link. Press the button of "Download." Save the file on your desktop. Double click on the file and run the set up. Follow the prompt and at the end accept the Agreement form. Click on "Finish" after the process is complete.
You can run this program anytime, to scan your startup files and main memory. Depending upon the area you want to scan you can run this program under complete scan or custom scan. Press "Scanning" after selecting. After scanning the incurable files are moved to the quarantine directory.

How to Browse Internet on Windows 7 E Version

2009-10-13T03:23:00.001-07:00

Microsoft introduced Windows 7 Version in reaction to statements made by the European government with respect to Internet Explorer. The EU introduced antitrust case against Microsoft to the group of IE with Windows and therefore the exploitation of dominant market position. The government claimed that "the linking of Microsoft Internet Explorer for the Windows operating system harms competition among web browsers, undermines the product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice."

Windows 7 version E is a response to this that shows that Microsoft must comply with the law. The E version is without any type of browser and therefore welcomes the European markets with Windows without any type of Internet browser now so they can use any browser of your choice. However, the question remains: HOW? If no browser at all how is it possible to download any web browser?

Microsoft has provided detailed information about installing Windows 7 E on its website. However, the instruction also includes an extra step for customers in Europe with regard to keeping the browser of choice in some external hard drive. Therefore, European customers that Windows 7 will save the web browser on a CD, DVD or USB or other storage media and install the browser once the Windows 7 has been completely installed.

This is a genius step taken by Microsoft, as they show they are following the laws, and to be able to get more revenue by providing additional CD web browser with the operating system.

John James is a professional writer with extensive work experience in the development of web services industry. The author has written several useful and informative articles on various topics related to IT and computer help .

How To Clear the Temporary Internet Files?

2009-06-08T04:17:00.000-07:00

If you want to improve the internet speed ,then you have to clean the temporary internet files.Clearing the temporary Internet files from Internet Explorer 6 is sometimes a solution of certain problems with web pages and with the browser itself.

The temporary Internet files in Internet Explorer 6 contain locally saved copies, also called cache, of recent web pages you have visited. Clearing the temporary Internet files in Internet Explorer is completely safe and should not remove any important data from your computer.

For clearing the temporary internet files from Internet Explorer 6 browser,you have to just follow the below mentioned steps:

Open Internet Explorer 6.

From the Internet Explorer menu options, choose Tools and then Internet Options....

In the Internet Options window that appears, click on the Delete Files... button, located in the Temporary Internet files area.

In the Delete Files window that is displayed, check the Delete all offline content checkbox.

Click OK.

When the Delete Files window disappears and the hourglass cursor returns to an arrow, all of the files saved (cached) from your Internet browsing activities will have been removed.

Click OK in the Internet Options window to complete the process and return to Internet Explorer.

Bolster Small Business Services by Delivering Server Support

2008-09-23T05:54:00.001-07:00

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 Announces Launch of Monitoring and Performance Tool For SMBs.

2008-08-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-25T15:00:00.001-07:00

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

Boost Your Internet Connection Speed

2008-06-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Tips and Tricks for Finding Cheap Broadband

2008-06-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

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

Switching To Broadband Internet - Is It Really Worth It?

2008-06-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

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.

Internet acceleration tips : Speed boosting

2008-06-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

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.

Understanding Broadband Service in the 21st Century

2008-06-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

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.

Making Sense of Broadband Packages

2008-06-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

'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

Accessing the Internet on High Speed

2008-05-16T01:58:00.000-07:00

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.

Home Connectivity in the US

2008-05-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

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).

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.

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

For Online Security of Your Child

2008-05-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

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.

Second Largets Wireless Network

2008-04-28T02:36:00.000-07:00

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

Move from a Dial-up Internet Connection to Cable or DSL?

2008-04-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

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.

Block Spying Cookies, But Keep the Helpful Ones

2008-04-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

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 .

A simple technology for the Internet buffs

2008-04-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

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

Epson Printer Support

Lexmark Printer

6 Steps to a Faster Broadband Connection

2008-04-07T00:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-02T22:42:00.001-07:00

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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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.

Introduction to Wireless Network Security

2008-04-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

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

Tips to Twea Internet Speed

2008-03-27T23:44:00.000-07:00

- 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

Do broadband "speed patches" available for home computers really work?

2008-03-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Which is better to use for a cable modem -- a USB connection or an Ethernet card?

2008-03-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

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

Tweaks can boost broadband's speed

2008-03-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

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.

How To Boost Internet Connection Speed

2008-03-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Life without surfing the Web is as unthinkable as life without the telephone.No matter what you’re doing in any given day, whether it be shopping, checking the weather, or catching up on the events around the world, we all have a tendency to go online to get the scoop on these matters.

Whether you’re thinking about starting your first Internet connection or you want to get the most out of your existing connection (Increase Internet Speed), knowing how to accomplish this can boost that connection and make your web surfing much more enjoyable.

If your starting out for the first time, you must find an ISP or Internet Service Provider in your area that serves as a middleman between your PC and the Internet.

Once you have found yourself a reliable ISP, you have two choices of Internet connections. The slower of the two is the Dial-Up connection but its also the cheapest.If you can afford to pay a higher monthly fee, a broadband connection is the way to go.

Whichever connection you have or start first, it can probably run faster with a little optimization. In order to improve your current Internet connection, it would be to your advantage to know your current connection speed.

You can go to such search engines as Google or MSN and perform a search for let’s say, “Internet Speed Test” and you will have a ton of software allowing you to test your Internet connection and many are free.
Run a few speed tests to objectively test the connection and its best to run tests at different hours of the day. These test sites report their values in different formats.

In the evening Internet traffic is much higher and you want to know how fast your connection is during this time. With this data written down and safely put away, you should want to find out how fast your modem is at other times, especially in the mornings.

This values may be reported in 1kb or 1 kilobyte or 1MB which is 1 megabytes. Look at the site’s reporting values and take careful, detailed notes of each connection speed test.

To optimize either connection you will need to tweak Windows Settings and install optimization software. If you have a Dial-Up connection and use Windows 98 or Me, click Start, Settings, and click Control Panel. Then right click the Modems icon.

Now click Properties, and choose the General tab. Use the Maximum Speed Drop-Down menu to select 115200. If this setting causes your Modem to no longer connect, change it to 57600.

Windows XP users should click Start, Control Panel and switch to classic view. Double-click the Phone And Modem options and choose the Modem tab.
Change the maximum settings port speed to 115200 and if the Modem responds poorly or not at all, change the speed to 57600.

The Benefits of a Faster Connection

2008-03-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

When considering the price for High Internet Speed access, many wonder if paying such a price is truly worth it. If you're looking at Internet providers and still unsure if DSL, Cable or Satellite access is right for you, ask yourself the following:

Is my dial up service fast enough to access streaming video & music?
Could I use the Internet more if web pages and downloads moved at faster speeds?
Do I have to free up a phone line in order to connect to the web?
How long does it take to receive digital photos & large email attachments?
Could I work from home if I had a faster connection to my information?

Time is money! And using High Internet Speed access will save you more than enough of your time to justify its cost. However, there are still many pitfalls (internet browser problem)& problems to avoid when choosing between different High Speed Internet access and the different types of connections currently available.

And that is the purpose of our free guide - to educate consumers and businesses regarding the different aspects of faster web connections and to help them.

President Bush Releases US Broadband Policy

2008-02-03T23:47:00.000-08:00

While most people wouldn't know we have a national broadband policy in place.

The president claims that not only do we have a plan, it's working spectacularly welll. "That's the main conclusion of the just-released 'Network Nation: Broadband in America 2007'

Broadband Speed Factors And Comparisons

2008-01-24T03:59:00.001-08:00

Improve Internet Browsing Speed

Broadband speed varies widely across. The differences are based upon the location, type of broadband and the service providers, themselves.

Speed is based upon connection, download and upload of information. Speed also varies based upon individual factors. All the factors come together to help give a rough estimate of the overall broadband speed.

The following list explains all of the factors that goes into the final result of broadband speed.

- Type of Broadband. There are numerous types of broadband connections. ADSL and cable are the fastest. Other types like satellite are slower, but still faster than dial up. Even at the slowest rate broadband is still at least 10 times faster than dial up connections.

- Service provider. Some service providers can supply higher speeds. This can be due to better technology, equipment or location. Each provider will list their tops speeds for subscribers to see and this is an easy way for a person to ensure they are getting the best speed possible.

- Web Traffic. The internet is often referred to as the information highway. The reason for this is that all the information online travels through lines that work much like an actual highway. When there are a lot of people online these lines get crowded and the internet runs slower than usual. These times are referred to as peak hours. Peak hours usually occur after 7 am until 9 pm on weekdays and all weekend.

- Hardware. Hardware a person uses, from modems to cables can effect the internet speed. If a person is using outdated or damaged hardware then this will effect the efficiency and in the end, the speed of the connection.

- Personal computer. It is up to the individual to make sure that they optimize computer for running smoothly. Each person should make sure that they clean their web browsers history, temporary files and cookies on a regular basis. This helps the computer to be able to work quicker. Also older computers do not have as much memory and therefore need to be cleaned more often so the internet can run quickly.

These four factors all come together to make broadband speed hard to pinpoint. One location could get greatly different results than another simply because of the varying factors.

When looking at broadband access speeds and all the factors that can effect them it is easy to see why it providers can not guarantee a speed.

Many providers give a range of speed where the connection speed will fall.

Most users will rarely, if ever, get the top speeds, due to the factors above. Even someone will the best equipment, location and service may not see the top speeds because some factors, like web traffic, can not be controlled by anyone.

How to increase broadband connection speed in Windows XP/2003?

2008-01-21T00:57:00.000-08:00

This tip is designed for increased BROADBAND speed in Windows XP while using standard Network Interface cards (NIC) that are connected to ADSL modems, or when using any directly-connected USB ADSL modem.

To speed up the Internet connection speed we need to configure a special buffer in the computer's memory in order to enable it to better deal with interrupts made from the NIC or the USB modem.

This tip is only recommended if you have 256MB RAM or higher.

Step #1 - Identify the IRQ used by the NIC/USB modem

Follow these steps:

1. Open the System Information tool by running MSINFO32.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand System Summary > Hardware Resources > IRQs.

3. Look for the listing made for your NIC (in my case - a Intel(R) PRO/100+ Management Adapter). Note the IRQ next to the specified line (in my case - IRQ21).

In case of USB modems you will first need to find the right USB device used by your modem. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager tool by running DEVMGMT.MSC from the Run command (or by right-clicking My Computer > Hardware tab > Device Manager button).

2. Scroll down to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it.

3. Right-click the USB Root Hub and select Properties. Note that you might need to do so for all listed USB Root hubs (if there are more than one) in order to find the right one.

4. In the Power tab, look for your USB ADSL modem.

5. In the Resources tab look for the assigned IRQ (in this case - IRQ21).

6. This is the IRQ we're looking for.

Lamer note: IRQs and modem names might vary...

Step #2 - Modify the system.ini file

Follow these steps:

1. Run SYSEDIT.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand the system.ini file window.

3. Scroll down almost to the end of the file till you find a line called [386enh].

4. Press Enter to make one blank line, and in that line type IrqX=4096

where X is the designated IRQ number we found in step #1, in my case it's IRQ21.

Note: This line IS CASE SENSITIVE!!!

5. Click on the File menu, then choose Save.

6. Close SYSEDIT and reboot your computer.

Done. Speed improvement will be noticed after the computer reboots.

Update: The most speed improvement is visible with USB A/DSL modems, however there are reports that this tweak also does good for regular NICs. In any case, it won't harm your system, so why not try it yourself and let me know what you find.

Broadband Services - Tips For Choosing Internet Service For Your Business

2008-01-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

Broadband services are available from a large array of providers. There are many types of services out there so deciding on the right product for your business may be difficult.

Broadband is a term that is used to describe high-speed connections for voice or data. Broadband connections allow for large data transfers and the ability to run applications such as streaming video easily. And therefore requires a frequent computer optimization

When choosing an Internet service for your business one consideration is the speed you need. Various services offer different speeds. For example, a T1 is a high-speed digital connection that transmits data at a speed of 1.544 Mbps. A T1 has 24 channels. The T1 is an engineered circuit that is monitored at the central office. The circuit is brought into the customer premise on fiber cable that allows it to transmit at this high speed. Once on premise, the T1 is then connected to the customer's data equipment.

A T3 line is a larger, faster T1. The T3 Internet line can transmit data at a rate of 43.232 Mbps. This speed is sometimes needed for large applications such as large data file transfers along with other bandwidth intensive uses such as web hosting and streaming video. The T3 is equal to about 28 T1s and is used for large business applications, campus environments and network backbones.

A DSL is another type of broadband connection. It is slightly slower than a T1 - the speed is based on distance from the central office to the customer premise. An advantage of the DSL is that it can typically be brought into smaller locations, sometimes even residential. However, pricing is not much less than the T1, which is also a more stable connection.

Some companies also offer OC lines. These optical carrier lines run over a SONET fiber network and can transmit at speeds of about 51.84 Mbps. There are larger OC lines also available with configurations such as OC3, OC12, OC48 and OC192. The number indicates the size of the OC circuit. OC192 lines are the largest and fastest connections available. An OC192 has transmission speed of up to 1976.64Mbps.

The choice for your business connection should be based on current and future needs as well as price. For the money, T1 circuits are typically the best buy for the small business. They provide fast transmission speeds to allow most applications as well as the ability to accommodate future applications. The T1 is a leased line so monthly charges will apply. Most companies see an immediate savings over standard line connections. The T1 is a reliable circuit. It is monitored from the central office so if a problem is detected it can easily be corrected, sometimes remotely.

Make Your Web Pages Load Faster

2008-01-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

This Tips & Tricks series, which incorporates regular software updates and reviews, is aimed at enhancing your broadband experience.

Q: How can I make web pages load faster?

You can speed up your browsing experience by using a web accelerator. A web accelerator can be a proxy server used by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to reduce web access times. It can also be a hardware appliance or a browser extension that you can install on your computer. In this blog, we will look at simple, cost effective ways to speed up your browsing experience using free, installable browser extensions.

What is a web accelerator?

Web accelerators are tools that can help speed up the download of web content such as plain text, HTML, markup and java script, as well as common forms of graphics such as GIF, and JPEG images, Flash and file downloads. Although they do not accelerate other forms of Internet content such as video and audio streams.

Examples of web accelerators

Two popular web accelerators are FasterFox for Firefox and the Google Web Accelerator.
FasterFox is a Mozilla Firefox extension that tweaks network connections and caches web pages so that the pages can be loaded more quickly.

How it works

Whenever you request for a web site, your ISP's computer will work out the Internet address of the web site and go to the relevant web server to download the requested file. Web accelerators can help speed up this process in several ways:
1. Tweaking the network. FasterFox allows you to tweak many network settings such as the number of simultaneous connections to the server.

2. Caching. The web accelerator stores frequently or recently accessed web sites in the cache memory on your computer. When you type in the address of the web site you want, the web accelerator will load the file from the cache instead of going to the web server, reducing the time needed for you to access the site.

3. Pre-fetching: Web accelerators like FasterFox for Firefox have a pre-fetch mechanism that makes use of idle bandwidth to load and cache all the links on the page you are browsing so that these linked sites can be downloaded faster when requested.

4. Compressing documents. Web accelerators may compress documents to a smaller size or send only what has been changed since the document was last requested. They may also filter out ads or other unwanted content so that the web site can be loaded more quickly. For example, FasterFox for Firefox includes a popup blocker for popups initiated by Flash plug-ins.

Broadband High Speed Internet Keeps You Going

2008-01-09T21:34:00.000-08:00

It was not that long ago when it took longer to dial-up your Internet connection than it did to read your email. With the growth in broadband high speed Internet, you do not have to wait for a connection because the Internet is always on.

At its onset, broadband high speed Internet was offered by very few companies and was out of the price range for the average user - only used only by large corporations and few gadget geeks who could afford it.

Soon, several companies were jumping onto the broadband high speed Internet bandwagon, increasing competition and driving prices down to be affordable for just about everyone. It proved to be the quickest way for companies to network their different locations. In addition, as new lines were installed, it increased availability and allowed people to be on line, just about, all the time.

Broadband High Speed Internet Keeps You Going

Speed Difference is in the Bandwidth

To better understand how broadband high speed Internet works, think of it is as the flow of information through a funnel. Imagine a funnel with a four inch mouth and a quarter of an inch on the end. As information enters the funnel it flows freely but as it approaches the end, it gets compacted and slows down considerably. Imagine now, a funnel that is more like a cylinder. Four inches at the top and four inches at the end. Information comes out at the same speed in which it went in.

This is similar to information flowing through a broadband high speed Internet connection. There is little to slow it down except for the receiving capabilities of the computer. Broadband connections do not just allow for faster transfer of data, but also different data flowing to different points at the same time.

Direct Subscriber Lines (DSL) allow the line to be used for voice communications (telephone) and Internet access simultaneously, ending the need for a second phone line if you spend a lot of time on the Internet. With broadband high speed Internet you can also download movies and music about 100 times faster than was available through a dial-up service.

It has proven more reliable, as well, because telephone lines were subject to interference and "noise" if the line was older and cause the Internet connection to be lost. With broadband high speed Internet it is rare for the connection to be disrupted or fail to connect due to the fact the computer can always be on line.

Mobile Broadband: Do we Need another Technology War?

2008-01-03T02:21:00.000-08:00

Industry watchers love nothing more than a good old technology war. In the past, we’ve had Token Ring versus Ethernet, GSM versus CDMA and DECT versus CT2. Now, a new technology debate is brewing between HSPA and WiMAX for dominance in the emerging mobile broadband market. But such battles are rarely just about technology, and the mobile broadband debate is no exception.

The GSM world has seen it all before. Over the years, industry commentators have questioned whether investment in GSM-based 3G technology is worthwhile and wondered whether a succession of alternative technologies would render GSM/WCDMA obsolete. In the meantime, GSM/WCDMA operators have been steadily building their 3G businesses – rolling out networks, adding subscribers and delivering ever-enhanced functionality.

Today, the latest commercial releases of HSPA radio networks support download speeds of up to 14.4Mbps – more than a match for most fixed-broadband connections – and they are set to become even faster. GSM/WCDMA radio networks are continuing to evolve to meet growing user demand for mobile-broadband services, through further enhancements in the downlink and uplink, and on to Long Term Evolution.The performance of HSPA and Mobile WiMAX technologies is comparable. Both technologies offer similar peak data rates, spectral efficiency and network complexity. However, Mobile WiMAX requires more cell sites to offer the same coverage and capacity as HSPA. A major hurdle for WiMAX operators will be to overcome the initial high capital expenditure of the radio access network.HSPA is built on the firm foundation of the 3GPP family of standards, and the scale operators get through the established 3G ecosystem makes it very cost-efficient. HSPA can be built out using the existing GSM radio network sites and is a software upgrade of the installed WCDMA networks. Since HSPA devices are also backward compatible with WCDMA and GSM it means users can get nationwide coverage from day one.

By being pitched as a “data play” technology, with voice supported by other radio technologies, WiMAX is perceived as not having to meet regulatory requirements. However, the trend is towards more regulation of VoIP services, especially in areas such as caller ID and location provision for emergency services. WiMAX is unlikely to be exempt from regulatory requirements in the longer term.

HSPA also provides global roaming over GSM/WCDMA networks, as well as wide area coverage within many countries. WCDMA has passed the 150 million subscriber mark and is growing at a rate of 6 million per month. Since Ericsson rolled out the first commercial HSPA system in 2004, more than 150 operators in around 70 countries have launched commercial HSPA services – including major mobile operators such as AT&T, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

The Global mobile Suppliers Association reports that HSPA services are commercially available in eight countries in the Americas, 13 countries in Asia Pacific, nine countries in the Middle East/Africa, and 38 countries in Europe. HSPA is commercially available today in 26 of the 27 countries that comprise the European Union.

Juniper Research expects there to be about 1.8 billion broadband subscribers globally by 2012, with about 1.2 billion on mobile networks – with WCDMA/HSPA accounting for nearly 70 percent of mobile-broadband subscribers.

HSPA offers excellent mobility from day one, with over 300 HSPA-enabled devices available on the market – including PC cards, USB modems and modules, laptops with integrated HSPA modules, Fixed Wireless Terminals (wireless routers), phones, PDAs and media players. HSPA terminals have fallback toGSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA, and embedded modems will be available in early 2008.

While WiMAX-certified products were likely to be embedded in notebooks and PC cards during 2007, WiMAX-enabled phones will not appear on the market until 2008. It will be difficult for WiMAX handsets to match the volume and cost structure of current mobile phones – especially as the handsets cross multiple frequencies, meaning multiple radios for roaming. Industry analyst Gartner forecasts that worldwide sales of WiMAX-enabled phones as a proportion of total mobile-phone sales will remain extremely low (below one per cent), at least until 2010.

Deploying any type of cellular system incurs capital costs, no matter which technology is deployed. Because the core network behind WCDMA/HSPA is the same as for GSM, a lot of the investment has already been made. GSM/WCDMA infrastructure is already serving more than 2.5 billion subscribers worldwide – delivering tremendous economies of scale.
There is sometimes a misunderstanding that the WiMAX technology is free from Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues.

In GSM the setting of reasonable accumulated IPR costs has led to a global market with hundreds of chipset and handset vendors. More than 800 million handsets were sold during 2006. By reaching similar IPR agreements in WCDMA/HSPA, products can be offered to customers with very low IPR costs. We believe the same reasonable accumulated rates – at a moderate single-digit level – should also apply to new players in the HSPA and WiMAX arenas.

For WiMAX, it has yet to be seen which players will win large market share, and so their IPR costs are unknown. However, it is unlikely that IPR will provide any differentiator between HSPA and WiMAX.The unprecedented demand for WCDMA/HSPA means additional radio spectrum is going to be critical. It is estimated that by 2010 more traffic will be generated by data services than by voice in mobile networks, yet until about 2015, the only additional internationally agreed spectrum identified for 3G technologies is the IMT-2000 extension band, being 2500-2690 MHz. When allocating new spectrum it will be important to ensure that licensees can leverage on technologies with economies of scale. This will create the right conditions for the licensees to offer affordable broadband services based on a low total cost of ownership for the network and devices.

Ericsson sees HSPA and HSPA Evolved, with downlink speeds of 42Mbps and uplink speeds of 12Mbps, as the natural mobile-broadband technology choice for the near future, with LTE just around the corner to bring us new levels of performance. Technology choices made today will influence operations for many years to come, so while it remains to be seen if WiMAX can offer a viable business case, building on existing HSPA networks represents the fastest way to deliver mobile broadband to the masses.

Source : THIS DAY

Broadband Troubleshooting Tips

2007-12-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

Installed the USB modem but seeing flashing orange or yellow lights, rather than green lights. Why?

Sounds a little elementary. Make sure all the leads are connected to both the modem, the phone socket and the computer and then check the status again. Also ensure your phone connection is

working by checking for a dial tone. Make sure that you haven't accidentally placed a microfilter on your ADSL modem. If none of these solve your problem, then your drivers may not have loaded for some reason. Unplug your modem, reboot and plug your modem back in. If there's still no joy, the network may be out. Call your ISP for a

status report.

Can not connect, and my connection keeps dropping really quickly. What should I do?

Double check by using the right username and password for your Internet configuration. Make sure you have got a microfilter on all your phone-based appliances bar the ADSL modem. That includes the Sky box, the answering machine and the fax machine. Check with your ISP about burglar alarms. Also, if you've got a new fax machine, check the

manufacturer's site to see whether the unit is compatible with ADSL. Unplug your modem, reboot and plug your modem back in.

Keep losing my ADSL connection. It seems to happen most often and if pick the telephone - the line seems to be very noisy, too?

The telephone should be connected to a micro-filter, which ensures the frequencies used by the phone line don't clash with ADSL (In fact, unless you place one on the master socket, you will need a separate micro-filter for every telephone extension in your home). If you are already using a micro-filter, then there is the possibility that it is faulty. Most ADSL modems comes with at least two, so check around before you buy more.

Get a PPP failure message and error 650, 718, 721 or 645. What to do about this?

Make sure line is working by testing for a dial tone on your

phone. Unplug, reboot and plug in again to ensure the driver has loaded. If there's still no joy, don't discount the possibility of a

faulty modem.

Why does modem seem to run slowly and the lights just fade out after a few minutes?

If their is an AMD processor based computer, you might have problems based on a chipset issue. Some units use USB controllers that don't supply enough power to USB devices like modem. A fix on the Microsoft Web site may help, or else there is a need to get a PCI based

ADSL modem fitted into machine. Search the Microsoft downloads

site for chipsets VIA, SIS and ALi.

Asked for my CBUK number – what is this?

This is a special code that BT uses to identify your ADSL connection. If you move from one broadband service provider to another, you must get your CBUK number from your old ISP. Contact both ISPs well ahead of time to find out exactly what's needed besides the CBUK number to ensure a smooth change over.

An error that says Cannot Create Entry?

Running old system software with an obsolete version of Dial Up

Networking. Head to the Microsoft site to download DUN 1.4.

I get error message: RegDBSetKeyVAlueEX failed when trying to connect my modem.

Something is there on system that won't loosen its grip on a component in your computer's registry. One can try doing the installation as an

administrator.

Done everything correctly, but either my username and password are rejected, or my connection is very, very slow. Why is this?

There may be a problem with firewall being set to 56K. Disable it,

reinstall your modem and check. If this is the case, uninstall and reinstall the firewall.

Why does my connection close if the computer is idle for a few minutes?

Your computer may be set to hang up if there's no network activity. Go

to control panel for 'Network and Dial-up connections' and set its 'Idle Time Before Hanging Up' to 'Never'.

Got the ADSL connected and working fine on Windows XP PC, but the Dial-Up Networking icon has gone missing from the System Tray. How to get it back?

Select Control Panel; Network Connections, then right-click on ADSL connection and choose Properties. Check the 'Show icon in notification area when connected' option, and the absent icon will reappear next time you're online.

Seen adverts for programs that claim to double, triple or even quadruple my download speed. ADSL is already great, but that kind of speed improvement would make it so much better. Is it really possible though?

Most of these programs work by changing network-related settings in your Registry. If your PC were set up poorly then running one of these optimising tools may make a difference. If you want to experiment then check your TCP/IP configuration

Still need help?

Try the Internet Speed Optimization service by iYogi

Speeds Explained

2007-12-18T03:55:00.000-08:00

So how fast is your internet connection anyway? Yeah, I know that many companies now are advertising speeds of upwards of a megabit or more. Well, what does that really mean? And how fast is 56K or 28.8 anyway?

I know this is hard to believe if you're relatively new to the world of computers or the internet, but back in 1978 modems were running at 110 or 300 bits per second (the technical term is baud). The table below is not precisely accurate but gives a rough idea of how the speeds have been working their way upwards for the past few years.

Speed Timeline

1978 100 to 300 baud

1988 1200 to 2400 baud

1993 14,400 baud

1995 28,800 baud

1997 33,000 baud

1998 56,000 baud

1999 1,500,000 baud

DSL and cable mode connections

In comparison, local network connections run at 10,000,000 bits per second at least and it is becoming more common for these to be running at 100 million bits per second.

But what does all this mean? Well, a character is eight bits (a bit is a zero or a one, and it takes 8 of them to make a single character). The letter K means 1,024, so a 28K modem is 1,024 times 28 or 28,672 bits per second (also called bps).

Now divide the 28,672 by 8 and you have the maximum number of characters per second that your modem can run at. This works out to 3,584 characters per second, which in today's world is considered pretty slow (you will understand why shortly).

Interesting fact: Modem speeds are all standardized by International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The ITU defines 28.8K bps modems as v.32 and 33.6K bps modems as v.34.

All right, now you are getting 3.5 thousand characters per second, if you have a 28K modem, right? Well, not exactly. First off, the quality of your phone line may drop that down significantly. What happens is your computer sends some data to the "internet"; it is received but there was an error, so the internet computer requests that the data be resent. The worse the quality (you can hear how bad it is by the amount of static you can hear when you listen on the line) the more times the data has to be resent, the slower the line.

On top of that, there is a certain amount of overhead associated with each connection. This is "handshaking", which means the modem is asking the internet computer if it got the data and the internet computer is responding "yes" or "no". There is also a certain amount of data to define what is being sent (an email or a web document or whatever) which eats into the line speed.

Well, okay, let's assume you are actually getting 20K from your 28.8K modem. There's worse news to come. The internet has lots of things that actually have nothing to do with content. There are cookies, advertising banners, comments, web bugs, and a host of other things inserted into your web experience. A typical advertising banner is 7.5K, which in our 20Kbps example requires several seconds to load to your machine.

What can you do? First, if you can get a DSL or Cable modem connection to the internet. It will probably cost about the same or only slightly more than your dialup connection and will improve your surfing experience by many times.

Second (or if you cannot get a higher speed connection) get an ad blocker installed on your system to remove those ads before they are downloaded to your machine. Why even bother downloading banners that you are never going to look at anyway?

I hope that helps clear things up a bit.

5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Internet Speed

2007-12-10T02:19:00.000-08:00

If you are a computer expert, you’ll probably already know about these tips (hopefully this will provide you with a little reminder). If you’re not an expert, don’t worry - these tips are simple, and don’t require a lot of computer experience.
While an old computer will never operate at the same speed as a newer (and bigger & faster) computer, you can help your computer stay as “young & healthy” as possible.

1) Disk Cleanup

Performing a disk cleanup regularly is a good idea. Whenever you “surf the internet”, open attachments, delete files, your computer saves a record of your activity. Many of these files are harmless, and individually are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, before long you’ll take up enough space to slow your computer down a bit.
Disk Cleanup is a Windows utility that helps keep unused and unwanted files from taking up extra storage space on your computer. You can think of it as “spring cleaning” for your computer.
Basically, it removes files that may have once been useful or used but now are just taking up extra room that could be used for more useful programs and files.
To perform a disc cleanup, click on the Start button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disc Cleanup. A small box will pop up, allowing you to select the files to delete (most files are OK to delete, but if you are unsure, it is best to not select the file). Then click OK, and the unused files will be removed.
If you’ve never done a disk cleanup on your computer, now is a good time to get started. Then, depending on how much you use your computer, you can perform a disk cleanup every few weeks to keep your computer running smoothly!

2) Defragmenting Your Computer

Another way to improve the performance of your computer is to defragment your hard drive. What is defragmenting, and why do you need to do it? Here’s a simple explanation:
Basically, defragmenting is putting files back where they belong. With the files in the proper order, your computer will run more efficiently.
You don’t need to hire a computer expert to defragment your computer. It’s simple to do. You just need to plan ahead, because if you have a lot of “stuff” on your computer, it could take a while.
And it’s best not to use your computer while defragmenting.
Not sure how to defragment your computer? You can either click on your computer’s help file (Click the “Start” button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Help), or click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Defragment - for most computers) .
Keep in mind that the actual wording is slightly different depending on the operating system you use (Windows 95, 98, XP, etc) so you might need to refer to your computer’s help file.
Periodically defragmenting your computer will keep it running smoothly!

3) Removing Spyware & Adware

If you’ve ever had spyware or adware on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be - strange things happening, your homepage changing, inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons.
What exactly is spyware or adware?
Simply, files that are often downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge (or at least without you knowing what they really are).
Unfortunately, many of these programs “sneak” their way onto your computer, so avoiding them entirely is difficult, especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, surfing the Internet and downloading new programs and files.
Fortunately, there are ways to remove these unwanted files from your computer.
Here are 2 adware/spyware removal programs that are simple to use (and both are free):
Ad-Aware
Spybot
Why does adware/spyware continue to be such a problem? Because most of these programs make money for the people creating and spreading them, unfortunately. So, all we can do is try to avoid them as much as possible, and to remove them when they do find their way onto our computers.
If you do find spyware on your computer, don’t panic. In many cases, you just have some extra “junk” on your computer. But keeping spywaer and adware off of your computer will help it run more quickly and efficiently.

4) Uninstalling Old & Unused Programs

While uninstalling old, unused programs will help speed up your computer, removing the wrong files can cause you some big problems. So, please proceed carefully. And if you are not comfortable, please ask for help from someone you know who is more knowledgeable.
Most programs that you download simply have an “uninstall” feature that comes with them. If you’re like me and you download a lot of free programs or free trials, after a while your computer begins to slow down. That means it’s time for me to remove some of the old programs I don’t use any more (and most I only used once just to see how they work).
To uninstall unused programs from your computer, first click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Programs, then click on the name of the program and Uninstall. If there is no uninstall option, then click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.
Again, if you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it is best to leave it.
If you follow these instructions, you should find your computer working faster right away.

5) Get A High Speed Internet Connection

If you spend a lot of time on the internet, a high speed internet connection is a must. It is more expensive, but for most people the savings in time and effort is worth the added expense.
There are several advantages of having a high speed internet connection - faster surfing, web pages open more quickly, files download faster, and if you send or receive large files, like pictures or video, trying to open these files with a slower dialup connection is extremely frustrating!
If you’re already spending $20 a month or more for your dialup connection (through your phone line) then you’ll find DSL to be comparable in price, and a lot faster.
A cable internet connection might cost a little more, but it is usually the fastest type of internet connection you can get from home.
High speed wireless connections are available for those who travel a lot. And high speed satellite internet is available in areas where other options are not (check your options first, as this is the most expensive high speed connection).
That’s all the tips for increasing your computer speed and helping your computer run more efficiently. We hope you found these tips helpful!

Five Tips to Get a Better Internet Connection Provider

2007-12-03T01:57:00.000-08:00

As you have got to this blog I assume that you are suffering from a slow and sluggish internet connection or are in the market for a new internet connection. With this post I will cover 5 tips that you should follow to pick a better internet service provider.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the amount of data that is downloaded by you using the connection. So if you have a 10GB download limit, you can only download 10GBs of data before facing the risk of being charged for extra bandwidth allowance. Now you may ask, what has this got to do with getting a better internet connection? Well if you keep going over your download limit it will not only cost you more money due to the bandwidth charges but also may mean that the ISP (Internet service provider) may limit your connecting giving you slower speeds and a worse internet connection. So now you may ask, how much bandwidth will I use?

This is a hard question to answer as different people use their internet connection for different tasks. If you are only visiting web pages as well as one or two videos you would be fine with a download limit such as 2GB. But if you are a demanding user and regularly download large files and stream videos you may require much more download allowance. Be careful of unlimited download limits, these normally have fair usage policy which states a usage they consider fair.

Download Speed

This is a key area to look for when looking for an ISP (Internet service provider). The first thing that you should understand is that the speed of the internet connection that you can get depends on where you live. If you live in a more remote location you are a lot less likely to be able to get the highest speeds available. Internet providers will normally use an “up to” speed when stating the download speed. This means that it may not get to the speed stated. To check the download speed your connection is able to get, there is normally a phone number checker which checks the speed that your phone line is likely to achieve.

When considering a new internet provider you have to consider what you use your connection for to understand what download speed you require. To browse web pages and check emails you will really need a download speed not any higher than 512 kbps, but if you download large files and stream high definition video you will need at least a 2Mbit connection. If you are sharing your connection with other users you should also consider a higher download speed so that the connection can cope with the data from all the users.

Contracts

With most internet providers there is some kind of contract that requires you to use their service for a set period of time (usually 12 months). Some providers offer a 1 month contract which is useful as you can cancel the service if you're not happy with it. The details of minimum contract terms as well as important information about the service you will get is stated in the terms and conditions so take time to read them! The terms and conditions will be stated on the internet providers website and you are asked to agree to them when you sign up to a provider.

Freebies

One of my top tips is to not be tempted by internet providers who offer some freebies if you use their service. This will normally end with a large minimum contract period as well as a poor and unreliable service. You may ask, just because they are giving me a free stuff why does that make them bad? If the internet service provider has to give people stuff for them to use their broadband they must not be providing a good service as they need to almost bribe people with free stuff. This doesn't mean that any internet provider that offers free stuff is rubbish, it just means that you should take care and don't be dragged in to a internet provider just because of the free stuff they offer. Customer reviews
I believe that this is the most important advice for people looking for a new internet provider. My advice is to read customer reviews. These customer reviews will provide you with an insight to what the customers of the internet provider think of their service and if they had any problems. What is also important to remember is to not trust just one review, if there is one bad customer review it doesn't meant the internet provider is bad but if there are a large number of bad reviews it is more likely that the ISP is not good.

I hope that these 5 great tips will help you get away from the bad internet service providers so you can have a better internet connection.

How to Increase Speed of Internet

2007-11-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

Today, the Internet has become indispensable for many. People narrowing down to this option are opting for technological advancements like broadband, ADSL, Wi-Fi etc. However, the slow speed of connection can be highly frustrating at times especially during downloading. There are a number of ways which allow you to optimize your internet speed.

High bandwidth technologies hold extreme importance for tech-savvy consumers. Among such washing ashore are cable modems which are nowadays being used for high speed Internet connection. It also eliminates the need for dialing in every time you want to go online. The users can continue to receive television through the same cable, whereas data services can be shared by several PCs in a home based LAN configuration.

An Ethernet network is managed over a wide geographic area. In case, there are a few users served by a neighborhood node on this network, all the bandwidth will certainly be dedicated to them. On the other hand, if there will be a majority of users availing cable network will lower the speed. Cable providers generally add a node to an area to reduce such congestion. Use of cable modems has shown their caliber resulting into high speed internet connection. This was one of the ways to speed up the connection through cable modem.

Many individuals see GPRS internet connection on PC as the best means to increase speed of the internet. Opposed to this, a broadband connection with mere 256 kbps can be enough to work online efficiently without any disconnections.

Broadband Internet Access, often acronym to simple “broadband”, is high speed Internet access. They are preferred over dial-up modems which are only capable of supporting a maximum bitrate of 56 kbit/s. Broadband connections provide the double of the speed what dial up connections has to offer and without disrupting telephone use.

Broadband is generally termed as high speed Internet connection as it can transmit a high rate of data. Any connection to the customer of 256 kbit/s or more is considered broadband internet. It offers several advantages for business, home users. Along with putting an end to waiting time for downloads, broadband gives fast access to the information the user requires or wants.

How to Test Your DSL and Cable Internet Connection Speed

2007-11-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

There are two measured elements that determine your internet connection speed. They are: The download rate, and the upload rate of data measured in bits per seconds. Usually, it is expressed in Kilobits per second.
A bit is the smallest piece of data that can be stored in a computer. The bit can be either "0" or "1". The byte is eight bits. Example of a byte and bits are the following:
bit= 0 or 1
byte=8 bits
1 byte=10011101 (eight bits)

A single charcter needs one byte or eight bits to be stored in a computer. So, when the data rate is 1 byte/sec, that means one character per second is the rate at which data is transferred through your connection.

This is very slow, and only intended for an example. In order to browse the internet, you must have at least a dial up access with a 56kb/s modem, in order to get a meaningful and practical result.

There are different types of internet connection. First they introduced the dialup connection using your phone line, then the broadband was introduced.

The broadband internet connections are DSL, Cable, or Satellite internet services. They are widely used and expanding due to the high bandwidth.

When you get an internet service, your provider states that your speed will be a certain numbers. They usually give you a good idea, but not an exact one. The common asked questions among internet users is:

How do I know what is my connection speed, and if I am getting what I was promised?.
If there anyway I can test my connection, and do I need to buy expensive software to test it?.
The answer is simple. There are two ways to test your internet connection speed:

1- The manual simple calculation test that you can do yourself without any software or third party services.

2- You can find a service that lets you run a test through their servers, and get your numbers displayed at their webpage.

1-The manual method:

Since I mentioned that the connection speed consist of two numbers, the download and upload speed. So, what you do is download from the internet any free software, and watch the result box with the result that show the size of the file and how many seconds it tool to download.
When you are done recording the download speed, upload a file of a specific size (1 Mb, 2 Mb), and time your watch when you start. When the file is uploaded, check your watch and record the time it took for the task. Then divide your file size by the seconds it took.
If you file was 2 Mb. that took 5 minutes to upload, then your upload speed is 2 Mb./300 sec. or 6.826 KBits / sec. You can run the above test couple times, and then take the average for a better result.

2- You can find a service that lets you run a test through their servers, and get your numbers displayed at their webpage.

In summary, don't settle for numbers given to you by your services, do the tests whenever you can. You enjoy it, and feel that you are getting your money worth.

High Speed Connection Types

2007-11-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

There are five main types of high speed Internet access: xDSL, Cable, T1 & T3, SMDS and ISDN, each with different speed potential and each with very different costs for installation and use. All free your phone line for the voice transmission you don't have when using the standard 56K modem. Clearly, for most homes, small businesses, and even medium to larger businesses, T1, T3, and SMDS connections are beyond the budget.

ISDN connections run at speeds at either 64K (slightly faster than 56K modems) or 128K, about 2.25 times faster than a 56K modem using both channels on the line simultaneously.

Cable connections run at speeds of about 1.5M, about 26 times faster than a 56K modem. Upload speeds differ from the download speeds. Upload speeds of cable connections run at about 90K.

xDSL or ADSL connections run at a speeds ranging from 640K, about 11 times faster than a 56K modem to 7.1M, about 125 times faster than a 56K modem. Upload speeds differ from the download speeds. Upload speeds for the 640K and 1.7M line run about 90K while for the 7.1M line at about 680K.

T1 connections run at a speed of about 1.6M, about 27 times faster than a 56K modem.

T3 connections run at a speed of about 45M, about 786 times faster than a 56K modem.

SMDS connections run on dedicated lines at speeds of 56K, 1.17M, 4M, 10M, 16M, 25M, and 34M.

High Speed Connections for Small Business

Small businesses today can obtain high speed Internet access within a reasonable budget with Cable or xDSL connections. The highest speed xDSL line offered today even significantly exceeds download T1 speed 7.1M versus 1.6M. while upload speeds are within about 43%, fine for most any service except for Web Hosting, including Virtual Private Networking (VPN).

In fact, for most small businesses, who for the most part obtain information from the Internet and send email, some information and file uploads through the Internet, the low speed xDSL connection of 640K is more than adequate.

In choosing between Cable and xDSL beyond the obvious considerations the method used to physically connect users to the Internet is important as it affects the speed of your connection. Cable connections are through a loop where a significant number of users share a cable and its bandwidth (the amount of activity which can pass through the cable at any particular moment). As the number of users on the loop increases or the activity from the users on the loop increases the speed of the connection drops. The number of users the cable operator allows on each loop will determine just how far the speed can drop. One cable company in the Northeast was apparently greedy enough that they put so many users on there loops that at times users reported speed dropped below that of a 56K modem. This is not typical, but cable users complaining about periodic speed degradation is not unusual. It is important to state here that most Cable Internet providers are cognizant of this problem, and limit the number of users on each loop to prevent speed degredation.

On the other hand, xDSL users have their cable go directly to the xDSL provider. This line is not shared by any other user. At the provider the xDSL lines are interconnected, but on a loop with significantly more bandwidth that the cable loop discussed in the paragraph above. In general xDSL users report little if any period speed drops in there service.

For sporadic file uploading and email the slower upload speeds, as compared to the download speeds are more than adequate. The fact that the download (in to the user) and upload (out from the user) speeds are different generally only comes into play if the user is considering hosting their own web site or using virtual private networking. In both these cases data is to be retrieved out from the user and the upload speed limitation comes into play. Generally if you want to host a web site you need at least a T1 line to get the 1.6M output as well as input. If you're interested in having a connection from a salesman or alike through the Internet into your office through Virtual Private Networking (a secure way of connecting to the office computer or computer network) then the amount of traffic that will generate will determine whether the high speed xDSL line is adequate or whether a T1 line or higher speed line is needed. At 680K though, you'd be surprised just how fast that is. It's generally more than adequate for most small business VPNs.

Another important consideration in choosing which type of high speed connection is whether you will have a static or dynamic address. A static address is one which is permanently assigned to your computer with the high speed connection on the Internet. If you have a dynamic address it is assigned and reassigned periodically by your ISP's DHCP computer server. If you are interested in using Virtual Private Networking (VPN) to allow connection through the Internet to your computer or LAN you would be better off with a static address as it facilitates making setting up your VPN easier. For general Internet access a dynamic address will suffice, but if you can, and if it's in your budget opt for a static address as it will give you greater flexibility at this time.

How Can a Broadband Cable Benefit You?

2007-11-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

Broadband is State-of-the-Art Internet Access: How Can a Broadband Cable Benefit You?

We are now well ensconced in a time when the Web is riddled with graphics, animations, sounds, and videos, bringing about a necessity for superior internet access such as that which broadband can provide. The fact is that anything less than the speed supplied by a broadband cable has become inadequate for today's Web users.

Of course, if you use the internet only once every so often, you wouldn't be as heavily dependent upon high-speed internet access as is provided by broadband, however, if you're a regular user, it's virtually a necessity.

But wait a minute?even though you use the internet, it doesn't mean you know exactly what this high focus form of internet access actually is. So lets start there. In essence, broadband is a very fast form of internet connection. Broadband Will provide you with a noticeably faster internet speed than a dial-up connection.

Broadband used to be a challenge only because of it's limited availability, however, today there are many ways that you can have a much faster connection. The delivery methods of broadband have been expanded to the following types of broadband cable:

- Copper telephone wires- Cable TV wires- Radio microwaves from local base stations- Satellite microwaves from geo-stationary satellites

Now lets look at why this faster style of internet access is actually better. The benefits of broadband actually include much more than faster downloads. Broadband is the connection that is always "on". As soon as you start up your computer, it's already connected to the internet. For anyone who has waited for a modem to dial up and connect, the advantage of this is quite apparent. Furthermore, broadband allows you to download movies, music, and web pages that were virtually inaccessible in practical terms when using dial-up.

But the benefits of broadband aren't just felt by individual users. Businesses, governments, schools, and communities can all experience the superiority that broadband cables can provide.
Here are some examples of benefits for each of those types of organizations:

- Businesses will notice an increase in productivity when large data files transfer quickly and directly among local and head offices, no matter the distance between the locations. Moreover, with the popularity of net-meetings and videoconferencing, a face-to-face meeting becomes entirely possible without the travel costs.

- Schools can now offer equal opportunities to their students no matter their location or funding. A student in a remote community is now able to use a broadband connection to receive violin lessons from the same revered instructor as a student in a large city. Moreover, rural students can take virtual field trips and see the same fascinating and educational museums as city kids.

- Local governments are now enjoying broadband benefits that let them provide one-stop shopping for town business transactions, as well as licensing, permits, billing, and utility payments.

- Communities have been quick to jump on the broadband band wagon to promote their local historical and other various tourist attractions. No other marketing resource reaches as far and as effectively as the internet.

There are so many fantastic benefits to a high-speed, broadband internet connection, that it is becoming as "basic" a need as a computer in today's society.

Five Critical Questions To Ask A Broadband Phone Company

2007-10-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

The personal computer continues to be the electronic hub of a typical home. This role that the computer plays is seen as business and educational matters are conducted utilizing the personal computer. Examples of these types of actions include the use of the computer for keeping track of personal finances as well as the children in the home conducting research online for various school projects.

Also, the reality of the personal computer becoming the centerpiece of a home is the role that it plays as the major entertainment focus within the residence. This is witnessed as family members can legally download music, play videogames and watch high-definition television.

In addition, one of the more recent technological advances is the blending of phone service with the Internet capabilities of the personal computer. This phone service is accomplished by taking advantage of a broadband phone company's service. Before delving into a broadband phone system it is important to know what requirements are needed for the broadband phone to operate and to ask a few important questions of the broadband phone company.

Requirements Needed

In order to fully utilize a broadband phone system, the potential customer will need to be connected to the Internet with broadband Internet service. By utilizing a broadband Internet connection, the transference of data will be accelerated. This acceleration or speed of the connection will facilitate a better Internet phone experience.

In addition, if you use a formal broadband phone system you may be required to obtain certain pieces of equipment. For example, there may be companies that require the use of an adapter connected to the Internet modem. This adapter will allow for the connection of the current phone to be matched with a traditional pushbutton phone. Also, there may be software that is required to allow the VoIP, voice over Internet protocol, to be facilitated.

Critical Questions To Ask Of The Broadband Phone Company

It is important to remember that not all broadband phone companies are the same. Therefore, there are certain basic questions that should be asked of the company that is being researched.

One of the most basic questions to ask of the broadband phone is the compatibility of the household phone with the Internet phone service. In most cases the broadband phone service will allow for the current phone to be utilized. However, there are services that require a specific broadband phone.

Another important question to ask is in regards to what phone features are available or are provided. If features like call forwarding, call waiting, three-way calling, caller ID, etc. are wanted, then it is important to ask if these features are available or are included.

In addition, one question of extreme importance is to ask the broadband phone company of the ability to dial 911 in the event of an emergency. Regular landlines were designed to access the 911 system. This may not be true of Internet phone service.

Other questions may include the consumer's ability to maintain their current phone number. In addition, it should be clear as to what the charges will be for utilizing this broadband phone system. Specific charge related questions should be asked regarding long-distance costs, monthly costs, feature costs, actual minutes used, etc.

Cable or DSL ? Which way to go

2007-10-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

Does your Internet service choice show your age? It just might. In-Stat recently conducted an online survey among 1,013 North American broadband users. The survey found that the age group with the highest use of cable broadband is the 18-29 year old segment with more than 69 percent choosing cable over DSL. That same age group also had the lowest use of DSL broadband.

Compared to last year's results and that of December 2003, this most recent survey indicates a significant rise in cable broadband use for Generation Y. In February 2006, 56.2 percent of them had cable broadband. And in December 2003, 50.8 percent of broadband users age 18-29 used cable broadband.

In-Stat concludes that the 18-29 age group in North America seems to be finding cable broadband more attractive. Cable broadband has historically offered more bandwidth than DSL, and younger subscribers are considered power users who are looking for service that allows them to download the latest music, videos, and online games.

If you need help choosing between cable and DSL, check out the Comparing Cable and DSL High Speed section.

Availability
Cable
Roughly 80 to 85 percent of America's 68 million cable TV subscribers, which is approximately 55 million people, can get cable high-speed Internet access.
DSL
Only 50 million consumers can get DSL, putting DSL a bit behind cable Internet in availability.

Installation

Cable
If you choose to self-install your Internet, your cable company will provide a self-installation kit. To install your cable high-speed Internet, you will need a cable jack. You will also need a cable modem, which should be included in the kit.
DSL
If you choose a self-installation, your phone company will provide a self-installation kit. DSL requires phone jacks to function. You will need a modem, which should be included in the kit.

Speed

Cable
Cable Internet services on average promise higher levels of bandwidth than DSL Internet services, and this bandwidth roughly translates to raw speed; however, while cable Internet will theoretically run faster than DSL, several technical and business reasons can reduce or eliminate this advantage.
DSL
DSL is fast, but its performance depends on the consumer's distance from the central office. The farther away you are from a central office, the slower your DSL service.

Remember, when comparing cable and DSL, both offer an enormous improvement from standard dial-up Internet service. You will notice a difference no matter what you choose.

After you’ve compared all the above aspects of cable and DSL high-speed Internet, it is time to compare price. When considering price for high-speed Internet, you need to shop around. Though DSL is generally thought to be cheaper, different areas of the country offer different deals, so it pays you to look for the best price.

Broadband Gives You Access To The Internet, Phone and TV

2007-10-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

Do you remember using the Internet back when you had to dial in using a modem. If you are unlucky enough to still be using dial-up Internet access, I feel for you. The internet is a growing and dynamic entity and everyone will have broadband sooner or later.

Naturally companies try to offer access to internet in growing number of ways. Assuming the user has the correct hardware, a wi-fi account, and is in range of the transmitters, the service allows the user to connect to the internet at broadband speeds without the use of cables. Users can log on to the internet at these hotspots provided they have an account with the broadband supplier and the necessary wireless equipment, such as a wireless laptop or broadband-enabled mobile phone.

An extra phone is the only way to get calls that cannot be received due to the dial up connection. Fixed line operators are now incorporating wireless with their traditional phone services providing ease of having one device and one bill for both mobile and fixed line calls. You can take it out of your phone bill.

Broadband phone actually uses voice over internet protocol (VoIP) to carry phone calls through the internet. There are also a number of companies that has VoIP as a free service.

Digital Subscriber Lines, or DSL uses the existing customer phone lines to provide internet or intranet access to businesses and homes using high-speed broadband technology of varying levels. But even with all the technology that has gone into the making of the Internet, there seems to be more to be expected than has been seen. It's easy to understand why; the technology industry defines it in different ways as well.

Just be sure you do not choose an ISDN line (because it is getting obsolete) or power line (because the technology is not mature, and it will be some years before the bugs are ironed out). The cheapest broadband deals allow for such technology to reach our homes for less than $10 per month. Ok, on to the two major broadband access methods, cable and DSL. There is cable access, DSL access, satellite access. Although cable broadband internet is a whole lot faster than dial-up, I usually experience a slight delay when opening a webpage.

Perhaps most people do not notice the latency associated with cable internet, but it got my attention right away. So are cable television modems, which have similar speeds. Approximately 4 million people in the UK use ADSL with an extra 2 million using a cable connection, meaning 6 million people in the UK have an always-on internet connection.

The fact is that anything less than the speed supplied by a broadband cable has become inadequate for today's internet users.

Providers
However it has emerged that broadband providers touting such products are not revealing the full story to their customers. The key will be for broadband providers to develop the services that broadband allows for, and to deliver them to as many households as possible. High-speed Internet services are growing in popularity because intense competition from broadband providers is continually driving the product exposure in the marketplace to new highs, and prices to new lows. Connecting to the Internet for the first time in your home or office is as easy as securing a fixed telephone line (which you probably already have) and signing up to one of the dozens of Broadband Providers, like AOL and others.

Satellite
Bummer indeed, but you still have broadband Direct PC by satellite and it seems to make it through those clouds and so you can surf the NOAA website and get the latest results or watch video streams of the local TV station right. Broadband Internet by Satellite is about the coolest invention in the World and indeed it has helped the unconnected become connected even if they live in the middle of nowhere. Did you know you can get a special satellite antenna hooked up on your motor home or recreational vehicle that will enable you to get the Internet anywhere in North America.

Television
So they are bundling broadband with other products, such as home phone, digital television and mobile. The acronym is used to describe services which broadcast on-demand television programming to consumers, delivered via a broadband connection on normal telephone line to TV screens. Broadband television is a means of providing TV programs via the Internet. Broadband Television is being hailed as the biggest change in the way we watch television since it was first invented.

Simple Explanation of High Speed Internet

2007-10-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

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 high speed internet 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 speed Internet 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.

High Speed Internet - when will it arrive?

2007-10-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

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 high speed internet 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 speed Internet 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.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jayson_Pablo http://EzineArticles.com/?High-Speed-Internet-Access—A-Swifter-Means-of-Accessing-the-Internet&id=659943

Top 10 internet accelerators

2007-10-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

With broadband now commonplace, internet accelerators have gone out of fashion somewhat with creaky old modems consigned to the bin. However, as broadband speed is often subject to wild variations depending on where you live, who your ISP is, how far you are from the telephone exchange etc, some people might find that there’s still a place for internet accelerators in their lives. Here’s a selection of the top 10 that cover broadband modems, dial-ups and network connections. None of these can guarantee to speed-up your connection and you should contact your ISP if you’ve got serious problems.

Throttle - Boost your internet speed by 200%

FastNet99 - Tweak DNS settings to increase your browsing speed

BeFaster - Optimise your speed online and offline

Internet Speed Up - Tests and configures your connection according to bandwidth

Modem Booster - If you’re still on a modem, this could increase speed by 300%

WorldWebAccess Accelerator - Includes pop-up and spam killers

Internet Accelerator - Optimises internet speeds over network connections

TweakMASTER Pro - Tweaks everything from DNS settings to dial-up modems

NetSpeeder - Optimises your TCP/UDP port settings

Google Web Accelerator - Very simple accelerator that sits in your taskbar

Welcome to Broadband Internet

2007-10-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the new Broadband Internet Blog, the source for information, insight, and updates about Broadband.
We thought now was the right time to open the door and start a conversation with the Web community about what's happening with the Broadband and their transformation in new era.
We intend to use this blog to:
- Provide authentic messages about Broadband Internet and their querrys for our volunteer community. - Highlight enhancements, both current and future.
Additionally we want to hear from you.
What do you think about Broadband Internet? Why do you use it or what edge do u find to use them on others? Is there something you would like to see fixed? When you've been around as long as we have, some people are bound to have great things to say, while others might have a few choice words based on their personal experience. Either way, we want to hear it :)
We plan on posting every week so grab the opportunity for being updated about latest in the printer world.

Deepti Sharma