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

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!

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.

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.