High Speed Cable

VoIP services are making waves throughout the business world. You may be curious to find out what all the hype is about. VoIP is new telecommunication services that allow you to send and receive phone calls via the internet rather than using a traditional phone line. The system has been widely marketed in the business sector. It is becoming increasingly popular in homes as well, replacing regular phone services.

Your VoIP services are based on computer-to-computer calling. People are choosing to change to VoIP from their regular phone service because of the quality enhancement of the product. Local calls, long distance calls, and even International calls come in very clear. The higher the speed of your internet service, the clearer your calls will be. At least 64 Kbps are required. A bandwidth of 128 Kbps will provide you with top of the line service results. Your VoIP provider can assist you with determining your Kbps as well as recommend any updates that might provide you with better service.

Some are skeptical to use the VoIP system because they are worried about the reliability of the system. In the past, if the power went out, then the system wouldn’t work. I can definitely see why that would be a concern. In a time of emergency, you need to feel comfortable knowing you have phone access to call for help

The solution to that problem is the introduction of a smart system. This system is a tool used to redirects phone calls to a different number, if the system detects your phone system is not responding. Incoming calls will be transferred to your required alternative during such occasions.

Other than the quality of the product, the price is a big seller. You can choose the options you want to use including caller ID, call waiting, and call forwarding. Types of plans include basic service, best value, unlimited access, and business plans. There are no long distance charges. This means you can make out of town and International calls at no additional cost. This alone is a great selling point, especially for businesses that often end up with huge phone bills on a monthly basis. For those wanting to maintain a budget, knowing how much your phone bill will be on a monthly basis is an added bonus. In addition, the cost of VoIP with all the features and long distance access is cheaper than most people were already paying for regular home phone services.

The Internet is a valuable resource for finding a VoIP provider in your area. There are several good information sites. You can get specific questions answered, review the types of plans, and look at the phone styles available. If the trend continues, then VoIP may soon replace home phone service plans worldwide. Look out, there is another huge technological change for most of us on the horizon!

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As a computer technician I encounter many misconceptions about computers. Internet provider software is one that is often misunderstood. Internet service providers often give customers the false impression that their software is necessary to connect to the internet. If you are one of these folks, you may be asking yourself what other impressions your cheap Internet service provider is giving you.

Do I need software to connect to the Internet?
Absolutely not. The Windows operating system provides all the networking software needed to connect to the Internet and most other types of networks for that matter. Some ISPs require that their branded software be installed to connect to their service. This required software is used by the service provider to capture your attention for the purpose of showing you advertisements and the ISP’s own focused content.
Usually when you click to connect to one of these service providers your browser opens and you are bombarded with ads while the home page loads. You may be able to customize the content posted on the home page to your liking, but lets face facts, You have become a captive audience and you are being taken for a ride.

What does the Internet Service Providers software do?
Internet access provider software does 2 things immediately on install. First it hijacks your Windows connection software so that it can not be used to connect to any other service provider. Usually other Windows network services are also disabled, such as Internet connection sharing. Second, it hijacks your web browser so that you must log on to their home page, which I find ironic since internet service providers are always warning us about spyware that hijacks your browser.

The perpetrators of this type of hijacking is a list of the most popular service providers. You know them as, AOL, NetZero, EarthLink, PeoplePC, AT&T, Netscape… and the list goes on. AOL being the ring leader and takes control of your computer beyond the extreme to the point of being criminal. All of these service providers prefer to hijack the Internet Explorer browser because all Windows users have it installed and it is easy to build software for. But most can also be used with Netscape or Firefox.

So what is the alternative?
Simply contact a service provider and ask them if internet connection software is required to use their service. Not all Internet service providers require that you install connection software and are very willing to help you set up your Windows connection.
While doing research for this article, I expected to find price to be a factor in the connection software equation. ISP’s that require connection software obviously make money force feeding you advertisements, allowing them to offer lower rates. To my surprise that does not appear to be the most important factor in setting price. I found that bandwidth has more affect in determining rates.

So, escape from the hijackers. There are many national Internet service providers out there that don’t require that you be held hostage to pop up ads and stale content. Search the Internet for ISPs, do your homework and you will find the freedom to surf the web the way you deserve.

Lyle Cochran is a PC technician with over 10 years experience and webmaster of Cheap Computer Solutions, where you can learn the secret to finding cheap computer hardware parts and retailers online. The number one site for cheap computer how-to shopping guides. Working hard to save your computing dollars.
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Well, the Internet access industry is starting to shake its way out. The much-anticipated consolidation of access providers is nearing its end. In broadband, this means that most users have little or no choice of providers. Though many of the changes have been hard on user choice, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In some cases, it’s better to have one stable and pricey provider than 100 unstable, cheap providers. The shakeout was painful for scores of users who often were left with no connection when they needed it most. And some providers left standing don’t exactly have good track records, either.

Still, there is reason for users to be optimistic about the future. The following is an outline of the way the Internet access business should go in the coming year. I provide it to give you a better understanding of where you should go now, assuming you want to stick with the same internet access provider for at least a year.

Don’t ditch dial-up

A lot of users were glad they hung on to their dial-up accounts in the midst of uncertainty with their broadband connections. When things go bad with broadband (as they often do), you at least can get e-mail, if not a quick scan of the headlines in text-heavy Web sites.

If you have a dial-up account, and you’re paying less than $20 for it, consider it a blessing to have a back-up system. At the very least, when you need to reach tech support for your broadband account and you can’t get through due to heavy call volume, you can e-mail them from your dial-up account. Things to look out for in dial-up:

Go with a provider that has been around long enough to quickly respond to such issues as software upgrades and peak calling volumes.

Read the fine print before signing. Some ISPs will disconnect you after a relatively short amount of time of idleness. Others let you stay online as long as you’re actively engaged. Still others never disconnect users. The last is preferable; the middle option usually offers the best value.

Check out Boardwatch magazine’s ISP Directory to see how much infrastructure you will be paying for. Make sure your chosen ISP has an acceptable ratio of modems to users. Three users for every modem is acceptable, considering that it is unlikely that all their customers will dial up at once. o Match prices with the ratio of modem pools to users.

Check out options such as personal Web site services and multiple addresses. These are nice to have and can add value to your experience as long as you use them–provided they’re bundled in.

DSL doldrums

Of all the access methods, DSL has received the most scorn since I’ve been at this job. My own experiences were horrendous, and I’m not alone. It works great for about 20 percent of the population who are geographically blessed. It works OK for another 30 percent or so of the population, who may have to endure some line noise in order to get DSL. And it doesn’t work at all for the other half. Couple its inherent technical limitations with DSL providers falling off the wires like shocked birds, and the situation has not been pretty.

Still, those providers that have made it through the shock test should be able to offer a good experience (with the exception of Qwest). Consider DSL carefully and you will avoid a lot of pain.

Some DSL issues you should consider:

Talk to a neighbor about their DSL experience. Do they have a lot of line noise on the phone even with the filters? Did they have any equipment or network problems with their provider? If so, did they get put on hold and shuffled around through tech support when they called in? Was their DSL provider able to support a variety of platforms, or was it basically Windows-only?

Consider an ISP for DSL service.

The Baby Bells, such as Qwest and Verizon, are not well equipped to deliver DSL service. Even though smaller ISPs may only resell DSL service from Baby Bell providers, they at least provide a live human being when things go wrong. Because the Baby Bells know the cost of supporting DSL users, they can offer DSL to ISPs much more cheaply than they can offer it directly to users. So you can often get a price break from ISPs, especially if you’re willing to accept a slightly slower connection.

Mary works in US for a media company, occasionally writing for the biggest cheap internet access news portal, and drinking too much coffee.

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