Anyone who has switched from a dial-up modem to broadband DSL knows the advantages of DSL internet access. The differences between the two are truly astounding. When people begin surfing the internet using broadband DSL after struggling with a dial-up modem, they never want to go back to a slow and often unreliable dial-up connection.

Broadband DSL connection speeds vary, but the average DSL connection rate ranges on average between 128 kilobits per second all the way up to 1.54 megabits per second. Typical dial-up modems can’t even come close to reaching typical broadband DSL speeds.

The remarkable speed of broadband DSL has made internet use more convenient, and DSL has improved the quality of many existing online activities such as shopping, banking, downloading audio and video, and gaming. Besides a notable increase in connection speed and website navigation, with broadband DSL, internet users are always connected to the world wide web. DSL provides valuable information and online activities that remain just a few keystrokes away.

Broadband DSL saves money as well as valuable time. Broadband DSL eliminates the need for additional phone lines. People using broadband DSL are able to talk on the phone while browsing the net, and all computers within a household can surf the web independently with the use of wireless routers.

Security is another plus for broadband DSL users. Broadband DSL subscribers use their own private telephone lines to make contact with their DSL service provider. Cables and lines are not shared by other internet subscribers, and therefore user access is private and very secure.

Broadband DSL is constantly improving as new technology is discovered and implemented. When considering the cost of broadband DSL versus the cost of dial-up, there is no comparison. The benefits of broadband DSL are immeasurable. Broadband DSL is truly the solution for businesses and consumers wanting quick and reliable internet connectivity.

Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides information on broadband at 123 Broadcom!

We have sure seen a lot of flooding, mudslide and drowning deaths in the last two-years. More than normal in fact, but could this increase be an affect of Global Warming? Some say it is and others are not so sure.

Personally I seriously doubt if it has anything to do with Global Warming at all. Floods happen all over the year all around the world, there is generally a huge geological record of massive floods so I agree with you. I am not a Global Warming alarmist.

In our online think tank we have a section on Global Warming because people are talking about it, not because I necessarily believe that mankind’s activities is causing the planet to warm, as it appears to warm and cool all by itself over periods of hundreds and thousands of years due to all sorts of interrelated cycles and patters. As a matter of fact, I am surprised at the number of posts in this section, as it some of them should probably be in the other sections on Water Flows or Extreme Weather Sections, along with the essays on the patterns of erosion.

However in all fairness, large amounts of pollution in the air could cause severe rains, which could in turn back up prevailing weather patterns and one could say that those rains were bigger than normal due to the particulate in the air. Thus, although not Global Warming, some of these large rain events in some regions of the world could have been aided by regional air pollution, or not. Perhaps we should be checking some of the pollution that data available and check after each flooding event at the time to see if those issues existed prior to the flooding events. This might be a way we could prove beyond a reasonable doubt if human pollution is causing large rain events in various parts of the world? Consider this in 2006.

Everyone wants DSL Internret service these days. Dial-up is just too slow for the way we use the Internet today. We want our DSL service fast and we want it for a reasonable price. There are many companies that now offer broadband DSL service. There are plenty of advantages with using DSL.

The standard package for most DSL service includes things like a choice of online services, such as Yahoo and MSN. They offer technical service that is live all the time, they usually have a standard 30 day guarantee for services, so that if you are not happy with them as your ISP, you can ask for a full refund if it is within thirty days. Many also offer you the option of having multiple email addresses, so that everyone in the family can have their own. They also give you 10 MB of web space for you to use. All this can be yours for a fairly reasonable price if you choose to sign up for a one-year contract. If you prefer to have a monthly service, it will cost you more per month.

Make sure that you compare the various facets of DSL Internet service. These areas are all important and complile a composite image of how good the Internet service is. Overall cost is one area. This is measured by how competitive the prices really are, and that your bill is accurate. How quickly they respond to and fix any billing problems or changes are also part of that category.

Another area that is measured includes image. You want to go with a company that appears to have a good reputation among ISPs, and represents their services and prices honestly. Their performance and reliability is also considered to be very good. As for customer service, which rates how quickly problems are solved, how friendly and helpful their customer service reps are and the satisfaction of customers, they are considered to be as good as other ISP providers. They are also comparable in their email services, which measures how quickly you can send and receive email.

Overall, you want to choose a DSL Internet service that appears to be working to provide a good service to their customers and seems to care about making sure that service is one of the best available.

The key is to find the plan that best suits your needs for a price that you can afford. If you think that you have the right DSL service for you, check out their website and find out if they offer DSL service in your area. However, it always makes sense to comparison shop before making a final decision.

Bob Hett has extensively covered the Internet Service Provider industry as an analyst and has researched the various companies for factors based on price, reliability, support and overall quality. Learn more at DSL Internet Service.

Your ready to do business, you head over to the computer and your internet connection is as slow as a snail. It’s true, DSL is much faster then a dial-up internet connection, but is it all it’s cracked up to be?

Many companies rely heavily on their high-speed internet to conduct their business with e-mail, video conference, and now for voice-over-internet telephony applications. What do you do? Get a business Dsl line fast! There are many Dsl companies offering service in your area, and these days there fighting to do business with your company. Be careful not to choose price over reliability.

Reliability becomes critical when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers use your connection to access your databases or your server or the internet then reliability of your connection is critical. A critical connection can be viewed much like a life line, without which your business would be negatively impacted. Your monthly savings of having a sub-par connection will not make up for the loss in productivity of your employees or loss of customers when your DSL connection gets bogged down or cut off.

The fastest way to get an unbiased quote and compare DSL quotes fast is by going to the internet and shopping around for DSL providers.

Many DSL service providers are now offering low start up fees for 6-12 months. You can choose from multiple providers like earthlink, verizon and msn. Dsl is now available in many areas and being added to many more. DSL service usually runs between $19 and $79 per month, depending on the plan (residential vs. commercial, 512K vs. 3M, etc.)

Do some research, find the best possible price and get business Dsl to make your job easier. You don’t want to a slow internet connection to slow you down!

Gio Mangano is the owner of T1 Line, which provides unbiased quotes for T1 & business dsl. Gio also writes a blog on DSL Speed Test. You can also download Google’s picasa digital imaging software program at Google Pack.

The amount of high-speed Internet access customers in the US will rise from 2.3 million in 1999 to 42 million in 2005, evident to research by Allied Business Intelligence (ABI). Worldwide broadband customers will leap from 5 million in 1999 to 91 million in 2005.

So far, cable modems have been the obvious head in high-speed Internet access when it comes to cheap, multi-megabit data transfer charges, taking over DSL. Cable’s lead is due to an earlier market admission, according to the account “The DSL Solution: ADSL/SDSL Equipment and Subscribers” by ABI, which established that at the end of 1999, high-speed cable Internet service had 2.1 million US subscribers, while DSL had only 500,000 US users.

But DSL suppliers cannot get out the service fast enough. This is due partly to growing promotions highlighting DSL, some suppliers were seeing 50 to 60 percent development in user rates, and occurring major backlogs in process.

While suburban Internet users in the US are starting to leap on the broadband wagon, numerous US businesses have until now to adapt to high-speed Internet access. The whole number of US Internet-connected companies is proposed to boost drastically in the next three years, shooting from 2.96 million businesses in 2000 to 4.48 million in 2003, according to Vertical Systems Group. During this time, broadband connections will rise by 264 percent, while use of dial access will go down 10 percent.

Amid residential clients, countless issues still exist concerning broadband use. According to a study of 1,000 members of Greenfield Online’s Internet-based board by 2Wire, Inc., 51 percent of people in the US do not know if DSL facility is obtainable in their neighbourhood. Younger users are expected to identify if DSL is accessible in their region compared to elder users, the survey established. More than half (53 percent) of Internet users ages 25 to 34 recognize if DSL is offered locally; in contrast with 37 percent of Internet users age 55 and older. Naturally, the superior the earnings, the more probable respondents were to be conscious of DSL. Sixty-four percent of Internet users earing more than $100,000 per year are aware about local DSL service, in comparison to only 39 percent of Internet users making less than $35,000 per year.

There are more and more services available to us online, that we tend to be oblivious to them. To get the most out of the Internet, we need to be aware of technologies evolving and services offered.

Nick Singh runs a website committed to serving customers in finding the best deals on getting a cheap broadband connection. For a comparison of the best ISP’s go to http://www.cheap-broadband-in-the-uk.com.

One of the common problems among internet users is testing their
internet connection to pinpoint the exact problem. There is a big number of internet users who use DSL, and cable modem service.

You set us your connection the way your ISP (internet service provider)instruct you to. Sometimes, it doesn’t work for numerous reasons.

You service is not ready, your hardware in not connected properly, or your ISP is having problems.

Whatever the cause of the problem maybe, there are some diagnostic tools you can use in Windows XP, in order to identify the problem.

If you are not exact in your diagnostic, you will get a good idea at least.

Before we get to the diagnostic tools, let us discuss what is involved in an internet connection.

The information travels over the internet to your computer through your ISP service. This is done through a High speed modem then to a network card installed in your computer.

Your computer is called a host, your service provider will give
you the DNS IP address, and you get your login and password. That is all what you have from your ISP.

Sometimes, your internet connection fails, and you want to find
out the problem. You may be able to fix it, or at least get some
information about the problem to advise your isp for help.

You will start by accessing the command prompt by going in sequence to:

Start menu, program, accessories, then command prompt. A window
will open where you type commands from the prompt.

At the command prompt, you type: IPCONFIG. This command will give you the active network connection on your computer. Here is an example:

PPP adapter Copy :

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45

The above output was produced when I ran the Ipconfig command on my own computer running Window XP OS, and A DSL connection. The IP address is my computer address assigned by the ISP.

Please note, you can add an option to this command, in order to get more detailed information about your connection. Here is the output, when I ran the same command with the
“all” option.

Ipconfig /ALL

PPP adapter Copy :

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 151.198.0.39
151.197.0.39
NetBIOS over TCP/IP. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Notice now, the output includes the phisycal address of the network interface card installed in my computer. Also, you see the DNS IP addresses. With the above information, I didn’t have any problems.

Supposed ,I disconnect my DSL connection and ran the command again, this is the new result:

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Notice in this case, where I disconnected my connection, you don’t get a DNS server. This tells you that I am not connected to the internet.

Also, notice the IP address starts with 192.168, which is the default address whenever your computer is not connected to the internet.

Another command is the ping command. It will allow to check if a computer is connected to the network and ready to communicate, whether intranet,
or internet.

Once you run it,it will sent a packet to the computer specified and gives the time it took for the packet to travel. This is an a output when I tried to ping www.yahoo.com:

C:>ping www.yahoo.com

Pinging www.yahoo.akadns.net [216.109.118.66] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 216.109.118.66: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=55
Reply from 216.109.118.66: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=55

Ping statistics for 216.109.118.66:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 35ms, Maximum = 39ms, Average = 38ms.

That shows that the host was reachable, and connected to the internet.

A very important command is the Nslookup. This will let you check if DNS (domain name server) is working properly. The function of the DNS server is to translate ip addresses to domain name of the networked computer. Here is an example:

C:> nslookup www.yahoo.com
Server: home5.bellatlantic.net
Address: 151.198.0.39

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: www.yahoo.akadns.net
Addresses: 216.109.118.67
Aliases: www.yahoo.com

So, you enter the name after Nslookup, it will give you IP addresses and vice versa.

In summary, there more commands in Windows Xp, but using the three above commands should give you a good idea about your internet connection problems. You can find where the problem is occurring. Is it your machine, or the ISP.

Thanks,
George Chamoun

For tips about your Windows XP computer, visit our new website:
http://www.ResolveWindowsXpProblems.com

As the low-pressure area stalls off the coast of Los Angeles we are watching Southern California turn into a giant lake. Neighborhoods in the low-lying areas are starting to look more like ponds. A couple of burned out fire areas are under flood watches and some have already seen small mudslides, hopefully they will get a break from the rain, but with the circular storm it simply drops all that water, then goes out to the ocean to pick up more. The storm is fairly large with outer bands from San Luis Obispo, to Las Vegas to Tijuana Mexico.

Mudslides and the Malibu Landslides are known hazards of Southern California, especially in El Nino years, but we are not even in the El Nino time of year and this isn’t and El Nino year anyway. In California your home is more likely to be destroyed by a mudslide than an Earthquake. Speaking of which will all this water weight and storm surges, full moon, some seismologists are worried about a possible Earthquake.

Will the Los Angeles basin have severe flooding like last year? Will more luxury homes fall from the cliffs? Will we be watching weeping but warned homeowners of the hazards from horrific habitual flooding in the future? Everyone knows about the terrible traffic, but adding the torrential to the tragedy is trying people’s patience and perseverance. Think on this.

Do you find yourself waiting around for your Internet pages to load or digital photo files and other attachments to transfer?

Do your friends and family complain that they can never get through on the phone line because you or your kids are always online.Chances are you are still using dial up Internet service.Perhaps it’s time to consider an alternative method.

The main three types of high speed access include DSL,
cable and satellite Internet. At the current time, DSL service providers and cable are not available in all areas. Some parts of the country do not have access to either option. Good satellite Internet reception is dependant on an unobstructed line of sight to the south. So where you live can make a big difference in which high speed Internet service you choose.

Here are some overviews of each service and comparisons for those
fortunate to have more than one option available:

DSL Service Providers

DSL, which stands for Digital Subscriber Line, describes a
technology that taps into unused frequencies on copper telephone lines to
transmit information at much higher speeds. There is no dialup and accessing services. So access is immediate. With DSL, you can send both voice and high speed data over the same line. The bandwidth, or data transfer capacity, or DSL ranges from 128 Kbps to 1.544 Mbps downstream to your computer. Upstream transfer from your computer is usually limited to 128 Kbps. Bandwidth is dedicated so you don’t have to share with other users, but DSL is also more effective the closer you are to service provider’s facilities. If your local area has plenty of cable bandwidth available it may be a better option for those located greater distances from a DSL provider. Average monthly charges for DSL services are around $55-$65.

Verizon is one of the leading providers of high speed DSL
service, with a large coverage area. With Verizon DSL you get a monthly package for $34.95 that includes unlimited access with a personalized home page, 9 e-mail accounts, and 10 megabytes of web space. For those customers with multiple computers in the home, there is a home
networking option available. You can connect multiple home computers and laptops to a single high-speed DSL Internet connection at no additional monthly cost.

Earthlink DSL is another option. Their basic package, which includes the same features as Verizon’s offer also includes a free dial-up service which allows you to enjoy 20 hours of Internet access per month when you’re away from home. This package typically costs $39.99 per month. Earthlink also offers cable and satellite Internet.

As noted, DSL uses copper telephone wires. Rural areas and some cities do not have these wires available for large volume use, which means that DSL is not yet an option in those areas, even if Verizon, Earthlink or another provider offers services there.

Cable

If you have cable TV available in your area, chances are
that you have access to Internet through your cable provider. This service uses the same wires as your cable TV programming and depending on the provider and the area, there may be a good deal of bandwidth available or a more limited amount. Because users share bandwidth, this could be an issue for those living in areas with limited amounts available for Internet use. It is a good question to ask your cable provider before signing up. Your choice for cable Internet is typically limited to only those providers who offer cable TV in your area. On average, cable Internet does tend to be a bit faster than DSL. Service is often slightly less expensive than DSL, averaging around $45 per month.

Satellite

If you do not have DSL or cable Internet available in your
area, satellite Internet may provide a viable option. Its speed is comparable to other high speed Internet services, its always on, and you have the option of adding satellite TV service. However, it requires that you have a clear view of the southern sky from your home anywhere in the continental United States in order to receive good reception from the satellites. The service is typically a good deal more expensive than the other two high speed options discussed, averaging around $100 per month with installation fees of up to $400.

Some people confuse satellite Internet with what’s known
as WiFi. WiFi Internet services are actually provided by access nodes located in high traffic areas such as airports and hotel or through Internet cafes. If you have a laptop equipped with WiFi receiver, you can access services from within about 1000 feet of the node. There is typically a fee to use this service. It is a good idea for travelers but does not meet the need for home Internet use because it required the access node.

Although there are several satellite Internet providers,
they all use similar technology. DirecTV is a popular provider because they are also a top satellite TV company. DirecTV satellite Internet service is delivered through a wholly owned subsidiary, DIRECWAY. DirecTV satellite Internet costs $99.99 per month and requires customers to purchase a satellite dish and modem. Installation is typically available from the distributor.

Comparisons

Consult a comparison chart such as the High Speed Internet
Guide which should give you a fair idea of the speed and costs involved. However, it is important to note that the data transfer rates you can get from either DSL or Cable will depend entirely on whatever local providers are in your area.

About the Author:
C.J. Gustafson is a successful freelance writer for 1st-Dish-TV.net, a
consumer guide for free
satellite TV systems. She has spent hours of time researching cable,
DSL service
providers, and
high speed satellite Internet service providers for her home office. She
dreams one day attaching the satellite dish to her RV and spending the winters
writing from wherever it’s warmest that week

Permission is granted to publish this article on your site only if the
author’s byline is included and all links are hyperlinked.

The rotating storm off the coast of Southern California is putting a huge hurt on Southern California. It is rotating like a tropical storm, but in cooler water than we are use to seeing. Some are happy to see the rain because that means that no Santa Ana conditions exist possibly causing or assisting large Wildfires, so in essence for some it is a major plus. However if you live on the coastal cliffs of Southern California for instance in Malibu or Topanga Canyon area, the lingering rains are a scary notion indeed.

Meteorologists have not named the 2005 winter season an El Nino but for a week in mid and late October you could have fooled them. Sure feels and looks like an El Nino with the huge unrelenting deluge of rain with many inches from Santa Barbara to San Diego and from Los Angeles into the high desert regions.

The major problem has been the constant rain as the storm is stalled over Los Angles and is not going anywhere, which is the best scenario for fire season, helping the dried brush stay green incase there is Santa Ana winds later in the Southern California Fire Season. But it is the worst case scenario for those folks who live in areas of recent fires with little water shed to stop flooding. And of course we are to well aware of those who live in the Coastal Mountainous areas like Malibu, Laguna Beach, Palos Verdes and the cliffs of San Diego. It never rains in Southern California, but if and when it does it can be both good and bad. Think on this.

As broadband Internet becomes more mainstream, one of the most common questions we get is: which is better, cable or dsl?

The answer to that question is not so definite. Many factors come into play when deciding which high-speed connection to choose. Regardless of which you choose (DSL, Cable, or even Satellite) it’s going to be a ton better (and faster) than that ancient dialup modem you’ve been using. Not to mention, your Internet experience will be much more enjoyable.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

Just like your existing dialup modem, DSL uses your existing copper wire phone line to deliver data at high speed. To qualify for DSL, you need the following:

- a phone line

- a DSL modem (which normally comes with the service)

- an Ethernet card or an available USB port ( most DSL modems allow both connections, but Ethernet is recommended).

- a phone company (ISP) that is offering DSL service (e.g., Verizon)

One important factor that will influence your DSL connection is the distance between your home or office and the phone company’s central office. The farther away you are from the central office, the signal becomes weaker, thus a slower connection. With that said, DSL is not as available widespread compared to cable. You’ll need to contact your local phone provider to check availability.

Speed wise, depending on the package you choose, DSL can range from 128 kbps to 3 Mbps. Generally, the faster your connection the more expensive your service will be. You can expect to pay around $25-$30 a month for a 768 kbps connection, which is roughly 13 times faster than a 56k dialup modem.

::Pros::
– Relatively cheaper than cable
– Dedicated line, so speeds are almost guaranteed
– You can talk on the phone at the same time while surfing the net

::Cons::
– Slower speeds compared to cable
– Speeds drop the farther away your home/office is from the central office
– Not available in all areas

Cable Internet

Cable Internet gets our recommendation. Cable, which you can probably already tell, uses the coaxial cable that your television uses. To qualify for cable internet, you need the following:

- a cable modem ( which normally comes with the service)

- an Ethernet card or an available USB port (most cable modems allow both connections, but Ethernet is recommended)

- a cable company offering cable Internet (e.g., Adelphia)

Unlike DSL, cable Internet does not depend on the distance between your home or office and the central office. However, unlike DSL, cable connections are typically shared among your neighbors. Although, most cable companies provide pipelines with huge bandwidth that this rarely becomes an issue.

Speed wise, cable Internet typically ranges from 3 Mbps to 10 Mbps, up to 3-4 times faster than DSL. However, expect to pay more for the service – $40-$50 per month.

::Pros::
– Faster speeds than DSL
– More widespread than DSL
– Distance does not affect speed

::Cons::
– More expensive than DSL
– Line is shared with other users

With all that said, you need to think about what type of user you are. If you are a heavy Internet user and downloader, you would highly benefit from a broadband connection. For the light users who use the Internet just to check emails, are probably better off with a dialup. However, if you are willing to splurge some cash on a broadband connection, then by all means, upgrade!

Mark Pascua is the webmaster of PersonalConfuser.net, a computer how-to and tips website.