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January 1st, 2009

A Cheap Alternative To Broadband

Are you a dial-up user looking for a faster connection,
but don’t like Broadband prices? If so, you should take a look at a new service called OnSpeed, which has received rave reviews in Internet technology publications.

What OnSpeed does is to re-route web pages and email via
its own servers, compressing the data on the fly prior to sending it onwards to your PC. A small program then decompresses the data, so that you can view it in the normal way via your browser or email client.

In my own dial-up tests, with a modem running at a nominal
49kb/s I appeared to get speeds close to that of my normal
broadband connection of 598 kb/s - very impressive. Image quality is often reduced but the compression for this can be improved, though with an adverse effect on the speed of course.

Some file types like MP3 also cannot yet be compressed. The
company is working on these issues however and expects to
find solutions soon.

Unfortunately I was unable to use email in my tests, due
to a ‘port’ conflict with a spam filter that I was using. The
standard advice on the OnSpeed site for such cases is to disable the offending program. Not a constructive approach - to say
the least - so I hope that the relevant instructions will be changed soon.

More significantly, the problem persisted even when I
switched off the OnSpeed application on my PC; in the end I had to remove the program to get the spam filter working again. I expect that this fault can be resolved, but clearly there are issues in this area that need to be addressed.

The software is easy to install, and is available for Mac
as well as Windows PCs. On the whole the service is surprisingly
good, and a lot cheaper than broadband. Unlike other ’speed-up’
techniques that tweak your computer’s settings but result in
little noticeable improvement, OnSpeed really works.

I can recommend OnSpeed for dial-up users who can’t justify the
expense of broadband, or who are not located close enough to a
suitable exchange. OnSpeed is also stated to be great for mobile
or PDA users, as GPRS (wireless) speeds can be boosted by as much
as 8 times. It even helps with broadband if you can only get a
reduced service in your area.

My overall rating is 4/5 - very good, but the email support needs
to be improved.

If you want further details of OnSpeed, please visit http://www.On-Speed.net. There is a 14 day money-back
guarantee, so you can try the service without any risk.

Copyright © Richard Prosser 2004

Richard is a software developer and entrepreneur, and may be
contacted via the ‘Article Tips’ site given below. This
article may be published without permission, but only in its
entirety.

Free email course: “Drive ‘Hot’ Prospects To Your Site For
Free!”
http://www.ArticleTips.com

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December 30th, 2008

Get on the Broadband-Wagon

‘Broadband’ is the general term used to refer to high-speed information transmission over networks, and nowadays is used increasingly to mean a fast Internet connection.

The term has more to do with the electrical waveform (’signal‘) being transmitted. The signal can come to you through a variety of physical arrangements: a DSL line, a T1 line, a TV cable, a wireless link and even your utility power line.

Which physical arrangement is best for you depends a great deal on what is available in your geographical area and the price of each arrangement. You should do a comparison of speeds and costs and choose what is optimal for you. 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).

Live in a large city and want free wireless broadband Internet? Your wish is or will be granted! Almighty Google is busy fixing antennae to lampposts in major cities so that your computer can access the Internet much in the same way your mobile phone accesses your cellular network: almost anywhere in any city. Not only will you get driving directions to that restaurant you are going to, the maitre d’ will appear on a small screen and take your order as you drive.

~ Broadband’s Bag of Goodies ~

Broadband has brought a slew of valuable capabilities to the Internet:

1. Good Video

First of all, you can download smooth, non-jerky video. Consequently an increasing number of sites are including rich graphics, Flash and video to enhance the appeal of their messages. You can now download feature films from over 200,000 Web TV stations and watch them as they stream into your computer (”stream them”). No more trips to the video library and no more renting DVDs!

You can share your screen and talk with co-workers located at far-flung locations (or just relax and play Xbox or PS2 games with them). You can interact with them from the convenience of your home computer, and the need for a physical office can be dispensed with. This implies less travel in your car, less gasoline consumption and less pollution of the atmosphere by engine exhaust gases.

You can search online video archives with specialized search engines. This means you can download video that matches your chosen phrases. Examples would be “Nick Lachey singing ‘My Everything’ to Jessica Simpson”, “Oprah visiting Katrina victims” or “how to toss a thin pizza shell”. There is no longer a need to wait for your subject to be broadcast.

2. Cheap Long Distance

Broadband has enabled miracle of low-cost long-distance Internet telephony. This application is based on the renowned technology, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). You can now speak to your loved ones or business associates in most other parts of the world for 2 cents a minute!

No more waiting for late nights or weekends to get those “free minutes” you can afford to call anytime. Additionally, the sound clarity is several times better than that of a conventional phone call voices are loud and clear with little or no background noise.

This means you can stay in touch more often. You can get news faster and offer advice without delay. For instance, a timely observation about a certain medical treatment could very well save the life of the person at the other end!

3. Always On

With Broadband, you are always connected to the Internet. No more dialing up and waiting to connect. The dialing time is freed up for you to use for other things.

In most cases, you get a telephone connection with the broadband connection, so you can simultaneously speak on the phone and surf the Internet. Your phone line will not be busy when you surf so that people can reach you even if you are online.

One important user of this constant connectivity is security. You can have inexpensive webcams mounted in various locations of your home or office and connect them to the Internet. Since your broadband connection is always ‘live’, you can monitor your house from anywhere, anytime. No more worrying when away from your desk or living room!

~ Conclusion ~

The day is not far when dial-up connections will be a rarity. If you have not yet upgraded to broadband, start working at doing so NOW. You will definitely not regret it.

John J Stockwell is an engineer with considerable experience in Internet technologies. Get even more information n broadband from his website at
http://broadband-aa.info

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December 29th, 2008

Do You Have Your VoIPBroadBand Phone Yet

Broadband VoIP allows you to add a phone line to your home or office with a local phone number in just about any major U.S. city…. and with some vendors also in several countries such as the UK and Israel.

Here are some ways Businesses and families with geographical distances between them can take advantage of BroadBand Phone/VoIP:

1. Parents can add an additional line with a local number so their college son or daughter can always call home without the expense of long distance rates.

2. A family in Florida can bring up a local number in Minnesota where the rest of the family resides. Family members in Minnesota now dial a local number and reach the relatives in Florida with no long distance charges because the call is local for those in Minnesota, and only the party in Florida needs to have broadband service to receive the calls.

3. This technology can also help military families stay connected. VoIP is not restricted by global boundaries. A U.S. soldier in another country with a broadband connection can set up service with unlimited in bound calls that are local to his family in the U.S. His family then can make unlimited calls to him at no cost and his family in the U.S. doesn’t need to have broadband access. Plus any calls they make home are either “local” or are made with an unlimited flat rate plan. That saves a ton of money.

4. Traveling executives can also take advantage of VoIP as a portable phone that can be taken along on any business trip. Many hotels will provide broad band access today. Simply plug the IP phone into the broadband connection in the hotel room. Your family and customers can now call on a local number. In addition you can still take advantage of out bound service and make calls from the room as well.

5. Businesses can drastically reduce costs from traditional calling services…. with flat rate plans which cover all of the US & Canada and often including Europe &/or Asia also.

For an easy way to compare available VoIP phone options in your area (US only) browse through the vendor review info available at Broadband Reports. This info is updated frequently with new input from their Forum members. Be advised that not all providers may be included as only those having received a member review will be listed.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire
Communications….including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

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