Wireless Broadband - Is it safe and secure at home
To have Internet access at home, there are several connection types that you can use. First, there is the dial-up access where you will utilize your existing landline service to connect to the Internet. The main disadvantage of this type of connection is the slow speed.
Next, there is the mobile broadband connection which is suitable for those who often travel. With this, all you need is to subscribe to a mobile broadband service provider who will give you the equipment to use. For example, if you are given a USB dongle, that is what you will use to have Internet connection even when you are traveling.
Third, there is the more popular broadband Internet connection. This is a high-speed type of connecting to the Internet which allows you to be online on a 24/7 basis. Among the other types, this is probably the most preferred and reliable connection that you can have.
Finally, you can get connected to the Internet via wireless broadband networks. Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of wireless broadband.
Wireless Broadband: The Basics
Wireless broadband service is actually similar to the traditional ADSL or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It is one of the types of broadband available today which aims to provide high-speed Internet access to subscribers.
The distinctive characteristic of wireless broadband is, just as the name implies, you can connect to the Internet over a wireless connection.
To have a deeper understanding of what wireless broadband is all about, here is a quick list of its benefits:
- Wireless broadband offers the same high-speed connection as ADSL. - There is no need for you to have a second phone line. - You can stay connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. - There is more mobility even while you are using your computer within your home - because you will not be restricted by wires.
Is Wireless Broadband Connection Safe to Use at Home?
One of the main concerns that subscribers have when it comes to wireless broadband connection is whether it is safe to have at home or not.
Here are some of the concerns that wireless broadband subscribers have concerning the safety of this type of connection:
- Can hackers actually ’steal’ your information once they get into your wireless broadband connection? - Can other people within the vicinity tap into your wireless broadband connection without your permission? - Can other users ’see’ the files on the computer that you are using if they are able to go through your wireless Internet connection?
To answer all of these safety concerns, there are a few things that you can do. First, make sure to enable wireless security on your network. Anyone who wants to access your wireless Internet connection needs a wireless network key.
Second, you should have a firewall installed to protect your computer files. Third, you need to make sure that your anti-virus program, your anti-spyware and all the other programs designed to protect your computer from harm are all updated.
As long as your wireless broadband connection is properly configured and you have the tools to protect your computer from harm - then this type of broadband is a literally ‘wireless’, high-speed, hassle-free and convenient way to connect to the Internet.
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Increase your Internet Speed by Removing the index.dat files
Increase your Internet Speed by Removing the index.dat file
On Windows NT/2000/XP/2003:
\Documents and Settings\[username]\Cookies\index.dat
\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\History\History.IE5\index.dat
\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat
Select: Safe Mode w/Command Prompt and press Enter. Log on as Administrator.
[Example]
"C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files"
A Guide To Wireless Internet Connection
People use a wireless internet connection in different settings for various reasons but there is one binding desire that links all people that invest in a wireless internet connection. That is the desire to not clog up their home or office with cables necessary to connect to the internet. When the internet was first introduced the only way to connect to it was through dialing a modem on your computer and taking up the phone line. In the very early days if you wanted more than one computer to access the internet then you either needed multiple phone lines or somehow figure out how to split the phone line.
This was a fun novelty at first but soon it got to be tedious and when you add in the fact that the phone companies still charged by the minute back in those days you got a pretty expensive internet connection. Companies avoided too many internet connections because of the cost or insisted that their internet providers have a toll free number for internet access which got to be expensive for the providers. Soon the phone companies came around and offered bulk calling packages where you could call any number in the United States for one monthly charge and the internet boomed. Then broadband internet entered the picture and everything changed again.
Faster Faster I Need More Speed!
After a while cable television companies started offering high speed internet service and the phone companies followed suit with their version of high speed internet called DSL. Now not only were more people accessing the internet but they were doing it at speeds faster than ever before. The best thing about high speed internet and DSL is that you could get a router and share the signal among multiple computers. This was great except for the cabling all over the place. Enter the wireless internet connection. Nothing has done more to increase the sale of computers in this country than the wireless internet connection because now we could easily connect multiple computers to the same internet connection without all the cables. Nirvana had been achieved.
A wireless internet connection requires a broadband high speed modem, a router, a wireless access point, and wireless network cards on the computers. Today your wireless connection can be made with a unit that is a combination router and wireless access point which is much easier to configure and cheaper to buy. With the advent of the wireless internet connection internet providers have finally embraced the wireless internet routers. For years providers hated the routers because they felt that if customers wanted multiple connections in their home they should pay for multiple connections. But in the end the "if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em" mentality won out and now a wireless internet router is a standard piece of equipment with your new wireless internet connection.
Internet Bandwidth Tests
You can easily determine the speed of your internet connection bandwidth by using websites that offer free bandwidth tests. But do these sites really measure the ‘real-time’ performance of your web connection? Read on to understand how bandwidth tests really work, and bust the misconceptions you have about them.
Understanding internet bandwidth tests
A bandwidth test is actually a program that measures your internet speed by sending one or more files of predetermined size over a network to your computer. It then measures the time it takes for your computer to download the sent file. The result - which is the measure of your internet speed - is a figure expressed in either kilobits per second (kbps) or megabits per second (mbps).
Remember that figures resulting from bandwidth tests are only ‘theoretical’ - they may fluctuate greatly because of several factors, the most common of which is change in internet traffic. As more log on to the internet using the same internet service provider as yours, for example, speed decreases. The size of the file sent by the bandwidth tester also has an effect on the result - try another bandwidth tester that sends smaller files and you might get a higher speed figure. Also, if many people were using the bandwidth test server at the time of your test, your results may be compromised.
How do you get accurate internet bandwidth test results?
The only way to get a more accurate bandwidth speed result is to repeat the test over and over, using different sites, if you can. Some experts say that you should conduct the test at least six times in four or more different sites. List down all the results of each bandwidth test from the highest to the lowest. Disregard the top and bottom third of the list and concentrate on the middle figures. Average these figures, and you get a pretty accurate figure representing your normal internet speed.
