guide-to-isp.com

There will be problems such as poor service or downtimes that may help you consider changing ISPs. It is only normal since why should you pay for something that you are not satisfied with?

There are a lot of ISPs in your area. But the question is which one. Price should not be a basis. You should check out based on word of mouth and preference of majority of your population to make a decision.

Connection to the web is important. But consistency and good quality is equally important. Make sure you study your options thoroughly.

Losing Internet Connection, I experience it everyday, whether my signal needs to be refreshed or there is something wrong with my ISP. I learned to cope with so as not to get seriously angry. I do the usual : Powercycling, it’s the act of refreshing the signal by restarting your devices eg., modem,router, PC, etc… turning of your modem,router, phone adapter and your computer for about 1minute. Also try release and renewing your IP via the command prompt’s IPCONFIG, to do this :

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
   1. On the Run box, type ‘CMD’ , press enter
3. On the Command Prompt, type IPCONFIG /release -> wait for it to finish
4. Next On the Command Prompt, type IPCONFIG /renew -> wait for it to finish
5. After the release /renew of your IP try this IPCONFIG /flushdns
6. after that close the command prompt, close everything and restart your PC, Albeit do a powercycle.

But if you try doing it 400 times a day well , the router and PC settings seems to be the problem… better crankup those tweaking fingers… let’s start!

Here’s some of the QuickStop Project’s fixes: Enjoy it With a Cup of Coffee

Extend your router’s DHCP lease time to a period of 1 week or more. Access this setting via your router’s browser-based firmware, my router is the linksys wireless G so its 192.168.1.1. The most notorious culprits are Laptops when it come to internet connection loss, because if you are on power saver mode. I bet it turns off the wireless adapter with 5-15 mins to conserve power.

You have to check the power management setting for its network adapter. When using Wi-Fi connection it maybe wise to put in high performance mode rather than battery saving mode, because the moment of idle time. Auto Wi-Fi shut-off = loss of internet connection so better. Set the power management to never shut off to conserve energy. But if you’re just surfing the internet leisurely, then it’s ok not to set it to maximum.

DNS services are a factor that can help prevent the loss of connections.

DNS servers are the PCs on which your ISP stores the databases that it uses to translate individual URLs into their corresponding numerical IP addresses on the internet. If you receive messages informing you that web pages can’t be found or that email can’t be retrieved, try using the DNS servers at OpenDNS in place of those at your ISP.

Start by accessing the wide-area network (WAN) settings in your router’s browser-based firmware; then change the IP addresses for DNS to 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. OpenDNS is free, and it blocks known phishing sites.
Now combo these steps with my Firefox and IE 7 tip.. and you’re all set to go.. Enjoy your web browsing I know I am!

the QuickStop Project : Fix Unstable Internet Connection

The difference between DSL and cable is that DSL is delivered over a standard telephone line, while cable requires cable television service. In both cases, the lines can handle other transmissions in addition to Internet service. For example, you can use your telephone to make and receive calls while online with DSL, because DSL utilizes separate frequencies from telephone communications. Similarly, you can watch television while online with cable Internet service.

Before going into the other differences between DSL and cable, note that a DSL subscriber will have to be within a certain distance from a telephone hub to get good DSL service. Therefore, DSL is not available in all areas, though this is becoming less of a problem. Any DSL provider that services your area can tell by your telephone number whether you are eligible for DSL service.

DSL and cable packages vary in price according to speed. DSL basic speeds of about 128 kilobits per second (kbps) are far faster than dial-up and will likely satisfy the average user. Much faster packages are also available.

An advantage of DSL service is that your speed remains the same, no matter how many people are using the service. With cable Internet service, the number of users in your local area can affect bandwidth availability and result in slow service. Your personal experience is dependent upon the number of active users at any given time.

There’s another significant difference between DSL and cable service. While major DSL providers have introductory prices as low as 12 US dollars (USD) plus change per month, cable Internet service tends to be three to four times more expensive. The low introductory DSL price is only for new subscribers in most cases and requires a one-year contract, but it’s a great deal.

Cable Internet service is fighting back by offering digital packages that include cable television, Internet service and digital phone service in a single bill. For some people with large phone bills, the savings can offset the cost of cable Internet service. The best option is to check into both DSL and cable services in your area and see what each has to offer.

via [WiseGeek]

the most common situations that can result in slow Internet service is the present of a virus on your hard drive. Computer viruses can be transmitted in a variety of ways, most commonly through an attachment to an email. The computer virus will integrate into key programs on the hard drive and silently use up a great deal of resources. By diverting some of the resources to running the virus, an Internet service slow down is inevitable. Fortunately, installing virus protection and removal software will help to remove viruses from the hard drive, as well as prevent new ones from infecting the system. As part of the task of preventing slow Internet service from occurring, it is important to make sure the antivirus software is updated regularly.

Along with viruses, there is a wide range of programs created to grab control of software on the hard drive and use it without the knowledge of the system owner. Programs of this type are often referred to as Trojans, since they can creep in before they are ever detected. Along with worm viruses, Trojans use up resources and create an Internet slow down that will be noticeable. The typical Trojan is acquired by opening email attachments, allowing the program to grab the address book and begin to send out more infected attachments to every email address on the hard drive. Antivirus software updates usually identify new Trojans and viruses, and can remove them from the system, provided that the Trojan is not configured to shut down the system if removal is attempted.

Spyware and Adware are relatively innocuous programs that silently download when web sites are visited and are used to track the Internet activity of the user. The collected data is normally used in developing marketing campaigns and creating email texts. Unfortunately, spyware and adware also use up resources that can slow the system down a great deal. Removing the programs will reverse the incidence of slow Internet service, and make it easier to enjoy a more robust speed.

Not all reasons for slow Internet service are due to clandestine programs and viruses infecting the hard drive. In some cases, the ISP is the origin of the Internet slow down. Routers and servers used to provide the service may be overloaded or experience a technical issue that temporarily slows down the speeds provided by the Internet Service Provider. This is true for high-speed solutions as well as for dialup service providers. At other times, the origin of the slow Internet service may be the local phone connection. Depending on the number of connections that the local phone company multiplexes on the wires that make up the system, there may simply not be many resources available to establish the connection. This is often the case in rural areas, where there are limited options when it comes to Internet connectivity.

One final reason for a slow loading of a web site will have nothing to do with the speed of the connection or the programs running on the hard drive. If the current level of traffic volume to the site is very high, and the server hosting the site cannot handle the traffic, the perception is often that of slow Internet service. However, this is not really a case of a slow Internet connection, but an overwhelmed server. Generally, if the user will simply back off and visit the site at a later time, the site will load much faster on the follow up attempt.

via [WiseGeek]

Satellite Internet services are used in locations where terrestrial Internet access is not available and in locations which move frequently. Internet access via satellite is available worldwide, including vessels at sea and mobile land vehicles. There are three types of satellite Internet service.

Remote sites use the proxy server at the earth station (teleport), which is configured to route all outbound traffic to the QoS server, which makes sure no user exceeds their allotted bandwidth or monthly traffic limits. Traffic is then sent to the encapsulator, which puts the IP packets inside of DVB packets. The DVB packets are then sent to the DVB modem and then to the transmitter (BUC).

via [Wikipedia]

As far as hosting is concerned, you may be wondering what can possibly make them different from others? Normally they would all seem the same. But take a look closely and you will see the smaller fonts in the details given.

When choosing a web host, not just any host will do. There are specific features that you need to look for, as well as additional features that will be required depending on what your plans for your website are. It is important that you make sure that your web host is able to accommodate your needs from the very beginning. One of the first features you should look for in a web host, no matter what your plans are for your site, is the guaranteed uptime.

High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) is a collection of mobile telephony protocols that extend and improve the performance of existing UMTS protocols. Two standards, HSDPA and HSUPA, have been established and a further standard, HSOPA, is being proposed.

The two existing standards (HSDPA and HSUPA) in the family provide increased performance by using improved modulation schemes and by refining the protocols by which handsets and base stations communicate. These improvements lead to a better utilization of the existing radio bandwidth provided by UMTS.

The number of commercial 3.5G networks–also known as High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, or HSDPA, networks–launched worldwide grew by 69 percent in 2007. There are now 174 commercial HSDPA networks in 76 countries. An additional 38 networks are committed to rollouts, which will bump the total to 211 HSDPA networks in 90 countries. Commercial HSDPA networks are widely available in Western Europe (61 networks), Southeast Asia (35), Eastern Europe (34), the Middle East and Africa (20), and the Americas and the Caribbean (16). Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of existing commercial HSDPA networks support downlink speeds of 3.6Mbps or more, while more than a fifth (21 percent) support the peak downlink speed of 7.2Mbps.

Many HSPA rollouts can be achieved by a software upgrade to existing 3G networks, giving 3.5G a headstart over WiMax, which requires dedicated network infrastructure. Rising sales of HSPA-enabled mobiles–aided by more-generous-than-expected operator subsidies of the hardware–are helping to drive the 3.5G market.

via [Wikipedia]