Communication Advancements of the Last 40 Years

February 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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There have been many advancements in computers and cell phones over the last 30 years. Since the 1970′s, wireless cell phone communication has been possible. Likewise, the technology to produce computers for the home has been around just as long, though it was originally thought that computers would generally only interest those who had business to do. Advances in the cell phone and computer industry have greatly enhanced the way we communicate. They have made it possible to reach anyone in the blink of an eye and reduced the cost of communicating. Here are two of the advancements that have enhanced the way we communicate today.

1.) Cell phones and texting- It used to be that if you weren’t near a land line, you probably were going to miss a phone call. Then in the 1970′s, the first cell phones started appearing. Even though they were quite a bit larger than the cellphones we have today, the represented a new ago of wireless communication and were seen as a status symbol. They also coincided with car phones, which would charge will plugged into a cigarette lighter or similar device in the car.

2.) Skype- While the internet and e-mail have been revolutionary in their own right regarding  communication advancement, there is simply no way to overstate the importance of a program like Skype. It allows you to set up a webcam and see the person you want to talk to no matter where they are in the world and at no cost to you. Rather than flying to a destination for a meeting, you can appear via Skype and forget about the long travel, the hotels, and the cost of the trip.

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The Good and the Bad of Using Wireless Internet

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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One of the biggest things to happen to the Internet has easily been wireless Internet. Wi-Fi has made such a huge impact for people all over the country. While there are so many great things about having Wi-Fi, there are a few disadvantages.

For those unfamiliar, Wi-Fi means you can access the Internet from anywhere that has Wi-Fi thanks to a piece of hardware or wireless card in your computer. This will allow users to surf and use the Internet without having to be plugged into a modem.

The biggest advantage of having Wi-Fi is that you won’t have to be connected to your router in order to get onto the Internet. You can bring your laptop just about anywhere in your home and you won’t have to worry about the annoying chord.

Wi-Fi can be really inexpensive to have set up since all that’s needed to be done is wiring your main router. If you have an Internet network already on the computer and ready to go, getting the Wi-Fi is pretty easy.

While having Wi-Fi can make your Internet go a lot faster, the drawback is that there are a ton of users trying to get onto the network, which can create a few outages. Not to mention the further you are from the router, the slower your Internet is.

Another issue could be security. While you’re at home, there aren’t many security issues. It becomes an issue when using a public network, even one that’s password-protected. With a public computer, many websites could be blocked if they pose an issue. This becomes more of a problem to someone using his or her own computer on a public network at work or school.

Wi-Fi is a great innovative tool for Internet users, but there are a few drawbacks to it. It’s always best to know the good and the bad about a product before purchasing it.

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Hooking Up Your Wireless High Speed Internet

January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Having high speed Internet will give you a better Internet connection than dial-up ever could. Setting up a wireless network for the Internet is a pretty simple task to do. All that’s needed is a wireless router that you will connect to the Internet. If it’s not included with the computer, you might need wireless cards.

To hook up your wireless high speed Internet, simply take the main source of the Internet provider and connect that to your modem, whether it’s a cable or phone jack.

Take your Ethernet cable and plug it into the output of your wireless router. Then take your router, plug it in and turn it on.

To configure your router, follow the manual that was included. This is where you’re going to log onto your ISP address and use the username and password given to you when the Internet was set up.

Next you’ll pick the name for your network and password. This is where you’re going to decide if you want to use your Wi-Fi, Mac computers automatically come with this feature, or your Wireless encryption.

To get into the wireless network settings from your computer, go to your control panel menu. You can also just right-click the icon on your task bar. Click on the option that says, “view available wireless networks” and find your network. Go ahead and hit “connect” and put in your username and password.

Finally, open up your Internet browser to make sure that you’ve successfully connected to the Internet.

Hooking up your wireless high speed Internet might seem like a difficult and tricky task, but it really isn’t. Simply follow the instructions and you’ll be on your way to having the best high-speed Internet connection. If you run into trouble along the way, contact your Internet provider, they’ll guide you until you’ve got your Internet up and running.

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Accessing Wireless High Speed Internet

January 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Just about everyone is on the Internet these days and no one wants to deal with a slow connection. Remember the olden days of dial up? Those days are long over thanks to high speed Internet. With wireless high speed Internet, not only will you not have to deal with the long chord, you will no longer have a super slow Internet Connection.

Thankfully wireless high speed Internet is easy to come by whether you’re at home, work or school with a wireless router. Here are ways of accessing wireless high speed Internet.

Wireless connection from home

Once you’ve contacted your Internet Company and decided on whether or not you want cable, DSL or satellite, you will have a few packages to choose from. Choose the best option for you.

If your modem isn’t wireless, connect it to your wireless router and turn it on. Turn your computer on and hit the button on bottom right corner that should say, “view available wireless networks” and click that option. This is where you’re going to put in the password that was created when the Internet was first set up.

Wireless connection from work or school

Most people bring their laptops to work or school if the building has wireless high speed Internet. Connecting from work or school is no different than connecting to your wireless high speed Internet from home. Simply turn on your computer and check the option that says, “view available wireless networks.” Pick the connection that’s available, there should only be one option.

Wireless high speed Internet is available at many coffee shops, libraries, stores and many other places. When you turn on your computer, check for available wireless networks and you’re good to go. Places like these will offer free Wi-Fi so you won’t have to worry about stealing someone’s Internet connection.

Filed Under: Internet, Wireless Technology Tagged With: ,

Cisco Casts A Broader Net

December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cisco Casts A Broader Net

Cisco is attempting to change the way we communicate. They call it IRIS (Internet Routing In Space), and it is exactly what it sounds like–space-based routers. Currently, internet access is largely dependent on the presence of ground-based (terrestrial) receivers and routers. Satellites are an out-dated part of this system, functioning on circuit switching technology. This system creates a temporary connections between communications nodes that mimics an electrical circuit. The result is a “bent pipe” connection, which is slow and inefficient.

IRIS changes this system my updating the circuit switching system to a normal internet protocol (IP) router, the same kind used when establishing normal internet connections. While the concept may not seem revolutionary, creating a router durable and powerful enough to function in space has taken several years of work. Testing will continue for the next twelve months to ensure the viability of IRIS. Government and commercial agencies have already presented Cisco with draft contracts for the use of the technology.

Benefits of IRIS

1. Wider coverage for wireless devices. Receiver/transmitter towers and peer-to-peer routers are still the primary means of accessing the internet wirelessly. IRIS is capable of establishing direct connections between wireless devices and terrestrial computers. Think of it like an express lane on a highway.

2. Direct connection. This direct connection provides security and stability for sensitive government and private commercial applications. Of course, this priority service is still too expensive for the general public.

3. Faster service, less latency. Circuit switching technology is only capable of transferring kilobits (Kbit) of data. Whereas the new IP router will transfer in Megabits (Mbit).

4. Eliminates the need for a teleport. An artifact of circuit switching technology, teleports cost money to set-up and maintain.

For more information check out the “News & Alerts” bulletin at Cisco.com.

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Wireless Internet and Your Laptop

October 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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One of the great things about having a laptop is that you can take it anywhere. However, while that’s a great feature, one of the drawbacks is that your laptop isn’t able to access wireless internet wherever it goes. The only place that you will be able to log on to the internet is where wireless internet is offered. These are places such as the library, internet cafes, Starbucks and other remote locations featuring this free service to you, and when the service is free there is always a chance of extra files being downloaded. This can cause your memory to be taken up, so before taking advantage of free WiFi cloud storage might be something to consider.

The fact that laptops can’t access wireless internet everywhere is irritating when you consider that the iPhone has wireless internet service virtually anywhere it goes. Well, the good news is that there are a couple ways you can bring wireless internet to your laptop no matter where you are! You just need to decide which one is the best for you.

Use Your iPhone: If you have an iPhone then you do have the ability to get wireless internet to your laptop. There are several applications out there that will give your iPhone the ability to transform itself into a modem for your laptop. However, keep in mind that to access these apps, you will most likely have to jailbreak your iPhone 3.0 first. But, if you have an iPhone 4.0, internet tethering is supported by AT&T when you purchase the Tethering Plan for an additional $20 a month.

Purchase an Internet Air Card: If you don’t have an iPhone, these little gadgets are great for accessing wireless internet on your laptop. Companies like AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and Sierra Wireless all have air cards that allow laptops to access wireless internet. However, before you purchase an air card, take the time to analyze how much internet usage you require and how much your budget will allow. For example, some air cards allow you two to five megabytes and others only allow 250 gigabytes. Naturally, the price varies for these air cards too. You may be looking at $40 a month or $80 a month – all depending on how much data usage you need. So, make your decision carefully!

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Understanding the Disadvantages of Satellite Internet

October 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Satellite internet is a great option for those that are unable to get internet through other methods. Usually, these are people that live out in the country where internet providers are unable to go. However, before you decide to get satellite internet, it is important that you understand the disadvantages in advance to save yourself a lot of frustration later on.

Price: First, the price of satellite internet can be considerably more than what other internet providers offer. This is because you have to pay for special equipment to be installed. You are also paying for the actual internet service, which is a special convenience since no other internet provider is able to service you.

Time Delay: While satellite internet is much better than dial-up internet service, there is still a bit of a time delay with it. This is natural because of the distance the satellite waves have to travel in order to bring you the information you’re searching for. Generally, the delay is only a few seconds, which isn’t much at all. However, for those that enjoy playing online games, this can be huge. So, be sure you understand the time delay issue if you expect to play an internet game that requires high-speed internet service.

Interference: While any internet service can experience temporary interference, satellite internet is just a little more susceptible to it. This is because it’s a satellite and the satellite has to send waves of information thousands of miles to the satellite home base and back before the website is viewable on your computer screen. So, understand that when you are experiencing bad weather it is quite possible your internet service may be unavailable.

Fair Access Policy: Satellite internet service is subject to the Fair Access Policy, which means that you are limited to the amount of internet bandwidth you can use a day. This is set up to give each satellite internet user the same amount of time online. Therefore, the satellite company can restrict your internet usage. Just be sure you read and understand the Fair Access Policy before subscribing.

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The Benefits of Wireless Internet

October 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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As of 2010, the world is a technological planet full of people that rely on the internet to connect with others all over the globe for both their personal and business needs. Not only does the internet help us perform basic functions and job tasks, but it now also helps us get from point A to point B with GPS, play online video games a host of other things as well. Thus, we need the internet to be fast. Wireless internet service does just that.

At first, dial-up internet service was great because it was the only thing we knew. However, times have changed, and thankfully, so has our internet services. We now have the option to get internet through satellite, DSL, cable and also through wireless internet too. Out of the previous four options, wireless internet has some great benefits that the others don’t offer.

Affordability: For the service you are getting, wireless internet is the best option to go with as it costs a lot less than satellite internet. When you compare it to DSL and cable, wireless internet connections have the ability to bring in more information at a faster speed. Usually with DSL, and sometimes even through cable internet providers, you have to pay more for faster broadband speeds.

Speed: Wireless internet service has the ability to provide users with extremely fast service. In fact, wireless internet can bring close to 2 megabytes of data within a second! This is a major deal for those that use the internet for business purposes such as video conferences. It’s also a much needed feature for online gamers as well.

Mobility: The most obvious benefit of wireless internet service is the fact that it allows you to move around and still access it. Some people don’t see the need to be mobile while online, but it is actually a really nice feature to have. It gives you the freedom to take your computer to any room in the house, or even out on the patio!

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The Advantages of VoIP

October 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Voice over Internet Protocol is an awesome service that has a lot of great features for subscribers. The reason VoIP isn’t used more frequently is because the idea of using the phone over the internet seems radical to a lot of people. However, when one looks at the advantages associated with VoIP phone service, it may change his or her viewpoint.

Cost: The amount of money you will save when you switch to VoIP is the advantage that people enjoy the most. Traditional phone companies like to “nickel and dime”  you to death, but when you use the internet to make phone calls the fees aren’t nearly as outrageous. The key to saving the most money possible with VoIP is to find the internet provider with the most suitable package for your needs. If a lot of your family and friends have VoIP, then it may be practical to get a more traditional plan that allows you to talk to other VoIP users for free. So, take the time to research different VoIP plans to ensure you maximize the amount money you will save.

Mobility: One of the things a lot of people don’t know is that they can generally take their VoIP service with them. This is because it works through the internet! Therefore, if a high-speed wireless internet connection is in the area, most times you will be able to use your VoIP service!

Streamlining: An awesome advantage of using your computer for VoIP communications is the ability to streamline your internet activities. You can surf the web, check your emails and do other online activities while you’re on the phone. You can also share online information with the person you’re talking to, and sometimes you can even see the person you’re talking to by using a webcam. Pretty cool, huh?

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Wi-Fi Direct Gears Up to Compete With Clear 4G

October 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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On October 26, 2010, Wi-Fi’s consortium announced it would be releasing technology designed to compete with other on-the-go wireless Internet connections. With the new technology, people will be able to take their Wi-Fi connection with them wherever they go, eliminating the need for hot spots.

Those familiar with services, such as Clear 4G, should understand the concept behind the new technology, because it will work in a similar way. Under the name Wi-Fi Direct, users will be able to connect their certified Wi-Fi Direct devices to other wireless devices.

With Wi-Fi Direct, you will be able to share and sync data and files across multiple wireless devices, including smartphones, tablets, netbooks, and notebooks. In many cases, accessing the feature is as simple as pressing a button on the Wi-Fi Direct device. As an added benefit, devices with the new technology will be able to connect to older devices that do not have the technology.

If you’re one of the people who worry about security, Wi-Fi Direct has a plan to bring you peace of mind. Wi-Fi Direct utilizes WPA2TM for security. The new combination will offer additional protection over regular routers: Hackers can’t disable it. That also means that you won’t accidentally disable it yourself, too.

With the new technology, Wi-Fi Direct will acts as its own routing source. To do this, it will use Software AP, which acts as its own access point. Several technology companies and Internet service providers, including Intel, Realtek, Atheros, and Broadcam, are gearing up to offer Wi-Fi Direct supported devices.

When the consortium releases Wi-Fi Direct, slated for the 2010 holiday season, users can expect it to come bundled with a few wireless models. As more people get on board with the new technology, you can expect an explosion of devices from the manufacturers currently dominating the wireless Internet and mobile computing industries.

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