Is your Internet fast enough? (Terry Loose)

27 Tháng Giêng 201312:00 SA(Xem: 19172)
Is your Internet fast enough? (Terry Loose)


Is your Internet fast enough?


Is your Internet speed too slow to keep up with your online needs? It may be time to upgrade your home Internet service.

By Terry Loose | Yahoo! Homes – Wed, Jan 2, 2013 


image001_352-content










Photo: Thinkstock



If your Internet experience was an animal, would it be a cheetah or a slug? A silly question maybe, but the answer is anything but silly.

That's because in today's globally connected world of computers, video streaming, and social media, the speed of your Internet connection could mean the difference between a mega bright smile and a mega bummer frown.

"If your connection is too slow, you'll have a really frustrating experience," says Phil Dunn, a technology specialist at Synapse Services Co., a web technologies and content development company.

"[Connection speed] is a quality of experience issue," adds Dunn. "The bottleneck with Internet use is that a lot of today's computer programs are relying on the Internet connection to work, such as video streaming with Netflix or YouTube or streaming music, to name just a few."

[Want a faster Internet connection? Click to compare rates from providers now.]

On the flip side, some people might not need the more expensive lightning-fast speeds certain Internet providers offer, according to Dunn.

Keep reading for tips on how to match your Internet speed to your lifestyle speed.

Tip #1: Determine Your Speed Need

When it comes to your Internet connection, your need for speed is a function of what tasks you go online to perform. According to Dunn, the more data rich stuff you do - such as streaming videos and music or playing online games - the faster your connection to the Internet needs to be.

"Let's say you're a family with a TV that's streaming Netflix through an Internet connection, and a few kids who are streaming songs, and you have a slow Internet connection," Dunn says. "You're going to run into problems. Things will stall because the bandwidth just isn't big enough."

So how can you calculate your Internet speed? This can be done over the Internet at certain sites. For example, a June 2012 Consumer Reports Magazine article "Cut your telecom bill" suggests using this website: www.broadband.gov/qualitytest. All you need is your address, and it will tell you your connection speed within a minute or two.

And to help you decide if it's time to upgrade your speed, here are some suggestions based on your amount of online usage, according to the "Cut your telecom bill" article:

Light Usage: You only have two people using the Internet simultaneously, Web surfing, downloading short, standard-definition videos, emailing, and perhaps playing simple Internet games.

Speed Suggested: Up to 3 megabytes per second [Mbps]

Moderate Usage: Occasionally up to three simultaneous users. They are commonly video streaming, with some high definition (HD) content from places such as iTunes. Also, some HD interactive game playing and uploading of high-resolution photos to a cloud storage service, which keeps your data at a remote location to free up your hard drive. You can tolerate the occasional quality compromise.

Speed Suggested: Up to 6 to 12 Mbps

Heavy Usage: You have up to four people online simultaneously, some perhaps using a tablet or smartphone. They are doing content-rich stuff like streaming movies or videos or uploading big files or photos to cloud storage services. Users also might demand high speeds. Professional photographers and videographers could fall into this group.

Speed Suggested: At least 15 Mbps

[Click to compare rates from multiple Internet providers.]

Tip #2: Get the Right Type of Connection

When it comes to connecting to the Internet, you have a lot of options, says Dunn. They range from snail-paced slow (dial up) to fabulously fast (the best cable) and everything in between. Below is a breakdown of some of the many options available, according to Dunn:

Option 1: Dial-up Connection: This option uses a traditional phone line to access the Internet.

Speed: Very slow by today's standards.

Typical Cost: Free to very inexpensive.

Expert's Take: "This is the minimum. Someone on a dial-up modem trying to use Skype or watch videos is going to have a horrible time," says Dunn. In addition, you need a home phone line, which more and more people are replacing with their cell phone.

Option 2: DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): This option also uses a traditional phone line to access the Internet, but it's a bit faster.

Speed: Slow by today's standards.

Typical Cost: Low to moderate.

Expert's Take: "When you go beyond basic email and get into more graphic heavy stuff or videos, you're going to want DSL at least," says Dunn. "But it's still going to be frustrating at times."

Option 3: Cable: This option uses the same cable line as your cable TV. The bigger line offers the opportunity to transfer more data at a time, thus it's much faster.

Speed: Fast to Very Fast. Anywhere from 2 Mbps to 100 Mbps. (See chart in Tip #1)

Typical Cost: Ranges widely, depending on speed and whether you bundle your service with cable TV and home phone, which makes it less expensive.

Expert's Take: "This is typically very fast," says Dunn. "For most families, this is the option that will allow them to do all the things they want to do, from watching movies and streaming music to photo sharing and playing online games."

[Looking to change your Internet speed? Click to compare rates now.]

Tip #3: Use Cafes and Libraries for Web Access

Next time you're at a cafe and order a chai latte with soy, you might think about ordering up a side of Internet access. That's because in today's Internet-fueled world, many businesses give customers Internet access for free - or as a premium when they buy a drink or meal. Public spaces often have this feature as well.

Typically referred to as hotspots, they range from cafes and bookstores to libraries and airports. Conceivably, a consumer who doesn't have good Internet access at home - or doesn't want to pay for it - could supplement their usage by frequenting these places, according to Dunn.

But it's not all whip cream and chocolate cookies; there is a downside.

"They typically don't offer great connections because it's an expense that they have to make up by selling an extra cup of coffee or muffin," says Dunn. "They also have to support all the freeloaders who come in and buy a Coke and hang out for five hours."

This brings up another potential problem: the more people sharing the connection, the slower each of their connections will be, says Dunn. So especially in public places such as libraries and airports, that could really wipe out your Web surfing plan.

Tip #4: Make Sure You're Getting the Speed You're Paying For

Are you paying for cable Internet, but your favorite website is taking more time than usual to load? It may be time for an Internet service upgrade. In other words, time to go shopping.

But first you might want to check to make sure the cable company is delivering the speed they promise, and that your equipment is not to blame.

To start, check that your connection is as fast as you believe it to be. "Performing a speed test to determine your [Internet connection] speed is a good start," says Dunn.

Next, make sure you are connecting your computer to the cable modem (the box that connects your computer to the cable coming into the house) in the best way possible.

"If your computer is connected to the cable modem with a line, your experience is going to be much better than if you're using a router and Wi-Fi [a wireless connection that uses radio waves]," says Dunn.

"Wi-Fi slows things down, depending on what kind you have," adds Dunn. Why? Because it relies on radio waves instead of an uninterrupted copper wire connection.

But if you love to go mobile, routers with Wi-Fi might be essential to your lifestyle. If so, two things to remember about routers and Wi-Fi: update the software often and newer routers will provide faster speeds (look for the term 802.11.n). To update your router, you can check your router instructions or call the manufacturer's tech support.

[Want to change Internet providers? Click to compare rates now.]

Tip #5: Check for Speed Killers

If you've done all you can to ensure a great Internet connection speed, but you still can't seem to stream the latest blockbuster, make sure you haven't fallen victim to a computer virus.

"The big one that's going to kill you with Internet speed is malware or viruses, or Trojan horses," says Dunn. "Those are all under the security category and are really going to cause damage."

These programs are designed to break into your computer and perform things you don't want happening in your circuitry.

But how do you get these viruses? By visiting sites or opening emails from hackers who want to use your computer and connection to perform illegal activity, such as pirating movies or music, says Dunn. Their computer programs [the malware, viruses, and Trojan horses] are loaded onto your computer and perform the illegal tasks.

"So you think your Internet connection is slow, but it's really this third party who is using part of your bandwidth to do their nefarious deeds," says Dunn.

So how do you avoid it? "Virus and malware software, like Microsoft Security Essentials, or Norton, or McAfee, are pretty good at protecting your computer," says Dunn.

But he adds that these anti-virus software programs are not perfect, so keeping your computer healthy is a balance between having those protection tools installed and being careful what sites you visit.

(Source: homes.yahoo.com)

Gửi ý kiến của bạn
Tên của bạn
Email của bạn
19 Tháng Chín 2011(Xem: 26421)
"Nếu Bắc Kinh quá lớn tiếng (về tranh chấp biển), Trung Quốc sẽ đe dọa các nước nhỏ hơn và đẩy các nước này tìm sự giúp đỡ từ Hoa Kỳ. "
19 Tháng Chín 2011(Xem: 33401)
(Sài Gòn, ngày 12-06-2011) Bài hát "Đáp Lời Sông Núi", nhạc & lời: Trúc Hồ, được hát tại cuộc Biểu tình chống Tàu cộng xâm lược Việt Nam ...
11 Tháng Chín 2011(Xem: 26209)
Trung Quốc hành xử theo kiểu từ chỗ không có lãnh thổ thì chiếm lĩnh như trường hợp Hoàng Sa, hoặc từ chỗ chẳng có gì ở Trường Sa mà lại có thể hợp tác cùng chia sẻ khai thác tài nguyên như đề nghị với Philippines. Cho nên lúc này là lúc Bắc Kinh muốn hạ nhiệt trong quan hệ với Hà Nội và đây là điều đang diễn ra.
11 Tháng Chín 2011(Xem: 25971)
Trong nỗ lực nhằm áp đặt giải pháp về Biển Đông lên các nước Đông Nam Á, Trung Quốc đang dồn áp lực ngoại giao lên Việt Nam và Philippines, vì đây là hai quốc gia cản trở Bắc Kinh nhiều nhất trên con đường vươn ra biển phía Nam.
11 Tháng Chín 2011(Xem: 24520)
Công nhân Trung Quốc ở đây khoảng 1.500 người, trong đó có nhiều người từng là lính giải ngũ, chưa kể hàng trăm chuyên gia thường xuyên ra vào. Sắp tới sẽ có thêm một đợt công nhân nữa kéo sang với số lượng khá đông...
11 Tháng Chín 2011(Xem: 26976)
Điểm đáng chú ý thứ hai đó là cách thường xuyên của Nhà cầm quyền Trung Quốc ( tôi buộc phải nói điều này), là thủ đọan không hay ho gì của họ tức ‘vừa đấm, vừa xoa’.
11 Tháng Chín 2011(Xem: 32085)
9/11 Remembered 9/11 video timeline: How the day unfolded Watch the September 11 memorial ceremonies live
29 Tháng Bảy 2011(Xem: 29826)
“Nghĩa vụ cao cả và cấp thiết nhất của một chính phủ là bảo vệ chủ quyền, độc lập và sự vẹn toàn lãnh thổ của quốc gia ..."
27 Tháng Bảy 2011(Xem: 28803)
" Bất cứ lúc nào gia đình tôi nói tới chuyện tài sản, chúng tôi đều nói đến trách nhiệm phải trao tặng nó cho thế giới. Các con của chúng tôi đã có tài khoản riêng của chúng. Không phải lúc nào chúng muốn mua gì cũng được nấy ..."
27 Tháng Bảy 2011(Xem: 29599)
Theo U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census: Vietnamese population, 2000 : 1,122,528 Vietnamese population, 2010 : 1,548,449
SINH HOẠT
MINH XÁC QUAN ĐIỂM
- Website do một ít Thụ Nhân chung sức, dù rộng mở đến tất cả đồng môn trong tình thân hữu, nhưng không nhân danh hay đại diện tập thể nào.

- Quan điểm của bài viết trong Diễn Đàn là của cá nhân tác giả, không hẳn phản ánh quan điểm chung của Ban Biên Tập và những người tham gia Diễn Đàn.
KHÁCH THĂM VIẾNG
99,468