Fix password glitches

1. Corrupt Keychain
Problem: I keep getting prompts to enter my password, even though I know it’s in my keychain.

Solution: Mac OS X’s Keychain provides a handy way to store user names and passwords for servers, Web sites, and other resources. Usually it works invisibly in the background. How-ever, if the keychain file becomes damaged, you may not be able to save new passwords, or an application such as Apple’s Mail or iChat might ask you to enter a password you’ve already stored. A corrupted keychain can even cause applications to crash.

If you suspect that you have a damaged keychain, open the Key-chain Access application (/Application/Utilities/) and choose Keychain Access: Keychain First Aid. In the box that appears, enter your login password and select either the Verify option, which merely checks the keychain, or Repair, which checks for and fixes errors. Click on Start. Keychain First Aid reports any errors that it finds and repairs.

2. The Same-Password Blues
Problem: I know it’s safer not to keep using the same password. But it’s hard to come up with new passwords all the time.

Solution: Although many people reuse the same password for various purposes, it’s more secure to make each password unique. You don’t have to exert mental energy on this job—your Mac can come up with ideas for you. It can also give you tips for improving passwords you already have.

Mac OS X includes a password-generator tool called Password Assistant, but you can access it only at certain times—for example, when you’re setting up a new account in System Preferences or creating a new keychain in Keychain Access. (You’ll see a key icon next to the field where you’re supposed to enter a password. Click on this icon to access the tool.) Take full advantage of this tool’s powers by using codepoetry’s free Password Assistant, which lets you access Password Assistant as a stand-alone program. The codepoetry application works only with OS X 10.4 (Tiger). If you haven’t upgraded, try David Kreindler’s free RPG, which works similarly and runs on Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther).

Password Assistant lets you set the password’s length via a slider and adjust its complexity via the Type pop-up menu (see “Choose Secure Passwords”). For example, choose Letters & Numbers; Memorable, which mixes common words with numbers and punctuation; or Random, which includes letters, numbers, and special characters. If you don’t like the first suggestion, pick another from the Suggestion pull-down menu. Or generate another set by changing a setting or selecting More Suggestions from the Suggestion menu.

You can also use Password Assistant to test your own passwords. Type one in the Password field. The tool rates the password’s quality and gives you tips for improving it.

3. Autofill Won’t Fill
Problem: My Web browser is supposed to autofill my passwords, but sometimes it refuses to comply.

Solution: Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and most other popular browsers can remember user names and passwords for Web forms and fill them in at your command. To turn this feature on in Safari, choose Safari: Preferences and select User Names And Passwords under AutoFill. In Firefox, go to Firefox: Preferences, click on Security, and enable the Remember Passwords For Sites option.

However, autofill doesn’t always do the job. For example, as a security measure, some sites block autocompletion of certain fields. Also, if you have multiple user names and passwords for a particular site, your browser can’t tell which one to use.

You can solve such problems with a third-party password utility. My favorite is Agile Web Solutions’ $30 1Passwd, which uses Apple’s Keychain for storage, but provides plug-ins for most popular browsers (like Safari, Firefox, the Omni Group’s OmniWeb, and Mozilla’s Camino). Once you enter a Web password, the application remembers it for every supported browser. It also adds a menu to each browser’s toolbar (see “Manage Browser Passwords”). This includes commands for generating new passwords, as well as options that let you choose from multiple user name and password sets for a single site. If your browser’s autofill isn’t working for you, 1Passwd is definitely worth a shot.

4. Master Password Mind Block
Problem: I entered a Master Password when I set up FileVault, but I’ve since forgotten it.

Solution: Introduced in OS X 10.3, FileVault provides a way to encrypt your entire user folder. When you first configure FileVault in the Security preference pane, you’re prompted to enter a Master Password. This password allows you to access the encrypted files even if you forget your login password (though if you forget both passwords, there’s no way to recover the files).

In order to change your Master Password in the Security preference pane, you must enter the original password. So if you’ve forgotten it, you’ll have to delete the FileVault keychain. First, if FileVault is currently on, disable it (go to the Security preference pane and click on Turn Off FileVault). Locate the two files in /Library/Keychains (the root-level Library folder, not the one in your user folder) that begin with the words FileVaultMaster, and drag them to the Trash. (You’ll have to enter an administrator password.) Note that if you delete this keychain—and you’ve forgotten the login password of the FileVault-protected account—you will not be able to access encrypted files by setting up a new Master Password.

5. Admin Absentmindedness
Problem: I’ve forgotten my Mac’s administrator password.

Solution: If you can’t remember your administrator password—or you don’t know it because you’ve recently purchased or inherited someone else’s machine—you’ll have to reset it. There are a couple of ways to reset an administrator password:

Ask Another Administrator If your Mac has a second administrator account, open the Accounts preference pane. Click on the lock icon at the bottom and have that person enter his or her administrator name and password. Select the user with the forgotten password and click on Reset Password to choose a new one.

Use an Installation Disc Insert your OS X installer disc. To restart from it, hold down the C key while you reboot your Mac. Choose a language as requested, and then go to Utilities: Reset Password. Select your main disk and choose your user name from the pop-up menu. Enter and verify a new password, then click on Save. Quit the Reset Password utility, and then quit the installer and click on Restart to boot up from your hard disk.

If you previously set your keychain password to match your administrator password, the keychain probably won’t unlock automatically when you log in (since it still uses your old password). So just delete it and create a new one.

Launch Keychain Access. To delete a keychain, make sure the keychain list is showing in the upper left corner of the window; if it isn’t, click on the Show Keychains button at the bottom. Select the keychain you want to delete and choose File: Delete Keychain keychain name. Select File: New Keychain, choose a name, enter a password, and click on Create. In the list, select the keychain you’ve just created, and choose File: Make Keychain keychain name Default. Whenever you store a new password, Mac OS X will automatically add it to your default keychain.

Note that just as you can reset your administrator password, so can anyone else with physical access to your Mac and an installer disc. To minimize your risks, take extra security precautions such as making your keychain password different from your login password and storing sensitive files in an encrypted disk image. Get more details.

6. AirPort No-Go
Problem: I can’t remember the passwords for my network or AirPort base station.

Solution: If you use an AirPort base station (or a third-party wireless router), you potentially have two passwords to worry about: the wireless network password, which your computer needs to get online, and the base station password, which protects the base station against modification by unauthorized parties. You don’t have to set either password, but it’s a good idea to do so.

Most people store their wireless network password in their keychain so OS X can enter it automatically. But if you switch computers or want to grant a friend access to your network, you’ll need to know that password. To find it, open Keychain Access and type the first few letters of your network’s name into the Search field. Double-click on the match with the word login (or your user name) listed in the Keychain column. In the box that appears, select the Show Password option, enter your keychain password, and click on Allow Once or Always Allow to display the password.

If your network’s password isn’t there, you’ll need to select a new one in AirPort Admin Utility (or AirPort Utility, if you have the new 802.11n base station). That, in turn, requires that you either know the base station’s password (if it has one) or have it stored in your keychain.

To change the wireless network password on older base stations, open Air-Port Admin Utility (/Applications/Util-ities) and double-click on the base station’s name. In the AirPort tab, click on Change Wireless Security. Type a new password and click on OK and then on Update. For 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Stations, open AirPort Utility, select the base station’s name, and choose Base Station: Manual Setup. Click on the AirPort icon, and then select the Wireless tab. Enter and verify a new password, choose an encryption method from the Wireless Security pop-up menu, and click on Update.

What if you’ve forgotten the base station’s password too? Then it’s time to reset it. Instructions vary by base station, so go to Apple’s AirPort Support page and do a search for Reset AirPort to find your model.

What makes a password secure?
When creating new passwords, most people know they should avoid using their pet’s or spouse’s name and should include a mix of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. But just how long and complex does a password really need to be? Here are some rules of thumb:

Low-Security Passwords If you’re creating a password simply to identify yourself, and little is at stake if it’s compromised (for example, on a Web site’s discussion forum), choose a memorable pattern with eight or nine characters. Include one or more non-alphanumeric characters (for example,

oak7*fid).

High-Security Passwords If you’re protecting bank accounts or personal records, it pays to be safe. Choose a random password or a memorable, word-based one. If you choose a random password, use a mix of 10 or 11 letters (capital and lowercase) and numbers (for instance,

I5oqMqQk8xn). If you include punctuation, 9 or 10 characters are adequate (such as
@wF?FHbZl). For memorable passwords, use at least 17 characters, including letters, numbers, and punctuation (as in acme13-shortbread).

Easy online backups Page 1 of 3

You know you should back up your data. But whether it’s the cost, the setup, or the hassle of swapping discs or shuttling around hard drives, most of us find a million excuses not to get the job done. So wouldn’t it be great if you could click on a few buttons and ensure that your data was backed up regularly? Thanks to a new breed of online services, it’s possible to copy files over the Internet easily and affordably, keeping your data secure at an off-site location.

Weigh the pros and cons
Why copy your files over the Internet to faraway servers? For one thing, you don’t have to deal with additional hardware or media—you simply take advantage of the online service’s hardware. In many cases, you can just install some software, configure it, and let it run in the background. It’s also easy to back up from the road without having to drag an external drive along—provided you have a fast Internet connection.

One of the biggest advantages of backing up online is safety. Because files are stored elsewhere, they’re protected even if your equipment gets stolen or your office or house burns down. Plus, most services offer encryption (see “Safe and Secure”).

There are downsides, however. If your Internet connection falters, or if the online service has server problems, you could be stuck without access to your data. Also, if you have a computer meltdown, you won’t be able to boot up your computer from an online backup. If you want a bootable duplicate of your hard disk, you’ll still need an external hard drive and software such as Shirt Pocket’s $28 SuperDuper 2.1.4 ( ) or Bombich Software’s free Carbon Copy Cloner 3. (See Easy Mac Backups for instructions.)

By far the biggest drawback of online backup is speed. Even if you have a fast broadband connection, backing up your data online will be much slower than backing up to a local hard drive or a server on your local network. In fact, depending on the amount of data you have, your first full online backup could take several days or even a week to complete. You’d only have to suffer through that once, of course, since subsequent backups would copy only new or changed files. And you could also be choosy about what you backed up. Still, you will want to carefully consider whether you have too much critical data to make online backups practical. (To estimate how long it would take you, see “Check Your Speed Limit.”)

Find the right service
Some online services are tailored to backup; others are intended for file sharing but also can be used for backups. What makes the biggest difference to most people, however, is how files are uploaded.

Access via the Web Several services, such as Box.net and myDataBus, offer storage space that you can access only from a Web browser. These services are designed with file sharing, rather than backup, in mind. You can get to your files from any computer without installing special software, but you’ll have to upload files manually. Still, if you need to back up only a few files, these services could be good options.

Access as a Volume Some services let you mount online storage space in the Finder as a network volume—just as you would a CD or an external hard drive. For instance, Jungle Disk uses Amazon.com’s S3 service and includes a Mac client for mounting the storage volume. Omnidrive also offers its own Mac client, while BingoDisk uses the WebDAV standard, which enables you to mount a volume by visiting the Finder’s Go menu, choosing Connect To Server, and entering the server’s URL.

Once the volume is mounted, you can access it using your favorite backup program—such as Prosoft’s $59 Data Backup 3 or EMC Insignia’s $129 Retrospect Desktop 6.1 ( ). You can schedule automated backups using all of your backup program’s features, but you might need to do some fiddling to get the pieces to work together.

Service with Software I think the best option is a service that includes its own backup software. Since everything is integrated, such a system is easier to set up and maintain. My favorites are CrashPlan, Mozy, and Steekup. All offer software that lets you schedule automatic backups; CrashPlan and Mozy go a step further by including the option to back up only new or changed files throughout the day. (In Mozy, go to Mozy: Preferences, click on Scheduling, and select Perform Backups Automatically. In CrashPlan, click on Settings in the left menu, select the Advanced tab, and enter a time in the Back Up Changed Files After field.) All three encrypt your data for safety and compress it, which means you can typically squeeze more into your storage space.

CrashPlan charges for its software. But it does let you back up to a second Mac, or even to a friend’s computer over the Internet, without purchasing an additional copy of the software. Steekup and Mozy include free software, though at press time Mozy’s Mac application was still in beta and had some rough edges. (For instance, it can’t yet back up files that are open or locked.)

Apple’s .Mac One seemingly obvious choice for online backup is Apple’s $100 per year .Mac service, which includes online storage space and the company’s easy-to-use Backup software ( ). Your storage space—or iDisk —mounts as a volume on your desktop. You get 10GB of storage, which must be shared by e-mail messages, shared photos and videos, Web sites, backups, and any other files you wish to store online. For an additional $100 a year, you can upgrade to 30GB.

Unfortunately, 10GB is too paltry to back up a typical iPhoto or iTunes library, to say nothing of the rest of your files. If you’re thinking about using it just for backup, .Mac isn’t the cheapest service either. But it’s worth considering if you’re already a member and just want to save copies of certain critical pieces of data.

Tweak your backups
These tips should help you avoid common pitfalls once you’re ready to give online backups a whirl. I’ll use my favorites—CrashPlan, Mozy, and Steekup—to illustrate.

Pare Down Because Internet backups are slow, be picky about what you transfer. The logical starting point is your user folder. But depending on the size of that folder, and the speed of your Internet connection, you may want to back up just its irreplaceable items.

So how much of your user folder should you back up? Calculate the number of gigabytes your broadband connection is capable of uploading per hour (see “Check Your Speed Limit” to find out how). Divide the size of your user folder by this number to approximate how long it will take to copy. For instance, if your user folder is 5GB and your upload speed is 768 Kbps (which means you’re uploading about one-third of a gigabyte per hour), it should take about 15 hours to perform your first full backup. File compression should reduce this time, but because so many variables come into play, it’s best to keep your estimates on the pessimistic side. I suggest limiting the amount of files so that a full backup does not exceed a week. Remember: subsequent backups will go much faster, since you’ll be copying only new or modified data.

Limit File Versions CrashPlan and Steekup let you specify how many versions of each file to archive. Limit this number (to, say, five or ten) to help keep storage costs down. In CrashPlan, select the Settings option in the left menu, and then click on the General tab. Select the # Of Versions To Keep For A File option and fill in a number (see “One File, Many Versions”).

In Steekup, click on the Configuration tab and select Number Of Versions from the Configuration Settings menu. Choose a number from the pop-up menu and click on Submit. Mozy doesn’t currently let you restrict file versions, but since it gives you unlimited storage, that’s no big deal.

Watch Bandwidth Most online backup programs upload files at the maximum speed your Internet connection can handle. But when you’re using your Mac, you may want to preserve some bandwidth for other tasks, such as sending e-mail. To prevent annoying slowdowns, make sure to set your backup software to throttle —in other words, to automatically adjust—its bandwidth usage.

In CrashPlan, click on the Settings link and then the Advanced tab. From the Bandwidth Limit When Present pop-up menu, choose a maximum data rate; this should restrict the bandwidth allocation when the computer is in use. In Mozy, go to the Preferences window (Mozy: Preferences) and click on the Performance button. Under Bandwidth Throttling, move the slider until you hit the bandwidth number you want. Select Always Throttle to use that figure at all times; click on Throttle Between and enter specific times if you want Mozy to pull back on speed during set hours.

Steekup doesn’t currently offer bandwidth throttling, but you can work around this by scheduling subsequent backups to occur when you’re not using your computer. To do this, select the Configuration tab, click on Scheduling, and specify times for your backups.

Test Restores It’s wise to periodically check that files are being backed up correctly. I recommend doing this after your first full backup and every few weeks thereafter. To do so, select a few random files from the server and restore them back to your disk.

In CrashPlan, click on the Restore option in the left menu. In Steekup, select the Data tab, and then click on the Restoration button. In Mozy, choose Restore Files from the M menu in your menu bar. (If you don’t see the menu, enable it via Mozy: Preferences.)

Restore the files to a different location from the originals. Once they’re downloaded, open the files and compare them with the ones on your hard disk. If they appear to be corrupted, or if you can’t restore them, contact the company’s tech-support staff. Remember: it’s always better to find out that there’s a problem with your backups before a crisis occurs.

Deciding on a Broadband Supplier for Home Use

If you are resident in the UK, the first thing you should consider if you are not a BT customer, is whether the supplier you intend to use can actually provide you with a broadband service. Many suppliers can only provide the service if you have a BT line. If a cable company supplies your phone line your choice of supplier is greatly diminished, but there are still several companies out there for you to consider. Once this has been established you can now dive into the market and search the vast array of offers and deals that are available.

Most internet suppliers generally offer 3 types of packages, the cost of each package increases as the amount you can download per month increases. The basic package usually starts by offering a 2mb connection allowing you to download 2Gb of information per month for around £17.99 a month; this is normally enough to service the needs of the average family and many suppliers are now offering unlimited download time. Packages then increase in price as the amount of information you can download increases and as the package becomes more advanced, the more is offered to you, therefore, it is important to choose the right package for your specific needs.

Broadband suppliers are currently offering deals that include: 3 months usage at a reduced rate, free anti virus and firewall protection, up to 500 minutes free home phone usage per month, free access to music download sites for 1 month, £150.00 off a new laptop computer and much more. The more you spend within a given package the more you are offered. It is well worth searching through the various companies to see exactly what is available.

Broadband can also be accessed using wireless technology. This enables you to connect to the Internet through an enabled device such as a laptop or mobile phone from anywhere in your home. With wireless technology a receiver outside of the premises sends the signals through to connection points inside. These connection points then send data through to the computer.

If you are travelling and need to pick up important documents via email, you can access the Internet through a wireless connection at large number of public hotspots. A hotspot is an access point that is available in cafes, hotels airports etc. They broadcast a standard wireless frequency up to approx 100 metres, enabling a connection to be made to the Internet through your equipment. Most of the major broadband suppliers now offer a wireless broadband option.

Some broadband access suppliers now offer a facility where you can use your broadband connection as an extra telephone line. By using your existing broadband connection it is possible to route calls via a telephone exchange to the number dialled. Effectively this technology gives you the benefits of having an additional phone line without the need to have a new line installed. Using a telephone adaptor appropriate to your broadband connection and a standard handset you can make calls without the need for microphones and earphones. It is possible to call local, national and internationally and also to mobiles; the cost is reasonable and can be covered either per minute or by a one off monthly payment.

The market to supply broadband is very competitive and this can only be a good thing for the consumer. As companies offer more and more within their packages, a little research of the market will ensure that you get a good deal when you sign up to the services and you will find the package that is right for you.

Norbert Wartle writes on consumer issues for Cheapest Utility Suppliers.

You can read his other articles on Internet Access.

What is Cable Internet Service?

This technology uses your existing cable TV lines to access the internet. You will pay an additional fee to your cable TV provider for this extra service. If you were previously using dial up internet connection, you will probably notice a huge speed increase when you access the internet.

The advantage of this broadband internet connection than other types of broadband is speed. It typically offers faster speeds than most broadband internet types such as the DSL and satellite internet.

However, your cable internet speed depends largely on how many people is subscribing in the same company. The more the subscriber, the more you will be sharing bandwidth, therefore, the slower your internet will be.

Cable internet is also slightly more expensive than DSL internet.

Since a cable internet has a high-speed internet connection, it offers many benefits, whether for personal use or for business.

Cable internet connection can give you the ability to download files and software faster than any other type of internet connection. This means you can share more files faster, like pictures to your friends and family wherever they are.

Another advantage is that you can play online multiplayer games and join small communities in virtual worlds.

With fast internet connection, you can use VoIP internet phones. This technology allows you to call relatives wherever they are in the world for little or no fee. VoIP also has built in features that your traditional phone company considers as additional features and charges expensive fees. Some additional features are the video phone calls, caller ID, call waiting, voice messages, long distance calls, conference calls and more.

With cable internet access, you can now play internet radio smoothly and high audio quality than dial ups can offer. You can also watch video streams like short online movies or music videos in the internet without interruptions in cable internet access.

You can also watch the latest sport events in the internet with this internet connection. Because it is fast, there will be no interruptions while you are watching.

Buying music online will be more convenient and cheaper than buying on your local music stores. All you have to do is go to an online music store and download your favorite music.

Download your favorite movies in the internet. With dial ups, these can take days or even weeks, therefore expensive. With cable internet, you can download full-length movies in a matter of hours.

Businesses can also benefit with cable internet access. Instead of traveling, they can do meetings using video conferencing. This feature can save them many travel expenses by just attending a meeting or product presentation to their clients. They can now easily close deals, therefore, more profit to their business.

Are you a student doing your homework? With cable internet, you no longer have to run to the public library to do all your research, the internet is a huge library itself and can provide you as much information as you want about your research. Since cable internet is fast, you can visit many websites to do your research and finish half the time than by using dial ups.

There are more advantages by using cable internet services. It can benefit your studies, businesses, or you can simply entertain yourself by listening to music, playing online multiplayer games or watch movies.

Communicating to your family and friends are also easier and much more convenient than a dial up internet can provide.

Bob Hett has extensively covered the Internet Service Provider industry as an analyst and has researched the various companies for factors based on price, reliability, support and overall quality. Learn more at Cable Internet Service

In today’s world, you would probably want a high-speed internet to improve your way of life and your business. This is possible by using a broadband internet connection.

Service providers offer a special fax number to receive faxes online. Internet faxing doesn’t require fax machines. Online fax requires Internet access and an email account. Whenever a fax is sent to the subscriber’s number, service provider accepts the fax and turns it into a file that is easily forwarded to subscriber’s email address.

Subscriber has to create an email to send an Internet fax. Fax content should be written in the body of electronic mail and the destination fax number should be entered in the ‘To’ field along with @ and the internet service name. You have to click ‘send’ button after filling all columns. It will send email to Internet Fax service and the service provider forward it to the recipient. Afterwards recipient receives fax via fax machine or Computer.

It is very easy to send or receive faxes via Internet because your fax number is always active that enables you to receive faxes anytime. Actually in Internet fax, faxes are sent and receive as files that can be printed later on as per users’ choice. Major advantage of online fax is that the subscriber doesn’t require being familiar with fax machines. With a little knowledge of email, subscriber can easily send or receive faxes online.

Subscriber should always consider an Internet fax service that provides secure website. Generally Internet service providers offer these services between US$10-20 per month.

Author owns a website on Online Fax. Website provides useful information about online fax, Internet fax and it also offer some tips on how to send fax from Internet. You can also visit his website on cheap online fax

Broadband Internet Services and Their Benefits

In today’s world, you would probably want a high-speed internet to improve your way of life and your business. This is possible by using a broadband internet connection.

With the broadband internet’s popularity growing, it becomes more and more affordable and available for everyone. You would probably want to switch into a faster and reliable internet connection to catch up with the demands of present living.

Fast and reliable internet access is not the only advantage in getting broadband internet connection. There are many more benefits from this technology.

Here are a few examples of broadband internet benefits:

With broadband internet, you can download or upload files and software faster than a dial up has to offer. With broadband connection, you can also send large files like movie clips to your friends, family or your clients who wants a video presentation of your product.

If you are a student in need of a research, you no longer have to go to your local library for it. The internet itself is a library. With broadband internet connection, you can research faster and you can research more websites. With dial up, this can take a while; even waiting for a single webpage to load is often slow with dial up.

This technology changes the way you play multiplayer games. With the recent boom of the massively multiplayer online role-playing games, you can play RPG games with other people from all over the world and at the same time lets you talk to them. You can play either online game through your PC or gaming consoles. Some examples of these are the Playstation2 or Xbox.

One of the best benefits a broadband internet connection offer is you can easily view web cams with faster refresh rates around the world.

This means, if your family or friends have web cams you no longer have to just email them, but also chat either through voice or text and view them in real time. The best thing about this, it is free.

Broadband internet can enable you to watch streaming videos in the internet such as, internet TV, watch your favorite music videos and other online short films. In dial ups, this is possible but often results in choppy video.

Buying and downloading music is easier. With broadband internet connection, you can buy music singles or albums much cheaper than your local music store. All you have to do is visit a website that sells music downloads and you can directly download the music file, fast.

With broadband internet connection, you can now use your computer as your personal phone. With VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, you can call you family and friends with little or no long distance calls.

You can also use VoIP for video conference meetings, fax, and other features free that traditional phones charge expensive fees for these features.

The internet can also be a radio station, you can now “tune in” to internet radio faster and without interference. With dial up, you can also play the internet radio but often encounters problem like choppiness due to low speed internet.

There are so much more uses for broadband internet connection, whether you use it at home or work the possibilities are vast. More innovations to benefit with this technology are being developed. Organizing your life and work is easier with broadband internet connection.

Since there are so many types of broadband internet services in the market today, it is up to you to choose which package that will suit you best. Research and compare broadband internet providers.

How To Get Online Wirelessly – No Coffee Shop Required

The major cellular vendors are beefing up their networks for what is believed to be one of the “next big things”. You see, these vendors like Verizon Wireless, Sprint PCS/Nextel, Cingular, and T-Mobile have all invested millions of dollars in providing cellular towers across the country so that you can get a cell signal in almost any decently populated areas. Competition is fierce, and each carrier is looking for some kind of value-added service or function to entice customers to switch to their service.

One of the biggest things they have done recently is to allow you to get online from your laptop computer using one of their “air cards”, sometimes known as an “EVDO card”. These cards plug into the PCMCIA slot on your laptop (almost all laptops have a PCMCIA slot), and as long as you can pick up a decent signal from that carrier’s cell tower, you can get online with your laptop and this manufacturer-specific air card!

Verizon and Cingular appear to be leading the pack with this technology, with new high-speed hotspots appearing regularly across the country. Sprint is also investing heavily into creating more Sprint-specific hotspot areas for their service. T-Mobile also has this service available. With these carriers, you can get the “data-only” plan without being required to have one of that carrier’s voice/cell service plans.

From a performance perspective, T-Mobile trails the pack significantly. Although their plan is the cheapest (about $30 per month for unlimited access), performance is barely as good as a dial-up connection. But if dial-up speed is sufficient for you, this can be a very mobile and cost-effective option.

As of the end of February 2006, in areas where Verizon had their high-speed option available, average download speed was measured at 563k, which is a speed that many home DSL or cable users don’t get as high as. Verizon currently has this service available in about 70 markets. About 38% of responders reported seeing speeds greater than 600k.

In areas where the high-speed version of the Sprint equivalent is available, average download speed is reported as 641k, and is available in about 108 markets nationwide. About 47% reported seeing speeds higher than 600k regularly.

The Cingular equivalent reported an average download speed of 581k in areas where the service is available.

Be SURE to set your expectations correctly. A strong cell signal is required from the carrier providing the service to get the best possible speed, in the same sense that a voice cell connection may be scratchy if the cell signal in a given location is marginal. In areas that can deliver this data service but have not yet been upgraded to provide the high-speed option, typical connection speed (again with a strong cell signal) is reported as significantly less, around 152k as an average, or about 3 times the speed of a decent dial-up connection.

The plans can be a bit pricey, but you’re paying for truly mobile connectivity without being tied to an Ethernet cable and modem, or a particular coffee shop hotspot offering wireless like Starbucks. The plans run about $80 per month for unlimited access, although Verizon recently announced a plan offering their unlimited access plan for $60 if you also get a 2 year voice cellular plan with it (at additional cost of course). The carriers also have cheaper plans with a monthly data transfer limit, but be very aware that if you start using this regularly, the overage charges will end up costing much more than just opting for the “unlimited” plan in the first place.

The good news is that it’s easier to learn about, shop, and compare ALL of these plans and the “air cards” now than it ever has been.

In fact here’s 2 resources that will help you do just that:

EVDOinfo.com

EVDO Forums

The additional good news is that a LOT of people are not aware that this capability exists, and it exists at a price that is much less than it was only a year or two ago! So take advantage of the possibilities….and expand your wireless experience!

Broadband Internet Explained

It allows you to keep your phone lines free allowing you to make and receive calls while using the Internet. It works in conjunction with your phone with the addition of a simple filter. You can now download music, graphics and video quickly in no time at all.

With dial-up connections, people had no choice but to bear with low speeds, breaking connections, time consuming downloads, and engaged phone lines, etc. But with the coming of broadband, there is a solution to all these problems. Although broadband is costlier than dial-ups, people are opting for it because they have realised the importance of broadband. After the broadband prices came down, its use in homes quickly surpassed dialups.

The only change is the change in frequency and duration. Telephone calls can now be made on the Internet and cheap webcams can be used for video chatting. People can now send a quick email, read a quick news article, instantantly access pages on the Net, video on the Net, and even download a lot faster. They don’t have to wait anymore for several minutes to log on to a dial-up account. The wide bandwidth technology is transforming cable TV, internet and telephone connections round the globe.

The number of internet service providers are also increasing with broadband making its way to more and more homes. With your broadband connection, you can reduce your expenses and enjoy added features that your conventional phone company could not provide to you at any price. Also with the ultimate standardization of Broadband Internet the prices on all plans are dropping steadily, while at the same time the download and upload speeds are increasing.

The Importance of Effective Communication Throughout Our Life Time

As we age our phonemes (sounds) are made into words, sentences, and then conversations. Unfortunately due to a birth defect, trauma, or a hearing challenge (multiple ear infections) hinders our ability to effectively develop verbal communication.

The ages of 2-6 are great times to intervene with communication. The progress you see in a child who has communication therapy is amazing. With the families help with carrying over the homework assignments really aids in the child’s progress.

Specialists are then needed to aid in our challenge. Speech and Language Pathologists and Audiologists assist in the person next step towards achieving the most effective form of communication.

This all takes time to achieve good communication skills. It does not happen over night. Usually, 6 months to years of therapy are needed by individuals and their families.

Praise yourself for seeking out communication help. The sooner help or resources are located the sooner the person is able to communicate more effectively.

Something to always keep in mind reading is such an important way for humans to keep their minds sharp and healthy. I have noticed through my 11 years of providing therapy, that if an individual has been an avid reader most of his/her life, he/she really progress in therapy after trauma to the brain.

Thank you for your time and I hope that you and your loved ones have effective communication.

Chelsea Sargent MA, CCC/SLP My Speech World

Does More Bandwidth For Your Business IT Application Mean More Speed? Not Always.

Bandwidth plays but one part in the issue of IT performance, and in particular “speed” as perceived by the users. It is important to understand that transmission control protocol, the TCP in TCP/IP, plays a much bigger role.

The job of TCP is to provide reliable data delivery. It was developed back when circuits were predominately analog and errors were common. Of course, the data flow was significantly different as well and consisted mostly of small strings of text. TCP regulates the flow of data between end points using an aggressive correction algorithm that is very sensitive to errors and latency.

The impact of TCP on speed begins with just a 10 msec latency. An OC-3 bandwidth pipe (155 Mbps) has a theoretical throughput of about 19 MBps, assuming maximum packet sizes and minimal IP and routing overheads. That OC-3 pipe with 10 msec round trip delay will have a maximum throughput of about 6 MBps. Add an error rate of 1%, and that drops to 2 MBps. That 1% is between nodes, so it includes any errors from premise wiring as well as any errors across the WAN. If the latency is 100 msec, the maximum throughput on that OC-3 pipe is about 500 KBps. This is all TCP related and excludes any processing time on either node. A DS-3 bandwidth pipe (45 Mbps) can almost achieve that same rate of performance.

Now that is all assuming only two devices communicating for the duration of the data transfer. As the device count increases, the impact of congestion increases. Still, circuit congestion is rarely the problem with business IT performance.

Regardless, most applications never come close to achieving maximum performance. In most cases with 780 Kbps connectivity or higher, the communications delay represents less than 10 percent of the total time for any IT task. The remainder of the time is with processing at either end. Likewise, few applications optimize their data content to take the best advantage of the available bandwidth. The payload in most packets is full of application overhead from poorly optimized processing.

Before leasing more circuit capacity, know what you are using (percentage of capacity), how you are using it (usage by application), and what speed issue you are fighting (task analysis). With this information, you can determine if you need more bandwidth, less latency, application optimization, or maybe a jump off of TCP for some specific requirements.

To navigate through the complex assessment and decision process for determining the appropriate bandwidth configuration for your business IT application(s)….I strongly encourage the aid of an unbiased independent consultant. The technical advisior team at DS3-Bandwidth.com will provide this service to you at no cost. Just one less issue for you to worry about.

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.