(Courtesy of qthrul)

Top Cable And DSL Comparison Examples

Speed  – If you look at it in a raw comparison, then cable internet will win hands down. Most cable providers will start your cable internet speed at a peak speed of 12 Mbps and you can opt for speed increases to get as fast as 60Mbps. That’s just the plan. The technology allows for an incredible lightning fast cable speed of up to 105Mbps with the new DOCSIS 3.0 technology. On the other hand, most ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) that still uses copper wire tops out at 6Mbps, and the new technology allows download speeds of up to 15Mbps. Those speeds are download speeds. The upload speeds are considerably slower, with most cable providers uploading at up to 8 Megs and DSL at up to 5. Often times, the peak speed will be displayed as two numbers, such as 18/6.

DSL companies are now experimenting with much higher speeds through a technology known as VDSL (Very high bit rate digital subscriber line) which has the technology to download at up to 60Mbps. Verizon Fios generally maxes out at 35Mbps, with the higher tiers of 50/20 and 150/35 only available with additional technology installed in the house.

Why is this misleading though? These are all peak speeds, and your performance may vary greatly. Why? Well, DSL has a disadvantage in that the further you are away from the central location of the service, the slower your speed will be. Cable does not have this problem, but Cable speeds can be slowed down the more people that sign up for the service. Since your cable internet is shared with the neighborhood, the more people that log on at any given time, the worse your speed will be.

(Courtesy of osde8info)

Customer Service – In most cases, cable internet is not only more expensive but the customer support if something goes wrong is about as good as you’d normally get calling up the cable company and that can be problematic. DSL has constantly rated higher in customer satisfaction. So the advantage here goes to the DSL providers.

Security – Until about 5 years ago, cable internet was like being in the Wild West. You might get through your day okay, but you never know what could transpire with a cable modem. However, in recent years, cable and DSL both have been secure enough to meet your computing needs and allows you to surf with enough peace of mind that you know you’ll be able to hook up without getting hacked right away.

Cost  – In recent years, both cable internet providers and DSL have been dropping prices in an effort to get customers to join their fan bases. You can get DSL speeds for as little as $15 a month or get cable bundled with your phone and service and it will cost you less than the cable by itself.

Cable And DSL Comparison Conclusion

Which one do I prefer? By a slight margin, I’d go with Cable–mainly because you have more speed and your security should be enough for a general trip online. Whatever you choose, just know that high speed internet is so much better than ordinary dial-up and you will enjoy the added benefit of being able to use your phone and internet line at the same time.

This is a guest article by Ruben Corbo, a writer for the website Broadband Expert where you can find cable providers in your area and compare prices on different deals for your mobile broadband needs.

The Best Wireless Router Placement

The router should be setup as close to the center of the house, if possible. If you have a basement and an upstairs, the ideal place for the router to be setup is on the first floor in the center of the house. This can be tricky for some, depending on where your Internet Service Provider has installed your modem. In some cases, the modem is also the router. Talk to the installer when they are setting up the modem, or if the modem is already in place, you can move it by purchasing coax cable from a local electronics shop.

In addition to the centralized location of the router, you need to take other factors into consideration. The wireless signal can pass easily through walls but can be blocked by steel beams, wire mesh, and even windows and mirrors. If any of these materials are situated in the center of your home, move the router a few feet in either direction to prevent the interference.

The wireless signal can also suffer interference because of other electronics, such as microwaves, wireless phones, and baby monitors. Experiment with the placement of other equipment if you are noticing a loss in signal or intermittent signal drops.

Wireless Router Placement And Best Practices

As you can see, there are a lot of factors that can affect signal strength. Some best practices for wireless router placement and setup are:

1. Place the router in the center of the house.
2. Install the router on a shelf or wall above furniture-level.
3. Make sure your router has the latest firmware.
4. Keep the router away from windows, mirrors and steel beams.

If this isn’t possible, see if your router supports a directional antenna or install wireless repeaters throughout the house to extend the signal. If you have other router issues, please be sure to read our networking tutorials.

1) What to buy

Of course, there are plenty of deals, but deciding on the right one for your needs might seem a little bit daunting. However, getting the right broadband package is pretty straightforward, just as long as you’re mindful of a few key points. After all, the majority of home broadband deals mean that you’ll need to sign up for a contract, so it’s always best to know what you’re buying into before you sign on the dotted line.

2) What do I need?

So, first of all, ask yourself what you plan to do with your home broadband supply. If you’re a lightweight internet user then a fairly basic package, which should come with a suitably cheap price tag, will more than likely two the trick. But if you plan on staying online a lot and uploading and downloading lots of data then pick a more substantial package. This is because all deals have data limits attached to them, so if you want to download lots of enormous files, such as movies, then you don’t want to be penalised.

3) Do your research

When investigating the available home broadband deals, it’s also crucial to use online tools that will tell you what sort of speeds area available where you live and also the different services. Some locations have access to traditional copper wire style broadband through the phone line, while other areas enjoy fibre optic broadband supplies, which are generally seen as the faster and more efficient way to go.

4) Read the small print

If you see deals with lots of incentives attached to them then be mindful of what’s included and how long it lasts. Some cheap aspects of packages may be limited to, say, the first three months, and also see if you can get installation costs and the hardware and software needed thrown in as part of the package to shave off some of the costs too. Also investigate if the computer you currently have is going to be compatible with the new broadband setup that you are choosing.

5) Read reviews

One of the best ways to find out which deal or offer is going to be best for you in your locale is to check out online reviews from fellow consumers. They will tell it like it is and this is often the quickest and easiest way to spot a great broadband internet service provider from a dud. Ask other people in your neighbourhood too, because the chances are at least a few of them will be able to offer invaluable free advice that could end up saving you both money and hassle in the long run.

Rob Clymo writes on behalf of www.broadbandgenie.co.uk

DAP-1522 Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point

DAP-1522 Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point

So why the DAP-1522? Chances are your current router is based, at best, on the 802.11g wireless standard. The newer 802.11n standard supported by the DAP-1522 is four times faster with a signal that travels much farther than 802.11g signals. The DAP-1522 is a Wireless Access Point (WAP), meaning it can instantly integrate with your current router with very little setup. The rear of the DAP-1522 has four ports so you can plug in nearby devices that are not WiFi-capable.

Setup DAP-1522

You can setup the DAP-1522 to act as an Access Point or a Bridge. Bridge mode is used to connect non-wireless devices, such as game consoles, media players and DVRs to the wireless network. AP mode is used to allow WiFi-enabled devices access to the network and Internet, which is ideal for laptops, computers and mobile devices. In most cases, this device will be setup as an Access Point.

Rear View of DAP-1522

You will notice a switch on the rear of the device with AP, Auto and Bridge modes. Set the switch to AP to make it an Access Point. You will then setup the DAP-1522 by opening your web browser and typing in either http://dlinkap or http://192.168.0.50. It is recommended you use the first option, as your wireless adapter might not be on the 192.168.0.x network. You should see a login screen. By default, the username is admin and the password is blank.

DAP-1522 Setup Wizard

It is recommended you select the Launch Wireless Setup option, as this will quickly walk you through the options to setup the important features of your wireless access point. If you select the manual option, be sure to change the following:

• Change the SSID
• Change the router login and password
• Change the system time and date
• setup wireless encryption (WPA-2 recommended)

You may also want to set a Static IP address for your DAP-1522. This way you can easily connect to it in the future if you decide you need to make some administrative changes. You do this in the admin panel of the DAP-1522. In the left column, select Network Settings and under LAN Connection Type, set the drop down to Static IP.

Important: The IP you add must match your router’s current network settings. For instance, if the router has an IP address of 192.168.1.1, then your D-Link DAP-1522 can no longer have its default IP address of 192.168.0.50. It must be changed to 192.168.1.50–or something similar to 192.168.1.x.

In conclusion

The DAP-1522 is a great choice for expanding the capability of your internal network by increasing the WiFi speed and range of your current setup–especially if you have dead spots in your home where the current WiFi router cannot reach. D-Link is also a popular brand with a very good reputation.

Buy A D-Link DAP-1522

Change Settings To Share Files Between A Mac and PC

Configure Windows sharing options in Windows 7 to share files with a Mac

To do this in Windows 7, go to the Control Panel and Open the Network and Internet section. Next, click on the Network and Sharing Center. In the left column, select the Change Advanced Sharing Settings link.

This brings up the global settings for your current profile. Click the options to Turn on network discovery, Turn on file and printer sharing, and Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can read and write files in the Public folders.

This allows access for anyone who can see the Public folder on your Windows machine. You can add additional folders within that directory for organization.

On a Mac, you will setup sharing by clicking on Preferences (Apple logo > System Preferences) and then by clicking the Sharing icon.

Configure file sharing options on a Mac to shar files with a Windows PC

Check the services you want to share in the left column, and then select the Shared Folders and the Users you want to allow access to those shares. If you want to grant anyone on the network access to the shared folders, select Everyone in the Users section. You can then choose if you wan to grant Read Only privileges or Read & Write privileges to those users.

Next, click Options in the File Sharing section.

Share files and folders using SMB (Windows)

To share files with Windows users, check the Share files and folders using SMB (Windows) box.

Other Options To Share Files Between A Mac and PC

Attached Storage (NAS) device. A NAS will allow users to access files when other computers are not on. Mapping a network drive to a NAS and using that mapped drive is an efficient way to share between many different network devices.

Network connection error

Change Network Settings

There are a couple of quick options you can try to resolve the error “The settings saved on this computer for the network do not match the requirements of the network.”

Change wireless security settings

One option is to click on the wireless network settings icon near the clock. Right-click your network and then select Properties. In the figure above you can see the settings under the security tab. Change them to match your network type. If your router’s security is set to WPA-Personal, make sure your security type is set to match. If your encryption is set to AES, try changing it to TKIP. Lastly, make sure your network security key (network password) is typed in correctly.

Remove your wireless network

Another option is to correct the “The settings saved on this computer for the network do not match the requirements of the network” error is to remove the network from under the Manage Wireless Networks option located in the Network and Sharing Center of the Control Panel. Once you remove the network, you can click on the Change Adapter Settings in the left side menu of the Network and Sharing Center. Right-click the wireless adapter and then click the Connect / Disconnect option. You should see your router or access point listed. Click “Connect” and then type in the password for your network.

In Conclusion

The problem can occur when adding a new laptop of wireless adapter to an existing network. Tweaking these settings should allow you to successfully connect to your network after you receive the “The settings saved on this computer for the network do not match the requirements of the network error.” If it does not, please contact us on our forums for more help.

How To Block Websites With Your D-Link Router

Not all routers will have this functionality. If your D-link router does not, try upgrading the firmware in the router to see if that functionality has been added later. The Website Filter section is located under the Advanced tab. You can either use the drop-down option to “DENY computers access to ONLY these sites” or “Allow computers access to ONLY these sites.” The second option is quite strict.

Login to your DLink router through your web browser. Click the advanced tab.

In the left column, click the Website Filter option. To block sites, enter their website addresses in the space provided (Do not add the http://). Blocking the websites at the router level ensures all traffic leaving your network will be affected by these rules. These include computers, smart phones, gaming consoles and anything else with a web browser.

You can block websites with Dlink router or change the DNS settings in your router and use a service like OpenDNS to block websites. Either way, take a moment to setup a blacklist and implement these filters to prevent members of your workplace or household from accessing sites you do not want them to.

Disable Router SSID Broadcast in Linksys

Step one is to log in to the router and turn off the disable SSID broadcast. D-link, Linksys, Netgear and other routers handle this process differently, but you should find the SSID broadcast option in the Wireless settings of the router’s configuration.

Log in to the router and set the SSID broadcast to Disable.

In Windows 7,  go to Start -> Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center. Then click on the “Connect to a network”  option.

Next, click “Manually connect to a wireless network.”

Lastly, fill in the details about your router. While you disabled the broadcast, the router still has its SSID–it just isn’t announcing it to the entire world.  Type the SSID in under “Network name.” Select the security type (WEP, WPA-2, etc) that your router uses. Then put in the password where it says “Security Key.”

You can choose the option to “Start this connection automatically” if you will be using this WiFi connection frequently.

Why Disable Router SSID Broadcast

Disable router SSID to improve security, but keep in mind this can make connecting other devices, such as phones, tablets and gaming consoles a nightmare. Some devices may not let you manually input an SSID. If the device does not detect the your router SSID, it simply may not allow you to connect. So, depending on your need for wireless privacy, you may opt to either disable router SSID broadcast or simply give the router a name no one can associate with you and a strong WPA-2 password.

Disable Router SSID Broadcast questions? Visit our forums and post a question in our networking section.