Posted by Telecoms on Jan 20, 2009 in
broadband Secure It
Many ISP will now automatically secure your wireless router before it is shipped, but there are still a few that don’t.
As soon as your wireless router is turned on and connected to the internet it is available for anyone to use until it has been locked down or secured, this can result in all of your neighbours using your internet connection instead of paying for their own.
Refer to your router manual to understand how to secure your router to prevent unauthorised access.
Connect your cable
The whole point of having a wireless router is to be able to put it in a convenient place and not have to use a cable to connect it to your PC. Many people make the mistake of installing the wireless router in another room, or even into cupboards and drawers. Connecting your cable will let you know if the performance problems are due to a poor wireless signal, in which case you can reposition your wireless router to a better/closer location in your house or office.
Move to a different phone socket
Your broadband connection will work better in your primary telephone socket. All other sockets in your house are usually fed from this single primary socket which results in all those sub-sockets being of a much poorer quality due to the additional lengths of copper that are required to reach your router.
Tweak your PC
There are literally hundreds of different tweaks you can do to your PC to enable your internet connection to run faster, way too many to list here, but its worth spending a little time trawling through the various options in google. You could even consider software tools such as Systerac make all these tweeks for you.
Check your firmware
The firmware in your broadband router is often a lot older than you think, and a router you bought just yesterday could have firmware a year or more out of date. Its certainly worth checking the manufacturers website to see if newer firmware is available and if so, what problems or enhancements it offers.
Be Warned: When updating your firmware, you often lose your router configuration, so make sure you have your broadband username and password to hand.
Change your Browser
Older versions of internet explorer that come as default with many Microsoft operating systems perform very poorly, many download images one at a time and can take forever to open a web page. Update your browser to Internet Explorer 7, Firefox or Google Chrome and you will see immediate benefits.
Install a firewall
Installation of a firewall is a great way to block applications you didn’t even know lived on your computer from accessing the internet and eating up your broadband connection. Blocking access to unused application such as MSN, Skype or BBC Iplayer will free up more bandwidth for you to use.
Buy an I-Plate
BT’s I-Plate is a clever piece of kit that works by filtering out noises on the telephone line. These noises can be caused by anything including your microwave, your washing machine and even your Christmas tree lights.
The I-Plate is available from most electrical retailers and costs around £10.
Replace your Router
As with any electrical equipment, routers are evolving all the time, you should look to replace your router every 2 years in order to take advantage of the latest benefits in both performance and security.
Replace your Broadband Connection
If all else fails, it may be worth taking a look at alternative broadband suppliers and making some comparisons. There is a ton of resources to assist you in making this decision, in particular Broadband Choices or Broadband Genie.
Tags: broadband, Improving your broadband connection
Posted by Telecoms on Jan 19, 2009 in
NGN Due to the recent changes imposed on the advertising of non-geographic numbers I thought it worth summarising some points that are already catching many people out.
0843, 0844 or 0845 – You may not use any statement that implies that these calls are charged at local rate. Instead you should make the customer aware of the actual cost of the call, or alternatively that calls are charged at a special services basic rate. Trading Standards suggest either of the following two statements;
• ’Calls will cost up to 5p per minute for BT customers. Calls made using other service providers or mobiles may cost more.’
• ’Calls charged at Special Services basic rate, check with your service provider.’
0870, 0871 or 0872 – You may not to use any statement that implies that these calls are charged at national rate. Instead you should make the customer aware of the actual cost of the call, or alternatively that calls are charged at a special services higher rate. Trading Standards suggest either of the following two statements;
• ’Calls will cost up to 10p per minute for BT customers. Calls made using other service providers or mobiles may cost more.’
• ’Calls charged at Special Services higher rate, check with your service provider.’
0800 & 0808 – These rules are very unclear at the moment, although there are no firm rules that prevent you from stating that these calls are “Freephone” despite calls to those numbers not being free from mobile phones and some landline call tariffs.
Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, it is an offence to give misleading price indications to consumers and to omit details about prices if they also mislead. A £5,000 fine imposed at the magistrate’s court or an unlimited fine and/or a sentence of up to two years in prison can be imposed at the crown court.
For more information you should visit both Ofcom and The Committee of Advertising Practice alternatively contact your local Trading Standards office
Tags: 0843, 0844, 0845, 0870, 0871, 0872, advertising, NGN, non-geographic numbers
Posted by Telecoms on Jan 19, 2009 in
broadband Over the last few months the fog has began to clear from the broadband speed lists and at long last the UK are starting to get a clear picture of exactly what they are likely to get when signing up for a new broadband connection.
Ofcom have been pushing hard for clearer and more realistic information on what customers are likely to REALLY get when ordering their broadband and although the code is only voluntary, there has been a good response from ISP’s offering to comply.
The code has 8 sections, the highlights of which are as follows;
1. Training – The ISP agrees to train all sales people including agents and shop staff on how to implement this code.
2. Information where Broadband is sold – The ISP must give customers and estimate of the maximum speed they can get and not accept an order until the customer has been told their estimated speed and give this speed information in writing.
3. Up to Date, Accurate Information – Ensure all web-based line checkers contain information that is accurate and updated regularly.
4. Dealing with Speed Problems – The ISP must help you ascertain why your broadband is not as slow as promised and should offer an alternative package without any penalties if the actual speed is a lot lower than the original estimate.
5. Giving Information on Websites – If there are any restrictions on the use of the broadband connection (such as a fair use policy) these should be detailed clearly on the website.
6. Making Things Happen – ISP should adopt all code principles within 6 months of signing up.
7. Complying with the Code – Ofcom employ mystery shoppers to confirm this code is followed and also request ad-hoc mystery evidence as additional confirmation
8. Customers and the code – The ISP must tell you it complies with this code, this gives you a clear set of standards to judge them by.
You can get full details on this code direct from the Ofcom website at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
Service Providers who currently comply with this code of practice are as follows;
AOL Broadband, Aquiss Internet, AAISP, Beaming, Be Broadband, BT Total, Broadband, Dark Group Ltd, Demon, Eclipse Internet, Exa Networks, Fast.co.uk, Firefly Internet, Firenet Internet, Freedom2Surf, Gravity Internet, Greenbee Broadband, IDNet, Karoo, MacAce.net, Madasafish, Namesco Ltd, Netplan Internet Solutions Ltd, NewNet, NewNet Direct services, Nildram, O2 Business Broadband, Odyssey Systems Ltd, O2 Home Broadband, Orange Home, Pipex Homecall, Pipex Internet, Playlouder.com, PlusNet Broadband, Polestar Interactive Ltd, Post Office Limited, Pro-Net Internet Services Ltd, Rutland Telecom, SAQ - Service Access Quality, Sky, Solutios, Stream Networks Ltd (StreamNET), Surf Anytime, TalkTalk, TalkTalk Business, Tiscali, Toucan, Twang, UK Online, Vivaciti, Virgin Media, Waitrose Broadband, YSH, Zen Internet
Tags: broadband, isp, ofcom