Star-Telegram
Columnists
Dedicated to helping you untangle the World Wide Web
Volume 3 - Number 3
March 6, 2000
Welcome to a new edition of "Your Web Connection".
We're glad you stopped by. Terry and I are looking forward to a new crop of
columns for your enjoyment. For a recap, here's what we have planned for the next few
issues of "Your Web Connection."
- March: In today's issue, we're continuing our discussion concerning high-speed access. Last month, we talked about DSL; this time we're going to talk about high-speed cable access.
- April: We're going to be looking at ergonomics in the workplace and at home, and repetitive strain injuries.
- May: We'll look at home networking fundamentals. It is a growing trend, now that many households have more than one computer. Why not share resources (printers, Internet connections, etc.) like you do in the workplace?
- June: We're going to look at different travel sites on the Net. It's getting easier and easier to plan all aspects of your next trip right from the comfort of your home or office.
- July: More and more of us are working at home. What's the best way to set up your home office? We'll take a look at some resources available to you on the Net.
We hope you enjoy the coming line up. If you have suggestions for future topics, please drop us a line. We love hearing from our readers. This is an interactive column. It takes feedback from our readers for this column to succeed.
TRAC
Before we get into our discussion of cable access. I heard about a site that would be well worth a visit if you want to save some money on your long-distance charges. Since the deregulation and breakup of the phone company, it has been a very confusing world for consumers. When you are having problems with your phone lines, who do you call? Does one company have jurisdiction over the lines in the house and another company on the lines outside of the house? That is the case in many instances.
When it comes to long distance, there is also much confusion. For those readers who are local, I'm sure you've seen the recent news stories on the lack of disclosure by the Dial Around services (the 10-10-xxx numbers). There are so many companies offering this program and that program. Some are a flat rate on the weekends or certain times, some all the time. Some have a service charge or a minimum, some don't. And it's not always easy to determine what exactly your charges are. The fine print is REALLY fine. Fortunately for Terry and me, we have free long distance on our cell phone so that is what we use for the bulk of our long distance calls. It was interesting to note that, this month, for the first time ever, we didn't have any long distance charges from SW Bell or a third party carrier on our current telephone bill. We've been trying to use our cell phone as much as possible since we have zillions of weekend minutes which we'll never use up in a month.
If you do rely on a long distance carrier, here is a site for you to check out and compare the best rate plans that are suited for your individual needs. The organization is called TRAC (Telecommunications Research & Action Center). The best thing about this organization is they are not affiliated with any telephone or long distance company nor do they accept any revenues from these companies. Among the many services that are offered on their site:
- WebPricer -find out the best rates for your calls
- Choosing your Long Distance Calling Plan
- Directory Assistance via the Internet
- Area Code Lookup
To access this valuable site, point your browser to:
To make wise purchase decisions, you must be an educated consumer. There are all sorts of companies out there ready to take your money. Give them what's fair while obtaining the best value for you and your family.
High-Speed Cable Access
Today we're going to be discussing one of the other main options you have if you want high-speed Internet access, cable access. Last month we talked about DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). DSL and cable access are the two main players in consumer high-speed access. DSL and cable access are going head-to-head and the competition is getting fierce. And you, the consumer, are going to come out the winner.
For example, since my last column, SW Bell has announced a promotion. DSL Internet access with NO installation fees or equipment costs for a flat rate of $39.00 a month, if you sign a 1 year commitment. That is your DSL line charge as well as unlimited Internet access through Southwestern Bell Internet Services. It is quiet a deal! From what I understand, this offer is good until April 30, 2000. I called, but we're too far away from the "switch" to receive the service. They told me to keep checking back since new construction is in the works.
Let's talk about cable access. So what is the difference between DSL and cable access? The speeds are somewhat the same and you are always connected, but there is one very big difference. Let me see if I can explain it simply.
For cable access, let's think of the cable as the main water supply running through the neighborhood. Let's assume it runs right down the middle of the street of a particular neighborhood. You and all of your neighbors are connected to the main line in the neighborhood. When everyone turns on their water, the pressure drops since there is more demand on the system. So either the water company has to put in a bigger pipe or increase the pressure in the system to provide for the increased demand. But the system can only take so much pressure.
With DSL, everyone has their own pipe. Say you already have DSL. If your neighbor wants service, he has to get his own pipe directly from the plant. There is no sharing. Unfortunately, at this time, not everyone can get their own pipe. DSL is not yet available in all areas. Also, there is the distance constraint as I explained in my last column. With cable most of the "pipes" have already been laid and you just have to open the connection and you are ready to go.
One of the main arguments against cable is that it is a shared network. Even though you do "in theory" have a direct line to the phone company with DSL, it also is still a shared resource at the point where all of the lines come together; at the phone company. At the phone company you have all of the DSL lines coming together, where they are fed into a router, then distributed to the Internet. As a matter of fact, the Internet itself is a shared system of lines and computers. So the question that really needs to be addressed is not whether you are on a shared network, but whether there is enough bandwidth to satisfy the needs of the users. To use the water pipe analogy, if you have a pipe the size of a pencil, it won't matter whether you have your own pipe or not...you still won't get enough water. So as long as the cable and DSL providers furnish enough bandwidth, you'll have to weigh the merits of each system.
Estimates I have seen peg high-speed cable subscribers at around 27 million and DSL subscribers at 11 million at the end of 1999. Cable will be ready to service at least half of the U.S. population by late this year, while it will take the phone company until late 2002 to have DSL available for that percentage of the population.
Lastly, the cost and the data exchange rate is typically the same for both DSL and cable access. But most of the cable access providers do limit your uploads to 128k. Upload rates are not as critical to most users as they are most concerned about how fast they can download a file, page or a graphic. If you are a designer or developer like I am, then the upload rate is a concern. Most of the DSL packages give you a 384k upload stream. What's best for you will have to be based on what is available in your area. It's really a toss-up.
Do you want more information? Check out the following links.
DSL
Cable High-Speed Access
There is one very important caveat you need to take into account. Your connection is always on. That means you have opened up your system for "hack attacks" unless you have taken steps to insure the security of your system. One of the more important steps you can take is to turn off "File and Print Sharing." To do this follow these simple steps.
- Find the "Network Neighborhood" icon on your desktop. Right click on it.
- Go to "Properties" and left click on it.
- You will see the "Network" properties box, select the box entitled "File and Print Sharing."
- Make sure both boxes are unchecked.
- Click OK to all boxes. You may or may not have to reboot your system.
Doing the above will help, but if you have DSL or cable access, you should take it a step further. There are several good programs out there to check to see if your system is subject to hacking.
One is GRC's ShieldsUP! It is put out by Gibson Research Corporation. While online, you can check out your system to see if you have any open ports that are vulnerable to attack.
Another product that my good friend Jim Boughton told me about is called BlackICE Defender. This is a very sophisticated program that scans your Internet connection much like a antivirus program scans your hard drive. It will even block the attacks.
On Download.com there is a 45 day evaluation copy of a "lite" version of the program. It's called "BlackICE Basic." All it does is report hacking attacks, it does not block or prevent the hacking attacks. The program is well worth a look.
Even if you don't have a "constant on" high-speed connection, you should still test your system. Anytime you log on to your ISP, your computer is subject to hack attacks. You just can't be too careful.
One of the things that makes this column so wonderful is getting feedback from readers. The first comes from a long time online friend, Randy Lovelace who uses high-speed cable access. The second comment is from Jim Sellers who has DSL access.
Randy writes,
Well we moved to our new home in May 1999 and I had a chance to get something I had really wanted for sometime, a cable modem connection. The first few months I had cable I was offline almost more then I was connected and I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I was on a first name bases with the tech guys and I learned a lot about cable modems in those first few months I had it. The one thing that kept me from dropping cable was they gave me credit for all the time I was offline (45 days credit) and that was something most ISP's would not do.
This is a new technology and problems are bound to happen but sometimes I think the problems come too often. If you depend on your e-mail and your Internet connection for your income then you will need a second way to get online. I bought my cable modem from the guy we bought the house from and it had its problems. It was one of the older cable modems but it was still faster than a 56k connection. Downloads were about 50 to 100 kbs. I was told by the Cable Tech people that I was due a free modem upgrade to a new DOCSIS modem when they came in if it happened within a year from the date the modem was bought.
I called and called till about a week before the deadline on getting the upgrade and I was the new owner of a Toshiba PCX1000 DOCSIS modem. Well I like to always make things better so I went and downloaded all the registry hacks I could find to make this modem even faster then it already was and now I get downloads from a good site at about 150 to 345kbs. My top download speed so far with the new modem has been 500kbs but it soon dropped to about 300kbs and finished there. Now that is fast I think.
In conclusion, Chuck it pays to call the help line every time the connection is down more then a hour or so because it seems to get things fixed faster as they keep a log of when you last called in and if things were fixed or not. If you call a lot they know they need to keep you happy and you just might know what you are talking about when you tell them the cable connection is acting up ( the squeaky wheel gets the grease thinking). All in all Chuck I would not go back to a dialup connection. Why you ask? Well I just love being able to download a 5.5mg file in 17 seconds or less.
I do want to make a note that Randy was an "early adopter" on the cable access system and he reports that all is much better now from a customer service standpoint.
Now let's hear from Jim Sellers who loves his DSL connection. Note that <bg> means "big grin."
First let me say I really like your column. Have been reading it for years. I was a Startext subscriber when there were only about 500 people online. I remember it was a big deal when they passed 1000 subscribers. <bg>
Just a couple of comments on your DSL column. SWBell has just reduced the price to 39 instead of 49. If you are already hooked up with them at 49, call them and they will reduce your bill to 39. <I just did that> <bg> Also they are now giving you the modem and NIC "FREE" But I had to pay for mine. I got DSL last year before the free equipment offer. <Bummer>
Like you I had a second phone line for the computer and an ISP. The second line was almost 20 a month and the ISP charge was 20 By dropping the old ISP and the second line, I now have DSL for about the same cost as a modem dial up account. I was told I had to keep ONE line and the DSL works thru it. At least that is my understanding. If I can drop the OTHER analog line that would be great, but that is not what I was told by SWBell.
I just have the DSL modem plugged into a hub <not a router> and it lets me use all four of my computers on the net at the same time. I just used a crossover cable from the modem to the hub. Works great.
Anyway, I love it. I get about 1200Kbps dl from good sites. It is great. The only problem is you can fill up a hard drive REAL QUICK. <I like MP3's>
Please don't take offence at my comments.....I am not trying to tell you how to write your column <I enjoy it very much> or start an argument. Just thought that the new info might help YOU get on DSL. <bg>
I wrote Jim and thanked him for him for his insightful comments and asked him about using the DSL line for voice as well as Net access at the same time. I heard that there was an extra charge for this option. He responded with:
When I got the DSL line, I dropped the dedicated computer line and had the DSL put on my remaining voice line. There is no extra charge for doing it that way and the DSL and the voice line can be used at the same time. They put a splitter on the phone box at the back of the house to split the DSL signal and the voice signal. The ONLY charge is the regular charge for the voice line, <that you were paying already> and the 39 bucks for the DSL. When you no longer have a second line and not paying 20 a month for an ISP......the cost is about the same. The only difference is the SPEED.
I connect at 1200Kbps versus 45Kbps on my modem. Some people use the term ROUTER and HUB as meaning the same thing. But as WE know, they are two different animals. <bg> Hubs are a LOT cheaper. And simpler to use.
I want to personally thank Randy and Jim for giving us their observations from consumers of both products. Again, it is a toss-up as to which system to choose. It really depends on what is available in your particular area. From doing the research for the past two columns, I am now much more knowledgeable concerning my options when it comes to broadband access.
Net-Humor and Life's Ponderances
It's now time to laugh a bit and hopefully get a few chuckles. Let's see what we've dug up for this month.
Thanks for stopping by. If you'd like to be added to our email notification list that will let you know when our column is updated, just let us know. We'll be glad to add your name to our list. The list is private, so you don't have to worry about your email address getting out. Because we use a very good GroupMail program, the notification letter has only your email address on it so no one knows who else is on the list.Sensitive document
A young executive was leaving the office at 6 p.m. when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important
document, and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?"
"Certainly," said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.
"Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. "I just need one copy."
Court Transcript Funnies
From a little book called "Disorder in the Court." Real court
transcriptions, word for word.
Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July fifteenth.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.
Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
Q: This myasthenia gravis-does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?
Q: How old is your son-the one living with you.
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.
Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.
Q: And where was the location of the accident?
A: Approximately milepost 499.
Q: And where is milepost 499?
A: Probably between milepost 498 and 500.
Q: Sir, what is your IQ?
A: Well, I can see pretty well, I think.
Q: Did you blow your horn or anything?
A: After the accident?
Q: Before the accident.
A: Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it.
Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved
in the voodoo or occult?
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.
Q: Trooper, when you stopped the defendant, were your
red and blue lights flashing?
A: Yes.
Q: Did the defendant say anything when she got out of her car?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What did she say?
A: What disco am I at?
Recently reported in the Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyers journal, the following are questions actually asked of witnesses by attorneys during trials and, in certain cases, the responses given by insightful witnesses:
Q: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his
sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?
Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?
Q: Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war?
Q: Did he kill you?
Q: How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?
Q: You were there until the time you left, is that true?
Q: How many times have you committed suicide?
Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?
Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?
Q: You say the stairs went down to the basement?
A: Yes.
Q: And these stairs, did they go up also?
Q: Mr.. Slatery, you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didn't you?
A: I went to Europe, Sir.
Q: And you took your new wife?
Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?
Q: Can you describe the individual?
A: He was about medium height and had a beard.
Q: Was this a male, or a female?
Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed
on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
A: Oral.
Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
Q: And Mr.. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.
Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
Q: You were not shot in the fracas?
A: No, I was shot midway between the fracas and the navel
AND SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST:
Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?
A: It is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.
Did you know...
- Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
- Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a bellybutton.
- A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 yrs.
- People Do Not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors a lot more.
- When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop even your heart!
- Only 7% of the population are lefties.
- 40 people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute...
- Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until they are 2-6 years old.
- The average person over fifty will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.
- The toothbrush was invented in 1498.
- The average housefly lives for one month.
- 40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.
- A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened.
- The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.
FACT OR FALSE:
- Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than the rest of the day. (FACT!)
- Pigeons are the result of crossbreeding between a seagull and a dove. (FALSE)
- About 20% of all adults in the US have or have had a cockroach that called their inner ear canal HOME. (FACT! They enter while you sleep!)
- The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search for water. (FACT!)
- John Travolta turned down the starring roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Tootsie". (FACT!)
- Among the music catalogs that Michael Jackson owns the rights to is the South Carolina State anthem. (FACT!)
- If all the veins in your body were laid end-to-end, you'd be dead. (FACT!)
- In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk. (FACT!)
- Prince Charles and Prince William NEVER travel on the same airplane just in case there is a crash. (FACT!) [ditto with the President and Vice President]
- The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor. (FACT!)
- Most hospitals make money by selling the umbilical cords cut from women who give birth. (FACT! They are reused in vein transplant surgery)
- Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. (FACT! They were seventh cousins)
- If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola it would be green. (FACT!)
If there is a topic or site you'd like to see covered in the future, let us know and we'll take a look at it. We'll be back the first Monday of April with our column on ergonomics and carpal tunnel syndrome. Have a great month.
Created by Chuck and Terry Mencke
Send mail to Chuck & Terry"Your Web Connection" was last modified: December 24, 2000
URL: http://www.star-telegram.com/archive/webback/2000/conn0306.htm