Internet Connection!

[Anonymous]

Do you like what your currently using or do you wi***hat you could use something better? Or is it no big deal?
I use DSL. Even though to me DSL is no better,But it's a little faster than Dial up. Plus not to mention the Providers part too.
Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I live in a very rural location. I use what is available, which is dial-up through antiquated phone lines. I feel like life is passing me by as far as the internet is concerned. This website in particular, is the very slowest I visit and can be very frustrating! Then when they add a couple pop-ups on top of that, it frustrates me even more!

[rogerhensley]

Dial up.
I positively refuse to leave my system open to anything that wants to find it's way in. Yes, I have AV and a Firewall, but I have far too much to lose to leave my system on and I spend a lot of the day working on my web site commitments and rail history research.

[bcammack]

Dial up now. Cable broadband in two weeks after we get relocated to Florida.

Roger, check out www.smoothwall.org for free router/firewall software you can load on an old garage-sale PC with two network adapter cards. (I use an old 10mbp NIC for the cable connection. Cheap and plenty fast for the connection speed). That, and a hub will let you have safe broadband connectivity for all the computers in your household. I know that I would never connect my personal computer directly to a broadband internet connection.

Smoothwall is so easy to use that anybody can use it.

[rrinker]

Don't EVEN get me started on this subject.

I do NOT live in a 'rural' area by any means, yet there is only 1-way cable modem and NO DSL (too far). The cable company promised 2-way here by end of summer, well, that's come and gone - across the street they get 2-way. But even if they DID have 2-way service, it's a whole screaming 400kbps! EVERY other cable company in the country offers at LEAST 1mb and the other one around here (which does not serve MY neighborhood, of course - if they did I'd switch my TV in a heartbeat) offers 5mb speed. And of course since there is no alternative like cable, Verizon has no interest in extending DSL service. $%@^ someone's got to be first! It's not like there'd be no customers here, my neighbors are all like me, upper level technical professionals with families, IDEAL candidates for high-speed service.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

DSL just became available here, so we finally got it!!! Out here in Calumet Oklahoma, we're usually a little behind everyone else.

[jrbernier]

Have cable/modem through Charter Cable. Currently 3 MB, going to 5 MB. My home connection is supplied/paid by work and is very fast. It used to drop several times a month, but has been very reliable over the past year.
Last week I went to Colorado and the hotel in Sterling only had dial-up. the lines were so bad I could not keep a connection up. My son now has Comcast Cable in Vail, and that seems to be not too bad.
DSL is not an option for me as I live more than 17,000' from the switch in Rochester, MN.

[IRONROOSTER]

I have cox cable and it works very well (once they finally got their line problems in my neighborhood fixed). In addition to the firewall in the router, every computer in the house has firewall software installed. For extra security I power off when I'm not using the computer. I also run a spyware program weekly. But if you want to be truly secure you need two computers one for the internet and one not hooked to anything where you can keep your sensitive stuff and use a memory stick to "sneaker net" between the two.
Enjoy
Paul

[bcammack]

Randy, I know what ya mean! I moved into some "luxury apartments" about two years ago. I didn't check for broadband, assuming that in this fairly affluent community, it wouldn't be an issue. How wrong I was! Verizon took a year to get DSLAMs into the local C.O. and I could see the d****d place from the driveway of my complex!! Then, they weren't interested in bringing DSL into the area, so they subcontracted it to a local ISP. Absolutely absurd, noncompetitive pricing!

So what about cable? Not a chance. The complex had a master satellite dish and everybody had to get their own arrangements with DirectTV for service. No contract with Comcast, so no Roadrunner available! Ghaaaaaaaa!!!!!

So I get a call from Verizon last week, with us moving to Florida on the 30th. "How'd you like to have DSL? It's now available!!!" I let him live, but his ears were burning when I hung up... Grrrr.....

[vsmith]

Dail Up at home with America OFF Line provider, real slow.

[jfugate]

Just as an FYI, it is possible to get satellite broadband in just about any location in the country, rural or otherwise.

So if you really *need* DSL you can get it, but it is not cheap. Last time I checked, it was about $700 to install, and about $50 a month. Nice and fast though: 600,000 bps up and down.

[bcammack]

Satellite DSL is great as long as you're not a gamer. The latency is horrible because of the transit time to/from the geosynchronous satellite. Because I sim-race, it was out of the question.

[fiatfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bcammack


a hub will let you have safe broadband connectivity for all the computers in your household.

Roger,

I would recommned a switch rather than a hub. A hub will divide out a total of 10mb to all the machines. A switch will provide 10mb to each machine.


Tom

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.


I use DSL. Even though to me DSL is no better,But it's a little faster than Dial up. Plus not to mention the Providers part too.
Thanks.

I "m DSL with a 1.2 MPS and originally 56k modem which I found was slow on this site.

Then I upgraded to a Dell computer that has 3. gigs. WOW! Now it's like speeding.

[ben10ben]

We have cable through the local cable company(512 KB, although we might be able to get 1MB+ in the next year), and have it running through a wireless gateway that will work with 4 hardwired computers and an infinite number of wireless computers.

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bcammack

Satellite DSL is great as long as you're not a gamer. The latency is horrible because of the transit time to/from the geosynchronous satellite. Because I sim-race, it was out of the question.

Exactly, that rules it out for me as well. Plus I have yet to see a $50/mo satellite internet option that offers that great an uplink speed. It's usually somewhere arounf 28-56k. Since I host my own mail and web servers (no ISP BS to deal with, plus I do this stuff for al iving anyway so I know how) most 'consumer' services are out for me because I need a fixed IP and the ability to run servers.

--Randy

[fiatfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane

Then when they add a couple pop-ups on top of that, it frustrates me even more!

Mark,

You may want to investigate Netscape 7 or Mozilla Firefox. Both come with a buil-in pop-up blocker and are free. The download may take a while but in the long run it might be worth it. I believe Google also has a pop up blocker which is also a free download. I don't know how big that is though.

Tom

[Anonymous]

I have cable internet provided by time warner. When I use a landline on the computer downstairs I got 100 mpbs. But I use a wireless router for my laptop most of the time and that's 11mpbs still fast enough for me. I used AOL for a while and will neveer go back as long as I don't have to. After I disconnected from them it took almost a year of calling to try to get them to stop charging me. I could nevre get it through there mind that I didn't want aol anymore. I sholved the problem by letting my Credit card be overcharged for a month which suspended my service and hasn't been on since.
Andrew

[NZRMac]

Way down here in little New Zealand!! I'm on ADSL connected at 6Mps, I've been yacking online with Rex on and off it's cool, he said imagine how long corespondence would take if we wrote letters, He'd be long gone before he knew I'd laid my first track!!

USA web sites are a bit slow from here but overall I'm blowen away. Getting advice from you fine fellows on the other side of the world!

Ken

[Hawks05]

we have cable internet. i finally convinced my parents to get it last year sometime because we had been having problems with our computer and the internet dial up was horrible. so when we fixed the sound card and video card we decided to upgrade the net to. now if they'd just get Windows XP i'd be real happy.

can't wait till next year, cable internet, extremely cheap but top of the line laptop, and Windows XP finally. gotta love a college that gives out laptops to every student. they are new Gateways with the notebook on top where you write and it transfers it to notes.

[n2mopac]

Dial up. It is slow as the seven year itch, but it is provided for me for free, so I can't complain much.

Ron

[Anonymous]

Joe, Thanks for the suggestion, I have had $700.00 burning a hole in my pocket for so long, now! I was going to buy some RR stuff, really thinking about DVDs on building a layout and operation and stuff, but, no, I think I'm going to buy a satelite! $50.00 per month for unlimited SPAM too, what else could I want? (joking, of course).

The fact that it's so rural here is what I like about it, so we will suffer with the slowness!

[bcammack]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fiatfan

QUOTE: Originally posted by bcammack


a hub will let you have safe broadband connectivity for all the computers in your household.

Roger,

I would recommned a switch rather than a hub. A hub will divide out a total of 10mb to all the machines. A switch will provide 10mb to each machine.

Tom,

Bear in mind that unless he's got a T1 line, he's only going to have something along the lines of 3mb/sec of bandwith to divvy up among all his local users behind the firewall/router. It doesn't matter if it's a switch or a hub (although a switch is always preferable. I was being lazy with my jargon.) because there's a finite resource being shared and it's about 1/3rd the total bandwidth of the LAN.

[fiatfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bcammack

QUOTE: Originally posted by fiatfan

QUOTE: Originally posted by bcammack


a hub will let you have safe broadband connectivity for all the computers in your household.

Roger,

I would recommned a switch rather than a hub. A hub will divide out a total of 10mb to all the machines. A switch will provide 10mb to each machine.

Tom,

Bear in mind that unless he's got a T1 line, he's only going to have something along the lines of 3mb/sec of bandwith to divvy up among all his local users behind the firewall/router. It doesn't matter if it's a switch or a hub (although a switch is always preferable. I was being lazy with my jargon.) because there's a finite resource being shared and it's about 1/3rd the total bandwidth of the LAN.

Hi, Brett

Unfortunately, I was being lazy also. You are correct about the capacity of the line coming into the modem. The switch can only provide what is given to it.

Roger, I apologize for any confusion.

Tom

[Anonymous]

I have DSL. Its rated at 512KB down and 128KB up but in reality its about 550-600 down and 105-110 up. Either way its plenty fast, even for gaming which I do from time to time.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rogerhensley

Dial up.
I positively refuse to leave my system open to anything that wants to find it's way in. Yes, I have AV and a Firewall, but I have far too much to lose to leave my system on and I spend a lot of the day working on my web site commitments and rail history research.

Roger: The answer to your problem is DSL which is offered by just about all of the Telco's around the country and the risk is very, very low, because no one ever sees your computers IP address, they only see the modems IP address which in most cases with 1.5mb, is a Dynamic IP not a Static IP. You really don't see Static IP's with DSL under 3.0mp with the Telco's, and even with most of the big cable companies like Adelphia, they're using Dynamic IP's even on their 3.0mb service. Check into it with your local Telco or Cable Carrier. You may be surprised.

[Anonymous]

Wired routers are dirt cheap these days, they make your DSL connection invisible to outsiders. That's what I have, along with a Norton firewall.

Bob Boudreau

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

Wired routers are dirt cheap these days, they make your DSL connection invisible to outsiders. That's what I have, along with a Norton firewall.

Bob Boudreau

[#ditto]

What he said.

Incidentally, routers are free if your stepson is a computer geek and has any hardware over 6 weeks old (gotta stay current you know).[:D]

Andre

[Anonymous]

Where I live at now DSL is not so bad,It;s when everyone in town and the whole County starts using the Internet all at once and that's when the whole system starts to bog down. Now you talk about a Download nightmare! I would have to say that the BEST TIME to use the Internet would have to be between 11pm to 7am. (Just a guess). I have noticed a major increace in internet speed after 11pm,It also depends on the provider too.

[Anonymous]

Joe F., $700.00 for a satellite, huh! You know there's this guys whos making DVDs and Videos on the construction of his layout and I was thinking about buying some. However, this sounds like a better use of that $700.00 my wife doesn't know about and has been burning a hole in my pocket. Only $50.00 a month to get SPAM quicker than I do now, what a deal!