|
What
is broadband? A
significantly
high
speed connection to the Internet when compared to dial-up
technologies (also known as narrowband). Broadband includes fixed line
technologies like fibre, ADSL and wireless/mobile technologies
like 4G or LTE.
What is ADSL or DSL?
(Asymmetric) Digital Subscriber Line (simply put) is a
technology that enables you to connect a device or
entire office or home network to the Internet using your existing
telephone cable.
What is LTE or 4G?
Long-term Evolution or 4G is a mobile technology that
enables you to connect a device to the Internet. This is provided by
cellular phone operators and it is ideally suited for the highly mobile
workforce.
How does broadband compare to a dial-up
connection? Dial-up (or ISDN) are based on time-based usage
charges i.e. you get billed for the amount of time you spend connected
(while accessing the Internet or retrieving/sending your email). With
broadband you are always connected and generally charged for the amount
of information you download or upload, which makes it significantly
more cost effective if you are connected for a while.
How
do I establish a broadband connection? You
need to configure a PPPOE connection and would generally do this using
a supplied user name and password. Dial-up connections are done using a
fixed
telephone number supplied by the ISP.
What is 1 GB
(one gigabyte) of information
equivalent to? To
view 20,000 web pages or send/receive 250,000 emails (without
attachments) or download 10,000 fairly large documents or 160 mp3's.
How
fast is a 1 mbps Internet connection?
One
megabits per second or 1024 kbps (kilobits per second) is approximately
15 to 30 times faster than an old telephone dial-up
connection (using a 56k
modem or 64k ISDN connection).
What security risks are there with broadband?
If you
are always connected at high speed, it means that people can always get
hold
of you quickly, and sometimes they do not have good intentions. You can
disconnect your modem, but the highly recommended approach is to get a
firewall and/or
router installed with your broadband connection to protect your network
or computer from the rest of the world you are accessing.
What are shaped or
unshaped broadband packages? It will only make
a big difference when you start using a corporate virtual private
network (VPN), peer-to-peer (PTP) software or playing Internet (online)
games. Many Internet Service Providers (ISP) will manage, throttle or
even restrict certain ports from being used. As an example, the
standard port used when surfing is 80 (HTTP traffic).
This is usually the port that will not be restricted or
throttled, it might however be managed.
What is the
cloud? Another place (like the Internet) to store
information. Instead of storing information on your computer
hard drive, cellular phone or local area network, you can store information
in one place that is accessible from any device (anywhere).
Do I need broadband Internet access? It
all
depends on your
usage profile:
|
|
What do I do
with my Internet connection |
Do I need
Broadband? |
|
|
I do the occasional Internet banking and
read my personal/business email |
Yes,
we now have a range of products
that will suit your needs |
|
|
I spend no more than an hour a day after
hours |
Yes,
we now have a range of products
that will suit your needs |
|
|
I am out of the office most of the time and
I only need to be in touch with my email |
Yes, we now have a range of products
that will suit your needs |
|
|
There are multiple people requiring access
to the Internet or email and we need to share the same connection |
Yes,
broadband makes it simpler and cheaper (business or in the home) |
|
|
I call long distance quite often during the
day and this is in addition to email or Internet access I require |
Yes,
broadband allows you to use various services including VOIP |
|
|
I am a traveler and require a safe and fast
Internet connection for a short period of time |
Yes,
contact us
regarding our short term broadband options |
|
Do
I still need an Internet
Service Provider
(ISP)? Most fixed-line options (like fibre and ADSL) will
require an ISP. The physical connection
is
provided by the network operator and the ISP provides you with the
routing infrastructure and bandwdith to access the Internet or
retrieve/send email.
What happens when deplete my broadband package
allocation? It all depends on the package you have selected.
Some ISPs will work on a charge per gigabyte (GB) once you have reached
your
cap. Some switches you off (but provide you with an option to purchase
more
bandwidth) and some will throttle your speed for the remainder of the
month.
Due to the various packages and options available, we will be able to
advise you on the best option that will suit your needs.
What happens to the bandwidth that is not used in
a month?
Generally you will loose it, but carrying over unused
bandwidth from month to month is fairly common too. There are uncapped
bandwidth accounts if you do not want to be bothered with all of this.
Can I keep my existing email address with my ISP
or
hosting service?
Yes, you can, but there will usually be a
small charge involved in maintaining it there. All your incoming email
will still be routed via your existing ISP, but your outgoing email
will be routed via the broadband email infrastructure (SMTP server).
Most broadband packages offer one or more free email addresses or
aliases with your connection.
Do I get a fixed/static public IP address? No, like the
majority of
ISPs, you will get a dynamic IP address whenever you connect to the
Internet. There is however an option of getting a fixed/static IP
address at a nominal charge per month, but using a dynamic DNS
service works on a similar principle. Your network or computer can
therefore always be reachable through the Internet for remote
administration.
How
do I connect to my office/work network? If
you are running a Windows Server at your office you can set up a secure
virtual private network (VPN) and connect to it using your own
broadband
internet service. There is a fair amount of configuration required on
the server side, but straight forward from the client side. Once set
up, it is as if you
are physically at your workplace.
|
What
do I need to get connected? If
you are
going to get a broadband connection with a fixed-line operator, you
will need to check availability, order and wait...for the ADSL
installation. You will also need an ADSL router. In
the case of
mobile/wireless network operators, special modems are provided to
access the specific frequency that they operate on.
How do I share my Internet connection? There
are several options available to you. One of the popular methods is
using a router,
as it gives you more flexibility and it is fairly inexpensive. You
could
also set up a Linux
firewall on a
fairly old
computer to act as your gateway to the Internet. Once connected
via ethernet cables and/or wirelessly (802.11b/g/n) all
computers in
the office
or home can access the Internet or email simultaneously.
What type of router do I need? If you have an ADSL
installation you need to get...an ADSL router, which also replaces the
need for an ADSL modem. In the case of fibre broadband
installation, you require a "universal" or "cable" broadband
router with an ethernet (RJ45) WAN port. For a Linux firewall
you require a spare computer, two
network cards, a hub/switch/access point and the installation software.
How do I secure my connection? It
is absolutely essential that you have a strong firewall set up with
your broadband installation (especially if you planning on being
connected all the time). Most routers that are available on the
market today have built-in firewalls, Network Address
Translation
(NAT) and even parental control features. It is
imperative
that you have anti-virus and anti-spyware software running on every
computer on your network as well.
Your questions are not answered here, you need
broadband,
advice or a network solution? then contact us
|
|
|