One of the main consumer concerns that slowed the early trend towards VOIP phone services was the concern that phone communication done via Internet would not have enough network coverage to allow for appropriate use for the common individual. When many people think of VOIP, they think of a phone that can only be used when sitting next to a home computer at home, but this is hardly the case, and the available network of areas that can use VOIP continue to grow every day!
VOIP phone systems offer an alternative to the older landline telephone services. There are many large, as well as other smaller local companies, who are involved in providing VOIP service, and as the network size continues to increase, so does the demand for service. While larger cities tend to have better coverage networks for VOIP services than other more rural places, the network of coverage continues to grow, allowing for more and more people to take advantage of VOIP networks.
There are many different options for which network you can hook up with. Much of that will depend on what type of VOIP service providers are in your area. There are many companies that act as service providers, including Skype, VoiceGlo, and Vonage, among many others. Vonage is by far and away the best known of all VOIP services, and has a distinct advantage in that it can offer a full range of services because it has one of, if not the, best network of any VOIP provider.
Vonage is mid range as far as pricing goes, and gives some of the best service. Vonage not only can replace your normal phone line at home, but with the addition of a VOIP phone, you can also have a portable phone to take with you. A VOIP phone has service wherever you can go online with the Internet, and many cities are making plans to increase the numbers of areas where free “wi-fi” will be available, which will do for portable VOIP phones what cell towers did for the cell phone.
So what about VOIP at home? The software for VOIP is online and can easily be downloaded to the computer. Once this is done, you can communicate with any friends, associates, or family that has the same software, but instead of running up the phone bill, you don’t get charged long distance: you just pay for the original service and then from your home your phone service acts exactly as it would otherwise.
You even use the phone, except technically you are calling through the computer instead of an old phone line, which saves you a lot of money if you are trying to save on long distance costs. From any house with Internet and VOIP, you have the ability to call anyone else with Internet and VOIP, and you don’t have to worry about chatting too long, or about what parts of the day, night, or weekend you need to call, because you’re not getting charged.
In that sense, VOIP networks are rapidly becoming as efficient as many of the more traditional phone company networks, and even more so than some cell phones.
By: Samantha Kay
Posts Tagged ‘Home Computer’
Voip Companies And Voip Networks Are Increasing The Coverage
January 27th, 20103 Home Wireless Network Points
January 27th, 2010Now a days having a wireless network available to you is more normal than abnormal. Many reasons have led to this change, one being cost. It is very cost effective so set up a wireless network as opposed to a wired network.
Because of the rise in wireless network popularity, more and more computer manufacturers are equipping their systems with the right wireless networking hardware. I am going to discuss 3 big points, wireless networking in laptops, desktops, and also the software on these machines
So we start off with a very important question – Is your laptop or home computer wireless enabled? This is how you can check if your computer has wireless capabilities or not.
Laptops
Many newer laptops have wireless networking capabilities already built in to them. If you laptop came with the hardware built inside of it, then all you need to do is make sure it is enabled and the button on the front (usually) of the laptop is lit up. If a wireless PCMI card is needed in the laptop computer, then make sure it is compatible with your brand of computer first. When you install it, make sure you have the driver disk associated with the hardware, and that it’s driver matches what version of Windows you have.
Desktop Computers
If you need to check to see if your desktop computer has a wireless connection, turn off the computer and turn it around and look for a rod sticking out near the bottom of the tower. This would be the wireless antenna just like an antenna would be on a radio. If you see nothing like this then your desktop probably does not have a wireless card installed in the PCI slot. So buy one that matches the version of Windows that you have on the desktop.
Windows to check the Wireless Capacity
Once everything is installed on your laptop or desktop you want to use windows to check the wireless capacity to make sure the settings are correct. Open up the Device Manager in Windows. Look for the network adapters + sign and click it. Look for something under there that should have the term “wireless” attached to it. If you see that there then you know everything has been configured correctly and all you need to do is connect to the available wireless network.
By: mark dewolf
Zombie Pcs, Home Computer Hacking, and Drive-by Hacking
January 21st, 2010Spyware, Keyloggers, Hackers, Cyber Terrorists, Cybercriminals, Cybergangs, etc. These threats are real and the fact is your computer is most likely infected already! Cybercrime is on the rise. You may not be the only one using your computer. Hackers may be using your computers and you may not even know it. Would you ever know it if your computer were taken over and being used by a hacker? Not likely. When a hacker hijacks a computer, the victim rarely knows. A computer that has been hijacked is one that is completely taken over by a hacker, or a group of hackers, to be used for their own purposes. The idea is that the real owner of the computer never knows their system has been hijacked, so the hackers can secretly use it whenever and however they want.
One of the latest hacking trends is called “Drive-by Hacking”. Popular wireless Internet access points have now become a major target for hackers. Hackers simply take their laptop computers in their cars and drive through business parks or residential neighborhoods remotely scanning for open wireless networks. This is the latest version of the drive-by garage door remote theft where criminal would use universal remote controls to open garage doors without arousing the suspicions of neighbors, police, or home security companies.
Today millions of businesses and homes have implemented wireless networks for their convenience, and, sadly, for the convenience of the cybercriminals. And they don’t even have to open your garage door to enter your home or business.
Now hackers can simply pull up outside, up to 600 feet away, and gain access to the network, the Internet, and every computer on the network. This kind of hacking has become so popular that you can even find public websites around the globe that sell maps to all the known “open” wireless networks.
Once your computer has been hijacked, the hacker claims ownership of your computer and there is little you can do unless you protect your computer in advance against this threat. In fact, in many cases when hackers have taken over a computer, they will even “heal” the computer by closing the security holes, so no other hacker can break into the computer and use it too. (Can you imagine? Criminals protect their hijacked computers from other criminals.)
Computers that have been hijacked and are under the control of a hacker are known as “zombies”. Some of the more popular uses for a zombie computer include using it to send spam emails, distribute pornography, download illegal copies of software, and to anonymously attack another computer, a business, a website, or even a government agency.
There have been many cases in the U.S. and around the world where a business or home computer has been hijacked and used for illegal purposes without the computer owner’s knowledge. These victims have had their computers used to distribute child pornography, deface websites, and even hack into government computers. In many cases, the owner of the hijacked computer (the business owner or the homeowner) has been arrested and hauled off to jail, only to be humiliated, demoralized and even convicted for crimes they didn’t commit.
See ABC’s 20/02 video about an unsuspected 16 year-old high schooler who was arrested as a child pornographer after his pc was hijacked and used to distribute child pornography. Click this link: ABC News’ 20/20 video.
Hackers are very good at hiding behind their slave or zombie computers. A hijacked computer is a hacker’s protection of anonymity. As unbelievable as it may seem, hijacked computers, zombie computers actually have a street market value in the hacker community. The better the computer and the faster the Internet connection of the slave machine, and the bigger the hard drive, the more it is worth on the market. Zombie computers are often leased out by hackers to other hackers, or even to organized crime groups, to be used for illegal purposes – without the computer owner’s knowledge. If a hacker or a cybergang can take over a hundred or a thousand computers, they have an army of computers at their disposal.
Here are some facts:
* If your computer has become a “zombie” or a “slave” to a hacker, the use of your computer could be for sale somewhere on the Internet or an auction website. Your computer’s power is valuable to hackers.
* Today, there are organizations that claim “ownership” of more than 450,000 zombie computers around the world that they use to anonymously send spam.
The best defenses are a combination of education and managed protection service. Off-the-shelve individual or combined anti-spyware, antivirus, and anti-spam software programs may not be sufficient protection, because hackers seem to stay one step of these programs. The popular off-the-shelf products offer you no personalized support. If you want help, you’ll pay for it over and over again! If you need a virus removed with these cheap programs, you’ll pay for it. You may get technical support from your PC manufacturer for security problems, but in most cases, you probably will not. Even if you do, it will likely be for a fee, and one that repeats itself should you need additional help down the road.
Because hackers will likely always be one step ahead of the security industry itself, software-based protection alone is not enough. 85% of current anti-virus users have been infected with a virus or worm! Have you ever had a virus you couldn’t get rid of? Has your computer acted funny or has it slowed way down due to a massive spyware infestation? Does your computer have a virus, spyware, malware, or hacker hiding inside? Test it now to be sure. Go to www.SayNotoHackersandSpyware.com to take a free Internet security audit to determine which trojans and hacker spyware tools might be infecting your computers.
To protect yourself, you need an Internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure. The best protection you can have in today’s rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!
By: Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW
