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Tip Store: Computers: Internet Service Providers
Save on Your Download Limits
I recently managed to have broadband connected - finally after almost 12 months! I have since found out stuff that most ISP's don't tell you.
If your ISP charges for uploads (as opposed to downloads), turn off your modem after you have finished for the day. ISP's send signals to your modem to check if it is on, and they charge you for this. You can also protect yourself from intruders since hackers and crackers can still access your computer even if your computer is turned off but your modem is on. My IT specialist friend told me to consider it as an open window. Even if you are home, people can still get into your house through an open window.
Also, check your emails through your ISP's post office rather than clicking on send/receive in Outlook. You can delete anything you don't want to keep, especially any junk and spam mail, and then keep the ones you want to go to Outlook. This also saves on download charges, since there is nothing worse than opening Outlook and finding you have 52 emails to download and 51 of them are junk!
And if there is something interesting on the net I want to read, I copy and paste it into a Word document to read later offline - just remember to copy the address bar in case you want to come back to it for later reference. I find this extremely useful for research for uni - my quotes, references etc are right there for me to use and copy straight into my assignments.
- Contributed by Maryann, 17th January 2006
If your ISP charges for uploads (as opposed to downloads), turn off your modem after you have finished for the day. ISP's send signals to your modem to check if it is on, and they charge you for this. You can also protect yourself from intruders since hackers and crackers can still access your computer even if your computer is turned off but your modem is on. My IT specialist friend told me to consider it as an open window. Even if you are home, people can still get into your house through an open window.
Also, check your emails through your ISP's post office rather than clicking on send/receive in Outlook. You can delete anything you don't want to keep, especially any junk and spam mail, and then keep the ones you want to go to Outlook. This also saves on download charges, since there is nothing worse than opening Outlook and finding you have 52 emails to download and 51 of them are junk!
And if there is something interesting on the net I want to read, I copy and paste it into a Word document to read later offline - just remember to copy the address bar in case you want to come back to it for later reference. I find this extremely useful for research for uni - my quotes, references etc are right there for me to use and copy straight into my assignments.
- Contributed by Maryann, 17th January 2006
A Furphy and Some Truth
In reference to Maryann's tip on 17th January, as an IT specialist, I can tell you that it is not true that hackers and crackers can access your computer if it is turned off while the modem is on. Turning off the modem will save a bit of power though, and some ISP's do trigger modem activity which can eat up your download limit - only significant if you have a small limit (eg 200 meg).
- Contributed by Jimgo, 14th September 2006
- Contributed by Jimgo, 14th September 2006
Free WiFi
Free internet is available to many users in the Melbourne CBD. For example Federation Square offers free wifi and their signal reaches my 36th floor apartment in Southbank near Queens Bridge. The State Library and Melbourne Central Food Court also provides it free. Many non city and city coffee places such as Gloria Jeans offer it free too. Your laptop will offer you the signal when you turn it on where free wifi exists. You don't necessarily need to be in the actual store or venue, just in the vicinity. It is genuinely free and it is hoped in the future that the whole of the CBD in Melbourne will have free internet access. A Google search of 'free wifi' or 'free internet' should alert you to the areas.
- Contributed by Sandra, Southbank, 10th March 2008
- Contributed by Sandra, Southbank, 10th March 2008