Internet usage has become part of the day-to-day life of many people. With today’s evolution of diversified technology in the market, an average user will strive to find the best answer to their wireless internet requirements. The vast number of available wireless routers offered across the country makes it tricky for one to decide which brand to choose.

If you’re looking for a reliable router which will provide you a broad range of wireless connection, speed in transfer of data and first-rate features, then the Belkin N+ is the key. For a reasonable amount of $100 USD, Belkin will ensure that you get the most of the value of your money. Let’s take a look at what this promising wireless router will present its users.

One of the great features of the Belkin N+ is the Storage Manager, which not all routers provide. This feature conveniently allows the connection of an external hard drive through a USB port which can be used by just about any computer connected on the network. This definitely makes it easier to share and transfer files without having to use a cabled connection.

Yet another good point of having a Belkin is the use of double antenna, optimizing the potency of internet signal and reception. This makes it possible for a laptop computer to obtain internet reception even at a 400-meter distance from the router. This guarantees a strong signal in any part of the house with its premium wireless coverage.

A unique but useful trait of Belkin is the Broadband Download Speedometer. This provides the user the opportunity to check and monitor its performance. The innovative design and pattern of the LED lights in the router act as an indicator with respect to the speed of the network in downloading files. With this feature, the user will know the best time to go online with lesser traffic, hence, can optimize his internet experience. Apart from this feature, Belkin likewise makes it straightforward to set up your firewall, data transfers using FTP and the option to block and prevent particular contents over the internet.

Finally, Belkin provides an easy-to-follow guides to set it up in your computer. With the CD provided with the kit, you can set up your wireless internet in 5 minutes or less. So if you want to do away with complicated, hard to set up and expensive wireless routers which are usually not worth every penny you spent, try the Belkin wireless routers.

By: Elija James

Today many people around the world have made the change to wireless Internet service for a host of different reasons. The primary reason for choosing wireless Internet service is often related to the increase in demands for the Internet. Through wireless Internet service, you can take full advantage of the opportunity to work both from the office and home as it is convenient for you without worrying about bumping others off the Internet or you being bumped off, something that is fairly common with dial-up services. It is also much easier to get connected to wireless Internet service than with other Internet services. In the past, if you wanted to register for dial-up service, you had to have a telephone line established and connected to your computer.

In the event that you had more than one computer, you would need to purchase multiple phone lines based on the number of computers that you wanted connected to the Internet through dial-up services. Needless to say, this could be a hassle as well as quite expensive. If you did not want to have a separate dedicated phone line set up for your computer, it meant that you would need to use your regular land line, but this presented problems as well because it meant that if you received a phone call while you were online you would need to either disconnect from the Internet to be able to take the phone call or you would have to miss the phone call. This could be frustrating and inconvenient. The cost of using dial-up services was sometimes expensive as well, depending upon how your service was configured.

There is also another important advantage that is associated with wireless Internet service that should be understood as well. Many people found that with dial-up service it was often difficult or slow to download pictures and stream video and audio. This is something that you do not have to worry about with wireless Internet service. If you have been frustrated with the slow speed of dial-up services, you will likely be pleasantly surprised at how fast you can surf with wireless service.

These are problems that you do not have to worry about when you choose to use wireless Internet services because the Internet connection is not provided through your telephone connection. Wireless Internet services, such as 4G, are provided much in the same way that your cell phone receives service. In order to take advantage of a wireless connection you will need a high speed modem, router and wireless network cards as well as a wireless access point on your computer. Many service providers make it even more affordable to go wireless by offering a special package that includes everything you need, including the wireless access points and router.

By taking advantage of wireless Internet services you can now go online any time that you would like without worrying about clogging up your phone line, incurring additional charges or being bumped off.

By: Laura Williamson

It’s great to be able to get free TV on your laptop, being able to watch TV wherever you go. The good news is this is getting more popular.

They work by picking up streaming video feeds from free TV stations on the internet, and you simply go online to pick this up. You do need broadband and access via a password to many of them. Some stations are now free anyway, but not the best content.

So apart from my listed basics and the laptop, the broadband connection (wireless is now available in many public places) you need pay a small fee to join a streaming TV service.

The problem with many of these services is that they link to copyrighted material and can be taken down at a moment’s notice, which I suppose is fair enough. You may have heard of the website TV links, which was closed down recently. The owner also facing criminal charges just for linking to the content – he didn’t even provide it himself. This poses a worrying dilemma for search engines such as Google – if it’s illegal to link to such material surely they should be shut down.

It’s better to go with an official free TV online service. I get free TV on my laptop from a couple I have tried, but find no real difference in quality of feed between the two. I prefer to base my decision purely on the amount of channels I can get. You may have to download some software to get access depending on the provider you choose.

I live in the UK, but now I can watch TV from all over Europe, Australia and the USA. I will be honest and tell you that many of the channels leave a lot to be desired. They aren’t always the same as mainstream broadcasting, but, hey – you control the one off button.

Many channels are good though, including many of the satellite stations that I watch anyway. It is really useful to be able to sit in a hotel room anywhere in the world and keep up with local news.

To sum up, the quality on the ones I’ve tried is about the same, don’t go for anything that sounds too good to be true (get a recommendation if you can) and get the best value for your money in terms of the number of channels you can watch. If you have a specific need for a certain channel or station, then check you will be able to get this first. A reputable dealer will always give you a trial period anyway if it doesn’t suit.

Well, that’s how I get free TV on my laptop. I hope you get the same.

By: Paul Turner

MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) wireless system uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver to transmit and receive multiple data streams to achieve higher data rate and improves performance of radio systems with increase spectral efficiency. MIMO techniques are used extensively in IEEE 802.11n WLAN and 4G cellular networks such as WiMAX and LTE (Long Term Evolution) systems. A MIMO system uses spatially separated antennas to obtain spatial diversity in a multipath propagation environment. MIMO system can provide either diversity gain to combat signal fading or to provide capacity gain to achieve higher data rate. There are three different types of MIMO techniques. The first type is to maximize spatial diversity by improving transmit power efficiency. The second type is spatial multiplexing where multiple independent data signals are transmitted over antennas to increase data rate. The third type uses channel knowledge at the transmitter to obtain capacity gain, also known as beamforming.

Spatial Diversity can be implemented using SIMO (Single Input Multiple Output) or MISO (Multiple Input Single Output) systems. SIMO uses single transmit antenna and multiple receive antennas to provide receive diversity while MISO uses multiple transmit antennas and single receive antenna to provide transmit diversity. Signal power in a wireless channel fluctuates continuously. The signal is in fade when the signal power drops significantly and diversity is used to combat fading. In SIMO, the receive antennas see the different faded versions of the same transmitted signal and the receiver combines these signals to produce a resultant signal that has less amplitude variation and more easy to decode. A simple transmitter diversity scheme is implemented using space time block code (STBC), also referenced as Alamouti code. Two streams of signal symbols (both carries the same data but encoded differently using STBC) are transmitted simultaneously from two separate antennas to provide diversity in space/time domain.

Similar to STBC, Space Frequency Block Code (SFBC) can also be used except the encoding is carried out in antenna/frequency domain and frequency domain transmission scheme such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) is used. The purpose of both STBC and SFBC schemes is not to increase systems capacity, but to improve SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) and to reduce the BER (Bit Error Rate) of the system by transmitting coded information. As the channel SNR increases, it is possible to use a higher order modulation scheme and to receive the transmitted data at a greater distance (range). Since each symbol carries more bits of data in higher modulation scheme, this indirectly results in increase in system capacity.

Spatial Multiplexing in MIMO system provides a linear increase in transmission rate proportional to the number of transmit-receive antenna pairs without increasing the transmission bandwidth or power. A 2 x 2 MIMO system uses two transmit and two receive antennas. The bit stream to be transmitted is de-multiplexed in two half rate sub-streams, modulated and transmitted simultaneously from each transmit antenna. Since two different symbols are transmitted from the two antennas in one symbol period, the transmit rate is double as compared with SISO system. Under favorable channel conditions, the receiver can differentiate between the two co-channel signals, extracts both signals and combines it to yield the original bit stream. Spatial Multiplexing is particularly useful in urban deployments where long reach is less important than high data rate at the end user device.

Beamforming is a MIMO technique that uses multiple transmit antennas and shapes the overall antenna beam in the direction of the target receiver. Beamforming is used when the channel knowledge that can be used to improve the system performance is available at the transmitter. Channel knowledge refers to the instantaneous channel conditions or statistical property such as transmit and receive antenna correlation property. In general, transmitter beamforming can increase the signal strength at the receiver up to a factor T (number of transmit antennas). A pre-coding vector is derived from the channel knowledge and the transmitted signal is multiplied by the pre-coding, which can be interpreted as the beamformer.

Beamforming enhances SNR for higher throughput and link robustness while simultaneously reduces interference. When receiving a signal, beamforming can increase the gain in the direction of wanted signals and decrease the gain in the direction of interference and noise. Beamforming can provide significant range and capacity increase in a wireless network.

By: Paul Ngai

Wireless internet is a revolution in terms of surfing the web. This technology makes it possible to establish an internet connection from almost any location. This provides a large degree of advantages when considering the corporate world, as people are no longer locked into using the internet from a specific location. Of course there are other benefits like communicating with family and friends when traveling as well as working on the road. All this, however, is meaningless if you don’t choose the right connection option…

Hotspots

It is estimated that there are over 200 000 publicly accessible hotspots across 130 countries in North America alone! The advantage is that they provide a fast wireless broadband connection to any Wi-Fi enabled device. So in other words, you are basically connecting to a wireless network with a shared internet connection. You will find public hotspots in many locations, from your favorite coffee shop to the mall. The disadvantage is that they tend to cover only a small region, rendering your internet connection useless when you go outside of the coverage zone.

WISPs (Wireless Internet Service Providers)

There are some independent wireless internet providers called WISPs or wireless internet service providers. Because these companies are in competition with cable based providers you may find the pricing to be fairly lower. This connection method will (in most cases) require a unique hardware modem which is usually provided to you directly from the WISP. These modems will only work with the network it was designed for. With this being said, WISPs seem to be more applicable for home based users.

3G Internet

3G is the successor to 2G and stands for third generation. In many cases, this is the preferred wireless internet connection option. Cellphones are able to surf the internet via 3G by connecting to cellular towers, so it makes sense to couple this same technology with notebook computers. You will need a 3G modem that will connect to your machine via USB or PCMCIA. You will be able to insert your SIM card into this device and then setup a new dial-up connecting within your operating system.

Other Options

There are one or two more options worth mentioning that could be useful for your circumstances. If you have a mobile phone that supports 3G you can easily connect it your your computer by means of a data cable, infra-red or bluetooth. You will then be able to use your phone as a 3G modem, much in the same way that 3G PCMCIA/USB modems work. You may also want to consider setting up your own wireless hotspot if you don’t plan on using the internet outside of your home.

Some of the most common ways of establishing a wireless internet connection have been highlighted above. You should choose one that matches your requirements and circumstances. In terms of wireless internet, there are many different packages to choose from, which will allow you to select one based on your preferences.

By: David S Phillips

Dial-up internet has been out, it seems, since the dawn of time, and while you know your connection could be faster and it would be nice not to have so many interruptions, your current service is reliable in the way that you know what to expect.

I am sure you have heard the hype about broadband circulating everywhere, and most people seem to have upgraded their service. By providing you with a bare-bones comparison between broadband internet and dial-up, you will get a true feel for why this common and talked about option beats your telephone based program for getting online.

Dial-up is accessed through an internet service provider (ISP) that provides a connection for your computer online. Your computer may have a telephone hooked up to it, or it may use software to dial out to the Web and provide your connection. Some phone plans charge per call, but with unlimited calling these rates have gotten much better. Dial-up typically has a very nominal fee for their basic plan, and provides more features, such as email addresses, with more expensive plans.

Broadband internet is a constantly connected service that provides access without interruption at a particular speed. This speed will vary depending upon how many people are sharing a line at peak hours, such as before individuals would go to work, after they come home from work, and after dinner time, around 7:30 pm daily.

Dial-up has an issue of disconnection when lines are not dedicated to the internet, which most are not. A dedicated line will allow users of this service to stay connected much longer, while issues such as call waiting and weak signals on that line will cause interruption.

Because broadband is a constant connection, downed wires or light poles, or out of order terminals are usually the source of any disconnection. Broadband internet services can be purchased for a slightly higher fee, usually $10 more than basic dial-up, and most customers enjoy it much better than dial-up without minding the additional charge.

If your needs never change and you are happy with your dial-up plan, there may not be a need to change. Some people find that dial-up suits their immediate needs, and that is fine. For others, their needs change frequently, and broadband is more accommodating to those changes. Determine what move is best for you based on your current and future needs, and you won’t go wrong.

By: Uma A Ilango

Many consumers today are looking to expand their home wireless network and add additional printing capability. Having the freedom to use your home desktop or laptop anywhere in your house and then printing without the worry of connecting to a device is a reality today with the right equipment and setup.

There are many ways to configure your device to print wirelessly. Each has its own pros and cons and the costs vary accordingly. Some scenarios are based on your existing setup (for example, if your printer has networking built-in). From my experience, there are four main methods of connecting a printer to a home-based wireless network.

Printer Sharing Setup - If you already have a printer connected to a computer that you want to share, it’s easy to setup your Windows or Mac based computer with printer sharing. Then, anyone on your wireless network can print to your shared printer. The downside to this setup is that the computer must remain on because it’s acting as a print server. The upside is that it’s nearly free if you already have a computer and printer setup to print locally. It can become difficult if you’re using an older Windows based system (98/ME), but it is possible.

Wireless Router Setup – There are many routers available today that include a USB port. This allows you to connect a USB only printer to a wireless network quickly. The downside to this scenario is that most consumers already have a wireless router and don’t need another one. You also need to setup the printer and router where your Internet comes into the home. This can be somewhat limiting depending on where your cable or phone comes in.

Wireless Print Server - The most popular option in sharing a printer wirelessly is by purchasing a wireless print server. Most major electronics companies produce different models and have varying degrees of compatibility. For example, the wireless kit provided by HP only works with HP printers, which can be limiting if you upgrade to a different brand down the road. Getting a printer up and working using a wireless print server can be somewhat difficult if you are very unfamiliar with general networking. Most manufactures include a setup program to make the process easier though.

Built-in Wireless Printer Setup - If you’re in the market for a new printer, check to make sure that wireless connectivity is built-in. Most information transmitted to printers is a relatively small amount so 802.11b and 802.11g speeds are plenty fast. The newer 802.11n standard adds a lot to the price tag and isn’t worth the extra money unless you print huge graphics files most of the time. There are many manufactures that offer wireless printers. Usually the model number includes a “w” at the end for those printers that have wireless functionality. Be sure to double check the specifications before purchasing.

By: Devin Collier

The idea for the use of wireless laptop cards is to enjoy a wireless broadband access anywhere you are at anytime you please. There are several types of laptop cards that allow you to enjoy the convenience of wireless connection to the Internet without the bulky cables and wires. Unlike the use of desktop computers where Internet connection is reliant through cable connection, laptop wireless cards allow you to access the Internet wherever you are. All you need is to find a place with wi-fi hotspot to provide you the Internet connection.

The wireless accessibility of Internet to laptops allows people always on the go to enjoy the benefits of surfing the web anytime regardless wherever they are. Laptops are transformed into a wireless workflow enabler that allows users to enjoy the transmission of large emails and accessing it while they are traveling. It also helps expedite the process of accessing corporate applications and database wirelessly. With a wireless Internet connection, better productivity is ensured and it helps businessmen monitor business online even while on vacation or traveling.

The same desktop functionality is obtained with a wireless laptop internet connection. All you need is a wireless laptop card on your notebook. Several features of this card provide ease of Internet connection and consistent workflow and monitoring your business.

Wireless cards for laptop support PC cards and Expresscard notebooks. It enhances the mobility performance of broadband Internet connection with the help of HSPA technology. You can work seamlessly through a broadband connection and other Internet networks. With accelerated speed of connecting to the Internet, one can ensure that they do not miss important emails, business opportunities, and conduct online transactions regardless of location and to engage in conferencing without any delay.

If you are an entrepreneur who manages a business online, owning a notebook or laptop computer is a must. You need to ensure that it has a wireless card for internet connection to allow you to closely monitor and be close to your business whenever you travel, if you are having a coffee on coffee shops or when you are staying in hotels or out of town. The convenience it gives surpasses the cost of buying a laptop as it helps you empower your business through the help of Internet technology.

The main requirement to enjoy the privilege of online connection to the Internet wirelessly is to own a laptop and there should be a wi-fi hotspot to access Internet connection. Most public establishments have wi-fi hotspot. You can always choose to buy laptop on sale or at the best price with the best features to enjoy. Even used and refurbished laptops which are cheaper than brand new laptop units can serve this purpose.

By: Matt Gibbons

Broadband services are available from a large array of providers. There are many types of services out there so deciding on the right product for your business may be difficult.

Broadband is a term that is used to describe high-speed connections for voice or data. Broadband connections allow for large data transfers and the ability to run applications such as streaming video easily.

When choosing an Internet service for your business one consideration is the speed you need. Various services offer different speeds. For example, a T1 is a high-speed digital connection that transmits data at a speed of 1.544 Mbps. A T1 has 24 channels. The T1 is an engineered circuit that is monitored at the central office. The circuit is brought into the customer premise on fiber cable that allows it to transmit at this high speed. Once on premise, the T1 is then connected to the customer’s data equipment.

A T3 line is a larger, faster T1. The T3 Internet line can transmit data at a rate of 43.232 Mbps. This speed is sometimes needed for large applications such as large data file transfers along with other bandwidth intensive uses such as web hosting and streaming video. The T3 is equal to about 28 T1s and is used for large business applications, campus environments and network backbones.

A DSL is another type of broadband connection. It is slightly slower than a T1 – the speed is based on distance from the central office to the customer premise. An advantage of the DSL is that it can typically be brought into smaller locations, sometimes even residential. However, pricing is not much less than the T1, which is also a more stable connection.

Some companies also offer OC lines. These optical carrier lines run over a SONET fiber network and can transmit at speeds of about 51.84 Mbps. There are larger OC lines also available with configurations such as OC3, OC12, OC48 and OC192. The number indicates the size of the OC circuit. OC192 lines are the largest and fastest connections available. An OC192 has transmission speed of up to 1976.64Mbps.

The choice for your business connection should be based on current and future needs as well as price. For the money, T1 circuits are typically the best buy for the small business. They provide fast transmission speeds to allow most applications as well as the ability to accommodate future applications. The T1 is a leased line so monthly charges will apply. Most companies see an immediate savings over standard line connections. The T1 is a reliable circuit. It is monitored from the central office so if a problem is detected it can easily be corrected, sometimes remotely.

By: Van Theodorou

Trends in commercial broadband internet services are leaning towards satellite services for homes, RVs, boats and vehicles. Many satellite broadband services are partnering with mobile satellite internet service providers so that they can offer their customers an attractive gift for signing up for service, and this gift is complimentary internet service for their RVs, motor homes, boats and vehicles. The partnership is required because HughesNet and StarBand both don’t offer mobile satellite internet services yet.

The first mobile internet service provider is Ground Control. Ground Control has special software that automatically makes adjustments to the satellite’s position to keep it pointed in the right direction. It is a self-contained unit that can be operated with a small remote control. After the system is set up you will be up and running within 7 minutes of turning the system on. It will take this long to adjust the satellite and pick up a signal. Ground Control offers coverage in the lower 48 as well as a few locations in Mexico and Canada. If you plan on touring these countries make sure you look at a coverage map to see where you will be able to pick up a signal.

The second mobile internet service provider is MotoSat. This company is partnered with HughesNet and it offers the type of customer service HughesNet customers have come to expect. This system automatically makes adjustments to its position to find the strongest signal just like Ground Control’s satellites. MotoSat satellites use DataStorm software which is a trusted and respected name in the mobile satellite industry. Service packages offered by this company offer high speed bandwidths, VoIP and VPN capabilities and EchoSat and LinkStar connectivity options.

The third mobile internet service provider is MobilSat, not to be confused with MobileSat, a Canadian company. MobilSat uses DataStorm software and an auto-adjusting satellite system. This company has a great selection of satellites to choose from. Select the size, style and prices that you are most interested in. You can also choose between satellite internet systems that require your vehicles to be still while connected to the Internet and systems that allow you to use the Internet while still in motion.

By: Sarah Freeland