So I have broadband, now what ?

So I have broadband, now what?

I have received this question from a number of friends and family so I decided to put together a few options for getting the most out of your broadband connection.

Security

Firstly I have to mention security. When you connect to the internet whether its via modem dialup or adsl broadband you are assigned a unique address (called an IP address) by your service provider (Eircom, IOL, UTV, NTL etc.) from a pool of their available addresses. This is what a web site uses to send you the information when you click on a link and how it knows where to send it.

Unfortunately there are people that are constantly scanning this pool of IP address combinations looking for computers that are connected and not properly protected. If they find an address that responds they can install a software program on YOUR PC that known as spyware. This is basically a small program that can send them information about what your doing on your pc, anything from what sites you visit to your online banking password.

Because your new broadband connection can be “Always-On” if you have your pc turned on and phone line connected you are potentially a much more available target. Rest assured within about 5 minutes of being connected you WILL BE picked up by a scan.

The way to avoid this is to install a piece of software called a firewall. This will make your computer appear invisible to the scans for vulnerable connected computers. The good news is that many are free and Microsoft has built a firewall into their latest service patch for Windows XP.

Go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and download the latest security patches. Set this to automatically download updates in future.

If you are using windows XP

• You probably have XP Service pack 2 installed, to check press the windows key and the pause/break button (above the insert/home/end keys) it says what service pack is installed. XP SP2 has a built in firewall that should be used because its easy to configure and can be updated automatically using windowsupdate.

If you are using any other version of Windows (i.e. 95, 98 or 2000)

• Download a firewall and install it, I recommend ZoneAlarm which is free and can be downloaded from www.zonelabs.com

To give you an idea about the extent of the problem here are some findings from a US report. http://www.staysafeonline.info/news/NCSA-AOLIn-HomeStudyRelease.pdf

77% Think They Are Safe from Online Threats But…
67% of Computers Lack Current Anti-Virus Software,
1 in 5 Are Infected with Virus
80% of Home Computers Infected with Spyware/Adware;
88% Didn’t Know They Were Infected
49% of Broadband Users Lack Any Firewall Protection


What Is Spyware?
   Microsoft describes spyware as software that performs tasks on your computer without your consent. Spyware can be programs that present advertising in Web browsers or standalone applications (sometimes called adware), but it can also include all kinds of malicious software (malware), including trackers, key loggers, email harvesters, and more. Because of the large number of spyware types-- antispyware vendor Sunbelt Software documents 36 different varieties-- the name spyware isn't very descriptive of this pervasive threat.

Unfortunately, the name has stuck, but it's important to remember that spyware encompasses far more than just software that tracks your movements online.
   Spyware is far more malicious than viruses and other similar, but suddenly old-fashioned electronic attacks. That's because spyware is cunningly written to subvert the security systems in place on your PC and adapt to antispyware solutions. Some spyware installs itself in multiple locations on your PC, for example, with each instance monitoring the others. When your antispyware application finds and deletes one instance, the other copies create more instances on the fly, with unique names, and located in unique locations on your hard disk

What you can do with your broadband connection
Updates
You can keep your PC up to date much easier when you have a broadband connection. Automatically download patches from windowsupdate.microsoft.com and update your virus protection automatically.

Surfing the web and email
These are a given that everyone already knows about. Web pages and email attachments download faster, I will not dwell on this as it’s the main reason that people get broadband in the 1st place.
Instant Messaging
By using an instant messaging program such as MSN messenger when your friends are online you can detect that they are there and start chatting. It’s much more interactive than email because the responses are instant and if you have a web camera you can see each other too.
Cheap or Free Phone Calls
There are programs that let you call another person (for free) or a landline (for 2c per minute) from your computer. You need a speaker and microphone (built into laptops otherwise very cheap to buy for a PC) to be able to connect.

The most popular software that works very well is called Skype (www.skype.com). It allows you to talk to anyone else that has Skype installed and is online for free. You can also buy credit for SkypeOut which allows you to ring any landline in any country for 2c per minute (20c for mobile calls), the quality is as good as any landline connection. I find it invaluable when talking to clients about consultancy work where we are both at a pc and discussing a website design anyway.
Want your own website hosted?
If you have ever developed web pages you can setup your own test website that can be accessed on the internet whenever your pc is connected. This will never replace a professionally hosted service with automated backups/power protection/firewalls and multiple comms links but can be a good place to test and install software for demo purposes. Steps to getting this setup would be.

1. Ask your broadband provider (EsatBT, Eircom etc.) for a fixed IP address for your connection. There may be an additional charge for this approx €5 per month.


2. Register a domain name i.e. www.yourname.com


3. Setup a DNS entry to point your domain name to your fixed IP address


4. Install web server software on your PC, Apache for Linux or IIS for Windows, both are free.


5. Install a firewall and let web server traffic (port 80) through the firewall.


6. Create your content and publish it to your web server folder on your pc.


7. Leave your PC on and configure the ADSL router to have a “Nailed-Up” connection so the line is always connected.

Basic shared hosting is so cheap these days that this entire configuration could be more trouble than its worth if you are only hosting basic ASP, PHP or HTML pages. It is very useful however if you have a complicated hosting setup that would require registration of custom DLLs or processing of requests via a backend software such as Biztalk or Commerce server which a hosting provider would not install unless you purchase a dedicated server from them and outlay a significant investment. This is a cost saving way to get a test or development box online.
File Sharing
There are a number of these programs, know as peer-to-peer clients. Some of the better known ones are Kazza, Napster, WinMX. It’s a decentralized approach to file sharing, you search for the files you are interested in and it will return a number of peoples pc’s that also have the software installed. You then download the files directly from that individual persons PC as opposed to a central web server. You can then share your collection of files which are available to other people. It’s a model that works and is extremely popular. There is a wide variety of files available ranging from MP3s, Movies and
Home Security
There are IP cameras that would allow you to connect remotely to your home and view and control a camera. Most of these cameras contain a motion activity sensor that can start recording when it detects movement so you can view what has been going on at home.
Gaming
Online gaming is a great use of a broadband connection, once you have the game installed on your PC, Xbox or PS2 you can connect to a gaming server and play against other people. One of the things on your broadband connection to check for is what is called “Ping Times”. This is how quickly your broadband connection responds to something happening on the remote game server you are connected to.

Get together with some of your friends (either in the same room or in the comfort of your own home) and partake in the latest form of male bonding. It's called deathmatch.

The notion of multiplayer deathmatch—in which individuals pit their skills in first-person shooters against other live opponents—is nothing new. I've played many games online over the years such as Duke Nukem on a work network (after hours of course). As each game generation comes and goes (Doom, HalfLife, Quake), and as Internet access and networking speeds improve, the process gets easier and easier. Today, multiplayer game servers are available all around the globe for both PC and some console-based titles. But playing against people anonymously that you don’t know is one thing. Playing against your friends is another experience altogether. You can usually send instant messages to each other through the game but another way is to have Skype running at the same time connected so you can wind each other up. There's screaming, of course, and the inevitable taunting. When someone scores a "Killtacular" (four enemies vanquished simultaneously), the cheers and groans can be heard out in the street. What's amazing is that none of these guys—with the exception of me—are particularly into computers. They're not geeks at all.

Doing it all Wirelessly
Convenience can often be understated. The convenience of being able to open by laptop, take it out of hibernation (30 Seconds) and check something quickly from ANY room in my house (or the back garden) is huge. I often think that if I had to hook up cable connections to the back of the Laptop each time and sit beside the ADSL modem I would not use my connection as much as I do.

To enable this facility you need some additional hardware. A Wireless Access Point (€100 approx) which will plug into your ADSL modem and broadcast a signal around a 30 meter radius from the access point. You then need a Wireless Card to pick up this signal. If you have an Intel Centrino laptop you already have this access card built in, otherwise you can get a PCMCIA, USB or PCI wireless access card to pick up the signal (approx €30-€100).

Windows XP has excellent wireless support. As soon as your pc is turned on it will detect the wireless network and connect to it. There are a number of standards for wireless networks all with cryptic numeric names 802.11, the important bit is the letter after the number. At time of writing there are 3 types

Summary

802.11b is the original standard and is often called WiFi. It has a data transfer speed limit if 11 Mbps which is fine for web browsing but not for transferring large amounts of data such as video files etc. My home network uses a 802.11g access point which has a data transfer speed limit of 54Mbps. 802.11a has the same 54Mbps limit but is less affected by interference by DECT wireless phones and microwave ovens. That’s why 802.11a has been chosen by Microsoft as the standard for data transfer between its Media Centre PCs and its Media Centre Extender devices that site on the top of your TV.

More Info on 802.11?

But what exactly is 802.11g? How does it differ from 802.11b and 802.11a? And most importantly, should you upgrade or stick with Wi-Fi?

802.11g is the name given by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to a new high-speed wireless local-area networking specification. 802.11g is an extension of 802.11b, which is the basis of many WLANs today such as the T-Mobile Hot Spots found in Starbucks locations.

While 802.11b delivers data transfer rates of up to 11 megabits per second, 802.11g promises speeds up to 54 mbps. Both specifications operate on the 2.4-GHz radio frequency band. And then there's 802.11a, also known as Wi-Fi5. This wireless standard is also designed to deliver speeds of up to 54 mbps. But 802.11a uses the 5-GHZ radio frequency band and isn't compatible with 802.11b- or 802.11g-enabled devices.

The Good News

Because 802.11g is an extension of 802.11b, equipment based on these technologies is compatible. That means an 802.11g-equipped notebook (such as one of the new Apple PowerBooks) or other device can still access the Internet via a Wi-Fi hot spot--although at the older standard's 11 mbps speed. Conversely, a 802.11b-equipped notebook can connect to an 802.11g hot spot, but only at the lower speed.

In theory, then, purchasing 802.11g equipment seems a good idea because you'll get fast speeds (when interfacing with 802.11g access points) as well as compatibility with the ubiquitous Wi-Fi standard.

The Bad News

Alas, it's not quite that simple. The 802.11g was a specification before it became a accepted, industry-wide standard like 802.11a and 802.11b. But a lot of 802.11g access points and cards were released anyway. Standardization came when a consensus was reached among networking industry players regarding 802.11g's technology specifications. It's possible that equipment purchased in the early days could most likely be upgraded.

Nonetheless, there are risks in buying prestandard products. You shouldn't have problems if you go to one company for all your 802.11g products, for example a 802.11g home networking setup from D-Link that includes a router and a PC Card adapter. But prestandard devices from one vendor may not be compatible with those from another.

And there are potential downsides to 802.11g. While Wi-Fi devices can talk to one another within about 300 feet, 802.11g's range is about 10 percent less, Grimm says. "Generally speaking," he adds, "the faster you go, the lower the range." The result: To compensate for the shorter range, a company seeking to upgrade may have to buy more 802.11g network access points than the Wi-Fi points it is replacing.

As with Wi-Fi, 802.11g devices share the same radio spectrum as 2.4-GHz portable phones, so home users may experience some interference, Grimm says. If you're wirelessly transmitting multimedia, such as MP3 files, from your computer to your stereo set, you could notice some dropped notes here and there. But if you're transferring data--by surfing the Web wirelessly, for instance--you're less likely to notice interference from portable phones.

The Bottom Line

Consider buying a network card for your notebook or PDA that supports both the "g" and "a" standards. Because 802.11g and 802.11b are compatible, dual-band cards will give you access to all three wireless standards.
Dual-band cards may be expensive at first but like everything else, their prices will soon drop.

Wireless Security

With your access point broadcasting its signal its not only your PC that can pick it up. If someone was to site in their car outside your house they could just as easily connect and use your connection.

When wireless technology rocketed into the home-networking scene a few years back, security wasn't much of a concern. Instead, people were still fascinated by the magical ability to connect to networks and the Internet without wires. Then, the hacking began, and the term "drive by" took on a sinister new meaning.

Today, with 802.11g (or Wireless-G) firmly entrenched as the wireless networking standard, we've got better security options than we did just a year ago. Also, newer OSs—such as Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Mac OS X—make setting up secure wireless networking easier than ever.

If you're still using older wireless networking gear that isn't compatible with 802.11g or with the wireless security standard known as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), it's time to upgrade—plain and simple. Don't cry about cost, either: Wireless products are cheaper than ever, and its possible to purchase wireless Access Points (APs) or wireless-enabled routers for less than $100 (often less than $50), and wireless cards for PCs or notebooks for well under $50.
WPA is more secure than the previous wireless security standard, Wireless Equivalency Protocol (WEP), because it regularly changes the encryption key that protects wireless network traffic. With WEP, the encryption key rarely changes, giving hackers time to attack your network, break the encryption, and gain access to your valuable data. WPA isn't perfect—and, as you might expect, future wireless security technologies are even more secure—but it's a huge improvement over WEP.

Also improved in WPA is its use of a passkey (like a password). So you might set up a simple and memorable passkey with letters and numbers, just as you do for your PC password. With WEP, you must enter an arcane sequence of 10 or 26 characters (depending on whether you're using 40-bit or 128-bit WEP).

You can perform other configuration settings to better secure your wireless network, of course, including not broadcasting your wireless network's Server Set ID (SSID), which is the name of your wireless network. For now, get your wireless networking technology up-to-date and turn on WPA. Otherwise, just turn off wireless: You're an accident waiting to happen.