You’ve mastered windows, got to grips with games and put paid to your word processor problems. The next challenge is the internet. It’s one giant leap for mankind, one small step for you.
How Does it Work?
The internet is a massive world wide collection of computers, connected together in a huge network. Any type of computer can be connected to the network, as long as it speaks the universal internet language, TCP/IP.
Using a home computer like an Apple Mac or a PC, you can become a temporary part of this network by signing up with an internet service provider (ISP). An ISP is a company that has fast, direct internet connections, and which can act as a gateway for you. In return for a monthly or yearly fee, the ISP enables you to use a modem attached to your computer to dial up and connect to its computers, which in turn connect you to the internet. As a result you can access the world wide web, send messages to newsgroups, and get an email address that enables you to exchange email with other users.
Choosing an Internet Service Provider
There are more than 150 internet service providers (ISP’s) to choose between, from local one man band outfits to global services run by the likes of UUnet. It’s probably best not to opt for a small, local ISP. Internet access is a cut throat business and the pundits are saying that the small guys are going to have their work cut out to avoid going under.
You’re also more likely to get better software, better services and better technical support from a large service provider. The major ISP’s have massive connections to the internet, which means they can support a very large number of simultaneous users without grinding to a halt. Smaller ISP’s may be cheaper, but they actually have to lease space from the big providers themselves, and don’t have nearly as much capacity to share around. This means they’re more likely to have problems during busy periods, and they’ll almost certainly have fewer modems, meaning more engaged signals when you dial in at peak times: a low user-to-modem ratio is vital.
The large service providers can also afford to maintain bigger, faster computers to handle email, usenet discussion groups, and so on, while small firms might have problems in this area. Finally, there’s support. A good ISP will supply you with all the necessary software to get online. This software should be easy to setup and use, backed up by 24 hour help lines if you have a problem. Again, some smaller ISP’s just can’t afford this sort of overhead. Setup software might be scarce or non-existent and there’s unlikely to be any sort of dedicated support line. And if an ISP doesn’t offer internet access on a local phone number, forget it. In addition to all this, a decent ISP might offer free web space, multiple email addresses, and other goodies like automatic filtering of junk email. On the whole, you get what you pay for. Modems Explained.
There used to be a time when buying a modem was fraught with worry and technical difficulty. Nowadays, it’s hard to buy a PC, without a modem already fitted. What a modem does is enable your PC to exchange data with other computers – whether it’s your mate’s down the road or a machine on the internet – over the phone line. But as we all know, the data your PC produces is digital bits and bytes, and only analogue signals can be transmitted over the phone line. This means that for the data to get out of your machine and onto the internet, it needs to be converted from digital to analogue and then back again. And that’s what a modem does. It modulates the outgoing digital signals produced by your PC, turning them into analogue ones, then demodulates the incoming analogue signals to turn them back into a digital one.
Now you know, roughly, how a modem works, you can forget about it, just as you probably don’t care how your AWE 64 sound card produces that 3D surround sound effect. Same deal with modems. They plug in, they work, they let you connect to the internet, play multi player games, and run up a phone bill the size of Oliver Reed’s drinks tab.
Buying a Modem
There are still a few decisions to make when you get to your local modem store. The fastest modems on the market for home users promise download speeds of up to 56Kbps. Did you notice the ‘up to’ because that’s the speed achieved by these modems under impossible-to-achieve-in-the-real-world laboratory conditions. In reality, when line noise, signal quality and the phase of the lunar cycle all take their toll, the maximum realistic download speed you can expect to achieve is 41-44Kbps. Oh, and the other thing is that because of the smart way they work, 56Kbps modems can only download data at the faster speed, they still have to upload at the slower, but respectable speed of 33Kbps.
If you don’t know which brand name to choose, just toss a coin, or go for the cheapest, or the one that offers the best after sales support, or the longest lead, or the prettiest plug, or the best advert.
Sandra Prior runs her own Computer Hardware Classifieds website. http://usacomputers.rr.nu
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandra_Prior
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Internet Merchant Account Provider
An Internet merchant account is an account with a bank or a financial institution that allows a businessman to accept credit card payments from his clients via the Internet. The payment gateway essentially transmits the required data to the Internet merchant account provider. Most local banks, however, do not offer Internet merchant account capability.
There are reasons why local banks or financial institutions do not want to give online merchant accounts. One is because transactions through the Internet are completely unlike face-to-face transactions, where a signature from the customer is required to approve the purchase. Thus, online truncations are deemed susceptible to credit card fraud. When choosing an Internet merchant account provider, fraud protection should be one of your major considerations.
So, how much will it cost? Comprehending the costs of your merchant provider can be complicated. Characteristically, an Internet merchant account will have certain costs.
Many Internet merchant accounts require a fee for application. This fee, purportedly, is to cover their expenses for processing the application. In the case that you eventually do not open an Internet merchant account, they will still ask for the initial payment. Many providers waive these up front application fees, and it is recommended that one chooses a provider that does not require up front application fees.
Almost all Internet merchant providers need a “statement fee"" (as the monthly fee is commonly named); this is simply a different way to cover costs and make some money. It is difficult to find providers who do not ask for this type of payment.
Then there is the discount rate, which is usually between 2 to 4 percent. The discount rate is actually the sales commission that the provider earns on every sale. For instance, if the discount rate is 3% and you get a sale over your web site for $10, you will owe 30 cents to the Internet merchant provider.
The fixed transaction fee is somewhere between $0.20 and $0.30. It is the fixed fee portion of every sale. The fixed transaction fee, unlike the discount fee, is the same for every transaction. Whether you get a $10 sale or a $50 sale, the transaction fee will not change.
Also, there is the termination fee that can apply if you cancel your account within a particular period of time (generally a year). There are some merchant providers who require a three-year commitment from your side.
If a customer requests for a refund, an Internet merchant provider can charge you a separate fee (somewhere around $20).
Merchant Account Providers provides detailed information on Merchant Account Providers, Internet Merchant Account Provider, Merchant Account Service Providers, Become a Merchant Account Provider and more. Merchant Account Providers is affiliated with Free Webcam Chat.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
There are reasons why local banks or financial institutions do not want to give online merchant accounts. One is because transactions through the Internet are completely unlike face-to-face transactions, where a signature from the customer is required to approve the purchase. Thus, online truncations are deemed susceptible to credit card fraud. When choosing an Internet merchant account provider, fraud protection should be one of your major considerations.
So, how much will it cost? Comprehending the costs of your merchant provider can be complicated. Characteristically, an Internet merchant account will have certain costs.
Many Internet merchant accounts require a fee for application. This fee, purportedly, is to cover their expenses for processing the application. In the case that you eventually do not open an Internet merchant account, they will still ask for the initial payment. Many providers waive these up front application fees, and it is recommended that one chooses a provider that does not require up front application fees.
Almost all Internet merchant providers need a “statement fee"" (as the monthly fee is commonly named); this is simply a different way to cover costs and make some money. It is difficult to find providers who do not ask for this type of payment.
Then there is the discount rate, which is usually between 2 to 4 percent. The discount rate is actually the sales commission that the provider earns on every sale. For instance, if the discount rate is 3% and you get a sale over your web site for $10, you will owe 30 cents to the Internet merchant provider.
The fixed transaction fee is somewhere between $0.20 and $0.30. It is the fixed fee portion of every sale. The fixed transaction fee, unlike the discount fee, is the same for every transaction. Whether you get a $10 sale or a $50 sale, the transaction fee will not change.
Also, there is the termination fee that can apply if you cancel your account within a particular period of time (generally a year). There are some merchant providers who require a three-year commitment from your side.
If a customer requests for a refund, an Internet merchant provider can charge you a separate fee (somewhere around $20).
Merchant Account Providers provides detailed information on Merchant Account Providers, Internet Merchant Account Provider, Merchant Account Service Providers, Become a Merchant Account Provider and more. Merchant Account Providers is affiliated with Free Webcam Chat.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Internet Marketing - What Comes First?
Someone asked me recently, if I were to expand an existing professional services business onto the internet, what marketing steps would I take first: set up a web site, a shopping cart, a newsletter, or a blog?
This is a very good question. Five years ago most Internet marketing specialists would have all responded in chorus, "A website, of course!" Then they would recommend their services to create an elaborate website with lots of bells and whistles.
I had an interesting email this week from a reader who asked me about website design fees. This is not my area of expertise. But this reader is a very smart guy. Why? Because he knows from my ezines, blogs and web site that I've been online for a few years and making a decent living from it.
He's a rabbi who has many years experience counseling people. He now has made a wise decision to start offering coaching services to people, and wants to leverage the internet to find clients, sell ebooks and other programs.
The First Step – Ask Questions
He has many questions about what to do first, where to invest his marketing dollars, and how to get set up so everything works seamlessly and automatically.
While I don't profess to have all the answers to his particular questions, I want to emphasize what's important here. He is asking questions!
Many people just go with their gut or common sense. It goes something like this:
"I need a way to find people online. Ergo, I need a web site. Who can do a web site for me, that doesn't cost too much? Oh, you can? Only $1000. Okay, that seems reasonable. Do it."
It's only later on down the road when they want to start an ezine, or a blog, or sell an ebook that they realize they need more than just a web site. That's when the web designer kicks in with hourly fees.
I've never heard a programmer say they can't do something. They always say they can easily set up autoresponders, gather email addresses, send out a newsletter, create a blog on your site, and even create a secure payment system for sales. I'm sorry, but here's the real news: programmers and web site designers can do all these tasks with your web site, but they will charge you for it, and it still won't do everything automatically. And you will be tied to their hourly fees (and schedule) forever.
Back to the question asked of me at the beginning of this article.
While my partner and I recommend an all-in-one solution and setting up all the elements together if your budget permits, there are a couple of ways to get started.
Unless you have a database of prospects, you will not sell your services or products. Therefore, we recommend getting started the right way by building your database — by offering an ezine or free content to attract people to your business. And, you need a place on the Internet where people can find you and subscribe to your content.
The first two pieces then, especially if you're just starting out and have a limited budget, are a blog and a shopping cart program with an autoresponder system.
Third Party Shopping Cart Systems
A third party shopping cart system is where you get an account hosted online by a company that specializes in providing automated database management, autoresponders, email broadcasting, online merchant credit card and payments, ad tracking, and affiliate programs.
When you start out, all you need to do is deliver your ezine and automated emails through autoresponders. You can get a basic level shopping cart account. As your business grows and you develop products, you can upgrade to get more features on your shopping cart, such as affiliate program management and digital delivery.
There are many online email broadcasting services to manage your newsletter. But be aware that an all-in-one solution such as a shopping cart program will save you time and money in the long run.
We strongly recommend starting off with a shopping cart program that can manage your database and newsletters under one roof. It is better to have all your automated marketing functions with one service provider, than to separate your database and newsletter out to another external email service provider.
http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/21398.html
This is a very good question. Five years ago most Internet marketing specialists would have all responded in chorus, "A website, of course!" Then they would recommend their services to create an elaborate website with lots of bells and whistles.
I had an interesting email this week from a reader who asked me about website design fees. This is not my area of expertise. But this reader is a very smart guy. Why? Because he knows from my ezines, blogs and web site that I've been online for a few years and making a decent living from it.
He's a rabbi who has many years experience counseling people. He now has made a wise decision to start offering coaching services to people, and wants to leverage the internet to find clients, sell ebooks and other programs.
The First Step – Ask Questions
He has many questions about what to do first, where to invest his marketing dollars, and how to get set up so everything works seamlessly and automatically.
While I don't profess to have all the answers to his particular questions, I want to emphasize what's important here. He is asking questions!
Many people just go with their gut or common sense. It goes something like this:
"I need a way to find people online. Ergo, I need a web site. Who can do a web site for me, that doesn't cost too much? Oh, you can? Only $1000. Okay, that seems reasonable. Do it."
It's only later on down the road when they want to start an ezine, or a blog, or sell an ebook that they realize they need more than just a web site. That's when the web designer kicks in with hourly fees.
I've never heard a programmer say they can't do something. They always say they can easily set up autoresponders, gather email addresses, send out a newsletter, create a blog on your site, and even create a secure payment system for sales. I'm sorry, but here's the real news: programmers and web site designers can do all these tasks with your web site, but they will charge you for it, and it still won't do everything automatically. And you will be tied to their hourly fees (and schedule) forever.
Back to the question asked of me at the beginning of this article.
While my partner and I recommend an all-in-one solution and setting up all the elements together if your budget permits, there are a couple of ways to get started.
Unless you have a database of prospects, you will not sell your services or products. Therefore, we recommend getting started the right way by building your database — by offering an ezine or free content to attract people to your business. And, you need a place on the Internet where people can find you and subscribe to your content.
The first two pieces then, especially if you're just starting out and have a limited budget, are a blog and a shopping cart program with an autoresponder system.
Third Party Shopping Cart Systems
A third party shopping cart system is where you get an account hosted online by a company that specializes in providing automated database management, autoresponders, email broadcasting, online merchant credit card and payments, ad tracking, and affiliate programs.
When you start out, all you need to do is deliver your ezine and automated emails through autoresponders. You can get a basic level shopping cart account. As your business grows and you develop products, you can upgrade to get more features on your shopping cart, such as affiliate program management and digital delivery.
There are many online email broadcasting services to manage your newsletter. But be aware that an all-in-one solution such as a shopping cart program will save you time and money in the long run.
We strongly recommend starting off with a shopping cart program that can manage your database and newsletters under one roof. It is better to have all your automated marketing functions with one service provider, than to separate your database and newsletter out to another external email service provider.
http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/21398.html
Monday, October 29, 2007
How to Connect Multiple Computers to One Broadband Internet Connection
Broadband, or high-speed, Internet connection is what many users currently use in their home. Along with high-speed Internet, many users may also use a router to allow multiple computers to connect to the Internet. This post will describe how a router is used to connect multiple computers. To make it easier to understand, I will use where you live as a comparison to how your computer is connected to the Internet.
What is an IP Address?
IP addresses are a series of numbers in the form: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn, where nnn is a one to three digit number. An IP address is unique to an individual computer on a network, similar to how your home has a unique address. For an Internet connection, an IP address is supplied by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In some cases, your ISP may provide you with more than one IP address, which allows you to connect multiple computers. As you will see later, however, you can still connect multiple computers with a single IP address.
Connecting a Single Computer
Connecting a single computer to your high-speed Internet is very simple to do. Simply connect a network cable into your modem, and then into the network card in your computer. Your computer will then be assigned an IP address from your ISP. For example, if your ISP assigned you the IP address of 24.24.50.17, then your computer will have that IP address.
When you make a request to a server, such as for a Web page, the Web server knows which IP address made the request. The information is then sent through the Internet and back to your computer. This is similar to when someone sends you mail to your home. The address on the mail allows it to be delivered to your home and not somewhere else.
Connecting Multiple Computers
How can multiple computers connect if only one address is assigned? When you make a request for a Web page, how does it know which computer requested that page? Let's take our home analogy one step further. Let's say instead of living in a house, you live in an apartment. When someone sends you mail, they not only include your address but also an apartment number. This number is internal to your apartment building and every apartment has its own unique number. Similarly, multiple computers can connect to the Internet if they each had there own unique local IP address. This can be handled by a router.
A router is a piece of hardware that connects directly to the modem. Each computer is then connected to the router, instead of the modem. Now instead of your computer having the IP address supplied by your ISP, your router now is assigned that IP address. This is similar to your router acting as the apartment building.
The beauty of a router is that it can assign its own local IP addresses. When you connect a computer to the router it now receives one of the IP addresses assigned by your router, similar to how each apartment has it's own number. Now when you make a request for a Web page, the request is sent using the same ISP address, but this time it is assigned to the router. When the Web page is returned, the router receives the request, and sends it locally to the computer that requested the page.
The router also has its own local address that is similar to the local IP addresses of the computers. So now the router has two addresses assigned to it: an external one provided by your ISP, and a local one provided by it. This allows the router to connect to both the Internet and the local network.
Note: The 192.168.xxx.xxx address are special IP addresses reserved for Local Area Networks (LANs).
Managing a FTP or Web Server on Your Network
Let's take a look at this scenario. You have a router connecting multiple computers to the Internet. But now you want to create a FTP or Web server. No problem. You setup the necessary software on a computer on your network, told someone outside your network the local IP address of your FTP server and they try to connect. They then discover that they can't connect. Why? Its similar to someone mailing something to you by just specifying your apartment number and no address.
The IP address assigned to your computer is local to your network. You can connect to that computer from within your network, but not from the Internet. You will need to use your ISP-assigned IP address (the one assigned to your router) to have someone from the Internet connect to your FTP server. The problem is that your router is assigned that IP and not your computer, and since an IP address must be unique, how can two computers have the same IP? The answer: they can't, but they don't need to.
Routers have the ability to forward information on a port to a specific computer. A port is a numbered channel that data can be sent through on a network. You cannot physically see it as it is a virtual channel used extensively in networking for sending/receiving data. For FTP servers the default port is 21; however another port can be used.
Open your router setup and look for the port forwarding option. Specify the internal IP address of your FTP server and the port number and then save that information. Now when a user tries to access your FTP site, they must use the ISP IP address that is assigned to your router. The router will then notice that the data is being sent on port 21 and then forward it automatically to your FTP server. A Web server can be setup the same way, but its default port is usually 80.
Note: By default a router will dynamically assign IP addresses to the computers connected to it. This means that the first computer to connect to the router will get the first available IP address, and the next will get the second, and so on. If you manage an FTP server, it may be easier to assign a static IP address to the computers to ensure that the FTP server always has the same IP address.
This article described how to connect one or more computers to one Internet connection. It is important to remember the following:
1. If you have one computer connected directly to the modem, then that computer will be assigned the IP address from your ISP.
2. When using a router, the the router will be assigned the IP address from your ISP. Any computers connected to the router will be assigned a local address by the router.
3. A router will have the ISP IP address and a local IP address. This allows it to connect to both the Internet and your network.
4. When setting up a computer as a FTP, Web, or other server to communicate over the Internet, it is important to use the router's IP address to access your server. You will then need to forward the necessary port to your server.Blogger: Information On Internet Provider Articles and News - Create Post
For more information, please read the Technically Easy blog.
Paul Salmon has been involved with computers for 20 years and currently works as a technical systems analyst. He has been involved in many aspects of computers including hardware, software development and quality assurance. He currently maintains Technically Easy, a blog that provides information about various technologies in use today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Salmon
What is an IP Address?
IP addresses are a series of numbers in the form: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn, where nnn is a one to three digit number. An IP address is unique to an individual computer on a network, similar to how your home has a unique address. For an Internet connection, an IP address is supplied by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In some cases, your ISP may provide you with more than one IP address, which allows you to connect multiple computers. As you will see later, however, you can still connect multiple computers with a single IP address.
Connecting a Single Computer
Connecting a single computer to your high-speed Internet is very simple to do. Simply connect a network cable into your modem, and then into the network card in your computer. Your computer will then be assigned an IP address from your ISP. For example, if your ISP assigned you the IP address of 24.24.50.17, then your computer will have that IP address.
When you make a request to a server, such as for a Web page, the Web server knows which IP address made the request. The information is then sent through the Internet and back to your computer. This is similar to when someone sends you mail to your home. The address on the mail allows it to be delivered to your home and not somewhere else.
Connecting Multiple Computers
How can multiple computers connect if only one address is assigned? When you make a request for a Web page, how does it know which computer requested that page? Let's take our home analogy one step further. Let's say instead of living in a house, you live in an apartment. When someone sends you mail, they not only include your address but also an apartment number. This number is internal to your apartment building and every apartment has its own unique number. Similarly, multiple computers can connect to the Internet if they each had there own unique local IP address. This can be handled by a router.
A router is a piece of hardware that connects directly to the modem. Each computer is then connected to the router, instead of the modem. Now instead of your computer having the IP address supplied by your ISP, your router now is assigned that IP address. This is similar to your router acting as the apartment building.
The beauty of a router is that it can assign its own local IP addresses. When you connect a computer to the router it now receives one of the IP addresses assigned by your router, similar to how each apartment has it's own number. Now when you make a request for a Web page, the request is sent using the same ISP address, but this time it is assigned to the router. When the Web page is returned, the router receives the request, and sends it locally to the computer that requested the page.
The router also has its own local address that is similar to the local IP addresses of the computers. So now the router has two addresses assigned to it: an external one provided by your ISP, and a local one provided by it. This allows the router to connect to both the Internet and the local network.
Note: The 192.168.xxx.xxx address are special IP addresses reserved for Local Area Networks (LANs).
Managing a FTP or Web Server on Your Network
Let's take a look at this scenario. You have a router connecting multiple computers to the Internet. But now you want to create a FTP or Web server. No problem. You setup the necessary software on a computer on your network, told someone outside your network the local IP address of your FTP server and they try to connect. They then discover that they can't connect. Why? Its similar to someone mailing something to you by just specifying your apartment number and no address.
The IP address assigned to your computer is local to your network. You can connect to that computer from within your network, but not from the Internet. You will need to use your ISP-assigned IP address (the one assigned to your router) to have someone from the Internet connect to your FTP server. The problem is that your router is assigned that IP and not your computer, and since an IP address must be unique, how can two computers have the same IP? The answer: they can't, but they don't need to.
Routers have the ability to forward information on a port to a specific computer. A port is a numbered channel that data can be sent through on a network. You cannot physically see it as it is a virtual channel used extensively in networking for sending/receiving data. For FTP servers the default port is 21; however another port can be used.
Open your router setup and look for the port forwarding option. Specify the internal IP address of your FTP server and the port number and then save that information. Now when a user tries to access your FTP site, they must use the ISP IP address that is assigned to your router. The router will then notice that the data is being sent on port 21 and then forward it automatically to your FTP server. A Web server can be setup the same way, but its default port is usually 80.
Note: By default a router will dynamically assign IP addresses to the computers connected to it. This means that the first computer to connect to the router will get the first available IP address, and the next will get the second, and so on. If you manage an FTP server, it may be easier to assign a static IP address to the computers to ensure that the FTP server always has the same IP address.
This article described how to connect one or more computers to one Internet connection. It is important to remember the following:
1. If you have one computer connected directly to the modem, then that computer will be assigned the IP address from your ISP.
2. When using a router, the the router will be assigned the IP address from your ISP. Any computers connected to the router will be assigned a local address by the router.
3. A router will have the ISP IP address and a local IP address. This allows it to connect to both the Internet and your network.
4. When setting up a computer as a FTP, Web, or other server to communicate over the Internet, it is important to use the router's IP address to access your server. You will then need to forward the necessary port to your server.Blogger: Information On Internet Provider Articles and News - Create Post
For more information, please read the Technically Easy blog.
Paul Salmon has been involved with computers for 20 years and currently works as a technical systems analyst. He has been involved in many aspects of computers including hardware, software development and quality assurance. He currently maintains Technically Easy, a blog that provides information about various technologies in use today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Salmon
Low Cost Web Hosting Providers
A web host is the server or computer where the websites store files, graphics and essential data. The web host provider acts as the site for a collection of web sites all over the world. All the web-hosting client does is upload the websites to the common web server. This web server is maintained by the Internet service provider, which ensures fast and constant access to the Internet. This World Wide Web, which is a collection of sites, can be accessed by anyone through the network.
There are many companies that provide web-hosting services. Many providers offer an extensive range of the virtual hosting plans to meet personal or professional needs of the client. Low cost web hosting service does not mean cheap hardware.
A professional web-hosting provider needs to be of a high quality with custom-built servers. This will ensure that the website is hosted on unswerving hardware which provides fast and optimal performance. The host should ensure that the servers are connected to multiple bandwidth providers. So even if one of the connections is down, the others will provide the necessary connection to the host?s website. This will ensure that the down time to the hosts website is minimal.
A web host has to ensure honest and truthful hosting service to all its customers. Good web hosts ensure that they do not oversell their bandwidth and clutter up the same server with a large number of accounts.
Low cost web hosting is a service provided by the web host for a specific fee and to the agency to host their website on the host?s server. It is advisable to ensure that the quality and performance of the host server should not be affected by the low price quoted and that there is no compromise on hardware quality.
Low Cost Web Hosting provides detailed information on Low Cost Web Hosting, Low Cost Web Hosting Services, Reliable Low Cost Web Hosting, Canadian Low Cost Web Hosting and more. Low Cost Web Hosting is affiliated with Discount Linux Web Hosting.
There are many companies that provide web-hosting services. Many providers offer an extensive range of the virtual hosting plans to meet personal or professional needs of the client. Low cost web hosting service does not mean cheap hardware.
A professional web-hosting provider needs to be of a high quality with custom-built servers. This will ensure that the website is hosted on unswerving hardware which provides fast and optimal performance. The host should ensure that the servers are connected to multiple bandwidth providers. So even if one of the connections is down, the others will provide the necessary connection to the host?s website. This will ensure that the down time to the hosts website is minimal.
A web host has to ensure honest and truthful hosting service to all its customers. Good web hosts ensure that they do not oversell their bandwidth and clutter up the same server with a large number of accounts.
Low cost web hosting is a service provided by the web host for a specific fee and to the agency to host their website on the host?s server. It is advisable to ensure that the quality and performance of the host server should not be affected by the low price quoted and that there is no compromise on hardware quality.
Low Cost Web Hosting provides detailed information on Low Cost Web Hosting, Low Cost Web Hosting Services, Reliable Low Cost Web Hosting, Canadian Low Cost Web Hosting and more. Low Cost Web Hosting is affiliated with Discount Linux Web Hosting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Internet Access Types
In this article you will learn that what are the major internet access types and how these internet access method works. Following is a brief overview of the major internet communication methods.
DSL
Digital Subscribers Lines is an advanced technology for bringing high speed internet connection to the home and corporate users. DSL doesn’t require the new wiring because it can be used on the regular telephone lines. With DSL you can use your internet connect and use telephone for making phone calls at the same time.
ADSL
ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscribers Lines) is a high speed internet connection that is used to send and receive data at very high speed over the conventional telephone lines. ADSL supports data rate of 1.5 MBPS to 9 MBPS when receiving data (downstream) and 16 to 440 KBPS when sending data over internet (upstream)
Cable Net
Cable modems are copper wire are used to high speed access to the internet. Coaxial cable is used by the TV provides much greater bandwidth than the regular telephone lines. Cable modem provides the broadband internet access. Cable modem is a network bridge that conforms to IEEE 802.1D for Ethernet networking with some modifications. Some cable modem devices use Router to provide local area network with its own IP addressing. Some of the major manufacturers of the cable modem are Cisco, D-Link, Linksys, Motorola, Ericsson, Nortel Networks and 3Com.
Dial Up
Dial up communication is a type of internet access that works on the regular telephone lines. The computer is granted internet access by connecting the telephone line with the modem in the computer and configuring the computer with user name password and dial up numbers provided by the local ISP. Dial up service is least expensive but also provide the lowest internet speed. The dial up connection can be used with two types of modems internet modem and external modem.
GPRS
GPRS General Packet Radio Service is a series of functionalities that allow mobile data streaming and transfer to users of Global System. GPRS also called as 2.5 G. GPRS allows multiple users to share communication channel. GPRS facilitates the functionalities of web browsing, SMS, multimedia messages and real time email reception etc.
WiMAX
WiMAX stands for worldwide interoperability for Microwave access. WiMAX provides very high speed broadband internet connection to the home users, corporate users and the roaming users over wireless connection. WiMAX allows the data, voice and video communication at the same time. WiMAX connection can also be bridged and routed with the wired or wireless LAN. WiMAX provides data rate up to 70 mbps.
Satellite Internet access
Satellite Internet services are used in the locations where terrestrial internet access is not available. Satellite broadband is linked to the dish network subscriber service and provides data communication speed at the same rate of other broadband technologies. Two way satellite internet consists of two foot by three foot dish, two modems for uplink and downlink and coaxial cable between dish and modem.
B. Bashir manages this website Networking Tutorials and regularly writes articles on various topics such as Computer Networking, Network How Tos Wireless Networking, Computer Hardware, Certifications, How Tos, Switched Network and Computer tips.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bushra_Bashir
DSL
Digital Subscribers Lines is an advanced technology for bringing high speed internet connection to the home and corporate users. DSL doesn’t require the new wiring because it can be used on the regular telephone lines. With DSL you can use your internet connect and use telephone for making phone calls at the same time.
ADSL
ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscribers Lines) is a high speed internet connection that is used to send and receive data at very high speed over the conventional telephone lines. ADSL supports data rate of 1.5 MBPS to 9 MBPS when receiving data (downstream) and 16 to 440 KBPS when sending data over internet (upstream)
Cable Net
Cable modems are copper wire are used to high speed access to the internet. Coaxial cable is used by the TV provides much greater bandwidth than the regular telephone lines. Cable modem provides the broadband internet access. Cable modem is a network bridge that conforms to IEEE 802.1D for Ethernet networking with some modifications. Some cable modem devices use Router to provide local area network with its own IP addressing. Some of the major manufacturers of the cable modem are Cisco, D-Link, Linksys, Motorola, Ericsson, Nortel Networks and 3Com.
Dial Up
Dial up communication is a type of internet access that works on the regular telephone lines. The computer is granted internet access by connecting the telephone line with the modem in the computer and configuring the computer with user name password and dial up numbers provided by the local ISP. Dial up service is least expensive but also provide the lowest internet speed. The dial up connection can be used with two types of modems internet modem and external modem.
GPRS
GPRS General Packet Radio Service is a series of functionalities that allow mobile data streaming and transfer to users of Global System. GPRS also called as 2.5 G. GPRS allows multiple users to share communication channel. GPRS facilitates the functionalities of web browsing, SMS, multimedia messages and real time email reception etc.
WiMAX
WiMAX stands for worldwide interoperability for Microwave access. WiMAX provides very high speed broadband internet connection to the home users, corporate users and the roaming users over wireless connection. WiMAX allows the data, voice and video communication at the same time. WiMAX connection can also be bridged and routed with the wired or wireless LAN. WiMAX provides data rate up to 70 mbps.
Satellite Internet access
Satellite Internet services are used in the locations where terrestrial internet access is not available. Satellite broadband is linked to the dish network subscriber service and provides data communication speed at the same rate of other broadband technologies. Two way satellite internet consists of two foot by three foot dish, two modems for uplink and downlink and coaxial cable between dish and modem.
B. Bashir manages this website Networking Tutorials and regularly writes articles on various topics such as Computer Networking, Network How Tos Wireless Networking, Computer Hardware, Certifications, How Tos, Switched Network and Computer tips.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bushra_Bashir
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Taming Wireless Security Blues with Bluesocket
Last week, in the first part of our three part evaluation of Bluesocket's WG-1000 Wireless Gateway, we took a look at the difference between wireless and mobile security functions, as well as how to plug the unit into a LAN and configure role-based policies. This week we start by taking a look at how Bluesocket handles different VPNs.
How VPNs Help
Wireless APs can be seen and used by anyone within a few hundred feet and frames are vulnerable to eavesdropping, modification, and replay. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) features in 802.11 products offer weak protection against these vulnerabilities. Emerging standards like 802.1X and TKIP are fixing the worst WEP flaws, but many companies have already abandoned WEP in favor of VPN tunneling.
VPN tunnels are widely used for authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and anti-replay between offices or remote users on the public Internet. Companies that have already deployed VPN clients on user laptops can leverage that same software to protect traffic over wireless systems. VPNs can provide much stronger security than WEP and produce a more consistent environment for security policy enforcement. But combining VPN with wireless can be challenging.
For one thing, VPN software may already be present on remote user laptops, but what about corporate desktops? What about PDAs and Pocket PCs? What about visitors to a corporate WLAN or public hotspots? Ideally, you'd like to mandate a security policy—not software installation.
Bluesocket VPN SecretsBluesocket minimizes this by supporting many different VPN clients. The WG operates as both a PPTP and IPsec server. It supports IPsec ESP tunnel mode with Data Encryption Standard (DES), 3DES, and 128/192/256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption, SHA1 and MD5 message integrity, and Diffie-Hellman groups 1/2/5, with or without Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). The WG supports IKE authentication with preshared secrets or digital certificates, using Main Mode (IP IDs or X.500 DNs) or Aggressive Mode (User-FQDNs). Secrets can be defined for individual IPs or email addresses, or a group secret can be defined for a non-overlapping IP range (left). We successfully paired our WG with the following VPN clients:
* Microsoft PPTP clients on Windows 95/ME/XP/2K and Pocket PC 2002;
* Microsoft IPsec clients on Windows XP/2K (tested with fixed IP only);
* SafeNet SoftRemote Win32 OEMs from WatchGuard, NetScreen, and SonicWALL;
* SSH Communications Sentinel Win32 IPsec client; and
* Certicom movianVPN and Funk AdmitOne IPsec clients on PocketPC.
Bluesocket also supports CheckPoint and PGPNet (MacOS) clients. Bluesocket does not support L2TP or XAUTH. If you want legacy user authentication in your Bluesocket VPN, create a role that requires both IPsec and RADIUS/NTLM/LDAP authentication.
The VPN combinations we tested all worked well with preshared secrets and little or no debugging. We negotiated a variety of algorithms, including 128-bit AES with SSH and Funk clients. We found this interoperability quite remarkable—especially without ICSA certification. Nonetheless, every multi-vendor VPN presents challenges, and we were not surprised to encounter a few. For example:
( 1 ) We were unable to authenticate PPTP clients against our RADIUS database. This is a documented constraint: PPTP users must be in the WG's local database or an LDAP directory.
( 2 ) Using a PC with a static IP, we established an IPsec tunnel but did not see the connection on the GUI and were unable to authenticate the user. Apparently, the WG was silently dropping traffic because this PC was "unknown"—that is, not using DHCP or in the MAC list. The tunnel came up anyway because IPsec processing is performed before firewall rules are enforced.
( 3 ) To match movianVPN client features, we had to disable PFS in our WG VPN config. Because we were using one VPN config for all clients, we also disabled PFS in our SafeNet clients. To our surprise, SafeNet tunnels worked more reliably after making this change—with PFS enabled, Phase II re-keys had often failed.
( 4 ) Whenever a WG is rebooted, IPsec tunnels must be manually restarted by each user. Some IPsec implementations use "keep alives" to avoid this, but in Bluesocket's mix-and-match environment, one cannot rely on vendor extensions. PPTP clients do not have this problem—they detect TCP control connection failure automatically.
( 5 ) Using dynamic IPs with Windows XP/2K IPsec is awkward. Bluesocket does not support Microsoft's L2TP over transport-mode ESP for remote access. Microsoft's tunnel-Bluesocket Helper Toolmode ESP policies require static endpoint IPs. To update policies when dynamic IPs change, Bluesocket developed an XP/2K "helper tool" (left). This one-click tool makes the update much more palatable, but user initiation of a third-party executable is still not ideal. Companies that require only a predetermined set of NICs (MAC addresses) may find it easier to configure IPs assignments for XP/2K clients.
( 6 ) We were only able to use certificate authentication with Windows XP/2K clients. Bluesocket is still working on cert issues, including interoperability with other clients. While debugging our configuration with tech support, we learned that:
* The VPN entry accepting certs must be the first in the WG's table,
* there must be no local user or subnet VPN defined for client IPs using certs,
* certs cannot have been exported from SafeNet's Certificate Manager, and
* the WG accepts all certs issued by the configured CA. Clients using certs are identified by X.500 DN, but the WG cannot permit/deny individual DNs.
( 7 ) Due to limitations of our lab, we did not test the certificate enrollment feature. A client without a certificate can request one by selecting an option on the login page, logging in with a username, and installing the supplied personal certificate. To enable enrollment, the WG must have the CA's private key and the CA must have an online certificate server that lets the WG to request certificates on behalf of clients. This feature solves the chicken-and-egg problem where tunneling is required to gain protected network access, but the client does not yet possess the cert required to tunnel and cannot request a cert directly from the CA without network access.
Vluesocket VPN DebuggingVPN debugging would be much easier if the GUI included any VPN logging. On the Status/Active Connections page, the VPN associated with each connection is bold-faced when the tunnel is active. There is no other customer-visible VPN status or logging, although a debug log is available to channel partners through a hidden CLI (left). Bluesocket plans to enhance logging; IPsec would be the first thing we'd add. For now, VPN debugging must be accomplished using client-side logs, sniffers, and tech support.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/technology/2002/bluesocket4.html
How VPNs Help
Wireless APs can be seen and used by anyone within a few hundred feet and frames are vulnerable to eavesdropping, modification, and replay. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) features in 802.11 products offer weak protection against these vulnerabilities. Emerging standards like 802.1X and TKIP are fixing the worst WEP flaws, but many companies have already abandoned WEP in favor of VPN tunneling.
VPN tunnels are widely used for authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and anti-replay between offices or remote users on the public Internet. Companies that have already deployed VPN clients on user laptops can leverage that same software to protect traffic over wireless systems. VPNs can provide much stronger security than WEP and produce a more consistent environment for security policy enforcement. But combining VPN with wireless can be challenging.
For one thing, VPN software may already be present on remote user laptops, but what about corporate desktops? What about PDAs and Pocket PCs? What about visitors to a corporate WLAN or public hotspots? Ideally, you'd like to mandate a security policy—not software installation.
Bluesocket VPN SecretsBluesocket minimizes this by supporting many different VPN clients. The WG operates as both a PPTP and IPsec server. It supports IPsec ESP tunnel mode with Data Encryption Standard (DES), 3DES, and 128/192/256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption, SHA1 and MD5 message integrity, and Diffie-Hellman groups 1/2/5, with or without Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). The WG supports IKE authentication with preshared secrets or digital certificates, using Main Mode (IP IDs or X.500 DNs) or Aggressive Mode (User-FQDNs). Secrets can be defined for individual IPs or email addresses, or a group secret can be defined for a non-overlapping IP range (left). We successfully paired our WG with the following VPN clients:
* Microsoft PPTP clients on Windows 95/ME/XP/2K and Pocket PC 2002;
* Microsoft IPsec clients on Windows XP/2K (tested with fixed IP only);
* SafeNet SoftRemote Win32 OEMs from WatchGuard, NetScreen, and SonicWALL;
* SSH Communications Sentinel Win32 IPsec client; and
* Certicom movianVPN and Funk AdmitOne IPsec clients on PocketPC.
Bluesocket also supports CheckPoint and PGPNet (MacOS) clients. Bluesocket does not support L2TP or XAUTH. If you want legacy user authentication in your Bluesocket VPN, create a role that requires both IPsec and RADIUS/NTLM/LDAP authentication.
The VPN combinations we tested all worked well with preshared secrets and little or no debugging. We negotiated a variety of algorithms, including 128-bit AES with SSH and Funk clients. We found this interoperability quite remarkable—especially without ICSA certification. Nonetheless, every multi-vendor VPN presents challenges, and we were not surprised to encounter a few. For example:
( 1 ) We were unable to authenticate PPTP clients against our RADIUS database. This is a documented constraint: PPTP users must be in the WG's local database or an LDAP directory.
( 2 ) Using a PC with a static IP, we established an IPsec tunnel but did not see the connection on the GUI and were unable to authenticate the user. Apparently, the WG was silently dropping traffic because this PC was "unknown"—that is, not using DHCP or in the MAC list. The tunnel came up anyway because IPsec processing is performed before firewall rules are enforced.
( 3 ) To match movianVPN client features, we had to disable PFS in our WG VPN config. Because we were using one VPN config for all clients, we also disabled PFS in our SafeNet clients. To our surprise, SafeNet tunnels worked more reliably after making this change—with PFS enabled, Phase II re-keys had often failed.
( 4 ) Whenever a WG is rebooted, IPsec tunnels must be manually restarted by each user. Some IPsec implementations use "keep alives" to avoid this, but in Bluesocket's mix-and-match environment, one cannot rely on vendor extensions. PPTP clients do not have this problem—they detect TCP control connection failure automatically.
( 5 ) Using dynamic IPs with Windows XP/2K IPsec is awkward. Bluesocket does not support Microsoft's L2TP over transport-mode ESP for remote access. Microsoft's tunnel-Bluesocket Helper Toolmode ESP policies require static endpoint IPs. To update policies when dynamic IPs change, Bluesocket developed an XP/2K "helper tool" (left). This one-click tool makes the update much more palatable, but user initiation of a third-party executable is still not ideal. Companies that require only a predetermined set of NICs (MAC addresses) may find it easier to configure IPs assignments for XP/2K clients.
( 6 ) We were only able to use certificate authentication with Windows XP/2K clients. Bluesocket is still working on cert issues, including interoperability with other clients. While debugging our configuration with tech support, we learned that:
* The VPN entry accepting certs must be the first in the WG's table,
* there must be no local user or subnet VPN defined for client IPs using certs,
* certs cannot have been exported from SafeNet's Certificate Manager, and
* the WG accepts all certs issued by the configured CA. Clients using certs are identified by X.500 DN, but the WG cannot permit/deny individual DNs.
( 7 ) Due to limitations of our lab, we did not test the certificate enrollment feature. A client without a certificate can request one by selecting an option on the login page, logging in with a username, and installing the supplied personal certificate. To enable enrollment, the WG must have the CA's private key and the CA must have an online certificate server that lets the WG to request certificates on behalf of clients. This feature solves the chicken-and-egg problem where tunneling is required to gain protected network access, but the client does not yet possess the cert required to tunnel and cannot request a cert directly from the CA without network access.
Vluesocket VPN DebuggingVPN debugging would be much easier if the GUI included any VPN logging. On the Status/Active Connections page, the VPN associated with each connection is bold-faced when the tunnel is active. There is no other customer-visible VPN status or logging, although a debug log is available to channel partners through a hidden CLI (left). Bluesocket plans to enhance logging; IPsec would be the first thing we'd add. For now, VPN debugging must be accomplished using client-side logs, sniffers, and tech support.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/technology/2002/bluesocket4.html
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Milwaukee runs out of patience with wireless Internet provider
Milwaukee, Wis. - In the high-stakes game of citywide wireless Internet, do deep pockets trump local connections?
If the City of Milwaukee is any example, the answer might be yes. Earlier this year, Milwaukee was within 18 months of becoming the first completely wireless large city in the nation. City officials hoped to have some areas of the wireless fidelity or "Wi-Fi" system in operation in 2006, but now it looks as though wireless hot spots will have to suffice for a while longer.
City bureaucrats apparently have lost patience with Midwest Fiber Networks, the Milwaukee-based company they had selected - and reportedly contracted with - to build the citywide wireless Internet network.
The contract was not exclusive, however, and now the city has decided to entertain other options. Both alternatives, Earthlink and Cellnet Technology, are much larger Atlanta-based companies with more financial resources at their disposal.
Looking at the numbers, the suddenly open competition seems unfair.
Earthlink, one of the largest Internet Service Providers in the United States, has more than five million small business and consumer customers. It provides premium broadband access to more than 1.5 million of its subscribers, and reported sales of $1.3 billion and net income of $143 million in the most recent fiscal year. It also employs more than 1,700 people
Cellnet is a privately owned corporation with $150 million in sales and with interests beyond wireless networks. The company also sells automation solutions to gas, water, and electric utilities.
Cellnet already is providing Wi-Fi infrastructure in Madison, starting with the nine-square mile area around Capitol Square. Even with its size, however, it may be several years before Cellnet offers the majority of Madison residents Wi-Fi as an alternative to cable, DSL, and dial-up.
Meanwhile, Midwest Fiber may not be a Fortune 500 company, but it serves several of them - and area municipalities - with fiber optic and wireless data networks. The company is a woman-owned business that was founded four years ago by the owners of the Milwaukee-based Cablecom, a women-owned cable and fiber optic contractor. Combined, the two companies employ 70 people.
Earlier this year, Midwest Fiber had negotiated the right to lease space in Milwaukee's existing underground conduit system and install wireless antennas on streetlights or other city-owned facilities. It planned to invest between $20 million and $25 million in the project.
Based on a memorandum dated January 12, the company was to install equipment and get the system operating within an 18-month construction period, with a minimum of coverage of 90 percent of Milwaukee's geographic area. It was to first build a demonstration area within four months to test the system in an area bounded on the east by 10th Street, on the west by Highway 41, on the south by Canal Street, and on the north by Vliet Street.
The agreement also included provisions to address the so-called "digital divide" by providing some free zones or reduced rates for low-income residents.
Customers were to be charged about $20 a month for wireless service, not including additional costs to secure their wireless connections.
Financial snag?
Nobody has stated specifically why the project has hit a snag, but recent developments do not mean Midwest Fiber is out of the picture.
Perhaps the first red flag in the city's budding relationship with Midwest Fiber came earlier this year, when City Comptroller Wally Morics suggested that a larger company guarantee that the wireless system be completed if Midwest Fiber is unable to finish it.
Midwest Fiber signed a contract with the city on June 30, but the city has apparently declined to sign it, according to Alderman James Bohl, who feels that members of the Milwaukee Common Council are being left in the dark about the project's status.
Bohl said it was his understanding that Midwest Fiber had secured adequate credit to cover the $20 million capital cost, but it was the Department of Administration that made the decision to court other vendors.
"They are not sharing information with the council," Bohl said. "The fact that we're not kept informed is not Midwest Fiber's fault."
Sharon Robinson, director of the Department of Administration, could not be reached for comment. Among other responsibilities, the department is entrusted with information technology services and IT resource management.
Nike Ivancevic, a partner in Midwest Fiber, said the company has been waiting for the city to finalize the contract, and he said financing documentation has been submitted. He assumes the city has been negotiating with Earthlink "since day one," but asserted that Midwest Fiber is still the best choice.
"We feel we're the farthest ahead," Ivancevic said. "We know the city, we know the Department of Public Works, and we know Wisconsin Electric [We Energies]."
http://wistechnology.com/article.php?id=3321
If the City of Milwaukee is any example, the answer might be yes. Earlier this year, Milwaukee was within 18 months of becoming the first completely wireless large city in the nation. City officials hoped to have some areas of the wireless fidelity or "Wi-Fi" system in operation in 2006, but now it looks as though wireless hot spots will have to suffice for a while longer.
City bureaucrats apparently have lost patience with Midwest Fiber Networks, the Milwaukee-based company they had selected - and reportedly contracted with - to build the citywide wireless Internet network.
The contract was not exclusive, however, and now the city has decided to entertain other options. Both alternatives, Earthlink and Cellnet Technology, are much larger Atlanta-based companies with more financial resources at their disposal.
Looking at the numbers, the suddenly open competition seems unfair.
Earthlink, one of the largest Internet Service Providers in the United States, has more than five million small business and consumer customers. It provides premium broadband access to more than 1.5 million of its subscribers, and reported sales of $1.3 billion and net income of $143 million in the most recent fiscal year. It also employs more than 1,700 people
Cellnet is a privately owned corporation with $150 million in sales and with interests beyond wireless networks. The company also sells automation solutions to gas, water, and electric utilities.
Cellnet already is providing Wi-Fi infrastructure in Madison, starting with the nine-square mile area around Capitol Square. Even with its size, however, it may be several years before Cellnet offers the majority of Madison residents Wi-Fi as an alternative to cable, DSL, and dial-up.
Meanwhile, Midwest Fiber may not be a Fortune 500 company, but it serves several of them - and area municipalities - with fiber optic and wireless data networks. The company is a woman-owned business that was founded four years ago by the owners of the Milwaukee-based Cablecom, a women-owned cable and fiber optic contractor. Combined, the two companies employ 70 people.
Earlier this year, Midwest Fiber had negotiated the right to lease space in Milwaukee's existing underground conduit system and install wireless antennas on streetlights or other city-owned facilities. It planned to invest between $20 million and $25 million in the project.
Based on a memorandum dated January 12, the company was to install equipment and get the system operating within an 18-month construction period, with a minimum of coverage of 90 percent of Milwaukee's geographic area. It was to first build a demonstration area within four months to test the system in an area bounded on the east by 10th Street, on the west by Highway 41, on the south by Canal Street, and on the north by Vliet Street.
The agreement also included provisions to address the so-called "digital divide" by providing some free zones or reduced rates for low-income residents.
Customers were to be charged about $20 a month for wireless service, not including additional costs to secure their wireless connections.
Financial snag?
Nobody has stated specifically why the project has hit a snag, but recent developments do not mean Midwest Fiber is out of the picture.
Perhaps the first red flag in the city's budding relationship with Midwest Fiber came earlier this year, when City Comptroller Wally Morics suggested that a larger company guarantee that the wireless system be completed if Midwest Fiber is unable to finish it.
Midwest Fiber signed a contract with the city on June 30, but the city has apparently declined to sign it, according to Alderman James Bohl, who feels that members of the Milwaukee Common Council are being left in the dark about the project's status.
Bohl said it was his understanding that Midwest Fiber had secured adequate credit to cover the $20 million capital cost, but it was the Department of Administration that made the decision to court other vendors.
"They are not sharing information with the council," Bohl said. "The fact that we're not kept informed is not Midwest Fiber's fault."
Sharon Robinson, director of the Department of Administration, could not be reached for comment. Among other responsibilities, the department is entrusted with information technology services and IT resource management.
Nike Ivancevic, a partner in Midwest Fiber, said the company has been waiting for the city to finalize the contract, and he said financing documentation has been submitted. He assumes the city has been negotiating with Earthlink "since day one," but asserted that Midwest Fiber is still the best choice.
"We feel we're the farthest ahead," Ivancevic said. "We know the city, we know the Department of Public Works, and we know Wisconsin Electric [We Energies]."
http://wistechnology.com/article.php?id=3321
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
BSkyB swoops on internet provider
Satellite broadcaster BSkyB has begun its planned spending spree with the purchase of broadband internet provider Easynet for £211m
($373.1m).Earlier this month, BSkyB said it would embark on an acquisition drive after raising £1bn in a bonds issue.
The Easynet takeover will help BSkyB move towards broadcasting some of its programmes via the internet.
BSkyB said it would pay 175 pence in cash for each Easynet share, a 38% premium to Thursday's closing price.
The deal means BSkyB will be able to offer customers 'triple-play' services such as broadband, television and telephony.
The broadcaster will soon be pitching itself against its cable rivals NTL and Telewest, who have agreed to merge, as well as BT Group.
Evolving market
BSkyB will also be placing itself head-to-head with the likes of BT, AOL and Wanadoo in the rapidly expanding broadband market.
UK connections to broadband nearly doubled to 8.1 million in the year to 30 June.
Easynet has invested in putting equipment in BT local exchanges that allows it to offer a range of services to customers.
The provider is currently targeting access to 5.8 million homes and 850,000 businesses in the UK in many regions where NTL and Telewest already have customer strongholds.
"Today's offer reflects the exciting opportunities that now exist to combine quality entertainment with significant high-speed connections," said BSkyB's chief executive James Murdoch.
Mr Murdoch said the broadcaster would keep its options open on further acquisitions and remained open to new ways of accelerating or improving its strategy.
"We definitely think that in a marketplace changing as rapidly as this, we want to keep all our options open," he said.
BSkyB is 37%-owned by his father Rupert Murdoch's media empire News Corporation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4363036.stm
($373.1m).Earlier this month, BSkyB said it would embark on an acquisition drive after raising £1bn in a bonds issue.
The Easynet takeover will help BSkyB move towards broadcasting some of its programmes via the internet.
BSkyB said it would pay 175 pence in cash for each Easynet share, a 38% premium to Thursday's closing price.
The deal means BSkyB will be able to offer customers 'triple-play' services such as broadband, television and telephony.
The broadcaster will soon be pitching itself against its cable rivals NTL and Telewest, who have agreed to merge, as well as BT Group.
Evolving market
BSkyB will also be placing itself head-to-head with the likes of BT, AOL and Wanadoo in the rapidly expanding broadband market.
UK connections to broadband nearly doubled to 8.1 million in the year to 30 June.
Easynet has invested in putting equipment in BT local exchanges that allows it to offer a range of services to customers.
The provider is currently targeting access to 5.8 million homes and 850,000 businesses in the UK in many regions where NTL and Telewest already have customer strongholds.
"Today's offer reflects the exciting opportunities that now exist to combine quality entertainment with significant high-speed connections," said BSkyB's chief executive James Murdoch.
Mr Murdoch said the broadcaster would keep its options open on further acquisitions and remained open to new ways of accelerating or improving its strategy.
"We definitely think that in a marketplace changing as rapidly as this, we want to keep all our options open," he said.
BSkyB is 37%-owned by his father Rupert Murdoch's media empire News Corporation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4363036.stm
Friday, October 19, 2007
2nd Mortgage - Better Than Refinancing
You have probably received refinancing offers in the mail or advertised online touting your ability to pull out your home’s equity. But a 2nd mortgage, also called an equity loan, may be a better financing option than refinancing your mortgage. 2nd mortgages are ideal when you just want to tap into your equity, plan to move soon, or are unsure about the amount you want to borrow.
Tapping Your Equity
Tapping into your home’s equity is best done through a 2nd mortgage if you already have a low interest loan. Typically, applying for a 2nd mortgage requires fewer fees than refinancing a mortgage. 2nd mortgages are also paid back sooner, so your interest payments are less.
Short-Term Loan
With the costs involved in refinancing, you typically need to keep the loan for about two years to break even. However, with a 2nd mortgage you don’t have those fees to worry about recovering. 2nd mortgages do have minimum balance and early pay off fees, but they are significantly less than refinancing fees.
Flexible Loan Amount
A 2nd mortgage allows you to take out your home’s equity over the course of several years. The money can be accessed with a check, ATM card, or direct deposit, depending on how you set up your account with the lender. Additionally, you only pay interest on the money that you have withdrawn.
Higher Approval
Lenders tend to be more lenient with approving 2nd mortgages. Since the amount usually is less than a traditional loan, lenders remain confident that they will receive payment. If you have had a few credit glitches in the past two years, think about going with a 2nd mortgage.
2nd Mortgage Mistakes
2nd mortgages aren’t for everyone. You should weigh the cost of PMI and payments when choosing your financing options. Borrowing more than 80% of your home’s value will subject you to private mortgage insurance.
Your monthly payments should also be a factor in your decision. By taking out equity when refinancing your home, you will have a lower payment than if you had both a mortgage and 2nd mortgage payment. Also, if you refinance in the future, you will have to pay off your 2nd mortgage.
http://www.articlesofinfo.com/article.php/18-08-20072nd-Mortgage---Better-Than-Refinancing.htm
Tapping Your Equity
Tapping into your home’s equity is best done through a 2nd mortgage if you already have a low interest loan. Typically, applying for a 2nd mortgage requires fewer fees than refinancing a mortgage. 2nd mortgages are also paid back sooner, so your interest payments are less.
Short-Term Loan
With the costs involved in refinancing, you typically need to keep the loan for about two years to break even. However, with a 2nd mortgage you don’t have those fees to worry about recovering. 2nd mortgages do have minimum balance and early pay off fees, but they are significantly less than refinancing fees.
Flexible Loan Amount
A 2nd mortgage allows you to take out your home’s equity over the course of several years. The money can be accessed with a check, ATM card, or direct deposit, depending on how you set up your account with the lender. Additionally, you only pay interest on the money that you have withdrawn.
Higher Approval
Lenders tend to be more lenient with approving 2nd mortgages. Since the amount usually is less than a traditional loan, lenders remain confident that they will receive payment. If you have had a few credit glitches in the past two years, think about going with a 2nd mortgage.
2nd Mortgage Mistakes
2nd mortgages aren’t for everyone. You should weigh the cost of PMI and payments when choosing your financing options. Borrowing more than 80% of your home’s value will subject you to private mortgage insurance.
Your monthly payments should also be a factor in your decision. By taking out equity when refinancing your home, you will have a lower payment than if you had both a mortgage and 2nd mortgage payment. Also, if you refinance in the future, you will have to pay off your 2nd mortgage.
http://www.articlesofinfo.com/article.php/18-08-20072nd-Mortgage---Better-Than-Refinancing.htm
Internet services and Broadband
Internet is becoming indispensable for our lives day by day. Today people are more comfortable doing things online--from buying to selling, reading books to booking airline tickets and playing games to listening music. So, nowadays an internet connection is almost inevitable in every household.
Among various types of Internet services the Broadband or the high-speed internet access is one of the most widely preferred internet connections. For the first time users, it really makes sense to go for Broadband right from the beginning, because the entry-level broadband service packages are cheap and better than the dial-up alternative. But, with so many service providers offering broadband services it is quite confusing to select the best broadband service deal that suit the needs as well as economic standings of everyone. For finding the best package it is better to go for a Broadband price comparison site as there is no shortage of Broadband price comparison sites in the Internet. In these broadband price comparison sites people can find out the best and cheap deals, compare prices and select the best broadband provider to meet his needs. While selecting a broadband connection one should also look in to the availability of the connection in that area, the benefits associated with it, speed factor and whether he needs a asymmetric digital subscriber line, standalone broadband or TV, phone and even mobile broadband connection. Various broadband providers in the UK, like Sky, Virgin Media, BT Total Broadband, TalkTalk, Pipex, Tiscali, Orange, Easyspace, AOL, PlusNet, Be, Toucan, Eclipse, Fasthosts, and Demon provide a wide range of packages featuring cashback options free gifts and download etc., along with its broadband packages.
With enough options available in the market it is really confusing to select the best broadband that suits the need of the people. Some broadband providers in UK also offer bt total broadband services for free with various upgrading choices in future. It is not easy to go to various providers to analyse the quotes of different types of broadband connections offered by different broadband service providers. So, instead of making hazy decisions one should compare the prices through a broadband price comparison portal which offers detailed information about broadband services. A number of broadband price comparison sites also help customers in signing new broadband connections, give independent and expert advice to anyone who wants to upgrade their connection and perform live availability check for the postcode area.
So it is always easy and convenient to compare the broadband services in the broadband price comparison websites and find out a cost effective bt total broadband service in a less time.
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Technology/Internet_services_and_Broadband_150241.html
Among various types of Internet services the Broadband or the high-speed internet access is one of the most widely preferred internet connections. For the first time users, it really makes sense to go for Broadband right from the beginning, because the entry-level broadband service packages are cheap and better than the dial-up alternative. But, with so many service providers offering broadband services it is quite confusing to select the best broadband service deal that suit the needs as well as economic standings of everyone. For finding the best package it is better to go for a Broadband price comparison site as there is no shortage of Broadband price comparison sites in the Internet. In these broadband price comparison sites people can find out the best and cheap deals, compare prices and select the best broadband provider to meet his needs. While selecting a broadband connection one should also look in to the availability of the connection in that area, the benefits associated with it, speed factor and whether he needs a asymmetric digital subscriber line, standalone broadband or TV, phone and even mobile broadband connection. Various broadband providers in the UK, like Sky, Virgin Media, BT Total Broadband, TalkTalk, Pipex, Tiscali, Orange, Easyspace, AOL, PlusNet, Be, Toucan, Eclipse, Fasthosts, and Demon provide a wide range of packages featuring cashback options free gifts and download etc., along with its broadband packages.
With enough options available in the market it is really confusing to select the best broadband that suits the need of the people. Some broadband providers in UK also offer bt total broadband services for free with various upgrading choices in future. It is not easy to go to various providers to analyse the quotes of different types of broadband connections offered by different broadband service providers. So, instead of making hazy decisions one should compare the prices through a broadband price comparison portal which offers detailed information about broadband services. A number of broadband price comparison sites also help customers in signing new broadband connections, give independent and expert advice to anyone who wants to upgrade their connection and perform live availability check for the postcode area.
So it is always easy and convenient to compare the broadband services in the broadband price comparison websites and find out a cost effective bt total broadband service in a less time.
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Technology/Internet_services_and_Broadband_150241.html
Thursday, October 18, 2007
High Speed Internet Connection
Internet has almost become a lifeline for the new generation. Many businesses now depend entirely on the Internet. People residing in different parts of world are able to talk to each other via the medium of Internet. Video conferencing is a live example of it. Many marriages are also made with the help of the Internet. The list of benefits that Internet provides is limitless.
But, what would you do when you have a slow speed internet connection that takes a lot of time? That internet connection would simply be useless to you.
The speed at which you are connected to the Internet plays a very important role in enjoying the advantages offered by it. For example, suppose one of your relatives who is residing overseas, has sent you a holiday clip. Now, if your Internet speed is slow then first of all it would take a long time to load the mail website. Then you would enter your user name and password. It would again take extra time to verify it. Also, downloading the clip would be very slow, even if its size is very small. Overall, you can say that having a low speed Internet connection (dial-up connection) is not a good thing.
There are many choices available for a high speed Internet connection. DSL, Cable and Satellite are some of them. You can select the best one from them. Here are some of the common benefits that all these high speed Internet connections provide.
* Viewing of streamlining clips or videos is very easy and fast in these connections. Dial-up connections may not even allow their access. * You can upload web pages and download any kind of information or software with more than twice the speed of dial-up connection. * Downloading of images and huge e-mail files can be done almost promptly. * High speed Internet connection has proven to be a boon for all businessmen. They can now access the world wide web within a few seconds. Their businesses have been highly benefited through efficient and quick video conferencing which would have been impossible in a slow dial-up connection. * For those people who work from home, a high speed Internet connection can assist them in increasing their overall work efficiency and output. * On a long term basis, the high speed Internet connection can prove to be highly economical.
DSL: The best choice for high speed internet connection Now-a-days, DSL has become the leading choice for a high speed Internet connection. DSL works on existing telephone lines. With a DSL connection you can browse the web and talk on the phone at the same time. Generally, a DSL connection requires a DSL router, a dedicated phone line and a network card or a modem for each system. The installation of DSL at your location is the responsibility of the service provider. Last but not the least, this high speed Internet connection is offered at very affordable prices.
http://www.allinternetarticles.com/article.cfm/id/205406
But, what would you do when you have a slow speed internet connection that takes a lot of time? That internet connection would simply be useless to you.
The speed at which you are connected to the Internet plays a very important role in enjoying the advantages offered by it. For example, suppose one of your relatives who is residing overseas, has sent you a holiday clip. Now, if your Internet speed is slow then first of all it would take a long time to load the mail website. Then you would enter your user name and password. It would again take extra time to verify it. Also, downloading the clip would be very slow, even if its size is very small. Overall, you can say that having a low speed Internet connection (dial-up connection) is not a good thing.
There are many choices available for a high speed Internet connection. DSL, Cable and Satellite are some of them. You can select the best one from them. Here are some of the common benefits that all these high speed Internet connections provide.
* Viewing of streamlining clips or videos is very easy and fast in these connections. Dial-up connections may not even allow their access. * You can upload web pages and download any kind of information or software with more than twice the speed of dial-up connection. * Downloading of images and huge e-mail files can be done almost promptly. * High speed Internet connection has proven to be a boon for all businessmen. They can now access the world wide web within a few seconds. Their businesses have been highly benefited through efficient and quick video conferencing which would have been impossible in a slow dial-up connection. * For those people who work from home, a high speed Internet connection can assist them in increasing their overall work efficiency and output. * On a long term basis, the high speed Internet connection can prove to be highly economical.
DSL: The best choice for high speed internet connection Now-a-days, DSL has become the leading choice for a high speed Internet connection. DSL works on existing telephone lines. With a DSL connection you can browse the web and talk on the phone at the same time. Generally, a DSL connection requires a DSL router, a dedicated phone line and a network card or a modem for each system. The installation of DSL at your location is the responsibility of the service provider. Last but not the least, this high speed Internet connection is offered at very affordable prices.
http://www.allinternetarticles.com/article.cfm/id/205406
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wireless LAN Tools
This article is the fourth in a series that explores the purpose and use of 802.11 Wireless LAN Analyzers. Prior installments provided a resource list of open source and commercial WLAN analyzers (Part 1), explained how to combine software with hardware to create a WLAN analysis toolkit (Part 2), and used several different tools to illustrate wireless node discovery, rogue detection, site surveys, and basic troubleshooting (Part 3).
Here in Part 4, we show how to use WLAN analyzers to support typical 802.11 network monitoring and reporting tasks. Analyzers can help WLAN administrators detect security vulnerabilities and active attacks, monitor performance and pin-point potential problems, and evaluate network and application usage to spot emerging trends.
Security audits
In last week's installment, we illustrated the use of WLAN analyzers and Intrusion Detection Systems to detect and track down nearby 802.11 APs and stations. That process, commonly referred to as rogue detection, is just one step in auditing the security of your WLAN.
Performing a security audit can help you find and fix your own WLAN's vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Like an accounting audit, a network security audit check for the presence of known risk factors and compliance with best practices and established policies. A security audit can be conducted in-house or by a third-party, and can involve both active penetration testing and passive observation.
WLAN analyzers play an essential role during an audit by alerting you to common risk factors, like an AP broadcasting its SSID in beacon frames, or an AP using WEP keys that are known to be especially weak. Analyzers can also detect deviation from best practices commonly used to reduce risk, like an AP operating with a factory-default SSID (probably an unconfigured and therefore unsecured AP) or a station sending NetBIOS over wireless (probably leaking fileshares to others on the WLAN).
These conditions may or may not represent actual threats—for example, the AP may belong to a neighbor, or you might not intend to use WEP anyway. More often, these security alerts draw your attention to conditions that you didn't know existed or did not realize were risks. Performing a security audit gives you the opportunity to review these warnings and take corrective action where appropriate.
For example, consider this security audit template provided by WildPackets AiroPeekNX. This template loads pre-defined capture filters that are applied to wireless traffic to detect 13 common security mistakes. When an audited event occurs, it triggers a notification and/or a packet capture. Analyzing captured packets lets you investigate the event—in this example, identifying the AP using a factory-default SSID, and whether any stations are communicating with that AP. This template can obviously be extended or refined to check for additional risks or best practices.
those that do not. Audits are typically repeated until you reach the point where remaining risk is acceptable. At that time, you will probably want to disable WLAN analyzer alerts that you no longer want to hear about. For example, this Network Instruments Observer panel is used to selectively enable or disable individual alerts reported by each local or remote network probe.
Click to view entire screen shotDepending on the analyzer, alerts may be set globally or at a more granular level. For example, AirMagnet alerts can be set on a per-SSID-group basis. The Publicly Secure Packet Forwarding alert shown here applies mostly to public WLANs. But traffic between wireless stations may be appropriate in some private WLANs—for example, printing to a wireless print server. To reflect this, this example assigns public SSID(s) to a "Guest" group and private SSID(s) to another group so that we can apply different alert settings to these WLANs.
In fact, many of the alerts built into WLAN analyzers can help you enforce your company's security policy. The above example includes a long list of authentication alerts related to non-use of 802.1X and various EAP types. But these may or may not be policy violations for your WLAN. It's up to every organization to decide which security measures are required or permitted on their own WLAN.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/technology/2004/wlan_analyzers_pt4.html
Here in Part 4, we show how to use WLAN analyzers to support typical 802.11 network monitoring and reporting tasks. Analyzers can help WLAN administrators detect security vulnerabilities and active attacks, monitor performance and pin-point potential problems, and evaluate network and application usage to spot emerging trends.
Security audits
In last week's installment, we illustrated the use of WLAN analyzers and Intrusion Detection Systems to detect and track down nearby 802.11 APs and stations. That process, commonly referred to as rogue detection, is just one step in auditing the security of your WLAN.
Performing a security audit can help you find and fix your own WLAN's vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Like an accounting audit, a network security audit check for the presence of known risk factors and compliance with best practices and established policies. A security audit can be conducted in-house or by a third-party, and can involve both active penetration testing and passive observation.
WLAN analyzers play an essential role during an audit by alerting you to common risk factors, like an AP broadcasting its SSID in beacon frames, or an AP using WEP keys that are known to be especially weak. Analyzers can also detect deviation from best practices commonly used to reduce risk, like an AP operating with a factory-default SSID (probably an unconfigured and therefore unsecured AP) or a station sending NetBIOS over wireless (probably leaking fileshares to others on the WLAN).
These conditions may or may not represent actual threats—for example, the AP may belong to a neighbor, or you might not intend to use WEP anyway. More often, these security alerts draw your attention to conditions that you didn't know existed or did not realize were risks. Performing a security audit gives you the opportunity to review these warnings and take corrective action where appropriate.
For example, consider this security audit template provided by WildPackets AiroPeekNX. This template loads pre-defined capture filters that are applied to wireless traffic to detect 13 common security mistakes. When an audited event occurs, it triggers a notification and/or a packet capture. Analyzing captured packets lets you investigate the event—in this example, identifying the AP using a factory-default SSID, and whether any stations are communicating with that AP. This template can obviously be extended or refined to check for additional risks or best practices.
those that do not. Audits are typically repeated until you reach the point where remaining risk is acceptable. At that time, you will probably want to disable WLAN analyzer alerts that you no longer want to hear about. For example, this Network Instruments Observer panel is used to selectively enable or disable individual alerts reported by each local or remote network probe.
Click to view entire screen shotDepending on the analyzer, alerts may be set globally or at a more granular level. For example, AirMagnet alerts can be set on a per-SSID-group basis. The Publicly Secure Packet Forwarding alert shown here applies mostly to public WLANs. But traffic between wireless stations may be appropriate in some private WLANs—for example, printing to a wireless print server. To reflect this, this example assigns public SSID(s) to a "Guest" group and private SSID(s) to another group so that we can apply different alert settings to these WLANs.
In fact, many of the alerts built into WLAN analyzers can help you enforce your company's security policy. The above example includes a long list of authentication alerts related to non-use of 802.1X and various EAP types. But these may or may not be policy violations for your WLAN. It's up to every organization to decide which security measures are required or permitted on their own WLAN.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/technology/2004/wlan_analyzers_pt4.html
Managed Security Service Provider Survey
Many companies, large and small, are now considering or have already outsourced certain network security tasks to third-party providers. Today, there are hundreds of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), with offerings that range from managed firewall and virtual private network (VPN) services, to managed intrusion detection (IDS) and anti-spam/virus e-mail filtering. According to Gartner, the North American MSSP market continued to expand during the past year, with revenue increasing 19 percent during 2H03 alone.
Why do businesses outsource these sensitive services? To cut cost. MSSPs can offload many labor-intensive tasks associated with establishing a solid network defense, including security hardware/software installation, provisioning, maintenance, and 24x7 event monitoring. They can hire and train experts to staff a security operations center (SOC), investing in remote administration and surveillance platforms, creating a common infrastructure from which to satisfy the security needs of many customers.
In return, customers can reduce capital equipment investments, in-house security staff, and better budget and account for the cost of security by paying a fixed monthly tab.
Of course, no company should abdicate control over the security of their business network. Although your company may delegate certain security implementation and monitoring tasks to an MSSP, you will retain responsibility for determining security policies and dictating incident responses. Purchasing a managed security service means entering into a close and trusted partnership with your chosen provider. It's vital to consider not only the cost, breadth, and depth of services offered, but also each MSSP's history, reputation, business practices, service commitments, and "house style" of interacting with customers.
Before you conduct this type of qualitative assessment, you'll need to identify one or more MSSP candidates who are capable of delivering the security services that your company needs, in the countries where your business operates. To that end, ISP-Planet has been conducting semi-annual MSSP surveys since 1999. What follows here is our fourth MSSP survey, conducted in December 2004.
Participating providers
Our survey attempts to provide an apples-to-apples comparison between common security services offered by a modest but representative MSSP sample set, ranging from national to global, from network generalist to security specialist. By presenting example services in this fashion, we hope to help readers better understand the kinds of security services that are commercially available and some common attributes that should be considered when shopping for such services.
The following table identifies the MSSPs participating in this year's survey, and the surveyed services that are now offered by each provider. In addition, many participants offer managed security services beyond the scope of our survey, such as managed authentication, PKI, vulnerability scanning, and security monitoring for other networked devices. Several also offer related professional services, like security consultation, education, risk assessment, auditing, and emergency response. Consult MSSP websites for services beyond those addressed by our survey.
http://www.isp-planet.com/technology/2004/mssp1.html
Why do businesses outsource these sensitive services? To cut cost. MSSPs can offload many labor-intensive tasks associated with establishing a solid network defense, including security hardware/software installation, provisioning, maintenance, and 24x7 event monitoring. They can hire and train experts to staff a security operations center (SOC), investing in remote administration and surveillance platforms, creating a common infrastructure from which to satisfy the security needs of many customers.
In return, customers can reduce capital equipment investments, in-house security staff, and better budget and account for the cost of security by paying a fixed monthly tab.
Of course, no company should abdicate control over the security of their business network. Although your company may delegate certain security implementation and monitoring tasks to an MSSP, you will retain responsibility for determining security policies and dictating incident responses. Purchasing a managed security service means entering into a close and trusted partnership with your chosen provider. It's vital to consider not only the cost, breadth, and depth of services offered, but also each MSSP's history, reputation, business practices, service commitments, and "house style" of interacting with customers.
Before you conduct this type of qualitative assessment, you'll need to identify one or more MSSP candidates who are capable of delivering the security services that your company needs, in the countries where your business operates. To that end, ISP-Planet has been conducting semi-annual MSSP surveys since 1999. What follows here is our fourth MSSP survey, conducted in December 2004.
Participating providers
Our survey attempts to provide an apples-to-apples comparison between common security services offered by a modest but representative MSSP sample set, ranging from national to global, from network generalist to security specialist. By presenting example services in this fashion, we hope to help readers better understand the kinds of security services that are commercially available and some common attributes that should be considered when shopping for such services.
The following table identifies the MSSPs participating in this year's survey, and the surveyed services that are now offered by each provider. In addition, many participants offer managed security services beyond the scope of our survey, such as managed authentication, PKI, vulnerability scanning, and security monitoring for other networked devices. Several also offer related professional services, like security consultation, education, risk assessment, auditing, and emergency response. Consult MSSP websites for services beyond those addressed by our survey.
http://www.isp-planet.com/technology/2004/mssp1.html
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Garry Betty, 49, Chief of the Internet Provider EarthLink, Dies
Garry Betty, who built the EarthLink Corporation from a struggling start-up into a public company that took on telecommunications giants, died Tuesday in Atlanta. He was 49.
The cause was heart problems associated with adrenal cortical cancer, said Scott Hobby, a business associate and close family friend.
At his death, Mr. Betty was EarthLink’s chief executive, though he had given up his daily duties to pursue medical treatment.
Charles Garry Betty was born in Huntsville, Ala., and reared in Columbus, Ga. He worked his way through the Georgia Institute of Technology with jobs that included selling house siding over the phone. He graduated in 1979 with a degree in chemical engineering.
He worked briefly at Procter & Gamble and I.B.M., and in 1984 became vice president for sales and marketing at Hayes Microcomputer Products, which made computer modems.
In 1989, Mr. Betty was named president of Digital Communications Associates, which made technology to let personal computers talk to mainframe computers. A year later, at the age of 33, Mr. Betty became chief executive of the company.
In 1996, Sky Dayton, the founder of EarthLink, an Internet access company, persuaded Mr. Betty to become chief executive, working in Pasadena, Calif., and returning to his home in Atlanta on weekends.
At the time, EarthLink was adding subscribers at a furious pace, growing 10 percent to 15 percent every week, but was functionally bankrupt, Mr. Betty said last August.
The company borrowed money and, in January 1997, became one of the first Internet companies to go public, a few months before Amazon.com. It built a reputation for customer service and became known as a consumer-friendly alternative to America Online.
“I built the plane, but he was the pilot,” Mr. Dayton said of Mr. Betty yesterday. “He was at once a very strait-laced conservative Southern gentleman who also devoured fantasy books. There were a lot of dimensions to him.”
In recent years, EarthLink has faced considerable challenges as consumers abandon dial-up Internet access, the company’s bread and butter, in favor of broadband access. Mr. Betty pushed the company into new businesses, like offering citywide wireless networks and investing in Helio, a venture with SK Telecom, which provides mobile phone service aimed at young consumers.
Mr. Betty and Mr. Hobby had been working together to create a foundation in Mr. Betty’s name that would focus on using adult stem cells to search for cancer cures.
Mr. Betty is survived by his wife, Kathy Betty, and a sister, Rena Lane.
Another passion of Mr. Betty’s was books. He owned 3,500 first editions and first printings, many of them science fiction and fantasy, and about 10,000 pulp magazines.
In an interview a few months ago, he said he loved stories where “good triumphs over evil.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/technology/04betty.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
The cause was heart problems associated with adrenal cortical cancer, said Scott Hobby, a business associate and close family friend.
At his death, Mr. Betty was EarthLink’s chief executive, though he had given up his daily duties to pursue medical treatment.
Charles Garry Betty was born in Huntsville, Ala., and reared in Columbus, Ga. He worked his way through the Georgia Institute of Technology with jobs that included selling house siding over the phone. He graduated in 1979 with a degree in chemical engineering.
He worked briefly at Procter & Gamble and I.B.M., and in 1984 became vice president for sales and marketing at Hayes Microcomputer Products, which made computer modems.
In 1989, Mr. Betty was named president of Digital Communications Associates, which made technology to let personal computers talk to mainframe computers. A year later, at the age of 33, Mr. Betty became chief executive of the company.
In 1996, Sky Dayton, the founder of EarthLink, an Internet access company, persuaded Mr. Betty to become chief executive, working in Pasadena, Calif., and returning to his home in Atlanta on weekends.
At the time, EarthLink was adding subscribers at a furious pace, growing 10 percent to 15 percent every week, but was functionally bankrupt, Mr. Betty said last August.
The company borrowed money and, in January 1997, became one of the first Internet companies to go public, a few months before Amazon.com. It built a reputation for customer service and became known as a consumer-friendly alternative to America Online.
“I built the plane, but he was the pilot,” Mr. Dayton said of Mr. Betty yesterday. “He was at once a very strait-laced conservative Southern gentleman who also devoured fantasy books. There were a lot of dimensions to him.”
In recent years, EarthLink has faced considerable challenges as consumers abandon dial-up Internet access, the company’s bread and butter, in favor of broadband access. Mr. Betty pushed the company into new businesses, like offering citywide wireless networks and investing in Helio, a venture with SK Telecom, which provides mobile phone service aimed at young consumers.
Mr. Betty and Mr. Hobby had been working together to create a foundation in Mr. Betty’s name that would focus on using adult stem cells to search for cancer cures.
Mr. Betty is survived by his wife, Kathy Betty, and a sister, Rena Lane.
Another passion of Mr. Betty’s was books. He owned 3,500 first editions and first printings, many of them science fiction and fantasy, and about 10,000 pulp magazines.
In an interview a few months ago, he said he loved stories where “good triumphs over evil.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/technology/04betty.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Monday, October 15, 2007
MSSP Survey Part 2:Managed Firewall and Intrusion Detection Services
Today, it's well understood that every Internet-connected business requires at least one perimeter firewall—perhaps several, depending upon number of locations, size of workforce, and need for high-availability. Most businesses also require some degree of Intrusion Detection (IDS) to confirm that attacks are not occurring inside their network perimeter (e.g., penetrating firewalls).
These firewall and IDS "best practices" may be very common in large enterprises, but they still aren't easy to design, deploy, administer, and monitor efficiently. Smaller businesses increasingly rely on turnkey security appliances, but lack the in-house expertise to understand whether their deployed defenses are actually effective. Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) can help customers to focus on their own core businesses by offloading these network security tasks.
Managed Firewall services are still a staple for nearly every MSSP participating in our survey, creating a foundation upon which to deliver many add-on or complementary security services. This year, Managed Intrusion Detection offerings have become nearly as prevalent.
However, the line between perimeter firewall and intrusion defenses has become increasingly thin—in some cases, entirely absent—with the advent of Intrusion Prevention (IPS). In this year's survey, we note a marked increase in IPS services, paired with or integrated into firewall/IDS offerings.
Laying The Foundation: Managed Firewalls
Click to view firewall chartNearly every MSSP participating in this year's survey offers one or more Managed Firewall services (see chart). Two participants (Aventail and Fiberlink) focus exclusively on secure remote access and thus do not appear here. AT&T does offer Managed Firewall and IDS (IP Security) services, but did not submit firewall/IDS details this year.
MSSPs deliver Managed Firewall services by taking responsibility for firewall hardware/software installation and policy configuration to reflect customer needs. Typically, MSSPs manage firewall rules and monitor firewall events remotely, 24x7x365, from a Security Operations Center (SOC).
Basic firewall service attributes are fairly consistent across the board. For example, all of the firewall services in this year's survey are CPE-based, access link-independent, and include 24/7 monitoring and automated incident response, except where otherwise noted in our chart. Most are optionally available in high-availability configurations, although architectures do vary (e.g., active-passive, active-active, stateful failover).
Several MSSPs now offer more than one firewall service. For example, ClearPath offers the only network-based firewall service in this year's survey, but also sells a CPE service, based on its own security appliance. ISS offers separate "managed" and "monitored" firewall services, the distinction being whether firewall events receive expert human scrutiny at the SOC. Unisys offers both a standard TCP/IP firewall service and a web application firewall service. Finally, most providers now employ more than one firewall platform, sold under a single service, but selected and deployed as needed to meet each customer's requirements.
In fact, although CheckPoint is still very popular, we're now seeing Cisco PIX and Netscreen (aka Juniper) nearly as often. Fortinet, SonicWALL, Symantec, and WatchGuard appliances made appearances this year, along with proprietary appliances from ClearPath, ISS, PresiNET, SecurePipe, and SecureWorks. The number of providers that now employ more than one platform appears to indicate a move away from one-size-fits-all solutions. After all, you don't need to buy a turnkey box from an MSSP—you can buy those on-line. Expect your MSSP to select the right firewall(s) to meet your company's needs, configure them properly, and keep a full-time watchful eye over them.
As we do each year, we asked providers to describe their procedures for handing firewall policy updates, log and report delivery, and incident response. For many providers, this is where the rubber meets the road—these are time-consuming tasks that require careful scrutiny and security expertise. They are also sensitive tasks that require delegation of selected responsibilities to the provider, while leaving the customer in the driver's seat. It is difficult for a survey to directly compare such processes, but responses to these questions can give you a feel for each provider's overall approach, level of customer interaction, and attention to security. For example:
* Most providers now offer secure, web-based "customer portal" access to logs and reports. When choosing a provider, look carefully at supplied information to ensure you receive sufficient visibility without overwhelming detail. See IDS/IPS for incident response handling.
* Most providers now support on-line change requests, submitted through a customer portal, with status tracking and completion notification. Look for differentiating features like strong authentication of the requester, pre-implementation review/impact assessment, and post-implementation verification.
Most (but not all) firewall services are accompanied by Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that specify certain procedural or health and performance metrics. SLAs still vary quite a bit, and may be customized when negotiating service contracts. Still, we recommend asking your MSSP to quantify its commitments and to stand behind them with future-credit or money-back guarantees. If you require such commitments from your in-house security staff, you should expect no less from your MSSP.
Finally, we asked providers to identify managed firewall service add-ons, since many higher-layer services are sold only in conjunction with underlying network or firewall services. VPN, IDS, and (to a lesser extent) Content Filtering were very common in this year's survey. Many providers also offer complementary services like network scanning—remotely-initiated scans are helpful to demonstrate that your firewall is doing its job
http://www.isp-planet.com/technology/2004/mssp2.html
These firewall and IDS "best practices" may be very common in large enterprises, but they still aren't easy to design, deploy, administer, and monitor efficiently. Smaller businesses increasingly rely on turnkey security appliances, but lack the in-house expertise to understand whether their deployed defenses are actually effective. Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) can help customers to focus on their own core businesses by offloading these network security tasks.
Managed Firewall services are still a staple for nearly every MSSP participating in our survey, creating a foundation upon which to deliver many add-on or complementary security services. This year, Managed Intrusion Detection offerings have become nearly as prevalent.
However, the line between perimeter firewall and intrusion defenses has become increasingly thin—in some cases, entirely absent—with the advent of Intrusion Prevention (IPS). In this year's survey, we note a marked increase in IPS services, paired with or integrated into firewall/IDS offerings.
Laying The Foundation: Managed Firewalls
Click to view firewall chartNearly every MSSP participating in this year's survey offers one or more Managed Firewall services (see chart). Two participants (Aventail and Fiberlink) focus exclusively on secure remote access and thus do not appear here. AT&T does offer Managed Firewall and IDS (IP Security) services, but did not submit firewall/IDS details this year.
MSSPs deliver Managed Firewall services by taking responsibility for firewall hardware/software installation and policy configuration to reflect customer needs. Typically, MSSPs manage firewall rules and monitor firewall events remotely, 24x7x365, from a Security Operations Center (SOC).
Basic firewall service attributes are fairly consistent across the board. For example, all of the firewall services in this year's survey are CPE-based, access link-independent, and include 24/7 monitoring and automated incident response, except where otherwise noted in our chart. Most are optionally available in high-availability configurations, although architectures do vary (e.g., active-passive, active-active, stateful failover).
Several MSSPs now offer more than one firewall service. For example, ClearPath offers the only network-based firewall service in this year's survey, but also sells a CPE service, based on its own security appliance. ISS offers separate "managed" and "monitored" firewall services, the distinction being whether firewall events receive expert human scrutiny at the SOC. Unisys offers both a standard TCP/IP firewall service and a web application firewall service. Finally, most providers now employ more than one firewall platform, sold under a single service, but selected and deployed as needed to meet each customer's requirements.
In fact, although CheckPoint is still very popular, we're now seeing Cisco PIX and Netscreen (aka Juniper) nearly as often. Fortinet, SonicWALL, Symantec, and WatchGuard appliances made appearances this year, along with proprietary appliances from ClearPath, ISS, PresiNET, SecurePipe, and SecureWorks. The number of providers that now employ more than one platform appears to indicate a move away from one-size-fits-all solutions. After all, you don't need to buy a turnkey box from an MSSP—you can buy those on-line. Expect your MSSP to select the right firewall(s) to meet your company's needs, configure them properly, and keep a full-time watchful eye over them.
As we do each year, we asked providers to describe their procedures for handing firewall policy updates, log and report delivery, and incident response. For many providers, this is where the rubber meets the road—these are time-consuming tasks that require careful scrutiny and security expertise. They are also sensitive tasks that require delegation of selected responsibilities to the provider, while leaving the customer in the driver's seat. It is difficult for a survey to directly compare such processes, but responses to these questions can give you a feel for each provider's overall approach, level of customer interaction, and attention to security. For example:
* Most providers now offer secure, web-based "customer portal" access to logs and reports. When choosing a provider, look carefully at supplied information to ensure you receive sufficient visibility without overwhelming detail. See IDS/IPS for incident response handling.
* Most providers now support on-line change requests, submitted through a customer portal, with status tracking and completion notification. Look for differentiating features like strong authentication of the requester, pre-implementation review/impact assessment, and post-implementation verification.
Most (but not all) firewall services are accompanied by Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that specify certain procedural or health and performance metrics. SLAs still vary quite a bit, and may be customized when negotiating service contracts. Still, we recommend asking your MSSP to quantify its commitments and to stand behind them with future-credit or money-back guarantees. If you require such commitments from your in-house security staff, you should expect no less from your MSSP.
Finally, we asked providers to identify managed firewall service add-ons, since many higher-layer services are sold only in conjunction with underlying network or firewall services. VPN, IDS, and (to a lesser extent) Content Filtering were very common in this year's survey. Many providers also offer complementary services like network scanning—remotely-initiated scans are helpful to demonstrate that your firewall is doing its job
http://www.isp-planet.com/technology/2004/mssp2.html
Friday, October 12, 2007
Proven Income - New Home Internet Marketing Strategies
Humans have been writing articles for millenia. The internet has become popular for only about fiften years. Find out how this author uses articles to generate proven income with new home internet marketing strategies.
The title probably got your attention, but maybe this is not so new. And then again, maybe it is new as the internet is not that old. Human beings have been writing for millenia, Writing on the internet with this much ease has only been done for a very short time. I have written a number of articles on the subject of internet marketing, mostly because I am investigating the same, and the best way to clarify your thinking is to put it on paper. Articles will do this for you. Emphasis is on the basics, the kinds of things that anyone new to internet marketing can and should do, not the fancy stuff. These are the not so new home internet marketing strategies that more experienced internet marketers continue to do themselves on a regular basis. They provide the internet marketer with a dependable, recurring, high, and consistent proven income. Focus will be on article marketing because I have become aware of how important this has become to the search engines.
My honest wish is that I had started my online business about 15 years ago when the internet was just getting popular. Like most I didn't. When I did make the decision to start an online business, and I was really new to home internet marketing strategies, I looked at a number of websites for the keywords I had chosen. I remember the first time I spied on my competition. The site had over a thousand links. I had about 10. I thought to myself, how am I ever going to get this many? The competition is tough! Sites with pr four and pr five on page one of Google are so far ahead of me, I will never be able to make up this lost time.
I was so pre-occupied with Google Adwords, list building, and making fast money that I put the idea of getting a lot of links to my website aside. After about ten dollars, it was a lot more than that, and about a month of wasted time, I bought LinkMachine and started linking. I also started submitting my sight to the internet directories. I started getting some traffic from this, but I knew it was not nearly enough. I realized that most of the people looking at my link pages were not the customers I was seeking, but other internet marketing strategists looking for link partners. My site had gotten a pr three, so there were quite a few. I was getting lots of visits to my web pages, however no sales.
I spent the next few months focusing on my linking strategies along with directory submissions. Traffic continued to increase until all of a sudden, I could not seem to find any more high pr sites to link to. I had pretty much run into most of the relative web sites. Many of them required a pr four or higher. Most ignored my requests to be a link partner. This was probably because of the number of requests they receive. I did not want to link to the pr zero sites any more because I realized that this was not going to help my site when I reciprocate. I had to do something different.
I already had about five articles that had been submitted to a number of article directories. A few of them were sitting on page one for the keywords I had written about. After going through all of this, I decided to go on an article campaign. I wrote five articles in one week. I sat down and registered with about two hundred high pr article directories using Article Submitter Pro. I made sure that all of my old articles were showing up in all of the article directories and added them when I found them missing. I picked up a thousand back links just by fixing the old ones.
Then I submitted the five new ones in one week. Within a week my web page went from about page five and six to page one and two in MSN. It also climbed dramatically in Google for one relatively low traffic keyword phrase. Web page visits increased immediately by one hundred or so. The really cool thing about the search engine pages that my web site was showing up for on page one and two, is that the articles are also showing up on page one and two. So, surfers are clicking on my main web page by clicking on my web page link, and if they don't do that, they would also see and click on the article links showing up on the same page.
Fresh articles are important in the article directories as well. If the article directory has a recently added section, your article title will show up on that page as well. This not only exposes the article to surfers who frequent that article directory, it provides you web page with another back link in addition to the article back link itself, even though it may only be for a short while. Article directories like Idea Marketers will display this link not only on their main page, but on the pages of articles that are relative to your topic. They have made a science out of creating internal links for their own web site because these pages also contain links back to their own web pages. I had one article in this article directory that generated dozens of back links because the anchor text link showed up on a number of sub-pages.
Here is something about writing articles that I have found a personal observation on. The longer you are pursuing a business, and searching for that one thing that will give you the proven income that every marketer on the internet seems to promise with little or no effort on your part, the more focused your articles become on the keywords you want your web site to show up on page one in the search engines for. When I realized that this was incredibly important, as well as the anchor text in the author box, the higher my web page started to climb in the search engines. My web pages now show up on page one and two in MSN and Google for about a dozen key word phrases. I am adding about one hundred visits per day on average every month.
These new home internet marketing strategies in the form of your own fresh article content contributions, though not so new in conceptArticle Search, will move your web pages up in the search engine rankings fast! My hope is that your web pages climb the misty mountains of Google and MSN and provide you with the proven income you always deserved.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/online-promotion/proven-income-new-home-internet-marketing-strategies.html
The title probably got your attention, but maybe this is not so new. And then again, maybe it is new as the internet is not that old. Human beings have been writing for millenia, Writing on the internet with this much ease has only been done for a very short time. I have written a number of articles on the subject of internet marketing, mostly because I am investigating the same, and the best way to clarify your thinking is to put it on paper. Articles will do this for you. Emphasis is on the basics, the kinds of things that anyone new to internet marketing can and should do, not the fancy stuff. These are the not so new home internet marketing strategies that more experienced internet marketers continue to do themselves on a regular basis. They provide the internet marketer with a dependable, recurring, high, and consistent proven income. Focus will be on article marketing because I have become aware of how important this has become to the search engines.
My honest wish is that I had started my online business about 15 years ago when the internet was just getting popular. Like most I didn't. When I did make the decision to start an online business, and I was really new to home internet marketing strategies, I looked at a number of websites for the keywords I had chosen. I remember the first time I spied on my competition. The site had over a thousand links. I had about 10. I thought to myself, how am I ever going to get this many? The competition is tough! Sites with pr four and pr five on page one of Google are so far ahead of me, I will never be able to make up this lost time.
I was so pre-occupied with Google Adwords, list building, and making fast money that I put the idea of getting a lot of links to my website aside. After about ten dollars, it was a lot more than that, and about a month of wasted time, I bought LinkMachine and started linking. I also started submitting my sight to the internet directories. I started getting some traffic from this, but I knew it was not nearly enough. I realized that most of the people looking at my link pages were not the customers I was seeking, but other internet marketing strategists looking for link partners. My site had gotten a pr three, so there were quite a few. I was getting lots of visits to my web pages, however no sales.
I spent the next few months focusing on my linking strategies along with directory submissions. Traffic continued to increase until all of a sudden, I could not seem to find any more high pr sites to link to. I had pretty much run into most of the relative web sites. Many of them required a pr four or higher. Most ignored my requests to be a link partner. This was probably because of the number of requests they receive. I did not want to link to the pr zero sites any more because I realized that this was not going to help my site when I reciprocate. I had to do something different.
I already had about five articles that had been submitted to a number of article directories. A few of them were sitting on page one for the keywords I had written about. After going through all of this, I decided to go on an article campaign. I wrote five articles in one week. I sat down and registered with about two hundred high pr article directories using Article Submitter Pro. I made sure that all of my old articles were showing up in all of the article directories and added them when I found them missing. I picked up a thousand back links just by fixing the old ones.
Then I submitted the five new ones in one week. Within a week my web page went from about page five and six to page one and two in MSN. It also climbed dramatically in Google for one relatively low traffic keyword phrase. Web page visits increased immediately by one hundred or so. The really cool thing about the search engine pages that my web site was showing up for on page one and two, is that the articles are also showing up on page one and two. So, surfers are clicking on my main web page by clicking on my web page link, and if they don't do that, they would also see and click on the article links showing up on the same page.
Fresh articles are important in the article directories as well. If the article directory has a recently added section, your article title will show up on that page as well. This not only exposes the article to surfers who frequent that article directory, it provides you web page with another back link in addition to the article back link itself, even though it may only be for a short while. Article directories like Idea Marketers will display this link not only on their main page, but on the pages of articles that are relative to your topic. They have made a science out of creating internal links for their own web site because these pages also contain links back to their own web pages. I had one article in this article directory that generated dozens of back links because the anchor text link showed up on a number of sub-pages.
Here is something about writing articles that I have found a personal observation on. The longer you are pursuing a business, and searching for that one thing that will give you the proven income that every marketer on the internet seems to promise with little or no effort on your part, the more focused your articles become on the keywords you want your web site to show up on page one in the search engines for. When I realized that this was incredibly important, as well as the anchor text in the author box, the higher my web page started to climb in the search engines. My web pages now show up on page one and two in MSN and Google for about a dozen key word phrases. I am adding about one hundred visits per day on average every month.
These new home internet marketing strategies in the form of your own fresh article content contributions, though not so new in conceptArticle Search, will move your web pages up in the search engine rankings fast! My hope is that your web pages climb the misty mountains of Google and MSN and provide you with the proven income you always deserved.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/online-promotion/proven-income-new-home-internet-marketing-strategies.html
Make Money By Writing And Publishing Small Articles On The Internet
A writer can find a great market for his or her work on the Internet. Heck! A Writer can CREATE a business by writing small articles.
Right now, thousands of people from around the world, from professional authors to my sister-in-law, are using small, simple articles to make money on the Internet.
How much money can you make writing articles?Well, that is going to vary from person to person, and a lot of other factors are involved as well. It's not simply how good a writer you are, but the subjects you choose to write about, how you address the subject, where you place your articles, how many sites you get your articles on, how valuable the information is, and the site(s) you link to with your articles. A few small, 600 to 1000 words, articles properly placed can create regular customers and sales while enhancing an internet business website ranking within the search engines...which also increases traffic to the website. Increased traffic can translate to increased customers, therefore more sales, and, in some cases, repeat sales, which translates to residual (passive)Some people make thousands of dollars while others just make a few bucks. However, the technique is simple and it's a game that almost anyone can play. Even my sister-in-law figured out that if she simply wrote about some of the problems she encountered growing up, there would be places where her articles could be published, people who would read those articles, and a means of linking from those articles to a site she and her husband have on the internet.
So, what IS the technique for making money with small articles?In most cases, the first step is to decide on what the general subject is you wish to write about. In this case, I have chosen to write about writing. The general subject is then narrowed down to a niche. Again, in this case, I have chosen to write about how to write small articles for profit. Someone interested in bicycling may write about racing, or even narrow the niche to a specific sort of bike racing or type of racing bike.
The niche should be related to the product. The product may be a physical product, a service, or information. Some people will have a product already. Our bicycle enthusiast above may own a bicycle store or sell bicycle parts and accessories over the internet. I offer various services and information related to writing and publishing articles, so I have chosen to write an article on writing articles...for profit!!It is important in most cases that you choose a product or service that you enjoy talking or writing about. If you pick a product JUST to make money, but don't really care about the area of interest, you will lose your motivation during periods when income is small or slow. It is a reality, by the way, that the first few days, weeks, or even months may be periods where you will make little or no money. An interest in your topic will help keep you coming back to "open your store".
What if you don't already have a product?There are many sites on the internet where you can find people or companies which will be happy to pay you a commission for bringing them buying customers. Most of these "affiliate programs" will only pay if the customer you send to them actually buys something. Years ago, you could find programs which would pay an affiliate for a click-thru, but, of course, many people would just sit and click on the link or have friends click on the link in order to generate income, so that went away.
Some places where you can find products with affiliate programs are ClickBank.com, commission Junction (cj.com), and Link Share (linkshare.com). If you cannot find a product or company that meets your interests, just do a search on related topics and request "affiliate program" with the search. You may have to kiss a few frogs, but there are good affiliate programs in just about every field.
What do you do with your articles?Make your own website:
Obviously, if you have several articles on a subject, you can always create your own website. A benefit of having your own website is that you control the set-up of your articles and you have complete editorial control of both the articles themselves and the website. You can add, subtract, and edit as you wish, and you can create any potentially profitable links as you desire.
The drawbacks are that your website, and article, exposure will be only as good as your search engine optimization efforts will make it and that your articles will be confined to one spot on the web. You will also have to learn something about website design, buy hosting, register domain names, and provide periodic maintenance, just to name a few responsibilities. If you want to try this route, you might want to cut your teeth with free hosting and, once you have gained competence and confidence, register a domain and host your own site yourself.
Create a blog:
There are a myriad of places to create blogs on the internet, and most of them are free. If you are a prolific writer, a blog may be perfect as you can regularly update your blog with new material. Even if you don't turn out articles regularly, you can fill in with material from the article directories, which we will talk about in a moment. Again, you will have control over most of the linking, but free services are sometimes limited in what they will allow you to do. For one example, I once tried to place a banner for an affiliate program on one of my blogs and it threw the positioning of everything out of whack. However, if you can offer interesting and relevant information on your topic and update it regularly, you can create a good amount of traffic to your business or affiliate program.
Post your articles on forums:
There are a kazillion (my spell checker hates that non-word) forums on the Internet, and you can find at least one for almost any topic or subject area. Many will allow you to create a signature which can include a link to your internet business website. Regularly posting relevant and interesting articles on these sites can create a lot of traffic, and sometimes contribute to enhancing your ranking and placement on various search engines.
Post your articles on article directories:
This is my absolute most favorite type, kind, and sort of method. Once you have written an article, you can go to any one of several good article directories and post your article. Article sites will allow you to include a link to your site. Be aware, however, that many sites will not allow linking directly to an affiliate link provided by the company you are affiliated with, so you may wind up having to create an intermediate information site or portal anyway.
Since this article may appear on several different article directories, I won't mention any specific article directories here, but, if you are seeing this article on an article directory, I possibly posted it there...which brings me to a benefit of posting your article on article directories.
Obviously, the more exposure you get for your article the better...in most cases at least. However, it can be a real pain to go from one article directory to another, cutting and pasting and dealing with the rules or restrictions particular to each site. Since many sites allow for your article, with your byline or links attached, to be copied by others, your article may be copied and placed on other sites or used in ezines. Those placed on other websites create new links back to your site, enhancing the value of your site in the eyes of the search engine spiders, and possibly bringing in new customers.
Still, you are faced with the bother of manually placing each new article on several different sites with different requirements. One way around this is to purchase the services of an article submission service. For a fee, these companies will, once you have posted an article on their site, submit it to several different article directories and forums. This can increase your exposure exponentially.
As with many things, there are few overnight successes. If you are able and willing to write at least a few articles and find places to post, them, however, you will be able to create the start of an Internet success story. The key is not to give up just because nothing happens right away. This is why you choose an area which pleases and interests you. If you are working in such an areaFeature Articles, you will find it much easier to continue creating articles even if you are not immediately experiencing fantastic results.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/business/make-money-by-writing-and-publishing-small-articles-on-the-internet.html
Right now, thousands of people from around the world, from professional authors to my sister-in-law, are using small, simple articles to make money on the Internet.
How much money can you make writing articles?Well, that is going to vary from person to person, and a lot of other factors are involved as well. It's not simply how good a writer you are, but the subjects you choose to write about, how you address the subject, where you place your articles, how many sites you get your articles on, how valuable the information is, and the site(s) you link to with your articles. A few small, 600 to 1000 words, articles properly placed can create regular customers and sales while enhancing an internet business website ranking within the search engines...which also increases traffic to the website. Increased traffic can translate to increased customers, therefore more sales, and, in some cases, repeat sales, which translates to residual (passive)Some people make thousands of dollars while others just make a few bucks. However, the technique is simple and it's a game that almost anyone can play. Even my sister-in-law figured out that if she simply wrote about some of the problems she encountered growing up, there would be places where her articles could be published, people who would read those articles, and a means of linking from those articles to a site she and her husband have on the internet.
So, what IS the technique for making money with small articles?In most cases, the first step is to decide on what the general subject is you wish to write about. In this case, I have chosen to write about writing. The general subject is then narrowed down to a niche. Again, in this case, I have chosen to write about how to write small articles for profit. Someone interested in bicycling may write about racing, or even narrow the niche to a specific sort of bike racing or type of racing bike.
The niche should be related to the product. The product may be a physical product, a service, or information. Some people will have a product already. Our bicycle enthusiast above may own a bicycle store or sell bicycle parts and accessories over the internet. I offer various services and information related to writing and publishing articles, so I have chosen to write an article on writing articles...for profit!!It is important in most cases that you choose a product or service that you enjoy talking or writing about. If you pick a product JUST to make money, but don't really care about the area of interest, you will lose your motivation during periods when income is small or slow. It is a reality, by the way, that the first few days, weeks, or even months may be periods where you will make little or no money. An interest in your topic will help keep you coming back to "open your store".
What if you don't already have a product?There are many sites on the internet where you can find people or companies which will be happy to pay you a commission for bringing them buying customers. Most of these "affiliate programs" will only pay if the customer you send to them actually buys something. Years ago, you could find programs which would pay an affiliate for a click-thru, but, of course, many people would just sit and click on the link or have friends click on the link in order to generate income, so that went away.
Some places where you can find products with affiliate programs are ClickBank.com, commission Junction (cj.com), and Link Share (linkshare.com). If you cannot find a product or company that meets your interests, just do a search on related topics and request "affiliate program" with the search. You may have to kiss a few frogs, but there are good affiliate programs in just about every field.
What do you do with your articles?Make your own website:
Obviously, if you have several articles on a subject, you can always create your own website. A benefit of having your own website is that you control the set-up of your articles and you have complete editorial control of both the articles themselves and the website. You can add, subtract, and edit as you wish, and you can create any potentially profitable links as you desire.
The drawbacks are that your website, and article, exposure will be only as good as your search engine optimization efforts will make it and that your articles will be confined to one spot on the web. You will also have to learn something about website design, buy hosting, register domain names, and provide periodic maintenance, just to name a few responsibilities. If you want to try this route, you might want to cut your teeth with free hosting and, once you have gained competence and confidence, register a domain and host your own site yourself.
Create a blog:
There are a myriad of places to create blogs on the internet, and most of them are free. If you are a prolific writer, a blog may be perfect as you can regularly update your blog with new material. Even if you don't turn out articles regularly, you can fill in with material from the article directories, which we will talk about in a moment. Again, you will have control over most of the linking, but free services are sometimes limited in what they will allow you to do. For one example, I once tried to place a banner for an affiliate program on one of my blogs and it threw the positioning of everything out of whack. However, if you can offer interesting and relevant information on your topic and update it regularly, you can create a good amount of traffic to your business or affiliate program.
Post your articles on forums:
There are a kazillion (my spell checker hates that non-word) forums on the Internet, and you can find at least one for almost any topic or subject area. Many will allow you to create a signature which can include a link to your internet business website. Regularly posting relevant and interesting articles on these sites can create a lot of traffic, and sometimes contribute to enhancing your ranking and placement on various search engines.
Post your articles on article directories:
This is my absolute most favorite type, kind, and sort of method. Once you have written an article, you can go to any one of several good article directories and post your article. Article sites will allow you to include a link to your site. Be aware, however, that many sites will not allow linking directly to an affiliate link provided by the company you are affiliated with, so you may wind up having to create an intermediate information site or portal anyway.
Since this article may appear on several different article directories, I won't mention any specific article directories here, but, if you are seeing this article on an article directory, I possibly posted it there...which brings me to a benefit of posting your article on article directories.
Obviously, the more exposure you get for your article the better...in most cases at least. However, it can be a real pain to go from one article directory to another, cutting and pasting and dealing with the rules or restrictions particular to each site. Since many sites allow for your article, with your byline or links attached, to be copied by others, your article may be copied and placed on other sites or used in ezines. Those placed on other websites create new links back to your site, enhancing the value of your site in the eyes of the search engine spiders, and possibly bringing in new customers.
Still, you are faced with the bother of manually placing each new article on several different sites with different requirements. One way around this is to purchase the services of an article submission service. For a fee, these companies will, once you have posted an article on their site, submit it to several different article directories and forums. This can increase your exposure exponentially.
As with many things, there are few overnight successes. If you are able and willing to write at least a few articles and find places to post, them, however, you will be able to create the start of an Internet success story. The key is not to give up just because nothing happens right away. This is why you choose an area which pleases and interests you. If you are working in such an areaFeature Articles, you will find it much easier to continue creating articles even if you are not immediately experiencing fantastic results.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/business/make-money-by-writing-and-publishing-small-articles-on-the-internet.html
The Greatest Internet Marketing Strategy Using Google Adsense
Are you writing articles with the idea of marketing your internet business? Discover how using the right keywords in articles and having Google Adsense ads on your content site is now one of the most profitable ways of internet advertising.
Are you using this internet marketing strategy? If not, you may be leaving thousands of dollars of extra profits on the table by not utilizing this strategy.
Are you writing articles with the idea of marketing your internet business?
Discover how using the right keywords in articles and having Google Adsense ads on your content site is now one of the most profitable ways of internet advertising.
Are you using this internet marketing strategy?
If not, you may be leaving thousands of dollars of extra profits on the table by not utilizing this strategy.
This is one of the many reasons writing original quality content articles is now the latest marketing buzz.
The two basics that you can combine to really power a successful website. Content and links.
You already know that right?
Are you writing articles and submitting them using such services as SubmitYourArticle?
Many internet marketing pro’s have been writing articles for many years.
They already know the value of original quality content and using keywords will drive targeted traffic to their websites from the search engines such as Google.
So why don’t all internet marketing business owners write and submit articles for their internet marketing strategy?
The simple answer is that it takes time to write articles, submit them and get targeted traffic to their websites.
Another reason, is that writing articles reminds us of school research papers, essays and reports that are a deep negative anchor in the subconscious mind.
Did you enjoy writing when you were in school?
If your answer is yes, you have an advantage over the 95% of internet marketing business owners that want to make money online with a work at home opportunity.
Imagine how much opportunity there is for you because of knowing this simple fact.
The other 5% are taking advantage of this internet marketing strategy and internet advertising, by using Google Adsense ads to make money online on the front and backend writing articles.
Why do you think marketing sites want fresh, quality, original keyword rich content?
The website owner can have an article with keywords that relate to their website content.
This helps their websites page rank when indexed by the search engines.
Which in turn, gets more Google Adsense ads to show above, below and or next to the article on their website with targeted traffic.
Think about this for a moment. Imagine taking advantage of a work at home opportunity, marketing from both sides of the sales coin with 3 simple steps.
3 Simple Steps To Success With Content And Keywords
1.) You write quality original content, keyword/phrase rich articles, with links to your website in the resource box.
2.) You build a website or web page with targeted keyword/phrase rich original content for the targeted traffic that originates from your articles.
3.) You have Google Adsense ads that are targeted to your keyword/phrase rich original content site when visitors looking for more information arrive.
If you did not get all that, you may want to read it again.
A Win-Win Situation For Everyone Involved.
The person looking for quality content and information.
The person writing the original content articles.
The person with the quality original content rich website.
And Yes, Google Adsense and their advertisers are getting targeted traffic and sales, but so is everyone else.
Internet marketing business owners who incorporate Google Adsense with writing articles, can make money online if done properly with this internet marketing strategy.
An Overview Of Google Adsense And Writing Articles.
There are 3 keys to internet marketing success writing articles and using Google Adsense ads.
1.) Keyword Research. Find popular subjects and keywords/phrases, using a keyword selector and suggestion tool by Overture and 7Search.
2.) Writing Articles. Write original content with keywords from your research.
3.) Quality Content Site. Build a quality content site incorporated with Google Adsense ads that target the subject and keywords of your article and website.
There are many marketing business ideas.
Starting an internet marketing business can be very rewarding and at the same time challenging.
It’s best to take the time to research and develop an internet marketing strategy.
You can find all the tools, information and resources online by doing a Google search on any subject such as Google Adsense.
Internet marketing opportunities are wide open for you. Writing articles and using Google Adsense for your internet marketing strategy is one way to get a piece of the action.
Are you going to take advantage of the greatest internet marketing strategy online today to make money online with Google Adsense and writing articles?
Just get started. Do whatever it takes to write something. For building long term success, there’s very little you can do that will give you near the same results online today.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/marketing/the-greatest-internet-marketing-strategy-using-google-adsense.html
Are you using this internet marketing strategy? If not, you may be leaving thousands of dollars of extra profits on the table by not utilizing this strategy.
Are you writing articles with the idea of marketing your internet business?
Discover how using the right keywords in articles and having Google Adsense ads on your content site is now one of the most profitable ways of internet advertising.
Are you using this internet marketing strategy?
If not, you may be leaving thousands of dollars of extra profits on the table by not utilizing this strategy.
This is one of the many reasons writing original quality content articles is now the latest marketing buzz.
The two basics that you can combine to really power a successful website. Content and links.
You already know that right?
Are you writing articles and submitting them using such services as SubmitYourArticle?
Many internet marketing pro’s have been writing articles for many years.
They already know the value of original quality content and using keywords will drive targeted traffic to their websites from the search engines such as Google.
So why don’t all internet marketing business owners write and submit articles for their internet marketing strategy?
The simple answer is that it takes time to write articles, submit them and get targeted traffic to their websites.
Another reason, is that writing articles reminds us of school research papers, essays and reports that are a deep negative anchor in the subconscious mind.
Did you enjoy writing when you were in school?
If your answer is yes, you have an advantage over the 95% of internet marketing business owners that want to make money online with a work at home opportunity.
Imagine how much opportunity there is for you because of knowing this simple fact.
The other 5% are taking advantage of this internet marketing strategy and internet advertising, by using Google Adsense ads to make money online on the front and backend writing articles.
Why do you think marketing sites want fresh, quality, original keyword rich content?
The website owner can have an article with keywords that relate to their website content.
This helps their websites page rank when indexed by the search engines.
Which in turn, gets more Google Adsense ads to show above, below and or next to the article on their website with targeted traffic.
Think about this for a moment. Imagine taking advantage of a work at home opportunity, marketing from both sides of the sales coin with 3 simple steps.
3 Simple Steps To Success With Content And Keywords
1.) You write quality original content, keyword/phrase rich articles, with links to your website in the resource box.
2.) You build a website or web page with targeted keyword/phrase rich original content for the targeted traffic that originates from your articles.
3.) You have Google Adsense ads that are targeted to your keyword/phrase rich original content site when visitors looking for more information arrive.
If you did not get all that, you may want to read it again.
A Win-Win Situation For Everyone Involved.
The person looking for quality content and information.
The person writing the original content articles.
The person with the quality original content rich website.
And Yes, Google Adsense and their advertisers are getting targeted traffic and sales, but so is everyone else.
Internet marketing business owners who incorporate Google Adsense with writing articles, can make money online if done properly with this internet marketing strategy.
An Overview Of Google Adsense And Writing Articles.
There are 3 keys to internet marketing success writing articles and using Google Adsense ads.
1.) Keyword Research. Find popular subjects and keywords/phrases, using a keyword selector and suggestion tool by Overture and 7Search.
2.) Writing Articles. Write original content with keywords from your research.
3.) Quality Content Site. Build a quality content site incorporated with Google Adsense ads that target the subject and keywords of your article and website.
There are many marketing business ideas.
Starting an internet marketing business can be very rewarding and at the same time challenging.
It’s best to take the time to research and develop an internet marketing strategy.
You can find all the tools, information and resources online by doing a Google search on any subject such as Google Adsense.
Internet marketing opportunities are wide open for you. Writing articles and using Google Adsense for your internet marketing strategy is one way to get a piece of the action.
Are you going to take advantage of the greatest internet marketing strategy online today to make money online with Google Adsense and writing articles?
Just get started. Do whatever it takes to write something. For building long term success, there’s very little you can do that will give you near the same results online today.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/marketing/the-greatest-internet-marketing-strategy-using-google-adsense.html
Choosing An Internet Merchant Account
Surf to Google and perform a search on "Internet Merchant Account". The results are staggering (472,000 results!) If you have created a web based business and need to accept credit card payments, your choices are limitless. Before you partner with a provider, take time to understand the different components of internet credit card processing, and know what to look for in a merchant provider.
How It Works
Accepting credit card payments through your web site actually requires multiple components. Between a paying customer and your bank account, three layers exist:
Payment Gateway - This is the code that will transmit a customer's order to and from an internet merchant account provider. The payment gateway provides you the ability to accept customer billing information (credit card number, credit card type, expiration date, and payment amount) and the necessary validation steps that must be followed before the credit card is actually billed.
Internet Merchant Account - A Merchant Account is an account with a financial institution or bank, which enables you to accept credit card payments from your clients. The payment gateway actually transmits the billing information to the internet merchant account provider. Unfortunately, most local banks do not provide internet merchant account capability.
The main reason why most local financial institutions or banks do not want to provide online merchant accounts is because transactions conducted over the Internet are totally different from face to face transactions where a signature is required to authorize the purchase. This makes online transactions prone to credit card fraud. Fraud protection should be one of your primary considerations when choosing an internet merchant account provider.
Web Site - Regardless of which merchant provider and gateway service you choose, your web site will need to integrate with your service providers. Most providers include detailed web integration instructions.
How Much Does It Cost
Understanding the total costs of your merchant provider can be tricky. Remember my Google example - there are more merchant account providers than there are people looking for internet merchant accounts so ask questions and be picky! Typically, an internet merchant account will have three types of costs:
- Up Front Application Fees
- On Going Fixed Fee
- Discount Rate
- Fixed Transaction Fee
- Termination Fees
- Miscellaneous Fees
Let us discuss each type of cost:
Up Front Application Fees
Many internet merchant accounts will require an up front application fee. This fee, supposedly, is to cover their costs for processing your application. In case you choose not to open an internet merchant account, they still cover their initial costs. Although common, many providers waive these fees and I recommend that you choose a provider that does not require an up front fee.
On Going Fixed Fee
Most all internet merchant providers require a monthly fixed fee or "statement fee" as it is commonly named, which is simply another way to cover their costs and make money. You will be hard pressed to find a provider that does not require this type of fee on a monthly basis. However, do not choose an internet merchant account that requires more than $10 per month. Additionally, most internet merchant providers require a monthly minimum (usually $25). The bottom line is that you will be paying at least $25 per month (on top of the monthly statement fee) for your account.
Discount Rate
Usually, the discount rate will be between 2 and 4 percent. The discount rate is the sales commission the provider earns on each sale. For example, if the discount rate offered is 3%, and you receive a sale over your web site for $20, you will owe 60 cents to your internet merchant provider.
Fixed Transaction Fee
Usually between $0.20 and $0.30, the fixed transaction fee is the fixed fee portion of each sale. Unlike the discount rate, the fixed transaction fee is the same for every transaction. Whether you get a $1 sale or a $100 sale, the transaction fee will be the same.
Termination Fee
A bit more hidden in the small print, a termination fee can apply if you cancel your merchant account within a specified period of time (usually within one year). But beware, some merchant providers require a three year commitment!
Miscellaneous Fees
If a customer requests a refund and they want their credit card credited, an internet merchant provider will charge you a separate fee (usually between $10 - $20). Read the contract carefully, as other special fees may apply.
Putting It All Together
Now that the different fees have been explained, let us look at an example set of transactions to help understand what an internet merchant account may cost your business on a monthly basis.
I have created a simple formula to help you calculate your monthly charges:
Total Charges = Statement Fee + Number of Transactions x (Average Sale x Discount Rate + Fixed Transaction Fee) + (Number of Chargebacks x Chargeback Fee)
For example, let us see you sell widgets over the internet. The sales price for each widget is $10. You typically have 100 sales per month and about 5 people request refunds (chargebacks). For this example, let us assume you have signed up with Jones&Jones internet merchant account services and have the following terms:
Discount Rate - %2.5
Statement Fee - $10
Fixed Transaction Fee - $0.30
Chargeback Fee - $15
Using my formula above, your monthly Jones&Jones charges will be:
Total Charges = 10 + 100 x (10 x .025 + 0.3) + (5 x 15) = $140
You can calculate your monthly sales revenue by multiplying your sales volume by your price:
Monthly Sales Revenue = 100 x $10 = $1000
Your internet merchant provider is costing you %14 or your total sales.
Making Your Decision
Before you choose and internet merchant provider, understand all of the cost components. Use your current or projected sales data to forecast what your internet merchant account costs will be. Planning ahead can save you time and money.
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as a link to FindMyHosting is included. For the link, please use http://www.findmyhosting.com, and for the link text, please use "FindMyHosting - Web Hosting Search". Although preferredPsychology Articles, no notification required.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/web-design/choosing-an-internet-merchant-account.html
How It Works
Accepting credit card payments through your web site actually requires multiple components. Between a paying customer and your bank account, three layers exist:
Payment Gateway - This is the code that will transmit a customer's order to and from an internet merchant account provider. The payment gateway provides you the ability to accept customer billing information (credit card number, credit card type, expiration date, and payment amount) and the necessary validation steps that must be followed before the credit card is actually billed.
Internet Merchant Account - A Merchant Account is an account with a financial institution or bank, which enables you to accept credit card payments from your clients. The payment gateway actually transmits the billing information to the internet merchant account provider. Unfortunately, most local banks do not provide internet merchant account capability.
The main reason why most local financial institutions or banks do not want to provide online merchant accounts is because transactions conducted over the Internet are totally different from face to face transactions where a signature is required to authorize the purchase. This makes online transactions prone to credit card fraud. Fraud protection should be one of your primary considerations when choosing an internet merchant account provider.
Web Site - Regardless of which merchant provider and gateway service you choose, your web site will need to integrate with your service providers. Most providers include detailed web integration instructions.
How Much Does It Cost
Understanding the total costs of your merchant provider can be tricky. Remember my Google example - there are more merchant account providers than there are people looking for internet merchant accounts so ask questions and be picky! Typically, an internet merchant account will have three types of costs:
- Up Front Application Fees
- On Going Fixed Fee
- Discount Rate
- Fixed Transaction Fee
- Termination Fees
- Miscellaneous Fees
Let us discuss each type of cost:
Up Front Application Fees
Many internet merchant accounts will require an up front application fee. This fee, supposedly, is to cover their costs for processing your application. In case you choose not to open an internet merchant account, they still cover their initial costs. Although common, many providers waive these fees and I recommend that you choose a provider that does not require an up front fee.
On Going Fixed Fee
Most all internet merchant providers require a monthly fixed fee or "statement fee" as it is commonly named, which is simply another way to cover their costs and make money. You will be hard pressed to find a provider that does not require this type of fee on a monthly basis. However, do not choose an internet merchant account that requires more than $10 per month. Additionally, most internet merchant providers require a monthly minimum (usually $25). The bottom line is that you will be paying at least $25 per month (on top of the monthly statement fee) for your account.
Discount Rate
Usually, the discount rate will be between 2 and 4 percent. The discount rate is the sales commission the provider earns on each sale. For example, if the discount rate offered is 3%, and you receive a sale over your web site for $20, you will owe 60 cents to your internet merchant provider.
Fixed Transaction Fee
Usually between $0.20 and $0.30, the fixed transaction fee is the fixed fee portion of each sale. Unlike the discount rate, the fixed transaction fee is the same for every transaction. Whether you get a $1 sale or a $100 sale, the transaction fee will be the same.
Termination Fee
A bit more hidden in the small print, a termination fee can apply if you cancel your merchant account within a specified period of time (usually within one year). But beware, some merchant providers require a three year commitment!
Miscellaneous Fees
If a customer requests a refund and they want their credit card credited, an internet merchant provider will charge you a separate fee (usually between $10 - $20). Read the contract carefully, as other special fees may apply.
Putting It All Together
Now that the different fees have been explained, let us look at an example set of transactions to help understand what an internet merchant account may cost your business on a monthly basis.
I have created a simple formula to help you calculate your monthly charges:
Total Charges = Statement Fee + Number of Transactions x (Average Sale x Discount Rate + Fixed Transaction Fee) + (Number of Chargebacks x Chargeback Fee)
For example, let us see you sell widgets over the internet. The sales price for each widget is $10. You typically have 100 sales per month and about 5 people request refunds (chargebacks). For this example, let us assume you have signed up with Jones&Jones internet merchant account services and have the following terms:
Discount Rate - %2.5
Statement Fee - $10
Fixed Transaction Fee - $0.30
Chargeback Fee - $15
Using my formula above, your monthly Jones&Jones charges will be:
Total Charges = 10 + 100 x (10 x .025 + 0.3) + (5 x 15) = $140
You can calculate your monthly sales revenue by multiplying your sales volume by your price:
Monthly Sales Revenue = 100 x $10 = $1000
Your internet merchant provider is costing you %14 or your total sales.
Making Your Decision
Before you choose and internet merchant provider, understand all of the cost components. Use your current or projected sales data to forecast what your internet merchant account costs will be. Planning ahead can save you time and money.
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as a link to FindMyHosting is included. For the link, please use http://www.findmyhosting.com, and for the link text, please use "FindMyHosting - Web Hosting Search". Although preferredPsychology Articles, no notification required.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/web-design/choosing-an-internet-merchant-account.html
Thursday, October 11, 2007
How to Choose an Internet Service Provider
An ISP - Internet Service Provider - is a company that provides a gateway to the Internet for individuals and companies. In its simplest form, connecting to the Internet requires a telephone line to dial up an ISP using a computer and modem. The ISP then provides the route onto the Internet.
Choosing an Internet Service Provider requires a simple first step. Ask yourself: "What do I want to use the Internet for?" If you can answer this, you can then start to work out your requirements.
Answers to the question "What do I want to use the Internet for?" can include:
- How much will I use the Internet each month?
- What time of day will I use it?
- Do I need web space?
- Is customer support important to me?
- How many e-mail addresses will I need?
- Can the ISP support online payments?
- How much does it cost?
Another question to ask is “How long has the ISP been in business?” This might not seem important but in this industry ISP’s come and go quite regularly. Running an ISP requires extensive computer knowledge, experience and quality hardware, not to mention a reliable line into the Internet, plenty of good modems and adequate customer support.
Different types of Internet service
Dial-up: connects to the ISP using a modem. This is the most basic, slowest and cheapest option.
DSL: popular high speed internet service. It uses a regular telephone line to connect to the InternetHealth Fitness Articles, however it is faster that dial-up and allows you to access the Internet and use the phone at the same time.
Cable: high speed Internet service that uses your TV cable.
Satellite: It connects to the Internet using a satellite dish. It is more expensive than other options but allows people leaving in isolated areas to access the Internet.
Wireless: Connect to the Internet while you are away from home. Allows people to travel with their laptops and access the Internet from hot spots worldwide.
T1: very high speed internet service special for businesses.
The next step should be to start calling the Internet Service Providers in your area or visiting their websites for more information. A good way to find out about a particular ISP in your area is to ask people who use it or try it yourself. On the Internet there are good ISP's directories that you may want to visit as well.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/communication/how-to-choose-an-internet-service-provider.html
Choosing an Internet Service Provider requires a simple first step. Ask yourself: "What do I want to use the Internet for?" If you can answer this, you can then start to work out your requirements.
Answers to the question "What do I want to use the Internet for?" can include:
- How much will I use the Internet each month?
- What time of day will I use it?
- Do I need web space?
- Is customer support important to me?
- How many e-mail addresses will I need?
- Can the ISP support online payments?
- How much does it cost?
Another question to ask is “How long has the ISP been in business?” This might not seem important but in this industry ISP’s come and go quite regularly. Running an ISP requires extensive computer knowledge, experience and quality hardware, not to mention a reliable line into the Internet, plenty of good modems and adequate customer support.
Different types of Internet service
Dial-up: connects to the ISP using a modem. This is the most basic, slowest and cheapest option.
DSL: popular high speed internet service. It uses a regular telephone line to connect to the InternetHealth Fitness Articles, however it is faster that dial-up and allows you to access the Internet and use the phone at the same time.
Cable: high speed Internet service that uses your TV cable.
Satellite: It connects to the Internet using a satellite dish. It is more expensive than other options but allows people leaving in isolated areas to access the Internet.
Wireless: Connect to the Internet while you are away from home. Allows people to travel with their laptops and access the Internet from hot spots worldwide.
T1: very high speed internet service special for businesses.
The next step should be to start calling the Internet Service Providers in your area or visiting their websites for more information. A good way to find out about a particular ISP in your area is to ask people who use it or try it yourself. On the Internet there are good ISP's directories that you may want to visit as well.
http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/communication/how-to-choose-an-internet-service-provider.html
The Plague Upon Us
Posing this question is not intended to make light of the threat. Viruses are proliferating at a phenomenal rate, causing enormous damage. According to Computer Economics, the worldwide economic impact of malicious code attacks in 2001 topped $13.2B. Nimda alone infected over two million servers and 700,000 PCs in just 24 hours. Downtime and recovery from this single worm rang up a $635M price-tag last year. And there's more to come: Eight months after being released into the wild, Nimda remained on the top ten list of viruses detected last week.
SonicWALL claims there are over 50,000 known viruses, with 200 to 800 new viruses discovered every month. This month, the new kid on the block is W32/Klez. According to Sophos, Klez-G and H accounted for 77.8 percent of all virus activity last week. Klez propagates with its own SMTP engine, mailing itself to addresses harvested from Windows address books, ICQ lists, text files, Word documents, Acrobat files—even cached Web pages. By exploiting an old Microsoft Outlook preview pane vulnerability, Klez spreads without requiring naïve users to execute file attachments.
McAfee, Symantec, TrendMicro, Sophos, and other AV vendors quickly supplied Klez signature updates and disinfectant programs. But after these vendors finally wrestle Klez variants into submission, another prolific worm is sure to follow. According to ICSA, 87 percent of major virus infections today are carried by e-mail. Business use of e-mail has become so mission-critical that reacting to new threats by temporarily blocking all incoming e-mail or file attachments is impractical, prohibitively expensive, and ultimately doomed to failure.
An effective antidote?
Virus protection is clearly warranted, but where are AV measures best deployed? Major AV software vendors produce a dizzying array of products for desktops, PDAs, mail servers, Web servers, Web caches, file servers, and firewalls. Some even market AV appliances: turnkey hardware dedicated solely to virus scanning. What are the benefits of virus scanning in each of these locations? Is there value in scanning at all of these locations?
Stand-alone AV products like McAfee VirusScan, Norton AntiVirus, Trend Micro PC-cillin, and F-Secure Anti-Virus Personal Edition are appropriate for individual users and small businesses. These desktop scanners are foot soldiers—our first and last line of defense in the war against computer viruses. However, end users retain control over repair, quarantine, and delete actions taken when a virus is detected. Furthermore, although most of these products can automatically download updates, users may disable auto-update, suspend scanning, or remove the product entirely. A survey conducted by Central Commands found that 25 percent of all users neglect to install or update their AV software.
Boris Yanovsky, Director of Software Engineering at SonicWALL, strongly recommends using some mechanism to enforce timely updates. "This is where the concept of time to protection comes in: the time between a virus being released into the wild and the time to distribute and install updates," said Yanovsky. "On average, time to protection is 48 hours. That is only for highly publicized attacks where people realize they need to install an update."
Forced inoculation
For central AV enforcement, larger enterprises typically use products like F-Secure Anti-Virus for Desktops & Laptops, Norton AntiVirus (NAV) Corporate Edition, McAfee VirusScan Thin Client, Trend Micro OfficeScan, and Sophos AntiVirus. Such products can provide a single point of control for cross-platform policy management, virus event monitoring, automated response, and large-scale deployment of updates and remedies. These products also use volume licensing to reduce cost. For example, one retailer that sells single-user NAV for $52.47 sells NAV Corporate Edition from $30.58 for 10-24 users, dropping to $12.66 for 5,000-9,999 users.
Smaller companies can also benefit from central AV enforcement but may lack the IT staff to administer it. In this case, consider enforcing desktop AV updates with an Internet security appliance like SonicWALL. This appliance prevents users from accessing the Internet unless they have current virus protection installed on their desktops. "This is safer because updates are deployed upon release, in fastest possible time, protecting against users who would uninstall or turn off AV," said Yanovsky. But comparing total cost of ownership is difficult. For example, one retailer sells the SonicWALL SOHO3 for $820 with a 50-user AV upgrade for $1,300. Although these AV licenses alone may be similarly priced, how do you quantify the "hidden cost" of administration?
Multi-tier protection
Centrally administered desktop AV is popular and, by most accounts, highly effective. However, many security experts recommend complementing best practices—this includes, eliminating unused services, applying patches, maintaining security logs, and auditing them for suspicious activity—with multi-tiered virus protection.
"Considering the prevalence and proliferation of e-mail borne viruses, desktop AV is necessary but is no longer sufficient," said Fred Avolio, principal of Avolio Consulting. "I recommend to my clients, supplementing desktop AV (which also deals with viruses from mobile PC and removable disks, as well) with AV software on either the firewall or the e-mail server. And I recommend that priority order: desktop first, firewall or server next."
Software deployment is simpler when there are fewer copies to administer. As Trend Micro put it, "When a threat like the LoveLetter can spread around the world in less than an hour, the time required to update all networked PCs is completely inadequate [and] can cost a business millions of dollars. On the other hand, a handful of Internet and E-mail gateways can be updated in a matter of minutes."
Gateway scanning can also be more efficient. An infected document on a file server can spread rapidly to networked clients. Even if desktop AV detects the virus on file access, it is computationally less expensive—and less risky—to repair, quarantine, or delete the virus at the source. Similarly, malicious mail attachments that are stripped at the SMTP or POP server never get the chance to spread to unprotected desktops or PDAs.
Despite these added efficiencies, gateway AV should not be used alone. Scanning at the mail server, Web server, or firewall may stop Internet-borne viruses, but cannot prevent propagation by other vectors—notably, the floppies, zip drives, and CDs that carry files (and viruses) from home to office to customer site and back again. Scanning at the gateway and desktop is a one-two punch that provides more comprehensive coverage.
http://www.isp-planet.com/technology/2002/antivirus.html
SonicWALL claims there are over 50,000 known viruses, with 200 to 800 new viruses discovered every month. This month, the new kid on the block is W32/Klez. According to Sophos, Klez-G and H accounted for 77.8 percent of all virus activity last week. Klez propagates with its own SMTP engine, mailing itself to addresses harvested from Windows address books, ICQ lists, text files, Word documents, Acrobat files—even cached Web pages. By exploiting an old Microsoft Outlook preview pane vulnerability, Klez spreads without requiring naïve users to execute file attachments.
McAfee, Symantec, TrendMicro, Sophos, and other AV vendors quickly supplied Klez signature updates and disinfectant programs. But after these vendors finally wrestle Klez variants into submission, another prolific worm is sure to follow. According to ICSA, 87 percent of major virus infections today are carried by e-mail. Business use of e-mail has become so mission-critical that reacting to new threats by temporarily blocking all incoming e-mail or file attachments is impractical, prohibitively expensive, and ultimately doomed to failure.
An effective antidote?
Virus protection is clearly warranted, but where are AV measures best deployed? Major AV software vendors produce a dizzying array of products for desktops, PDAs, mail servers, Web servers, Web caches, file servers, and firewalls. Some even market AV appliances: turnkey hardware dedicated solely to virus scanning. What are the benefits of virus scanning in each of these locations? Is there value in scanning at all of these locations?
Stand-alone AV products like McAfee VirusScan, Norton AntiVirus, Trend Micro PC-cillin, and F-Secure Anti-Virus Personal Edition are appropriate for individual users and small businesses. These desktop scanners are foot soldiers—our first and last line of defense in the war against computer viruses. However, end users retain control over repair, quarantine, and delete actions taken when a virus is detected. Furthermore, although most of these products can automatically download updates, users may disable auto-update, suspend scanning, or remove the product entirely. A survey conducted by Central Commands found that 25 percent of all users neglect to install or update their AV software.
Boris Yanovsky, Director of Software Engineering at SonicWALL, strongly recommends using some mechanism to enforce timely updates. "This is where the concept of time to protection comes in: the time between a virus being released into the wild and the time to distribute and install updates," said Yanovsky. "On average, time to protection is 48 hours. That is only for highly publicized attacks where people realize they need to install an update."
Forced inoculation
For central AV enforcement, larger enterprises typically use products like F-Secure Anti-Virus for Desktops & Laptops, Norton AntiVirus (NAV) Corporate Edition, McAfee VirusScan Thin Client, Trend Micro OfficeScan, and Sophos AntiVirus. Such products can provide a single point of control for cross-platform policy management, virus event monitoring, automated response, and large-scale deployment of updates and remedies. These products also use volume licensing to reduce cost. For example, one retailer that sells single-user NAV for $52.47 sells NAV Corporate Edition from $30.58 for 10-24 users, dropping to $12.66 for 5,000-9,999 users.
Smaller companies can also benefit from central AV enforcement but may lack the IT staff to administer it. In this case, consider enforcing desktop AV updates with an Internet security appliance like SonicWALL. This appliance prevents users from accessing the Internet unless they have current virus protection installed on their desktops. "This is safer because updates are deployed upon release, in fastest possible time, protecting against users who would uninstall or turn off AV," said Yanovsky. But comparing total cost of ownership is difficult. For example, one retailer sells the SonicWALL SOHO3 for $820 with a 50-user AV upgrade for $1,300. Although these AV licenses alone may be similarly priced, how do you quantify the "hidden cost" of administration?
Multi-tier protection
Centrally administered desktop AV is popular and, by most accounts, highly effective. However, many security experts recommend complementing best practices—this includes, eliminating unused services, applying patches, maintaining security logs, and auditing them for suspicious activity—with multi-tiered virus protection.
"Considering the prevalence and proliferation of e-mail borne viruses, desktop AV is necessary but is no longer sufficient," said Fred Avolio, principal of Avolio Consulting. "I recommend to my clients, supplementing desktop AV (which also deals with viruses from mobile PC and removable disks, as well) with AV software on either the firewall or the e-mail server. And I recommend that priority order: desktop first, firewall or server next."
Software deployment is simpler when there are fewer copies to administer. As Trend Micro put it, "When a threat like the LoveLetter can spread around the world in less than an hour, the time required to update all networked PCs is completely inadequate [and] can cost a business millions of dollars. On the other hand, a handful of Internet and E-mail gateways can be updated in a matter of minutes."
Gateway scanning can also be more efficient. An infected document on a file server can spread rapidly to networked clients. Even if desktop AV detects the virus on file access, it is computationally less expensive—and less risky—to repair, quarantine, or delete the virus at the source. Similarly, malicious mail attachments that are stripped at the SMTP or POP server never get the chance to spread to unprotected desktops or PDAs.
Despite these added efficiencies, gateway AV should not be used alone. Scanning at the mail server, Web server, or firewall may stop Internet-borne viruses, but cannot prevent propagation by other vectors—notably, the floppies, zip drives, and CDs that carry files (and viruses) from home to office to customer site and back again. Scanning at the gateway and desktop is a one-two punch that provides more comprehensive coverage.
http://www.isp-planet.com/technology/2002/antivirus.html
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