Feeling Safe about Internet Purchases for Retirees

More and more the internet has become a part of a lot of lives. We find it easy to surf by most well we fear some purchasing on line. With the security features that most web sites have we should not hesitate to buy just what we want.

By using precautions online while we are buying is smart. Whenever you purchase your items, first be sure to check if you have a secure connection, by checking to see if somewhere on your screen you have a little padlock that is locked. By clearing all cookies when you are finished is another way to allow you to safely buy and surf.

Some retirees may wonder if the sites are secure themselves. Most are encrypted language, which will protect you. Be aware of emails that you receive, as some are scams. While some look harmless, read between the lines. Make sure you keep notes of recent purchases and the company from whom you purchased your item.

Remember when your parents told you never to give out your Social Security number? Well the time for that is past. Most places need it and will not set you up for pay plans or accept payments from you, such as utilities. Keep a list of where and when you gave your number, if there are any future problems, you can address them.

Lastly be sure that when you receive your billings statements that there is only one purchase on the card, for your item. Read you billings and be aware of your purchases. Keep your billings from your credit cards for about 5 months. That way if you forget whether or not you used your card you may be able to find a pattern if your card numbers were stolen.

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Save Money And Time With a High Speed Cable Connection

ve a high speed cable connection to my computer and my sister has a dial up connection. I never realized how important a high speed cable connection to the Internet was until I did not have it. I did not realize how much slower a dial up connection in comparison.

I quickly became very frustrated with the slow connection. At first, I thought that there was something wrong with my sister's computer and I was worried that I had unwittingly caused the problem. After checking and rechecking the computer, I found that there was nothing wrong with it aside from the computer not having a high speed cable connection.

Even though I was relieved that her computer was fine, I was still worried that I couldn't get everything done that I had set out to do with the slower connection. There was a lot of research involved in my assignment and I just could not bear to think of waiting and waiting for websites to download just to find that I couldn't use the information. I didn't realize how spoiled I was with my high speed cable connection to the Internet but I soon found out.

I have no patience. This is why I opted to choose a high speed cable connection for my computer. I find myself clicking and clicking as sites are downloaded. This only makes things worse. The slower Internet connection is simply maddening for me. I am too busy thinking about my next step and I haven't even taken the first step. By the time the site downloads, my mind is on to other things. I need a high speed cable connection just to maintain my sanity.


The other obstacle I came across with the slower dial up connection was that I could not use the telephone while I was using the Internet. This is just unthinkable. I can think of dozens of times that I was on the phone while I was using my computer. My high speed Internet connection does not interfere with my phone service.

My sister uses call wave. Call wave alerts you when you have a phone call. It also takes messages. It also costs money. I figure that for the price of the answering service, my sister can afford a high speed cable connection for her computer. She works from home three days each week and her work requires her to be available to answer the phone. With a high speed cable connection, she could use her computer while she is working.

I still haven't talked my sister into getting a high speed cable connection, but I'm going to keep trying to persuade her. I do have a stake in this. I can save a lot of time and I can save myself a lot of frustration if she has a high speed Internet connection while I'm babysitting. Otherwise, my niece will just have to come to my house.

Muna wa Wanjiru has been researching and reporting on Internet Marketing for years. For more information on High Speed Cable Connection, visit his site at High Speed Cable Connection

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Local Internet Service Providers

In 1990, Las Vegas had 109 bulletin boards on local phone numbers. That was pretty impressive for a city of less than a million people. I went to work in Los Angeles for three weeks that year and brought my computer with me. I only found 11 boards in the 818 (San Fernando Valley) area code. Vegas has been a PC city, since the advent of the machine.

Today, we're faced with the problem of picking an internet service that can get us on line at nine o'clock in the evening without the many 'busy' notices. I presently am hooked up to three services, ATT, MSN and AOL. At nine in the evening they all are difficult to get on. It makes sense. They're all big, national services. It's time to start looking local for something that I can get on line with.

Cox Communications bought out Prime cable several months ago. They offer the fastest internet service in town to all those souls who live in areas that have been refitted with fiber optic hook-ups. Check their map and see if you live in the right zone. Their service is $39.95 a month after an initial installation charge. I ordered the service this week, and should soon know if I should dump my current servers for Cox. I'll let you know, once I'm hooked up. If you are already using their service, let the rest of us know how it is by e-mail or chat.

Access Nevada is currently trying to switch folks over to their service. I know several people that use them, and have received nothing but good reports about them. They are one of the local ISPs that's been around town the longest. Wizard and XTS are also good ISPs at $19.95 a month and offer similar services to Access Nevada.

With the congestion that we find on the internet, we have to find solutions that will keep the most addicted on line. Give the rest of us feed back on what you have found to be the best local service.

http://lasvegas.about.com/library/weekly/aa120898.htm?terms=Internet+Provider+Articles

Choosing an Internet Service Provider

Finding an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the Czech Republic, as elsewhere, can be a bit of headache.

Rival companies offer a bewildering range of services, and Telefónica O2's recent takeover of Český Telecom, the country's incumbent phone operator, further complicates the situation, with many new deals now on offer.

And as an added complication, the ISP market is constantly changing, with new deals appearing all the time.

The most common form of permanent internet connection in Prague is broadband, either via cable modem (mainly from UPC) or via ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), which is available from several different companies.

Mobile phone operators like O2 (formerly Eurotel) and T-Mobile also offer wireless connections, which allow you to access the internet across most of the Czech Republic, without using a phone line or cable connection.

You can also still choose an old-fashioned dial-up connection, which allows you to pay for the Internet as and when you use it.


AVAILABILITY

You should consider whether you will be an occasional surfer or if the internet is an essential part of your life.

In the latter case, you'll almost certainly want some form of permanent connection.

Another factor is the type of material you want to download – some packages allow unlimited data download, while others set restrictions, and each is priced accordingly.

Then there's the issue of coverage: although there are a number of providers and various types of connection, in reality your options might be more limited, particularly if you don't live in central Prague.

Cable connections aren't available throughout the Czech Republic, and even some parts of Prague aren't covered.

And although wireless connections offer you a lot of flexibility, some users find them unreliable.


CONTRACTS

You usually have to sign a contract with an ISP, lasting up to two years, which can be inconvenient.

On the other hand, entering into a contract with an ISP usually means that that the set-up charge involved is either very small or waived altogether.

Foreign nationals are legally entitled to enter into a contract with a Czech ISP, but should first check what paperwork is required (what type of residency permit, for instance).


INSTALLATION

Another point to consider is the actual installation and aftercare. If you don't already have a telephone connection you'll have to rely on Telefónica O2 to install one, and that could take some time.

Once you've got a phone line, you have more options, and it pays to shop around.

Comparing the cost of similar UPC and Telefónica 02 packages, for instance, revealed, following set-up and one month's use, a price difference of 5,888 CZK.


OVERVIEW OF SERVICES

Finding your way round the maze of offers is difficult, but here's a very rough guide to some of the services provided by the main companies:

Telefónica O2
Having bought and merged Český Telecom and Eurotel, this Spanish company now offers the Czech market's widest range of fixed-line and mobile internet services.

• A range of fixed-line internet services for domestic users, from O2 Internet Expres 512, which offers a maximum download speed of 512 kilobits per second, to O2 Internet Expres 4096, with a maximum download speed of 4096 kilobits per second and allows unlimited data downloads

• A range of fixed-line internet services for business users, similar to those above but with a wider range of features

• Komplet, which combines fixed-line and mobile internet connections in one package

• Internet Extreme, which ranges in download speed from 512 to 4,096 kilobits per second, and offers unlimited data downloads

Website: http://www.cz.o2.com/

T-Mobile
T-Mobile's Internet 4G service aims to offer a mobile internet connection with speeds comparable to fixed-line ADSL connections.

Website: http://www.t-mobile.cz/

UPC
UPC offers data transfer via a cable TV connection, thus bypassing a telephone connection. They currently offer eight internet packages, ranging from UPC Flex, with a download speed of 512 kilobits per second, for people who use the Internet several times a week, to UPC Professional, with a download speed of 12,228 kilobits per second, which allows unlimited data transfer.

You can check whether the area you live in has cable coverage on the UPC website (in Czech).

Website: http://www.upc.cz/


OTHER OPTIONS

website, which allows you to compare offers from five different providers - Telefónica O2, If you're still not sure which package for you, it might be an idea to check out the ADSL.czČeské Radiokomunikace, GTS Novera, Tiscali, and Volný.

http://prague.tv/articles/relocation/choosing-an-internet-service-provider

So What is an Internet Service Provider?

st everyone nowadays has the Internet now, using dial-up, DSL, cable, or satellite. Many use it every single day without wondering the mechanics of it all. But what exactly is an Internet provider? An Internet provider is a company with an Internet account that provides persons and groups access to or a presence on the Internet. Generally there is a monthly fee involved, but there are also many that are free. What happens is your computer links to the Internet provider's computer, and that allows a person to access to the Internet.

Many Internet providers offer additional services on top of Internet access. Free e-mail accounts, spam filtering for e-mail, up to the minute news and weather, web space for creating your own website, anti-virus protection, online help and technical support are just some of the services afforded subscribers.

The majority of Internet providers offer Internet access through a local 0845 telephone number. By using a 0845 telephone number, it enables the users to gain access to the Internet without having a contract with a company or Internet service charge. Users have unlimited access by using their local rate Internet provider through the telephone line, also known as "pay as you go" Internet. The only bill that is incurred is telephone usage time. You don't have to pay anything if you don't use it at all.

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