A: This is a question that is asked to me frequently. Which do I want ... DSL or Cable? Which is better....faster....least inexpensive?
DSL's advantage?
The dedicated circuit prevents other users from affecting your connection to any significant degree. (In most cases.)
Cable's advantage?
Generally cable can support higher bandwidth rates, and can usually provide service to a larger area than 18,000 wire-feet, DSL's limit.
Cable modems are typically faster for downloads than most if not all DSL lines, when the cable infrastructure is new or well maintained. One of the most common complaints seen in our cable forums is that of increased latency and other problems as more subscribers in a given area come on line. Additionally, cable has a few other disadvantages when compared to DSL.
The first disadvantage is that cable is an RF network -- this means that it is vulnerable to transient problems "within the network" from RF interference. Since cable is a shared media, there is a possibility that performance may degrade over time as additional households plug in, connect additional devices (videos, game machines etc.) to the TV lines.
A cable company may react slowly to decreases in performance if it reacts at all, as they never sell access by speed, or promise consistent speed or latency.
Another of the disadvantages of cable over DSL is the upstream (return path). Cable companies are using a very narrow band for return signalling, and this is positioned below all the space allocated for TV channels. This band is prone to RF interference and is very limited in capacity. Upstream transmissions may therefore compete with others in the area, get delayed (suffer high latency) due to noise fighting techniques, and cable TOS (Terms Of Service) typically prohibit any kind of constant upstream use. Internet use is shifting away from central servers broadcasting to many individuals and some interesting peer to peer applications are appearing (games, voice and video applications, communal libraries). These applications need a strong upstream channel.
In summary, cable modems are currently good value and strong competition for residential casual use, often available more cheaply and far faster than their ADSL competition. However, DSL is probably the more future-proof system, offering digital direct from the internet infrastructure. If your DSL ISP is on the ball, such is Verizon in our area, your performance in either direction will not be different from peak hour to early morning, and DSL lines are available for a wide variety of purposes, both business and residential.
Q: Does defragmenting really extend the life of your hard drive?
A: By all means it does. Not running this utility would be like not changing your oil in your vehicle. Defragmentation is a process that reduces the amount of fragmented files on your hard disk. As time goes on opening and closing files, deleting programs, installing software - your hard disk becomes fragmented (files become spread out across the drive and are not kept in sequential order as they are often accessed in sequence). Just think of it as a file cabinet that has files misplaced and are all over the place.
What defragmentation does is a reorganization of the contents of the disk and puts the files closer together and contiguously. The drive runs smoother, files are found faster, pc starts up quicker, user i is very HAPPY!
Good practice is to run your defrag tool once a month at the very least. Weekly would be more advantageous, but i realize that may be a little too much with our busy schedules.
Q: Surge protection, Do i really need to buy another power strip, aren't they all the same?
A: No No No, they are not all the same. One of those $3 power strips you can get at WalMart provides no protection to your investment people. An APC surge strip however does protect you from electrical surges, brown outs and other electrical transmissions that could cause alot of problems to your computer equipment. Here is something to look out for... If you see your lights flicker or dim once in a while in your home or office, it's a pretty safe bet that you are getting fluctuations in your electrical feed to the building. This can blow out modems, routers, pc's and any other devices plugged in directly to your outlets. Regular power strips are not capable of handling everyday surges or drops in electrical. If you are spending your hard earned money on a system for your family or business, why not take the extra precaution in protecting your investment the right way! The statement below comes from APC who i rely on highly with their equipment. APC for years has produced state of the art surge protection and suppression like no other.
Damaging surges associated with lightning or utility problems can travel along your utility and data lines, damaging your electronic devices and destroying your valuable data. Even smaller everyday surges can degrade the performance of your electronics and decrease their life. The APC SurgeArrest Home/Office series provides a high level of protection for your computers, electronics and connected devices, as well as providing surge protection for your phone lines and on selected models - coax cables. Its state of the art circuitry offers excellent protection for sensitive electronic equipment against large surges and multiple surge events. Additional features like plentiful outlets, eight foot power cord, phone line splitter, status indicator LEDs, cord management and more make this one of our most complete surge offerings - our lifetime Equipment Protection Policy guarantees it.
$30.00