[GMACK24]

29.95 a Month
Verizon Online DSL
Check your speed here !
http://infospeed.verizon.net/index.asp
1M 1351.4KBits 168.9KBytes

Not bad considering I am a full town away from the Central Office.
They have a repeater at the end of my street that's how I got DSL in the first place.
Up until 2 months ago I couldnt even GET DSL

 

[KozmoKramer]

I Still Like My Broadband....
2M 2436.1Kbits 304.5KBytes :rock:

 

[pickels]

I have the Verizon DSL too a and I thinks it great. Not to fond of the Comcast Broadband.

 

[Gil]

2M 3555.6Kbits 444.4KBytes Comcast

 

[SOT]

http://www.dslreports.com/tools

Good tests and tools

I get about 3mb down and 1mb up....

 

[stm4710]

G mack.......set up a fire wall and get some good anti-spyware stuff like ad aware........you will need it............I will stick to my dial slow thank you.

 

[kateykakes]

I use RCN cable with a wireless router for both of my computers . My results on the downstairs machine: 7312.6Kbits 914.1KBytes. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Anyone know?

 

[MVS]

GMACK, Verizon is great, but like stm4710 said, get the ad aware program. It will take no time until your computer is loaded with ad-ware crap. The ad aware works VERY well for me. You can get it at download.com.

I would recommend the ad aware program to everyone who does not currently use an anti- adware program. You WILL notice a difference in your computers performance if you have not run an anti-adware program in quite sometime.

As far as a firewall program, if you have the Westell brand Modem, there is no need for a firewall program, there is a firewall built into the modem. When I first got the modem I added a firewall program and it really F'd things up. When I spoke to a Verizon help Desk rep he told me that the modem has it built in and that having a redunant program was causing problems with my computer and connection. Certain pop-up blocker programs will effect it also. MSN has a pretty good pop-up blocker program.

I love verizon with MSN, it is by far the friendliest email and internet system I've used yet.

 

[stm4710]

Ad Aware Here you go Gmack. Download the Ad-Aware personal edition.

 

[SOT]

Most westels have a NAT router which is not a firewall. Unless you have full rule to rule inclusion or exclusion, you don't have a firewall. For example can you tell your Westel what programs you allow in or out? if not, not a firewall and it doesn't protect against malware you may have accidently downloaded.

MSN's pop up blocker is adware, best "free" popup blocker as an addin, Google toolbar, or running firefox.

GMACK, Verizon is great, but like stm4710 said, get the ad aware program. It will take no time until your computer is loaded with ad-ware crap. The ad aware works VERY well for me. You can get it at download.com.

I would recommend the ad aware program to everyone who does not currently use an anti- adware program. You WILL notice a difference in your computers performance if you have not run an anti-adware program in quite sometime.

As far as a firewall program, if you have the Westell brand Modem, there is no need for a firewall program, there is a firewall built into the modem. When I first got the modem I added a firewall program and it really F'd things up. When I spoke to a Verizon help Desk rep he told me that the modem has it built in and that having a redunant program was causing problems with my computer and connection. Certain pop-up blocker programs will effect it also. MSN has a pretty good pop-up blocker program.

I love verizon with MSN, it is by far the friendliest email and internet system I've used yet.

 

[MRC]

1M 1530.8KBits 191.4KBytes with Verizon DSL

I just put in a new Linksys WRT54G (54Mbps Wireless router with "The Router protects your PC from most known Internet attacks with a powerful Stateful Packet Inspection firewall.") Best thing ever!

Half of adware is watching where you go. Porn sites are notorious for it, as well as file sharing programs. The "bonzi buddy" thing is the worst thing you could put on your computer, as well as that weather bug crap. I use Adaware, and Spybot: Search and Destroy when I scan my computer (once every month or so) and rarely find anything more than tracking cookies from pop-ups from Amazon.com or other sites. When my sister brings her laptop home from college, theres a list of about 200 things when Adaware is done with it, mainly from her filesharing software.

You also have to think, my DSL line goes straight to the Verizon office by the LTM (I believe thats where it is) while the Comcast cable goes to your networks node, then you share bandwith with the rest of the people on that node back to their main office, where ever that is (Peabody I think if your in Danvers / Peabody).

 

[Gil]

Some additional software

Along with lavasoft's AdAware here are some of my favorites, ZoneAlarm is strongly suggested and they do have a free version but ZoneAlarm Pro is recommended. My PC is sitting behind a Linksys Router that has a decent enough firewall but the more protection the better.

[google]ZoneAlarm[/google]

Easy-to-use firewall blocks hackers and other unknown threats. Stealth mode automatically makes your PC invisible to anyone on the Internet.
Intrusion Blocking systematically identifies hackers and blocks access attempts.
Stealth Mode automatically makes your computer invisible to anyone on the Internet.

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp

[google]WallWatcher[/google] (A wise OLD man told me about this one)

WallWatcher runs under Microsoft Windows 98 and above. It collects, displays, and analyzes log information from Routers and firewalls made by: 2Wire, Buffalo, Cisco, D-Link, Draytek, Linksys, m0n0wall, Netgear, Netscreen, Speedstream, Symantec, and ZyXEL
http://www.sonic.net/wallwatcher/

[google]CableNut[/google] is a tool for optimizing your Internet Connection.
http://www.cablenut.com/

[google]System Mechanic 5.0[/google]
http://www.iolo.com/sm/

 

[SOT]

Re: Some additional software

Spybot search and destroy is good.
I use adware and SD search and destroy between the two of them they cover a lot of stuff.

Also look up hijack this

 

[EOD1]

I got Macafee firewall/virus scan, i usae lavasofts adaware and stopzilla. Back in the states my house has charter cable. right now i am at my wifes house and some one has a wireless router that i'm piggy backing off of. I don't have a clue who's it is, i just turned on the built-in WLAN on my laptop and it picked it up.
and i am connecting, T1 1.5M 1591.7KBits 199KBytes Download Size: [500]KBytes
Downloaded in: [2.513]Seconds

Out on the island i get ADSL connection it sucks but its hadji. Deployed we use all our sat com secure stuff.

 

[Zuke]

I got Macafee firewall/virus scan, i usae lavasofts adaware and stopzilla. Back in the states my house has charter cable. right now i am at my wifes house and some one has a wireless router that i'm piggy backing off of. I don't have a clue who's it is, i just turned on the built-in WLAN on my laptop and it picked it up.
and i am connecting, T1 1.5M 1591.7KBits 199KBytes Download Size: [500]KBytes
Downloaded in: [2.513]Seconds

Out on the island i get ADSL connection it sucks but its hadji. Deployed we use all our sat com secure stuff.

Got to love the lazy people who don't take 5 seconds to set up WEB on their wireless network. Serves them right.

 

[GMACK24]

Thank you thank you thank you.
Downloading now

 

[SOT]

Do you mean WEP
Wireless
Encryption
Protocol?

I got Macafee firewall/virus scan, i usae lavasofts adaware and stopzilla. Back in the states my house has charter cable. right now i am at my wifes house and some one has a wireless router that i'm piggy backing off of. I don't have a clue who's it is, i just turned on the built-in WLAN on my laptop and it picked it up.
and i am connecting, T1 1.5M 1591.7KBits 199KBytes Download Size: [500]KBytes
Downloaded in: [2.513]Seconds

Out on the island i get ADSL connection it sucks but its hadji. Deployed we use all our sat com secure stuff.

Got to love the lazy people who don't take 5 seconds to set up WEB on their wireless network. Serves them right.

 

[Zuke]

Do you mean WEP
Wireless
Encryption
Protocol?

#-o
Doh!

After a double "B"s start looking like "P"s

 

[SOT]

The only reason was, I was trying to set up WEB on my Netgear and couldn't find it...So I was like Crap! I ahven't set up WEB....then I looked around and thought maybe it was a typo type a thing and he ment WEP...

Props to you for making me try and set up WEB...

PS You SUCK!

Do you mean WEP
Wireless
Encryption
Protocol?

#-o
Doh!

After a double "B"s start looking like "P"s

 

[MRC]

If your router supports it, I would enable WPA for the encryption. WEP does do a somewhat good job at it, but here still are loop holes in it, WPA fixes them, and goes beyond thep WEP standard. I would also disable the SSID broadcast in you the router, to make it kinda like your the only one that knows you have a wireless network, which also brings a little more security (Remember - what you can't see, you can't hack)

Theres a program called "Network Stumbler" on the net that once installed on your computer, and using your wireless card, you can walk down your street, and see who else has a wireless network, if they have encrytion enabled, and if you have a GPS connected to the computer, it will try and find out where the signalis coming from, compared to your position.