November 1998

Becky's pick of interesting web sites

Listed below are some web sites that may be of interest to you and your family.

y2k.com - Information regarding the Year 2000 (alias Y2K problem) with computers.
reel.com - Great site for ordering video movies.
oregonlive.com - This site hosts the Oregonian newspaper. There is also a link to the classified employment section.
lowestfare.com - This is a travel reservation site.
fastweb.com - Free scholarship database site for college students.
winfiles.com - Place to download hardware drivers and utility programs. (Note: This site now redirects to Download.com)

If you have a site that you would like to share please email to: bpj@juno.com

Got a need for speed? Modem's only half the story.

You just bought a state-of-the-art 56K modem. The prospect of high-speed Web surfing causes an adrenalin rush. You activate your browser and wait for your favorite Web site to speedily appear. But it merely crawls on as it did before. You check your connection speed. Arrgh, it's 28.8K!

Is there something wrong in the setup? Is the modem defective? Does the Internet Service Provider have the right stuff? Or could there be another problem? Yes. There is a strong probability the phone connection between you and your Internet Service Provider is the culprit.

Three factors affect a successful 56K connection: wires, switches and where you live. As conditions within any factor fall below a certain level, your ability to get a 56K connection decreases.

Your phone line is connected directly to what the phone company refers to as a central office, usually a building without windows. Central offices are connected to one another via trunk lines.

Noise on the phone line that emerges from your central office will diminish your ability to get a 56K connection. Worn cable, loose or corroded splices and RF interference from local TV, radio and amateur radio buffs in your neighborhood can cause noise. The higher the noise level, the lower your chances of getting a high-speed connection.

The signal that leaves your modem moves along by analog carrier; when it reaches a central office it switches to a digital carrier and is sent on to your Internet Service Provider. If anywhere along the route the signal from your 56K modem to your Internet Service Provider's 56K modem changes from analog to digital or digital to analog three or more times, you will never get a 56K connection.

Internet Service Providers tend to live next door to a central office, thereby eliminating the problem of signal degradation caused by cable length or noise. If you are connected more than 3.4 miles from a central office, your chances of getting a 56K connection are nil.

Before you buy a 56K modem, research your phone connection. Do you have poor line quality? Will your signal be switched three or more times before it reaches your Internet Service Provider? Do you live too far from a central office?

Reprinted Article from Oregonian, October 1998, By Richard Ellmyer