Top 5 Tips When Using Your Phone Overseas

Travelling overseas is probably the best way to spend the holidays. Nothing can refresh your mind, your body and your spirit than being immersed in a new place and gaining new experiences as you go along. Travelling is also, by far, one of the most exciting and most fun to document in your life. And where else but on social media.

Hence, travelling overseas also puts that pressure of having and finding a way to stay connected to the internet. Aside from documenting your travels immediately as it happens, you also need a steady access to the internet to check on your flight, weather updates, directions and even translating words and phrases you are too shy to ask from a local.

Follow these tips below so you can enjoy your international data roaming perks without going home with such a big shocker (a.k.a. your phone bill).

1.      Ask your service provider for different international data roaming options. Even before you fly out, ask your mobile carrier the different MB allowances you can opt for international data roaming. This will help you control your use of the internet while you are overseas, and also help you manage your bill as you get back home. Inquire about data packs also that your service provider has as this is cheaper than pay-as-you-go rates.

2.     Check the international roaming rates in the country that you are visiting. There are free online tools that will show you the countries which you can use your phone for international roaming and the rates that apply accordingly.

3.     Buy a local SIM card. If you are considering this, make sure that your phone is unlocked so it can accommodate the local SIM.

4.     Detect Wi-Fi hotspots. If you want to enjoy free access to the internet, look for Wi-Fi hotspots. You can access free Wi-Fi in malls, coffee shops and (if you are lucky) in your hotel room.

5.     Let your friends and family send you a message than call. You get charged for every call your phone receives when you are overseas. For any favours you have left for your friends and family back home, let them know about it well since they don’t need to call you. If your number at the office is diverted to your mobile, make sure to tweak your settings to avoid roaming charges for received calls.

6.     Use your internet lightly. Make your itinerary months or weeks before your flight. This will help you avoid the excessive and heavy use of your mobile internet. With a mapped out itinerary to refer to, you do not have to consult Google to verify every so often. Come prepared for your vacation, to say the least.

7.     Turn off your cellular data when not in use. Maximise your international data roaming allowance by using it only when necessary. Take pictures of your travels and upload them preferably later on once you get back to your hotel room. Further, turning off your cellular data prevents you from updating your background applications and receiving email updates. 

For the 21^st century traveler, having a mobile phone is a non-negotiable. If you cannot travel without your mobile phone, these tips will certainly let you enjoy your inevitable need to access the internet without going overboard your monthly limit. 

How to Boost Your Internet Speed in 5 Steps

A lot of people think that when their internet speed is down, it’s their provider’s responsibility to do something about it. However, certain aspects and details about your connection may impact the speed that you get whether you are searching an item on your browser or downloading files on your computer.

More often that not, your internet speed can be increased by paying attention to the tiny little details about your connection; increasing it is definitely not an exercise in futility.

Know where your router is

Where your wireless router is located can impact the strength of your broadband signals. Examples of barriers to your internet’s optimum speed are walls, doors, the number of floors you have at home and other household electronics that may be interfering with your signals. A baby monitor, a microwave oven or a cordless phone can impact your broadband signal strength.

Where should you place your router, then? Put it in a central and elevated location. Put it at the top of your stairs or have a high table and put your wireless router on top of it. Avoid putting it in corners, near walls, near windows, in cabinets and beside mirrors.

Check your browser

While it may seem like it is about your internet speed, the truth is, the version of your web browser plays a significant factor when browsing the web. Always get the latest version of the web browser you are using. Or better yet, try to switch to a different browser to test which works faster.

Leeching neighbours

Especially if your network is not password-protected, it is likely that your neighbours are piggybacking on your internet connection. Aside from slowing down your internet speed, letting your neighbours use your internet connection freely is also a big security risk on your part. Protect your network with a password. Create a password that is hard to crack as well.

Cut your bandwidth

Unless it is your anti-virus software, turn off all background applications that naturally update itself when an internet connection is detected. Some applications may ask your permission first before updating, but a great majority of applications also just proceeds with the update.

Examples of these are updates on your Windows or media player, security scans, instant messaging apps and weather and foreign exchange widgets on a website or a blog that is currently running on your browser.

If you are on a computer, check your task manager and see what applications are running. Check your phone or tablet computer also for any background applications that inevitably updates itself.  Cancel them to give your internet speed that much needed boost.

Expand it!

If you are using a wireless router, expand your coverage with an external equipment. Whether it is a wireless extender, a repeater or a powerline adapter, it can increase your internet speed as it bounces your signal all over your premises. While expensive, investing on an external equipment can be an effective way to increase your internet speed.

Since the quality and speed of your internet greatly affects your productivity, work out on these tiny details to give you a more satisfying internet experience.

3 Qualities Your ISP of Choice Should Have

Your choice of an internet service provider or ISP can make a world of difference to your entire online experience. With so many ISPs trying to get your attention with almost the same promos and the same promise of super fast Internet speed, what you need to be cautious and be alert to would be the qualities an ISP you want has.

Offers plenty of high speed internet choices

It is useless to do business with a particular ISP if your choice of high speed internet is not available in their menu of choices. In this age of broadband technologies, it is important that your ISP of choice is updated with the latest in broadband developments as well. 

•    Do they offer fibre broadband?
•    Do they offer fixed wireless broadband?
•    Do they offer fast ADSL?
•  Is satellite broadband available?

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It is also important to note that your location plays a big factor in the kind of broadband connection you can get. If you are in the urban areas, fibre and fixed wireless broadband are available. If you are in the rural areas, your option would be satellite broadband. Make sure that not only do they have plenty of high speed internet choices, but they are also capable of servicing your area. 

Reliable 24/7 customer support

It is important that the ISP you choose has a reliable 24/7 customer support that you can call. Especially if you are getting an Internet connection for your small business, you need someone who can troubleshoot immediately so your operations are not interrupted. Technology is a great tool for small business operations, but it can also be a very big enemy if it fails to act when you need it to. 

If there are problems with your physical network, you can report it no matter what time of the day it is. If there are speed issues, a 24/7 customer support can give you the answers and explanations you need at the moment. At the end of the day, the kind of customer support they have is proof of their commitment that you get the upload and download speed quoted to you as much as possible.

Offers flexible plan terms 

An ISP that offers both no-contract terms and 12-month plan terms is an ISP that values your satisfaction more than anything else. While it is obvious that they will get more out of you if the only option they have is a 12-month plan term, an ISP that offers no-contract terms is an ISP that allows you to experience a variety of broadband choices without commitments. 

If you are not satisfied with your current plan or choice of broadband, you can switch to another option to test the waters. Go to an ISP that offers flexible plan terms for you to choose from. Check also the perks that they have such as free installations, free plan changes, no excess usage fees, etc., which will all come in handy during payment. 

While there are many other qualities that your choice of ISP should have, the 3 qualities just discussed should be your non-negotiables. The kind of Internet you will have will all reflect on the kind of ISP you will work with.

The 2014 Guide to the Internet: Round Up of Terms Every Beginner Should Know

You'll be surprised at the different Internet terms that not only beginners are unaware of, but also among those who have been using the Internet for a long time on a daily basis. To address this information gap, we have here a 2014 guide to Internet terms for beginners – and the not-so-beginners alike. 

Internet and the Web: Is there a difference?

The Internet is a system of networks that connects computers from all over the world using a protocol called TCP/IP. What started as a communication experiment for the military, the Internet we know today is a public platform where anyone can freely broadcast want they want to say and share. To access the Internet (and contribute to it), you need to have an Internet connection. This connection can be provided privately by an ISP or publicly from a Wi-Fi network.

The Web is short for World Wide Web. A subset of the Internet, the Web is that portion of the Internet that we are most familiar using. We view the Web using a web browser software. Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Mozilla Firefox are examples of popular web browser software that we use.

http: VS https:

HTTP is a an acronym that stands for hypertext transfer protocol. When 2 computers communicate with each other, it follows a certain protocol of communication. HTTP is the default protocol that displays on our web browser when we browse a web page using its URL address.

The only difference between http: and https: is the latter is secure. You will notice https: on your web browser if you are on a website that requires a username and a password. If you need to access your bank account, transfer payment to a merchant or share sensitive information, the web browser should be encrypted with https: for your security and protection.

URLs

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locators. It is the address that you put on your web browser when accessing internet pages and other online media such as images and videos.

There are several parts of a URL address, but let us keep it short and simple here.

Typically, a URL address such as 'http://www.google.com' has 4 parts. 'http://' is the protocol. 'www' is the host name. 'google' is the subdomain name. '.com' is the domain name. Collectively, 'www.google.com' is the resource name.

IP Addresses

IP addresses are like home addresses. It is unique per household. For instance, if you are having pizza delivered, you need to let the delivery guy what your exact address is or else he can just send the pizza to anybody else. 

The Internet works the same way. Without an IP address, information cannot be received. Whether you are accessing the Web using your smart phone, your tablet computer or your laptop, a dedicated IP address (it is formatted in numbers) is assigned to your device.

Blogs

Blog is a contraction for 'web blog'. Blogs these days are like diaries without a lock. It is a highly public way to express your feelings. Both professional writers and amateurs have turned to blogs to share their expertise and ideas on a wide range of topics. Digital marketers have likewise used blogs in advertising their brand.

ISPs

ISP is an acronym for Internet Service Provider. It can be privately owned or a property of the government that allows you to explore the Internet. An ISP can offer you different internet services such as fibre broadband, fixed wireless, ADSL or mobile internet. You can select your preferred monthly data allowance and speed depending on what the ISP offers.

Child-Proofing 101: Steps to Safeguarding Internet Use at Home

If child-proofing the corners and sharp edges of your home is important, the same level of caution (and even more) should be applied when it comes to the internet. Kids as young as 4 or 5 know how to use computers. They can play with interactive games offline and online, and there are older kids who know their way around websites more even adults. Below, we share with you 5 simple steps to safeguarding your child (or children's) internet use at home.

Print for guidance, save for constant reminder, or share this with other parents you know!

A Slow Internet Connection? Factors that Could be Causing it to Slow Down

A slow internet connection is caused by different factors. Sometimes it is the poor delivery of internet services from your internet provider. Sometimes it is caused by technical and minor reasons that make it seem like your internet connection is failing you when it is actually not.

Regardless, a slow internet connection is frustrating. If the majority of your tasks at work requires a connection to the web, you will hardly get anything done before the shift ends. Correspondences will be delayed and your delivery of your tasks will take a while. 

What could be causing it to slow down anyway? Here are  a few reasons that could explain.

1.      The kind of internet connection you have. If your computer works fast, but you are stuck with a dial-up, your internet connection will naturally be slow. A dial up that runs a standard 56kb will take some minutes to load a web page compared to a broadband connection that can load the same web page in just a few seconds. If there is an option to go for broadband, it is highly suggested that you do.

2.     The website you are viewing. If you are viewing a website loaded with images or a website with a Flash animation on its homepage, it would seem like your internet connection is acting up on you. Loading a website that is 100% text is faster to load than a website like YouTube where you need to stream videos. 

Depending on the traffic the website you are visiting receives, this will affect the loading time on your end. More so if there are thousands of you loading the same website, there is also a good chance that the website may not even respond.

3.     Doing a variety of tasks at the same time. Since you are connected to the internet anyway, it is natural to do different tasks simultaneously to maximise it. However, if you have the knack of downloading 1800p movies as your kids play their respective games online on their tablets, your connection will naturally slow down if you decide to browse the web for info on more movies to watch. As your computer downloads huge amounts of data, your browsing will slow down.

4.     There is maintenance work going on. Speed-related issues are encountered if your internet provider or the web host is performing maintenance work on their networks. They are more likely to advise you if they are.

5.     There are a lot of subscribers on board. Especially for cable broadband subscribers, be advised of the peak hours your internet provider will tell you so you know the time when the quality of the internet connection will be affected by the number of subscribers connected at the same time. If the peak hour is said to at 6 in the evening, try not to log into the internet at this particular hour. 

When your internet connection gets immaculately slow, check your speed and your internet plan. You owe it to yourself to know whether you are getting what was quoted for you in exchange for your money. Look into your hardware. If your computer is fine, then the problem may be located in your modem or router and vice versa. Control the plugins and the apps that you run too. These may hog your bandwidth allowance, hence causing your daily web browsing to be slower than usual.