Just wanted to prove my point from yesterday about the basics of deciding between VoIP and plain old telephone. I found this article and thought I would share it. Sound famaliar? Ok, so how would you like to do some side by siode comparison of phone services without some salesman in your ear? Just use our cost comparison tools in the tabs above. As a reminder, if you purchase a service thorugh us, we donate 100% of our comissions until Feb 24th, to the Brothers in Arms Foundation.
While both services allow you to make local and long distance phone calls using just your home telephone, there are some differences you’ll want to consider before making your final decision on which type to go with for your home phone line. Both have pros and cons, so it will ultimately be up to you which will work out best for you and your family’s needs.
Landline phone service
This is just your typical run of the mill telephone service. The same kind your grandparents used, and probably still use. Most elderly people are comfortable with landline, because they’ve always used it, and they like to stick with what they know works. Landlines are generally thought of as the regular old phone service where you just plug the phone cord into the wall jack, but these days you can even do that with some digital phone services.
Digital Phone Service
This is a marketing tactic used by cable operators to get around the idea of using Internet telephone, or VoIP. Digital, after all sounds much safer, and the not so tech savvy are more inclined to use it. Digital phone is in fact just VoIP (voice over IP). It uses your Internet connection to send and receive phone calls, but you don’t need a computer, or even any software. Just a regular home phone will do. This is a point cable providers have had a hard time getting across.
Benefits of Landline Phone
In two words; Old reliable. One time tested benefit that make consumers decide to keep their landline is its reliability. If your electricity goes out, your landline will still be able to make and receive phone calls. Rememer the blackout of 2003? Cell phones didn’t work, and neither did digital phone. The only way you could make a call was through a landline. Another benefit is 911 service. Even if you don’t have phone service you can still call 911 in some states. This is known as a soft dial tone.
Benefits of Digital Phone
The reason more and more people are signing up for digital phone service is more often than not, price. It’s cheap. Dirt cheap, in fact. One way to spot a digital phone provider is their use of the word voice when describing the product. If it says voice, it’s digital. With voice plans you’ll often get unlimited local and long distance calling at a flat rate, and for a fraction of the cost you might get from a landline provider. You’ll also get triple the calling features like call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, and voice mail for no extra cost.
Choosing a Plan
It mainly comes down to cost versus reliability. If you need cheap phone service, and aren’t too worried about your power going out you may be a candidate for a digital line. On the other hand, if you need to rely on services such as 911 in an emergency, and don’t want to worry about whether or not your phone is going to work when you need to make that call, a landline may be worth a little extra cost to have that security. There are ways to save on landline though. Bundling for example, but that’s another article.
Before we get started, I would like you to consider saving money on your phone bill and in turn help support the Brothers in Arms Foundation by using our cost comparison search engines to shop and purchase your phone service. View the various tools we have through the tabs above. Do some shopping, make a purchase and 100% of our commission goes to Brothers in Arms Foundation until 24 February. After 24 Feb, we will still give 50% to them.
People often ask me, “Which is better, VoIP or regular phone?”.
By regular phone, we are talking about traditional POTS (Plain Old Telephone System). The answer to the question is “It depends”. It depends on what you are looking for in your service.
- Do you want to save money?
- Is saving money more important than reliability of your service?
- Can you do without your service for a short period of time, if you save money?
- What features would you like with your phone service?
These are some of the basic questions, and there are more that should be asked, but we will stick with only these for now.
So let’s tackle the first question; “Do you want to save money?”. The answer to this questions is almost always “Yes”. If cost savings is the number 1 issue, then VoIP typically beat POTS every time.
The balance between saving and reliability is a little more complicated, but not much. The only thing that makes VoIP less reliable than POTS is the fact that high speed Internet modems and VoIP adapters use house power. When power is lost, so is phone service, unless you have backup power using UPS for the adapter and modems or generators that continue to supply house power. However, the same disadvantage is found in POTS if you are using cordless phones in your house because those also use electrical power.
To sacrifice or not sacrifice, that is the question. Most people can deal with a short term outage of phone service that comes with VoIP, like a short power outage or loss of Internet connectivity for a short period of time. Again, if using cordless phones with POTS, you will suffer the same problem when it comes to power loss.
Typically, VoIP services provide many more extra features than POTS like multiple voice mail boxes, e-mail forwarding of voice mails, fax services that can forward the fax to your e-mail, call forwarding, and best of all …portability!
As some already know, here on our site we have cost comparison calculators to allow our visitors to find the best deals possible on IT and Telecommunications products and services. Now, of course, when our visitors compare the various providers and services, make their decision and purchase, we typically earn a commission from the provider.
We have been advocating about improving veteran care and helping out others and decided we would put our money where our mouth is. For the next month, 100% of all commissions earned from Brochin.net will be donated to various veteran funds to help wounded warriors. However, we are not stopping at one month. After one month, we will donate 50% of our commission to a wounded veterans organization for the next year. That is 100% of our websites revenue for the first month starting today, and 50% of our sites revenue for the remaining year after.
If you or someone you know is looking for some type of IT or Telecom service, point them this way. If they need a computer, printer, accessories, well, they can find it with us. Internet service? Find it here. International calling? Yep, got that too. Internet Phone service? Of course!
If you have been on the fence for some time about switching carriers or Internet service providers, then do it now and help out those who have paid dearly for us all.
You see, this is no joke, and we understand completely that this may actually run our site into the ground, but we all need to sacrifice sometimes and this is worth it as far as we are concerned.
Being a military family, we want to make sure that it isn’t just about dollars and cents, but about taking care of one another as we have always been taught since boot camp.
So you may be asking, “why just a year, why not longer if you are serious?”
We are serious, very serious! We would very much like to go longer than a year and we will if we are still around then.
Protecting your computer from a virus is getting harder and harder each day. While it may border on the paranoid, it goes without saying that you can’t leave your guard down for one second. Even corporate giant Microsoft has found its own systems compromised on more than one occasion.
Remember the “good old days”, before the advent of the Internet and downloadable programs? Life was simple then in terms of computer viruses. With the primary way in which a virus could be transmitted being limited to floppy disks, the ability to catch and eradicate the virus was a lot easier. By today’s standards, it used to take quite a while before a virus was able to infect a computer and slow down the system. The antivirus software of that time was typically able to identify and eradicate viruses before they caused too much damage. Additionally, computer users were pretty savvy on how to protect themselves in terms of scanning all floppy disks before copying them to our desktop.
The Internet helped change all that. The Internet provided a conduit by which viruses could move from host to host with lightening speed. No longer could a computer user just worry about floppy disks as points of entry, but they now had to worry about email, email attachments, peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and software downloads. Today’s viruses can attack through multiple entry points, spread without human intervention, and take full advantage of vulnerabilities within a system or program. With technology advancing everyday, and the convergence of computers with other mobile devices, the potential of new types of threats also increase.
Protecting Your Computer
Luckily, the advancement of antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats. Antivirus software is essential to a computer’s ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops. Additionally, these programs offer a centralized control feature that handle deployment, configuration and updating.
A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:
1. Evaluate your current computer security system.
With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated. You need to be confident that you have protected all aspects of your computer system from the desktop to the network, and from the gateway to the server. Consider a more comprehensive security system which includes several features including antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. This type of system will make it more difficult for the virus to penetrate your system.
2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.
Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software. Become familiar with the software’s real-time scan feature and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your computer. This will protect your system by automatically checking your computer each time it is powered up.
3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.
4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.
5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.
Recommended Antivirus Software
There are numerous applications available to consumers. With a little research, you can pick the program that is right for you. Many programs provide a trial version which allows you to download the program and test its abilities. However, be aware that some anti-virus programs can be difficult to uninstall. As a precaution make sure to set up a System Restore point before installing.
Here are a few programs which typically receive high marks in terms of cost, effectiveness, ease of use, and customer service.
The Shield Pro 2005™ provides virus protection and hacker security through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, The Shield Pro 2005™ promises to provide a patch within 2-3 hours and a fix for the virus within 5 hours. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan.
BitDefender 9 Standard provides antivirus protection, as well as Peer-2-Peer Applications protection, full email protection, and heuristics in a virtual environment. This provides a new security layer that keeps the operating system safe from unknown viruses by detecting malicious pieces of code for which signatures have not been released yet.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is simple to install and use. The user only needs to choose from three levels of protection. It allows updates as frequently as every hour while promising not to disrupt your computer. The program also offers a two-tier email protection feature and round-the-clock technical support.
PC-cillin Internet Security combines antivirus security and a personal firewall—for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. It even guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free downloadable antivirus program that has received high marks for its reliability. In the past, free downloadable antivirus programs have been viewed skeptically because of issues relating to its reliability. However, AVG from Grisoft, remains one of the best-known free anti-virus programs available. While AVG can not be installed on a server operating system and there is no technical support, it still makes a good choice for many home computer users. The best part is that since it is free, you can try it with no further obligation necessary.
Fighting off Viruses: Advancements in Antivirus Software Suites
Protecting your computer from a virus is getting harder and harder each day. While it may border on the paranoid, it goes without saying that you can’t leave your guard down for one second. Even corporate giant Microsoft has found its own systems compromised on more than one occasion.
Remember the “good old days”, before the advent of the Internet and downloadable programs? Life was simple then in terms of computer viruses. With the primary way in which a virus could be transmitted being limited to floppy disks, the ability to catch and eradicate the virus was a lot easier. By today’s standards, it used to take quite a while before a virus was able to infect a computer and slow down the system. The antivirus software of that time was typically able to identify and eradicate viruses before they caused too much damage. Additionally, computer users were pretty savvy on how to protect themselves in terms of scanning all floppy disks before copying them to our desktop.
The Internet helped change all that. The Internet provided a conduit by which viruses could move from host to host with lightening speed. No longer could a computer user just worry about floppy disks as points of entry, but they now had to worry about email, email attachments, peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and software downloads. Today’s viruses can attack through multiple entry points, spread without human intervention, and take full advantage of vulnerabilities within a system or program. With technology advancing everyday, and the convergence of computers with other mobile devices, the potential of new types of threats also increase.
Protecting Your Computer
Luckily, the advancement of antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats. Antivirus software is essential to a computer’s ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops. Additionally, these programs offer a centralized control feature that handle deployment, configuration and updating.
A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:
1. Evaluate your current computer security system.
With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated. You need to be confident that you have protected all aspects of your computer system from the desktop to the network, and from the gateway to the server. Consider a more comprehensive security system which includes several features including antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. This type of system will make it more difficult for the virus to penetrate your system.
2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.
Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software. Become familiar with the software’s real-time scan feature and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your computer. This will protect your system by automatically checking your computer each time it is powered up.
3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.
4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.
5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.
Recommended Antivirus Software
There are numerous applications available to consumers. With a little research, you can pick the program that is right for you. Many programs provide a trial version which allows you to download the program and test its abilities. However, be aware that some anti-virus programs can be difficult to uninstall. As a precaution make sure to set up a System Restore point before installing.
Here are a few programs which typically receive high marks in terms of cost, effectiveness, ease of use, and customer service.
The Shield Pro 2005™ provides virus protection and hacker security through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, The Shield Pro 2005™ promises to provide a patch within 2-3 hours and a fix for the virus within 5 hours. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan.
BitDefender 9 Standard provides antivirus protection, as well as Peer-2-Peer Applications protection, full email protection, and heuristics in a virtual environment. This provides a new security layer that keeps the operating system safe from unknown viruses by detecting malicious pieces of code for which signatures have not been released yet.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is simple to install and use. The user only needs to choose from three levels of protection. It allows updates as frequently as every hour while promising not to disrupt your computer. The program also offers a two-tier email protection feature and round-the-clock technical support.
PC-cillin Internet Security combines antivirus security and a personal firewall—for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. It even guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free downloadable antivirus program that has received high marks for its reliability. In the past, free downloadable antivirus programs have been viewed skeptically because of issues relating to its reliability. However, AVG from Grisoft, remains one of the best-known free anti-virus programs available. While AVG can not be installed on a server operating system and there is no technical support, it still makes a good choice for many home computer users. The best part is that since it is free, you can try it with no further obligation necessary.
New computer viruses appear everyday to annoy us at the very least and worst case scenario, destroy the integrity and operation of our computers and networks.
In this post we provide information about the ten most prevalent viruses, as cited from around the web, in regards to how often they are seen and the likelihood they will cause damage to your systems.
Viruses are created daily and do not by any means take this a an all conclusive list, in fact, it is not even scratching the surface one bit. The fight against viruses and other Internet nasties is a never ending battle. You must remain vigilant, keep your security software updated daily and run scans regularly or all the time.
Virus: Trojan.Lodear
This virus is a Trojan horse that will install itself onto infected computers so it will start every time the system reboots. It will also try to download and install additional malware from a list of predetermined websites on the Internet. It does this by attempting to inject a .dll file into the EXPLORER.EXE process causing your system(s) to become unstable.
Virus: W32.Beagle.CO@mm A mass-mailing worm that lowers security settings. It can delete security-related registry sub keys and may block access to security-related websites.
Virus: Backdoor.Zagaban
A Trojan horse that allows the compromised computer to be used as a covert proxy and which may degrade network performance.
Virus: W32/Netsky-P A mass-mailing worm which spreads by emailing itself to addresses produced from files on the local drives.
Virus: W32/Mytob-GH A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan for the Windows platform. Messages sent by this worm will have the subject chosen randomly from a list including titles such as: Notice of account limitation, Email Account Suspension, Security measures, Members Support, Important Notification.
Virus: W32/Mytob-EX A mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan similar in nature to W32-Mytob-GH. W32/Mytob-EX runs continuously in the background, providing a backdoor server which allows a remote intruder to gain access and control over the computer via IRC channels. This virus spreads by sending itself to email attachments harvested from your email addresses.
Virus: W32/Mytob-AS, Mytob-BE, Mytob-C, and Mytob-ER
This family of worm variationspossesses similar characteristics in terms of what they can do. They are mass-mailing worms with backdoor functionality that can be controlled through the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network. Additionally, they can spread through email and through various operating system vulnerabilities such as the LSASS (MS04-011).
Virus: Zafi-D A mass mailing worm and a peer-to-peer worm which copies itself to the Windows system folder with the filename Norton Update.exe. It can then create a number of files in the Windows system folder with filenames consisting of 8 random characters and a DLL extension. W32/Zafi-D copies itself to folders with names containing share, upload, or music as ICQ 2005a new!.exe or winamp 5.7 new!.exe. W32/Zafi-D will also display a fake error message box with the caption “CRC: 04F6Bh” and the text “Error in packed file!”.
Virus: W32/Netsky-D A mass-mailing worm with IRC backdoor functionality which can also infect computers vulnerable to the LSASS (MS04-011) exploit.
Virus: W32/Zafi-B
A peer-to-peer (P2P) and email worm that will copy itself to the Windows system folder as a randomly named EXE file. This worm will test for the presence of an internet connection by attempting to connect to www.google.com or www.microsoft.com. A bilingual, worm with an attached Hungarian political text message box which translates to “We demand that the government accommodates the homeless, tightens up the penal code and VOTES FOR THE DEATH PENALTY to cut down the increasing crime. Jun. 2004, Pécs (SNAF Team)”
“Joe puts customer service up front. He seeks what people want and provides a result quickly to let people know he is dedicated to producing quality products. As a consultant he constantly teaches me more each time.” December 13, 2007
Top qualities: Personable, On Time, High Integrity
Bradley Bathgate
hired Brochin.net for Graphic/Web Design work in 2007
