Parental Controls

With all that it has to offer, the Internet is also a place that can be dangerous for children, despite the best efforts of high speed Internet providers. Pornography sites are everywhere - it can be worrisome letting your kids roam free online when you know there is so much damaging material floating around in cyberspace. Luckily, there are several steps you can take to ensure the safety of your children:
1. Don't be afraid to talk with your kids about the dangers that exist online. Pornography is not the only concern - violence and hate sites are also a problem. Discussing the realities of the Internet is important because if your kids accidentally come across objectionable material, they will comfortable enough to tell you about it.
2. Make it clear that giving out personal information online is a big no-no. Tell them never to meet up with someone they have met online, or send photographs to strangers on the Internet. Warn your kids never to respond to threatening e-mails.
3. High speed Internet providers often have excellent parental controls in place for filtering content. If you set the controls up properly, the filter will block questionable websites, chat rooms, newsgroups, and other areas of the Internet that children should stay away from.
4. Take initiative and find out what your school's policy is for Internet usage. Your child's school should have an acceptable use policy (AUP) for Internet access, outlining that all use of the Internet is supervised by an adult.
5. Pay attention to your children's behavior. If you walk into their room and they act suspicious or become nervous, something could be wrong. These responses may be a sign that your kids are accessing inappropriate sites or communicating with someone they don't know outside of the Internet.
6. If in the course of monitoring your children's online activity you discover that they've received pornographic or disturbing spam or IM messages, contact your ISP and report the problem. Your children should not be exposed to this kind of material in their inboxes.
7. Although checking the browser's history isn't foolproof (smart kids will know to delete the history after going online) it's still a good way to keep track of things. And if you notice large chunks of time missing from the history, something may be going on that you should check into.
8. Most kids are pretty obvious when they try to hide something. Set up the family computer in a busy area, and pay attention to what your kids are doing online. If they quickly close windows when you walk by, monitor their online activities more closely.
9. Keep informed about the latest technologies, especially for Internet monitoring. New products entering the market may offer better ways to monitor your kids Internet activities.
10. Don't carry out every monitoring activity incognito - be as upfront with your kids as possible, and let them know you're keeping tabs for safety purposes. Your kids will trust you more this way, and will be more willing to talk to you if they need help.
High speed Internet providers do their best to filter websites, and offer parental controls to their subscribers, so take advantage of the service. It's just one more weapon in the fight to protect your children from unwanted content.

My Broadband has slowed down - How to Improve Your Broadband Speed

With so much information flying around about broadband, it is not surprising that users are becoming slightly confused about what they should expect from their deals. Here are a few answers to the most commonly asked questions.
One of the most common questions is why speeds do not match up with the speed they were promised when they signed up to the original deal. The answer is simple, connection speeds will vary considerably depending on the time of day you use it. Evenings are the busiest times as this is when most home users will be on the internet downloading and uploading.
Speeds will also vary depending on the item that you are downloading. Films require a lot longer to complete than a song would for example as the file is larger. As more people use their broadband to call friends and family abroad VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) which includes Skype has become very popular but takes longer and needs fast connections to use.
Tidying up your computer will also help improve the speed. As you surf and download your way through the internet, many files and viruses can find their way into your hard drive and simply erasing these can improve your connection speed. Many people compare broadband speeds but it is important to give yourself every chance of having those speeds and eliminating your computer of viruses is a must. You may want to get an expert to come and do this for you to ensure it is done thoroughly.
It is very frustrating for customers when the speeds they receive do not match the speed quoted to them by the operator. Asking the provider what the maximum and minimum speeds possible will give you a better indication as to what to expect from your broadband. The broadband speed test allows you to get an idea of the connection speeds in your area and once you know that, you can start to compare the various deals.
To ensure you get the most out of your broadband deal and achieve the fastest speeds, make sure your computer is free of viruses and unwanted files. Take the broadband speed test and find the speeds you should be getting and afterwards compare broadband deals from the leading providers.

Thinking of changing Telephone Service Provider?

The information below is intended to assist you if you are considering changing your home phone provider only in the UK and is not meant for business lines. This information may be of interest to consumers in the US as well. Do I have a choice of service provider for my telephone services? Yes. Competition in the English telecoms market means there is a variety of telephone service providers to choose from. Prices do vary across service providers so it is wise to shop around. Some operators can offer you packages covering both line rental and calls (Single Billing), others can offer you the facility to maintain your line rental with one operator while having your calls with them (Carrier Pre-Selection). Some phone companies' have services that also allow you to avail of discounts for certain types of calls - eg international, long distance or local calls - on a call by call basis (Carrier Select). Why should I consider changing my telecoms company? There are a variety of service providers in the market and an alternative supplier may offer better value services that suit your particular telecommunications needs. Prices for line rental and calls can vary amongst service providers. What questions should I ask before I change? You should review a few of your most recent telephone bills and establish your calling pattern (i.e. what type of calls you frequently make and at what time of day) and then shop around and ask the different companies about their call charges. It is important to note that once you have switched your telephone provider your previous supplier cannot contact you in relation to your voice calls for a period of three months. I have made my mind up to switch operators, what do I do now? Switching is easy. You just have to sign an authorisation form or confirm your consent over the telephone (a process known as Third Party Verification). Third party verification is an industry agreed process that allows you the flexibility to sign up with other companies for Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) over the phone. Your new service provider will take it from there. There will be no disruption to your telephone service and no need for anybody to visit your house. You can keep your telephone number and your directory listing. It is important to note that you may need to contact the losing operator in advance of changing service provider to check to see if any cancellation notice or cancellation period/penalties apply. What do I do if there is a fault on the line? Your should contact the provider of your line. I have a BT phone line but, but have been informed that I cannot switch provider. Why not? There are a few areas in UK where BT has a "postcode anomaly", or which are served by a non-digital exchange. This may be the case in your area. The provider you have chosen may therefore not be able to supply home phone services to you. Does 1471 still work? Yes, 1471 (a service that provides details of the last call made to you) will work as before.