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The Internet has changed our life entirely. This new technology has become a major element which influences all that we do at work and at home. Hence we can say that our entire activity depends on the Internet speed, because according to this we can spend more or less time to accomplish what we intended to do. Since we live in a speedy century, we all are looking for a very high Internet speed, but this is not always an easy deal.

The first step is to learn how to find out what your Internet speed is. The Internet speed is determined by 2 components: the download rate and the upload rate of data which are usually measured in Kilobits per second. The download speed is the most important because we usually transfer files from Internet to our computer, but there are cases when we need a high upload speed.

We may test our internet speed in the manual way, by calculating the time our computer needs to transfer a file of a known size, but this is the old method.

The new way to determine our internet speed is to access a service that allows us to run a test through their servers by sending our computer an information packet which our computer will send it back to them. In this way the site measures the time our computer needed to download and upload the information packet and informs us the internet speed of our bandwidth.

By this test we measure the actual speed of the Internet and in the same time the real internet speedof our access to the internet. The actual speed limit is the amount of useful data that your internet connection can transmit and receive in a second. On the other side, the real internet speed includes also non-significant information. But when we make the test, only the actual speed is measured, the real internet speed is not important in this calculation.

Now that we know what our internet speed is, let's see what we can do to improve it. The first solution is to install optimization software. If you have a Dial-Up connection and use Windows 98 or Me, click Start, Settings, and then Control Panel. Right click on the Modems icon and from Properties tab choose the General tab. Use the Maximum Speed Drop-Down menu to select 115200. If this setting causes your Modem to no longer connect, change it to 57600. Windows XP users should click Start, Control Panel and switch to classic view. Double-click the Phone and Modem options and choose the Modem tab. Change the maximum settings port speed to 115200 and if the Modem responds badly or not at all, change the speed to 57600.

Broadband users should think of using a tweak utility such as TCP Optimizer. After downloading the software we must run it and make a backup of our current settings. Save the backup, and follow the instructions in the software to optimize our broadband speed. Don't forget to click apply changes and click Yes if the software ask you to re-boot the computer.Now our computer should run faster. If the new settings do not satisfy you, return to the program and restore your back up settings. If you failed to make a backup, restore Windows default settings.

And the last solution would be to change your internet provider with a better and reliable one. We may choose from a large scale of opportunities. There is no reason to waste our time with a lazy internet speed when we can spend our precious time with a high-speed internet connection.

Article by Mary Prysler, visit his web site on internet speed test for more information on internet services, internet speed test, broadband internet and other high speed internet services http://theinternetspeed.blogspot.com

Retired pensioner Keith Harrison of Perth, Australia, loves the internet. Not only does it provide the 66-year-old grandfather with all the latest news on his favourite Aussie Rules team - the West Coast Eagles - it also allows him and wife Glenda to contact their daughter, two sons, and nine grandchildren who are scattered across the globe.

Before his family clubbed together and bought him a PC, broadband connection and internet phone, English ex-pat Harrison used to stay in touch with them by using his home telephone and the odd letter. Despite his protestations that he didn't need nor want the 'new-fangled technology', he is now an avid internet user, regularly calling his family via the internet phone network to which they all subscribe.

But, because of international time differences the retired engineer first consults his elaborate homemade timetable before attempting to make a call. Eldest son Malcolm lives in Los Angeles, a massive 17 hours behind Perth, while youngest son Lee resides in London which is a more respectable nine hours behind. Conversely, daughter Eve lives in Sydney which is ahead of Perth by two hours. With such varying time differences Harrison admits that keeping on top of it all was confusing and that's why he concocted his fool-proof timetable.

Before moving to calling via internet Harrison and his wife used their home telephone to call the family, and he admits that he got it badly wrong on several occasions. More than once he has called various members of his family in the middle of the night, disturbing their slumber.

"Internet dialing is great," says Harrison "I can't ring anyone if they're asleep because they're off-line, plus now that I've got my timetable there's no danger of me trying to contact them at inappropriate times."

As well as being the most efficient and cheapest method for him to ring his family, he also uses his internet phone to call his 'mates' when arranging their pre-game meets at the pub before Eagles games at the Subiaco Oval.

He said: "With so many kids and grand-kids to keep in touch with it was costing me a fortune to make international phone calls. The money I save on my phone bills by using the internet phone almost pays for my seat at the Eagles home games."

And it's not just Keith that benefits from the internet phone as wife Glenda also uses the video call option to monitor the growth of her nine grandchildren that vary in age from 18 months to 15 years-old. "While Keith is out at the games, I spend a lot of time chatting to my kids and grand-kids," she said. "They grow up so fast and it's great being able to watch their progress on screen."