I-Cable Access - 3 Months Later

In early January, I dropped my dial-up Internet access account (cost: $18.68/month) and called SNET to have my second telephone line disconnected (used exclusively for I-connection, cost: $18.60). My 256k bps (bits per second) 24x7 Internet cable modem connection had been installed (cost $29.95/mo). With over three months of solid experience, the high speed access has changed the way I use the Internet. Here is what I found.

On first blush, I saw very little improvement over my dial-up service. Oh sure! I no longer had to wait for the v.90 modem to dial out and wait for connection to the Net. However, other than that, the overall speed seemed about the same, at least initially. In fact, without the dialer icon blinking during I-connections on the task bar, I was never certain if packets were flowing into my computer. Was there a problem at the server, with my browser, or perhaps my system was frozen? I did not know.

Net.Medic

It was at that point that I started to use Net.Medic (free trial period, $30 annual fee). This small utility displays many so-called vital signs about connection to an ISP. In reality, I have little confidence in most of them. However, the “Speed Limit” display makes up for all other shortcomings. Once running, a small window opens and displays the theoretical maximum throughput that can be obtained with any given modem. For example, when connected with a v.90 modem, the number is 128 kbps; with my I-cable, the number is 256kbps. When IP packets travel out (uploads) or down (downloads) from an Internet site Net.Medic displays the information in real time. As often occurs, a surfer will enter a URL (World Wide Web address) in the browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator), yet nothing happens. Net.Medic reveals that the browser had not activated (triggered) the instruction. However, once the packets flow out of the computer, the user obtains a solid indication of the quality of the remote site. In the cases where the packets arrive slowly (due to heavy Internet traffic, a slow connection of the other side, or any of a number of other reasons), the surfer can elect to patiently wait for the transfer to finish or move to a speedier Web site with less traffic. Armed with the results provided by Net.Medic, power surfers modify their behavior.

Constantly Multi-Tasking

No one likes to wait. Once it becomes apparent where I-bottlenecks exist, smart surfers begin running two or more task simultaneously. For example, while reading e-mail, rarely do packets flow across the Net. During slack times, I exchange data with sluggish sites (like an overloaded search engine, a lottery site like WebMillion, or download a software upgrade). Frankly, Net.Medic allows many more jobs to be accomplished during a single Internet session now. It has become indispensable. Highly recommended for I-Cable users.

Prior to a cable connection, free long distance telephone calls using DialPad were not possible. The added bandwidth provided by I-Cable makes free telephone calls (VoIP - voice over IP) commonplace. During the last few weeks, the DialPad Web site has improved the software several times. Therefore, now I use DialPad for making almost all telephone calls – local and long distance. From the constant monitoring of Web traffic via Net.Medic, I can determine those times when DialPad calls may be unacceptably poor. I reluctantly use POTS (plain old telephone service). However, this occurs less and less frequently. One of the strong benefits of using VoIP is that I can bring up a Web site on the Internet and discuss the site with the Webmaster on the I-phone as we view the pages together. With a headset, both hands are free to navigate the site with keyboard/mouse. Great!

Firewall Needed

Make no mistake about it – a personal firewall (ZoneAlarm recommended) should be used by all I-Cable users (not as necessary with dial-up connections). While firewalls present their own set of software compatibility problems, they will, in the near future, become as indispensable as anti-virus software. At this time, ZoneAlarm is free and easy to use. I hope it remains that way.

While there has been an occasional disruption (the cable connection disrupted for short periods of time) and the IP address changed three times in three months, the service has been remarkably reliable. The high packet throughput has become addictive. Going back to dial-up is out of the question. I am hooked.

Off Topic

I am feeling the effects of withdrawal of another type. The final season episode of The Sopranos aired this week. Undoubtedly, David Chase and his army of writers will find a way to weave the Internet into a subplot in upcoming episodes. Perhaps Christopher Moltisanti (played by actor Michael Imperioli) will rip first run DVD Oscar movies onto CDs and sell them through a pirate server farm in Central America. We will have to wait until next January. Sigh!

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://grc.com

http://www.vitalsigns.com/products/nm/

http://sopranos.hbo.com/sopranos/index.noflash.html

(This is the 201st of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the Internet. Next, “Movies on the Net - Updated” is the subject on tap. Stay Tuned. Until next week, happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of “Internet Info for Real People” can be found: http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and suggestions: rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)