There are two measured elements that determine your internet connection speed. They are: The download rate, and the upload rate of data measured in bits per seconds. Usually, it is expressed in Kilobits per second.

A bit is the smallest piece of data that can be stored in a computer. The bit can be either "0" or "1". The byte is eight bits. Example of a byte and bits are the following:

bit= 0 or 1

byte=8 bits

1 byte=10011101 (eight bits)

A single charcter needs one byte or eight bits to be stored in a computer. So, when the data rate is 1 byte/sec, that means one character per second is the rate at which data is transferred through your connection.

This is very slow, and only intended for an example. In order to browse the internet, you must have at least a dial up access with a 56kb/s modem, in order to get a meaningful and practical result.

There are different types of internet connection. First they introduced the dialup connection using your phone line, then the broadband was introduced.

The broadband internet connections are DSL, Cable, or Satellite internet services. They are widely used and expanding due to the high bandwith.

When you get an internet service, your provider states that your speed will be a certain numbers. They usually give you a good idea, but not an exact one. The common asked questions among internet users is:

How do I know what is my connection speed, and if I am getting what I was promised?.

If there anyway I can test my connection, and do I need to buy expensive software to test it?.

The answer is simple. There are two ways to test your internet connection speed:

1- The manual simple calculation test that you can do yourself without any software or third party services.

2- You can find a service that lets you run a test through their servers, and get your numbers displayed at their webpage.

1-The manual method:

Since I mentioned that the connection speed consist of two numbers, the download and upload speed. So, what you do is download from the internet any free software, and watch the result box with the result that show the size of the file and how many seconds it tool to download.

When you are done recording the download speed, upload a file of a specific size (1 Mb, 2 Mb), and time your watch when you start. When the file is uploaded, check your watch and record the time it took for the task. Then divide your file size by the seconds it took.

If you file was 2 Mb. that took 5 minutes to upload, then your upload speed is 2 Mb./300 sec. or 6.826 Kbits/sec.You can run the above test couple times, and then take the average for a better result.

2-The automated test at a third party service:

This is my preferred one, where you get to a website where the test is done for you. It is done using a script installed on their server, and letting you download and upload to their server a test file (invisible to you). Then, the result is displayed on their webpage.

SQUID:

In 1984 I was partnered with a Cable TV engineer and founding father by the name of Ray Osborne. He was working with people developing oscillating noise loop broadband technologies. These technologies were eventually bought by the Pentagon to use in untappable secure message or information transmissions. I imagine this technology now uses the Quantum teleporting and faster than light methods put out for contract in late 2001 by Mr. Everett of the Durham Army Depot. Ray had earlier worked with the Canadian Department of Communications on a brainwave enhancing device similar to a helmet and things I had read about that the Russians believed would someday allow the mind to move mountains (even literally) according to Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain.

Ray told me about an experiment they did with him and another person wearing a helmet with energy inputs and electrodes attached to this helmet he wore. As the experiment was about to start, Ray had a need to have a cigarette and as he reached to get one and light it up, the thought energy directed ESP (or brainwavelength ability) was sent to the person across the courtyard who was sitting in the window so they could see each other. That person was sent into a coma and his hair turned white – thus ended the experiment on that day. Ray was not part of continued experiments and I suppose they considered stopping it for a while but I cannot believe they did not continue these researches. The military loves to have these things and they would rationalize that they must have the ability to counter any enemy who might have them too.

The Russians were the ones who tabled the removal of non-lethal weapons from the research of all signators to SALT. The Americans recently removed themselves from SALT on a uni-lateral basis. I believe SDI and HAARP are connected to these things and I fear other mind-control machines such as Dr. Persinger of Laurentian University is working on with the Earth Energy Grid will be involved. This will happen whether he and his boss Jack Verona of the Defense Intelligence Agency in the US know it or not. Los Alamos is working on a further refinement of superconductive helmetry and brain enhancements under the acronym SQUID as we see in this posting from my neuroscience forum. I do not have the original source of the posting but will follow it with another posting linkage to the University of Toronto research and related matters.

“Magnetic measurements of brain activity could be free from noise in the future thanks to a new helmet-like device developed by medical physicists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is the only technique that can directly measure neuronal activity in the brain, but it is plagued by background noise that interferes with signals from the brain itself. The new helmet could provide much more accurate information on brain function (P Volegov et al. 2004 Phys. Med. Biol. 49 2117).

MEG is a non-invasive technique that provides detailed information on the brain in almost real time by using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) sensors to measure the magnetic fields generated by currents flowing in and around neurons. However, these magnetic field signals are extremely weak -- typically between about 10-14 and 10-13 Tesla -- and are therefore easily overwhelmed by background magnetic noise. Although various techniques exist to reduce this noise, none are entirely satisfactory because they can also reduce the size of the signals produced by the brain itself.

The helmet designed by the Los Alamos team is made from a layer of superconducting lead and is placed around the SQUID sensors (see figure). The helmet needs to kept at temperatures below 8 kelvin -- in a liquid helium cryostat -- for the lead to be superconducting. The device works on the principle that Meissner currents flow on the surface of the superconductors in the helmet. These currents expel magnetic flux, therefore preventing any external magnetic fields from penetrating the helmet. Moreover, unlike previous methods, the helmet can be placed close to the head without affecting signals produced by the brain.

The scientists have already tested their helmet on real patients and say that background noise signals can be reduced by more than six orders of magnitude, making it the most effective system to date. However, the device still needs to be improved because noise levels are still relatively high around the brim.” “Vortex dynamics in superconducting systems imaged by Scanning SQUID Microscopy Abstract

Using a Scanning SQUID Microscope (SSM), we have studied vortex distributions in various superconducting systems. The excellent flux sensitivity of the SSM allows us to resolve individual vortices for low flux density. Field cooling produces quenched vortex patterns which can be disordered in strong-pinning Nb films or well ordered into a lattice in a-MoGe films with weak pinning. Surface steps alter the field-cooled patterns, with vortices formed in dense rows along the low side of steps with few vortices near the high side. We observe an asymmetry in the dynamics of vortices around the surface steps under the application of a driving force. The vortex line tension impedes vortex motion from thin parts of the superconductor to thick regions, while not affecting the opposite motion down the steps. We have also investigated the behavior of vortices in thin superconducting strips in a perpendicular magnetic field, a complex problem due to the large demagnetizing effects. These geometrical barriers are frequently encountered in transport measurements on high-Tc superconductors. Strips with transverse surface steps as well as strips with a uniform cross section have been imaged. We are attempting to correlate the observed vortex distributions with transport measurements of the vortex dynamics in the strips.”

Well, the Internet access industry is starting to shake its way out. The much-anticipated consolidation of access providers is nearing its end. In broadband, this means that most users have little or no choice of providers. Though many of the changes have been hard on user choice, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In some cases, it's better to have one stable and pricey provider than 100 unstable, cheap providers. The shakeout was painful for scores of users who often were left with no connection when they needed it most. And some providers left standing don't exactly have good track records, either.

Still, there is reason for users to be optimistic about the future. The following is an outline of the way the Internet access business should go in the coming year. I provide it to give you a better understanding of where you should go now, assuming you want to stick with the same internet access provider for at least a year.

Don't ditch dial-up

A lot of users were glad they hung on to their dial-up accounts in the midst of uncertainty with their broadband connections. When things go bad with broadband (as they often do), you at least can get e-mail, if not a quick scan of the headlines in text-heavy Web sites.

If you have a dial-up account, and you're paying less than $20 for it, consider it a blessing to have a back-up system. At the very least, when you need to reach tech support for your broadband account and you can't get through due to heavy call volume, you can e-mail them from your dial-up account. Things to look out for in dial-up:

Go with a provider that has been around long enough to quickly respond to such issues as software upgrades and peak calling volumes.

Read the fine print before signing. Some ISPs will disconnect you after a relatively short amount of time of idleness. Others let you stay online as long as you're actively engaged. Still others never disconnect users. The last is preferable; the middle option usually offers the best value.

Check out Boardwatch magazine's ISP Directory to see how much infrastructure you will be paying for. Make sure your chosen ISP has an acceptable ratio of modems to users. Three users for every modem is acceptable, considering that it is unlikely that all their customers will dial up at once. o Match prices with the ratio of modem pools to users.

Check out options such as personal Web site services and multiple addresses. These are nice to have and can add value to your experience as long as you use them--provided they're bundled in.

DSL doldrums

Of all the access methods, DSL has received the most scorn since I've been at this job. My own experiences were horrendous, and I'm not alone. It works great for about 20 percent of the population who are geographically blessed. It works OK for another 30 percent or so of the population, who may have to endure some line noise in order to get DSL. And it doesn't work at all for the other half. Couple its inherent technical limitations with DSL providers falling off the wires like shocked birds, and the situation has not been pretty.

Still, those providers that have made it through the shock test should be able to offer a good experience (with the exception of Qwest). Consider DSL carefully and you will avoid a lot of pain.

Some DSL issues you should consider:

Talk to a neighbor about their DSL experience. Do they have a lot of line noise on the phone even with the filters? Did they have any equipment or network problems with their provider? If so, did they get put on hold and shuffled around through tech support when they called in? Was their DSL provider able to support a variety of platforms, or was it basically Windows-only?

Consider an ISP for DSL service.

The Baby Bells, such as Qwest and Verizon, are not well equipped to deliver DSL service. Even though smaller ISPs may only resell DSL service from Baby Bell providers, they at least provide a live human being when things go wrong. Because the Baby Bells know the cost of supporting DSL users, they can offer DSL to ISPs much more cheaply than they can offer it directly to users. So you can often get a price break from ISPs, especially if you're willing to accept a slightly slower connection.

One of the common problems among internet users is testing their internet connection to pinpoint the exact problem. There is a big number of internet users who use DSL, and cable modem service.

You set us your connection the way your ISP (internet service provider)instruct you to. Sometimes, it doesn't work for numerous reasons.

You service is not ready, your hardware in not connected properly, or your ISP is having problems.

Whatever the cause of the problem maybe, there are some diagnostic tools you can use in Windows XP, in order to identify the problem.

If you are not exact in your diagnostic, you will get a good idea at least.

Before we get to the diagnostic tools, let us discuss what is involved in an internet connection.

The information travels over the internet to your computer through your ISP service. This is done through a High speed modem then to a network card installed in your computer.

Your computer is called a host, your service provider will give you the DNS IP address, and you get your login and password. That is all what you have from your ISP.

Sometimes, your internet connection fails, and you want to find out the problem. You may be able to fix it, or at least get some information about the problem to advise your isp for help.

You will start by accessing the command prompt by going in sequence to:

Start menu, program, accessories, then command prompt. A window will open where you type commands from the prompt.

At the command prompt, you type: IPCONFIG. This command will give you the active network connection on your computer. Here is an example:

PPP adapter Copy :

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45

The above output was produced when I ran the Ipconfig command on my own computer running Window XP OS, and A DSL connection. The IP address is my computer address assigned by the ISP.

Please note, you can add an option to this command, in order to get more detailed information about your connection. Here is the output, when I ran the same command with the "all" option.

Ipconfig /ALL

PPP adapter Copy :

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 68.239.158.45
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 151.198.0.39 151.197.0.39 NetBIOS over TCP/IP. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Notice now, the output includes the phisycal address of the network interface card installed in my computer. Also, you see the DNS IP addresses. With the above information, I didn't have any problems.

Supposed ,I disconnect my DSL connection and ran the command again, this is the new result:

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Notice in this case, where I disconnected my connection, you don't get a DNS server. This tells you that I am not connected to the internet.

Also, notice the IP address starts with 192.168, which is the default address whenever your computer is not connected to the internet.

Another command is the ping command. It will allow to check if a computer is connected to the network and ready to communicate, whether intranet, or internet.

Once you run it,it will sent a packet to the computer specified and gives the time it took for the packet to travel. This is an a output when I tried to ping www.yahoo.com:

C:>ping www.yahoo.com

Pinging www.yahoo.akadns.net [216.109.118.66] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 216.109.118.66: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=55
Reply from 216.109.118.66: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=55

Ping statistics for 216.109.118.66:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 35ms, Maximum = 39ms, Average = 38ms.

That shows that the host was reachable, and connected to the internet.

A very important command is the Nslookup. This will let you check if DNS (domain name server) is working properly. The function of the DNS server is to translate ip addresses to domain name of the networked computer. Here is an example:

C:> nslookup www.yahoo.com
Server: home5.bellatlantic.net
Address: 151.198.0.39

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: www.yahoo.akadns.net
Addresses: 216.109.118.67
Aliases: www.yahoo.com

So, you enter the name after Nslookup, it will give you IP addresses and vice versa.

In summary, there more commands in Windows Xp, but using the three above commands should give you a good idea about your internet connection problems. You can find where the problem is occurring. Is it your machine, or the ISP.

For those businesses unable can't get T1, Cable or DSL internet service for less than half a year's Gross Profit, vsat (very small aperture terminal) satellite internet is about the only way to obtain decent internet speed. Over the last two years or so many companies have advertised about upcoming solutions to this issue...after all, the business internet industry is huge and growing by giant leaps each year and there are potential profits out there.

Let's take a look at what is currently available and what is on the way:

Available Ku Band Enterprise Systems

This is a "catch all" phrase covering the more expensive equipment and service offered by several large uplink comapnies. It is characterized by larger satellite dishes (typically 1.0 meter or larger), more powerful transmitters (at least 2 watts) and less populated transponders than the "residential" or "small business" setup's available from Direcway, Starband and Wildblue. The result is more consistent, faster service.....what most businesses expect.

There are two general avenues you can take regarding speed and throughput: Shared or dedicated bandwidth - and the difference in price is staggering. For most business applications, shared bandwidth (the less expensive choice) will work fine - giving a company 1.5 kbps downloads and 256 kbps uploads over 90% of the time for prices in the $400-$1500 range. The crucial element of ANY offering is the "contention ratio" - how much they oversell the product or the number of concurrent users they allow on a transponder. Any company that does not put the ratio in writing is not worth doing business with - period...and any company with a contention ratio above 20-1 is not offering you true Enterprise service. With dedicated service (Guaranteed speeds) you will spend over $1,900 per month (up to several thousand per month), but will have service that is nearly bulletproof.

The most tested and dependable Enterprise setup available today in N. America is centered around a modem designed by iDirect Technologies http://www.idirect.net. This is a proven system that will give you what you pay for.

Other systems are coming into the marketplace like the ViaSat Surfbeam DOCSIS setup and another DOCSIS product from Telnor; however, this is very new technology and certainly qualifies as "Bleeding Edge". Only three companies have the equipment to make it work right now and there are bumps in the road. Surfbeam and Telnor's big promise is a better utilization of available ku bandwidth, but no field results have confirmed this yet to my knowledge.

If it provides similar speeds during field testing, it will force iDirect to rethink modem pricing as the DOCSIS setup can be installed for about $500-$1,000 less.

Wireless and Satellite Internet Technology On The Horizon

The Satellite Internet world could be turned on it's head in the coming years as WIMAX emerges. It is a grand plan by Intel and others to cover very large areas of the world with a brand of microwave technology capable of sending data extremely fast to small antennas at homes and businesses. The big difference between WIFI and WIMAX is the distance covered by the main antenna.....the claim is 15-30 miles! Talk about bleeding edge....many of the "Big Boys" including Nokia and Cisco have abandoned plans to invest in it and speak of it as a bad business model to try to replace DSL. They point out that there are currently over 15 "standards" for the technology, not exactly a harmoneous start!

Ka band satellite internet for Enterprise has some real promise. The ability to "reuse" bandwidth, if the concept works, will enable companies to have T1 speeds or greater at any business location for much less than a T1 cost. A unit of SkyTerra Communications - the company managing Hughes Network Systems now, is working on advanced ka band spot beam technology to that end.

The greatest challange facing the satellite internet industry during the next 24 months is figuring out how to make profit.....in the absence of someone finding a business model that can show consistant profit, all of the transponder space allocated to internet will quickly be redeployed to HDTV or other types of profitable communication....bet on it!