For those less experienced I dare say that­:

internet line can be compared to a sort of pipe and connection speed is the water passing from that pipe.

For this reason:

1. our provider doesn’t supply us with water but he just provides us with a pipe and we just pay for our pipe real capacities (the real amount of water that can pass through it);
2. the source of our water is not our ISP but it comes from another tab (the server we are connected to).

That is to say that all online programs measuring our line speed usually send us a file showing the download program speed (in practice they deliver into our tab a certain amount of water so that we can estimate the real quantity passing through our tab at the same time).

The first real trouble to run reliable tests is the following:

• Is the speed showed by servers during these tests lie or truth? And is it the same one as for any pc? In other words, are the figures real ones?
• If so, does this speed correspond to my computer one?

So you must check if the visualized download speed is not an invention.

To verify our speed we can install a program testing our band and it will show us the data entry speed that should correspond to the one visualized in any test site. I found a free and nice one, Netmeter. You can install and start it during your ADSL speed test so that you can do a comparison of all figures (the ones showed to you and also your pc ones). Then you will be showed a window like this one:

Make a supposition of your ADSL speed from different test results

It might even sound like a silly doubt, but it is not. In case my ADSL speed test server supplies my tab with a quantity of water smaller than its capacity, its speed will be a correct one but it will never correspond to my line real speed.

Here you have different download speeds reported during speed test programs I personally ran using these devices:

• CPU dual core – WinXP Pro Notebook
• Router Wifi Zyxel 660 HW
• Wlan Connection 802.11 b/g (up to 54 Mbps)

Even if they are very variable, I had confirmation during all tests by my Net Meter that these data are reliable ones. So, how to know my real connection speed?

If thinking about the comparison of water and tab, with reliable figures, my ADSL speed nearest result certainly is the highest one (4.492 by zdnet.com.au). All the others had lower results for the following reasons:

• They sent less data than my line could really support (less water than my tab capacities);
• Maybe the net was engaged (a water waste during the flowing and so its incoming quantity is less than my tab capacities).

The main difference between Wifi and Ethernet cable connections

Of course, we are not dealing with the same 10Mbps I am paying money for, but I feel lucky in comparison to other people facing some sort of never ending stories. Anyway, I didn’t want to be content with that, so I had the care of repeating all tests again, this time connecting my notebook to the router by an Ethernet cable and not a Wifi connection.

Then a doubt arose, as I already knew that Ethernet cables guarantee a better performance on the same line in comparison to wlan 802.11 b/g, but I didn’t know how much.

Give a glance to all the same line and same conditions results, using an Ethernet cable to the router.

Connecting by a cable the notebook to the router, I obtained that my ADSL ran at an incredible higher speed! Then I had the possibility to confirm that all these tests are reliable even when new cable measurements show homogeneous and substantial differences among all ADSL speed tests in comparison to wireless ones.

I even had a strong waste of time trying to improve my wifi connection. I did so working on my router settings, but I didn’t get to any consistent improvement. Then, as for wireless connection, I was already in a sort of pole position.

Anyway, in this occasion too, I had the chance of making new discoveries, that sooner I’ll have the pleasure to share with you all.

Many are DSL operators inefficiencies, and sometimes you just need a little bit more knowledge to avoid any useless stress. Here you can get some further information in order to verify whether your ADSL is really a slow one or you just made a possible wrong estimation.

Photo Credit: cerae

Differences between asynchronous (ADSL) and synchronous (SDSL) DSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is a wide band line with an upload speed lower than its download one. For private and not business use ADSL is the most common one as there is no need to send too many data, for there are many more incoming data than outgoing ones. On the contrary symmetric DSL (SDSL) guarantees you the same speed, for both kind of data.

Megabit and Megabyte: how to understand lines real speed

For a 4 Mbps (Megabit per second) line people think of a 4 Mb/sec (Megabyte per second) download speed. Be careful: one byte corresponds to 8 bits; one kilobyte corresponds to 1024 bytes; one megabyte corresponds to 1024 kilobytes. Such a high quantity of speed measures variables usually generates a sort of confusion, created on purpose by the commercial system.

Here you have a list of an hypothetical 4Mbps line, which is translated in bit, bytes and megabytes:

• A Mbps line downloads no more than:

• • 4 Megabit per second
  • 500 Kbyte per second
  • 0,5 MegaByte per second

So, a 100 Mb file, with a 4 Mbps line, should need 200 seconds time download, with a browser indicating a 500kb/sec download speed.

The minimum guaranteed band

Therefore, all operators guarantee a really minimum speed much lower than the one in force in all commercial networks. For a more detailed idea of ADSL lines performances, you must calculate as done before, considering the minimum guaranteed band and not the commercialized speed.

Anyway, take care: the minimum guaranteed band is often indicated in kilobit! But your PC can show a kilobyte speed where 1 kilobyte corresponds to 8 kilobit. Is that clear? You should divide the minimum guaranteed band for 8 and the result will be the value that should be then shown in your PC during the download (in case it shows it in kilobytes).

Let’s take a 10Mb file, that must be downloaded on a PC, and let’s give a glance to the maximum download speed supposed to be as the guaranteed band varies:

• 128 Kilobit/sec.-> 11 minutes download at the maximum, with a transfer speed of 16 Kilobyte/sec.
• 256 Kilobit/sec.-> 5,5 minutes download at the maximum, with a transfer speed of 32 Kilobyte/sec.
• 512 Kilobit/sec.-> 2,5 minutes download at the maximum, with a transfer speed of 64 Kilobyte/sec.

How to calculate your real ADSL download speed

1. Connect here and check your line download speed
2. Mark Kbps (kilobit per second) speed
3. Check which is the minimum speed guaranteed specified in your subscription and, first of all, if it is in Kilobit (it should be so)
4. Connect here, insert your value in the text box and then the speed is converted in other measurements standards (Kilobyte, Megabyte, etc).

In conclusion: too many people are still confused by kilobit and kilobytes, as there is no clearness on the subject.

I hope I didn’t do any serious mistake…if so…please tell me !!!

Photo Credit: Mickdam

So, I’ll try to explain in the easiest way possible and with simple words, some few concepts in order to help you protecting your ADSL wireless connection and preventing unknown people from connecting and entering in your personal data.

Let’s start with a very simple thing: an 802.11g wifi router range is 100 meters. That is to say that your wifi router in our sitting-room is sending a signal reachable even from the road.

What shall we protect in a wireless ADSL connection?

It could sound a silly question, but in the effectiveness it is not: an open and unsafe wifi connection means two different risks:

1. An ADSL connection unauthorized use
2. A data wiretapping between your PC and your modem or router

In the first case the risk you run is that someone, in 100 meters range, can connect to your PC with his, then surfing free! The consequence will be that you will pay all his operations and connections! And in case his ADSL use is illegal that will cause you countless troubles too!

In the second case, instead, the risk you are running is that someone very close to you (maybe even a neighbor), is able to catch all data sent by your wifi router to your pc meanwhile you are surfing the net. So, try to imagine how many risks you run whenever you enter any personal data as for instance credit cards numbers, remote banking account, and so on.

So, there are two levels protection for a wireless network:

1. Preventing anyone from surfing the net using your wireless router;
2. Preventing anyone from wire-tapping your net surfing data (as cryptate with a password your connection).

You can either use one or both protections.

How to prevent anyone to use our wireless ADSL

The easiest and really working way to prevent anyone from using our wireless modem is to arrange our modem in order that it can recognize all connection authorized PCs, accepting to connect to these ones only.

For this use we can set an identification code for any PC (or any device as well) which is authorized to a MAC Address connection: we can consider MAC Address as a sort of plate that identifies the net adapter used by our Pc for an internet connection. In few words: a PC can have a cable and a wifi card internet connection, so in this case our PC will have two different MAC addresses, one is for ehernet (cable connection) and the other is for the wireless connection.

Of course, we should consider the wireless card MAC Address only.

How to get MAC Address

Usually you can find Mac Addresses written on notebooks labels, in your laptop lower position. Whenever it is absent, you can follow this guide.

How to cryptate Wifi connection

Another shrewdness is the audio signal cryptation, coming from your router and using a password. Cryptation techniques are usually identified in WEP and WPA abbreviations. The system is a very simple one: the router is configured by a password crypting the signal. Only the computers with access to that password can:

• Connect to the router

• Surf the net thanks to that connection

Of course cryptation solves the first trouble as well, as without password you can’t connect. But, for a reliable protection you should use both methods as:

• You can force a MAC Address on your PC (entering as if you were authorized and so skirting MAC filter)

• It is possible to hack the password of wi-fi signal (and then you can surf undisturbed using a wifi ADSL of anyone).

You can then even expand the protection subject about wireless connections on your own , but if you do what just listed here above you have the guarantee of a good level safety even at home.

Video Guide To Home Wireless Security

Photo credit: tforgo

As much as about me, I’ve got a 10 Mbps ADSL line: by cable I can download up to 8Mbps. On the contrary, when I have a wireless connection its speed seriously falls down to 4Mbps.

As a consequence, I have a 50% loss in efficiency and money. Therefore, I started a research to verify if and how it is possible to improve all wifi ADSL connections.

Why wifi connections are slower?

The lower efficiency of wireless connection in comparison to the cable one are mainly 3:

• Various Interferences
• Wifi signal direction
• Any device setting (router and wifi net cards)

Obviously a 640 Kbps ADSL connection managed by a  wifi router is less sensible to any interference than a 20Mbps one, like, for instance, the effect of wind on slower or faster cars. For this reason new ADSL2+ connections can consistently have a drop in their power.

10 tricks to improve ADSL2+ speed in wireless mode

The following ones are the main points to pay attention to for improving net efficiency and to limit speed (and money!) loss in your hotspot for connections higher than 4 Mbps.

1. Test router compatibility with ADSL2+.
   That’s the connection standard on high speed duplex cable.
2. Always up-to-date your router firmware with the latest available version.
   Before my line always fell down, but now after its updating it perfectly works!
3. Enable the ADLS2+ mode on your router.
   On my Zyxel 660 HW this option is named Enable Wireless g+ .
4. Use the net only in 802.11g or 802.11n mode.
   Either router and wifi net cards are normally set to use both 802.11g and 802.11b. The first one is definitely faster than the second one (up to 54 Mbps). You should force router and net cards to use the first one: search in the 802.11 mode.
5. If you have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone change it.
   It has the same hotspot frequency, so it can disturb. Take a 900Mhz or 5.8GHz one.
6. Choose the most efficient transmission channel.
   Some interferences can take place on definite channels. Change transmission channel (Channel ID) on the router running speed tests to find the faster channel.
7. Put the access point in the center of the requested area.
   I know it isn’t always possible to do this, but try at least to keep the antenna far from your home side-walls.
8. Cover the omni-directional antenna top with some silver paper if you don’t need connection on the upper floor.
9. Think of buying a directional antenna.
   If you are forced to use the wireless router on your home side-walls, check first if the omnidirectional antenna is removable. If so, substitute it with a directional one (it is not expensive), pointing it towards the inside of your home.
10. Verify the absence of any intruder connected to your router.
    One day I discovered that the cause of my connection slowness was a certain Giusy78 that was connected to my line saturating my band. So, protect your wireless net system.

Conventional and…unconventional tricks

Here you can have a do-it-yourself amplified antenna and replace it to your router one just using a screw, a piece of lead and a straw. But consider the fact of destroying your router!

Otherwise, if you love creativity, you can also make your amplified antenna with a Pringles (chips) tube or just with a coffee tin.

Usually, most connection offers include an ADSL modem supplied by providers to make service utilization easier; nonetheless, it would be useful to get the picture of what the market offers in terms of modems.

Let us provide a few basic concepts as a brief and easy guide to get familiar with the subject, with an effort to simplify as much as possible terms and explications, not to get lost on unnecessary details.

Modem ADSL and Router: what makes the difference.

By ADSL modem we mean the device which connects to the internet through a phone line. A modem supplies connection to at least one computer via net or USB wire. The router is a device which  distributes the connection to a certain number of computers.

This conection can be wireless: in this case the router is generally called Access Point Wireless.

A 4-port gateway router back side: it allows connecting four PCs via Ethernet cable (Photo credit: Daniel McCoy)

This is an access point back side: there's only an ethernet plug for the network bringing the internet connection. The antenna connect several computers via wifi. This device does not make authentication to your internet provider: an existing connection must be provided by the LAN

Please note that, being its task not to execute the connection, but to distribute it, a router commonly needs a modem to get the internet connection. ADSL modems with integrated router are available and widespread.

Those have a number of ethernet plugs (HUB) in the back through which the modem can be connected to X computers (only with network cables, not USB ones). Ijn this case the device works like a gateway for the computers.

Sharing UMTS connection

There are devices that allows mobile connaction sharing using a SIM phone.

In this case is strongly suggested to verify the internet mobile plan in order to avoid … bad surprise on the bill.

This is the Linksys  WRT54G3G.

The price UMTS gateways usually starts from 100$.

What we find in a store.

Be careful: in stores are available different kinds of devices only apparently similar (to non-experts).

• Modem ADSL Used to access the internet, it connects to a computer through a network cable or an USB wire.
• Modem ADSL with HUB (integrated router) Used to access the internet, it can distribute the connection to a number of computers through network cables. Also called gateway.
  
• Access point Wireless Used to distribute a connection coming from an existing modem to a number of computers, wireless.
  
• Modem ADSL with integrated Access Point Wireless Connects to the internet and at the same time distributes the connection to a number of computers, wireless and wired.

We recommend to be careful when buying ADL modems and routers because, even if bearing technical specs printed on the package, they can be easily mistaken and buying an Access Point Wireless being convinced it works also as an ADSL modem, is a mistake much more common that one would think.

Internet telephony (VoIP)

Besides ADSL connection, many providers supply internet phone calls (VoIP). If you intend to use this service, there are 3 possible ways:

1. using a preset router (VoIP router) connected to a normal telephone device
2. using a “VoIP” telephone (very expensive) connected to a simple router through a network cable
3. using an adapter, which connects a standard telephone device to a standard router (VoIP adapter).

Choosing with no hesitation.

Eventually, when purchasing an ADSL modem for domestic or SOHO (small offices) use, I strongly recommend a modem with integrated Access Point and a 4 or more ports hub which will allow wireless navigation and give the possibility to share the connection through network cables.

In addition, with a hub it’s possible to use VoIP adapters, should you want to utilize VoIP internet phone service.

This could be a right choice: you can see a the telephone plug on the right for the internet, 4 ethernet ports for wired connections and the antenna for the wifi access point.

As regards the ADSL connection, the provider might offer a choice between Ethernet router and USB connection. OK, always choose Ethernet connection cause an USB modem cannot be connected to a router and a great number of services, today as yesterday, require a router to function.