A one-way satellite Internet system uses your telephone line for the upload page request. After the page request is received the satellite sends the download signal. One-way access is still a lot faster than dial-up Internet access, but aren’t you trying to get rid of dial-up and not tie up your phone line? If tying up your phone isn’t an issue to you, one-way access is somewhat reliable but the companies that offer the service are not. Most of these are startup companies that are way under capitalized.

Two-way satellite Internet access has a dish mounted on your home or business that sends the upload page request signal up to the satellite. This eliminates tying up your phone line or adding additional expense for a second line. Two-way satellite Internet service works very similar to satellite TV systems. You will enjoy fast and reliable Internet service.

You may be hearing about voice over Internet phone service (VOIP). There are many advantages of voice over Internet phone service (VOIP). If you can get VOIP you can save a great deal of money on long distance, international calls and all the convenience features such as call waiting, caller ID, messaging, etc. While these VOIP phone plans such as Vonage sound pretty attractive, be careful that you have an Internet service plan that will allow VOIP to perform properly.

One-way satellite service ties up your phone line, so VOIP is out of the question. Two-way satellite access will bring you broadband Internet access but it too has its limitations when used with VOIP. The biggest concern with satellite Internet service is the latency, or lag time. This latency is a small delay from the time you send the upload signal from the dish to the satellite and then back down to you. When browsing the Internet this split second delay may not seem like much but for a phone conversation this delay is huge.

When we talk over a landline our two-way conversations go back and forth just like we are talking face to face. Latency can bring a delay into the picture and suddenly your conversations can overlay each other. Who is to talk when? Have you ever been at a baseball stadium when the national anthem is played and there is a delay in the song? This lag is very similar.

There are some companies promoting VOIP use with satellite Internet access. Be careful, it may work, but maybe not as clear and reliable as you may like. Online gaming is not recommended either because latency affects games as well. VOIP is really best suited with cable or DSL Internet access.

If you live in the country, satellite Internet service will give you the speed you were looking for. I know you may want VOIP but don’t just take some salespersons word for it. If you are looking to upgrade your Internet access from dial-up, satellite Internet access is a great option. Enjoy it for the speed and browsing fun that it will deliver.

There are many options for saving and storing your data. The key is to try to anticipate disasters before they happen, and back up your data in a way that will protect it from becoming lost to you forever.

1: Backing up on CD/DVD: CDs and DVDs are a somewhat old-fashioned way of backing up your data, harkening back to the days when floppy disks were used for this purpose. Although CDs and DVDs have considerably more capacity than floppies used to, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the size of hard drives these days. Be prepared to burn many CDs or DVDs, and keep in mind that finding and restoring files could be a little tedious, no matter how well organized your filing system is. Also, a disaster that destroys your computer could also destroy your backups if you keep your archives in the same place.

2: Backing up to flash memory. Memory cards and flash drives provide a good data storage option for those who need more space and quicker backup times than CDs and DVDs can offer. Memory cards and flash drives are also extremely portable, enabling you to back up on the go, or take copies of your data with you. However, both memory cards and flash drives still offer much smaller storage capacities than many people need, and you will still need to store the backups at a separate location for total data security.

3: Backing up to an external hard drive. External hard drives are great because they have as much (if not more) space as your regular hard drive, usually connect via USB for rapid data transfer times, and can be stored at a separate location to avoid both your computer and your backups being destroyed or stolen at the same time.

4: Using an online backup or archiving service. Online backup and archiving is probably the easiest and safest way to back up your data, and as a result many people feel it is worth the expense. It usually consists of a low monthly fee instead of the one-time cost of buying data storage devices. Most online backup services enable you to set automatic backups, which means you don’t have to remember to back up the data yourself. The system does it automatically. Also, online backup means that your data is stored far away from your home or office, ensuring that whatever happens to your computer, your backups will always be there.

Information saved on the computer are easier to keep and share than old-fashioned paper-based systems, so often users get lulled into a false sense of security. It is important to remember that even computers can’t offer complete permanence, making it crucial that you back up your data often.