BSA, the acronym for Business Software Allowance, which is a non-profit trade association realized with a primary view to advance the ambitions of the software industry along with its business associates. BSA is at present regarded as the front runner amongst the dedicated organizations in the world toiling for the promotion of a legal as well as safe digital world. The organization works in more than eighty countries, and has its head quarter in Washington.

BSA has once again appeared in the limelight, with its revelation that above 27 percent of software in the UK PCs at present were illegal. This was revealed by the agency in their recently released 6^th annual IDC global piracy study. It also disclosed that in the year 2008, the losses related to the industry amounted to GBP 1.49 billion, which was the highest level ever witnessed in the history. The survey conducted by BSA also blames the boost in the broadband internet access and resultant P2P file sharing for creating a friendlier environment for internet piracy.

Nevertheless, contrary to a common belief, the piracy rate in the UK software segment has stalled over the past five years. The history to be precise is; a drop in 2007 to 26 percent, preceding a constant 27 percent for three years prior to that, only to witness a rise yet again in 2009. Speaking of the global standards, half of hundred ten countries all over the world that was subjected to the survey, saw only a nominal 12 percent increase in internet piracy rates.

To effectively counter the menace of online piracy, BSA has forwarded a set of four suggestions for solution proposals of the government. The predominant one among the four is their advice to the government to support a soft regulatory approach to the online software piracy along with the development of a government as well as Ofcom recommended code of practice between right holders and the broadband ISPs. The second advice on the formation of a body focusing on education and enforcement is also significant. The final two are all about augmenting public awareness and education, and leading by example by ensuring the use of legitimate software in the public sector.

Virgin Media broadband service provider will offer Netgear Wireless-G routers to its broadband customers, according to a report. Here is the full report of Virgin Media wireless router offer:

The new customers who sign up to Virgin Media L or XL broadband service on fiber-optic network, will get the Netgear WGR614 wireless-G router free of cost, while broadband M customers will need to pay one-off £40 connection fee when they sign up.

The non-cable broadband customers who get Virgin broadband on telephone lines, will get ADSL 2+ compatible, DG834G Netgear wireless router free, however, they would have to pay £20 for the wireless accessories like wireless cards (NETGEAR Wireless-G PC Card) and network adapters (Wireless-G USB 2.0 Adapter).

Since Virgin Media’s wireless router kit also includes an installation CD that features NETGEAR’s Smart Wizard installation guide, the users can setup the wireless with ease.

About the features of Netgear Wireless-G router: It provides excellent wireless security features. There are NAT and SPI firewall protection combined with WPA-PSK wireless security so it efficiently protects the network from hackers and unauthorized network access.

The Belkin wireless cable modem router is one amongst best around the around in united kingdom and is available at any computer or technology store priced at £33.62 without VAT which is very much affordable. The device can be plugged into your incoming cable connection provided by the Internet Service Provider and can also be connected to the network as it has 4 Ethernet ports. Connect the ports to the LAN for accessing other files and folder and let the users access the broadband internet connection through their computers either via wireless or wired. Most people prefer a wireless broadband connection over a wired one. The 802.11g running on 2.4GHz provides a free movement of laptop anywhere around the network and makes it easy to access any files and folders or even internet connection.

The wireless technology has made great improvement and with an added turbo mode the network signal can be received at distance approximately 1500 feet and above. It also provides the networking speed to be over 5 times more than a normal 802.11b network, which means there can be those who would want to take leverage of an unprotected wireless network. There are high level security features built-in the device which a user can configure to define a protection mechanism of using the default parameters. There are more security options in which a custom content filter can be defined especially to block unsolicited website access from within the internal network and also from outside the network.

Overall the device is very easy to configure using the user friendly wizard which will begin with configuring the LAN settings and DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol - which provides an IP address to authenticated client), moving on the WAN setting defining the Internet Service Provider name, username, password and other PPPoE or PPPoA connection type with further sting values which differ from ISP to ISP. NAT allows internet to external network access, UPnP configuration, Wireless settings and Firewall settings. The device has a backwards compatibility with 802.11b and can be configured to work in a mixed network environments like MAC, Windows, Linux etc. implementing faster and quicker network in few minutes. You any reason if you want to isolate your wireless to a complete 802.11g, you can use the turbo mode and work only on Wi-Fi speed going above 11 Mbps or 802.11b.

Advantages

• You can create a SOHO (small office - home office) type network without any difficulty.
• You will get 6 months of FREE parental control access to create custom filters to protect any unsolicited access from harmful internet websites and also to log any such attempts.
• You will get backward compatibility with 802.11x wireless networks
• Easy install and configure wizard
• Maximum 3 minutes to bring your cable router online with auto sense feature
• SPI firewall will protect your network from any intrusions by unauthorized persons

A lifetime Belkin Warranty makes this device a special one.

BT Total Business broadband announced that its business broadband customers can use their BT Business Hub to get wi-fi access after installing software update in their wireless routers. Accordingly, the customers will get the update soon and use their Business Hub just like a Wi-fi hotspot.

However, the customers will be able send and receive business data using a separate connection with prioritized traffic. To enable the Office Hub and separate connection for transfer of business data, BT will bring out new version of BT Office Hub in the next few months.

When the new service is launched, the business broadband customers can use their BT Openzone free minutes which are included in their business broadband packages. The service will also enable BT Total broadband customers and who have subscribed to BT FON wi-fi service to access wi-fi using BT Hub wireless router turned to wi-fi hotspot.

The statement from BT shows that there are over 170,000 customers who have subscribed to their business broadband services which come with three options and provide free wi-fi access with up to 500 BT Openzone free wi-fi minutes. Currently, BT broadband customers get wi-fi access via BT Openzone wi-fi hotspots which are estimated to be over 2,500 in the UK. With the number of BT FON wireless broadband subscribers crossing over 70,000, BT Openzone expects that the new service will boost the sales of wi-fi vouchers as well as help expand its reach to many areas in the UK.

DrayTek Vigor 100 ADSL2+ Ethernet Modem provides the secondary device with a real routed IP connection and has an ability to manage the connection fully and it is setup easily. It is not configured just plugged in and sets up the PC or router. The true public IP address is straight through the firewall or router which completes the control of ISP connections. It is a compact and portable ADSL2+ type of modem which is new and works fast and supports the upgradeable firmware.

DrayTek Vigor 100 ADSL2+ Ethernet Modem is an true ADSL modem with an Ethernet connection. Ethernet connections are used for client whether they use in home or business broadband. Ethernet is a single cable which operates with the local area network. It is more reliable than other ports. Normally, it does not require any set up of configurations. It has a ADSL parameters which are preset for UK parameters that can be adjusted according to your convenience. DrayTek Modem has PPPoE and PPPoA bridging. PPPoE stands for Point-to-point over Ethernet which transfers the PPP traffic over Ethernet connections. PPPoA is Point-to-point over ATM which is very similar to PPPoE and communicates with ADSL standards mostly at hardware level.

DrayTek Vigor 100 ADSL2+ Ethernet Modem is connected with a devices as firewall, router or PC which is logged into the Internet directly and it fully controls over the ADSL connections which makes this broadband modem as a unique product. With PPPoE client facility, it includes PCs and most of the Ethernet WAN routers. It has a ADSL compatibility as ITU-T G.992.1 G.DMT which has speed for downstream up to 8 Mpbs, ITU-T G.992.5 ADSL2+ which has downstream speed up to 24 Mbps and ITU-G.992.3 ADSL2 G.dmt.bis has downstream speed up to 12 Mbps. This new ethernet modem has a rear panel sockets and controls are RJ45, Power On or Off, Reset, ADSL and Power In. It is supplied with AC or DC PSU, ADSL line cable with RJ11 and 1.8M and Ethernet cable with RJ 45 and 1.8 M. DrayTek Vigor 100 ADSL2+ Ethernet Modem is wall mounted.

Part 2 - Connecting the Network Now that you have all the necessary components you can begin to set up your wireless network. Modem & Router The first step is to set up your modem and wireless router. Whether you have ADSL or cable internet service, setting up your modem and router is relatively easy. Follow instructions included with your modem to get connectivity to the internet. Connect your modem to your wireless router by plugging the Ethernet cable from your modem into the appropriate port on your wireless router. Check the manual for your router to find out which is the correct port. Once you've connected the modem to the router, plug the router into the electrical outlet. Software Setting up your wireless router is usually very simple. Many manufacturers include software to make this process easy for you. Some router manufacturers may require you to plug your Ethernet cable in to one of your computers to set up your router. Most routers have various security options which can be enabled through a control panel. Securing your wireless network is important to keep your network safe from unwanted users. Adding Computers Now that you have set up your wireless network, you can now to add computers. Depending on your security settings, you may have generated a code to allow access to your network. If you generated a security code for accessing your network, be sure to have it handy when adding new computers to your network. If you need to add a wireless network adapter to a computer to access your network, follow the instructions given in the manual of your product. Connecting to the Network The information that follows describes how to connect to a wireless network using software on Windows XP computers. Your computer may have different software. Consult the manual for instructions on connecting to wireless networks.

1. You should see an antenna in the lower-right corner of your screen. Right click and select "View Available Wireless Networks"
2. You should see the name of the wireless network you set up. Left click on the name of your network and click on "Connect"
3. If you set up security that requires an encryption key to connect, a box will pop-up asking for it. Enter the key exactly as you copied it. Now hit "Connect" These keys are often case-sensitive.
4. You should now be connected to your wireless network!

If you did not see your wireless broadband or network listed you may be out-of-range of your network or your wireless adapter may not be working.

The J.D. Power and Associates released its annual UK Broadband Internet Service Provider Satisfaction report which places Tiscali on the top for the overall customer satisfaction. The study which has taken the performance of eight ISPs in UK for comparison also reveals that there were just 42 index points between the best ISP and the worst ISP in terms of customer satisfaction, although there are many other ISPs who were not considered for the study.

The study also shows that the customer satisfaction levels have fallen to an average 645 indicating 9 points decline this year. This invariably indicates how most ISPs continue to fall behind as far as customer service or technical support are concerned thus resulting in overall decline in performance and reliability.

Caspar Tearle of J.D. Power and Associates says that complaints to customer service departments of most ISPs have risen again in 2007.
“The 2007 study finds that call waiting times continue to increase when customers contact their ISP, with customers now waiting an average of 17 minutes before initially speaking with a representative,” he further said.

The report further shows that broadband users spend less money for service, indicating a fall of more than 20 percent from what they spent in 2006. However, on average, broadband speeds have risen up to 4.87Mbps from 3.50 Mbps while service disruptions show a marginal increase in year-on-year.

The report used various criteria to judge the best ISP for the overall customer satisfaction like performance and reliability, customer service/technical support, cost, billing, e-mail services etc. The study used the data based on replies from over 1,683 broadband users in the UK. Tiscali was adjudged the best ISP with 668 points with Virgin following it closely (660 points). BT scored 626 and was last in the table while the industry average was 645.

The study also shows that nearly half of the internet users have setup wireless networks at home. Most customers use firewall on their PCS, however the study also shows there was a marginal decline in using firewall last year.

The report also indicated the growing interest in broadband bundles as two-thirds of the respondents were found to have subscribed to some bundle which offered phone or mobile or TV service with their broadband packages.

Also read our impartial broadband review on Tiscali and Tiscali packages.

Linksys WRTP54G VoIP Broadband Wireless-G Router is an essential product and it offers better support to the users at the time of getting internet connection. It is important to have a PC with the RAM capacity up to 1280 MB. The system has to be availed with fast internet connection. There must be a fax machine or analogue touch tone telephone for getting quality voice service. It is better to have a wireless network adapter and CD ROM drive. The system has to install Internet explorer 5.0 or any other advanced version. Before using this device you have to verify whether all the above mentioned things are available or not.

The smart dimensions of the device have been designed as 170 x 170 x 31 millimetre. The accurate weight of the unit has measured as 0.39 kilograms. It is essential to use power up to 12 V DC. It has the advantage of getting useful certifications like FCC, CE and CUL. The ideal operating temperature of the device is 32"F to 10"F. The optimum storage temp of the device has availed with 10 percent to 85 percent.

There is button reset feature in Linksys WRTP54G VoIP Broadband Wireless-G Router. It uses RJ11 type of standard cable. There are more internet protocols like TSP or IP. There are certain voice codecs are sued like G.726, G.729 A/B/E, and G.723.1. It has a ringer equivalence feature in this router. The ring frequency of the device has measured as 25 Hz. It has ring voltage from 40 VRMS to 50 VRMS. It has featured with distinct standards like 802.11b, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, 802.11g etc. The transmit power of the router has been differed from each standard at normal temperature range.

Linksys WRTP54G VoIP Broadband Wireless-G Router has been designed with the ability to offer numerous voice features like SIP which is broadly known as Session Initiation Protocol, DTMF tone detection as well as tone generation, silence suppression, Voice Activity Detection (VAD), caller ID generation and detection and echo cancellation. It is possible to enjoy the advantage of having multiple voice compressions like G.711, G.726, G.729, G.723.1 etc.

Linksys WRTP54G VoIP Broadband Wireless-G Router has featured with four 10/100 BaseT Ethernet Ports and it has SPI type firewall to avoid the intrusions. There is a built-in web server to get web based configurations. The main advantage of having this device is a single internet connection with the attachments like wireless G and B. You can get high security with the help of wireless MAC address filtering, and powerful SPI firewall.

The massive increase in the number of Internet users together with numerous ISPs have led to a tremendous competition between the ISP companies. Consequently the broadband suppliers have laid some fabulous broadband offers to attract the customers. Some of the providers emphasised on speed while others emphasised on the pricing and packages that include free upgrade and additional facilities. Even some TV and mobile companies have been supplying free broadband with their services. The features of some of the top UK Broadband service providers are listed here, which were rated by people in terms of their service, speed and their number of connections all over UK. These will help the users to rectify the many Broadband deals that are available in the market today.

AOL: AOL provides unlimited downloads, and unlimited time spent online together with improved email, anti-virus scanning and spam filters. The maximum upload speed is 256 kbps and the maximum download speed is 2 mbps with a monthly rental of 14.99 pounds. There is no set-up and connection fee together with free full online support. It also provides free safety and security centre, spyware protection and parental controls. McAfee Personal Firewall Plus is also included free in the package. It also provides home networking to connect multiple PCs. The length of the AOL contract is 12 months. They also provide a special offer that includes a free wireless router that costs more than 55 pounds and free connection for 1 month if ordered online

BT: The latest BT package is the Total Broadband Option No 1. This package includes 250 minutes of free WiFi, free calls in UK, fundamental security options. The contract length for this connection is 12 months. It provides a download allowance of 2 GB with a maximum upload speed of 448 kbps and a maximum download speed of 8 mbps. The monthly cost is 17.99 pounds per month.

Eclipse Internet (evolution broadband option 1): Eclipse Internet comes with free set up and hardware for the broadband switches. It provides unlimited downloads and unlimited time spent online. The maximum upload speed is 448 kbps and the monthly rental is 14.99 pounds each month. The download speeds are very fast exceeding up to 8 mbps and the contract is only 1 month. It also includes a special offer in which they provide the user with a free wireless router and free connectivity in the first month that can discount for up to 112 pounds.

Tiscali: tiscali provides broadband packages with unparalleled pricing that include absolutely free set up together with free email, anti-spam and anti-virus protection. Their packages are a combination of all the benefits that broadband has to offer and simple installation and a committed all-time customer support. The contract is 12 months long and they provide a maximum upload speed of 256 kbps and a download speed of 2 mbps with a connection rent of 14.99 pounds.

An Overview Your network or computer is protected over a wired Cable connection with a device as good as NetGear RP614 DSL/Cable Router with 4 Ethernet ports. There is no potential threat to your connection in comparison to a wireless as the device is integrated with state-of-art filter and gives you a better control to protect your network from any external threats and DoS attacks. Home users and gamers can enjoy the fast speed internet connection with very good upload and download speed allowing streaming of data and usage of IPTV with consistency and quality. Specifically for home usage, parent can use URL filtering to block unwanted websites and can also monitor internet activities. Built-in firewall protection provides a good level of security from hackers. An easy to use setup wizard guides the complete process till final reboot to save the setting and make the cable router functional to expectations. This device is compatible with any Ethernet cable and Internet Service Provider offering cable or DSL connection. Dynamic Operating System You can enjoy the fast web surfing by sharing this internet connection with your computers, files and print servers etc. at maximum you can have around 250 computers access the internet at an average. The device is dynamic to except connections from or distribute connections to Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, Linux etc, giving them a good experience with there MP3 streaming/downloading or online multimedia and photos etc. the port forwarding feature with Dynamic DNS can redirect specific traffic to designated server handling the job. You are free to host any server or service and play as many online internet games etc. Protection from External threats You can use the web interface to connect to the device and can specify customer content filters with URL's, keywords etc to block an unsolicited access over your internet connection. If there happens to be such access, a real-time email notification can be configured to drop an email in your mailbox letting you know the details of such unwanted access attempt. A VPN pass-through can also be configured protecting any conversation going through the VPN tunnel. Default NAT is configured allowing transmission of data between internal and external network. Along with that you shall also receive FREE 1 year Freedom® security and privacy software subscription for 8 computers, which will block ads and preventing any form of personal information leak over the network. Overall, the moment cable router is plugged-in it would detect all 4 10/100 Mbps LAN ports automatically and optimizes the speed to provide equally distributes internet share to get a greater network performance (up to 200 Mbps with full-duplex) covering a distance of 100 m (328 ft). the router is having double memory and a 50% faster CPU than many other popular devices available in the market today. Internet applications that works exceptionally well through this device are Quake, AOL Instant messenger, MSN Instant Messenger, Half-Life, Microsoft NetMeeting, Star Craft, Real Player streaming, Unreal Tournament, ICQ, Windows Media Player, Net2Phone, DialPad etc.

Technology has gone a long way in making life easier for people. The telephone, personal computers, laptops, the internet, cellular phones, pagers are just to name a few. Now, there is another big thing in the market, what we call 'VoIP'. VoIP is short for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is also called by different names such as Internet telephony, IP Telephony, Broadband phone, Broadband telephony and Voice over Broadband. Sounds pretty techie, right? Now, what is this technology about? Good question. This technology allows one to make voice calls with the use of broadband internet connection or any IP-based network. This allows anyone to make local, long distance and international calls without using a regular phone line. Companies that offer VoIP services are commonly referred to as providers. Two of the most popular US VoIP providers are AT&T and Vonage. With this technology, you can make calls from anywhere as long as you have broadband connectivity.

How does VoIP works? VoIP is a revolutionary technology that converts your voice into a digital signal which will then be transmitted over the Internet. Before VoIP came to existence, voice communication between two places was completely analog in nature. This would mean that you voice is now going to travel over copper wire medium. With VoIP, phone calls are being routed through a packet switch and into an IP switched networks.

To use VoIP, you will need a high speed internet connection or what is called "broadband" such as DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or cable modem. You will also need any of these three devices: computer, adaptor or specialized phone.

If you are using VoIP with a computer, you will need software, speakers, sound card, internet connection and a microphone. Software's can be bought for a cheaper price. Some companies offer these software's for free. Using a computer is, in fact, the easiest way to use VoIP and also the most practical as there is usually no charge for any calls except the fee for your regular monthly internet service provider. Softphone is a client software that you can use to download VoIP into your computer.

There are also special VoIP phones. These phones look like the regular phones. The only difference is that this one has an RJ-45 Ethernet connector while the regular phones have RJ-11 phone connectors. Special VoIP phones directly connect to the router and they have all the necessary hardware and software needed for the call. With Wi-Fi phones, on the other hand, VoIP can be used from any Wi-Fi hot spots.

No doubt, VoIP is another big leap to the world's advancing technology. However, everything has its downside. VoIP also has limitations and inconveniences. For one, the fact that it requires internet connectivity makes it less useful because it only means that the entire phone connection will be reliant upon the speed and quality of the Internet connection it is using. However, this may not be such a big problem as VoIP systems can also use regular phone lines. Power interruption is also a problem if you are using computers or cordless phones. The worst limitation is that you can't make an emergency call with VoIP. However, it won't be long that developers will soon find a solution to these limitations.

Toshiba PCX2200 DOCSIS 1.1 Cable Modem has been designed to perform the connectivity functions and the looks of the device is very simple and elegant. Modems perform vital role in getting broadband connections to personal computers. It has been introduced with a USB port that makes the connectivity easy. It is a proud launch of Toshiba and this company has earned reputation for its quality products.

You can get a complete package of below listed things with your Toshiba modem:
Installation software
Norton Internet Security 2001 Family Edition (including Norton Anti Virus, Norton Personal Firewall, and Internet Parental Controls)
10BASE-T cable (6 feet)
USB cable (5 feet)
AC adapter, and
A stand

Toshiba PCX2200 DOCSIS 1.1 Cable Modem allows you to surf on the internet up to 100 times faster and it has more speed than a 56K analog modem making it easy to download data from web. The total down time of the broadband connectivity is less. It offers you the broadband connections directly from the telephone lines with out dialing-up each time to get net connection. It connects your system by using USB or Ethernet for high speed access. Ethernet connectivity offers you an unimaginable access speed.

Remember the point this USB type of networking will not support on the following operating systems:
Windows 98 First Edition;
Windows 95 or any earlier version of Microsoft Windows or DOS OS's;
Macintosh Unix/Linux; and
IBM OS/2

Toshiba PCX2200 DOCSIS 1.1 Cable Modem has a LED indicator which is useful to read easily. The model number of the modem is PCX2200 and it uses type B standard of USB connection. Modem has to use quality ports to connect with PCs. It uses 10BASE-T type of ports for easy and better connectivity. You can transfer data to your system from the web with higher speed of transfer rate. This product supports maximum DOCSIS transfer rates to increase the transfer speed.

It uses various indicators with the LED feature. Each indicator is used to accomplish each function. Some of the indicators embedded with this modem are Power indicator, cable indicator, PC link indicator, data indicator and test indicator. The modem can be used by setting the frequency ranging from 88 MHz to 860 MHz. It uses OPSK and16QAM modulation and 64QAM and 256QAM type of demodulation. This product has the stuff to work with different input and output signal levels.

Your computer has to supply the power to the modem up to 120 volts for inputting data and 12 volts for output. This modem consumes 6 watts of power approximately. If you want to install Toshiba PCX2200 DOCSIS 1.1 Cable Modem in your system, your system has to fulfill certain requirements like:
1.Windows 98 SE, 2000, or ME or Macintosh 7.5 hard ware platform,
2.RJ-45 Ethernet interface or USB interface and,
3.Proper cable outlet and Internet service (from the appropriate cable company).

Bolt Blue broadband requires certain prerequisite to be fulfilled before a customer goes in for their broadband connection. You should be a customer of BT and must have a BT telephone line. Apart from this basic requirement, you should be able to provide your valid credit and debit card for payment and some expert software requirements must be met by your computer to initiate the connection and browse the internet. The personal computer must also meet certain requirements like a Pentium 200 MHz or more processor, minimum 32MB RAM, Sound card, CD-ROM drive, Video Card with minimum 256 colors, around 150MB free hard disk space and windows operating systems 98/ME/XP/Vista, Ethernet RJ-45 or USB port is a must. In case you have a MAC OS, you will need to have a PowerPC 601 or above with Speed DC-ROM, video card with 256 colors, around 100 MB hard disk space, MAC OS 8.6 or above and a Ethernet RJ-45 or USB port are required. In order to find if Bolt Blue is available in your area or not, please call the BT customer service. If you are an existing ADSL broadband user and are interested in migrating to Bolt Blue, you still need to contact the BT customer support and they shall help you migrate successfully without much hassle. They might ask you to install the prerequisite software in order to meet the basic requirements for connection to Bolt Blue. There is a 1 year contract and once the application has been approved by Bolt Blue, customer will receive a package containing specific modem required to connect to the broadband service provider. If for some reason you want to terminate the service, there is a £100 termination charges associated which will be charged to your credit card directly. Now, if you don't like the service then you need to provide a 28 days' notice to Bolt Blue to refund your money without any termination charges. You will be required to return back the modem that was sent to you by Blue Bolt. Overall blue Bolt has been providing satisfactory service.

UK broadband industry is filled with competent service providers. As such, the current competition in the market is rather fierce - and nobody benefits more from that than the subscribers. And it is primarily because you get to choose the best possible package that is being offered at a very reasonable price.

Bulldog Broadband is just one of the many players of UK broadband. The service they have maybe a little similar with what their competitors are offering - but then again, every provider always have something to different to offer. And for them, it would be high speed Internet and great value phone services in one good package.

Bulldog Broadband's high-speed Internet is offered at a fast rate of 16 megabytes per second. It comes with a free modem, an anti-virus program, anti-spam protection software, email addresses, web space, photos, and a whole lot more. All of these are offered at only £9.75 per month.

The Bulldog Line, the telephone service offered by Bulldog Broad, is another fantastic deal. For only £10.20 per month, subscribers get to enjoy free calls in all of UK for up to two months upon signing up. After which, regular rates applies. But Bulldog-to-Bulldog phone calls remains unlimited for subscribers.

And to complement these two great plans, Bulldog Broadband's customer service is open seven days a week. It is offered free to all subscribers, business or personal users alike. And if you want to know if Bulldog Broadband services your area, just log on at their website. All you have to do is to type in your phone number and postcode. Then in a while you will find out if you belong to the six million residential homes and business locations across the UK that they can reach.

According to the latest report from getsafeonline, more than three-fourths of internet browsers (88 %) are aware of the need of basic internet security although most of them are still vulnerable to security risks thanks to the new emerging technologies like Wifi and P2P social networks. It is found from the survey that majority of the internet users install some kind of protection features like firewall, anti-virus and anti-spam software in their PCs, however, when they go wireless using hotspots or log on into social networking sites, they are blissfully unaware of the risks involved and expose themselves to a large number of other internet users.

Gillian Merron, the Cabinet Office Minister asked the new generation of internet users to be more alert in such situations:
“The internet is a fantastic tool, whether you use it at home, in school, at your local library or at work. The risks we are highlighting today can be easily fixed and do not mean that people should stop using social networking sites and wireless networks. People simply need to take a few basic steps and simple precautions which they can find by going to www.getsafeonline.org to help keep themselves, their families and their businesses safe online.”

Social networking sites pose enormous threat to privacy and  security of those who log into those sites. In the UK, more than 10 million are members of a networking site. What is alarming is the fact that one-fourth of them voluntarily (or obliged to) enter personal details like telephone number, email address and such details which are displayed as profiles to other users. Some users, especially youth, also post the photos and details of other people without getting their permission causing threats to their privacy.

The Managing Director of getsafeonline, Tony Neate, cautions that such revelation of personal details could be harmful  as there are chances that they might be exploited by criminals.

“Your date of birth and where you live is enough for someone to set up a credit card in your name. So whilst most people wouldn’t give this information to a stranger in real life, they will happily post it online where people they don’t know can see it.”

It was also found that wifi access via public hotspots is increasingly popular these days. More than 7.8 million people are found to be regularly using public hotspots which can be lacking in security features and enable anyone to indulge in wifi thefts. While most people take much more care when they  set up their personal wireless broadband or network in their homes or offices with all security features, however, they often fail to realize the security risks they may face when they use public hotspots. These places often become a haven for criminals who may intercept, steal and even add or delete the files you access via wireless network.

Is there anyway to check these problems? “Yes” says Neatle, “The good news is that a few basic steps and simple precautions are enough to prevent these problems and stop online criminals in their tracks.”