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Handy Tip for Browsing the Web on a Slow Internet Connection
If you are using a slow internet connection from a laptop or desktop computer, try this trick to use the lightweight “mobile” version of many popular websites. These sites are designed for small screens and lower-bandwidth smart phones, but they’re quite functional and perfect for computers with slow internet connections. Just follow these steps: You need to use the Firefox web browser. Download Firefox here (it’s free) and install it if you don’t already have it. This may take a while if you have a slow connection. You’re using Firefox to view this page now, right? Good… Click here, then click the + Add to Firefox button. Proceed through the steps to download and install the User Agent Switcher Firefox extension, then restart Firefox. In your Firefox menu, go to Tools -> Default User Agent -> and select iPhone 3.0 That’s it. Test it out by going to CNN. You should be automatically redirected to CNN’s lightweight, mobile site – the address is http://m.cnn.com/. This should work for the “major” websites like Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Facebook, etc. To turn this behavior off, go to Tools -> iPhone 3.0 -> and select Default User Agent. You can easily switch between mobile and full versions of websites by changing this setting. This can be useful any time you are using a slow internet connection including • using a dial-up internet connection • using a slow public wi-fi access point at a coffee shop, hotel, airport, etc • using internet tethering through … Continue reading
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LightSpeed: A Wide Range of Fast Connections for Home or Business
SWCP LightSpeed is a kind of broadband, that is, highspeed, Internet access. Most of these connections rely on a fiber-optic connection to your neighborhood, though some may use another form of DSL. In any case, this makes your LightSpeed connection much faster, more reliable, and easier to use than dial-up or even other DSL. LightSpeed is “always on” — ready for use whenever you are. SWCP LightSpeed is a “standalone” broadband service only. It will require an unused (that is, without active voice service on it) but still serviceable phone line. If there is not one at hand, we may attempt to bring one to your building. Most homes and businesses are wired for multiple lines, so one is usually available. With LightSpeed, you have a choice between a wide variety of speeds and prices for home and small businesses. For most of them, downloading speed is much faster than uploading speed, which works well for most usage patterns. Prequalification is first necessary to check what speeds are available to your address. It’s quick, easy, free and there’s no obligation, and you can do it yourself here. Your LightSpeed Router A DSL router containing a modem must be installed to link your computer to the Net. SWCP provides high speed routers. Our standard model at this time is the Actiontec Q1000, although the specific model many vary depending on availability. The router has a hardware firewall, and with the … Continue reading
DSL Basics
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a kind of broadband, that is, a form of highspeed Internet Access that uses a copper telephone connection much like dial-up does. And like dial-up, DSL also uses a modem to convert computer data into tones and send them through the phone line to another modem to be decoded back into digital data. However, unlike a dial-up modem which relies on the analog music-like tones you can sometimes hear when it is connecting, DSL uses a high-frequency, generally inaudible digital tones throughout. This makes it much faster, more reliable, and easier to use than dial-up. The service is “always on” — like the phone line, ready for use whenever you desire. With our service, calls can be made even while you are online once filters are installed. Southwest Cyberport’s DSL service requires both Internet access which SWCP provides and a phone circuit to the desired location through CenturyLink. (Billing is handled separately.) Formerly Qwest, CenturyLink is the main regional telephone company with whom we partner with to furnish DSL services to large areas of New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces. Not every place in these areas, however, can get DSL. But many locations that cannot use the fastest connections may still be able to get a slower speed. However, both speed and the actual availability of your DSL service depends primarily upon the distance from your home or office to … Continue reading