One of the best benefits of having Internet service is to take advantage of hundreds of free software you can download on your computer. Whether you are looking for a photo editor, Internet browser, antivirus software, or game, chances are, you’ll find dozens of options online to pick from. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Choosing your download. When you download software, there are several things to keep in mind. For example, some software may conflict with your currently running software. If you already have antivirus software, you may not be able to install another one without uninstalling the program you already have. Also, not all software programs are helpful. If it is actually disguised malware, you’re computer and your privacy will be put in jeopardy. Research the product for ratings and reviews before you decide to download it. Try downloading it from a safe site, like download.com, where experts have tested and reviewed the product and individual users have given them ratings and reviews.

2. Initiating the download. When you click on a link to download a program, you will probably be asked if you would like to save or run the file. If you click save, you will be asked where you would like to save the file and then proceed to download. After it completes, you can open the installation file from where you saved it. If you click run, the download will choose a place to save the file, like a “Downloads” folder somewhere in your system files. As soon as the download completes, it will immediately begin the installation process. You should click save so that you will know where to find the download, in case the installation gets interrupted, or you decide to let the file download while you are away from the computer. Also, if you know where the installation file is, you can rerun it you want to reinstall the program later.

3. Installing the download. This part should be fairly easy. You will be given step by step instructions and be asked to click next, check “I agree” to the terms of service, etc. Pay attention to each step! You need to know what it is doing. For example, many free downloads will ask if you would also like to install a toolbar or search provider for you. These “extras” are space and bandwidth-consuming annoyances that you don’t need! All you have to do is uncheck the box next to “Install x toolbar” or “Add y feature” to continue your installation without installing the annoying extras.

4. Back up your installation files. Any time you download a new program or an upgrade, you should save the installation file for later reference. Once you have successfully installed the program, move the installation file to an external hard drive or flash drive. You should have a drive where you back up all your personal files anyway, so make a folder that says “Installation files” and keep the files here. This way, if anything happens to the program in the future and it needs to be reinstalled, you will know exactly where to find the file, and you won’t have to take the time to redownload it. Also, in the event that your computer would have to be replaced or your operating system reinstalled, you’ll have the files necessary to quickly reinstall the programs you used before onto your new computer system.

If you pick the best software for your computer, avoid unnecessary extras, and keep the installation files in a safe location, you will be able to use your software efficiently and easily.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

When you get a dial-up service, perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of a slower connection is that few antivirus programs are simple enough to download and update themselves on dial-up. But you still have to have an antivirus program! So what can you do?

Fortunately, there are several antivirus programs that appeal to dial-up users not only for their simplicity, but because they are free!  You don’t have to pay a cent to download and install these programs. They install updates of new malware threats, etc., and scan your computer for viruses, just like subscription antivirus programs. The most popular of these free programs is AVG Anti-virus, the Free Edition, and Avast Anti-virus.

So why are these programs free? Well, the free programs are very basic, and these companies do offer subscription versions of these programs (and recommend you to upgrade, of course!). Also, you will probably not get technical support (at least, not live) with these programs, nor will you often be able have a free installation CD to be shipped to you from the company.

These free programs aren’t as all-inclusive as an expensive subscription program that covers every imaginable aspect of Internet and computer protection. However, these large paid programs will not only take up a large amount of space on your hard drive, but they also might not download the installation files and updates it requires to work properly on your dial-up connection.

Many of these programs’ updates takes up to 6 or more hours on a dial-up connection. This is most likely never going to download at all, because most dial-up services drop your connection after 4 or more hours because of a maximum online time regulation. Even if your ISP had no such regulation, dial-up connection can drop a connection unexpectedly for other reasons, like problems with the modem or phone line. Of course, then you would have to restart your download, and the whole hassle would take days and you would not be sufficiently protected in those times.

Download.com has ratings, reviews, and descriptions of a plethora of free downloads where you can compare and install various free antivirus programs. You can run a search for “free anti-virus programs” to see all the available anti-virus programs. On the home page, if you scroll down to the heading “Most Popular Downloads”, you’ll see the two free anti-virus programs listed above.

If you do want to download AVG or Avast, you should probably just go straight to download.com, because the websites of these programs will actually redirect you to download.com anyway.

It is usually possible to download free antivirus programs with most dial-up connections. It is also possible that the initial download could take several hours or require several attempts. If you have too much trouble, you may need to quickly download the installation file to a flash drive at work, a restaurant, or the library using their broadband connection. Then you can take the file home and install it on your computer in a few minutes.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Perhaps the biggest challenge for dial-up users is downloading updates on Windows computers. When everything takes ten times longer, getting daily updates for your computer or antivirus program can be a cumbersome task.  If you want to surf quickly on the Internet or have a large download to do, the last thing you want to do is share that precious little bandwidth with your updates. However, failing to do these important updates can put your computer at risk because you didn’t download a security patch. It can also cause your computer to run slowly because it is missing an important fix or upgrade for the operating system. So even as frustrating as these may be, these downloads really are helpful and necessary.

Here are a few tips if you are struggling to keep up with antivirus updates and windows updates:

*Schedule your antivirus scans and updates. You can often adjust when your antivirus uses your system resources and bandwidth in effort to avoid doing so when you want to use the Internet. You should find these setting in the advanced options of your antivirus program. Refer to the manual, website, or tech support line if you need more help with this step.

*Don’t turn off updates. As tempting as it might be to just turn off updates so you don’t have to take the time to download them, this will only cause the necessary updates for your computer to pile up until you turn them on again. If you don’t regularly update your computer, catching up on updates could take days on a dial-up connection. In the meantime, your computer is at risk and may not be able to keep up with normal functions and web applications.

*Adjust your Windows updates settings. You can set up your Windows updates so that you will be prompted when an update is available. This way you can ensure that you choose when to download an update, instead of your computer taking over and running installation while you are using the computer for other things.  You will still easily see when a new update is available.

*Take turns. If you know that your antivirus has a new update ready, you can temporarily stop windows updates from downloading. Your antivirus should take first priority, because if your connection is interrupted, the download has to start over. If you download your antivirus updates as soon as you connect to the Internet, you are more likely to get it to download successfully the first time. You can then turn on, or start the download for your Windows updates afterward, because these downloads can be interrupted and will resume the next time you connect to the Internet.

*Update overnight. You can connect to the Internet just before you go to bed, then start your updates. This way, it doesn’t matter how long they take or how much bandwidth they take up because you aren’t sitting there waiting on them.

*Download at another location. If you have a laptop and travel with it occasionally, you could turn off automatic updates and then manually download them every time you are at a place with free wireless or another form of broadband. Then you can quickly update every few weeks in a few minutes instead of trying to do them at home.

If you ever want to check whether your computer has all the updates that are available for your computer, simply go to http://www.update.microsoft.com (make sure you are using Internet Explorer) and your computer will automatically be scanned for any possible updates. You can pick what updates you want by choosing a custom installation, or you can just download everything (which is recommended by Windows).

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Trying to describe the connection speed of dial-up is difficult. You're using 56K modems, but it's not really 56 kilobits per second. Here's an in-depth explanation of dial-up speeds and what they can accomplish.

Basic Web Surfing. Most webpages will load with dial-up. How long it will take depends on almost a dozen factors. For example, in the last ten years, many more websites are using multimedia technology (videos, music, animations) that are difficult to load on even the best dial-up connection. However, compression technology and other techniques in graphic and web design are improving, making webpages easier to load than before. Some websites have a simple layout view that you can choose if you are on a dial-up connection. Many website will load the prominent features first, then all the pictures and backgrounds. If you see the link or form you were looking for, you don't have to wait for the entire page to load to click or type on it.

Many Internet services, software programs, and browsers that offer tools to help you load webpages faster. You can probably use a combination of these three that will work best for you. These will not change your actual connection speed (measured in kilobits per second, or kbps), but compress webpages or use different loading techniques.

Most dial-up connection speeds are about 28-50 kbps. If your connection is less than 28, you may need to check with your ISP, phone company, and local computer technician for ways to improve your connection, if possible. Assuming you have a typical connection, here are likely loading times for three websites, without acceleration:

• Google.com-On a dial up connection, this page should load in about 5-7 seconds.

• Yahoo.com-This page is much busier, so it would take 35-45 seconds on dial-up. Keep in mind, however, you can begin searches and click on links as soon as they appear, so you rarely need to wait for the entire page to load.

• CNN.com-This site is heavy with text, headings, and images. Using a dial up connection, the home page should load in about 3 minutes.

Downloads. The difference in connection speeds are most visible for downloads. Accelerators can't change download speeds and, on dial-up, every kilobit counts. Smaller downloads (about 1-10 MB) are usually not a problem. If you download a 3 MB song, for example, on a 50 kbps dial-up connection, it take about 8-10 minutes, or 15-20 minutes on a 28 kbps connection.

Firefox 3.5 is the latest version of Mozilla's free browser. It is 7.6 MB, which would take just over 20 minutes on a faster dial-up connection, or about 45 minutes on a slower. If you get disconnected occasionally because of line noise, etc., you may need to make several attempts to download programs that are longer than 2 hours.

Large downloads, like an anti-virus program or major software upgrades are sometimes not possible with dial-up because most dial-up providers have automatic disconnect at 4 hours. The free version of AVG 8.5, for instance, is 63.1 MB. On a good dial-up connection, that would take over 3 hours; on a 28 kbps connection, nearly 6 hours. A download larger than 40 MB would probably not ever download on a 28 kbps connection. You can often download large programs like these to another computer (like the library or your laptop on a public wireless connection) and transfer the installation file to your computer later. Read more about ways to improve your downloads on dial-up or how to calculate download times.

Video/Audio Streaming. Live streaming, like a radio station's website, YouTube, and many interactive multimedia sites are not going to work on dial-up. In some cases, you can play a short video or audio clip if you wait an hour or more to load it. If you need to attend live web seminars or classes, or want to play online games, movies, or music in real time, dial-up will simply not be satisfactory. However, if you need an Internet connection to surf the web, check your email, play small flash games, and pay bills, dial-up will be fine. The money you'll save might make waiting a little easier.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

Dial-up has considerably less bandwidth (uploading and downloading capacity) than broadband. Noise and static on the phone lines could cause a drop the connection without warning. These two issues cause the most problems with downloads. Here are some tips that may help improve your download speeds and avoid having to start them over:

Save the file, don't run. When you click on a link to download a file, you are prompted to run or save the file. Run means you want the file to immediately open the installation wizard after the download is complete. Save means you want to put the file on your computer and run the installation later. When you click save, you will have the option to save it to a certain folder or location. Choose an easy place you'll remember, like right on your desktop, in the “Save in” box. Then click “Save” again.

If you save the installation file, you can rerun it if you have problems installing the software. This will save the time you would spend re-downloading. Also, you will know where the file is saved, so that means you don't have to sit in front of the computer watching it download. The file will be waiting for you when you return to your computer and you can install it then.

Download when you're not surfing. Try to minimize your online activity during a download. If you try to download while you are browsing online, your bandwidth has to be shared between the two or more processes, and both tasks will operate more slowly. You may want to wait until you are finished surfing to start a download. You can let you connection run overnight or while you are doing chores in the house.

Check for automatically updating programs. If you look in your system tray (the bottom right section where your clock is displayed), you will see icons of programs currently running on your computer. If you hover over or click on these icons, you may see that Windows updates or a software, firewall, or anti-virus program is downloading updates from the Internet. Updates are usually necessary but they also use up your bandwidth and slow your download time. You can stop the update temporarily so your file downloads faster. You may also need to check for programs running unnecessarily so you can end that process altogether. Ask a local technician for help with this step.

Restart your session before a download. Some dial-up services limit the maximum time you can be online. Your online sessions can also be dropped after some time because of static or line noise. Disconnect and reconnect to the Internet just before a big download to minimize the chances of getting disconnected before it completes.

Get a download manager. This program will keep track of your downloads and allow you to start where you left off if you accidentally get disconnected during a large download. You can download a free download manager from download.com.

There are some downloads that are just not feasible on dial up. Most files over 60 MB would take too long to download on dial-up, or wouldn't download at all because of maximum session limits and common disconnect problems.

If you have access to a broadband connection, you can save larger downloads to a flash drive or memory card and install it later on your computer. Be sure to specify to save it to your flash drive! There are several places where you can access broadband Internet for short periods of time. More coffee shops and restaurants now have free wireless Internet you could access with your laptop. Public libraries usually offer computer stations with a broadband connection and wireless service for laptops.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!