What is the Difference Between Local Area Network and Wide Area Network?

If you have a connection to the Internet at home or in the office, or read the newspapers regularly or keep track of the latest technology trends, you may have frequently come across references to networks. Networks of computers were associated with industries and government bodies just a couple of decades ago. In current times, having a network at home is very common. Both Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs) are used to provide networking for computer users.

A typical use of a LAN is to provide Internet connectivity simultaneously to all the users in a home with a single Internet connection. All the Internet-capable devices available in the home can be configured as nodes in a LAN and can be connected to the Internet via a computer designated for this purpose. LANs can also be used to connect workstations in an office environment in a similar fashion for providing access to shared resources like printers.

A LAN uses 10baseT twisted pair cables or wireless networking to connect computers to form a network. There are some vendor specific connectivity solutions available for proprietary LAN topologies.

WANs are also made up of networks of computers - the difference between a LAN and a WAN is merely one of degree. A WAN may be composed of thousands of LANs all networked together. A LAN may typically span a building whereas a WAN can cover a wide geographical area, transcending state or national borders. In a LAN, the distance covered is typically of the order of feet in contrast to a WAN where distances are of the order of thousands of miles.

A WAN is implemented by using leased lines provided by a service provider or by using packet switching networks to transmit the data within the network. One of the most well known examples of a WAN is the Internet.

The Best GPS System For Your Car

If you planning to do a road trip and you horrible with directions. You need considering buying a Good GPS system for your car.

If you only need it short term a way, you have a number of options.

Do you have a friend you could borrow one from. Consider renting a car and getting the satellite thing with it.

You may using cell phone. Many cell phones are satellite friendly. Most directions sites (for example - mapquest site) have an application you can download to your phone, and then "send" your phone the directions from mapquest.

But, consider this: buy good newest GPS The Best GPS System For Your Car system for your car. You may buy something with touch screen, speech capabilities, traffic information, MP3 and bluetooth capability, etc.

To have a functional GPS Tracking System the GPS device must also be able to communicate with a tracking service information about its' location. Therefore the GPS device must be both a Receiver and a Transmitter.

No handheld GPS devise is really great for a CAR!!

I have read a few reviews for some GPS systems and Garmin are the best navigational systems in my opinion. You may pay a little more for Garmin over Magellan and Tomtom but it is worth is faster route calculations, finds the satellites faster, doesn't crash as much, etc... Also the user interface of Garmin is very good.

Not long ago, I just bought a TomTom GPS, but I used a Garmin GPS when I rented car last year. I love the Garmin. I think I will return my TomTom and get a Garmin GPS. I used my Garmin in my home town. It told me to turn left on a 1 way street that went to the right, it tried to kill me. The other thing about the Garmin I like is when you miss a turn it will automatically re-calculate the route, the Tom Tom GPS requires to press some button and go through some prompts to re-calculate.

Now I look from the Dec 2008 Consumer Reports (Best Electronics 2008):

Best for most drivers:
Garmin Nuvi 760 (Nuvi 750, Nuvi 770, Nuvi 780)
Garmin Nuvi 255W
Garmin Nuvi 255

Best on a budget:
Garmin Nuvi 200W (Nuvi 250W)
TomTom One 130
Garmin Nuvi 200 (Nuvi 250, Nuvi 270)

Best for voice recognition:
Garmin Nuvi 880 (Nuvi 850, Nuvi 860)

Best for traffic information:
Dash Express

This is a true: Garmin makes a pretty darn good GPS all around! Garmin and TomTom are world leaders in GPS system, and they both offer a tremendous value and quality for what they have to offer. Garmin is the best in the U.S. and TomTom is better in Europe/UK. I live in the U.S. so Garmin better for me!

Cell Phones - Shopping Around For the Best Deal

There are many different cell phone providers available that you can do business with and you are not limited to just a few choices when it comes to choosing a cell phone. Cell phones are not cheap and could cost as much as $500. There is even a diamond crusted Blackberry available for those who can afford it.

Cell phone companies will offer a few of the models at a reduced price when you sign up with them. Of course the way they list it makes it seem that you're getting a better savings than you actually are. There are also the ones that you can get for "free" after your "instant rebate". I'm sure we all know what that means?

When shopping around for the best cell phone provider for your needs, there are many factors to take into consideration.

1. How much will you be using the phone?
2. Is it going to be used mostly for local or long distance calling?
3. Will anybody else be using the phone? If so, is is beneficial to purchase a second phone and get a family plan?
4. What do you want the phone to be able to do? Do you want to take photographs from it? Do you want text messaging? Do you want to be able to access the internet?

Thinking about all these options before you start shopping around will save you a considerable mount of time and money. Try not to allow the salesperson to sell you on options you don't need or won't use. You'll end up throwing away your money.

VoIP

What You Should Know About VoIP Services

There are a lot of different ways that you can go about getting the long distance that you need. Most people just count on their cell phones to be their main phone. However, what about the people who want a home phone? What about the people who do not want to pay the harsh fees that come along with long distance calling on cell phone plans? This is where companies like VoIP come into play. This is a company that actually offers you a home phone by way of the internet. We always knew that you could transfer all kinds of data through cable lines, but now we found out that they can work just like a phone line. However, is VoIP long distance really worth it? Is it going to be worth the twenty dollars a month to have their great long distance plan? Well, keep reading and find out!

The first overall best thing about VoIP long distance calling is that you get it free to other places than just the United States. In fact, you can get VoIP long distance calling to anyone in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Free long distance is always a great feature to have, but when you can get free long distance to other countries, that is a great thing. This is actually the favorite feature of most VoIP customers, besides the fact that you are getting a lot more for a lot less. The truth of the matter is, VoIP is a company that is keeping people in touch no matter where they live. Not only that, but you get a lot of other good features besides just the great calling plans. You get to keep your same number, and you also get to take advantage of caller ID.

With the good there is always some bad. Although the VoIP long distance calling plans are great, there are a few things that people dislike about VoIP. These are things that normally do not bother people, but they do bother a few people. First of all, if there is no power, then you have no phone. Current land line phones get enough current in the actual phone line to keep calling people, even when the power is out. With VoIP, you can not do that, because it is hooked up to your cable box that needs power to run. Some people also say that there are some reliability problems with the VoIP long distance. Sometimes it can be hard to make out what people are saying, because it kind of sounds like the voice quality is distorted.

In the end, VoIP long distance is a great system that you should give a try. This is a great way to save money, as well as a great way to solve all of your long distance problems. Be sure to read some other reviews on VoIP to see if it is right for you. If you are just looking for a great price on good long distance service, then VoIP is for you!