So for all of you out there searching the great wide internet for good broadband deals, you will be coming across a lot of broadband checkers out there. You probably want to know what they are and how to use them.

When people talk about a broadband checker they mean one of two things. The first broadband checker is one that you might find on many Internet Service Provider websites and allows you to check if your line has been ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) enabled. It is important to know if your phone line has been upgraded for ADSL because otherwise you won't be able to get the most commonly available broadband. Some broadband checkers will ask for your postcode but the more accurate ones check using your phone number. Just type it into the broadband checker and it will instantly check if your home is ADSL friendly.

Now the thing is, BT estimates that it has upgraded enough of the telephone exchange networks that 99% of homes in the UK should be able to receive ADSL broadband, which is making this kind of broadband checker a bit redundant. As a result you will also find a lot of references to another type of broadband checker.

What is the other kind of broadband checker?

The other type of broadband checker that is becoming popular is the one that compares the different broadband deals. These are essential to comparing the many, many different Internet Service Providers (ISP's) like BT, Tiscali or Virgin and their different packages. Many ISP's will offer various deals that start from cheap, slower speed, limited download packages to super fast, unlimited download packages. Firstly you need to decide how fast you really need your internet connection to be and how much you will be downloading.

What kind of package do you need?

Every time you open a page or use many programmes you upload and download data from the net. Any spyware, antivirus software or any programme which remains online all the time will be downloading and uploading information constantly. However if these are the only things you are using, you probably don't need a very fast connection or unlimited downloads. If this is the case then you can use the broadband checkers to look for the cheapest deal with slow connection and limited downloads.

On the other hand if you want to download music and movies and if you love to download your friends' and family's photos then you want to a faster connection (so they download faster) and no download cap (so you don't find your internet suddenly slowing to dial up speeds halfway through the month or find your bill doubling because you are charged for going over). It is also worth using the broadband checkers to see if you can get a modem with your deal. This can be an expensive starting cost so it's definitely worth looking for a package that has one for free.

Several years ago, we had thought about using Microsoft SQL Notification Services. At the time it seemed entirely too limiting from a feature standpoint and quite frankly we did not feel comfortable building a business plan around a 3rd party product which could ultimately make or break us as a company.

Validation was delivered recently when we discovered that Microsoft is gutting Notification Services from SQL Server 2008.

Therefore, when selecting a mass notification platform make sure your organization is NOT committed to a costly solution only to then discover the systems core engine is being discontinued by Microsoft.

The advent of the Internet has facilitated the way we communicate, learn, and entertain. A revolution of sorts has taken place in this sector and nothing is the same as before. Most of us are using the world wide web to access a whole world of known and unknown information, viewpoints, facts, games, music, and quite a bit more. Actually, the Internet has brought our world at the tip of our fingers.

We are now using our laptops, personal computers or even mobile phones to access the Internet, from the comfort of our homes or even when we are sweating it out at our workstations. As a matter of fact, most of us are using the world wide web - in one form or another - in our working lives. However, for all this to actually happen, fast Internet connections are very much required. And if such connections are "broadband," then there is nothing like it.

It is almost a decade since the first broadband connections were established and used. People found the technology much better when compared to dial-up connections as the speed of the Internet access was faster. A user could enjoy audio as well as video streaming - the easy transfer of data at 256 kilobytes per second made the experience a memorable one.

People in different parts of the world have been quick to adopt this new way to connect to the Internet. With a broadband connection in place, downloading of emails with heavy attachments is never a problem. A user can send and receive emails as well as video clips - and it does not take ages. In addition, such connections make it easy for the user to format information, as well as stream audio and video files.

To conclude, it can be said that broadband connections deliver a more satisfying experience for a user of the Internet.