What is RELIABLE internet?

Most who read my blog and who know me, know that I have extensive knowledge about Computers and Network which include various forms of internet connections🙂

I started with dial-up, and worked my way through ISDN and Cable internet connections, even did Mobile Broadband through various carriers. 

So for a couple of years I have tried Fibernet through Converge ICT Solutions, starting with a 50Mbps connection that were quickly upgraded to 100Mbps and as of now 200Mbps.

Cabled internet in a country like the Philippines or just worldwide, is not really what you would call reliable, because its prone to various problems like wear of the cables, trees falling down, rats biting the cables, and heavy rain fall.

As I writting this, my Fibernet has no connection, I am using mobile data. 

Which brings me to the point, there is no 100% reliable connection, yes mobile data(Mobile Broadband) is working for me right now, but its incredible slow, and I am lucky if I can 4Mbps inside my house(its raining outside so I am not so eager to go out and find a better signal).

So you might ask, what about satellite internet like Starlink? 

Well, its not 100% reliable either because it can be influenced by weather conditions just like the other connection options, and its still very expensive. 

But it does not have cable problems, as its wireles, but you do need power for the modem, so a brownout will cut the connection to the internet. 

But that might change in the future, since they now have solution for your phone to connect directly to the satellite without extra hardware or software - IF your mobile carriers are willing to go into business with Starlink😉

As I see it, satellite internet might be the better and most reliable connection yet, but it has to become less expensive than current options, before people will switch to it. 

Mobile carriers and Fibernet companies could also switch delivery method to Microwave technology or Laser(this one is seriously fast, but needs a clear line of sigth or it will not work, so birds, bats and anything else flying could cut the connection). And again power interuptions will disconnect the internet connection

We have to have patience, until technology gets better and in Asia this is developing really fast, and hope that the internet supply companies will keep up with the development😉

Thank you for reading and Happy Holidays 😁

Skype has retired, what happened to my Credit?

As most of us know by now, Microsoft has retired Skype, but for many this gives the question to what happened to their Skype credit!

You can't get a refund from Microsoft, getting money out Microsoft, has always been a challenge and they still hold on to their refund policy which expires 14 days after the purchase of the credit, meaning that long time credit can't be refunded - Whether this is legal or not, is not something I will discuss here. 

How to access your Skype credit? 

You have 2 options :

1. Install another Microsoft product called Microsoft Teams Free and import all your Skype information into it(It will not import everything) then from the menu you can use Skype dailing pad(Same as below) . 

2. Use Skype Dailing Pad web portal here

https://calling.web.skype.com/

The link will open in a new Window. 

The latter is a very limited version of Skype, and will not show your contacts name, only the phone numbers, so I hope you can remember who is what and has which number! 

I asked Microsoft what happens after you have used all your credit, the answer is that then you are done. There is no option for private users to continue making calls through Skype Dailing Pad and no option to buy more credit, only Business users will have that option. 

More here

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/skype

The link will open in a new Window.