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1. Modem, Cable, DSL, LAN
Each type of connection has its own characteristics. When our software is first installed it will identify the type of connection that you have auto-configure itself to use it. If you have more than one connection, you can specify which one the software should use.
Standard modems have been in use for a long time and are consistently reliable. They open and close a connection as needed, using a dialer, unlike other methods of connecting. Our software supports the standard Windows Dial-Up-Networking for these modems.
Cable modems have certain limitations that could affect your connectivity. For example:
- Cable service can be either one-way or two-way, depending on the provider. One-way service relies on an analog modem and phone line for uploads. This limits upload speed to 33.3 Kbps. The more people on a node, the slower each connection could be.
- Service providers can tie a specific data rate or percentage of total bandwidth to each user. Providers do move bandwidth around among users selectively.
- Since most users don't need constant-megabit-per-second connections -- they need high speeds for loading a Web page but not for viewing it -- cable operators will take advantage of this burst of usage and divide bandwidth among multiple users.
DSL service comes in several flavors, with varying throughput rates, technical limitations, and, of course, prices.
- Speed: The most common form for businesses and home users -- the one we refer to simply as DSL -- is asymmetric DSL, or ADSL, which supports peak downstream speeds of 144 Kbps to 2.2 Mbps but upstream rates are from 90 Kbps to 640 Kbps. Your backups will run at the upstream rate. Restore operations will take advantage of the higher download speeds.
- Distance: The line's performance degrades with distance from the central office. All else being equal, users 5,000 feet from the central office will get better throughput than those 15,000 feet away. Beyond 18,000 feet service is generally unavailable.
- ISP: One advantage of ADSL service is a dedicated connection that won't degrade as more users in your area sign on (as cable will). Still, performance not only varies depending on how far you are from the central office but also on the efficiency of your ISP's network. Even the fastest DSL connections can't cure bottlenecks at an ISP, such as slowdowns during peak hours.
- Generally, DSL upload transmission speed is rated at an average of 256K. Therefore, a data stream of 100MB would upload in 54.50 minutes.
LAN connections, including DSL and cable, provide a continuously open channel to the Internet. Like DSL and cable, LANs do not necessarily assure a high rate of transmission. You still have to go through an Internet gateway and through several routers, so the variables that create bottlenecks are still there and can affect throughput.
2. AOL, Prodigy, CompuServe, Juno, and similar ISP's
If you will be connecting to us via ISPs who provide their own dialer, instead of using the standard Windows dialer, it will be necessary to open your Internet connection before running our software. You will not be able to use scheduled backups that run automatically but all other features are unaffected.
3. Firewalls
If you use a true firewall, it will need to be configured to allow access to the ports used by the software to connect to the data centers. This does not apply to Cable/DSL routers which use NAT translation and simple firewall filtering to protect your computer. If you are unsure, we suggest that you install the software without configuring the firewall to see if it runs correctly. You can always modify the firewall settings afterwards. In most cases, the software will run correctly.
Firewalls can be implemented in several ways. If you have a firewall, you will need to configure it and/or the backup software to allow inbound and outbound transmission. How you do that depends on the type of firewall that you have.
SOCKS proxy firewall: In the backup software, provide your firewall's IP address and the port to use to connect to the firewall. That's it; you do not need to reconfigure your firewall.
Non-SOCKS-compliant firewall: You will need to configure both the backup software and your firewall. Contact your firewall administrator for assistance. You may also read our detailed firewalls information.
If you have a proxy firewall, please contact support@backuphelp.com for a version of the software which allows configuration in this enviornment.
4. Transmission Rates
- Here are some suggestions to assure successful backups:
- Avoid peak hours. We recommend using automatic backups that are scheduled to run in the earliest morning hours, between midnight and dawn.
- Close applications that aren't essential during the backup. There may be one or more background applications running at the same time. Use Windows Task Manager to check this.
- Monitor several transmissions to see the speed at which your ISP has connected you. Bandwidth is not usually guaranteed and will vary with the amount of traffic at any given time. Try to backup when conditions are favorable.
- Reduce the size of your backup sessions -- at least until you get through a first-time backup of everything that you want. It may be that your ISP's available capacity is being taxed by sheer volume or that your own network is.
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