Call Sign May 2002 - Page 25 - Computer ChinChat

Blueyonder v BTopenworld
It seems that everywhere I go, I see or hear advertisements for Blueyonder broadband services, so I thought I'd find out who they are and what they offer.
   Blueyonder, available at http://www.blueyonder.co.uk/ offers ADSL Internet access directly competing with BT's ADSL available at http://www.btopenworld.co.uk But what's the difference between the two?
   As a current BT Openworld subscriber, I have experience of BT's service and costs so I can compare the services offered by Blueyonder. First and foremost, Blueyonder is a cable network solution, they do not appear to offer services using your current BT telephone network. So if your area is not 'Telewest cabled' then forget it. For checking local availability I tried to use their tool on their web site, but it didn't work. I received a "Cannot find server or DNS Error." How do they expect to get new subscribers if you can't even check availability on your postcode?
   The next important comparison is cost. Blueyonder's basic cost to new subscribers is Ł29.99 per month - as is BT's - but Blueyonder do not charge for installation if you are an existing Telewest customer. So in real terms relating to cost, there's not much difference for new subscribers.
   The next comparison is speed and this is where I feel BT win hands down - if only because they publish their upload and download speeds of 250kbps and 500kbps respectively. Could I find any information relating to actual upload/download speeds on Blueyonder's site? No! They advertise it as "...nearly 10 times faster than dial-up," but they don't supply actual speeds or contention ratios, whereas BT does. These two items are crucial to establishing a real comparison, so I can only assume that they deliberately don't publish them. I think I'll stay with BT; better the devil you know...

A Virus for the Editor!
OK, I know I've often waffled on about viruses and how important it is to have current AntiVirus protection installed, well this time the Editor of Call Sign has been bitten by the bugs!
Although a subscriber of CompuServe, who usually tend to eliminate most viruses on the server thereby protecting their subscribers from the virus

chinchat

threat, one managed to sneak through and it appears to have been a rather virulent one. The virus was propagated by a chap who both Alan and I know and who himself had four computers trashed. His AntiVirus installation didn't identify the virus and both Alan and I received it as an email attachment.
The virus propagated itself by firstly infecting a computer and then sending itself to everyone in the infected computer's address book. Never, never, click on a dubious attachment even if you know who the sender is. To be sure, and especially if you don't have up to date AntiVirus software installed, call them first to confirm sendership and that it's virus free.
This particular virus (W32/MyLife-J) was identified by my Firewall, Zonealarm, http://www.zonealarm.com/ which removed it even before my McAfee AntiVirus software had identified it. Therefore I was doubly protected. Read about the virus on http://vil.mcafee.com/dispVirus.asp?virus_k=99442 You have been warned, again...!!

Time for Bits and Pieces...
Have you ever wondered what the time is now in San Francisco or Adelaide? Then here's an excellent site that gives the time of day for any country and also has a meeting planner that helps organise meetings for different time zones, etc, not that we'd need it much! Still well worth a visit though...
And BTW, if you are looking to kit out your kids with the new England strip in preparation for the World Cup, then Debenhams have the tops at Ł19.99, about Ł10 cheaper than anywhere else and a big saving when you've got three kids....

C'ya next month...

Vince Chin