Review: My Experience of Royal Cable Internet

Long time ago, I was a subscriber of Smart Broadband. The internet connection was terrible and loading a webpage took so many minutes. The connection is so terrible in our old place in the province of Rizal that I even place my SmartBro plug-it on a long pole so that it can get a signal above our rooftop. It was futile because the Internet connection improved just a little bit. 

When I moved to Laguna, I upgraded to Smart Bro LTE Internet. The connection is OK but I restricted my online activities to surfing, email, and social media. I don't usually watch online videos for fear of my data allocation being quickly expended.

I stayed with Smart Bro even though there were times when the connection is terrible. My patience with Smart finally ended when my data allocation is gone even if it's just two weeks. I was forced to buy expensive data allocation.

One night, I noticed two of my neighbors always stay in front of our house while browsing their phone. I suspected that they hacked my Smart Bro WiFi and was stealing my Internet data.

Hacked WiFi was the most probable reason why my data allocation dried up fast even though my Internet usage stayed the same.

Smart Bro's lack of protection from easy hack was the last straw. I did not renew my contract with Smart Bro and moved to Royal Cable Internet, which is a popular cable TV service provider in Laguna. 

My Royal Cable Internet Plan

I selected their Jade Plus Plan that has cable TV and up to 3 mbps internet. What I like with this plan is that there is no data cap. In short, I can watch online videos as much as I want. 

My Experience with Royal Cable

I have a good experience with Royal Cable Internet. The connection speed is OK for our needs. We can watch Netflix and other online videos on many devices at the same time. This is good for us especially now that we are using online videos as learning tools for toddlers. 

There are times when we experience slow Internet connection when Royal Cable is doing maintenance works. But that is not a regular occurence. 

Royal Cable's technical support is very good. I just call them and they can immediately send technical staff the next day. This is a far cry from our experience with SkyCable when it is difficult to get a technical staff to visit our home to repair our Internet connection.

Payment of Royal Cable fees is also easy because I can pay in the popular payment centers like Bayad Center and in SM. 

Also, during the lockdown, Royal Cable allowed 6-month installment for the bills during the months of March to April. This is good for those who had difficulties paying their bills because of the government-imposed lockdowns. 

Some Problems with Royal Cable Internet

One of the common problems that the subscribers of Royal Cable Internet is the slow connection.  The usual reason for this is that other people, particularly neighbors, hack your WiFi and get Internet connection for free.

I was aware of this problem so I was able to prevent it by placing a password for my WiFi and also hiding it. Now the freeloaders do not know my WiFi network and they are not able to hack it. 

Hiding the network can be done by customizing the settings in WiFi modem.

Another problem with Royal Cable Internet is that they listed so many contact numbers and not all of them are working. Royal Cable should reduce their contact numbers and just retain the ones that are actually working. 

My Verdict of the Royal Cable Internet

All in all, I have a good experience with Royal Cable Internet. It is way better than Smart Bro internet.

Royal Cable Internet connection is good. Their customer service is good. Their payment scheme is also good. 

There is a big possibility that I will renew my contract with Royal Cable Internet, unless I get a better deal with another internet service provider like Converge.

Jollitown Games

Jollitown is Jollibee’s online game website that is especially made for Jollibee kids who are fans of the children show, Jollitown. Favorite Jollibee mascots like Jollibee, Hetty, Twirlie, Mr. Yum and Popo are all featured in Jollitown.

Jollitown is all about playing games and having fun with Jollibee and friends. Because of this, Jollibee set different games that will be enjoyed by all Jollibee kids. Here are the games or mini-games that can be played in Jollitown.

Jollitown Game #1: Fun Tram

Jollibee is on a fun tram in outer space.

The goal of this Jollitown game is to make Jollibee reach the finish line. Players should avoid obstacles or the side of the road. Jollitown points can be collected along the way. Players can choose from three available racetracks; which are Beach, Metropolis and Outer Space.

Jollitown Game #2: Aqua Quest

Popo is looking a strong swimmer for his team. Aqua Quest is a game where players can show Popo that they are good swimmers. The goal of this game is for the player’s avatar to reach the end of this side-scrolling game. Each avatar has an allotted life meter, which will go down whenever the avatar hit sea creatures. Life meter will go up whenever the avatar swims to the surface or get oxygen tanks. This Jollitown game will be over if the life meter becomes empty. Treasure chests in the game give players bonus points.

Jollitown Game #3: Pompom Pow

This Jollitown game is similar with the Popcap game, Bounce Out. In Pompom Pow, players should line at least 3 pompoms of the same color in a row. Players have a time limit of 5 seconds in finding new pompom rows. The game ends after the player failed for 5 times to create a row within the time limit.

Jollitown Game #4: Robot Lab

This Jollitown game challenges the memory of players. In Robot Lab, players are required to “build” a robot from scratch. The player will choose from different Mr. Yum’s different robots. After that, the player should memorize how the robot looks. The game can be finished by joining the robot parts exactly the way it was shown previously. The game is over if the robot was not built within the time limit.

Jollitown Game #5: Dance Mix

Dance Mix is similar to the Dance Revolution games that are available at the arcade. In this Jollitown game, players should create good dance moves by hitting the correct arrow key as they come down the screen. The songs that are used for this game are Try New Things, Jollitown Theme Song and Ilabas ang Saya.

So, these are the five games available in Jollitown. They are simple games and that the kids will surely love. Hope that you enjoy playing these games.

Play these Jollitown games in Jollitown.

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There is Jollitown Online?

Jollitown is the popular children-oriented TV show that stars Jollibee and his friends. It is being aired every Sunday morning at ABS-CBN.

I was surprised to discover that Jollitown can not only be found on TV but is also present in the Internet. Yes, Jollitown has an online game and I am sure that certified Jollitown fanatics will like it because it allows them to play with Jollibee, Twirlie, Hetty, Popo and Yum.

Joining Jollitown is easy. All you have to do is visit the Jollitown website and fill up the sign up form.  At Jollitown, you can create your Jollitown avatar and you can also build a house for your avatar. The goal of the Jollitown game is to make your avatar happy.
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The online land of Jollitown

A “happiness meter” is located at the lower part of the Jollitown screen. Jollitown players need to play games every day to keep their Jollitown avatar happy. Some of the games in Jollitown are the Fun Tram and the Aqua Quest.
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Jollitown game: Fun Tram.

Aside from making your Jollitown avatar happy, playing games also allows you to get Jollitown Points. These points can be used to buy items for your Jollitown avatar like clothes and furniture for its home. I thought that the Jollitown Points can be used to buy Jollibee items in the real world. Too bad that that is not the case.

Jollitown is a good place for certified Jollibee kids and fans of the Jollitown TV show. So, if you are a Jollitown fan or have a child who is a Jollibee fan then I recommend Jollitown for you or your kid. Enjoy playing!

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How to Prevent Yourself from Getting Phished

Phishing is a process of getting vital information like username and password by a hacker or identity thieves. Other vital information that is usually being stolen by phishers are social security numbers, credit card numbers, and financial information. Identity theft, phishing and related activities are quite active in the Internet and many people have been phished, especially those who are using social networking sites like Facebook. Another thing to consider that it is not only individual persons that were phished but also financial institutions, like banks, and other websites that are usually thought as well-protected from hackers.

Phishing, phished and phisher are words that are derived from fish. So for fishing we have phishing. For phished we have fished. For fisher we have phisher. So we can imagine that being phished is a sort situation where a phisher (fisher) got information from you that you don't normally revealed in public

Well, protected institutions have been phished, the question is can you avoid from also getting phished? The answer, of course, is “yes.” Preventing yourself from getting phished is actually simple yet many people forgot to do the simple things to protect themselves and their vital information.
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(from Technospot)

Here are some tips on how to avoid from getting phished:

1. Do Check the Website that You are Logging Into

One way that people got phished is that they don't check if they are logging into the correct websites. This commonly happens on websites that requires you to put in your username and password like Facebook, Twitter, Paypal and your email. One modus operandi of Phishers is to create a bogus website that looks exactly the website that their victims expect. Phishers send email to their victim that purports to come from a trusted institution like banks or Paypal. The email contains links that leads to the bogus website and to trick the victim to enter his username and password.

One of the best way to prevent from getting phished is to check if you are logging into the right website. You can do this by looking at the address bar of your browser. The URL on the address bar should be the same as the URL of the website that you are logging into.

Another way of checking the website is by using the F-Secure Online Software, which can be used to verify if the website is safe or not. This online software is free and easy to use. All you have to do is to input the URL of the suspected website and then F-Secure will show if the website is safe.
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2. Do Check the Email that You Receive

Another way of getting phished is by sending personal information through email when you reply to questionable emails. Another modus operandi of phishers is to send emails to their victims. The email is formal and looks like legitimate emails coming from banks, Paypal or other institutions that phishers are using. These email always ask you to send your username and password because to fix your account, or to give you a bonus item, or whatever tricks that they place in the email. Never believe those email because banks, Paypal and other financial institutions already knows your username and password and there is no reason for them to ask for those information.

3. Don't Buy Your Using Credit Card on Untrustworthy Online Shops or Websites.

Another usual way of getting phished is when you input your credit card number on untrustworthy online shops or websites. Some websites ask you to put your credit card number so you can receive bonus items. You got phished the moment you bite in their “bonus item” lure and input you credit card information. As much as possible, avoid buying to untrustworthy online shops so to avoid from getting phished.

4. Avoid Getting Malwares

Malicious softwares or malwares are also being used by phishers to get valuable information. Malwares are automatically downloaded from untrustworthy websites like porn sites. Also, malwares can also be obtained by downloading free softwares because some phishers use these free softwares as a lure to let their malwares enter the computers of their victims. The moment the malware enter the computer, it will collect information in the computer and forward the information to the phisher via the Internet. To avoid getting phished by malware then I suggest that you refrain visiting untrustworthy websites and downloading freewares. Another way to avoid getting phished is to use softwares, like Spybot – Search and Destroy, to prevent malware from entering your computer.

5. Don't Place Valuable Information in Social Networking Sites

Social Networking Sites like Myspace and Facebook is considered as goldmine for phishers because people willingly place personal information in these websites. For example, in Facebook people have no qualms in placing their address, telephone number, cellphone number, email address and other valuable information. Facebook has history of questionable privacy policy and it was said that many personal information were gathered by identity theft and phishers from Facebook. To avoid getting phished in Facebook then I suggest that you refrain placing valuable information on Facebook and other social networking sites. Also, I suggest that you step-up your privacy settings in these social networking sites.

6. Don't Use Facebook Applications

One way that Facebook users got phished is true the numerous applications or apps that are being made in Facebook. To operate, these apps require access to the account of the Facebook users. Because of this, all information can easily be downloaded by phishers using these apps. 

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Vigilance is needed whenever you are using the Internet because many people are out to get vital information so that they can steal your identity or steal money from your bank accounts. What I wrote here are few of the tips on preventing yourself from getting phished.

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How to Get Stronger Signal with Your Smart Bro Plug-its

Portable and easy to use, these are some of the advantages that the broadband plug-it modems have over other means of having an internet connection like DSL or Antenna modems. Because of this, many people are now having their internet by buying broadband plug-it modems from internet service providers. Smart Telecom, Globe Telecom, and Sun Telecom are all offering broadband plug-it modems.

 

Plug-its work by receiving and transmitting broadband signals to and from the telecommunication towers of internet service providers like the way cellular phones receive signal. However, the problem is that indoors, the signal deteriorates and the internet speed get slow. Walls usually blocks broadband signals causing its deterioration. Other obstructions like roof and trees contributes to the deterioration of broadband signal.

Here are some of my tips to make the signal that your plug-it receives stronger. For each of the tips, you will need USB Extension Cord. This cord could be bought from shops that sell computer parts and accessories like CD-R King. A cord with a length of 3 meters usually cost about 100 pesos. USB extension cords with signal booster are not required.


Tip #1: Take It Outdoors

As I had said, the walls of your house contribute to the deterioration of broadband signal. To solve these, your plug-it modem must be placed outside of your home. This could easily be done if you are using a laptop computer since it could be taken anywhere. For desktop computers, the solution is to buy a USB extension cord and place your broadband plug-it modem out through the window.

Just make sure that the plug-it modem will not be too exposed to rain or direct heat of the sun. Leaving the plug-it modem too exposed to the elements may cause it to malfunction.



Tip #2: Place It on Higher Elevation

Since trees and roof of houses also blocks broadband signal, a good solution would be to place the plug-it higher than these obstructions. For my plug-it modem, we used a pole to prop up the plug-it modem above the roof of our house. I used two 3-meter long USB extension cords to connect the plug-it modem to the USB port. This solved the problem of weak signal that we are experiencing when we are connecting to the internet.

To protect the plug-it modem, we created a housing using ice cream plastic container, plastic jar, and Styrofoam bowl. The ice cream container serves as the outermost roofing to protect the plug-it modem from rain. The Styrofoam serves as the insulator to protect the modem from the extreme heat of the sun.

These are some of the things I did to get a strong signal for my internet at home. I know that there are more tips out there to make the broadband signal being received by your plug-it modem stronger. I hope that this tips helped you.

Do have more tips? Please tell me by leaving a comment. Thanks!

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How to Prevent Identity Theft When Surfing in an Internet Cafe

Identity theft is one of the major e-crimes. There many stories wherein hackers took over e-mail accounts and other accounts in Facebook, Friendster, and Twitter. When these intruders take over, they usually bar the real owner of the account from accessing their accounts. Many people had been tricked in giving money to the people that purports as the real owner of accounts that they took over.

The risk of identity theft is high in internet café because many people go inside such establishments. Some computer users are negligent and forget to sign out from their accounts. Thankfully, the latest browsers of Firefox and Internet Explorers have tools to ensure that you are protected.

Be Vigilant

This is the foremost and the best tip to prevent identity theft. You should be aware of the people around you when you are online. Make sure that no one is looking when you are typing your username and password to access your accounts. Also be aware of the other computer users that are always looking at you when you are online. It is likely that this people is eyeing you and planning to do something about your account.

Always Log-out

The “Log out” or “Sign out” buttons were placed on your account for a reason, that is to terminate your access to your account after you are done visiting it. Never leave the internet café with your accounts not logged out. Many people forget to do this simple thing and run the risk of their accounts being stolen from them. It is easy to steal an account that was left logged on by its owner.

There are websites that do not automatically log-out if the browser was closed. Friendster is an example of websites that are like this. Logging out of your account is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself from identity theft.

Create Strong and Multiple Passwords

A strong password is a password that has a combination of letters and numbers. However, internet users have a hard time remembering such combinations so they resort to passwords that are composed of phrases. So, if you intend to create a password composed of phrase, then make sure that that password is not easily guessed.

Multiple passwords is also important so to ensure that if one of your accounts was hacked, then other accounts will not be affected. Thus, you should have a different password for your personal accounts like Facebook, Friendster, or Twitter, then a different password for e-mail, and so on.

Don’t Auto-save

Popular browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox have the capability to save your username and passwords automatically. This capability depends on the settings placed by the internet café administrator. There are internet cafes that have browsers that ask permission before saving your username and passwords, but others auto-save without asking for permission. If you are surfing in an internet café, never let the browser to auto-save either your username or password. An auto-saved username will have a higher risk of its password being guessed by hackers.

Clear All Private Data

Thankfully, Internet Explorer and Firefox (and even Google Chrome) already have a tool that allows the user to clear all the private data collected while the browser is on. Customers of internet café are advised to use this tool before going out of the café. This tool allows you to clear you browsing history, auto-saved username and passwords, and cookies.

For Firefox, you should click Tools >> Clear Private Data. A window, like the one shown below, will pop up. You should place a check on all fields and then click Clear Private Data Now button.

For Internet Explorer, you should click Tools >> Delete Browsing History. A window, like the one shown below, will pop out. You should click on the Delete All button so as to delete all of your browsing history and private data.

If the browser is of old version and does not have these tools, then I suggest that you press Ctrl+h to access the Browser History and delete all its contents.

One of my friends claimed that another person accessed his Friendster account even if already logged out from Friendster. He claimed that the hacker gained access through the Browsing History stored in Internet Explorer. I am not sure if what he claimed was the truth, but deleting your private data after surfing does not do any harm to you. Availing of the said tool is highly suggested to prevent identity theft.

Protecting your internet accounts should always be on the top of your mind when surfing in an internet café. Stories of hacking are true and many have became victim, including their family and friends who were tricked to giving some money. Follow all of my simple tips and everything will be just fine. Happy surfing!

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