Month: February 2022

In today’s digital world, internet users of all ages are no strangers to the most common privacy threats. Unfortunately, not everyone takes the necessary steps to protect their privacy, especially at home.

Kids and teens in particular, though mostly tech-savvy and active on social media platforms, are also highly vulnerable to internet privacy issues. The reason? Internet safety is not talked about at home; and even when it is, it’s not talked about in a proactive and healthy manner.

Internet Privacy Starts at Home

When it comes to internet privacy, many parents just install firewalls and virus-detection programs, effectively restricting kids’ access to certain sites. The missing piece is open and healthy conversations on what internet privacy is—why it’s not safe to visit certain websites, why they shouldn’t freely provide personal information, and how they can learn to protect themselves.

To keep the internet safe, parents need to take a more proactive role not just in protecting their kids’ privacy but in teaching them how to protect their privacy. Like all life lessons and good habits, internet safety starts at home.

How to Talk to Kids About Internet Privacy and Protect Your Home Network

Not sure how to talk to your kids about internet privacy? Here’s a quick guide for starting the conversation. Check out these essential internet privacy tips to try at home:

1.Talk to your kids

It all starts with an honest conversation. Talk to your kids about the internet: find out what they use it for, what sites and apps they frequent, and their experiences online. A healthy conversation establishes trust, and ensures that kids feel safe asking you about what they see and do on the internet, rather than sneaking out to visit age-inappropriate platforms.

When talking to kids, teach them that personal information is a currency: it is valuable and therefore needs to be protected. An open conversation allows you to find out what information they’ve shared online, and teach them what information is and isn’t OK to provide to apps and websites.

2.See for yourself

Once you’ve established what apps and websites your kids frequent, check them out yourself. If an app or platform requires the creation of an account, try it out to better understand what personal information kids have shared, and how they’re using these spaces. This is the best way to find out your kids’ internet privacy level and warn them against apps or games that pose threats, such as remotely turning on their camera or tracking their location.

3.Stay current with tech

Not much of a tech buff? It might be time to become more internet-savvy. These days, it’s very common for kids to know more about tech than their parents. But in order to protect your kids’ privacy on the internet, you need to know what devices, apps, and websites they’re using, and how. Doing this can also inform future shopping choices, allowing you to select “kid-friendly” devices and activate necessary privacy settings.

4.Teach kids good internet habits

Teach kids early on the golden rule of healthy internet use and internet privacy: the internet is forever. What happens online stays online—this means any information they share can easily be copied and used, despite new internet privacy laws. Teaching them this early on can help them remember to think before they click, and consider whether the photo or comment they post is appropriate and something they can safely share.

5.Monitor your kids’ online presence

The reality is, it’s impossible to keep kids off the internet—and you shouldn’t. With everything now taking place online, kids need to learn how to use the internet properly and protect their privacy. This means it’s more important to be proactive, rather than simply banning them from browsing.To start, teach kids how to use privacy and security settings on their devices, and the games, apps, and platforms they use. Try to see what they’re browsing or playing, and where possible, make sure that age restrictions are set. Note that on many social media platforms that kids frequent, privacy restrictions are rarely set as default options. To maintain their internet privacy, carefully review and modify the relevant privacy settings. If available, try kids’ versions of popular apps like YouTube, and encourage them to always click, download, and post cautiously.

6.Set parental controls

While talking openly about internet privacy is key to healthy online habits, it’s inevitable that kids end up on inappropriate sites with harmful content. The truth is, even adults are not always immune to clicking on suspicious links and ads. It happens—and it’s why internet privacy is always a balance of awareness and the right privacy settings.

7.Teach kids about password protection

One of the most basic internet privacy tips, password protection remains one of the most effective ways of maintaining a safe online experience. Teach kids what a secure password is: with at least 8 characters and a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. Remind them to use different passwords for each of their accounts, store these securely offline, and update regularly.

8.Set a good example

Finally, remember that internet privacy starts with you. Kids learn a lot by following your example. From reviewing what you share and your personal information as it appears online, to thinking before you click and using safe sites and apps, it’s important to do as you tell your kids.Make sure to respect their personal information and establish healthy boundaries. Most importantly, don’t simply “take away the internet” when they do something wrong. Instead, talk to them about your own mishaps to help them avoid making the same mistakes.

Safe Home Internet for the Entire Family with Comwave

Looking for ways to promote healthy online habits for the entire family? At Comwave, we’re committed to helping parents and kids understand online safely, and we’re committed to keeping the internet family-friendly. Call our team today at 416-663-9600 to learn more about setting up parental controls within your home internet network, and see how we work with families to maintain internet privacy at home.

Is the telephone the best way to reach you? Despite the growth of mobile and the internet, sometimes, there’s nothing like talking on the phone and hearing someone’s voice. But over the years, more and more Canadians are foregoing home phones in favour of smartphones as landlines become a legacy tech.

However you feel about the classic landline telephone, there’s no denying the added security it provides: no matter when or where you’re calling from, there will always be that one reliable phone number for reaching the entire family. And with new technology like VoIP home phones, you can make calls with an all-new landline replacement: wireless calls over the internet, with the latest calling features, at a much lower cost than landlines.

Ditching the home phone? Think again. Find out about VoIP vs. landline for home phones, and see how VoIP keeps you talking on the phone reliably, and for less.

The Basics: VoIP vs. Landline for Homes

What are landlines?

Do you remember what a landline is? While most millennials (and their parents and grandparents) have used one, it’s become quite a relic for lots of Gen Z’s who grew up on mobile.

Simply, landlines are wired phones. These use twisted copper wires and plug into a two- or four-pin wall jack. From there, the phone sends signals through a series of exchanges to connect to another phone, allowing you to talk to someone “on the other end of the line”.

Because landlines are wired analog connections, there are only so many features that can be added to the classic telephone. The most modern landline home phones can get is with the addition of caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, and call blocking.

What is VoIP?

Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is the newest calling technology that replaces traditional landlines. In a nutshell, VoIP phones make and receive calls over the internet, rather than through wired connections.

The biggest advantage of VoIP phones is their digital connectivity. They use the same internet connection that already powers your home to convert calls into digital signals. This means, with high-speed internet at home, you can count on VoIP phones to always ring and make crystal-clear calls. Plus, VoIP phones come with advanced call management features like call recording and call flipping, so you never miss a call.

VoIP vs. Landline: Which is the better home phone?

Now that we’ve covered the basics of VoIP and landline, it’s time to find out which makes a better home phone. Check out this point-by-point comparison of the calling features you count on, and see how each one stacks up for talking on the phone and staying connected 24/7, crystal-clear:

Cost and Value for Money

Off the bat, VoIP phone service costs anywhere from 40% to 80% less than traditional landline service. Meanwhile, VoIP phone plans start at just $9.95 a month, with unlimited local calling. Now, you can get reliable phone service at home for under $10, making it easier and more affordable than ever to talk on the phone and stay connected.

Advanced Call Management Features

VoIP is definitely the clear winner when comparing VoIP vs. landline home phone features. While some landline services have evolved to offer basic call features like caller ID, call waiting, and voicemail using answering machines, they’re still no match for what VoIP phones can do.

With a VoIP phone service, you can do more than just make and receive calls: you can control how you’re making calls, answering the phone, and even recording important information from each call. VoIP phones come with advanced features like call forwarding, call recording, and call flipping (transferring an ongoing call to your smartphone or desktop, and vice-versa). These features make VoIP home phones incredibly efficient, and the choice of businesses, too.

Call Quality and Reliability

One of the biggest reasons why landlines are still around is because they’ve been extremely reliable through the decades. Their wired connection means they’ll always run as long as phone lines do, even when there’s no power. This also makes landline calls incredibly clear—no sounding “choppy” or other distortions.

But this doesn’t mean VoIP phones can’t compete. While slow internet speeds and poor connection can impact VoIP calls, having unlimited high-speed internet from a reliable provider means you’ll never miss a call, and that each call will sound crystal-clear. All you need is a reliable internet service provider that offers both the fastest internet speeds and a VoIP home phone service, so you’re always reachable.

Emergency Services: Calling 911 with VoIP Home Phones

It’s a common misconception that you can’t call 911 and reach emergency services on a VoIP phone—and it’s one of the reasons why people still debate VoIP vs. landline for their homes. So, let’s set the record straight: you absolutely can call 911 on your VoIP home phone. It’s only slightly different in how dispatch is handled.

Before, older VoIP phones didn’t support emergency calls because these numbers aren’t tied to a specific location. This made it difficult for 911 dispatchers to send emergency responders to the right location. But today, VoIP phones do come with E911 calling.

With E911—or Enhanced 911 Service—the key thing to remember is, it still works the same, and emergency responders will be at your home. The difference is, your call gets routed to a national emergency call centre. Then, the operator will confirm your location to transfer your call to the nearest emergency response centre to your home.

You may need to confirm your address and provide a callback number to ensure that emergency response is coordinated. So while it’s true that calling 911 is more straightforward on a landline, you still get the same results with a VoIP phone, plus all the call features you count on.

Get Your VoIP Home Phone from Comwave

Need a home phone you can trust? Skip the traditional landline, and do more with every call. With Comwave’s VoIP home phone service, you get unlimited calls—that’s hours of talking on the phone and staying connected with everyone you love. Never miss a call, thanks to advanced call management features, and hear everything with excellent sound quality, 24/7.

Find your perfect VoIP home phone with Comwave internet today. Discover the ultimate power of unlimited high-speed internet from Comwave, now powering crystal-clear call quality 24/7.

These days, getting online and staying connected means there’s a real need for online speed. And chances are, you’re due for an upgrade. If the past couple of years of working and learning from home, and staying in for more movie nights and virtual events has made anything clear, it’s that you need the fastest internet speed to keep up online. A slow internet connection at home affects your entire day, whether you rely on it to work from home, watch videos, shop, or even simply stay in touch.

How fast is your home internet speed? If you’re struggling to stay connected on Zoom, or even refresh your social feeds, it’s clear that you’re not browsing at top speed—and it’s time to upgrade. Find out the most common signs you need to upgrade to the fastest internet, at the cheapest prices and best value:

Top 3 Signs You Need to Upgrade to the Fastest Internet Speeds

Can’t stay online long enough to stream your favourite shows, hit checkout on your shopping cart, or post a social media story? Or maybe you find pages loading faster when you’re in certain rooms. Check out the most common signs of slow internet speeds, and why you may need to upgrade to a fast and affordable Comwave internet plan:

1.Everything lags, and you can’t seem to stay connected

Streaming in 4K or HD—aka the premium binge-watching experience you deserve—gaming, live-streaming, constantly hopping on video calls, and downloading and uploading multiple large files all take up lots of bandwidth.

If you’re attempting to do all these only at minimum internet speeds of up to 50Mbps, there’s a good chance that you haven’t been having the easiest time. Upgrading to the fastest internet speeds for your everyday online habits will easily solve this problem, giving you more bandwidth to do all of these online activities smoothly and quickly.

2.You’ve been “boosting” your internet speed by disconnecting some devices from Wi-Fi

As the quickest fix for slow internet speeds, disconnecting idle devices is a good idea. But it’s also a huge hassle that leaves some of your devices offline and unable to sync. And even if you disconnect your phone or tablet that’s currently idle, you can’t routinely disconnect smart home devices and appliances without affecting your daily routine.

The best, long-term fix is to upgrade to the fastest internet speeds that can keep all of your devices connected 24/7. An upgrade is even more urgent when the internet connection is shared with the entire family, since everyone is always using a few devices to work, study, browse, stream, and more.

3.Your internet is slow anywhere at home

It’s common for your internet connection to be faster in certain areas of your home. Typically, it’s at its fastest when you’re close to the router, and it can slow down when you’re in other rooms, with walls and furniture obstructing the Wi-Fi signal. In this case, it’s worth trying to solve the problem with a Wi-Fi extender to strengthen the Wi-Fi signal throughout your house.

But if your internet is slow wherever you are—even when you’re as close as possible to the router—it’s a clear sign that you have a speed problem. Simply, your current internet speed is too slow to keep up with all of your online activities, and it’s time to upgrade.

Upgrading to the fastest internet speed is the best way to solve connectivity issues. Lower speeds at 30Mbps or 75Mbps may no longer be fast enough for all of your everyday browsing and streaming needs, especially with multiple devices connected to the Wi-Fi, and multiple people sharing your home internet connection. But with the fastest speeds, everyone at home can easily stay connected on multiple devices—and no one gets disconnected from a Zoom call or experiences any streaming delays.

How fast is fast? A quick guide to getting the right internet speed

Before you upgrade to the fastest internet speed, it’s worth looking into your everyday online habits. How much do you use the internet? Are you working from home and hopping onto video calls throughout the day? Do you stream shows and music nonstop? Are you constantly refreshing your social feeds to view the top stories? Start by finding out how much bandwidth each of these daily online activities take by browsing the guide below.

• Streaming videos: Streaming services like Netflix recommend at least 5Mbps to watch in HD and 25Mbs for the full 4K experience. And while 5Mbps isn’t much, note that these minimum speeds are recommended per device. With a family of 5 using at least 5Mbps each at a time, you’ll be lucky to get through an episode without streaming delays—or even stream at all on a “just the basics” plan at 30Mbps. That’s because internet speeds are known to experience minor fluctuations, especially with more users browsing and streaming all at once, on multiple devices, at various times throughout the day.
• Gaming: At a minimum, you need 4 to 8Mbps for online gaming. But for consistently efficient online games, it’s best to have anywhere from 10 to 25Mbps. Again, that’s only on one console, so you’ll still need to consider how many devices are simultaneously connected to the Wi-Fi, and what each person is doing, which can take up more bandwidth.
• Working or learning from home: While you typically only need 1Mbps to check emails or refresh your social media feed, keep in mind that you’re likely using a number of online apps simultaneously—and everyone at home is doing the same. On a basic speed like 30Mbps or even 75Mbps, you’re still likely to experience connection issues when joining HD video calls for sustained periods, which requires anywhere from 1.5 to 6Mbps per device. Plus, you’re also likely downloading and uploading files. Now, add all that up for everyone at home, and you’ll find that you’re best served by internet speeds of anywhere from 150 to 500Mbps, or even all the way up to 1GB.

Upgrade to the Fastest and Cheapest Internet with Comwave

Ready to browse and stream faster, and get the internet connection you need and deserve at home? It’s time to upgrade to Comwave internet, for the fastest internet speeds at the cheapest prices. Find the right speed for your everyday needs, for everyone at home.

Choose from the basics at 30Mbps, to faster browsing at 75 or 150Mbps, or the fastest speeds from 500Mbps all the way up to 1GB. Get the right speed that lets you hop onto video calls, stream your favourite shows, work, and stay connected 24/7, without delays. Experience the fastest and cheapest internet for your needs and budget, only from Comwave.