There's a reason that the Internet is called the Electronic Superhighway. Just like any other highway, it is prone to traffic jams. Many times when response is slow, its not your system's problem, and its not a problem at BBS-LA. It is a slowdown out there somewhere on the Internet Superhighway. You can use the Internet Traffic Report to see how the traffic on the 'Net is moving.
Since its release, a number of security vulnerabilities have been discovered in Windows XP. These vulnerabilities are used by worms and viruses, making it impossible to connect an unsecured, unpatched system to the Internet for any amount of time without risking exposure of infection. Users of new computers are faced with the dilema of being infected by these worms before being able to download the necessary patches. This guide will show how to install Windows XP securely, without being infected by these worms during the patching process.