»DON'T USE A 'BRANDED' AND/OR PRE-INSTALLED VERSION OF WINDOWS. Instead, use a retail, or older 'tried' version of Windows (like Windows 98, Windows 2000); as I do when I retool a system.
»UNINSTALL 'THIRD-PARTY' VENDOR SOFTWARE.  **EXAMPLE** Your new Internet connection undoubtedly comes with an installation CD. In most cases, IT's needed to 'register', and establish your first connection. IT also installs alot of other 'third-party' vendor software. Exercise the option to uninstall it all-and "unclog" the pipes;
»DISABLE THE 'AUTO UPDATES' FEATURE OF WINDOWS.  Your 'always-on', high-speed connection coupled with that 'activated' version of Windows, is an open invitation for Microsoft meddling. And, IT's INHERENTLY INSECURE. A device driver - like sound or video - gets updated and rendered inoperative because IT's assumed you have something you don't. A blue "Fatal Exception" screen or a sudden spontaneous restart of your system indicate an update that Windows didn't like - just ask Noa Guy. Incidentally, many PCs worldwide ***INFECTED WITH THE TROJAN/SASSER VIRUSES*** were facilitated by this utility. If you prefer to not guess around, don't run it at all. Your system is *not* compromised because you haven't installed the latest plethora of Microsoft's Security Updates;


»CLEAR YOUR BROWSER'S CACHE OF STORED INFORMATION ON A REGULAR BASIS;
»TURN OFF YOUR MACHINE WHEN NOT USING IT FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME;
»STOP SUBSTITUTING SOFTWARE-BASED SOLUTIONS THAT EMULATE HARDWARE.  Not only are they resource-intensive, but invariably, a software-based solution means a Microsoft solution, since either Windows (or a Windows-based application) is needed to make IT work. **EXAMPLE**  Don't install Norton Firewall, install a ROUTER.

»ANTI-VIRUS.  Use the default automatic settings to scan your entire system WEEKLY. The risks of an always-on Broadband/High Speed connection are known to Anti-virus software. So, in this case, allowing automatic update of Virus Definitions is a good idea.
»DISK DEFRAGMENTATION.  Defrag at least WEEKLY, Failure to do so will degrade system performance to the point of disk corruption and data loss. Note: Use a more-robust program than than included with Windows, like Norton Utilities.
»SPAM.  Spyware/Adware Scanners work to remove cookies. Depending on where you surf and how often are factors, but since most websites require a cookie to be placed on your hard drive, the best you can do is reduce, not eliminate, spam. If possible, avoid Web-based email like Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail. Use an Internet Service Provider (ISP) email service, where tools like Spam Assassin are available to block spam.

Somewhat of a 'leftover' from the dialup modem days of Prodigy, America Online/AOL (Canada) is both an Internet Service Provider AND Online provider-similar access now dominated by Cable broadband. Download any/all AOL software from their website: when problems occur, component-based installation makes 'undo' and troubleshooting easier. Forewarned is forearmed: AOL software is known for 'port-sniffing', a form of spyware, gobbling your bandwidth and opening ports to the Internet at the expense of your system's security!

Although most areas now have both available, the following will help you make an informed decision.
Cable is 'Good To Go'. It has the fastest speed, easiest setup. Order the service, connect the Cable modem, and that's it. Service is month-to-month; no long-term commitment. Bonus: Anything requiring a Static IP address, like remote access or gaming, is possible. More "bang for your buck" in a residential environment.
DSL setup is more involved. The most common residential type that the phone co offers is "line-share DSL"-talk and surf at the same time. IT's cheaper, but there are Service commitments under penalty and speed is 'best effort'. Better value in a business environment where dedicated, provisioned DSL has QoS(Quality of Service) and/or SLAs (Service Level Agreements).

IT's a good idea to remove all BUNDLED software from your system. People with something to sell have their (soft)wares pre-installed on your system. The spyware nature of these softwares slows your system's performance. In other cases, your system is not protected: Pre-loaded Anti-Virus software(like McAfee), is usually fully-functional for 30 days. After that, IT's assumed that you'll opt to purchase their (or someone else's) FULL version.

»DELL, HP, SONY, Et Al.  Sell their systems to work AS IS. If you know what you want in your system, IT will make their default settings less-detrimental to the useful life of your system. All else being equal, if you use one of their pre-configured, pre-installed,"seen-on-TV," systems IT will be obsolete in three (3) years or less.
»Integrators.  They are the middlemen of the IT industry-salespeople on commission. They sell "B & B" systems that are designed to become obsolete, and therefore, don't 'require' tech support. "Authorized Reseller"  "Solutions Provider"   are all euphemisms for Integrator.