Wireless reviews and the latest networking gear

:: Networking Help & How-To

Refreshing, Restarting, and Rebooting Your Wi-Fi
Networking problems can — and probably will — occur at some point. You've probably been there before; you try to log on and you can't download email, print a picture, or copy files over the network.
Adding a Wireless Camera to Your Network
Thanks to a new breed of affordable and easy-to-use Wi-Fi-equipped cameras, setting up a home security camera is easy. You can position a Wi-Fi camera anywhere within range of your Wi-Fi network. You can then monitor the camera and record video from it using any computer on your network. You can even set up a special computer just for recording security video if you want. The computer can be an older unit that you don't use much anymore, so long as it has a lot of free hard drive space.
Troubleshooting a Bad Wireless Connection
Wireless networking is only cool and convenient when it works right. Networking problems can — and probably will — occur at some point. The causes of networking problems are many and varied, but they can usually be solved by following a methodical troubleshooting process.
Tricks and Tips for Using Your Network Printer
The printing processes in Windows run smoothly and automatically most of the time, even across a network. However, knowing a few tricks makes network printing easier for all the users on your network.
Protecting Your Stuff on a Hotspot
Wireless networking technologies make home networks a lot more fun and easy to use, but you don't have to leave Wi-Fi behind when you leave home. A hotspot is a wireless network that is open to public access, allowing you to access the Internet while you sip some coffee. However, you should exercise caution when using a hotspot to protect your files and computer from unauthorized access.
Improving the Speed and Range of Your Network
Wireless networks make it easier to use technology throughout your home or small office. However, you may find that your wireless network doesn't perform quite as well as you'd hoped. Performance problems with wireless networks can usually be divided into two categories: speed and range. You can improve the speed and range of your wireless network by avoiding interference, using high-gain antennas, and using special devices designed specifically to boost Wi-Fi range.
Finding and Using a Hotspot
Hotspots are a popular way to use wireless networking. Hotspots are open networks that hotels, coffee shops, libraries, universities, airports, and other establishments make available for anyone with a Wi-Fi-equipped portable computer. When you connect to a hotspot, you can browse the Internet, check email, or perform other online tasks.
Cleaning Windows XP: Getting Started
Face it — you can do quite a bit to clean the average Windows XP system. Files proliferate, programs fall out of favor, viruses reproduce, e-mail clusters, and pop-ups populate. Throw in a little system neglect and before you know it, you have a messed-up system that badly needs cleaning.
A Growing Necessity: Personal Firewalls for Home PCs
Most people aren't paranoid enough about their connection to the Internet. The chances of suffering from some type of Internet hack are rising, especially when you connect to the Internet using cable or DSL. Most people are surprised when they discover that their newly installed personal firewall reports that their home computers are getting scanned or probed from the Internet multiple times per day.
Firewalls: Defending Your Home Network from Attack
Some people deliberately work at the task of destroying computers, and they perform their dirty deeds by installing viruses on your computer. Other nasty folks invade your computer while you're on the Internet, and they get private information from your files (or leave viruses on your computer).
Connecting to the Internet over a Home Network
So you've decided to connect your network to the Internet. All you have to do is run to the local computer discount store, buy a modem, and plug it in, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, connecting to the Internet involves more than just installing a modem. For starters, you have to make sure that a modem is the right way to connect — other methods are faster but more expensive. Then you have to select and configure the software you use to access the Internet.
Avoiding a Zapped Computer
You know that electricity is dangerous, so you probably avoid sticking your fingers into live light-bulb sockets and electrical outlets. Even without fingers, your computers, too, are sensitive to electricity, and you need to protect them from a variety of electrical dangers.
Knowing What Your Firewall Is Up Against
Hackers have a number of ways (beyond insecure passwords and software bugs) to get into computers and networks. Most operating systems and other programs have vulnerabilities, and it is only a matter of time before someone discovers them. This article explores just some of the common techniques hackers use to attack computer systems.
Home Networking Basics: A Few Things to Keep in Your Closet
When you network your computers, occasions arise when it helps to have some items handy to assist in getting back up and running quickly. If you can't find a whole closet, shoot for a shelf, a drawer, or at least a sturdy cardboard box. Here's a list of stuff to keep easily available.
Going Public with Wi-Fi Hotspots
The beauty of Wi-Fi networking is its mobility. It gives you the freedom to wander far from home and still have a solid connection to the Internet. You can find Wi-Fi hotspots around the globe, with the United States, Europe, and Asia leading the way as they add thousands of new access points every year.
Protecting Your Home Network from Electrical Dangers
You know that electricity is dangerous, so you probably avoid sticking your fingers into live light-bulb sockets and electrical outlets. Your computers may not have fingers, but they're sensitive to electricity, too, and it's up to you to protect them from a variety of electrical dangers.
Positioning Your Computers for a Wireless Home Network
You have two issues to consider when deciding where to place computers on a wireless network: the distance between the computers and the need to avoid potential sources of interference with the wireless radio signals.
Setting Up Wireless Access Points
If you want to do wireless networking, your first step is to install a wireless access point. All of your wireless gear — laptops, PDAs, cameras, media centers, printers — connect to your network using radio waves instead of cables, and a wireless access point (WAP) is the device that creates your radio wave network.
Sharing a Hard Drive over a Home Network
Home networks commonly share all the folders and files on the hard drives of every computer, but you have to configure the hard drive for sharing. This works differently depending on the version of Windows running on the computer you're setting up for sharing.
Sharing DSL or Cable Modems Over a Home Network
You can easily share your DSL or cable modem with all the computers on your network. However, you may have to install some hardware to make sure that all the computers can connect to the modem. In addition, you need to decide whether to use a router to effect sharing.

:: From The Blog...