Computer Questions

A:

There are many terms out there for the home network, each one just as confusing as the other. To simplify terminology, here are a few things to know.

Wired networking:
Just as the name implies, this is a network with wires.

Wireless Networking:
This is a type of network that sends information without wires - similar to information being sent through a cell phone.

Reasons for having a wireless network:
-If you own a laptop, then this is great as it allows you to walk all around the house and still be on the Internet.
-If you have a lot of guests who have laptops, they can easily access the Internet.

Reasons for having just a wired network:
-If you just have a desktop computer, there really aren't any benefits of owning a wireless router.
-Though wireless networks have been proven to be secure, if you’re dealing with truly sensitive information, you should have a wired network (Although, with that said, if you are dealing with really sensitive information, the computer with the sensitive information shouldn’t even be on the network).

Tip:
Whichever router you decide to get, make sure it states on the box that it has a built in Firewall. This will help protect you from unwanted internet hacking.

Which Wireless???:
History: In 1999, businesses came together to form the Wi-Fi Alliance. This alliance adopted IEEE 802.11 as the standard language for wireless networking.  Just think of IEEE 802.11 as a language, similar to English, but for computers. This standard enables devices (Wi-Fi phone, laptop, handheld device, kitchen appliance, etc) made with this same IEEE 802.11 language to speak with one another. You've probably also seen a-b-g-n… etc at the end of IEEE 802.11 (as an example, IEEE 802.11b, or IEEE 802.11g).

To summarize: The higher the letter, in this case n, the faster, and newer, the router. So, IEEE 802.11n would be faster than IEEE 802.11b

Recommendations: I personally like Linksys. They make a router that's reasonably priced, has a lot of good options, and is reliable. There are other brands -one in particular is Netgear (it's also a decent router)- but, I personally prefer Linksys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A:

For all the time, research, and energy that has been invested into fixing this problem, we still have spam. The simple fact is that there isn’t really any way to fix the problem- we’ll always have to deal with unwanted mail. It doesn't matter how many hours or how much money is invested into fixing the problem, there are always going to be unwanted messages in your inbox. Think of your inbox much like your home mailbox. Is there any way to ensure that you'll never receive a piece of junk mail… not really.

However, with all that said, there are a few ways you can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. One is by limiting to whom and where you give your e-mail address. Much like when you give out your home address, the more you use your e-mail address to register with sites, stores, etc., the more likely you are to get unwanted e-mail.

Below are several things you can do to try and limit the amount of spam you receive.
 

• Create a separate e-mail for ordering and registrations. Most websites require that you enter an e-mail when registering and most companies request an e-mail address when placing an order. I have several different e-mails. One for websites I need to access and that require I give them my e-mail address, another e-mail that I use for on-line ordering, and one e-mail address I use solely for friends. By having separate addresses, I ensure that my primary e-mail, the address where I do most of my correspondence, doesn’t get tagged or sold to junk mail systems.
   
• Don't respond or click on links that prompt you to “Click Here” to remove your name. Unless the e-mail is from a reputable company, it’s likely that clicking the "remove" button will actually add you to more spam lists.
   
• Change e-mail addresses. If you're getting so much spam that it's impossible to sort through what's spam and what's not, you might want to consider getting a new e-mail address. I'm a big fan of Gmail. They have a fantastic built-in spam filter and their e-mail service is free.

A:

This is one of the most important and most neglected areas of the PC. So much time, stress, and aggravation can be saved by backing up important data.

The following are several, easy and inexpensive ways to keep copies of your Data.

-Create a CD or DVD. This is one of the most secure and reliable methods of back-up. Just ensure that after you've made the back-up, you can read the CD or DVD.

-E-mail yourself copies of important documents. This is a very good way to back-up important files. By e-mailing the data to yourself, it also ensures that your files are stored somewhere else.

-Copy information onto a USB thumb Drive. This is a very easy way to back-up information. However, be warned that it isn't the most stable of backup solutions. The problem with this method is you can still write to the drive. If for some reason you become infected with a virus, and the virus attacks the thumb drive, your data on both the computer and thumb drive could be lost.

-Copy data onto an external hard drive. As with the thumb drive option, the danger with this method is that after making a backup, you can still write to the drive. If for some reason you become infected with a virus, and the virus attacks the external hard drive, your data on both the computer and external drive could be lost.

-Sign-up with a remote backup service. These are services that backup your data automatically onto a remote server. It’s a great way to backup. The only drawback is, by using one of these services you are entrusting your computer data to someone else. So, be sure to select a company that has a tight privacy policy. Mozy, at https://mozy.com is currently one of the most popular remote back-up services available.