Windows Service and Its Relation To Registry

A windows service is an executable program that has been specially designed to communicate with the SCM (service Control Manager) of windows operating system. The service Control Manager (SCM) maintains a database of installed services and driver services in the Registry, and provides a unified and secure means of controlling them.

Before we understand the relationship between Windows service and a registry cleaner, let us understand what is Windows Service. Windows services are executable programs that run in the background to make the whole operating system stable and efficient. If the user were to click on 'start' and then click on 'Run' and type 'msconfig' into the dialogue box. The system would call up the registry window that would display various tabs one of these tab will be named 'services' click on this tab and you will see the number of services running in the back ground of your operating system. All these services that run in the background are stored in the registry. When any changes are made to these services or how they are implemented, these changes are recorded in the registry of the system. These changes have to be undone from time to time with a windows registry cleaner.

Need To Clean The Registry

Sometimes the changes are made so often to windows services that the old entries to the related service are not deleted. So when the system calls up the service the entire services section of the registry has to be scanned to locate and configure the service being called up. The search will include past changes that were made as well. This process drastically slows down the system and makes it sluggish. A main symptom that will indicate the need for a power registry cleaner is that the system will take a very long time to boot up and shut down.

How the Registry Builds Up

When the system shuts down the changes that are made during the operating time of the PC will have to be recorded in the registry. The registry will have to search the registry sequentially until it comes to the spot that the entry has to be made in. This can take very long depending on the size of the registry. The same process is carried out when the system boots up. Good registry cleaner software can solve this problem by periodically cleaning the registry of redundant entries. You can download a free windows registry cleaner to assist you with the process.

When you download programs from the Internet they are recorded in the registry. You will delete the program or uninstall it after some time but he entries in the registry will stay. This will buildup and make the registry very large for the system to operate efficiently. The registry will need a thorough cleaning with a trusted windows registry cleaner.

A computer registry cleaner is not a complicated tool to use. It is a very handy tool that keeps your PC working efficiently day after day. Once you have downloaded the free registry repair cleaner it will install itself and offer you two options to clean your PC registry. One will be 'Scan Registry' and the other will be 'Repair Registry'. This takes a few minutes and your PC will be running like new. So go and get yourself a free windows registry cleaner today.

About The Author
Arvind Singh is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at http://www.pcmantra.com

Top 5 Reasons To Go Wireless

Wireless networking is 1 of the greatest new computer technologies in terms of convenience. If you're weighing the pros and cons of wireless before taking the leap, here are 5 to put in the "pro" column.

#1: No More Wires

Of all the reasons to switch your network to wireless, this is perhaps the most important. Wires are inconvenient, expensive, dangerous, and downright ugly.

No more wires across the floor improves the safety of your home, since it's easy to trip over exposed wires.

The average Ethernet wire doesn't cost much per foot, but it adds up quickly. To run wires between rooms or floors, you have to knock holes in the walls, which might not even be an option for renters.

Plus when you move you don't have the mess of disconnecting all the wires only to re-connect them at the other end. Nor do you have to examine every wire for damage if your internet connection goes down.

#2: Internet Access For All

Wireless networking gives you a cheap, easy way to share 1 internet connection among multiple computers. You can add new computers to your network simply by plugging in a wireless card and switching them on -- they get an internet connection immediately!

#3: Share Files And Printers

A wireless network gives you access to your files wherever you are, and makes it easy to synchronize the data of a laptop and a desktop computer. It's much easier to send files between computers with a wireless network than by email, or CD.

Plus, with the printer connected, you can also write things wherever you happen to be, press print, and go collect them from a printer connected to another computer. Printers plugged into 1 of the network's computers are shared by all the computers automatically.

#4: Always ON

Broadband revolutionized networking with internet connections being continuously connected -- no need to dial in every time. Wireless networking lets network connections be always-on, so any of your computers can connect to the internet whenever you want. Take laptops from room to room or out on the deck -- they'll have an internet connection. Plus, there's no need for excessive password entry.

#5: Freedom!

With wireless networking, you can even take your computer wherever the signal reaches. Going wireless is much like the switching from the old fashioned wall-mounted telephone to a cellular phone. The freedom is exhilarating.

By: Ron King

Hard Disk Recovery Tips

It is a real disaster, but because so few people know about the full capabilities of hard disk recovery, there is a lot of data that is lost that doesn't have to be. Don't get me wrong – hard drive data recovery is a tenuous business at best. Hard disk data recovery runs against all kinds of problems. Usually, the hard drives are at the very least severely compromised by a virus. Sometimes the data is erased are corrupted so much that it can't even be accessed. At other times, hard disk data recovery jobs are made even harder by physical problems. Sometimes there are actual scratches on the hard drive that make it almost impossible to recover large chunks of data. Nonetheless, recovery hard disk experts have gotten very good at what they do. At the very least, it is worth a try.

Sometimes, hard disk recovery is so simple that you can even do it yourself. Files can be apparently erased while still actually existing on the hard drive. This is what the undelete function is for on Windows computers. Most of the time, however, recovering hard disk data requires the dedicated work of an expert. The problem with hard disk recovery, you see, is that it becomes less and less likely to succeed the longer you go without it. If, for example, there is a physical problem with your hard disk, every time you try to boot it, it will cause more damage to the data on its surface. If data has been accidentally erased that should have been saved, pieces of the files may still exist somewhere on the hard drive. If you keep using the hard drive, however, those pieces will eventually be written over.

This is why it is so important to take proper actions to safeguard your data. Hard disk recovery should be your last resort. You should back up all of your files regularly – preferably at least twice a week – and back up your most important files daily. Unfortunately, sometimes hard drives fail. If this ever happens to you – especially if you have some data on your hard drive that hasn't been backed up – you have to be sure to get in to an expert as soon as possible. Computer hardware is remarkably frail, and hard disk recovery is an action of last resort. When things get to that point, you should do everything in your power to get your data back as soon as possible.

By: Bestworldtravel worldtravel

Computer Diagnostics

The diagnostics that are associated with computers can help to identify any problem or failure that computers show when they are having problems. Diagnostics are used to test out the computer system, which includes both the BIOS and memory, software, and even the hardware that is attached to the computer.

The most common types of problems will occur when your computer is down to very low resources, which can either be a low amount of RAM, or a low disk space. These conditions are very common, and generally result in your computer running very slow. This can easily be fixed, all you have to do is defrag your hard drive, and get rid of some programs and files that you no longer use or need.

Almost all types of computer diagnostic software can find and fix just about any problem that you are having. It normally starts off with a BIOS examination, and goes on from there. PC diagnostics
software can determine a lot from the BIOS, from the common settings to those that have a major impact on both boot up and performance.

No matter what you do, you should never modify or tamper with the BIOS settings, as it can lead to serious problems. If you do plan to modify or mess with your BIOS, you should always create a backup first, just in case something goes wrong. The BIOS settings can be very tricky, although they are responsible for a lot to do with your computer. If you have never been in the BIOS before, you really shouldn't be modifying anything inside of it.

Depending on the diagnostics program that you are using, there will be several different features available. Right now, two of the most popular are Norton Systemworks and PC Doctor. Both of these programs offer full diagnostics software, good for fixing just about any software related computer program you can imagine.

Once you run the program, you'll be able to select the diagnostic test that you are planning to run. Some offer you a full system scan, which will scan your entire computer and then display any problems that you having. After displaying any problems, the software will normally give you an option to go ahead and fix it. As long as the problem is nothing serious, the diagnostic software can generally fix it.

The more complicated problems, such as hardware failures or hard drive crashes, are a totally different story. They will require a technician who is very experienced, that can rebuild the hardware. Diagnostic software can report hardware problems to you, although most of the time it is unable to fix it.

There are other computer diagnostic software that you run after starting the computer or rebooting, that will check everything from BIOS. These types are great, although the types such as Norton and PC Doctor are by far superior. They offer far more features, including defragment, cache cleaner, and the option to delete your temporary Internet files. These features are great to have, especially if you aren't the technical type.

For more reasons than one, computer diagnostic software is the ideal way to find and prevent problems with your computer. Norton Systemworks offers you Ghost as well, which is the perfect way to back up your data. You can back up certain files, or just go ahead and back up your entire hard drive. Systemworks and Ghost are very easy to use, even if you are completely new to computers. For everything they offer you - computer diagnostic programs are the ideal way to prevent problems before they happen.

By: John Ugoshowa

Online Data Backups

Backing up and protecting data should be something that every business or individual strives to do. Data is very important, especially for businesses or individuals who make a living using their computers. If you have never looked into backing up your files or haven't backed them up before, you should really look into it before it is too late.

Among the many ways to back up your files are online data backups. Online backups are great for businesses, as they will protect your data. You can think of this method as being a server and a host, as the company stores your information over the Internet. You can log in at anytime, and access your data. If your hard drive crashes, you can easily access the information you need without having to wait until your data is recovered by a specialist.

Although online data backups are great, they do have some concerns with security. Although the server is indeed encrypted, it isn't completely safe. Hackers can get into the system if they are good enough, although it is very rare. Online back up companies make their living protecting data, which is why they are so very popular. They know what they are doing, and they can keep your data safe.

The best thing about online data backups is the fact that the information isn't stored at your office. It doesn't require the amount of space that CD or DVD media back up uses, nor do you have to protect it from employees who aren't authorized to access it. The company that you select does all of the work for you, and they protect the data from prying eyes. You upload the data to their servers, then you and whomever you give the login data to are the only ones who can access it.

Before you make a final decision on whom to use for your online data backup services, you should choose one that is fully secure, has great lockout policies, and human security around their facility as well. The better companies will offer state of the art security, with no fear of anything coming in contact with your data. Even though they can tend be expensive, the last thing you want is to pay money for a service that doesn't fully protect your information.

If you do your research and think about what each company has to offer you, you can plan accordingly. You should always look into the track record and past history of the company as well, to find out just how well they protect data. Your data and information is your life, so you'll obviously want to choose and online back up company who takes a lot of pride in their performance - and will protect your data no matter what.

By: John Ugoshowa

Computer Rebooting

When you sit down at your computer desk and press the power switch on your desktop, the last thing you want to experience is a continually rebooting computer.

There are a variety of causes that contribute to this problem, from something as simple as a stuck power button to a much more serious problem as your power supply slowly failing. Other causes for this problem may be overheating PC components, or viruses affecting your system.

Now, if you're like the rest of us, having a computer that reboots constantly is not our idea of a productive day. So how do you diagnose this problem and where do you start to to make corrections. Here are some common but often overlooked causes and solutions that will get your system running again.

First take a look at the power button and see if its stuck in the socket. If so, you may be able to simple tap the front of the case to release the button. In some cases, you may have to remove the system unit cover to get the button to return to the out position.

If you cannot stop the computer from rebooting by pressing the power button and releasing it, turn off the power switch in the back of the computer next to the power supply. If your power supply do not have a power switch, you will have to unplug the system from the wall outlet.

This must be done as soon as possible so that the constant rebooting will not damage components such as the hard drive. Constant rebooting also have the danger of power surges that can further damage larger components such as the motherboard.

Second you check your computer's software by checking to be sure no virus or malware have not effected your hard drive. Virus and malware are small software that is downloaded along with other files that is designed to cause mischief.

To remove any viruses and malware, use a anti-virus program that will search your hard drive and remove these file quickly. These files can cause such damage as wiping your hard drive of all data or hijacking your web browser so you have no control over your online surfing.

If you find no malware on your computer, take a look at your BIOS to see if it has become unstable or has been changed. BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System and is a small program designed to check all components for proper operation when the computer is turned on.

If your BIOS has been changed or if you're not sure if its been changed, try to reset the BIOS settings to the default settings after you access the BIOS as the computer reboots.Once inside the BIOS, you should have the option to load your default settings, save the change, and reboot the computer.

However, there are times when a continually rebooting computer will not allow you to access the BIOS. You can then reset the BIOS by removing the system unit cover and locating the jumper on a three pin header.

You must consult your computer or motherboard manual to properly perform this procedure and it should be done as a last resort. Before making any changes to your BIOS, you should backup your BIOS if your computer reboots at long intervals.

After checking your computer's software for its rebooting problem, you must check to be sure hardware is not at fault. This problem may exist because one of your memory modules are unseated from its socket . Memory modules are long, narrow sticks that attach to the motherboard.

Remove any static electricity from yourself, remove the system unit cover and check these memory modules to be sure they are secure. Check the connections to the hard drive and the connections leading from the power supply.

Power supply connectors should be checked if you've done work inside your computer recently. Power Supplies are known to slowly fail and lead to rebooting problems. There is no way to check an ailing power supply and this should be considered the problem as a last resort.

Following these steps will help you correct any computer that continually reboots itself. If no virus or malware is found, carefully and thoroughly check all connections. And if the problem still exist, the most likely cause would be the Power Supply.
By: Otis Cooper

Local Area Network

Build a Local Area Network

Introduction
If you want to transfer some of your data files from one computer to another in your office what will you do? One option you have is to take a floppy or CD and copy the data into it from source computer and go to destination computer and download the file in it. This method is very much time consuming and also you can not copy the data more then 1.44MB in floppy and around 800MB in CD. What if you have more than 2GB or more data to transfer? Here we can use LAN. A LAN is a group of two or more computers that can share information and resources. You can have 1000’s of computer in your LAN depending on the size of your organization as long as the computers are kept in one building or location. Here I am going to tell you how to build a small Local Area Network of 5-10 computers. First of all we need to know the equipments that are required to setup a LAN.

Computers: - Obviously you need 2 or more computers to build a network because one computer can not make a Network

Cables: - Depending on your network size and utilization you can select the category of the cables. For a small network you can use CAT5 cable which supports 10/100Mbps speed. However you have option to purchase Cat 6 Cable also which support speed of up to 1Gbps. Here I will use CAT5 Cable. (Want to know more about CAT5 click here)

Hub / Switch: - This is a device the will be put in a central location and all the PCs will connect to it. These devices can be of 4, 8, 16, or 24 ports. They come with more ports also. These days switches are being used everywhere as they are more advance then HUB.

NIC: - Network Interface cards are required for you PCs. Here also you have option to get a card of 10/100 or 10/100/1000Gbps speed. Again it depends on your requirement and budget. One end of network cable will connect to NIC in your computer and another end will go to switch. Note: - Most of the computers these days comes with built in network card so you don’t really need to purchase NIC if you already have one on your computer’s motherboard.

RJ45 Connector: - These are small jacks that need to be punched at both ends of cables. You don’t need to buy these connectors separately because readymade cables are available in market but of course if the desired length cable is not available then you will have to get the RJ45 Connectors and punch them at both ends of cable as per the cabling standard.

Once you have all the equipments you are ready to do connectivity among your computers and some windows settings. Follow the steps below to get your network up and running.

Step1: - Open your computers one by one and install the NIC. As I mentioned above if you have built in network card on your computer’s motherboard then you don’t need to do this activity. Better you buy PC with built in network card this way you can save lots of time.
Step2:- Connect all the computers one by one to your hub/switch. Once you connect all the computers just power on the switch.
Step3: - Now you have you to do some settings in your PC. All the PCs should have a unique identification so that another computer on network can identify it. Just in human beings we know people with their names, in computers they identify each other with their unique IP Address. These are 32 bit octets in the form of 0 and 1. We write IP address in the decimal form like 192.168.1.1. You have two options to provide IP address one is manual by sitting on each computer and typing the IP address and another is through DHCP Server. You can say DHCP server as a service of Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 Server which automatically provide IP address to computers as soon as they boot. (Click on DHCP to know more about it.) For a small network of 10-20 PCs you don’t need DHCP server but for big network it would be very confusing and time consuming to provide IP address manually. In our scenario you can give IP address manually because we are setting up a network of just 10 PC. Now log in to PCs with administrative privilege and follow the steps below to give IP address to PCs.

a. Click on Start – Settings – Network Connection and then double click on Local Area Connection.
b. From the new Window click on properties and on the new window scroll down to select internet protocol TCP/IP. Double click on it or click on properties to give IP address.
c. On the opened window give an IP address in the space provided. Just below IP address there is an option of subnet mask. As soon as you will give the IP address the subnet mask will come automatically depending on the Network Class you have selected. (Click on Network Class to know more about it.)

Once you are done just save the settings by clicking on apply and OK. Repeat all 3 steps above on all your computers but remember to give unique IP address to each computer. You can check the connectivity among the computers by running a command called PING on each computer. Just go to command prompt and type ping IP ADDRESS (For example Ping 192.168.1.1) you should get reply from another computer which has the IP address 192.168.1.1, remember the PC you are trying to ping should be switch ON. If you get a message saying REQUEST TIME OUT that means the PC you are trying to ping is switch off or there is some problem in the connectivity. So you will have to check it.

These settings are enough to get your LAN up and running how ever in IP settings page you have some more options that you can define as long as you have installed these services in you network. For example DNS, Gateway or WINS, you can click on each of these words to know more about them.

Sukhsagar Prajapati
Read More on… Computer Technical Support.

Gateway/WINS

Gateway

A gateway is either hardware or software that acts as a bridge between two networks so that data can be transferred between a number of computers. For example, when you send an e-mail to a friend or when you log in to a Web site, there is a gateway that allows the connection take place. Often, your connection to a Web site will involve many smaller connections to other servers along the way. In these cases, a number of gateways are used.

WINS

Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS), part of the Microsoft Windows NT and 2000 Servers, manages the association of workstation names and locations with Internet Protocol addresses (IP addresses) without the user or an administrator having to be involved in each configuration change. WINS automatically creates a computer name-IP address mapping entry in a table, ensuring that the name is unique and not a duplicate of someone else's computer name. When a computer is moved to another geographic location, the subnet part of the IP address is likely to change. Using WINS, the new subnet information will be updated automatically in the WINS table. WINS complements the NT Server's Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), which negotiates an IP address for any computer (such as your workstation) when it is first defined to the network. If you're a computer user on a network connected to a Windows NT/2000 Server, you may find WINS mentioned in some of your network-related programs or system messages.

DNS

We all know that in the world of domain names today, the presence of the DNS domain name system is very much significant. It is interesting to know that the acronym DNS actually stands for Domain Name System/Service/Server. However, I will be using the term DNS domain name system here to provide you with a clear knowledge about the meaning of this particular thing.The DNS domain name system is actually a powerful tool that contributes a great part in the domain name process. It is often described as an internet service that translates or transforms the domain names into an IP or Internet Protocol address.Aside from knowing such basic function of the DNS domain name system, it is also interesting to learn that a basic possession of the DNS domain name system is caching. This property takes place in situations when a server welcomes information about a mapping, it caches that information. Therefore, with such function, a later question for similar mapping can use the cached output, and will not result to additional questions to other servers. And generally, the DNS domain name system applies the caching to optimize the cost of the search. But how does the DNS domain name system caching works?In terms of caching, it is very nice to know that every server has a cache for currently applied names along with records of where the mapping data for a particular name was taken. So when a particular client is asking the server to determine a certain domain name, the DNS domain name system then does check if it has the power for a domain name, and if it does, the system doesn't need to cache the information. However, if it has no authority for a domain name, the DNS domain name system then checks its cache whether the domain name has been resolved currently, and if yes, the DNS domain name system reports the caching data to its clients.There are some instances that the DNS domain name system cache can be examined when the system cached the data once, but didn't adjust it. Due to the reason that the information about a certain domain name can be changed, the server may have inaccurate data in its caching table. There is a certain value known as the Time to Live or known as TTL which is applied when to age the information. So whenever an authority responds to a request for a domain name, it then involves a Time to Live value in the answer which indicates how long it assures the binding to linger.

By: Edwardo Mascasas

More articles on DNS can be found here

Network Class

You may have heard the words "class C network" when referring to different types of IP addresses and Internet connections. Generally speaking, each computer that access the Internet has to have an unique IP address. In most cases, when you connect to the Internet from home (for example, using a single computer), your Internet service provider assigns an unique IP address to your computer. But, if you want to connect all the computers in your office to the Internet at the same time using a single Internet connection, you'd usually ask your Internet service provider for a range of IP addresses -- one IP address per each computer. This is where different IP classes come into play -- depending on the number of computers you want to connect, you'd need a different class of IP address range.

Class C
This is the most widely used class by small businesses. When you look at the IP address, you'll notice that class C networks start with a first number that's between 192 and 223 (205.161.74.x for example). There can be up to 2,097,151 class C networks and each network can handle close to 254 computers.

Class B
IP addresses of this type starts with a number between 128 and 191. It's possible to have 16,384 of these networks and each class B network can handle up to 65,534 IP addresses or computers.

Class A
Starts with a number between 1 and 126. Only 126 of these networks are available, however each class A network can handle 16,777,214 IP addresses or computers.

DHCP

What is DHCP Server

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, is a communications protocol that dynamically assigns unique IP addresses to network devices. As a network device joins or leaves an IP-based network, DHCP automatically renews or releases an IP address.DHCP runs in a client/server mode, where server sets up a pool of available IP addresses for a network. A DHCP server also provides network gateway, subnet masks, name server addresses and amount of time ("lease") that a given IP address will be valid. A DHCP client retrieve those parameters and use them to join the existing network.DHCP allows network administrators centrally manage and automate the assignment of the IP addresses without having to worry about assigning duplicate addresses, making network administration a lot easier to manage.

How does DHCP work?

DHCP works by leasing IP addresses and IP information to network clients for a period of time. For the lease to happen, the following negotiation process occurs:

1. During the boot process, a client computer that is configured as a DHCP client sends out a broadcast packet called DHCPDISCOVER. This Discover packet contains the client's computer name and Media Access Control (MAC) address so the DHCP servers can respond to it. Basically, the Discover packet says, "I'm looking for a DHCP server who can lease an IP address."
2. DHCP servers on the network respond to the broadcast with a DHCPOFFER. In essence, the DHCPOFFER says, "I am a DHCP server and I have a lease for you." If several DHCP servers respond to the request, the client accepts the first offer that it receives.
3. The client responds via a broadcast message called a DHCPREQUEST. This message basically says, "I accept your lease offer and would like an IP address." If other DHCP servers made offers, they also see their lease offers were not accepted by the broadcast message, so they rescind their offers. (They must not like getting snubbed by a client computer.)
4. The DHCP server whose offer was accepted responds with a DHCPACK message, which acknowledges the lease acceptance and contains the client's IP address lease as well as other IP addressing information that you configure the server to provide. The client is now a TCP/IP client and can participate on the network.

Keep in mind that a lease is for a period of time. Typically, a client can keep its IP address for several days (or whatever you configure). When half the lease time expires, the client attempts to renew its lease for the IP address. After a client obtains the lease for an IP address, it attempts to keep the lease by renewing it over and over. If unsuccessful, the client simply must get a new IP address lease.

Important DHCP Terms

Scope: - A full range of IP addresses that can be leased from a particular DHCP server.

Superscope:- A grouping of scopes used to support logical IP subnets that exist on one physical IP subnet (called a multinet).

Multicast Scope:- A scope that contains multicast IP addresses, which treat multicast clients as a group. Multicast is an extension of DHCP and uses a multicast address range of 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255.

Address Pool:- The IP addresses in a scope that are available for lease.

Exclusion Range:- A group of IP address in the scope that are excluded from leasing. Excluded addresses are normally used to give hardware devices, such as routers, a static

IP address. Reservation:- A means for assigning a permanent IP address to a particular client, server, or hardware device. Reservations are typically made for servers or hardware devices that need a static

IP address. Lease:- The amount of time that a client may use an IP address before the client must re-lease the IP address or request another one.

HUB/Switch

Hubs: -The term ‘hub’ is sometimes used to refer to any piece of network equipment that connects PCs together, but it actually refers to a multi-port repeater. This type of device simply passes on (repeats) all the information it receives, so that all devices connected to its ports receive that information.Hubs repeat everything they receive and can be used to extend the network. However, this can result in a lot of unnecessary traffic being sent to all devices on the network. Hubs pass on traffic to the network regardless of the intended destination; the PCs to which the packets are sent use the address information in each packet to work out which packets are meant for them. In a small network repeating is not a problem but for a larger, more heavily used network, another piece of networking equipment (such as a switch) may be required to help reduce the amount of unnecessary traffic being generated.

Switches:- Switches control the flow of network traffic based on the address information in each packet. A switch learns which devices are connected to its ports (by monitoring the packets it receives), and then forwards on packets to the appropriate port only. This allows simultaneous communication across the switch, improving bandwidth.This switching operation reduces the amount of unnecessary traffic that would have occurred if the same information had been sent from every port (as with a hub).Switches and hubs are often used in the same network; the hubs extend the network by providing more ports, and the switches divide the network into smaller, less congested sections.

CAT5 Cable

Category 5 cable, commonly known as Cat 5, is a twisted pair cable type designed for high signal integrity. Many such cables are unshielded but some are shielded. Category 5 has been superseded by the Category 5e specification. This type of cable is often used in structured cabling for computer networks such as Ethernet, and is also used to carry many other signals such as basic voice services, token ring, and ATM (at up to 155 Mbit/s, over short
distances).

The original specification for category 5 cable was defined in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A, with clarification in TSB-95. These documents specified performance characteristics and test requirements for frequencies of up to 100 MHz.

Category 5 cable includes four twisted pairs in a single cable jacket. This use of balanced lines helps preserve a high signal-to-noise ratio despite interference from both external sources and other pairs (this latter form of interference is called crosstalk). It is most commonly used for 100 Mbit/s networks, such as 100BASE-TX Ethernet, although IEEE 802.3ab defines standards for 1000BASE-T - Gigabit Ethernet over category 5 cable. Cat 5 cable typically has three twists per inch of each twisted pair of 24 gauge copper wires within the cable.

Category 5e

Cat5e cable is an enhanced version of Cat 5 that adds specifications for far end crosstalk. It was formally defined in 2001 in the TIA/EIA-568-B standard, which no longer recognizes the original Cat 5 specification. Although 1000BASE-T was designed for use with Cat 5 cable, the tighter specifications associated with Cat 5e cable and connectors make it an excellent choice for use with 1000BASE-T. Despite the stricter performance specifications, Cat 5e cable does not enable longer cable distances for Ethernet networks: cables are still limited to a maximum of 100 m (328 ft) in length (normal practice is to limit fixed ("horizontal") cables to 90 m to allow for up to 5 m of patch cable at each end). Cat 5e cable performance characteristics and test methods are defined in TIA/EIA-568-B.2-2001.

Connectors and other information

The cable exists in both stranded and solid core forms. The stranded core has the advantage of being more flexible and withstanding more bending without breaking. The solid core has the advantages of being easier to connect to terminals and less expensive. Taking these things into account, building wiring (for example, the wiring inside the wall that connects a wall socket to a central patch panel) is usually solid core, while patch cables (for example, the movable cable that plugs into the wall socket on one end an a computer on the other) are usually stranded.

Cable types, connector types and cabling topologies are defined by TIA/EIA-568-A. Nearly always, 8P8C modular connectors, often incorrectly referred to as "RJ-45", are used for connecting category 5 cable. The cable is terminated in either the T568A scheme or the T568B scheme. It doesn't make any difference which is used, as they are both straight through (pin 1 to 1, pin 2 to 2, etc), as long as one standard is used consistently. The article Ethernet over twisted pair describes how the cable is used for Ethernet, including special "cross over" cables.
Mixed cable types should not be connected in serial, as the impedance per pair differs and would cause signal degradation.

Subnet and Subnet Mask

One of the most complex tasks TCP/IP has to perform is to determine whether or not a given IP address exists on the same subnet. The task isn’t really that complicated once you understand how TCP/IP uses its IP address and subnet mask.An IP address looks something like this: 192.168.10.52. IP addresses always contain four numbers from 0–255, separated by periods. A portion of the IP address is called the network ID and acts as a unique identifier for a particular subnet.The rest of the IP address is called the host ID and identifies a particular computer or network device on that subnet uniquely. How can you tell which part of the IP address is which? By using the subnet mask. A subnet mask looks a lot like an IP address, with four groups of numbers: 255.255.255.0. Remember, computers are binary machines that can understand only in zeros and ones. For the subnet mask to make sense, you have to translate it and the IP addressinto binary.You can switch the Windows Calculator into Scientific view, which enables you to convert numbers from decimal to binary.TipConvert all the four groups (octets) of numbers into binary code. For example, an IP address of 192.168.10.41 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 look like this in binary:Address or Mask 1st octet 2nd octet 3rd octet 4th octet192.168.10.41 11000000 10101000 00001010 00101001255.255.255.0 11111111 11111111 11111111 00000000Everyplace you see a “1” in the subnet mask corresponds to the portion of the IP address that is the network ID. Everyplace you see a “0” in the subnet mask correspondsto the portion of the IP address that is the host ID. Here, the network ID is 192.168.10, and the host ID is 41.TCP/IP treats everything with an IP address that starts with 192.168.10 as if it were on the same subnet. Any IP address that starts with something other than 192.168.10 is treated as if it existed on another subnet.Basic TCP/IP ServicesA number of the protocols in the TCP/IP suite are considered core protocols, which means they are usually present on any network that uses TCP/IP. The core protocols provide basic services that no network can do without. These services include_ Data transmission. Is handled by more than one protocol: the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and the Transport Control Protocol (TCP). Computers use UDP when they need to send a small packet of data and don’t care if the remote computer actually receives the data. Computers use TCP when loads of data needs to be transmitted because TCP allows the remote computer to reply, confirming its receipt of the data._ Name resolution. Provided by the Domain Name System, or DNS, protocol. DNS enables people to use easy-to-remember names like www.microsoft.com and allows computers to translate those names to numeric IP addresses. _ Windows Internet Name System (WINS). Prior versions of Windows also use WINS to convert computer names into IP addresses. Windows Server 2003 is compatible with WINS.
Author: Ken Charnley

DSL

What Is DSL?
DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. It is a service that makes the use of existing copper telephone wires for delivering data services at extremely fast speed rates. It does not hamper the existing telephone line. You can surf the Internet and talk on the phone, simultaneously. DSL offers speeds that are around 5 to 25 times higher than a typical 56Kb dial-up connection. It is an always-on type of connection. This implies that websites would load quickly, downloads would be faster, buffering of videos would be fast and smooth and the domain of Online games would be illimitable. Based on the types of service, DSL can be can be categorized in three divisions which are ASDL, IDSL and SDSL. ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It offers download speed of 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of 384 K. In order to acquire a ADSL connection, your location has to be within 3 miles of your local telephone office. Also, a DSL router is needed for this type of connection. IDSL is a ISDN Digital Subscriber Line service which requires an ISDN router. It provides a connection speed of 144 K. in this type of connection distance is not a component to be considered. SDSL means Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. The speeds available under this type of DSL connection depends on the distance between your location and your local telephone office. The speed of downloads and uploads can go up to 1.1 Mbps.
Advantages of DSL
No installation of new wires is required. DSL uses the present telephone line to connect to the Internet. It provides extremely fast connection. Depending on the offer, you would not even have to pay for the DSL modem installation charges, since it is provided free by some of the companies on selection of the appropriate plan. The download rate is much higher in DSL connections. Many business organizations have gained the benefits of DSL. A DSL connection is very secure.
Disadvantages of DSL
The quality of your DSL connection depends on the distance between the DSL providers office and your location. Nearer you are, the better quality connection would you get. So, consumers located far from the local DSL office may face some trouble. DSL provide high speeds for downloading stuff but upload speeds are not that good.
DSL vs Cable Modems
The services provided through a cable modem can sometimes slow down or get hanged. It depends on the number of users accessing that particular service. But, in a DSL connection there is no such problem. The speed of DSL is consistent and high. This does not allow any kind of conjunction on the network. It provides more security than the cable modem connections. The popularity of DSL has risen to new heights which has resulted in disconnections and up gradations of the cable modem connections.
About The Author
Toh Poh Leng owns and operates http://www.dsl-upgrade-help.com/ Dsl Upgrade

Router

A router is a device that receives or forwards data packets to and from the Internet towards a destination in the process called routing. A router is the essential component of the computer networking that enables any sent data to arrive at the right destination.
As an illustration, imagine that the Internet is the world and one computer is one household. Other computers connected through the Internet are households around the world. Say one household will send a letter to another household in any part of the world. The letter has an address right? And that address would determine the destination of the letter. But without one reading the address, the letter would not arrive to the right receiver. The letter also would not be able to reach the intended receiver if there is not medium. This medium would be the courier. And the courier of the computer data is the router.

A router (broadband router) is also a device that enables two or more computer to receive data packets from the Internet under one IP address at the same time.
Remember that to be able to connect to the Internet; a computer must have an IP address unique from the rest of the computers. Therefore, every computer connected to the Internet has it own IP address. It is like having a fingerprint or ID as an access pass to be able to enter the web. With the presence of the router, this “fingerprint” or “ID” could be shared by two or more computer at the same time.
In simplest form, a router makes two or more computer use the Internet at the same with one access pass.

One more thing: a computer with cable modem could also be considered as a router. In this, the computer would do the process of routing like normal routers do. Other computers are then connected to the computer with Internet connection that would give it with the Internet connection. The computer with cable modem has the direct contact with the Internet and the ones connected to it are sharing the connection.

What is the need of a router?
For households with two or more computers who would want to have Internet connection to every computer they have, taking subscription for each would be too much. The solution is to buy a router that would enable every computer in the house to have an Internet connection. In the definition above, the broadband router would act as a hub to the existing Internet connection.
If the router is comparable to a hub, would it affect the Internet speed?
It should be taken into consideration that once a single Internet connection is divided, the connection speed is affected. But there are some broadband routers that would bring minimal slowdown to the Internet speed and the effect might not even be big.
Internet speed would also depend on the type of application used in a router. While some would inflict little effect on the speed like online games, others would terribly slowdown your connection and even hinder you to use the Internet at all.
Usually, offices use a more sophisticated router to redirect Internet connections to the large number of computers. These routers would give better data packeting compared to a typical router used at home that results to faster Internet speed.

PDA

PDA – A short form of Personal Digital Assistant and we also know it as Hand-held computer. PDA’s have now become so popular and are being used by so many people around the world. We have so many models available in market and they can be used for your day to day computing requirements, such as you can install and operate a number of programs in it like spreadsheet, word, internet access, and desktop publishing application.
PDAs come with same interface and operating systems as many computer desktops comes.
Palm Pilot is the best known brand of PDA, there are also versions made by HP/Compaq and Dell which run the Windows operating system, and also integrate seamlessly into PC based desktop computers.
PDAs can be directly attached to your computer to transfer the files. Most PDAs now comes with peripheral attachment feature which can be used to access wireless internet and keyboard functions.
There are a number of PDA manufacturers around, not least of which is HP Compaq. They offer the Compaq IPAQ which is one of the worlds most revolutionary PDA handheld computers. Offering full word processing and spreadsheet functionality, the Compaq IPAQ also offers email management, diary management, voice recording, hand recognition software, wireless based Internet connectivity and image management capabilities.
Before you buy and PDA you should always collect some information about it from various sources on internet and read reviews on handheld devices. Tiger Direct offers reviews, ratings and detailed information to help in your purchasing decisions.
Online forums offer insights from existing users about all sorts of computer related issues and the perception of peripheral items like the PDA is no exception.
You can read about peoples experiences with particular brands and read comments about things that might have gone wrong and how they were (if they were) resolved.
PDAs can be purchased from internet and it is good also because you will have the option to compare different models and brand with each other.

Registry Problems

Why and when registry slows down the computer?
Registry structure of the operating system saves all the registry files related to the software which are frequently installed and removed from computer. It keeps track of all the DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files of all the installed components. Registry needs to be monitored and troubleshoot on regular basis, for healthy processing of computer.
According to the research made by computer repair agencies that almost 90% computing power of computers is affected by corrupted registry files. Most of the computer systems report errors due to missing important registry files.
The registry is affected only when you have installed programs on the computer and uninstall them after some time. Most of the time uninstall utility dose not work properly, and leaves some unnecessary files in the computer. The size of the registry grows and makes use of large space of memory. Frequent addition and deletion of software from computer gives rise to the registry fragmentation, corruption and registry failure.
Most common problems of the computers, when registry fails are listed below

Corrupted applications show error while opening an application
Useless and failed objects related to browser like temporary internet files which occupy a lot of space of primary drive
Missing files related to applications installed on the computer
Damaged components of active X and COM objects by adding and removing new system files to them.
Reliability of registry files becomes suspect

Being a layman, a computer user is not much familiar to cope with such kind of computer problems. Some of the symptoms are mentioned below, which indicate the failure of registry files.

Slow speed of processor
Very low performance
Instability in the application's processing
Frequent errors while work is in progress
A very slow startup of windows
In most severe case, windows denies from getting started.
These problems are only encountered when programs are constantly installed and removed from the computer. Some of the files are left behind in computer registry even the un-installation process is finished. Such files create problems for the operating system to work properly. The best solution for this issue is to scan the whole computer and use of efficient registry cleaner software.

Bluetooth Wireless Technology

Bluetooth wireless technology is a specification designed to enable wireless communication between small, mobile devices. The inspiration behind this was the elimination of the need for proprietary cables, for device connectivity. So now if you want to communicate between deviceslike laptop PC there is no need for cables to transfer data. Expanding that idea to include all the hand held mobile electronic devices is, in a nutshell, the Bluetooth wireless technology vision.

Characteristics of bluetooth technology:
1.Bluetooth is a high-speed, low-power microwave wireless link technology.
2.It is designed to connect phones, laptops, PDAs and other portable equipment together with little or no work by the user.
3.The technology uses modifications of existing wireless LAN techniques but is most notable for its small size and low cost. The current prototype circuits are contained on a circuit board 0.9cm square, with a much smaller single chip version in development. When one Bluetooth product comes within range of another, (this can be set to between 10cm and 100m) they automatically exchange address and capability details. They can then establish a 1 megabit/s link (up to 2 Mbps in the second generation of the technology) with security and error correction, to use as required. The protocols will handle both voice and data, with a very flexible network topography.
4.Bluetooth can support an asynchronous data channel, up to three simultaneous synchronous voice channels, or a channel, which simultaneously supports asynchronous data and synchronous voice. Each voice channel supports 64 kb/s synchronous (voice) link. The asynchronous channel can support an asymmetric link of maximally 721 kb/s in either direction while permitting 57.6 kb/s in the return direction, or a 432.6 kb/s symmetric link.

Working of Bluetooth Technology:

This technology achieves its goal by embedding tiny, inexpensive, short-range transceivers into the electronic devices that are available today. The radio operates on the globally-available unlicensed radio band, 2.45 GHz (meaning there will be no hindrance for international travelers using Bluetooth-enabled equipment.), and supports data speeds of up to 721 Kbps, as well as three voice channels. The bluetooth modules can be either built into electronic devices or used as an adaptor. For instance in a PC they can be built in as a PC card or externally attached via the USB port.Each device has a unique 48-bit address from the IEEE 802 standard. Connections can be point-to-point or multipoint. The maximum range is 10 meters but can be extended to 100 meters by increasing the power. Bluetooth devices are protected from radio interference by changing their frequencies arbitrarily upto a maximum of 1600 times a second, a technique known as frequency hopping. They also use three different but complimentary error correction schemes. Built-in encryption and verification is provided.

Advantages of the technology :
1.Bluetooth devices won't drain precious battery life. The Bluetooth specification targets power consumption of the device from a "hold" mode consuming 30 micro amps to the active transmitting range of 8-30 milliamps (or less than 1/10th of a watt). The radio chip consumers only 0.3mA in standby mode, which is less than 3 % of the power used by a standard mobile phone. The chips also have excellent power-saving features, as they will automatically shift to a low-power mode as soon as traffic volume lessens or stops.
2.Bluetooth radio technology provides a universal bridge to existing data networks, a peripheral interface, and a mechanism to form small private ad hoc groupings of connected devices away from fixed network infrastructures.
3.Designed to operate in a noisy radio frequency environment, the Bluetooth radio uses a fast acknowledgment and frequency hopping scheme to make the link robust. Bluetooth radio modules avoid interference from other signals by hopping to a new frequency after transmitting or receiving a packet. Compared with other systems operating in the same frequency band, the Bluetooth radio typically hops faster and uses shorter packets. This makes the Bluetooth radio more robust .
4.Bluetooth guarantees security at the bit level. Authentication is controlled by the user by using a 128 bit key. Radio signals can be coded with 8 bits or anything upto 128 bits. The Bluetooth radio transmissions will conform to the safety standards required by the countries where the technology will be used with respect to the affects of radio transmissions on the human body. The Bluetooth module will not interfere or cause harm to public or private telecommunications network.

Server Load Balancing

Load balancing is the technique of spreading work between computers, hard disks, processes, etc. with the purpose of decreasing computing time and getting optimal resource utilization. This technique is generally performed by load balancers, whose aim is to exceed the capacity of a single server by increasing that of a server farm. Load balancers also allow the service to continue even in situations of server maintenance or server failure. Reducing downtime is essential in the prevention of huge losses, which is why automatic detection of server failure or server lock-up software are recommended.

But why is server load balancing necessary? If all the incoming HTTP requests for your website are responded to with only one web server, its capacity may fail in handling high volumes of traffic, when and if your website becomes popular. This means that pages will load slowly and there will be quite some time before some of the users get to have their requests processed by the web server. The more connections and incoming traffic to your website, the greater chances are you will need server upgrading, which may no longer be cost effective. This is what server load balancing is about: adding more servers and distributing load among them, in order to attain web server scalability. Be it an application server, database server, or HTTP server, load balancing applies for and is recommended for all types of servers.

There is a limit for each server as far as the number of users that it can server is concerned. Once that limit has been reached, you only have two options. You can either replace it with a newer one, or you can add one more server and make it possible that the load is shared between them. A load balancer will help you in that it will distribute connections among servers and cut the work proportionally for each of them.

Many server deployments can do with using basic information about the services and the clients they want to reach, as means for load balancing. Still, this will prove insufficient as your needs develop and become more complex. At this point, you have to take a closer look at the options you have and make a more detailed decision about load balancing. This is where Layer 7 load balancer comes into place.

There are times when sharing traffic over a group of servers simply is not enough. One reason is that all the content that comes with a request will have to be on each server, if they are equally likely to service that particular request. Your servers will function with maximum efficiency if you group them so as to handle different tasks at the same time. For instance, some can be optimized for streaming video downloading, others can serve as massive storage systems, while others can handle transactions. In fact, the main reason for using a load balancer is that of increasing the capacity of IP servers.

The ability to handle huge amounts of traffic is extremely important in a server load balancer. This is all the more true for sites with significant volumes of SSL transactions, which require built-in SSL terminations and SSL acceleration cards. Theses cards are very important to the security of transactions on e-commerce web sites through the encryption keys that they generate. But the process of performing a secure transaction can overload a server severely, which results in a smaller number of transactions being processed by second. This ultimately leads to fewer sales. The importance of SSL acceleration cards is obvious, as they take over the process, subsequently allowing the load on the server to be reduced. Under these circumstances, the Layer 7 load balancer can perform correctly, despite the large number of HTTPS packets coming in. The ideal product will increase efficiency and reduce costs, as it provides performance and quality, and requires no separate appliance.

Layer-7 load balancer is concerned with parsing requests and distributing them to servers, according to the different types of content these requests have. By doing so, Layer-7 load balancer improves overall cluster performance, although its scalability is rather limited compared to Layer-4 load balancer, due to the high overhead of parsing requests.

An important feature of any efficient Layer- 7 load balancer is its ability to manage traffic based on the content. Traffic management is performed by comparing URL content with customized configuration settings. This process helps to determine which server is able to handle the request and making an appropriate routing.

Spyware versus Adware

Have you ever had pop up after pop up on your computer screen? Or have you ever seen it happen on someone else's? This is something that is happening everyday. What is it? It is either Adware or Spyware.
What is Spyware?
Spyware is a program that monitors or spies on what computer users do on their computers. They then send the information that is gathered over the internet back to companies. The companies then bombard computers with advertisements.
What is Adware?
Adware is a program that monitors or spies on what computer users do on their computers. They then automatically install advertisements onto the computer.
Spyware and Adware: What is the difference?
You may be thinking that the definitions of spyware and adware sound very similar. They are similar indeed. The only difference between the two is that adware does not report to the company, instead it bypasses that and automatically loads the ads onto the computer.So, what's the big deal? Spyware and adware are taking computers over. The more adware or spyware that is loaded onto the computer, the longer it takes for the machine to go through its start up process. New toolbars appear in the browser. The homepage is changed and cannot be changed back. Pop-ups will not go away when the computer is running. It can slow your machine and your level of productivity down.
Isn't Spyware and Adware just a way to advertise?
Spyware and Adware are an effort to advertise. Think about it this way though. Do you want to be spied on? That is exactly what is happening. Every move you make on your computer is watched, and then based on your computer activity, you receive pop-up ads. Now, ask yourself this question 'If you are watching television, do you have to watch the commercials?' No, of course not. You can choose whether you want to watch the ads, flip to a different channel or turn the television off. Okay, now, if you are driving down the road are you required to look at the billboards? No, you can completely ignore them. Advertising in and of itself is not a bad thing. It becomes a negative thing when people are forced to watch, see or read the advertisements. That is what happens with adware and spyware. The harder you try to eliminate the pop-ups, the more pop-ups you have to deal with. The simple truth is that it's not really fair to force people to watch advertising.
What do the companies that make the Spyware and Adware say?
You might wonder about the response from the companies who create such products. They say that all they are doing is advertising. They are actually the ones who coined the term adware. Spyware was coined in order to get people's attention and alert them to what spyware was doing to their computers. In an effort to redeem themselves, the companies created the adware that does not "spy" in that it does not report the computer activity to someone, but instead automatically installs the advertisement. They said that adware is simply to advertise and that some people just do not like advertisements. They claim that their software is legitimate.
So, is the software legitimate?
Well, let's take a look at what these companies do. Many will install root kits in an effort to adware files so that the computer user does not find them. If it is legitimate then why do they need to hide the files? Adware often puts more than one file into the memory. Then, if one process is canceled out, another can kick in and restart it. If the files are changed, then they are changed back. If it is legitimate then why do the companies take such extreme measures to make it hard for you to remove their software? The adware takes over the computer by displaying pop-up after pop-up after pop-up. The pop-ups become so numerous that no matter how many you close you can not get them to go away because closing them causes more to open. The software causes bogs up the computer memory and eventually causes the computer to crash. If computers are crashing due to the software, then is this really legitimate?

Ethical Hacking

Protect your website with your ethical hacking knowledge

The first cause for websites being hacked is the lack of knowledge of their webmasters. Hackers or even wannabe hackers can modify your website home page, steal your website profits and fame by just using ready to be downloaded exploits published into trusted and untrusted internet security portals. Whether you have a basic knowledge of web site publishing or you are an experienced webmaster the only thing to protect yourself from hackers attack is ethical hacking.
Ethical hacking means understanding your enemy mind, skills, intentions and strength, up to take the successful countermeasures that will save your daily hard job into developing a successful and trusted web platform.
Image damages causing shareholders and customers complaints, not to mention 6 figures money loss, is what led many big corporations to hire dozens of ethical hackers to keep their networks and web site safe from "bad" hackers.
In this article I am going to focus on the following two questions:

What do ethical hackers do?
What can I do to protect my website if I am not an ethical hacker?

The first step taken by hackers, should they be ethical or evil, is to scan your web application for known vulnerabilities. This can be achieved through a penetration testing process that can be manual or automated by some programs and scripts. This is the most important and crucial task in every attack attempt. And this is what an ethical hacker can't fail.

The second step is to get a working exploit to take advantage of the vulnerability found in step 1. Here is where protection and fixes should take place to *prevent* the attack and not to just cure after the disaster. Ethical hackers in this case would be able to modify source codes to cover the holes or just reduce the success rate of the attack dramatically. I would strongly advise to work on the first step since it is the most simple to master wether you're not expert into security field or you just don't have enough money to hire an experienced ethical hacker.
Internet security knowledge is what can save your site with a very cheap price. At the most basic level this can be achieved by keeping yourself informed on your websites scripts well-known vulnerabilities, available patches and
security best practices. Moreover the understanding of basic attacking vectors like Cross site scripting or SQL Injection will keep you safe from a big number of wannabe hackers that you will be able to
defeat...with your knowledge!
So next time you will see some suspicious activity in your website log you will be laughing at it, since not a dummy tool but your own knowledge as ethical hacker will be protecting you.

Wireless Computing

Wireless - The Future Of Connecting To The Internet
What is WiFi?
Wifi or Wireless Fidelity, allows you to connect to the internet from virtually anywhere at speeds of up to 54Mbps. WiFi enabled computers and handsets use radio technologies based on the IEEE 802.11 standard to send and receive data anywhere within the range of a base station. Wireless is a technology that's inexpensive, easy to use, and practical and yet... it's a technology that's still very young. Here's a quick look at what the future could hold for wireless.

The Radio and the Phone
Wireless networks will always win over wired ones, if for no other reason, simply because it is much cheaper for signals to travel through the air than it is to install and maintain wires. For example... consider that telephones were originally used for sending and receiving news reports. When radio was invented, this stopped almost overnight - why bother going to all that expense when it's free 'over the air'? The same principle applies to computer networking. Imagine having a choice between a wired Internet connection and a wireless one. The only reason to choose a wired connection would be cost because currently it's cheaper? However, that will change soon. Wireless is also easier. Once the cost gap closes, if given the opportunity, there's no logical reason why anyone wouldn't switch to a wireless connection.

WiMAX
WiMAX is the next generation of wireless. It will use a standard called 802.16. The current standard is 802.11. It's still a work in progress, but the possibilities are exciting. WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access and is designed to complement existing wireless equipment... rather than replace it. The big advantage of WiMAX is that it greatly increases range. Rather than being measured in square meters, which is how the current standard is measured in, WiMAX ranges will be measured in square kilometers. Some estimates say the best WiMAX stations will be able to transmit up to 50 kilometers or about 30 miles! Clearly, this opens an incredibly wide range of possibilities. Wireless access would move from LANs (Local Area Networks) to MANs: (Metropolitan Area Networks) covering a whole town or city with wireless access. The question would no longer be if you could connect via wireless, but what WiMAX network you wanted to connect too. Other benefits of WiMAX include speed of up to 70Mbps (almost 10 MB per second) and better security. Imagine a future where ordering Internet access is as simple as connecting your existing wireless equipment to the network, opening your web browser and buying a low cost subscription. That's it - done. No more access points, no more routers, no more configuration... just wireless Internet, anywhere and everywhere at broadband speeds. WiMAX is in the process of taking the world by storm. For the latest news on WiMAX visit the WiMAX Forum (a non-profit industry group set up to promote WiMAX) at http://www.wimaxforum.org/home/. WiMAX has been in development since 2001 and the first WiMAX equipment is expected to hit the market in late 2005 or early 2006.

What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a new standard for short range radio connectivity. It is the new and promising field in the wireless communications standardization activities, which will profoundly affect the operation and applications of electronic gadgets of the future. The most obvious purpose of Bluetooth technology is to replace USB and it's designed to eventually replace almost every wire there is? except power cables. What does that mean? It means that someday your TV could be connecting to your DVD player via Bluetooth or your speakers could connect to your radio with it, and so on and so on. As you get older, expect to see fewer and fewer wires. I know? people said the same thing about paper but it turns out that people like paper and don't want a 'paperless society'. On the other hand, how many people do you know who have cable or wire fetish? The biggest remaining article is reliable wireless power. When they figure out how to provide reliable wireless power (i.e. better batteries)? look out because the flood gates will really open up.

A Simpler Life Convenience...
The first benefit of wireless technology that comes to my mind. Wires have so many flaws, especially when they go long distances and the overall wireless project is to remove the vast majority of them from our lives. Of course, another nice benefit will be cost because once wireless if up and going full-bore it will cost less than wire based transmission.
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Wireless Router & Security: A Step-By-Step Guide
Setting up a wireless router is easy. Essentially you turn your cable or DSL modem off and your wireless router on. Then, you connect the router to the modem with a cable, and turn the modem back on. You are more or less done. The wireless network wizard on your computer will pick up the router and, if your ISP does not have any special requirements, away-you-go, you are on the Internet. For ease of setup and configuration, manufacturers ship wireless routers with all security disabled. Therein lies the problem. If you do not take any further steps to secure your router, and a surprising number of people don?t, your network will be wide open to all passersby and strangers. It?s like you?ve hung out a sign, ?The door is open. Please come in and help yourself.? The problem is not that strangers will be able to use your router to access the Internet but that, without further protection, would-be intruders will be able monitor and sniff out information you send and receive on your network. Malicious intruders can even hop on to your internal network; access your hard drives; and, steal, edit, or delete files on your computer.
The good news is that it is relatively easy to secure your wireless router. Here are three basic steps you should take.
1. Password protect the access to your router?s internal configuration
To access your router?s internal setup, open a browser and enter the routers setup URL. The URL will be specified in the manual. The URLs for D-Link and Linksys routers, two major manufacturers of wireless routers, are http://192.168.0.1 and http://192.168.1.1, respectively. For Linksys routers, leave the user name blank and type ?admin? (without the quotes) in the password field and press enter. To change the password, simply click on the Password tab and enter your new password. For other routers, please consult your manual. Alternately, you can search on the Internet with the term ?default login for ?. Don?t be surprised to find quite a number of pages listing default login parameters for many different routers, even uncommon ones.
2. Change the default SSID (Service Set IDentifier)
The SSID is the name of a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network). All wireless devices on a WLAN use SSIDs to communicate with each other. Routers ship with standard default SSIDs. For example, the default SSID for Linksys routers is, not unsurprisingly, ?Linksys?. As you can see, if you don?t change the default SSID of your router a would-be intruder armed with a few common SSIDs from major manufacturers will be able to find your wireless network quite easily. To change the SSID, click on the Wireless tab. Look for an input item labeled SSID. It will be near the top. Enter a new name for network. Don?t use something like ?My Network?. Use a name that is be hard to guess.
3. Disable SSID broadcast
Wireless enabled computers use network discovery software to automatically search for nearby SSIDs. Some of the more advanced software will query the SSIDs of nearby networks and even display their names. Therefore, changing the network name only helps partially to secure your network. To prevent your network name from being discovered, you must disable SSID broadcast. In the same screen that you changed the name of your network, you will see options for SSID broadcast. Choose ?Disable SSID? to make your network invisible. Now save all your settings and log out. Since your wireless network is now invisible, you will have to configure your computers to connect to your wireless network using the new name. On Windows XP, start by clicking on the wireless icon in the Notification Area and proceed from there. With these three steps, your network now has basic security. However, if you keep sensitive information on your computers, you may want to secure your wireless network even further. For example, you can
- Change the channel your router uses to transmit and receive data on a regularly basis. - Restrict devices that can connect to the router by filtering out MAC (Media Access Control) addresses. - Use encryption such as WEP and WPA. As with most things in life, security is a trade off between cost (time, money, inconvenience) and benefit (ease of use). It is a personal decision you make. However for the majority of home uses, the three basic steps plus WEP/WPA encryption provides reasonably strong security. Turning on encryption is a two-step process. First you configure your router to use encryption using an encryption key of your choice. And then, you configure your computer to use the encryption key. The actual process of configuring your router for encryption varies from router to router. Please consult the router?s manual. There are even stronger methods for ensuring security. A strong and robust security method is RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service). Using RADIUS requires additional hardware and software. However, there are companies that offer RADIUS security as a subscription based service. The fees are reasonable and dropping. Therefore for example, if you run a business on your wireless network, have sensitive data on your computers such as credit card information, and have a number of users who access your network, you should consider using RADIUS. Since the service sector for RADIUS is dynamic and growing, a search on the Internet with terms like ?RADIUS subscription? or ?RADIUS service? is probably the best way to locate one.

WebHost

How to choose a Web host
The internet is a modern playing field, not merely in terms of the security system problems it exhibits but likewise in the vast scope of trading operations. This calls for a fresh way of thinking when planning applications and the computer hardware architectures that host them. Because the number of businesses that run their commercial enterprises on the internet has mushroomed, hosting of their internet sites that furnish the main point of contact for buying and selling has become extremely vital. Having these websites go offline or perform badly not only negatively impacts earnings but also detracts from the business professionalism and ruins customer loyalty. Businesses such as gambling and internet betting have even more rigorous demands since they must furnish a guaranteed response in almost real time. Athletic betting games also have the consequence of squeezing all the business inside limited time windows. This tier of hosting goes far beyond the easy supplying of bandwidth and the caliber of the hosting server counts not just in terms of its CPU's processing powers, amount of RAM and hard disk space but likewise the enduringness of its parts, the power supply furnished and the power of fans to dissipate the heat created by a server working 24/7 under potentially very grueling loads. With an application program created for use internally within a business, one can usually put a limit on the maximum amount of users that will be utilizing the application program. With the Net, this count can be irregular, or if measurable by registration, can rise very rapidly.With the variety and abundance of hosting companies providing services, selecting a great web host appears to be a daunting job. The technical lingo is difficult to figure out, and that makes it harder. It is better to prepare in advance and then look for bids rather than doing the opposite.What is web hosting? If you equates the web to real property, hosting is the building lot where your business office or internet site will be situated.The hosting server is the computer which houses your website files and permits them to be looked at by clicking the hyperlink to your web site.With complimentary hosting proscribed for business and dedicated hosting being too high-priced, shared hosting is the solitary right alternative for your home business. As the term evokes, in shared hosting your site is stored with several others, unlike dedicated hosting which stores just your site. To enable you to arrive at a sensible decision as to which hosting company to do business with, here are a few words that you should be familiar with:Disc or Server space:This is the space on the hard disc drive of your hosting server that will be assigned to your site. Without artwork and pictures, a regular web page takes 40 - 50 Kb of space. Now 1000 kb = 1 MB. Allowing for room for graphics too and accounting for any future elaboration, anything between 50 -100 MB should be suitable enough if you're not operating a flashy website. A lot of hosting companies provide space up to 1 GB (1000 MB) but if you don't need it, don't take it.Bandwidth:A very significant facet and often neglected. This is the quantity of real data that can be transmitted from the web server that supports your internet site. It is directly tied in with the traffic, or amount of visitors to your web site. If you have 10000 page views per month with few downloads you'll need anything between 5 -6 GB per month. More downloads mean more demands for bandwidth. As your company expands, you'll require additional bandwidth. In the beginning, 10 GB will probably be suitable. That gives you some reserve space.E- Mail addresses:This allows you to create an e-mail address on your site address e.g. anyname@ your businessname.com, in which anyname can stand for support, live support, help, info, subscribe etc. Anything! This allows your company to appear professional. Anticipate your needs but a good number of aliases is 10. Several hosting companies offer unlimited aliases too.If you desire to take payment on your site, an access to SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption is an absolute requirement.If you need your web site to be interactive you must install cgi(Common Gateway Interface). So you need to find a host who provides you with your own cgi bin. If you want to produce your web site in Microsoft FrontPage, ascertain whether your host offers FrontPage extension. If you want to have a web site with a database, then MySQL will probably be a sought after feature. Your host will probably also give you free access to your server. You should have free access to log files and statistics of the traffic your site receives. Last but not least, look for excellent tech support and customer service.This counts very much for your company. You'll need this assistance whenever you have problems with your site, such as server outages, etc.. If your hosting company isn't supportive or is not quick to respond then it could mean loss of revenue for your commercial enterprise. See that you're given good and meaningful customer support. Ask them a question or two. Analyze the answer. Ascertain if they're available on the telephone just in case you're in a dire state of affairs. Be clear about whether this service is free and they will not bill you any money for customer service.Ultimately, you'll have to seek out what fits your company's requirements. Explore prior to settling for a hosting service. Pin down your selection to a couple of prospective hosts. Do research on their reputation. Require the company to provide you with examples of websites hosted. Contact their current customers and ascertain how happy they are.
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What do I look for in a hosting company ?
Part 1This is the one of the singular most common yet important question. The main reason is that web masters are comparing all the WRONG Specifications with different hosting companies as nearly two thirds of what is usually offered is totally not useful to webmaster. The most common things to look for when you are hosting a small business or personal site are :
1. Email accounts Try to give every employees you currently have within your office, including future personal explanation plans.
2. Easy & Quick SetupShould be less than 5 hours, as some company take up to 48 hours to set up a new account.
3. Sufficient Data Transfer This is the most misunderstood specifications of web hosting, technically speaking most sites just only need about 1 GB. Yes, I know what you are thinking, that's right !
4. Uptime Guarantee This is very important. If they aren't offering it, they can't guarantee it which is a bad sign. A 98% Uptime Guarantee or above is deem to be average.
5. Sufficient Disk Storage Space Most sites only need up to 50 MB, so don't be greedy or are enticed by the seller providing over the top storage as you won't need it & are just paying for nothing !)
6. 24/7 Live Support Good to have, but not necessary if you are just beginning to built your website empire as you will have to pay more for this, but it comes in real handy if you site is down !
Live chat usually works just as good as phone support.
Can I switch hosting companies if I don't like their services ?
YES, off course. Who is there to stop you from do so ?
Unfortunately, there are many people whom do not realize how easy it is to switch hosting companies.
All you have to do is re-publish your site to the new address for the new hosting company. Most hosting companies will give you your new IP address where you can publish your site in as little as 10-20 minutes !
Just publish your site, and don't forget to update your name servers. This just means that you will have to go to the company where you purchased your domain name, and put in the name servers that the new hosting company have. Your domain name will point to your new hosting account in about 24 - 48 hours. Also, you will need to create your new email addresses at the new hosting company. That's it ! So, don't feel like you are stuck with a bad hosting company. Because you're not.Do I have to buy my domain name with my hosting account ? No & Yes. No, you can buy your domain name anytime. So, don't loose the domain name you want just because you are researching hosting companies. Buy that now. But, don't pay more than $20/year since that is the average price these days.Yes, if you have not initially purchase it already. If you purchase domain name & hosting account together, some company whom offered both these services may at their own discretion provide a better deals or discount.So it really depends on what you want to do.
More articles from this pro: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Dr Watson Goh
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Laptops

Laptops Options: Research, Review, Discover and Save
So you want to buy a laptop. You’ve browsed the Internet for hours, read laptop reviews, compared prices, printed reams of information, or at least created a folder full of new bookmarks. What did you get so far? Overwhelmed, a window on your screen telling you your printer ink is low and a flashing message on your printer telling you it’s out of paper! You then go through all that printed matter, reading it again and highlighting the important parts. Or, call up that bookmark folder and click, click, click and click again. Think you’re any closer to making a decision? Searching the Internet for information on the best laptops for my needs revealed some very interesting discoveries. Before purchasing my notebook, I want to be informed and educated, armed with facts and figures prior to my purchase. By reading many laptops reviews I gleaned much information that was not only useful, but some of the discoveries can actually save money. If you’ve read one, you’ve probably read five articles on how to buy a laptop. They’ll all give you the most important points to consider: A quick review here:
What will you use it for? Size (dependent upon what you will use it for). Hard Drive: Preinstalled software takes up space. Make sure there’s enough actual hard drive for your storage space. Processor: For processing applications, the higher the number, the faster the speed. RAM: It runs the applications and data on your operating system (i.e., Windows XP or Mac OSX) Connectivity: Wireless and plugins. Check before you buy. Battery Life: 2-3 hours is common. Remember, the bigger the notebook, the lower the battery life. Portability: Remember, the larger the notebook, the heavier. Accessories: Docking stations, extra battery, carrying case. You might want to include some of these in your budget. Price: Shop and compare. Don’t shy away from the little guy either. They have good deals too. Chances are he cares more about you than the giants do. You now have the checklist in hand. Great, you’ve done your homework. But somehow it feels like you’re on a scavenger hunt! Everything on that checklist has to go into just one laptop! Fear not. It’s not that hard. In fact, it’s fun and exciting when your choices are revealed. And here’s where the amazing discoveries are found.Go to a laptop comparison site. I like the HP website. Here’s what you will discover. Intel Pentium M is a standard in many of the most popular laptops, even in the cheap notebooks. AMD, by comparison, is also worth your consideration. Memory: You’ll be amazed at how many laptops come already equipped with 512MB. Hard Drive: 40GB seems pretty standard, and adequate for most. CD/DVD burner: you probably should get it, even if it raises the price a little. Video Graphics Card: The standard graphics chip for Pentium M is pretty sufficient for most users. Battery: Expect the standard 4-cell Lithium ion, 2 hours battery life. Warranty: One year is sufficient. Price/Deal: You don’t have to exclude the small dealers. Your warranties and tech support will come from the manufacturer, not the seller.In summary, buying a laptop is not all that difficult, even if you don’t know much about them. A little browsing and you’re sure to find all your specifications neatly packaged in one great notebook at the price you are comfortable with. You don’t have to customize, there’s one already out there for you. And you don’t have to stick to one brand to get the features you need. In fact, you’ll see that different brands have the same features. So choose the one with the best deal and SAVE. But do the homework – hindsight always has 20/20 vision!
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Laptop Security: Don't Leave Home Without It
Hundreds of thousands of laptops are lost or stolen each year. What if it happened to you? Think about all the valuable information stored in your laptop and the chaos that would enter your life should it become lost or stolen. Hours and hours of hard work on that special project—gone. Volumes of resource materials you collected for months, years—gone. All the photos you unloaded from your camera and never got around to editing and printing—gone. Most important, your personal information, your credit cards and bank statements—you shudder to think about it. Laptop security should be every owner’s high priority. Not just protection from physical loss, but from the internal infestation of spyware, viruses, hackers and spammers. Your security needs to be maintained and updated. Don’t take for granted that the security purchased with your laptop is sufficient. It may have been a three-month free trial subscription that you forgot to renew. Better check. Treat your laptop as you would your wallet, your purse, your fine jewelry. Protect it as you would your child. Here are some important steps for protecting your laptop. · Make sure your OS (Operating System) is secure. Windows 2000 Pro and XP Pro are secure. Windows 95/98/ME are not—anyone could access your data.· Password protect your data.· Send in your manufacturer’s registration. If your stolen laptop is ever sent in for maintenance or repair, it can be traced through your registration. · Turn on your popup blocker. On the Internet, go to Tools/Internet Options. Click on the Privacy tab and check the box that says Block popups.· Install Anti-Spyware and Anti-Virus software, and keep it up to date.· Pay attention to Windows Updates and take the time to install them. A few minutes is all it takes. It’s so easy to click "remind me later," but even if you have to restart your computer, it’s time well spent. Simple Security Measures to Protect Your Laptop:· Carry your laptop in an inconspicuous bag. A fancy designer case appears to have "steal me" written all over it. · Never leave it unattended, not even for a minute.· Store it in a locked drawer when not in use.· Label it. Use conspicuous identity labels that would be difficult for a thief to remove. Engrave your name on the cover. Internal Security--Protect Your Data:Set the BIOS password. This is the first thing that appears when the machine is turned on. Most computers refuse to boot if the password attempt fails three times. Set the Log In Password. Most systems require a log in password. If the password entered is incorrect, the system will refuse the user. Password protection is not 100% secure, but it certainly presents a difficult challenge to a thief. Sensors: There are some very sophisticated sensors that can be purchased for added protection, such as a fingerprint sensor, or a gesture sensor. Your password could be a sequential pattern of movements of your head from sided to side, up or down. There are also alarm sensors that sound if someone touches your laptop when you are out of range. Additionally, there are fingerprint sensors, retinal sensors, or even your typing characteristics can be recorded for authentication. Sensors are fairly new and not yet a standard feature on laptops. Tracking Devices: You can now buy software that enables your laptop to "check in" to a tracking center by using a signal. The tracking center service works with police departments and internet service providers to track and recover stolen laptops. Personal Firewall: Install this extra layer of protection not only to prevent intruders from hacking into your system, but also prevent your information from leaking out. NTFS: If you have Windows NT/2000/XP, use the NTFS filing system. NTFS stands for NT Filing System.Disable the Guest Account, or at least assign it a very complex, hard-to-guess password.Rename the Administrator Account. Don’t use the word Admin in the name. A different name will make it harder for hackers to open the door. You could also create a "dummy" administrator account. Assign it a complex password, too hard to guess, and restrict all privileges. Then enable "auditing" so that you can tell if access has been attempted. Disable the "Last Logged-In" user name. This will help prevent hackers from password guessing. You can find the instructions to do this on the installation CD for your laptop.Encrypt your folders. Use EFS (Encrypting Filing System). When a folder is encrypted, any file stored in that folder is also encrypted. Encryption takes long to do and it also might slow the performance speed of your laptop, so you might choose to encrypt only the most sensitive files in your laptop.Disable the Infrared Port. The port is for transmitting data and is not the method routinely chosen by most users. But did you know that someone sitting across the room from you could actually browse your files via the infrared port without you even knowing it? You can disable the port in the BIOS, or simply cover it with a piece of black electrical tape. Back up your data before you travel. If some unfortunate circumstance occurs, your data can be retrieved by you. You could store all your data on a disk (encrypted and password protected, of course) and travel with an "empty" laptop. Remember to keep the disks on you and not in your laptop case! And watch out for metal detectors at the airports. Alternatively, you could send ahead your disks and retrieve them when you arrive at your destination. External Laptop Security: Cable Lock. You never know when it becomes necessary to leave your laptop unattended if even for a minute or two. Get a cable lock and use it. Make sure you tether it to something very sturdy and immovable. Docking Station: At your office, many people you don’t know may pass through. You never know which stranger might want your laptop. A docking station can be permanently fixed to your desktop and it locks the laptop in place. If you can’t have a docking station, get into the habit of locking it in a drawer when not in use or when you have to leave the work station. You wouldn’t leave your wallet on your desk when you leave, would you? Airports are a prime location for thieves to snatch your belongings in seconds. Obviously, never leave them unattended. Carry-on, never check your laptop. There’s a risk of it getting lost in the airport luggage system. How can you secure your data while traveling? One company in particular, Absolute Software, a Canadian-based company, has developed software that can trace a lost or stolen laptop and even delete the data with a remote device. Another company in Colorado, Otter Products, makes durable carrying cases that are crushproof, water resistant, drop-resistant and securely locked for traveling. In summary, you could virtually turn your laptop into a mini Fort Knox if you took advantage of all the security options available. But I hope this article has instilled enough paranoia in you to incite you into taking necessary precautions to insure the security of your laptop and subsequently your private life! Taking heed to simple security measures on a regular basis will become as habitual as putting on your seatbelt when you get into the car. When security measures are in place, you can then lighten up and go about your day worry-free.