Wireless Home Networking tweaks

Wireless Home Networking tweaks

Fix Connectivity Issues

It sounds crazy, but 95 percent of all Internet connectivity problems can be solved by power-cycling both the router and the modem. Turn them both off, and then turn the modem back on first. Once its "sync" or signal light comes on, turn on your router.

Use Encryption

You've probably heard this before, but it bears repeating: Always enable your router's wireless security! Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption is the oldest (and weakest) form of security; the newer (and stronger) Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA-2 are the best protection available today for home users.

Update Your Router's Firmware

All routers include internal read-only chips with embedded instructions that can be updated by the manufacturer. Router manufacturers generally update a product's firmware to increase performance as well as to resolve bugs and security issues, so it's wise to keep your router's firmware up-to-date. Check the manufacturer's Web site for the latest updates.

Boost Your Wireless Signal

If walls and distance are causing wireless signal degradation, you can do a few things to boost it. Move your router to higher ground—the signal radiates downward. You can also try a signal extender (or repeater), which boosts the signal. Finally, high-gain antennas will work, but they only focus the signal in one direction.

Change Admin Password

Every router has a well-known default password that's used to access the router's browser-based configuration page. Most setup wizards will make you change this password, but not all do. If not, be sure to change it yourself to prevent unwanted hangers-on from changing your network's settings.

Go Back to Factory Settings

If you've lost or forgotten your router's login credentials, you can get around this predicament by resetting the router to its factory settings. Do this by holding down the button on the back of it for 30 seconds. Next, look in the manual for the default user name and password, and then change them on your router's browser-based configuration page.

Disable SSID Broadcast

Unless you disable it, your router broadcasts its service set identifier (SSID)—the name of your network—which allows your neighbors to see (and attempt to gain access to) your network. Instead, disable broadcasting, making the network appear as "SSID not broadcast." Access the unnamed network by typing in the SSID name when prompted.

Change the Default SSID

Change your pre-defined, default SSID—leaving it as "Linksys," for example, tells the world that you haven't configured your router, which invites attackers.

Filter by MAC Address

Every piece of networking gear includes a unique "fingerprint" called a media access control, or MAC, address. You can configure your router to filter connections using these addresses so that only your computers can connect to your network. Most routers will show you connected devices, so adding an adapter's MAC address is a one-click process.

Step Up to 5GHz

The majority of today's networks operate in the crowded 2.4GHz frequency range, which is shared by microwaves, cordless phones, and other home networks. To avoid possible interference, many new routers are capable of broadcasting at 5GHz, which has 23 wide-open channels as opposed to 2.4GHz's three non-overlapping channels.

Limit Your Number of DHCP Clients

Most people use their router as a DHCP server; when clients connect, the router dynamically assigns IP addresses from a large pool of addresses. Limiting that list to the number of clients in your home, however, will help prevent interlopers from hopping onto your network.

Use Your Router's Firewall

Two features make most hardware firewalls more powerful than software firewalls: stateful packet inspection (SPI) and network address translation (NAT). SPI examines packets' content and behavior before granting access, and NAT hides all PCs connected to the router from the Internet, "translating" their IP addresses into private ones that are unreachable from outside the firewall.

Change Your Channel

Wireless B and G (and some N) routers operate at the 2.4GHz frequency, which only has three non-overlapping channels: 1, 6 and 11. By default, your router will most likely be using one of these channels, and the bad news is so your neighbors' routers as well. If you experience dropped connections, sluggish performance or both, a good first step is to switch the channel. If it's set to channel 1, go to 11. If it's set to 6, try either 1 or 11 for best results.

Let Windows Control Your Wireless Networks

If a network adapter's software takes control of your wireless network, it can be difficult to put Windows back in charge. First, click Start, then Run, then type services.msc. Scroll down to Wireless Zero Configuration and start the service. Right-click your wireless connection, select view available networks, and then click advanced settings on the left. Click the wireless networks tab, and check "Use Windows to Configure my wireless network settings."

Disable File Sharing in Public

If you're in a public place with a Net connection, it's a good idea to disable File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks. In the properties of your network adapter, uncheck the appropriate box. It's also a good idea to switch your notebook's wireless radio off if you aren't using it.

Basic Computer Hardware
Examples of Software:  The computer code that makes this webpage appear on the screen, the code that tells the computer how to play a game or run a PowerPoint slide show, etc. Just in case you never heard of the term before, "computer hardware" refers to all the parts of the computer that you can touch.  "Computer software" generally refers to those computer related things that you can't touch. Examples of Hardware:   The computer equipment that you need to "run" the software, the mouse that you use to select things on the screen, the screen (or monitor) itself, the keyboard, etc. Here are some more examples of computer hardware: Monitor Keyboard Mouse Computer CPU Printer Wireless Router Other items that are technically hardware but many people mistake for software:  Compact disks (CD's), Flash Drives, 3.5" Diskettes, DVD's.  Though these items store software they are, more specifically, hardware devices for storing software.

How Computer Memory Works

When you work with computers you see KB (or KiloBytes) and MB (or MegaBytes) all the time but what does it stand for? Basically it’s a measurement of memory on a computer. To help you understand exactly what in means there is an example below.

So What’s a Byte anyway?

Here are some examples of what some other numbers and letters look like to the computer:When you get right down to it computers only know two things off and on.  That’s it just OFF and ON. And a computer expresses OFF as a “0” and ON as a “1”. Everything you see on the screen right now is just a specifically ordered combination of 1’s and 0’s to the computer that tell it exactly how to display this webpage. Now here’s the confusing part. Each individual 1 or 0 is called a BITand 8 BITS together is called aBYTE. When you type a 0 the computer actually recognizes that zero as the series of 8 BITS or “00000000”

0 = 00000000	a = 01100001	L = 01001100
1 = 00000001	v = 01110110	p = 01110000
2 = 00000010	$ = 00100100	z = 01111010

Here’s a link to even more if you’re curious:http://www.micron.com/k12/lessonplans/zerosones/asciibinary.html 

So, in really super simplified terms, when I type the letter “L” the computer translates that to be the BYTE “01001100."  If I typed the letter “L” 50 times that would be 50 BYTES of information. If I typed the letter “L” 1000 times that would be 1000 BYTES or 1 KiloByte or 1KB.  Actually Bytes are measured in powers of 2 so 1KB isn't exactly 1000 bytes, but it is close enough.  Below is a chart of common abbreviations and their actual values in bytes:

Name	Abbreviation	Actual Size in Bytes
KiloBytes	KB	1024
MegaBytes	MB	1,048,576
GigaBytes	GB	1,073,741,824

To learn more about these bytes and their abbreviations try this site:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bytes1.htm

And here's some even more specific information about how bytes and mega bytes are measured:  http://www.t1shopper.com/tools/calculate/

REDUCE YOUR WIRELESS BILL-IN 12 WAYS

REDUCE YOUR WIRELESS BILL-IN 12 WAYS

1

Use Wi-Fi whenever possible.

A most obvious tip yet equally rewarding as well... using Wi-Fi whenever possible will help cut down on data usage, especially when streaming music or video to your smartphone. I realize that some may disable Wi-Fi when not in use due to extra battery drain but forgetting to turn it back on could be a financial mistake if you don’t have an increasingly rare unlimited data plan. Just use caution when submitting sensitive information over public hotspots and you should be fine.

2

Negotiate a lower rate.

Despite what you’ve probably been taught, everything is negotiable. Your mileage here will vary but you’ll never know unless you ask. This usually works best in person at your local authorized retailer, but deals can be arranged over the phone as well. One way to segue into a negotiation is threatening to take your business elsewhere. I had one wireless carrier offer me a high-end phone free of charge if I agreed to sign another contract. Normally I would have had to pay $200 for said phone but I got it free simply by mentioning I was interested in another carrier.

3

Ask for corporate / organization / educational discounts.

Thousands of companies, organizations and educational institutions have partnerships in place with wireless carriers to offer discounts to employees, members and students. The problem is that most people don’t know about these as wireless providers don’t exactly advertise them front and center.

Most simply require you to enter your organizational or school e-mail address to see if you qualify. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile andVerizon all have discount pages for your convenience. I’ve personally seen discounts range from 10 percent to as much as 25 percent.

4

Evaluate wireless data usage.

True unlimited data is a rare commodity these days. As smartphones became more widespread, carriers quickly realized they could make more on average by charging less for fixed data packages and banking on the notion that at least some would go over their data allotment and have to purchase additional data at a much higher rate each month.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those of us that are grandfathered into comparatively expensive unlimited data plans that don’t need to be. I was a perfect example of this not too long ago. After analyzing my data usage over the past two years, I realized I never once exceeded 2GB on any given month. For me, it made more sense financially to drop the expensive unlimited plan in exchange for a cheaper 2GB plan.

5

Buy off-contract / used phones.

If you aren’t obsessed with owning the latest and greatest phone, you can save yourself a lot of money by purchasing an off-contract phone or even better, a used handset from eBay or Craigslist. While most Apple products tend to hold their value over time, you can find some fantastic deals on an array of Android handsets if you spend a little time digging around.

But before you go shelling out money on a deal that seems too good to be true, there are a few things to be aware of. It’s entirely possible that a second-hand phone could have a bad ESN / MEID / IMEI, which would render it useless. This can happen for any number of reasons such as if the device was reported lost or stolen, if it’s still active on the original owner’s account, or if money is owned on the account to which the device is tied to.

Additionally, if your wireless provider doesn’t provide an off-contract discount, there’s no reason to take advantage of off-contract phones. AT&T, for example, rolls their carrier subsidy into the price of service each month. Even after you’ve “paid” for your smartphone, you’re still being charged that same hidden fee each month.

6

Avoid early upgrade plans.

Early upgrade plans for AT&T, T-mobile and Verizon may seem like a great idea at first glance – get a new phone every six months or one year – but once you do the math, they are little more than a rip-off phone rental service. If you haven’t done so already, I’d encourage you to read over my previous analysis of these programs and save yourself a ton of money over the long haul.

7

Consider alternative carriers / pre-paid.

The big four are responsible for providing the majority of wireless service in the US but there are alternatives. Regional carriers like C Spire and U.S. Cellular are great places to start your search if they provide service in your area. Optionally, pre-paid carriers like Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS and Aio Wireless all piggyback off the major providers’ networks (usually Sprint). It’s not uncommon to find a great deal here but be sure to read the fine print as some carriers don’t offer high-speed 4G LTE just yet.

8

Consider a family plan if you are paying for multiple lines.

If you are paying for more than one line of service, a family plan is certainly worth looking into. Most plans allow you to add an additional line for as low as $9.99 each and the more lines you add, the more you save overall. The savings sure beat paying for lines individually but take note of what each carrier offers. While some provide unlimited packages, others rely on a shared pool of minutes or data which could present a problem if you have a talkaholic or data hog in the family.

9

Use the same carrier as friends and family.

If a family plan isn’t in the cards, perhaps the next best thing is to sign up with a carrier that the majority of your friends and family use. Most carriers offer free in-network calling and texting to other subscribers on their network. If the majority of the people you keep in touch with all use a certain carrier, you could save some by joining them and opting for a smaller bundle of voice minutes or text messages.

10

Bundle services to save money.

Just as insurance companies offer multi-policy discounts, telecoms will throw a discount or two your way if you bundle multiple services under one account. It seems like every time I have to call Comcast, they offer me a bundle that includes Internet, voice and television at a discounted rate. The same type of deals can be had with AT&T, Verizon and probably several others I can’t think of at this time. As mentioned earlier, it never hurts to ask, especially if you have multiple services through different providers.

11

Use free texting apps.

Free texting apps like WhatsApp, TextMe, Viber, Nimbuzz and GroupMe have exploded in popularity over the past few years. Much like iMessage and BlackBerry Messenger, these services all use data to circumvent traditional text messaging delivery methods. This simply means messages sent using these programs count against your data plan (or nothing at all if on Wi-Fi) instead of a text messaging plan. If your friends and family are on the same programs you use, you could ditch your text messaging plan and save anywhere between $5 and $30 per month.

12

Utilize data compression apps.

Another method to extend the life of your capped data plan is to try a data compression app. One such example is the Onavo Extend app for Android, iPhone and iPad. Onavo Extend has garnered excellent reviews on both platforms though be aware that like Amazon's solution to speed up the Kindle browser and Opera, it works by directing all traffic through their servers to compress data. The app provides a breakdown of your data usage so you can see which apps are consuming the most and make more informed usage choices. Best of all, the app is free of charge. 

Running Linux from a USB drive in Windows

Running Linux from a USB drive in Windows

Live Linux environments work just like a typical operating system but run entirely from a CD or USB stick -- the latter being the most common choice these days. Since nothing is written to the host computer’s local storage, when you’re done all you need to do is remove the media, reboot, and everything will be exactly as it was.

There are a number of uses to this, from simply test driving Linux to troubleshooting a Windows PC, or work on the go from someone else’s computer but running your own OS securely with all your personal files and settings.

There are basically two options when it comes to running Linux from a USB drive: from within Windows using virtualization software such as VirtualBox, or creating a boot disk. This quick guide details both methods in a few easy steps.

Running Linux from a USB drive in Windows

This option will come in handy if you want to run a Live Linux environment but need to retain access to Windows. Perhaps you just want to do something real quick without rebooting, or want to be able to hide the virtualized Linux instance. Our preferred weapon of choice here is a little tool called LinuxLive USB Creator.

It’s free, open-source software, and it has a built-in virtualization feature that lets you run a self contained version of VirtualBox from the USB drive. This means the host computer you’ll run Linux from doesn’t need to have VirtualBox installed.

Here's what you'll need to do:

• Download and transfer the ISO image of your preferred Linux distribution to a USB drive.
• Download and install LinuxLive USB Creator.
• Launch LiLi USB Creator and follow the straightforward steps guiding you through the process.
  • Step 1. Select the USB drive where you want Linux installed.
  • Step 2. Choose the source ISO file of the Linux distribution you downloaded.
  • Step 3. Choose Live Mode.
  • Step 4. Leave the third box checked, the other two are up to you and self-explanatory.

You will need and internet connection to complete the process -- mainly to download VirtualBox if you don’t have it installed. Once the process is finished, open your USB key in Windows Explorer and you should see a folder called VirtualBox containing two executable files: VirtualizeThisKey.exe and VirtualBox.exe.

Running VirtualizeThisKey.exe will launch your Linux distribution in Windows (inside VirtualBox), whereas VirtualBox.exe opens the full VirtualBox interface.

Boot Linux from a USB drive

If you’d rather load Linux without going through Windows first this is the way to go. There are a few different tools for creating bootable USB drives around the web but one I’m particularly fond of is YUMI -- short for Your Universal Multiboot Installer.

This is the successor to our MultibootISO and can be used to install more than one distribution to run from your USB. It’s extremely simple to use, and all files from each Linux distribution are stored within the Multiboot folder, making for a nicely organized Multiboot Drive that can still be used for other storage purposes.

• Download the ISO image of your preferred Linux distribution.
• Download and install YUMI.
• Launch YUMI and follow three simple steps guiding you through the process.
  • Step 1. Select the USB drive where you want Linux installed.
  • Step 2. Select the Linux distribution you'll be installing from the list.
  • Step 3. Choose the source ISO file of the Linux distribution you downloaded.

Once YUMI is done you’re all set. To boot into Linux just plug the USB drive into the host computer, reboot, and press the required key during this process to enter the Boot Menu (usually F10). After choosing your USB drive you should see the YUMI boot menu where you can pick the desired Linux distribution in Live mode.

You can run YUMI's boot drive creator again to add More ISOs/distributions to your drive as needed and they'll all show up in this menu during boot.

Which Linux distribution should I install?

There's no single right answer to that question. For a new user jumping into the world of Linux-based operating systems the amount of options available can be overwhelming. Finding the "right" distro for you can only be done though experience but there are plenty of resources online to help you figure it out.

Popular choices for newcomers include Ubuntu, Mint and PCLinuxOS. If you are looking for a secure operating system to take with you anywhere, you might also want to give Tails a try. The latter received a lot of press recently when it was disclosed that Edward Snowden was using it to avoid NSA snooping.