Bay Geeks Computer Repair Services

The Pro’s & Con’s of Wireless and Wired Networks

Man Dies From Wireless Network Exposure

Is what the headline would read if the stress from wireless network problems ever killed me. The fact of the matter is, it hasn’t, not yet anyways but that doesn’t mean I haven’t reached critical mass a few times with business networks. There are typically a lot of thoughts flooding my mind as I struggle through the networking troubles and I decided to write them down for you, so you can make the best possible decision when deciding between wireless and wired networking for your home or business.

How Wireless Networks Work

A wireless network uses radio waves, just like cell phones radios do. In fact, communication across a wireless network is a lot like two-way radio communication. Here’s what happens:
 

 

  1. A computer’s wireless adapter translates data into a radio signal and transmits it using an antenna.

  2. A wireless router receives the signal and decodes it. It sends the information to the Internet using a physical, wired Ethernet connection.
 The process also works in the opposite direction, the router receiving information from the Internet, translating it into a radio signal and sending it to the computer’s wireless adapter.

  (insert wireless network graphic)

Some Advantages To Wireless

So there certainly has to be a reason why people choose to use wireless networks, and the fact is, there are a couple. The first big one is its scalability. Wireless networks allow users to:

 

  1. Move computers more easily

  2. Add new computers very easily

  3. Reach otherwise hard to reach areas with network access  
  These are all very attractive reasons to go with a wireless network, and that doesn’t even take in to account for the cost savings. Not having to run cable, install jacks, or punch downs saves a person a lot of cash.

  The third point mentioned in the above list is a big reason there are a lot of “hybrid” networks out there. For example, companies have an existing network and they add on a building or even a new location for an office that makes running cable difficult, expensive, or in some cases impossible. Cue the wireless router to help extend your network.

Some Disadvantages to Wireless

Now that you have read a little about the power of wireless networks, let me share with you some of the major reasons people shy away from them, or in many cases wish they had never used them.

 

  1. Security Concerns

  2. Easily affected by Outside Forces

  3. Can be Unreliable in data transfer  
  The list is small, but all three mentioned are major concerns of wireless networks. The first and foremost concern is of course security issues. Even the best security can be cracked as long as someone has enough access to it, and wireless networks can leave your home or business network open 24/7. There are a couple of ways to reduce risk:

 

  · Turn off the Wireless Radio when your not working

  · Apply all security settings the router offers

  · Add additional security like firewalls behind the router

  · If your wireless is for customer use, make sure its not on the same network  
  The second concern is how easily outside sources can affect your network. To explain, I have seen many times where an entire office’s wireless went down because someone moved in next-door who also had wireless. (And was also down) The reason this is a huge issue is because these types of problems are very difficult to troubleshoot and can be very costly in terms of downtime and overall cash it costs to troubleshoot. Some ways to avoid this are:

 

  1. Don’t use the factory defaults on your router. (Change the channel)

  2. Monitor frequently local wireless networks for changes

  3. Don’t use consumer level products, stick to business class  
  Another issue with wireless is that it can be unreliable when transferring large files across a network and some businesses that use application sharing should likely stick to wired for now if that’s the case.

To Wrap it Up

Wireless networks opened up an entire world of possibility for home users as well as business but there is a lot to consider when switching to, or adding a wireless portion of your network. We would love to hear your stories or comments below and as always thanks for reading.

Mouse cleaning is a process that is often overlooked. You should clean your mouse about every 6 months (depending on use) or whenever you notice the cursor doesn’t move as smoothly over the screen as it should.
How to avoid a sticky cursor:
Avoid spilling liquids on your mouse.
Keep your mouse pad clean and dry.
Use a slick mouse pad rather than a fabric one.
Clean your mechanical mouse regularly.
Materials Needed:
Tweezers
A can of compressed air
Cotton swab
Rubbing alcohol
Cleaning your mouse:
Unplug the mouse from the back of your computer.
Turn your mouse upside down.
Locate the plastic ring that holds the mouse ball in place.
Using both thumbs, rotate the ring in the direction of the arrows until it won’t turn any further. If you don’t have arrows, just turn it whichever way it will go.
Pick up your mouse and pour the ball and ring into your hand. 
Set the ring aside and wash the ball under lukewarm water.
Set the ball aside and let it air dry.
Carefully remove any lint and debris with the tweezers. (You can use a couple shots of compressed air to remove some stubborn lint from the inside of your mouse.) Use caution to keep the can upright so you do not spray moister into your mouse.
Put some rubbing alcohol on the end of your cotton swab (do not saturate the swab) and swab the rollers and the inside compartment.
Let your clean mouse air dry. For you impatient folks, using a hairdryer on a low setting will work fine to speed this process.
Re-assemble your mouse and plug it back in to your computer when you are sure that it is completely dry. 

Energy Efficient Computing

• Do not leave your computer running overnight and on weekends. Also, wait until you are ready to use it before you turn it on.
• A modest amount of turning on and off will not harm the computer or monitor. The life of a monitor is related to the amount of time it is in use, not the number of on and off cycles.
• Try to plan your computer-related activities so you can do them all at once, keeping the computer off at other times.
• Do not turn on the printer until you are ready to print. Printers consume energy even while they are idling.
• Do not print out copies of email unless necessary.
• If you spend a large amount of time at your computer, consider reducing the light level in your office. This may improve CRT (cathode ray tube) screen visibility as well as save energy.
• Most computer equipment now comes with power management features. If your computer has these features, make sure they are activated.
• The best screen saver is no screen saver at all - turn off your monitor when you are not using it. This option is second best only to turning off your computer all together.
• Use “paperless” methods of communication such as email and fax-modems.
• When typing documents, especially drafts, use a smaller font and decrease the spacing between lines, or reformat to keep your document to as few pages as possible, especially when typing drafts.
• Review your document on the screen instead of printing a draft. If you must print a draft, use the blank back side of used paper.
• Use a printer that can print double-sided documents. When making copies, use double-sided copying.
• Always buy and use recycled-content paper. Look for papers with 50-100% post-consumer waste and non-chlorine bleached. Also, recycle your paper when done.
• Buy a monitor only as large as you really need. Although a large monitor might seem more attractive, you should remember that a 17-inch monitor uses 40 percent more energy than a 14-inch monitor. Also, the higher the resolution, the more energy it needs.
• Ink-jet printers, though a little slower than laser printers, use 80 to 90 percent less energy.
•  Request recycled/recyclable packaging from your computer vendor.
• Buy vegetable (or non-petroleum-based) inks. These printer inks are made from renewable resources; require fewer hazardous solvents; and in many cases produce brighter, cleaner colors.  

Three or four times a year I get a virus so nasty I have to wipe out my entire system and start over from scratch. This has gotten to be more than just a minor annoyance; it’s gotten to be a ritual. It’s not like I’ve planned on it and I’ve had a chance to make back-ups, and notify my team that I’ll be off line for while. No, it hits out of the blue. Sometimes I can wait a day or two with a known infected machine, sometimes I have to jump right on it and fix it right away.

The last time, it took out the top 20 programs I use the most. Outlook was the first one to go, which had the last 5 years worth of email I’ve been saving. I guess I’m quite the data pack rat, but still… you never know when you’ll want to send that hilarious joke or find that website that promises men a whole new outlook on life… er.. um… yeah, back to the post..

I make routine back ups, so not all was lost, but still some was lost. That sucks, never to be returned and taken in just a split second. Gone. Even our best data recovery techniques left me hanging.

So, this has happened roughly 3-4 times per year and having gotten used to it, I’ve learned how to be more careful. I’ve learned that backups are extremely important and automated is the only way to go.

Outlook is a great program, but not for keeping your computer safe. Outlook, Thunderbird or any other Pop mail client will pull all of your email off of the server and down on to your computer.

I never really thought about that before. I just used Outlook Express as that was the standard thing to use way back when my family got their first PC. I continued to use Outlook Express, until I realized how cool and how many features Outlook has and then I made the switch.

At least 2-4 times a year, I’ve had problems ranging from a small innocuous virus to a whoa Nellie, where’d my data go, stomp you till you cry virus that really has no sympathy for folks without a decent data back up plan.

What’s the solution? Gmail! It’s great; I leave my email on their web servers. They give me over 6 gigabytes of storage which is 3 times the space I needed for 5 years of email, they scan for viruses, I can access my email anywhere over the internet, and it’s been almost a year since I’ve had to re do my entire computer! It’s still running like a champ!

Gmail is free, fast and it’s kept me from having to re do my computer 2 or 3 times this year alone. What more could I ask for? I’ve recommended it to my family, friends and now clients. Gmail gets my full support and endorsement. I really should be paid for this… hmm…

As a computer repair technician, I find myself constantly trying to remove viruses from my client’s machines. There are many methods we use, but one of my favorites has always been to directly attach the client’s hard drive to my computer and scan away with our professional grade anti-virus programs.

One of the problems with doing this is that the viruses don’t always want to stay on their hard drive. They like to hop on over to my computer and do their best or should I say worst on my machine. This has never really bothered me, but the fact remains that even the best antivirus programs are only 98%-99% effective against malware, spy ware, trojans, viruses and god only knows what else. That’s not so reassuring when you figure that we’re commonly pulling hundreds of viruses off of these machines and removing literally thousands of viruses each and every day.

Many Antivirus programs are only 88%-97% effective. That means that out of a hundred viruses, 3-12 viruses are not found, nor are they removed. Everyone tends to have a false sense of security when they install their Norton, McAfee or what ever…

A strong percentage of our clients are not keeping their anti-virus programs updated, much less keeping their subscriptions up to date or even scheduling their anti-virus programs to run!

So, we see folks who shell out $25, $50 and even $100 for antivirus programs that never run. A simple check can save a whole lot of head aches, lost files and a smiling technician leaving your home with a check written out for your hard earned money.

March 8, 2008 (Computerworld) On the eve of Daylight Savings Time taking effect in the U.S. and Canada, Microsoft Corp. has posted an interactive assistant to help procrastinating Windows users update their PCs to account for the time change.

In most of the U.S. and Canada, Daylight Savings Time (DST) goes into effect Sunday, March 9, at 2:00 a.m. local time. Clocks are to be moved forward one hour.

Microsoft’s Daylight Saving Time Update Guide guides home users, small business and corporate IT administrators, and Windows Mobile users through a Q&A format designed to pinpoint what updates, if any, need to be applied.

Most users running Windows Vista, or those who have had Automatic Updates enabled for Windows Update, will not need to update. Vista, for example, has always accounted for the changes to DST that first took effect last year. Meanwhile, users who have turned on Automatic Updates should have received all DST-related fixes as they were released by Microsoft. The company issued its most recent cumulative DST update in December 2007, for instance.

Even so, Microsoft recommended that users take the time to run though the DST Update Guide. “Unless certain updates are applied to your computer, the time zone settings for your computer’s system clock may be incorrect during this four-week period,” said the text accompanying the guide. “In particular, you must make sure that both your Windows operating system and your calendar programs are updated.”

The guide directs users to the proper downloads for Windows and date-sensitive applications, such as Microsoft Outlook. In some cases, it instructs them to contact their company’s help desk.

Last year, when the U.S. instituted are revised DST schedule that moved the time change up several weeks, early reports said there had been few snafus. Later, however, Microsoft confirmed that in some cases, Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003 wouldn’t update properly, forcing users to manually adjust their PCs’ clocks.