Free Computer Consultant ………. Daily Insights

I have long stated that you do NOT want to run your wireless internet connection “open” or unsecured. Even WEP encryption is better than nothing. Do use WPA or WPA2 if you can.

Even if you think you have bandwidth to spare and don’t mind your neighbor mooching off of your internet for his/her surfing, that’s not the point.

Some people will use ALL of your WiFi bandwidth.

Some people will use YOUR bandwidth for illegal activities that they wouldn’t use their own for.

I have covered this before so I won’t go through it all again.

What puzzled me in the past was security expert Bruce Schneier claiming that he was running his WiFi open and unprotected. And he had reasons.

Now he’s changed his mind. (Probably NOT because he read my blog, though.)

Bruce has decided that he didn’t want the guys covered in black with machine guns to bash down his door at 3am when it was really someone else who was trafficking in kiddie porn or looking up b*mb making on his open WiFi connection.

So if you were using Bruce Schneier as an excuse not to lock down your WiFi, excuse no more. He’s locked his.

I just had a client ask me what wireless router he should buy for his home. Good question. How much do you want to spend and what kind of performance are you expecting?

Your wireless router, for most people, is also doubling as a hardware firewall - albeit not the most fantastic firewall, but certainly of value.

Cheap is ok, but don’t expect blazing speeds from PC to PC in your home and you may not get the range you are looking for.

The latest specification in wireless is 802.11n (which is still a “draft” spec, for about 4 years now?) but the products on the market are pretty stable nonetheless.

D-Link has gotten better and better over the years and delivers a good product for a good price. The “n” router I show below will deliver good performance and a lot of features. D-Link calls it the DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router, and as its name implies, all wired ports - 4 for your network and 1 for your ISP or “wan” connection will operate at gigabit speeds. Don’t expect your ISP to deliver gigabit bandwidth anytime soon, though.

This means that any wired computers with gigabit networking will operate quite a bit faster than any wireless ones, but if you have appropriate “n” mode wireless adapters they should be quite fast also.

If you are in the market for a good wireless router (slash firewall), take a look at the DIR-655. About the only thing I don’t like about it is the white color - kind a looks like a NetGear product, but it reviews well.

If you like it, you won’t go wrong buying from Newegg.com.

D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router D-Link DIR-655 IEEE 802.11n (draft) IEEE 802.11g IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.3 IEEE 802.3u Xtreme N Gigabit Router

About 2 weeks ago I had to clean a client’s home PC. AOL 9 would not run at all (no loss in my mind but…), Internet Explorer would lock up.

This machine was protected by Norton 360, however it appears that the malware was imitating Norton 360 pop up boxes to coerce the user to actually install more malware.

The user had decided not to install the WiFi router on his cable modem since he didn’t need the wireless currently and he apparently forgot that sending out a wireless signal is not the only use for the router!

I cleaned the PC up, installed Firefox, reinstalled AOL 9 and it appeared they were good to go.

Long story short, junior was home alone all day on Wednesday and by Thursday it was malfunctioning again - big time. Junior claims he spent the day only on Facebook. Hmm. (Like that’s a wise use of time.)

Maybe a solution is at hand.

Virtual Machine (VM) software has been around for quite a while. In a nutshell, Virtual Machine technology allows you to run a copy of Windows (like XP) inside another copy of Windows (XP, Vista). Anything that happens to the second copy is trashed as soon as you are done and exit.

So if junior surfs the web, I mean, spends all day on Facebook using a Windows XP Virtual Machine, and loads up all kinds of malware, all he needs to do is exit when he’s done and Dad’s PC is right back the way it started when he fired up the VM Copy of Windows.

Sounds cool, but what’s it cost and where do you get it? Well, Microsoft offers Virtual PC free to anyone. Then you download an appropriate “image” of the “guest” PC you want to run inside of your “host” PC and you’re ready to go.

You are safe while surfing because the Virtual Machine technology builds a barrier between the guest PC running inside of your host PC platform. Changes to the guest do not affect the host.

If you want more robust Virtual Machine technology, including some real cool server options, VMWare is the answer. VMWare, however, is not free. But they do have a free player.

VMWare can be considered superior to Microsoft’s Virtual PC due to its ability to run other operating systems. Want to try KUbuntu? Download here.

Virtual PC 2007 is now available from Microsoft. Get a VM Image of XP with SP2 and Internet Explorer here.

This is great technology and can save you time, money and headaches. Check it out.

These days most hotels offer internet access, and unless at the priciest of hotels, it’s free. (Or maybe the real close by hotel has free WiFi!).

If the hotel has WiFi, you’re probably set. But what about those that thought wiring each room was the way to go?

More importantly, what about computer security when on the hotel network? When I’m connected to the internet, I want my router between me and the world. And I don’t want my world to include a few hundred hotel guests from who knows where.

I have found that a Linksys WRT54GS wasn’t too much trouble to carry and really came in handy. Plug that baby into the wall in the hotel room or condo and I have WiFi out on the balcony; and some security to spare. It isn’t the same security I have with my Fortinet Firewall at home, but it’s better than just connecting up!

If space is an issue, transpose some letters and get the Linksys WTR54GS travel router. It plugs straight into the wall, so no cord is needed. It also has one ethernet port if you want to use a cable for either configuration (my recommendation) or to connect a wired device.

Being connected is everything. Doing it without wires is just all the better.

Linksys Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster - WTR54GSThe Wireless-G WTR54GS Travel Router with Speed-Booster has a built-in access point, which connects Speed-Booster enhanced and regular Wireless-G and Wireless-B devices to the network. There’s also an Ethernet port to connect wired PC. The Wireless-G WTR54GS Travel Router with Speed-Booster function ties it together and now PCs can share a wired or wireless Internet connection.

Over the summer I created a number of videos, primarily on the topic of routers, wireless routers and configuring security on wireless routers.

Setting up a router or configuring encryption on a wireless router is really not that hard to do. I uploaded the videos to make it easier for those not ordinarily comfortable doing something like that to have the confidence to give it a try.

You can see these videos on Associated Content. Use my own custom linkFreeComputerConsultant.

If you want to make a couple bucks submitting content to the internet on a topic you have knowledge, consider signing up on Associated Content.

It’s shortrange, around 10 yards; known as ultra-wideband or UWB for short.

New wireless technology offers around 480 megabits per second using the 10.3 Ghz spectrum, but new technology promises much faster rates at the 60 Ghz range. Both are unlicensed spectrum ranges, and the very short distance increases security.

What it’s good for is entertainment, what else. HD Video streaming from your broadband device to your display screen is one usage.

Read the full article here.

Virgin America just began their new innovation in air transportation: Giving the consumer what he/she wants. Comfort and connectivity.

Virgin is offering, for a reasonable price (for how long?), an enjoyable way to travel once one gets past the charade of TSA security. See Bruce Schneier for more on that.

Wide, white leather seats and “mood” lighting that is ascribed to like being inside an iPod. Is that everyone’s dream? No. But for more and more of us, yes. 110 power outlets, USB & Ethernet, WiFi as soon as the FAA approves it. Movies to choose from, games like Doom, much more.

What do the airlines expect everyone to do while waiting for the:

• fog to clear
• clearance to the runway
• airline to find a pilot
• deicing
• weather to improve
• mechanics to apply some duct tape somewhere

Maybe the seat to seat text chatting will even keep the volume down a bit, who knows?

What I do know is that this is a step forward, especially for those who travel often. Even for those of us who don’t, it will be one less reason not to endure the hassle of TSA at the terminal.

We all want WiFi, and we want it everywhere. Even in the sky.

American Airlines is teaming up with AirCell (those of us in aviation are familiar with their service - expensive!) to provide WiFi access on American Airlines flights beginning sometime in 2008.

Read more about it here on Associated Content.

It isn’t a done deal. But WiFi can bring revenue to the airlines, and they need it; so the pressure will be on to do it. It won’t be a lot of money, but every little bit helps.

At some point, WiFi on airlines will be a competitive advantage for those who have it. Then, some time later, it will be offered for free by another airline trying to steal customers. That’s when I’ll use it.

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After 642-901 and 642-812, all those students who are planning for the skies, should go for 70-431 and 640-822 rather than 640-863.

A client asked me to look at his son-in-law’s new Dell Laptop. It is an Inspiron E1505 that isn’t very old, and they never could get the wireless to work.

My first challenge was to determine whether the laptop was equipped with Dell’s WiFi card or the Intel WiFi option. Since the Intel WiFi option cost more, though not much and well worth it to me, I presumed it had the Dell.

Why didn’t I look at the order info, the packing slip or the receipt? Good question. Problem is that all of that paperwork was conveniently missing. Am I the only one who keeps and even makes copies of that stuff?

Turns out that drivers and software for both WiFi options were installed. And why not? A trip to Dell’s website support where I had input the service tag actually brought up a screen of possible drivers with “recommended” next to the Intel driver and “optional” next to the Dell driver. Why doesn’t Dell’s computer system know for sure? The son-in-law had already tried to fix it himself and had installed both.

The device manager showed 3 entries of “other device” with the description for all 3 as “base system device”. No driver worked.

Reboot and into the bios. WiFi device shows as “not present”. Time to call support and hope I get someone whose English I can understand.

Turns out that the gal was fairly knowledgeable AND understandable - although I’m pretty sure she was not from the USA. She had me open up the laptop to make sure that the WiFi card was actually present and seated properly in the laptop.

I will be quite honest with you; taking apart laptops gives me the jitters. Plastic (read breakable) pieces snapped together that you are told to “carefully lift and remove” are not my favorite hardware to mess with. Getting at the WiFi card under the keyboard turned out not too bad this time. Bending the plastic hinge cover, which wouldn’t budge at the half way point, caused my brain to hear a snapping noise that fortunately was only in my head.

A short prayer and a slight twist later and it came off. 2 more small screws and the keyboard was out of the way as well. While the Dell technician was trying to explain what she wanted me to check for, I tried to interrupt her to tell her that I think I had the problem spotted.

The WiFi card was laying there, not loose in the socket, but instead completely OUT of the socket. I plugged it in, put it back together, and the Dell WiFi drivers installed themselves.

Keep in mind that Dell support will try to get you to fix it yourself over the phone rather than pay for a contract technician to come out to fix it. If you aren’t comfortable taking your PC or laptop apart and don’t want to pay me to do it, be firm in insisting you want a technician dispatched (if your warranty coverage provides that - you did get CompleteCare, right?). In this case, expediency called for me to try the fix myself.

When we were done, the WiFi did work, but the 3 “base system device” entries were still in the “other device” category of device manager with the yellow exclamation point. The Dell tech cared not a whimper. As long as everything worked, she was done.

Well, Ok, I guess; but I would really rather a clean looking device configuration. I get a much warmer and fuzzier feeling that everything will be alright going forward that way. So that’s a mark or two off of A+ in my mind.

The other mark off is the website support that implies I should install the Intel WiFi driver when Dell’s database knows I have the Dell WiFi option in the unit I’m working on.

It’s easy to see how people get frustrated with computer systems and tech support. At least this laptop is working fine now.

That Gateway laptop with Windows Vista that I had so much trouble with was back under my typing fingers again today. I finally had it working perfectly with the new NetGear router, so it was time to see if it would connect to the older Dell WiFi router.

Drum roll, please…. No. Same garbage. Connect up, no DHCP address. Set an alternate IP address. Still cannot even ping the router, even though Vista is saying that the WiFi is connected with “local” connectivity (but no internet).

So I hooked up the NetGear and deleted all reference to the Dell. It worked perfectly.

Solution? Any skeet shooters among you? Pull! There goes the old Dell WiFi router into the trash. Let’s tidy up the cabling for the new NetGear. I love to save people money as much as the next guy, but there’s a time when you just have say enoughs enough.

The Dell WiFi router works just fine with XP laptops, just not Vista apparently.