Networks

Is Your WiFi Connection Safe Enough?

May 25, 2011 By admin

don’t pose significant threats to their owners, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for anyone to take even the slight risk.

Risks of Open WiFi

Image by osde8info via Flickr

Most people will tell you that they are afraid someone will eavesdrop via their WiFi connections. That’s certainly possible. It happens all the time on public networks in cafesand bookstores. It could just as easily happen in your home.

There are, however, other things to worry about when you have an open WiFi connection. For instance, an open WiFi connection could allow your neighbors to connect to the Internet via your network to download files that they wouldn’t dare download through their own connections. What if your neighbor downloads a copyrighted movie or song with yo ur connection? People get sued every day for this activity. You certainly wouldn’t want to be held responsible just because you didn’t block other people from using your wireless network.

Keeping Your Connection Safe

For these and numerous other reasons, you should keep your WiFi connection private. If you fear that someone has already used your connection for nefarious purposes, then browse the posts on networkusa.org to find information that can help you solve the problem. In many cases, you will find that a strong antivirus program will remove any malware.

When it comes to Internet safety, it’s better to take a cautious approach instead of leaving your connection open. The right security has become imperative in today’s world.

Filed Under: Internet, Networks Tagged With: Hotspots, Wi-Fi, Wireless network

Telecommuting – The New Home Office

March 20, 2011 By admin

Telecommuting has been a growing business trend during the past decade and marks a departure from the traditional predetermined eight hour office job. An increasing number of companies are permitting their employees to work from home. Other workers are finding that that they are tired of working for an employer and set out on their own. Computers and the Internet are critical this new career path.

At the center of working from home is the office area. Space and location are important considerations to ensure privacy and efficiency. The next consideration is furniture. Choose a desk or work station that fits into the work area comfortably and has sufficient work and storage space and make sure good lighting is available.

The computer is the most important home office tool a telecommuter uses and an important investment. While the computer doesn’t necessarily need to be the top of the line, it needs to have the right features to get the job done. The monitor, on the other hand, needs to be selected with eye safety in mind. A low resolution LCD display is a must to reduce eye strain. Many home workers prefer a laptop over a desktop because of its mobility and spacing saving features. An all in one printer with fax and scanning capabilities is another important office tool. Purchasing a good combination printer is an efficient choice that also saves precious storage space.

The internet connection needs to be cable or DSL for maximum productivity. Its also worth considering a router for the periphials and to provide an extra measure of security. For total security a strong virus scanning program and fire wall need to be installed on the computer.

Filed Under: Networks, Office Tagged With: Home Office, Telecommuter, Telecommuting

The Future of Internet Networks

March 16, 2011 By admin

Until recently, Internet access and activity was immobile in the sense that the user sits down at a computer that is physically connected to the Internet in order to access and use it. The user connects to an Internet Service Provider’s server using the standard TCP/IP protocol. From that point on, any properly entered website or email adress iss routed through a series of networks to the appropriate address by translating the domain address to an IP address using a Domain Name System (DNS) server. All of this happens in a matter of milliseconds.

Enter the world of wireless computing. With today’s laptop computers, cell phones and various other mobile communicating devices, wireless computing is possible with the addition of a compatibleinternal or external wireless adapter, a wireless ISP (WISP), and WISP provided ”sniffer” software. Once set up, wireless computing is possible from anywhere that the sniffer software can find a WiFi router. Once connected Internet traffic uses the same system of networks as its desk bound cousin.

Wireless communication is rapidly becoming the preferred form of broadband access. New laptop computers typically come with a wireless adapter installed. A laptop that does not have an internal adapter can still be wireless with an external wireless adapter that plugs into a USB port. There are also a growing number of national and local wireless Internet service providers throughout the country. National providers are the best bet because coverage is unlimited. The next generation of wireless Internet computing is expected to be Wi Max. Limited Wi Max introduction began in 2009 and expanded through 2010. Wi Max is touted as being significantly faster.

Networks will also evolve as the Internet becomes even more integrated into our everyday activities.

Filed Under: Internet, Networks Tagged With: Internet Service Provider, Wi-Fi, Wireless network

Which option should the Small Business go with for Networking?

January 30, 2011 By admin

Getting the office ready for networking can be expensive. What will the small business owner do when they are needing to switch locations? There are options available to a small business owner. Going wireless is possible but be prepared to do it properly it can be a little daunting for a first time installer to do.

For the small business a wireless router is typically like the one found in the home. The bad news about the router being home grade is that the security may not be like the business grade router.It may lack the security that is needed.

A business grade router will offer features that a home grade router will not. The business grade router will offer a larger antenna and will provide more coverage for the office. If security of the network is a concern than it may be best to have a network server authentication such as RADIUS in place. Some offices may need to have several wireless access points to work together and cover the whole office. A home wireless router will not be able to do this. You may want to have the option of knowing who is accessing your wireless network system. If there is going to be guests in the office and they may need to connect to the internet you will want a way for them to connect without being able to access the rest of your network.

An issue with a wireless network is if other offices are next door or within the area then you would not want them to be able to access your network. What can you do about that? The other option would be to use cabling. It is expensive to cable a office however, it does offer the benefit of higher network speeds. It is really totally up to what the business needs and preferences are.

Filed Under: Networks Tagged With: Router, Wireless

Securing Wireless Technology in the Home

January 29, 2011 By admin

The most popular technology in many sectors is the wireless network.It is available everywhere and it is affordable but yet easy for everyone to use. A wired connection has over the years had issues with the security and so does wireless. The home wireless technology problems consists of piggybacking,wardrivingl, and unauthorized usage of computer. There are some steps that can be taken to help in maintaining security measures. This will also be useful in helping in reducing any virus attacks that could occur on the computer system. With the amount of technology that is available today the possibilities of securing the system is easier.

Here is some steps that can help in securing a wireless network within the home. When addressing the name of the systems network it is usually set as service set identifier or it may be set as extended service set identifier. This is typically used to gain unauthorized access.The network should be encrypted that way only computers that have the correct code key will be able to access that network.The password of the administrator should be identifiable only to those that need to be able to access the network.It should be a personalized one that only the authorized people would be able to identify. It may even be a good idea to use one that does not contain alpha numeric characters but only has alphabetic characters in it. Precede with caution when you are enabling file sharing. If at all possible it is best to not file share.

You should also remember to keep all access point software up to date and keep any software used to fix bugs up to date too. It would also be a good idea to check what the internet service provider has as far as updating their software.You should use these suggestions when you have a wireless network in your home or office.

Filed Under: Computer, Networks Tagged With: Wireless, Wireless network

Networking a Home Computer

January 27, 2011 By admin

It easy to connect several computers together in your home or office. You may wonder if you really want to network them together but there are valid reasons to do this. If a business thinks that it is a good idea then there must be a good reason for it.

A family has the advantage of being able to share their software among each computer. The advantage to the parent is that they can see their childs activity. If in a office enviroment someone can check what activity is going through the computer systems.

A ethernet is one of the easiest ways that this can be done. This is done through a card or a residential gateway. A residential gateway is where it is plugged into the computer such as a router. The ethernet cards does not cost much to purchase but consists of cables that go from every computer to the main server. This is the most dependent method that is used. It is also the fastest.

You can also hook up to a residential gateway. This connection also comes with the option of a wireless connection.This would mean that it would need a wireless card. That would mean that it would be a little more money to keep up.

Setting up a Local Area Network is really not difficult once the hardware has been set up. You can find a wizard in the Windows software program that will help you. There is a step by step guide there that should help you along the way.

Once the network is setup any files that are on the computer can be designated to be shared. The person that owns the computer can setup programs or files that they wished to be shared with others. A device such as a printer can also be shared in this network. This is also a great way for the home networker to play multi player games with each other.

Filed Under: Computer, Networks Tagged With: Local area network, Microsoft Windows

Wireless Networking at Your Home

January 26, 2011 By admin

A way that you create a network without any wires is called a wireless network. You are able to make a wireless network if you have a wireless router. When you do this you will make a radio connection between the computers so that they can communicate and also be able to connect to the internet without being connected by any wires.The signal for the wireless can go through walls or even floors so there is no clear path needed to get a signal.

Local Area Networks are what most people are referring to when discussing wireless networks. This does not mean that the network will cover your whole entire neighborhood but just one building which means your home. You will want a wireless LAN if you want to have a wireless network in your home. The easiest way is to use a wireless router. It is amazing to see the results and not have to find ways to hide all the wires that you once had.

A wireless router is considered a base station that is assigned the task of providing internet access to a wireless network. This can also allow for several different computers to connect to the internet without having to use any wires. It is considered to be like a wireless access point because not only can each computer access the internet through it but the computers can also transfer files to each other.

Once the wireless router has been installed you will be able to connect all of the computers together and connect any of them to the internet. It does not even matter if they are all on. There is no need to configure a router it is already prepared to begin its task. This is the only task that they were designed to do!

Filed Under: Computer, Networks Tagged With: Wireless, Wireless network

The Classification Methods of Computer Networks

January 25, 2011 By admin

A computer network is classified by the hardware and the software technology that is used to connect the network. The devices that are being interconnected are ethernet, optical fiber, HomePNA, wireless LAN, and communication power line.

A ethernet is a communication standard for networks where a twisted pair cable or coaxial is used. In LAN communication is where it is most widely used. The ethernet uses several standards and mediums to communicate between the devices. The devices that are used will include hubs, bridges, switches, or routers. When the wireless LAN is used there is wiring need to connect the devices.

When using a wire technology the twisted pair wire is most often the medium used for telecommunication. The twist pair cables are made of copper wires that are twisted into pairs. A wide use for cable television, office buildings, and certain worksites for a local area network is the coaxial cable.The coaxial cable consists of either a copper or aluminum wire that is wrapped with insulated layer of material that is flexible with high dielectric constant. With the use of a fiber optic cable higher transmission speeds are possible. The fiber optic speeds are hundreds of times faster than that of a coaxial and thousands time faster than that of a twisted pair wire.

The technologies of the wireless network include the terrestrial microwave. The terrestrial microwave is when a earth based transmitter and a receiver are being used. Usually the antenna to these are seen on top of buildings. The communication satellite will have microwave radio as the mean for communication. The cellular and PCS system use different radio technologies according geographic areas.The wireless local area network (LAN) is where high frequency radio is used in a similar way to cellular and radio technology that is of low frequency. The infrared communication can take signals and send them between devices within a small distance.

Filed Under: Networks Tagged With: Local area network

How to set up a Computer Network for a Small Business

January 23, 2011 By admin

Evolving technology is relied on heavily in the current business world for a small businesses computer network. It may seem overwhelming but setting it up yourself can be done. There is no need to hire a specialist in the field. Below is some tips to help you get started in doing it yourself.

Efficency is the greatest advantage to computer networking. The networking allows the computer to be used to its full advantage and even in ways that may not have even been thought of before.When networking you are promoting sharing whether it be software or printers. The internet is even being shared by all employees that are in the company.One of the best decisions that a small business can make is the one to network the computers. It may help to make a sense of community among the employees and could even increase productivity.

If you are wondering where to start when networking a small businesses computer systems it is with the operating system. Which one does the company prefer? The standard ones are Windows 7, Windows XP, and Apple OS X. Any of these can easily network and be managed. You can manage them from a laptop or desktop computer. There is some equipment outside of the computers that is needed. One or more routers depending on the area will be needed and some ethernet cables. If the network is wireless then a cable will be needed to link the router to a main computer that will be considered the server. That will connect the router to the internet connection. This will allow for the computers that are external with wireless capabilities to connect to the local area network. It really is that easy to connect a computer network yourself and not have to pay someone to do it.

Filed Under: Computer, Networks Tagged With: Computer network