Networks
Routers being attacked by botnet
Many of you probably have a router. Did you ever change the default password or are you still using “admin” or whatever came with the router? These default passwords are well known to everybody and not changing them is an open invitation to hackers. PC World looks at a recent exploit from what is called [...]
Monitor your bandwidth usage
Caps of some sort on bandwidth usage are becoming more prevalent. Video eats up huge chunks of bandwidth and the Internet service providers are looking for ways to meter how much you use. If you would like to keep track of your bandwidth consumption, there are several free programs for that purpose. In addition to [...]
Quick tricks to repair a wireless connection
While we are on the subject of wireless networking (previous post), let me remind you of the trick that often repairs a wireless Internet connection that is slow or inoperative. Sometimes all it takes is to reboot the modem and/or router. Turn the power off for 10 seconds and then turn it back on.
Also, sometimes [...]
Secure your home wireless network
A lot of us have home networks or at least are using wireless to connect to the Internet. Unfortunately, we are not always careful about making the network secure. I have posted about setting up a wireless network before and here is another article worth reading. It’s at Digital Inspiration and is described:
This article describes [...]
Guide to setting up a network
Not too sure what goes into connecting your computers to the Web and to each other? Baffled by wireless terms like WEP and WPA? MakeUseOf has a guide for you. Download the PDF guide and learn. Here’s a description:
Networking is still a delicate subject for many people. Today, everyone needs to know how to set [...]
Monitor your Internet usage
Did you ever wonder how much Internet bandwidth you were using? A lot of ISPs seem to be muttering about installing bandwidth caps and those videos and TV programs you watch can use a lot of bandwidth in a hurry. MakeUseOf recommends the free program Networx to see your statistics. The site gives detailed instructions [...]
Finding wi-fi hot spots when traveling
I’m about to travel again and I am always interested in finding a wi-fi hot spot when on the road. Panera bread is a widespread sandwich and coffee shop that has free wi-fi. Starbucks and McDonald’s also have wi-fi but it isn’t free. There are many local spots like libraries with wi-fi and there are [...]
A faster broadband connection
Many home PC users with broadband connections have not optimized their connection. There are a number of steps that might increase your connection speed and a good article on some of these is at NetworkWorld.
My own experience is that the one adjustment that many systems need is to change the RWIN setting. There is considerable [...]
Check the speed of your Internet connection
There are a number of sites that will check how fast your Internet connection is by downloading and uploading files but I like the one at Speedtest.net. They have a lot of available servers at different geographical locations.
Via Tweakhound.
Command line tip #11- Find local IP addresses with “ipconfig”
Command line tip #10 mentioned that your router or Internet gateway will have a local IP address. There will also be a local IP address for your computer. Entering “ipconfig” in the command line will display both addresses as well as something called the “subnet mask”. For home setups the subnet mask is almost [...]
Command line tip #10- Check your Internet connection with “ping”
I previously noted that there are a number of commands that can help with checking out a home network or a broadband connection. There are more details at commandwindows.com/tcpiputil.htm but here’s an example of using the command “ping”. Suppose you are having trouble with connecting to the Internet. Is it your connection to the Internet [...]
