Wireless

Managing Available Networks (Wireless) Part 2

Managing Preferred Networks You also can make an available network a preferred network. This gives some networks priority over other networks in case Windows has several from which to choose. It also lets you save custom configuration settings so you don’t need to make them twice for the same network. When you find yourself in […]

Creating Bridges (Wireless)

No, this isn’t a topic on civil engineering. And I’m not going to tell # W you how to build a bridge on the River Kwai, although I may in an upcoming sequel. (Naturally, I’ll be playing William Holden’s part after I shed a few pounds.) Instead, this topic is about bridging two or more […]

Configuring Printers (Wireless)

A wireless network is about more than just sharing Internet access and your multimedia files. You also can do things like share a printer among all the computers on your wireless network. I don’t need to tell you how helpful that can be these days, especially when more and more households are using multiple computers. […]

Confirming Your Network Works (Wireless)

Eureka!" That’s what you hope comes out of your mouth after setting up a wireless network. You may want to yell from the rooftops, or wherever you can find the tallest antennae that your new wireless network is running without any problems. Hold that thought: First check on your network’s health. That includes viewing the […]

Looking at Internet Threats (Wireless) Part 1

The Internet is a great place; you can read about any subject you want to (and many you wish you’d never heard of). You can buy anything online and have it delivered to your door. You’ve got immediate access to your bank, credit cards, investments, and other financial information. Heck, you don’t have to leave […]

Looking at Internet Threats (Wireless) Part 2

Rebills The rebill, or the negative option billing scam, is usually legal but very shady. The essence of the scam is that you sign up for a free trial of some product and only have to pay a couple of dollars shipping. What you missed in the reams of fine print is that after your […]

Using A Safety Net (Wireless) Part 1

When networks were all wired, you’d know exactly who was on your network because they’d be connected by a cable to your switch. Unless someone snuck a 200 foot cable out your window, you could rest pretty soundly knowing that you and your family were the only users on the network. With wireless, your neighbor’s […]

Using A Safety Net (Wireless) Part 2

Allowing incoming connections A firewall’s job is to block bad packets and allow good packets. At the very simplest level your router’s firewall does this by blocking any connections that were initiated by outside hosts and allows anything that was initiated from the inside. That’s why you can request Web pages from your computer, but […]

Using A Safety Net (Wireless) Part 3

Reviewing Internet policies Your router is likely able to perform some more extensive filtering on what goes in and out, rather than just assuming everything that goes out is good. Some of this functionality is rather advanced and specialized, but some of it falls under the "why didn’t they think of that before?" category. One […]

Protecting Your Computer (Wireless) Part 1

Security is a process, not a product. Even the best software out there won’t protect you if you don’t use it properly. Fortunately, there’s a lot of good software built right into the operating system, and this topic focuses on making it work for you. Security is also a tradeoff between convenience and risk, so […]

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