This list should give you an idea of what to look out for when choosing wireless network.

Speed Rating. Wireless routers generally declare their speed in megabits per second (Mbps). Older Wi-Fi models offered 11 Mbps, with mid-range 802.11g routers 54 Mbps and the most modern Draft N routers claim up to 300 Mbps. The router with the highest Mbps rating may seem like the obvious choice, but you should be aware that the actual speed your router will reach normally averages much, much lower than what’s shown on the package. What’s more, even high speed routers cannot directly increase the speed of your Internet connection. The extra speed that a new router should provide might not end up being worth it.

Popular Models. It’s worth noting that what has sold well and in great numbers must be serving a worthwhile purpose, otherwise there would be huge numbers of dissatisfied customers. Top selling network equipment is current generation technology but not at the forefront of technology. If you decide to make a choice based upon the popularity of a particular model, check its sales rankings at online retailers so that you can form a shortlist.

Warranties. Wireless Internet router manufacturers will include a warranty package with products, however it’s worth noting that the length and terms that each manufacturer offer can vary widely. A better and longer warranty period may signify that a manufacturer is confident in their product, with a shorter period of warranty showing that a manufacturer has little faith in their equipment. Make sure you factor the warranty period of all the equipment that you consider purchasing.

Take Other Peoples Opinions with a Pinch of Salt (Generally). Many people will post their opinions online to forums, opinion panels, product review sources and a range of other areas. Home networking experiences can vary drastically, and those with problems are generally the only ones with enough of a reason to write a review about their experience with a wireless router. For the few that do have problems with their equipment, there will be many, many more that have no problems at all remaining silent.

Brand Match the Network Adapters. Try to match the wireless network adapter to the router when making a purchase. Manufacturers will often optimise their products to work best with one another.

Size and Style. Most routers remain on show, so choose a router that will fit in nicely with your furnishings; if that sort of thing is important to you, of course!

Cost and Budget. Shop around and make a purchase based on your needs and requirements.

There’s a vast range of security problems that could arise if you don’t take suitable steps to securing your wireless network.

1.       Change the default usernames and passwords. When you first set up your wireless network hub in your home, you will be provided with a wireless network username and password to gain access to it and surf the internet. These usernames and passwords can be easily hacked, so change them immediately.

2.       Turn on your WPA / WEP encryption. Encryption technology changes the data so that it becomes scrambled and therefore, much more difficult to interpret by humans. All computers that operate through your wireless network will need to be compatible with these encryption settings.

3.       Don’t use the default SSID. Generally, manufacturers will use the same SSID for all their routers and access points. For example, “BTHomeHub” or “Netgear” will appear on the list of available networks. A hacker will see this and know that it is a poorly configured wireless connection.

4.       Turn on MAC address filtering. All Wi-Fi equipment has a ‘physical address’, or ‘MAC address’. Routers keep a list of connecting MAC addresses, but users can use their MAC address of their home equipment and restricts the network to only allowing users from that address. However, it is possible for hackers to fake a MAC address.

5.       Turn off SSID broadcast. Wireless access points and routers will regularly broadcast the SSID or network name so that users can find the wireless connection they need, then log onto it. It increases your likelihood of being selected for hacking, and home users don’t need this roaming feature, so you should disable it.

6.       Disable auto-connect to open Wi-Fi networks option. Many Wi-Fi networks don’t need a password or username to connect to them and your computer may be set to connect to these automatically. These should only be used as a temporary option, as it leave your computer open to attacks.

7.       Set static IP addresses to devices. The majority of home network users will be using dynamic IP addresses which are easy to set up, but work in favour of network attackers who can easily access this information.

8.       Add a firewall to every computer on the router. Most modern routers have a firewall built in, but this can be switched off. Make sure your router’s firewall is switched on. For further protection, consider adding personal firewall software to all the computers on your wireless network or for even greater protection, firewall hardware or a VPN.

9.       Put your router in the safest place. Your wireless signal can travel a long way, so try to keep it in the centre of your home, rather than next to your window.

10.   Turn the network off when not in use. If you’re going on holiday or not planning on using your wireless router for an extended period of time, switch it off.

Write It. Show It

When it comes to organising meetings, conferences and the like, the first thing you think of is most likely setting an agenda, possibly finding a room, and making sure all are in attendance. But how often, once in a meeting have you wanted to demonstrate something, or brainstorm ideas but found you do not have the correct equipment to do so?

A fantastic new product called Papershow is perfect as a business office supply that allows you to do all this, and more, without using temperamental A3 flipcharts and pens which could make your life a lot easier in the boardroom, and even after the meeting.

Papershow is quick and easy to use – pretty much in the same way as you would use an ordinary pen and paper – but not only will the words appear in front of you, but also on your computer and/or your usual projection equipment. All it requires is the Papershow notepad, along with the provided Digital Pen and a USB key that connects to your computer in order to make brainstorming or PowerPoint presentations easier to conduct.

You can get more information on how to use Papershow on the website www.papershow.com, but the interactive pad and pen allows you to write notes that will appear to everyone in attendance.

How Can You Save Yourself A Little Hassle?

You may want to write notes on top of pre-prepared presentations in order to emphasise or explain things, or you may prefer to use a plain document to record ideas, figures, action to be taken, or whatever else you think should be recorded.

You can use the buttons down the side of the pad to change your pen colour, and line thickness, as well as drawing simple shapes neatly, and erasing any mistakes.

The USB connects to the pen via Bluetooth, allowing you to save any brainstorms or edited presentations directly onto your computer to save you pesky paperwork and tedious inputting. It also allows you to send off the notes quickly and easily to anyone else that may want to see what you came up with via e-mail, or by printing out a copy directly from your computer.

The software is also compatible with most PC’s as it will run with Windows XP Service Pack 2, or higher, or Vista, so the chances are Papershow will work with your computer with little fuss.

So, if your company is looking for an office supply to make your life easier than flipcharts and board pens, or if you simply want to conduct PowerPoint presentations from the comfort of your own seat and save the hassle of having to copy your notes into your computer later and figure out what note went with what slide, Papershow could be the way forward for your business.

What Do You Think?

Have you tried Papershow in your office? Or do you have any questions about the product? We would love to know your thoughts and opinions. Leave your comments here.

Vista Speed - Part 2

Yesterday we took a look at how we can speed up your Windows Vista operating system by doing very little.  Today we are going to carry on giving you a helping hand by continuing with our helpful advice!

If you want to get more juice from your PC then read on to find out what you can do to turn your machine into a powerhouse!

System Restore

System Restores are obviously a great invention if you like to play around and then restore your system once you make a mistake.  However, if you tend to back up your data a lot, which you should do, then you can afford to turn this feature off!  However you should do this only if you’re sure you know what you’re doing as you won’t be able to restore if your computer crashes.

To do this simply open Control Panel and select System.  Then open the System Protection and make sure that the main system drive is unchecked.  Finally agree to the confirmation and keep your fingers crossed that your computer won’t crash.

Windows Defender

Malware is a real pain, but you can turn off the Windows Defender to switch off real time protection against Malware which is seriously slowing down your system.

To switch Windows Defender off simply open the Control Panel and select the Windows Defender option.  Then select the Tools option from the top menu and then select Options.  Finally make sure that the box for Auto Start is unchecked.

Remote Differential Compression

Remote Differential Compression keeps a close eye on the files over a network to make transferring as easy and efficient as possible.  However, by constantly staying on this feature is really pulling down your computer’s power so it can be useful to turn it off.

To do this first open the Control Panel and switch to the Classic View.  Then select the Program Features and choose to turn Windows features on and off.  Finally scroll down and make sure that the box for Remote Differential Compression is unchecked.

Excess Features

There are a ton of other features piled on in Vista that are seriously sucking away your computer’s power - you can just as easily go through and disable these features to make sure that your computer runs as quickly as possible.

To view and disable these features simply click Start and then Control Panel.  Then select Program Features and select Turn Windows Features on and off.  You are then given the option to disable safely any of the following features found in Vista;

•    Indexing Service
•    Tablet PC Optional Components
•    Remote Differential Compression
•    Windows DFS Replication Service
•    Windows Fax and Scan
•    Windows Meeting Space

Speeding Up Vista?

Have you found our advice helpful?  Have you managed to speed up your Vista PC?  Leave us a comment and let us know what you think…

Vista Speed - Part 1

Windows Vista had to work hard to attract people away form the ever-popular Windows XP, but once it had it managed to work its way into the hearts and minds of PC users all around the world.

However, now with the release of Windows 7 Vista is starting to feel a little old already - let’s take a look at what we can do to speed up our ailing Vista operating system and make it feel powerful once again.

Windows Search Indexing

One of the helpful tools inside Windows Vista is the feature constantly looking at files in the system in an attempt to make any search as quick and efficient as possible.  As much as this feature is helpful, it’s also slowing your system down.

Turn it off by going to Start and then to Computer.  Then right click on the C:Drive and in the General Tab make sure that the box for faster searching is unchecked.  Then in the subsequent window select “include subfolders and files”.

Automatic Disk Defragmentation

Once again, another nifty feature in Vista is the automatic disk defragmentation option - however, once again this will slow your system down tons so you should switch it off it you want to regain some power.

To switch it off simply press Start and go to Computer.  Then right click on C: Drive and select the Tools tab and make sure that the box for Run on a Schedule is unchecked.

Extra RAM

The clever thing about Vista is the possibility of adding an extra 2GB of RAM by simply plugging in a 2GB USB memory stick into the USB hub on your computer.  Your computer can see this stick as extra RAM and then speed up your computer using Windows Ready Boost.

To set this up simply plug in your 2GB memory stick (or even more if you want) and then click on Start and then Computer.  Then right click on the USB drive in My Computer and select the Ready Boost Tab.  Choose to Use This Device and select as much space as possible to use as RAM.

Hibernation

Hibernation can use a ton of system resources that really slow your computer down - the best way to get around this is to simply turn the option off!

To do this simply select the Control Panel and then the Power Options.  Then click on the Change Plan Settings and click on the Change Advanced Power Settings.  The next thing to do is to expand the Sleep selection and then the Hibernate After selection and turn the selector down to nothing and click Apply - this should really boost your system’s performance.

Looking for a boost in performance?

Are you trying to get the most out of Windows Vista?  What methods do you use to speed up your Vista operating system?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Speeding Up

How do you know it’s time to tune up your hard disk drive?  You’ll know when it’s time - your computer will slow down, it won’t be able to keep up with your disc drive and you’ll probably be crying yourself to sleep every night….

Hope is not lost however, there are things you can do to bring your hard drive back to its former glory…you don’t have to cry anymore;

Windows

Step 1 - Firstly close any open applications.  When I say open, I mean open - this means antivirus software, screen savers and any other thing running on the computer.  Check everything has been quit by pressing CTRL + ALT + Delete and make sure there is nothing in the list.

Step 2 - If there is anything in the list then make sure everything is highlighted and then press End Task to make sure each software is closed completely.

Step 3 - Then you need to open My Computer by double-clicking on the My Computer icon.

Step 4 - Then choose which hard drive you want to defragment.  If you only have one attached then your choice will be simple and if you have a number of hard drives attached then pick the one that you use to boot the computer from to start with.

Step 5 - Once you have selected the drive that you want to defrag, right click on the drive and select the Properties selection from the drop down menu.  This will bring up the Properties menu for the selected drive.

Step 6 - Once you have the Properties window opened then select the Tools tab and you will be taken to the Tools section of the Hard Drive.

Step 7 - Once in the Tools section of the Properties window for the drive you want to defrag simply click on the button labelled Defragment Now and go and make yourself a cup of tea because it can take a while!  Once done you should notice that your hard drive will  be more responsive and healthier.

Mac OS X

Unlike with Windows, we can’t supply a step by step guide because the guys over at Apple decided not to supply their computers with a defragment option on their systems for their hard drives.

However, we can advise you to go out and search for a third party application that will do the job just as well as if it were built in - search Google for the right application and you’ll find it most probably for free.

Once downloaded open it up and follow its instructions and once again go and make yourself a cup of tea.

On Macs there is the opportunity to do a partial defrag by first copying as many files as possible to the backup disk, excluding the System Folder.  Then delete the original files once they have been safely copied and then copy back the files - only attempt to do this if you are sure all your files are backed up!!!

Optimising Your Mac - Part 2

Yesterday we started looking at how you can speed up your Mac simply and often for free - today we’re going to continue our guide to see what else we can do to make your Mac experience a lot more fun…

Older OS - If your Mac is old don’t try to keep it alive by stuffing new OS releases down its throat.  By doing this you won’t be getting the most out of your Mac, you’ll just be tiring it out faster.  Instead allow it to run on the OS it was built for and you should get a better computing experience.

Cut-Back - Although you might want all the shiny bells and whistles going on in the background on your Mac they can be a serious drain to your computer’s power and processing speed.  Try to turn off features like animated backgrounds and even dock magnification and you should notice an increase in speed and power.  You may be saying goodbye to the little OS X luxuries but you’ll be happier opening up Word because it won’t take 15 minutes.

Custom Install - If you are upgrading your OS then you should be thinking about doing a custom install and choose not to install the printers and language options as well as the X11 and Developer Tools options.  You don’t really need this stuff and if you’re looking to keep your Mac as powerful as possible then don’t bother with them.  Any drivers you would need for your printer can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website or from the CD provided.

Languages - How many languages do you use on your Mac?  Unless you are a linguist that likes to show off then you are most likely only using one.  You can get rid of the rest and save yourself some space on your boot drive.  Download an application like Monolingual which goes through your system and gets rid of any language that you don’t want to keep.

Schedule Back-Ups - If you like to back-up your system often, which you should be doing at least once a week, then you should schedule your back up at a specific time that you can be sure you won’t be there for.  This way, when the back up starts up, you won’t be there to witness the loss in processor speed and you won’t have to get upset!

Duplicates - You should go through both iTunes and iPhoto looking for duplicates, and once found the duplicates should be deleted.  This is a great way to clear up some space on your system that will allow your computer to run smoothly once again.  Use the built in Find feature to help you as you can search through the libraries using many different criteria.

Speeding Up Your Mac?

Have you found our advice useful?  Have you successfully managed to speed up your older Mac?  Let us know what’s happened and if our advice has helped you out at all…

Optimising Your Mac - Part 1

Technology is moving so fast today that you can walk out of Dixons with a computer that is out-of-date by the time you get it home - you need to stay up to speed with the goings on when it comes to technology otherwise you’ll find that you aren’t compatible any more and you’re working on a computer slower than a piece of wood…

There are a few key ways to make sure that your Mac doesn’t suffer such a demise - you need to stay on top of your system to make sure that it doesn’t get too sluggish and eventually die…and this is how to stay on top of it all!

RAM - RAM is a great way of boosting the speed of your computer without spending too much money.  RAM allows you to do more than one thing at the same time so the more RAM you have the more things you can do at once without slowing the computer down.

Before upgrading you should check how much memory you have and how much your computer can handle - apps such as MacTracker are able to tell you what you need to know.

You should also remember that you should install RAM in pairs - by installing matching RAM modules you’ll experience a speed boost!

Hard Drive - A faster hard drive will speed up your Mac.  Your system can only go as fast as your hard drive allows it so try upgrading if possible and you’ll experience a boost in speed.

Graphics - Faster graphics cards can also be put down to faster speeds on your computer so check to see if you can upgrade your graphics card.  However this will only really apply if you like to spend your time playing on graphic-laden video games that demand more from graphics cards.

External HDD - Having an external hard drive will be greatly useful especially working with applications like Final Cut Pro, Garage Band and iMovie which use large file sizes.  Having an external hard drive will be able to take some of the load off the boot drive making the computer run more smoothly.

Keyboard Productivity - If you waste time looking for apps on your dock or in your applications folder then you should think about getting external keyboards and mouses that work specifically with Macs.  Some provide buttons that open applications like iPhoto and iTunes making your Mac experience much more productive.

Connections - Try, where possible, to disconnect anything from the computer that isn’t being used.  If you aren’t using your external hard drive then disconnect it, if you aren’t going to print then disconnect the printer.  This will allow your computer to concentrate on what you’re doing rather than wasting power and speed sharing it with others.

Speeding Up Your Mac?

Are you looking to speed up your Mac?  What do you do to get a faster computer?  Leave us a comment…

Tips And Tricks - Windows Vista Part 3

We’ve been trying to give Vista a little bit of support this week by bringing you some of the best tips and tricks available for the operating system - today will be no different as we take a look at some more tips and tricks making Vista so much fun…

Desktop Zoom

If you are having trouble with your eyes perhaps or you’re just fed up straining to see the little icons on your desktop then fear not - you can easily (really easily) zoom in to make them larger.

To do this simply open a Windows Explorer window, select an icon and then hold down the CTRL button and move your scroller.  The icons will get larger and you won’t have to run to Specsavers to get stronger glasses.

Health

If ever you have had a problem with a computer you will know how difficult it is to diagnose the problem yourself - with Vista the whole thing is made much easier!  Vista is kitted out with Windows Vista Reporting Tools.

You can get your hands on these tools by searching for “perf” in the Control Panel.  Then click on Performance Information and Tools and select the Advanced Tools.  Then simply click on the Generate A System Health report Option and you’ll be supplied with a list of issues with your system and what you can do to sort the problems out…

Old Skool Menus

Are you missing your old skool menus from Windows Explorer?  File, Edit View, etc. have been left out in the cold when it came to Vista - or that’s what Windows would have you believe.

All you have to do to make them reappear is press ALT and back they come.

Save A Search

Do you find that you are always on the look out for the same old file all the time?  You don’t have to go through all the fuss each and every time you want to find this file - all you have to do is click the Save Search button in the Explorer and a special folder will be created containing all the search results.

An even easier way to keep your search results close is by dragging the folder of results into the Favourite links sidebar.

Media Center

Although this isn’t exactly a secret, Media Center was never really a feature that came with Windows, you usually had to buy it as a separate operating system - Windows XP Media Center for example!

Well, now with Vista Home Premium and Ultimate it’s been provided and you can make the most of it - it’s a fantastic way to explore your photographs, music and movies and even television with the help of your friendly X-Box 360.

Vista - Time To Move On?

Are you struggling to keep loyal to Vista?  Are you disappointed with the operating system?  Are you moving to Windows 7?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Tips And Tricks - Windows Vista Part 2

Yesterday we started looking at some of the top tips and tricks available for the Vista operating system - today we are going to further our exploration by gathering some more useful tips and tricks to help you find your way around the system.

Gadgets

Do you see that row of fancy gadgets down the side of your screen?  They do indeed serve a purpose from telling you the time to telling you the weather in Brazil…but wait, there’s more.

That’s right - all you have to do is click on the plus symbol at the top of the side bar and the click on the Get More Gadgets Online to view hundreds more gadgets that you can download and use.  They’re all free and available for your use so get roaming for what you want.  You can also drag and drop these gadgets onto the desktop for more space.

Easy Search

You don’t have to know what it is that you’re looking for to find it in Vista - as long as you have some kind of inkling what it is that you want then you can simply open your Documents window, click on Organise then Folder and Search Options.

Then select the Search Tab and select “Use natural language search”.  This means that you can talk to the search engine as if it were your mate and it’ll find what you’re looking for - for example you can type in “email sent from mum” and it’ll do its best to find what you’re looking for!

Back Up

Backing Up is made easy in Vista - to back up simply go to the Backup and Restore Center through the Start Menu and then select Back Up Files.  You can then choose what it is that you want to back up from either photos, music, etc.

Power Off Button

If you thought that a Power Off button in Vista was actually there to turn off the computer then I’m afraid you would be guilty of a bad assumption - the Power Off button actually places your computer into a state close to off but not quite there so that your computer switched on much faster.

However, if you actually want your computer to power down on selection of this button they search for “Power” in the Start menu and then select the Power Options.  Select Change Plan Settings and then Change Advanced Power Settings.

Then expand the Entry for Power Buttons and Lid and then expand the Start Menu and Power Button Entry and select Sleep to choose another option from the drop down.  You can do what you like with the button from now on!

Vista - Time To Change?