Category Archives: Technical Tips

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Wireless Networks, Getting Maximum Quality Signal

Technical Tips

Fascinating subject, that of wireless networking. Like other subjects related to computers and technology, it has evolved fast.

What is the most common problem when it comes to wireless connections? The signal is too weak. In other words, the connection drops, or its speed is considerable slow, the quality of the connection is poor, and so on. So, what do you do?

The first and most fundamental concept you need to grasp on the subject is LINE-OF-SIGHT. In its simplest form, it means literally that, i.e. if your wireless receiver (in your computer) can SEE the transmitter (usually a router connected to the internet cable that comes into your place), you’re in good shape. Radio signals used by wireless networking connections are similar to normal light. Normal light doesn’t get through a wall. Well neither does the wireless signal. Well maybe not exactly the same. Wireless signals are slightly better at that than normal light. But you get the idea. Using that concept, you know that if your transmitter is in the living room and you are in your room, with a wall in between, the quality of the wireless connection is going to suffer. Or if you are one floor above the transmitter, again an obstacle prevents line-of-sight, this time the floor.  Add enough physical obstacles and distance, and your connection is no longer able to be sustained.

Therefore, if at all possible, maintain line-of-sight between your computer’s wireless receiver and the transmitter. If you can’t, for whatever reason, then there are several things that can be done. One is, adding a better suited antenna to the receiver, or the transmitter. Another one is increasing the power of the signal being transmitted. A third one is adding a repeater. This is perhaps my favorite one. The idea is to add an additional device between the transmitter and the receiver. Its function is to receive the signal coming from the transmitter, and re-transmit it, with new strength and proximity to the receiver. So instead of:

Transmitter ———————————> Receiver

We have:

Transmitter ———Repeater————-> Receiver

The benefits are obvious, and the results invariable.

Let me know if you are having trouble on this area. I can help you improve the quality of your wireless signal.

Advances in Computer Technology

Technical Tips

When anyone stops for a moment and starts looking at the number of technological advances in recent years/decades, it will become apparent that they seem to be popping into view faster and faster. My theory is that because advances in technology are cumulative, in an unhindered environment they will happen with a “snowball” effect. In other words, it builds momentum upon itself. For example, the series of technological advances that made the Internet possible, are now used to further accelerate technology by using the Internet itself as a communication, knowledge-sharing, collaboration tool. Think how much faster technological progress can be achieved now thanks to tools like the Internet, and compare it to 150 years ago. You get the idea. Snowball. This is true not only in computer technology, but in technology in general. However, to stay on-subject in regards the subject I usually write about, we’ll look at this phenomenon as it relates to computers.

So down to the practical side of it, what does this mean for the average computer user? In other words, is there a point to all this babbling? Well, hopefully, there is. One of the things it means is that your computer equipment is getting older faster, relatively speaking. This has two consequences: one is your computer devalues faster. The other one however is more positive: The not-so-new, yet way ahead of an “old” (over 3 years old) computer, is cheaper than before. And capable of fulfilling your basic computing needs without a problem.

Nowadays there is a breakthrough in computer technology about every 6 months. Based on that, a computer that is 3 years old is 6 breakthroughs behind. You get the idea. So when you have a computer that is older than that (3 years), and it’s not working properly, make sure to evaluate if repairing whatever might be wrong with it is worth it, because after a few hours of tech support/repairing, it’s going to be more economical to buy a new one than to repair the old one. And if you were to go with the repair option, at the end of it you’d still have an old (albeit repaired) computer. This would not be that way without the above current phenomena on the speed of technological advances. So wanted to make sure you were aware of all this.

Power Failures and Computer Equipment

Technical Tips,

So you have all your computer equipment working in tip-top shape, up-to-date, and all of a sudden you get hit with a blackout. What do you do?

Since the recent surge in the market for laptops/notebooks/netbooks, chances are you have one of those at your place. So you could think along the lines of “Well, I’ll just use the laptop then, since it has a battery”.  True. But unless your laptop has a mobile broadband card attached to it (or you know how to use your cell phone as a modem AND the cell phone has the capability to act as one AND it has internet access enabled), you will lose Internet connectivity since your modem/router also require power to operate. So what’s the solution to that problem?

UPS = Uninterrupted Power Supply. Basically a rechargeable battery and some circuitry in a case, it can keep your electric hungry devices fed for a certain amount of time in the event of a general power failure. In the irreducible minimum case portrayed above, a small UPS can power an average modem/router for at least a couple of hours. Many UPS models exist that range from that to being able to power your whole set of computer equipment for hours. Of course the bigger the UPS the more expensive it is. But again in the case above, a small one should do.

One word of warning: when there’s a blackout, unplug any electronic equipment and only plug back in after power has been restored, especially if they are not connected to the power outlet through a surge protector. Why? When power is restored after a blackout, it is initially in the form of  a surge flow of electricity that can be damaging to your computer or electronic devices.

Choosing the Best Internet Connection Service

Glossary, Technical Tips

With the increase in computers’ processing speed, amount of memory, data transfer speed in hard disk drives etc., the Internet connection speed needs to be kept up as well. Remember, your computer is as fast as its slowest component. Gone should be the days of dial-up speed… and where thousands of data units were transmitted per second, millions are now.

There are several lines one can use to connect to the Internet. From slowest to fastest, they can be broken down into the following:

Dial-up: The oldest and now slowest connection type, it travels through the telephone lines in the voice band. The fastest ones currently would allow your computer to receive a big sized picture in about 4 minutes.

DSL: Stands for Digital Subscriber Line. Similar to dial-up in that it uses the telephone lines, it differs in that it can allow for data transmission WHILE the phone line is being used for voice transmission. The reason for this is that it uses a higher frequency for data transmission than the human voice band (dial-up uses the voice band) and thus voice and data transmission can coexist on the same line. It of course also differs in that it is much faster than dial-up. DSL speeds vary greatly, but let’s just say that the same picture used in the example above would take around 24 seconds in the low end of DSL transmission speed, and little over a second on the high end.

Satellite: Comparable in speed with DSL, Satellite Internet service is an alternative to dial-up in rural and remote areas where other high-speed connection lines don’t exist. Due to disadvantages such as cost of equipment, signal problems due to bad weather, Fair Access Policies on the amount of data that can be accessed per day some of the providers have (like Earthlink’s Satellite service), I don’t recommend this option where other high-speed services exist.

Cable: It uses the cable TV infrastructure to connect your computer to the Internet. Speed wise it would roughly transmit our sample picture in about 6 seconds for the low end, and half a second on the high end.

FiOS: Stands for Fiber Optic Service. A relatively new option, it offers connectivity through optical fiber (a glass or plastic type fiber that uses light instead of electricity for data transmission).   On the higher end, you could receive 6 sample pictures, of the same size as used in the above examples, in about a second. This service however is not available in all areas. As of this writing, only Verizon offers it.

So the above is the basic data on the subject. Of course cost has not been entered into the equation here so up to you to find the best speed for the buck. Sometimes the Internet connection service is bundled with other services, such as phone and TV, which makes it more attractive, price-wise. Also most of these services have more than one tier, i.e. a company will offer a basic DSL package that goes at a certain speed, and then a premium package that is twice as fast or even more.

What is the ideal speed for you? It depends largely on your use of the Internet. Basic emailing and websites browsing don’t need great speed, while video conferencing or big downloads will need something considerable faster. Also remember that if there are several computers at your place connected to the same line, the speed to your computer will be slower if someone else is using the line simultaneously. So take that into account as well.

Computer Basics – The Elements of Your Internet Connection

Glossary, Technical Tips,

There are some concepts that, if understood, may come in handy on this subject when one uses any kind of internet connection. Even if one is not an expert on the subject, a basic grasp of these will generally help keep an internet connection going, and make it easier if you are to explain to a technician what, if anything, might have gone wrong with it or if  he/she is to walk you through corrective steps when it goes down.

In sequence, from far to close to the user, these elements are:

The Cloud:

Another name for the Internet, the term derives from the preferred way to represent it in diagrams and flow charts (as a cloud). The apparent reason for that it allows for a way to represent something that has no shape or a constant changing shape, but also conceals its actual complexity. Also in diagrams and such it is of no particular interest compared to the other internal elements of a network, which get more attention, definition and precise form. In any case, the cloud (Internet) is simply a collection of computers interconnected via a specific network protocol that allows for rapid transmission of data, be it websites, email, sound or video.

Connection:

This refers to the line that runs from the cloud to the entry-point device at your site. There are several types of connections that can be classified by method, media, or speed. For more details  see next week’s article about these.

Modem:

Regardless of what kind of connection is used, the entry-point device of your Internet connection is, as of this writing, always a modem. What is a modem, and what’s with the funny name? It’s a coined word from mo(dulator)-dem(odulator). Well that’s fine you might think, but what the blazes is modulation and demodulation then? Simply stated, modulation is transforming data into a suitable medium (audio for example) that can be transmitted over the chosen carrier (such as a telephone line); demodulation is merely reverting that process so that the data at the receiving computer matches what emanated from the originating computer.

Router:

Now that we have brought the internet connection inside (with a modem), and if one has more than one computer, normally one wants to split it. This is where the router comes in. Consider the router an intelligent signal splitter that knows what data to send to which computer. This splitting of the signal can be achieved through network cables that go from the router to each individual computer or, as it has become increasingly popular in recent times, in a wireless fashion. Remember, if you have only one computer connected to the Internet, it is possible to omit this device.

Gateway:

Sometimes in the name of technological convergence, a gateway is used instead of a modem and a separate router. a gateway is a multi-use device that includes a modem and a router, all in one. So it can take the internet signal from the street, demodulate it, and distribute it to more than one computer, wired or wirelessly.

Network card:

The next stop in your internet connection, your computer must have a network card to be able to plug a network cable coming from the modem, router or gateway (or a wireless network card to receive the wireless signal if your router or gateway is capable of supplying a wireless signal). The only exception to this is if you are using dial-up, since there are internal modems that can be in your computer and that will connect straight to a phone jack through a normal telephone cable for internet connectivity.

It would constitute a useful drill to locate and identify each of the above elements in your current setup.

Free tip of the day: Sometimes you might be asked, by your Internet Service Provider for example, to reset your internet connection by turning off and back on all the elements in this line that are under your control in order to resolve am internet connection problem you might be experiencing. Now you understand why it’s important, once powered off, to turn them back on in the proper sequence. The proper sequence is of course, modem, then router (if there is one), then your computer.

Need help with anything related to your Internet connection? Contact me.

The Blue Screen of Death – Part II

Glossary, Technical Tips

For those who missed it, this first part for this article can be found here.

So now that we have covered what a BSOD is and what it means, we can delve into what causes it and what can be done about it.

There is a variety of reasons a BSOD occurs. Namely:

  • Hardware incompatibility (conflict): This usually follows shortly after adding a new device to your computer, such as a printer. Resources already in use might be demanded by the new device, creating a conflict.
  • Software incompatibility/error: Under this we can include drivers, altogether faulty programs that make “illegal” demands from the computer, or perhaps a program not meant for the operating system installed in your computer.
  • Hardware failure: This is a broad sub-category. It includes defective RAM, an overheating component, a component that is no longer working, or about to fail (such as a dying power supply). From my experience the ones in this sub-category are perhaps the hardest to narrow down.
  • Malicious software (malware): Malicious code injected in your computer might, intentionally or unintentionally, cause a BSOD. An example of creating a BSOD on purpose is, your computer gets infected and you try to start your computer in safe-mode, but as soon as the computer starts in said mode, it crashes due to the malware trying to avoid removal. With the infections running around rampant these days, whenever a computer starts, without any explanation getting BSODs out of the, well, blue, and especially if combined with any of the other signs of an infected computer, one should get the computer thoroughly checked for malware.

So what can be done about it? as you might have guessed, a BSOD needs to be addressed on an individual basis, depending on the content of the diagnostic file created at the time it happened, and that is the first lesson to learn about how to resolve them. Because of the nature of these articles, I won’t include detailed information on how to use a debugger program to load the diagnostic files, much less how to interpret the output of the files. But if you are an intermediate user or above, there are internet forums where you can get help on doing that. Otherwise contact an expert – for example, me 🙂 – and have him/her guide you on how to resolve your computer’s crashes.

The Blue Screen of Death

Glossary, Technical Tips

My bet is more users have experienced this in a Windows based computer than the number of users that know the above to be its name. Less users than that know what it is and what it means when it happens. Even less users know what causes it. And less than that, what to do about it. So I’m here to help change those numbers.

Abbreviated BSOD, sometimes BSoD, it’s basically a fatal crash of your computer, and by fatal crash I mean an error involving core components of your system that makes it so the computer cannot continue operating, and if it could, damage to your system would possibly ensue. As its name indicates, you see a blue screen in your computer’s monitor, and depending on how it is configured, it might give you some data as to why it happened (although that initial data is not the most useful), and it might save diagnostic information in a specific file for troubleshooting purposes. Depending on how it is set up the computer might restart by itself once the diagnostic file is saved to your disk, or it might stay there until you power cycle the computer (turn it off and then back on). Depending on the cause of the BSOD, power cycling the computer might clear up the error that caused the crash (until the conditions are replicated) or it might go into a cycle where the computer is not even able to boot up without going into a BSOD, thus creating a vicious circle.

So what is it and what it means we have now covered. Next, what causes it and what you can do about it.

Stay tuned for part 2 next week. Same time, same channel!

Browsing Internet Browsers

Technical Tips

I’ve been often asked the question, what browser do I recommend? although the main alternatives I’m given are Microsoft’s Internet Explorer against Mozilla’s Firefox, there are in fact about three more main internet web browsers. Namely, Google’s Chrome, Apple’s Safari, and Opera’s… well, Opera. Although all of them have nice features and pros, the main question in terms of usage, when it comes to Windows based computers remains Internet Explorer vs. Firefox. As a note though before I get into that, Opera’s mobile browser is very well respected and it’s in fact my current choice for my smartphone (currently using Opera 10 beta), even though I must say that the mobile version of Internet Explorer that came with Windows mobile 6.5 in my phone is a noticeable upgrade from the last one.

But I’m digressing. Back to the subject. IE versus Firefox in a windows based computer. I’ll jump right to the end for those who want the executive summary and want to skip the details and say my choice is Firefox.

Why? For those who want more data, Firefox differs from Internet Explorer in the layout engine (software that allows content such as found in websites to be displayed). Firefox uses Gecko, while Internet Explorer uses Trident. Apparently the implementation of the respective layout engines and the way they have developed makes Firefox less vulnerable to attacks, more add-on friendly, and aims at being able to render more content than Internet Explorer. All these features account for the increase in popularity of Firefox from its inception to recent times. It is also worthwhile mentioning that Firefox version 3.6 has just been released, and it’s supposed to have interesting new features such as less memory usage and faster warm start times.

So while my choice between IE and Firefox is clearly Firefox, I would not discard the other competitors as new versions are released. Try them for yourself if you have the time and decide which one works best for you.

If you need help upgrading, changing or updating your web browser, let me know.

Computer Basics – What’s Inside a Computer? GPU

Glossary, Technical Tips

GPU = Graphics Processing Unit. Inside a computer, minding its own little business, we find the GPU. A microprocessor like the CPU, it is different in that it specializes in processing data related to the rendering of graphics (video) in a computer. It can be embedded in the motherboard, or in a dedicated graphics card plugged into one of the buses as an extension card. Generally speaking, a GPU in a dedicated graphics card has more power than one embedded in the motherboard.

Even though it seems that the term dedicated is synonym with a GPU being in an extension card instead of embedded in the motherboard, the factor that actually defines it as dedicated is whether or not it uses the general random access memory (sharing it with the CPU), or if it has its own dedicated memory. That also defines its power.

At the moment of this writing, over 90% of personal computers use integrated graphics solutions, since it is more cost effective and only a small portion of the users demand more than what integrated graphics can offer. Chief amongst those included in the remaining 10% are avid computer games users (gamers), and those who run  graphically intensive programs such as computer-aided design (CAD) programs.

So there you have it, another piece in the computer puzzle, the GPU.

Computer Basics – What’s Inside a Computer? CPU

Glossary, Technical Tips

Having covered the basic for the computer internals, the motherboard, let’s see what’s attached to it. Let’s start with the CPU. CPU = Central Processing Unit. Also known simply as the processor, it is the part of the computer responsible for the actual execution of your programs, the brain of the operation if you will. Every time you press Enter to execute a command or start a program, every time you click on a link or an email to open them, and so forth, it is the CPU that executes those commands. Inside your computer, if you were to locate it, it’d look like a square-shaped, black, flat component attached to the motherboard; It will – surprisingly – be located in a somewhat central position within it. While that description may fit more than one component in your motherboard, generally speaking the CPU will be the largest one.

Since it is so common to read about a computer’s processing power and speed when looking at specifications, it is worthwhile to take a closer look at what it means and how it is measured. When talking about a computer’s processing power/speed, one is, generally speaking, talking about the CPU. I grazed in one my earlier articles the concept of computer speed. Let’s go a little deeper into it.

The basic concept is, the CPU’s power is measured by how many instructions it can carry out per time unit. The more instructions it can execute by, let’s say, 1 second, the more powerful it is. Related to this, although potentially deceiving, is the CPU’s clock speed rate. The what? the CPU’s clock speed rate. Simply put, it is the number of cycles per second (measured in Hertz, abbreviated Hz) in which the CPU operates. The more cycles per second, the less time an individual instruction should take to execute.

So, the next time you see anywhere, whether in a computer ad or in your screen when looking at your computer specifications, “CPU @ 2.4 GHz”, you will know they are talking about the CPU clock speed rate (2.4 GigaHertz, 1 giga = 1,000,000,000, so 2,400,000,000 cycles per second).

There you have it. The CPU.