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Know your Internet options

Picking out an Internet provider in the good ol' days of the Internet was easy. All you had to do was pick a company that wasn't owned by AOL and you'd be OK.

Today the choice is much tougher because you must choose between dial-up and broadband. And if you choose broadband, you must choose which type of broadband is best for you.

Here is a handy guide to help you decide.

Dial-up – Dial-up Internet the slowest way to connect to the Internet, but it is usually the least expensive if you are comparing actual costs of service. However, there are other disadvantages besides lack of speed.

Using “Run” to get places

If you have listened to the show much, you have probably heard us tell people to go into "msconfig." This tip works in Windows XP for sure, but some commands may not work in other versions of Windows.

msconfig is one run command that takes you into the Microsoft Configuration Utility, but there are other handy run commands, here are most of them.

To use any of these click on START -> RUN and type the word or phrase in the box provided.

Add Hardware Wizard
hdwwiz.cpl

Add/Remove Programs
appwiz.cpl

Automatic Updates
wuaucpl.cpl

Bluetooth Transfer Wizard
fsquirt

Firewalls Redux

Firewalls became a hot topic in the latter part of this week at HMR (a web site visitor abbreviated our name that way and it works pretty well). I decided to bring up this tip and updated it for 2006.

As recently as 2003, I recommended against dial-up users using firewalls. My reasoning for this advice included the substantially decreased time most dial-up users spend online in one stretch, ISP's provide firewall services into and out of their modem banks, and most 'hacking' at the time centered around denial of service attacks and other activities that was meant for computers with 'fat pipe' connections (DSL, cable, etc).

Today, however, I believe that a firewall is becoming an essential piece of our security arsenal. Firewalls (either hardware based or software based) prevent unauthorized access to and from your computer. The most recent threat of unauthorized use is spyware and adware. Spyware and adware can bring a system to its knees if not properly and completely stopped. A firewall can help reduce the toll of spyware and adware.

At the very least, every computer user using Windows XP should perform the following few steps to enable the XP firewall. If you have updated to XP Service Pack 2, the firewall will be enabled by default. Here's how to enable the Windows fiewall:

  1. Click My Computer from the Start menu (or your desktop)

  2. Click My Network Places from the task pane on the left

  3. Click View Network Connections again from the task pane on the left

  4. When the windows opens, RIGHT click on your Internet connection

  5. Click Properties

  6. Click the Advanced tab

  7. Check the box that says "Protect my computer and network by limiting…"

  8. Click OK

If you want a more industrial strength firewall that you can tweak and configure, try one of these free or commercial firewalls:

ZoneAlarm (free version)

ZoneAlarm Pro

Tiny Firewall

For broadband users who use a router to share access with other computers, the router acts as a firewall as well. Adam made some accurate points this week about the usability of firewalls. Too many computer users, hope to 'set it and leave it', but most firewalls require careful initial setup and a good knowledge of how to interact with the messages that it will generate. Read through your manual or go to the manufacturer's web site to learn how to best utilize your router and software firewall's capabilities.

“That’s such old technology”

I was reading a review of smart phones the other day and had to comment on a topic that comes up frequently in technology…old technology. You all know that my philosophy is 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Too often, I think companies roll out upgrades simply for the sake of upgrading when their original product functioned perfectly. Think about products like Norton AntiVirus, Microsoft Word, McAfee, Acrobat Reader, and others that hit a peak of performance and features about six or seven years ago and did their jobs well. After that, the company's programmers (maybe pushed by managers) continued to roll out product after product with very little extra functionality, but an awful lot of extra junk that was not needed nor is it used. All leading to products that slowed down computers and didn't increase efficiency in any way.

I still think that we are in the infancy of the technology age and many products and technologies need to be continually pushed and improved, but sometimes products perform all the needed functions and need not be over laden with the extra weight of unnecessary code. Microsoft Word worked great in the 1997 version and no

I should have trusted my instincts

I teach my kids to trust their instincts when making decisions, taking tests, and dealing with people. I try to do the same, but sometimes my brain (or maybe ego and curiosity) gets in the way. Over the past few years, we have talked at length about computer security and the dangers of not being secure.  After spending many hours hunkered down over an infected computer and trying to get overwhelmed computers fixed, we have come to a conclusion about fixing some of these problems. In some of the worst cases, it is cheaper and quicker to backup up the necessary user files then format the hard drive and start over with a fresh install of Windows, its updates and the proper security software.

Another reminder

For nearly ten years, I have preached the importance of keeping your anti-virus software up-to-date. Two of my clients today alone were not keeping their software updated and problems arose because of it. Every month more than 500 new viruses are released by hackers and their ilk. If your anti-virus software doesn't know about these new problems (via updates), it can't protect your computer from them.

If you have a high speed Internet connection, chances are very good that your software is staying updated by itself. However, you need to check it at least weekly to make sure the program is updating. When you open any anti-virus program (we recommend AVG and vigorously oppose the use of Norton), you will see a date next to a section marked "Virus definitions or database". This date should never be more than two week old. If it is, initiate an update immediately.

Interview with Forrest Lee of Ulead

Today, we are talking with Forrest Lee from Ulead . They recently released updates to their popular video and photo software packages, VideoStudio 10 and MovieFactory5.

FAX from your computer…

I wrote this Windows 98 fax tip many years ago, but I realized this week that some people still do need to use a fax. Here is some updated information for faxing with Windows XP:

Setup the FAX

If your computer has a modem, you should have the Microsoft Fax already setup. To see if it is ready to go, click Start –> Control Panel and double-click the Printers and Faxes option. If you see the Fax in the installed printers you are ready to go. If you don't see it next to your other printers, then Click the "Setup faxing" option from the task lists on the left and follow the instructions.

Sending a FAX

  1. Any image (including scanned images) or document you can view on the screen, can be faxed following this method:
  2. Open the document in it program (Word, Excel, etc)
  3. Click File –> Print from the menus
  4. Choose the Fax from the printer options
  5. Click Print
  6. The Fax wizard will start where you can type the name of your recepient and their phone number (if it is long distance, DO NOT enter the area code, instead type: 1-area code-phone number).

Receiving a FAX

  1. Call the party who needs to send you a fax and give them your phone number.
  2. Click Start –> All Programs –> Accessories –> Communications –> Fax, and then click Fax Console to open the Fax Console.
  3. On the toolbar, click the Receive Now button when you hear your phone ring.

 

Norton causes problems…blah,blah,blah

This is going to be a short one because I have to get to the digital photography user group soon. I just wanted everyone to know that I saw two computers with exactly the same problem today.

They were connected to the Internet, but couldn’t view the Internet. In other words, they could get windows updates and use programs like Yahoo! Messenger, but they couldn’t view web pages.

Here’s what I did to fix the problem:

1. Uninstalled Norton Antivirus

I then Installed AVG to make sure that their system was protected.

Both systems also perked up significantly after changing the antivirus.

Fact: Palm is better than Windows Mobile

I had the pleasure of setting up a new Windows Mobile powered cell phone/PDA today.

In the past, I have probably setup five similar devices and they have never gone smoothly. Today’s was the worst.

I have setup dozens of Palm powered devices and I have never had a major problem with setup that wasn’t hardware related.

As I setup the Windows Mobile device today I would go all the way through the install and then the device would attempt to sync with the computer for dates, addresses and notes. A Window would immediately pop up that said something like, "Can’t sync, reconnect the device and try again. If that doesn’t work use the ActiveSync troubleshooter."