Discount Computers

Spyware has become the most prominent computer security problem.
How do you choose a good spyware removal tool? Beware of
antispyware software which installs spyware/adware to your
computer.

Spyware is a hidden software program. It is often used to
monitor the browsing and shopping habits of computer users.
Spyware can also be a remote control program that steals
confidential banking and personal information.

Spyware has quickly become the most prominent internet security
problem. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance,
spyware infects more than 90% of home PCs. Recent survey shows
that spyware is also sneaking into the network of corporate
computers.

Spyware is often coupled with free downloads, such as free
music, game and software downloads. Spyware may slow down
computer, hijack homepage and create uncontrolled pop-up
advertisements. Some spyware programs can remain unnoticed,
secretly gathering information from the computer. Once
installed, spyware is difficult to remove without the help of
dedicated antispyware software.

Due to the rise of spyware activity, antispyware programs are in
great demand these days. But are these spyware removal tools the
same? Do they provide the security consumers need?

There are many reports that some antispyware programs installed
their own spyware and adware to the computer. One consumer was
quoted saying: “It’s a rip-off. I downloaded the free trial of
an antispyware program, only to find out that it added its own
adware to my computer.” Other consumers have complained that the
antispyware program they use cannot detect all spyware programs.
Some even slow down the computer and create pop-up
advertisements.

There are a few good antispyware programs in the market today.
On the other hand, dozens of spyware removal programs are
blacklisted by consumers. Beware of spyware removal tools that
are heavily promoted by e-mail campaigns. Never run any free
downloads and free scans from unknown software publishers. Their
programs may as well be spyware programs themselves. Read
independent product reviews from renowned computer magazines or
reputable sources. Spending some extra time in research can save
you a lot of hassles in the long run.

About the author:
Kwan Lo is the owner of http://software.4reviews.net, an online
review site promoting top-rated, award-winning security and
utility software.

Let’s dive into something a little more complex. What if you
have a wired network already, and you’re quite happy with the
way it performs — you see no point in dismantling it and making
it wireless when it works fine as it is. You’ve got this laptop,
though, that you’d really like to use wirelessly. Basically,
what you want to do is make a wireless connection to a wired
network. This is often referred to as a network bridge.

As luck would have it, there’s a very easy way to do exactly
what you want. It’s called a wireless access point.

Partly Wireless

If you’ve got a lot of computers (on an office network, for
example) and you can’t switch them all over to wireless
networking at once, installing a wireless router is a good way
of doing it bit-by-bit. Once the router is part of the network,
you could just remove one network wire per day or per week,
replacing it with a wireless connection.

Hardware and Software Requirements

There are two kinds of wireless access points: software and
hardware ones. Wireless access point software runs on one of the
computers on the wired network, and lets wireless devices
connect to the network through that computer (the computer must
obviously be wireless-enabled).

You can get wireless access software easily — doing a web
search will give you plenty of choices. Look for one that’s open
source, as you will be able to download it straightaway for free
without breaking any laws. Unfortunately, though, the wireless
devices will only be connected to the network while the computer
in question is turned on and connected itself.

Hardware access points, on the other hand, are standalone
devices that can be plugged in anywhere on the network — you
can either buy a dedicated access point, or convert an old
computer to act as one and do nothing else. They connect to the
wired network just as a normal computer would, except that they
offer access to the network to any wireless receivers within
range.

You can leave hardware access points connected to your network
and turned on all the time, if you want. An advantage of
dedicated devices is that they generally have a greater range,
letting you use your wireless devices further away from the
access point than you could with a software access point.
Dedicated devices can be expensive, though — prices are roughly
similar to wireless routers.

How Wireless Access Points Work

An access point sends requests for data on behalf of the
wireless devices connected to it. In this way, it works a lot
like a wireless router: basically, a wireless access point is to
a wired LAN as a wireless router is to the Internet. The
difference, though, is that the devices connected through an
access point actually become part of the LAN — other computers
on the LAN won’t distinguish between the wired computers and the
wireless ones.

This is powerful, as it gives you the capability to dynamically
extend your wired LAN, without wires. In theory, there shouldn’t
be anything you can currently do over your wired network that
you won’t be able to do over the wireless extension to it.

Configuring a Wireless Access Point

You can usually configure a wireless access point as easily as
plugging it into a connection to your network, using the cable
that should be included. Your network should see the access
point and give it a networking (IP) address automatically. If
you need to do any more configuration on your access point –
for example, turning on wireless encryption — then you’ll need
to open your access point’s settings.

You can do this by going to the router’s IP address in your web
browser. If you’re not sure how to do this, refer to your access
point’s manual (you might have better luck reading the online
version, which will be updated with the latest problems people
are having). While you’re playing with your access point’s
settings, you might find it worth disabling DHCP (dynamic
network addressing) and giving your access point a static
address instead. This helps to keep your wired network more
stable.

About the author:

Original Source: Articles-Galore.com

Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of CyberTech SoftShop

Suppliers of
SuperLinker – Hyperlinking Technology for the 21st
Century.

What is WiFi?

Wifi or Wireless Fidelity, allows you to connect to the internet
from virtually anywhere at speeds of up to 54Mbps. WiFi enabled
computers and handsets use radio technologies based on the IEEE
802.11 standard to send and receive data anywhere within the
range of a base station. Wireless is a technology that’s
inexpensive, easy to use, and practical and yet… it’s a
technology that’s still very young. Here’s a quick look at what
the future could hold for wireless.

The Radio and the Phone

Wireless networks will always win over wired ones, if for no
other reason, simply because it is much cheaper for signals to
travel through the air than it is to install and maintain wires.
For example… consider that telephones were originally used for
sending and receiving news reports. When radio was invented,
this stopped almost overnight – why bother going to all that
expense when it’s free ‘over the air’? The same principle
applies to computer networking.

Imagine having a choice between a wired Internet connection and
a wireless one. The only reason to choose a wired connection
would be cost because currently it’s cheaper? However, that will
change soon. Wireless is also easier. Once the cost gap closes,
if given the opportunity, there’s no logical reason why anyone
wouldn’t switch to a wireless connection.

WiMAX

WiMAX is the next generation of wireless. It will use a standard
called 802.16. The current standard is 802.11. It’s still a work
in progress, but the possibilities are exciting.

WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
and is designed to complement existing wireless equipment…
rather than replace it. The big advantage of WiMAX is that it
greatly increases range. Rather than being measured in square
meters, which is how the current standard is measured in, WiMAX
ranges will be measured in square kilometers. Some estimates say
the best WiMAX stations will be able to transmit up to 50
kilometers or about 30 miles!

Clearly, this opens an incredibly wide range of possibilities.
Wireless access would move from LANs (Local Area Networks) to
MANs: (Metropolitan Area Networks) covering a whole town or city
with wireless access. The question would no longer be if you
could connect via wireless, but what WiMAX network you wanted to
connect too.

Other benefits of WiMAX include speed of up to 70Mbps (almost 10
MB per second) and better security. Imagine a future where
ordering Internet access is as simple as connecting your
existing wireless equipment to the network, opening your web
browser and buying a low cost subscription. That’s it – done. No
more access points, no more routers, no more configuration…
just wireless Internet, anywhere and everywhere at broadband
speeds. WiMAX is in the process of taking the world by storm.

For the latest news on WiMAX visit the WiMAX Forum (a non-profit
industry group set up to promote WiMAX) at http://www.wimaxforum.org.
WiMAX has been in development since 2001 and the first WiMAX
equipment is expected to hit the market in late 2005 or early
2006.

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a new standard for short range radio connectivity.
It is the new and promising field in the wireless communications
standardization activities, which will profoundly affect the
operation and applications of electronic gadgets of the future.
The most obvious purpose of Bluetooth technology is to replace
USB and it’s designed to eventually replace almost every wire
there is… except power cables. What does that mean? It means
that someday your TV could be connecting to your DVD player via
Bluetooth or your speakers could connect to your radio with it,
and so on and so on.

As you get older, expect to see fewer and fewer wires. I know…
people said the same thing about paper but it turns out that
people like paper and don’t want a ‘paperless society’. On the
other hand, how many people do you know who have cable or wire
fetish? The biggest remaining article is reliable wireless
power. When they figure out how to provide reliable wireless
power (i.e. better batteries)… look out because the flood
gates will really open up.

A Simpler Life

Convenience… the first benefit of wireless technology that
comes to my mind. Wires have so many flaws, especially when they
go long distances and the overall wireless project is to remove
the vast majority of them from our lives. Of course, another
nice benefit will be cost because once wireless if up and going
full-bore it will cost less than wire based transmission.

My prediction… within 10 years, wireless access will be making
everyone’s life much easier and it will be the norm. The future
is wireless!

About the author:
Kevin Erickson is a contributing writer for:
http://www.zephyrnet.com and http://www.eyeonvoip.com and
http://www.usfairtrade.com. This article may be reproduced only
in its entirety.