5 Star Personal Computer
Services, LLC
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Tie home computers into
wireless or wired networks Once upon a time, when Bill Gates was only very, very rich, relatively few homes had computers and VERY few had more than one computer. But things have changed. With the price of machines dropping every day, multi-computer households are common. People replace machines every few years. The kids (or maybe the parents) get the old ones. That raises the problem of accessing printers and the Internet. Fortunately, there's some excellent networking equipment around. Basically, you can do it four ways: via cables, through the telephone or electrical lines, or through the air. None of this is very expensive. Once you're networked, everybody can use one printer or share a single Internet access point. This works especially well with a broadband Internet connection. Everyone can use it simultaneously. The fastest connections are done with Ethernet, which is also the oldest system. Newer systems can be run through the phone lines, assuming you have a jack near every computer, or your home's electrical lines. Many people today are using wireless, or Wi-Fi, as the cool people say. This is relatively easy to set up. But follow security instructions carefully. If you don't, someone nearby could pluck your data from the air. If you're an absolute beginner, ask a knowledgeable person to help you set up your network. But if you're comfortable with computers, you should be able to handle the job. Sharing of files and printers is great. But when you are using dial-up to get on the Internet, or if you only have one computer in the house using an always-on Internet connection like cable or DSL, sharing is unnecessary and it can be dangerous, because an intruder might be able to access it. That's why you want to disable file and printer sharing if you're not using it. Here's how to disable it in Windows XP or Vista:
Remember, install a firewall. And don't forget to use passwords to protect yourself from intruders. Some of these people use dictionary programs to break passwords, so never use a real word and don't use names, either. Instead, use an alphanumeric combination, such as A5i9lj2t. And it doesn't hurt to throw in some symbols, too. For example, use the asterisk, so it might look like A5i*9lj2t. And why not be really inventive and come up with something that has some meaning? These are also a good mnemonic device. But don't use any of these listed below; they're only suggestions:
Fun Stuff
Building Big!
What Does That Word Mean?
We use the Internet to watch videos, play games, view pictures and entertain ourselves. But we also use it to read news and research topics. And, when you're researching or reading news stories, it isn't uncommon to come across unfamiliar words. So what do you do? Do you ignore unfamiliar words? Do you try to guess what the words mean based on context? Or, do you pull out a dictionary? Well, you don't need to do any of these things. Instead, use DefineItFast bookmarklet. It's as simple as highlighting a word and clicking a button. You'll have a definition instantly. DefineItFast also offers a toolbar and search bar plug-in so you can have your dictionary any way you like. It's a great way to increase your vocabulary. Visit www.defineitfast.com
Please check back every week for a new Tip of the Week. I hope you enjoy them and find them useful. If you would like to be added to my mailing list and be notified when a new tip of the week has been published or if you have a particular question you would like to have answered, please send me an e-mail. All e-mail questions will be answered as quickly as possible. |
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