The New Law of the Internet: Synchronize or Die

August 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
My office / Mi oficina
Image by Cromo via Flickr

For anyone who is in love with technology, there are certain implied laws of the internet. It HAS to be fast. It HAS to be reliable. And thou shalt NOT pirate movies on Limewire when someone else in the house is trying to game, because high lag is the equivalent of a mortal sin. With new advances, especially those of the 2009 and 2010 years, there is a new law of the web: synchronize or die.

Synchronizing can happen in many different ways and for many different types of data. You can instantly transfer your contacts, email information, calendar information, documents, files, and more. But where are you transferring it to or from? The answer these days seems to be: anywhere.

The trend began with mobile devices being integrated with Bluetooth. Bluetooth connections from a computer to a cellular phone allowed the handset to get information from the computer’s calendar, Outlook, and other programs. It became such a popular addition that it was centralized in the focus of future designs.

However, Bluetooth and direct access to the room your computer is stored in would really be asking too much of tech users. Synchronizing has been combined with cloud computing in order to offer an even better, faster, broader, and more thorough solution. Cloud computing, or internet programming that stores account based software and data on the web allows users to connect to the same information, files, and more, wherever they’re accessing it from.

A few example of items that can synchronize like this include: mobile handsets with WiFi access, tablet computers such as the ever splendid iPad, Mac or PC laptop computers, PDAs, and Mac or PC desktops. A few examples of applications that can synchronize include: Google Calendar, various email services, most Microsoft services, online documents through Word 2010 or Google Docs., and more.

While this trend may not yet be a law worthy of capital punishment for most internet users, it is certainly increasing in its importance. After all, the integration of wireless internet synchronization hardware and software on all new mobile devices is a sure sign of things to come.

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Filed Under: Computers, Information Tech., Internet, Technology, Wi-Fi Networks Tagged With: , , ,

Strengthening Your Home’s Wireless Internet

July 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Huawei Technologies D25HW 3G-WiFi Router / USB...
Image via Wikipedia

Even with super-fast internet connection, the best possible hardware, and no major bugs, it’s possible that you’re not getting the most out of your home’s wireless internet. Here are a few quick tips on getting better signal strength and faster connection with your home’s wireless router.

1. Position, position, position.

Your wireless router should be placed in the most central location possible. The router will “bubble out” from where it is positioned, so if it’s placed close to the edge of the home, much of the signal strength will be wasted. If you absolutely can’t move it, there are different antenna types that can be used so your wireless stream isn’t being wasted.

2. Make your hardware as shiny as possible.

If you don’t already have a top-of-the-line router, you can always look into something that has a little more strength. When you’re buying your modem and router, you will get more bang for your buck by investing in multiple items from the same vendor, since doing so has shown a strong tendency to increase the hardware efficiency. Beyond your router, your computer’s network adapter might get a fair deal stronger with replacement. If you can’t, or just don’t want to, replace your hardware, make sure that your firmware and device drivers are all up to date. You can also invest in extras like wireless repeaters in order to bolster signal strength in all portions of your house.

3. Get rid of interference.

There are many things that can get in the way of your router’s transmission. Metal objects, or metal materials as a part of your decor, can disrupt your wireless broadcast. Other wireless devices, such as cordless phones, can also get in the way. Getting rid of these items, moving them to different areas, or moving your router away from them, can all help improve your signal strength.

4. Secure your network.

If your internet connection isn’t password protected, it’s entirely likely that other people are leeching off of it, and that’s one surefire way to hurt your signal strength. Simply adding a password to your wireless router will get rid of these unwelcome guests.

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Filed Under: Internet, Satellite Tagged With: , ,

How to Secure Your Wireless Internet

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Securing your wireless internet is incredibly important for a number of reasons. These include avoiding having your web used for illegal purposes, keeping your files secure, and keeping your web connection as fast as is possible. Luckily, securing your internet is simple and won’t take much time. Here’s a fast step-by-step to get you through the process.

Step 1: Check for Instructions

While this guide will walk you through how to secure your network with or without special directions, it may be that your router comes with a simpler guide with a more user friendly interface that allows you to skip some of these steps. Check for that guide first, and follow its directions if possible.

Step 2: Connect to the web.

Hypothetically, you can access your router wireless before securing it. However, it’s a good idea to hard wire in with an Ethernet cable if you can. In any case, make sure it’s the only internet you’re plugged into.

Step 3: Open Command Prompt

You will need to enter the router’s IP address in order to access your control panel, but the IP address isn’t always going to be the same. You will find the IP address by opening command prompt. To open command prompt, go to the “run” feature of the Windows OS you are using and type in “CMD,” then hit enter.

Step 4: Get your router’s IP address

Now that Command Prompt is open, you will enter “ipconfig,” and push enter. Look at the text that has scrolled down, and find the “default gateway.” That’s the IP address for your router.

Step 5: Log Into Your Control Panel

Open up your preferred internet browser and enter the ip address into the address bar, then hit enter. You may be prompted to enter a username and password. Leave these blank if you don’t believe you have any, and push enter. If this doesn’t work, check your materials, information on the bottom of the router, and the support site for the router in order to find this information.

Step 6: Secure Your Network

Now select the appropriate “secure the network” command and follow the given directions.

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Filed Under: Wi-Fi Networks, Wireless Technology Tagged With: ,
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