Applications you can't do without...
Now that you've got your wireless connection working, you're ready to surf the 'Net and fill your laptop with all kinds of downloads, right? Wrong! If you're anything like the millions of computer users around the world, you probably use your system to store everything from pictures to music to videos to emails to contacts. In other words, your life. On top of that, if you transact business online (banking and purchases) without adequate protection, you leave yourself open to the possibility of identity theft (bank acount, credit card and social security numbers). The loss of any or all of these can cause great anxiety and depression.
So the first thing you need to do is SECURE your system. It's easy to protect a system if you apply a strategy of 'best practices' which I outline below. Many users think that by activating Windows' built-in Firewall and keeping systems updated, computers are protected. Nothing could be further from the truth. Microsoft is not a security provider (at least, not an experienced one), even though they have ventured into the field with their Windows Live One-Care product.
Viruses and other infections, collectively known as malware, can only come from three sources: Websites embedded with malicious code such as porn sites, fake bank Websites that solicit confidential info such as passwords or credit card numbers (phishing), P2P sites (spyware) and other free download sites that have occult harmful payloads that register keystrokes (keyloggers) or allow third parties to take control of your system (botnets); infected email attachments with programs that install themselves when opened; and infected files downloaded from external media such as USBs, DVDs and CD-ROMs.
Incidentally, an authentic bank site would NEVER ask you to divulge confidential information, so if you get an email notice from your bank asking for account number confirmation, it's surely fake. If in doubt, call your bank. Better safe than sorry. Lately, there's also been a lot of concern over the security of social networks like Facebook. So be careful of the type of information you put out there and who you allow to see it.
Indeed, the bad guys are always one step ahead because there's a lot of money to be made (http://tinyurl.com/techweekpanda) from all kinds of scams.
So let's go step-by-step.
1. Partition your hard disk
The first thing you have to do is partition your hard disk. Normally, viruses and other malware will target your computer's C: drive boot sector because that's where the operating system, registry and applications reside. Most people don't bother to partition their disks so most data files and personal information also reside on the C: disk. Create a partition (a virtual disk) for your stored data and personal files. That way, even if your entire C: drive is infected requiring a complete system reinstall, your files will remain unaffected and safe. Windows Vista comes with a basic built-in disk partitioning tool that is fine for end users. However, if you manage several physical internal or external disks, I suggest you use a good partitioning application such as PowerQuest's Partition Magic, a company specializing in disk management acquired by Symantec in 2003.
In Windows Vista, simply right click the My Computer icon and go to Administer/Manage (my OS is in Spanish so I'm translating directly) - Storage - Disk Administrator/Manager. On the right pane, you will have a visual of how your disk is partitioned. Normally, your hard drive will have two partitions, C: (system) and D: (recovery) which are factory set. This is true for most systems sold in Europe. Right click on disk C: and select "Reduce Volume" and specify the size by which you want to reduce the C: drive (normally half the original size is good). What this does is reduce the size of your C: drive creating a new virtual drive with the amount of disk space which you can designate with any letter and name. Make sure this new virtual disk is an NTFS (NT File System) partition. Once created, you can store all your personal files (pictures, music, videos, contacts) in this new partition.
2. Surf safely
Your laptop/computer probably came with an antivirus program when you purchased it. If not, you need to get and install a comprehensive solution before you surf the Web. Today's solutions have evolved and most include a combination of antivirus, antispam, antiphishing, antispyware, firewall and intrusion prevension system (IPS) features designed to provide a safe Internet experience. There are many diferent security providers including free antivirus applications. However, security is one THE one aspect of computers you cannot put a price on, just as you would not be able to put a price on the safety of your children. When it comes to security, don't scrimp, be conscientious. Remember the old adage: Better safe than sorry.
Nowadays, most security providers offer variations of the same solutions, Internet Security. I've tried several in the past and some were better than others. Over the past two years I've been using Kaspersky's Internet Security on my desktop not only because it does a good job and offers a lot of granularity (fine tuning), but because it is light on system resources - you hardly notice it working in the background.
This new HP laptop I'm using came with a 60 day license of Norton's Internet Security 2009, and it is the first Norton product I've used that is lightweight. My experience with previous editions of Norton security products was negative as they were all resource hungry. I remember being severely hampered by my Norton-protected, limited capacity workstation at work. However, I was truly surprised by this version of Internet Security. In addition to providing total web surfing protection (all the features mentioned above), NIS 2009 provides a neat little feature that stores your credit card information for online purchases. When you're ready to complete a purchase, you simply call up the Identity Safe function and NIS 2009, together with its antiphishing feature, evaluate the validity of the page requesting your credit information. Once NIS 2009 assures you of the site's authentication, it supplies your credit card details to finalize the purchase upon your approval.
Which brings me to another point. If you are fond of online shopping, rather than having to enter your credit card information everytime you make a purchase, I suggest signing up with a third party provider such as Pay Pal. Signing up with Pay Pal is free and transactions cost you nothing. The service manages your credit information (encrypted) for you and charges the seller a commission. You enter your credit details only once and when you're ready to make a purchase, Pay Pal guarantees payment to the seller. This eliminates the need of entering your credit details in multiple sites reducing the risk of identity theft.
Next up, backing up your data...
Part deux...
According to the Quick Installtion Guide, after you’ve connected the laptop to the AP, type http://192.168.2.2 in Internet Explorer’s (IE) address bar to call up the security configuration interface. The SMCWEB-N, with four Ethernet LAN ports, requires no application or driver downloads, all software is preinstalled in the Access Point itself.
I have to admit that I’m one of those guys that never reads a user manual because, like any big kid, I can’t wait to start playing with my new toys. If the instruction manual is longer than three pages, I don’t even bother reading the table of contents. I just dive right in. This attitude must be something innate in men and somewhat akin to never asking a woman for directions or stopping to read a map when you’re on a road trip. It’s hardwired into our genetic code to know machines. And I admit I should have read the CD manual because there was no way to get the AP interface up and running.
Finally, after reading the manual (there’s a reason why manufacturers include instructions), I realized that the configured IP address (Control Panel – Networks and Internet – Shared Resources and Networks Center – Manage Network Connections – Local Area Network Connection – Internet Protocol version 4 – Properties in Windows Vista) must be within a certain range of values to access the AP’s configuration interface. Normally, the IP address is obtained automatically or the ISP gives you a fixed value. Whichever the case may be, all that’s required is to select the box marked: “Use the following IP address” and enter a value between 192.168.2.3 and 192.168.2.254, and a “Subnet Mask” of 255.255.255.0.
And voilá! When you type http://192.168.2.2 in IE’s address bar, SMC’s configuration interface pops up. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. All the user has to do is enter “admin” for the name and “smcadmin” for the password to launch the security configuration wizard, Wireless Network Setup, with five tabs: Basic, Advanced, Tools, Status and Help.
Basic: Click the Basic tab to setup the AP. If you currently do not have wireless access (and I’m guessing that’s why you bought the access point to begin with), setup the SMCWEB-N as a wireless Access Point using the Add Wireless Device wizard. This device comes with a switch that gives you the choice of using the unit as an access point or client. By default, it’s set to AP. All the user has to do is give the unit an SSID name that identifies the device in nearby wireless networks. In my case I used “SMCWEB-N”, but you can use any name you want.
Next, the wizard will prompt you for the type of security you want to implement and suggests several options: WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc. What do these initials stand for? All I know is that they are encryption standards offering varying degrees of authentication security, the most recent and advanced being WPA2. That’s all I have to say about it since I’m not that technical anyway. At any rate, the device suggests WPA2 TKIP encryption and I figure that, in these matters, the machine knows more than I do. So after selecting this option, you are asked to enter a password to prevent third party clients (PDAs, laptops, cell phones, etc.) from accessing your network connection when they are within reach of your access point. Write down this password and keep it in a safe place in the event that you are asked to re-enter it, which could happen during a system failure or power outage. With respect to passwords, choose an adequate length alphanumeric string using a combination of numbers and upper and lower case letters.
And voilá! When you type http://192.168.2.2 in IE’s address bar, SMC’s configuration interface pops up. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. All the user has to do is enter “admin” for the name and “smcadmin” for the password to launch the security configuration wizard, Wireless Network Setup, with five tabs: Basic, Advanced, Tools, Status and Help.
Basic: Click the Basic tab to setup the AP. If you currently do not have wireless access (and I’m guessing that’s why you bought the access point to begin with), setup the SMCWEB-N as a wireless Access Point using the Add Wireless Device wizard. This device comes with a switch that gives you the choice of using the unit as an access point or client. By default, it’s set to AP. All the user has to do is give the unit an SSID name that identifies the device in nearby wireless networks. In my case I used “SMCWEB-N”, but you can use any name you want.
Next, the wizard will prompt you for the type of security you want to implement and suggests several options: WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc. What do these initials stand for? All I know is that they are encryption standards offering varying degrees of authentication security, the most recent and advanced being WPA2. That’s all I have to say about it since I’m not that technical anyway. At any rate, the device suggests WPA2 TKIP encryption and I figure that, in these matters, the machine knows more than I do. So after selecting this option, you are asked to enter a password to prevent third party clients (PDAs, laptops, cell phones, etc.) from accessing your network connection when they are within reach of your access point. Write down this password and keep it in a safe place in the event that you are asked to re-enter it, which could happen during a system failure or power outage. With respect to passwords, choose an adequate length alphanumeric string using a combination of numbers and upper and lower case letters.
And with that, your SMCWEB-N Access Point should be ready to use, as mine was. I won’t go into the other Tab options because, frankly, when I saw that my AP was working fine and securely, I left it at that. No point in lookin’ to fix what ain’t broke!
The only thing left to do is disconnect the Ethernet cable from your laptop, connect it to your broadband modem, and connect your desktop (previously connected to your modem) to the LAN2 port of your AP device.
Lastly, don’t forget to reset your laptop’s IP address (3rd paragraph of ‘part deux’ above) to “Set IP address automatically” in the properties section of your TCP/IP version 4 Protocol.
When you reboot your laptop, go to “Connect to” in the Start menu (Windows logo button). You should see a list of all the wireless networks in the vicinity, among them ‘SMCWEB-N’. Double click on this network and if you are prompted for a password, use the one you wrote down and (hopefully) kept. The AP will recognize it and connect you automatically.
The only thing left to do is disconnect the Ethernet cable from your laptop, connect it to your broadband modem, and connect your desktop (previously connected to your modem) to the LAN2 port of your AP device.
Lastly, don’t forget to reset your laptop’s IP address (3rd paragraph of ‘part deux’ above) to “Set IP address automatically” in the properties section of your TCP/IP version 4 Protocol.
When you reboot your laptop, go to “Connect to” in the Start menu (Windows logo button). You should see a list of all the wireless networks in the vicinity, among them ‘SMCWEB-N’. Double click on this network and if you are prompted for a password, use the one you wrote down and (hopefully) kept. The AP will recognize it and connect you automatically.
I have to say that I am very pleased with my SMCWEB-N device. On a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the most difficult, I give this device a mark of 2 with respect to the difficulty of its setup. It was rather simple to configure and its 802.11 draft N protocol gives my laptop better performance than my desktop. Of course, the fact that my laptop is a 64-bit system with 4GB of RAM, as opposed to my 2GB 32-bit desktop, also helps. Nonetheless, I’m very pleased with it and it has helped dispel my cynicism of wireless devices.
NOTE: The AP is not a router meaning you won’t be able to access your home printer from your laptop unless your printer has an Ethernet port. But that’s a whole other configuration story.
Next up: Applications you can’t do without…
NOTE: The AP is not a router meaning you won’t be able to access your home printer from your laptop unless your printer has an Ethernet port. But that’s a whole other configuration story.
Next up: Applications you can’t do without…
Then…
Ten years ago, my sister gave me an iBook (Apple), a laptop without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capability and full of compatibility problems with Windows applications (Excel never worked liked it should have and the Apple store was charging me more than the price of a new one to get it fixed). After that, I never took the iBook seriously and parked it in some corner of the house to gather dust. Since then I’ve been strictly a desktop model user.
Three years ago, I decided to check out the ‘triple-play’ (TV, phone calls, Internet) package of one of the biggest ISPs in Spain. The techs came to the house and changed my PC’s 1MB ADSL modem with a 3MB wireless router and a TV decoder. After that, everything went downhill fast! I experienced constant connectivity problems, and the times I could connect to the Internet, the speeds were waaay below those advertised. I was constantly calling tech support (which, incidentally, were not free calls at all as they had me believe) for some kind of explanation, but none was forthcoming. I tried everything short of signing up with a new service provider, something I regret not doing sooner. In the end, the techs gave up and washed their hands off the whole incident saying the problem lay with my PC since their dashboard gauges were all showing positive results. The problem, according to the tech, was my computer was too old; I needed to get myself a new one.
Like an idiot, I believed them and marched straight out to buy myself a new desktop PC, a system I still use at home. After more than 700 euros and an additional six months of extremely bad or absolutely no service from the same provider (they never did figure out the cause of my poor connectivity), I decided to call it quits and angrily gave these guys the pink slip for having wasted my time. I changed my service provider and hooked up with a company that offered 20MB bandwidth and free local calls (no TV).
Thanks to that wireless experience that had me wired to tech support at all times, I decided to forego venturing into wireless products other than my cell phone. That is, until now.
…and now
A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to buy a laptop at bargain basement prices. In addition, a manufacturer offered to let me try out a wireless Access Point (AP) which I could keep in exchange for a write up. As a technology journalist, these are the few perks of the trade we enjoy. So, I thought, why not? I’ll document the whole process in a blog.
And this blog is it: what I did, how I did it, and why I did it.
1. The laptop
Ten years ago, my sister gave me an iBook (Apple), a laptop without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capability and full of compatibility problems with Windows applications (Excel never worked liked it should have and the Apple store was charging me more than the price of a new one to get it fixed). After that, I never took the iBook seriously and parked it in some corner of the house to gather dust. Since then I’ve been strictly a desktop model user.
Three years ago, I decided to check out the ‘triple-play’ (TV, phone calls, Internet) package of one of the biggest ISPs in Spain. The techs came to the house and changed my PC’s 1MB ADSL modem with a 3MB wireless router and a TV decoder. After that, everything went downhill fast! I experienced constant connectivity problems, and the times I could connect to the Internet, the speeds were waaay below those advertised. I was constantly calling tech support (which, incidentally, were not free calls at all as they had me believe) for some kind of explanation, but none was forthcoming. I tried everything short of signing up with a new service provider, something I regret not doing sooner. In the end, the techs gave up and washed their hands off the whole incident saying the problem lay with my PC since their dashboard gauges were all showing positive results. The problem, according to the tech, was my computer was too old; I needed to get myself a new one.
Like an idiot, I believed them and marched straight out to buy myself a new desktop PC, a system I still use at home. After more than 700 euros and an additional six months of extremely bad or absolutely no service from the same provider (they never did figure out the cause of my poor connectivity), I decided to call it quits and angrily gave these guys the pink slip for having wasted my time. I changed my service provider and hooked up with a company that offered 20MB bandwidth and free local calls (no TV).
Thanks to that wireless experience that had me wired to tech support at all times, I decided to forego venturing into wireless products other than my cell phone. That is, until now.
…and now
A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to buy a laptop at bargain basement prices. In addition, a manufacturer offered to let me try out a wireless Access Point (AP) which I could keep in exchange for a write up. As a technology journalist, these are the few perks of the trade we enjoy. So, I thought, why not? I’ll document the whole process in a blog.
And this blog is it: what I did, how I did it, and why I did it.
1. The laptop
With so many different makes and models to choose from, the decisive question always reverts to ‘What use will I make of my laptop?’ And depending on the answer, you can narrow down your options. I wanted an all-in-one (professional, personal and entertainment) robust laptop with the latest wireless technologies at a price within my budget, between 600 and 900 euros. My other requirement was that it be small and light enough for road warrior duty. As a journalist, I get to travel around quite a bit and I wanted something light and easy to lug around. If on top of that I could find something that would be the envy of the office, then so much the better.
I finally opted for an HP Pavilion dv3550es with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (very quick), 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor (quicker even), 4GB of DDR2 RAM (you can never have enough RAM), 13.3” WXGA 1280x800 resolution Brite View wide screen monitor (very sharp), Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS graphics card (for gaming power), 320GB SATA HDD (I would have wished for 500GB, at least), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, integrated webcam and mike, Altec Lansing speakers, remote control, biometric digital reader, 5-in-1 memory card reader, with HDMI output (easy connect to your HD flat screen TV) and other doo-dads. Total weight: 1.87 kilos or approximately 4 pounds.
On the inside, the Pavilion includes a 60 day license of Norton Internet Security 2009, a 90 day license of Microsoft Office 2007 Home Edition, Microsoft Works (the cheap, unlimited-use version of Office), Windows Mail (the Works version of Outlook Express), Adobe Reader 5.0, and HP MediaSmart and HP ProtectSmart, a media center management application and hard disk protector, respectively.
This laptop is cool both inside and out. It has a nice bronze-finish metal carcass (I don’t know that it’s titanium) and a very thin profile footprint.
The only thing bad I have to say about it is the keyboard. The keys, like the frame are bronzed metallic with a smooth touch and solid feel unlike the cheap, jerky plastic keys on most of today’s laptops. However, the markings are in black which makes the keys hard to distinguish in dim light conditions. Were it not for this oversight on HP’s part, I would have given this Pavilion an A+ on everything from looks to size to performance to price. As it is, the best I can do is give it an A-.
2. Access Point configuration procedure
I finally opted for an HP Pavilion dv3550es with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (very quick), 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor (quicker even), 4GB of DDR2 RAM (you can never have enough RAM), 13.3” WXGA 1280x800 resolution Brite View wide screen monitor (very sharp), Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS graphics card (for gaming power), 320GB SATA HDD (I would have wished for 500GB, at least), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, integrated webcam and mike, Altec Lansing speakers, remote control, biometric digital reader, 5-in-1 memory card reader, with HDMI output (easy connect to your HD flat screen TV) and other doo-dads. Total weight: 1.87 kilos or approximately 4 pounds.
On the inside, the Pavilion includes a 60 day license of Norton Internet Security 2009, a 90 day license of Microsoft Office 2007 Home Edition, Microsoft Works (the cheap, unlimited-use version of Office), Windows Mail (the Works version of Outlook Express), Adobe Reader 5.0, and HP MediaSmart and HP ProtectSmart, a media center management application and hard disk protector, respectively.
This laptop is cool both inside and out. It has a nice bronze-finish metal carcass (I don’t know that it’s titanium) and a very thin profile footprint.
The only thing bad I have to say about it is the keyboard. The keys, like the frame are bronzed metallic with a smooth touch and solid feel unlike the cheap, jerky plastic keys on most of today’s laptops. However, the markings are in black which makes the keys hard to distinguish in dim light conditions. Were it not for this oversight on HP’s part, I would have given this Pavilion an A+ on everything from looks to size to performance to price. As it is, the best I can do is give it an A-.
2. Access Point configuration procedure
After creating the user accounts and configuring the biometric reader, the first step in the life of any computer is configuring Internet access. For me, this was the moment of truth as my past experiences had made me rather cynical and apprehensive.
SMC Networks manufactures a whole line of Internet access devices from routers to Access Points. They gave me a choice between a router and an Access Point, and after relating my previous experiences, they suggested I try their easy-to-configure SMCWEB-N wireless Access Point (AP) with the new ‘draft N’ standard of the 802.11 wireless communications protocol. The AP
also includes the ‘b’ and ‘g’ standards.
According to the quick installation guide, the only thing the user has to do is connect the laptop (via Ethernet cable provided) to the LAN1 port on the rear of the AP, start Internet Explorer, and type http://192.168.2.2 on the address bar. I’m one of those guys who makes it a point to get by with the least amount of effort. In other words, I never read the instruction manual. Usually, I make do with the quick installation guide.
SMC Networks manufactures a whole line of Internet access devices from routers to Access Points. They gave me a choice between a router and an Access Point, and after relating my previous experiences, they suggested I try their easy-to-configure SMCWEB-N wireless Access Point (AP) with the new ‘draft N’ standard of the 802.11 wireless communications protocol. The AP
also includes the ‘b’ and ‘g’ standards.According to the quick installation guide, the only thing the user has to do is connect the laptop (via Ethernet cable provided) to the LAN1 port on the rear of the AP, start Internet Explorer, and type http://192.168.2.2 on the address bar. I’m one of those guys who makes it a point to get by with the least amount of effort. In other words, I never read the instruction manual. Usually, I make do with the quick installation guide.
Next: Part deux...
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