Month: January 2013

3 Things to Know When Choosing a Wireless Router

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 6 Comments on 3 Things to Know When Choosing a Wireless Router

choosing-a-wireless-router
I’ve seen a lot of questions online and in my email lately asking “How do I choose a wireless router?”

It can be an overwhelming choice, especially for those just starting out on their wireless journey. There are so many to choose from, they have their own alphabet, and some come with more features than the Starship Enterprise.

With that in mind, I started a new “How-To” article series to help answer some of these questions. These articles are geared mainly toward those folks who know little to nothing about wireless networks and this one, specifically, deals with how to go about choosing the right wireless router for your home and technology needs.

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The ABCs of Wireless Home Networking

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 8 Comments on The ABCs of Wireless Home Networking

the-abcs-of-wireless-home-networkingMy wife’s a smart lady, but a couple of weeks ago we were replacing our home wireless router and she found herself a bit stumped. So she did what any smart person does when faced with something unknown; she asked a bunch of questions.

During her gentle 3rd Degree, I realized the questions she was asking were the same questions I’ve been seeing lately in my email and online and a new “How-To” article series was born, this time on the home wireless network.

These articles are geared toward those folks who know little to nothing about wireless networks and this first one, specifically, covers the ABCs of wireless networking.

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Tips on Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 7 Comments on Tips on Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
McAfee, Inc

You’re careful about checking your doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed at night. You store your personal papers in a secure location. But did you know that, depending on how you use your personal computer, an identity thief may not need to set foot on your property to steal your personal information?

Now that virtually everything from shopping to banking to filing your taxes can be done with just a few clicks of the mouse, more of your personal, and personally identifiable, information is stored on your home computer. This could be anything from birth dates to tax returns. The tips below can help you keep your computer, and the personal information it stores, safe.

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Don’t Lose Your Hard Work – Protect Yourself from a Power Surge

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 6 Comments on Don’t Lose Your Hard Work – Protect Yourself from a Power Surge

Power surges occur when the flow of electricity is interrupted then restarted, or when something sends electricity flowing back into the system.

Surge voltages can range from five or ten volts when you turn on a small appliance, to thousands of volts when lightning strikes a transformer.

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How to Create A Secure Password

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 7 Comments on How to Create A Secure Password

Why Are Passwords Required?

Image of a Vault Door
Make your password bank vault-secure!

Passwords are a pain to create, and for those of us whose memories have more holes than a colander, even more painful to remember. But consider, for a moment, all of the personal information protected by that password:

  • Bank accounts
  • Email accounts
  • Online shopping
  • Credit cards

In this technology rich age, even your children’s school grades are online. Without a strong password acting as the gate to the city, the thundering internet hordes have full access to your inner most details on the “net.” With just a few pieces of personally identifying information a savvy internet thief could be booking trips to Costa Rica, or worse, committing crimes, under your name and leaving you to pay the bill.

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What is Voice Over IP (VoIP) and Do I Need It?

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 1 Comment on What is Voice Over IP (VoIP) and Do I Need It?

What is VoIP?

Man on a phone and a laptop.“VoIP” stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol” and is fairly self-explanatory. Basically, VoIP is a means of converting analog audio signals (your voice) into digital data that can be transferred over the Internet. In other words, you can make a phone call using your personal computer’s (PC) internet connection rather than your land-line or cell phone.

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Desktop PC

How to Choose Your Next Desktop, Laptop or Tablet PC

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 18 Comments on How to Choose Your Next Desktop, Laptop or Tablet PC

 


You’re in the market for a new computer, but how do you know whether to choose a desktop, laptop, or tablet? It boils down to asking yourself one simple question:

How am I going to use this new computer?

With a desktop, you get more power and features that just can’t fit into a laptop-sized package. You also tend get more for your money with a desktop. If space is not an issue and you don’t need to lug your PC around with you, then a desktop is your best choice.

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5 Steps to Buying a New Desktop

Posted on | by Jon Bristow | 8 Comments on 5 Steps to Buying a New Desktop

Congratulations on your decision to buy a new Desktop PC! Don’t be overwhelmed by all of the choices there are for new desktop. We help you breakdown the selection process to five easy steps.

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