About.com Wireless / Networking

DISCUSS: Braindumps are Illegal

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:52:20 +0000

A spammer on our message board recently posted a set of product advertisements that appeared to include braindumps for computer networking certification exams. What's a braindump? According to O/Siris, braindumps are illegal copies of exam questions. Find out why braindumps are considered unethical at best, and check out his good tips for identifying questionable outfits that peddle these things.
→ Discuss - Braindumps are Illegal
→ See also - What Is a Braindump? (certification.about.com)

DISCUSS: Braindumps are Illegal originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 02:52:20.

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iPhone Officially on Sale in China, Without Wi-Fi

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:46:51 +0000

The iPhone officially went on sale in mainland China this weekend following an agreement between Apple and the Chinese government to remove Wi-Fi support from them. Why does China insist on keeping Wi-Fi off of the iPhone? The reason appears to be a desire to discourage the spread of devices that allow free voice over IP (VoIP) phone calling. However, it was apparently a temporary restriction, as the ban against Wi-Fi on iPhone has allegedly been lifted for future manufacturing.
→ More - iPhone Gets Lukewarm Reception in China (wsj.com)

Apple iPhone - Photo: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images

iPhone Officially on Sale in China, Without Wi-Fi originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 02:46:51.

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LaCie d2 Network Home Media Server

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:08:31 +0000

LaCie is one of the many companies that makes and sells Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices for home and business. Some of these boxes, including the LaCie d2 Network, are billed by some as "home media servers." While there's no official distinction between a media server and an ordinary NAS server, NAS devices designed for home networks tend to offer more features for easily loading and sharing music and video files from iTunes or P2P networks. d2 includes both iTunes and (limited) BitTorrent server support. LaCie additionally targets Mac owners with the d2 Network, which supports Time Machine and comes with a Mac backup software program.

LaCie still sells its older NAS products too, including Network Space and Ethernet Disk mini - Home Edition. d2 Network is the only one of the three LaCie currently offers in 1.5 TB and 500 GB flavors in addition to today's standard 1 TB setup.

→ See also - NAS Drives - Top Network Storage Products for Home

"LaCie d2 Network - Home Media Server" - Image: www.lacie.com

LaCie d2 Network Home Media Server originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 00:08:31.

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DISCUSS: Setting up Wireless Internet at an Apartment Complex

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:25:44 +0000

Setting up Internet access when moving into a new apartment can be just like working with wireless hotspots at a school or cafe, As posted to our message board by 'opurdy':

"I'm moving to an apartment complex where people sit out with laptops and pick up a wireless signal. I have a Dell desktop with a router now and a [wireless] adapter ... . Will my adapter pick up that signal to get Internet? Or will I no doubt have to sign up for Internet?"

→ Discuss - Setting up Wireless Internet at an Apartment Complex
→ See also - Finding and Using WI-Fi Hotspots

DISCUSS: Setting up Wireless Internet at an Apartment Complex originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 01:25:44.

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First Internet Live Concert Broadcast via BitTorrent

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:48:51 +0000

[via TorrentFreak] - It was staged in northern Norway and far, far from being a mainstream music act, but yesterday marked the completion of the first live Internet concert via BitTorrent P2P technology. The performance showed an old Russian silent film called "Mother" with a live soundtrack being played by musicians in the background. You can view a recorded clip from the performance over the BitTorrent network via the Far North Living Lab, who sponsored the event.
→ More - FarNorthLivingLab - Mother (farnorthlivinglab.no)

First Internet Live Concert Broadcast via BitTorrent originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 20:48:51.

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Sustainable Networks

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:42:14 +0000

It may seem quite a stretch to associate computer networking with environmental conservation issues and so-called "green" initiatives, but a book published this month tries to do exactly that. "The Sustainable Network: The Accidental Answer for a Troubled Planet" is a new O'Reilly title that examines the ramifications of public and private networks becoming an increasingly integral part of our daily lives. The book may not offer too many novel ideas or cover much new ground. However, just about any time spent thinking about sustainability these days is worthwhile. What do you think?
→ See also - What Is Sustainability? (biotech.about.com)
→ See also - Campus Sustainability Day - 21 October 2009 (collegelife.about.com)

"The Sustainable Network - The Accidental Answer for a Troubled Planet" - Image: www.oreilly.com

Sustainable Networks originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 03:42:14.

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What Is RouterLogin.com?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:29:33 +0000

Normally when logging into a broadband router to do administration work, you must know the router's internal IP address such as 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, and so on. The correct address to use varies depending on the model of router and whether its owner has chosen to override the default value. It's easy to forget these arcane numbers as most people don't log into routers every day.

One of the router companies, Netgear, had an idea to help customers remember the address of their routers. Netgear ships many of its home routers configured to use www.routerlogin.com (and www.routerlogin.net) instead of an IP address. When you vist these URLs from inside your home network, a Netgear router recognizes the Web site domain names and translates them to the appropriate router IP address automatically. (If you visit these URLs and don't have one of these Netgear routers, the link simply redirects to Netgear's technical support home page.) This is a nice system, although other router vendors have chosen not to offer a similar capability for whatever reason.

→ See also - DNS - Domain Name System

What Is RouterLogin.com? originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 15:29:33.

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HideIP VPN

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:18:59 +0000

HideIP is a virtual private network (VPN) service designed to provide anonymous Internet access. (High-speed Internet service itself is not included.) With a HideIP account, your connection uses IP addresses based in the United States and United Kingdom. That appeals to folks based in other countries, as it allows them to access many popular Web sites open only to US or UK customers.

On the first day of each month, a limited number of free HideIP accounts are offered online on a first-come, first-served basis. Paid accounts cost about USD $10 per month. Note that HideIP prohibits P2P traffic across its servers.

→ More - HideVPN (hidevpn.com)

HideIP VPN originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 13:18:59.

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DISCUSS: Choosing a Wired Broadband Router

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:24:40 +0000

From 'Rudinator' - "I have never had a router before. I am running a standalone computer with a cable modem to connect to the Internet. I have no reason to ever be part of a network, I have no desire to have more than one computer in my home. I have no desire to set up a wireless router. I have an old Dell Dimension 8200 (2001 model) and I would just like to make my computer more secure with a wired router. Any suggestions?"

The first question to ask in this situation: Would adding a router really make an old PC more secure?
→ Discuss - Choosing a Wired Broadband Router

DISCUSS: Choosing a Wired Broadband Router originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Saturday, October 17th, 2009 at 03:24:40.

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What Is Wi-Fi Direct?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:44:01 +0000

Wi-Fi Direct is a new capability of Wi-Fi wireless networking coming (hopefully) next year to consumer products. Wi-Fi Direct is a greatly improved form of ad hoc mode Wi-Fi that allows devices to also connect to each other directly rather than solely through access points.

The creators of Wi-Fi Direct are quick to point out that it does not replace a broadband router. Instead, the technology is designed primarily to simplify the sharing of resources (including printers) between mobile devices. However, with an enabled Internet modem and home computers, a Wi-Fi Direct home network could also share an Internet connection easily enough without the help of a router. Interesting.

→ More - New Wi-Fi Direct Gets Peer-to-Peer Connections

What Is Wi-Fi Direct? originally appeared on About.com Wireless / Networking on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 02:44:01.

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