Wireless Internet has changed the way that people live and the way that they do business. Today, companies and business owners are more accessible, and you will find that many of them have a web presence and are active on the social networking sites. With the rest of the world connected to the Internet, it is only natural that businesses follow suit. You will find many different ways that your business will be able to benefit from having wireless Internet available.

Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents will love having access to the net no matter where they are. They will be able to pull up driving directions to make sure they reach their destinations in time. They will also be able to speak with clients and show houses available when they are meeting with clients. This can save a lot of driving time because they will not need to drive to houses in which the client is not interested. They will also be able to take photos when they are on the road, upload them to their computer, and even update their websites. When they are showing an open house, they will be able to enter potential clients’ information into their computer and add them to their email list immediately. This saves time and effort.

Salespeople

Like real estate agents, salespeople are often on the road, and they will be able to benefit from maps and driving directions offered through the web as well. Another benefit is that they will be able to email their clients when they are running late, and they will be able to receive files directly to their laptop. Imagine heading into a business meeting only to find out minutes before that you don’t have the file you need for you presentation. With wireless Internet tech, you can have someone at the office send you the file in the blink of an eye.

Artists

While you might not immediately think of a way that an artist can use wireless Internet for their job, you will find that there are several different ways that they will be able to benefit. They will be able to have a mobile portfolio with them to show off to potential clients. If they are heading outside for a drawing session, they have to look no further than the Internet to find pictures that they will be able to use for a source of inspiration.

The above are only a few types of businesspeople who will be able to benefit from the use of wireless technology in their day to day jobs. If you are a small business owner, or if you are the CEO of a multibillion dollar company, you will find ways of your own to use the tech to your advantage. Take the time to find a provider that can offer you the service that you need, that has great coverage in your area, and that offers great prices for the service.

By: Laura Williamson

The WildBlue Internet Provider is a company that uses a satellite connection to the internet. It is basically a satellite internet provider and it has the pros and cons of a satellite internet provider.

WildBlue Internet Provider connects to your PC by the Ethernet to a WildBlue modem. Or you can use a wireless hub or router to the WildBlue modem. It has partnered with Google for various internet services, email, and custom content and web applications. It is a 2-way broadband connection with no telephone required.

WildBlue has two satellites up in the sky. What happens is you are sending your data up to their satellites when is then returned to you and back up again. It does not support streaming media or voice chat applications. It is not recommended for real time gaming or stock trades or any of this type of application because it has latency issues.

Latency issues in WildBlue Internet Provider or with any satellite internet provider is that the data being sent takes time to get back and forth, or the round trip time it takes for the data to be read and returned. Latency increases the real response time for the round trip of the data. It is the amount of time it takes for your computer response time. Latency and broadband are the two things that make your computer network connection speed.

WildBlue has three different packages they offer. The main differences between the packages are the upload and download thresholds.

For your computer to interact with WildBlue’s satellites you will have to have a satellite dish either attached to your home roof or attached to a pole in the backyard. To access satellite internet you need to have an unobstructed view of the southern sky. To do this may require a different position that you might expect. The dish at your home is called a mini dish and measures about 26 inches. This is connected to your computer with coaxial cable through some receive and transmit units.

You would generally use a satellite provider when there is no DSL or cable service available. If you are considering a satellite connection to the internet with these available you should consider your service commitment. But as all internet providers have a length of service commitment this is not unusual. You also have to consider the tech support available. Another question you will need answered is how many other computers are connected to the same broadband? Too many users will slow down the service and may increase the latency time.

Another issue with satellite providers is the Reasonable Use Policy, or exactly how much broadband can you use for data downloads. Is it a rolling policy on a daily basis or what? On some systems if you exceed your daily use you may be restricted as to how much date you can download for a period of time.

WildBlue Internet is an option when you live or work in a remote or rural area.

By: Bob C Johnson

There are a lot of different terms floating around when it comes to wireless Internet access. Terms such as WiFi, wireless and hotspot can be confusing. They are often used interchangeably although this is not always appropriate. If you are thinking about offering some type of wireless Internet access in your business location, you need to know what these terms mean so you can make smart decisions. This article will decode these terms to help you understand what they mean, and more importantly, how they can help your business.

If you are a small business owner who is considering adding WiFi wireless Internet access as one of the amenities offered by your business, you probably already realize how providing this service can improve your profit margins. Many businesses such as coffee shops and cafes are already offering wireless Internet access and realizing the financial gains. Not only do they attract more customers but these customers also tend to stay longer and purchase more when they use the wireless Internet connection provided in the establishment. Additionally, providing wireless Internet access is very inexpensive. You will pay a one time amount for hardware and software when the hotspot is first setup and you will pay nominal monthly fees to provide and maintain the Internet access.

As you can see, offering wireless Internet access is typically a good idea that will help you to make money. However, if you are not technologically savvy, you probably do not even know where to begin. Furthermore, you are likely to become easily confused when you start to sort through the terms and explanations. We will simplify everything for you in one sentence. Basically, what you want to do is utilize WiFi technology to provide wireless Internet access. This means you will utilize technology and devices which are WiFi certified by the WiFi Alliance to provide visitors of your business the ability to access the Internet without using wires.

Hopefully, this clarifies things a bit for you. One of the biggest mistakes make is assuming wi-fi refers to the Internet connection itself. However, once you realize that the term WiFi is referring to the technology used to provide the Internet access, everything becomes less confusing. So, now you are really ready to provide your customers with a hotspot. This just means you will be creating an area where they can access the Internet through their mobile devices such as laptops, cell phones, PDAs and even gaming devices.

Now that you understand all of the terms, it is time to get your hotspot up and running. It really isn’t incredibly difficult to set up your own wireless hotspot. However, if you are apprehensive about the project it is a worthwhile investment to hire a consultant to setup and maintain the hotspot for you. They will not only make sure the installation is done right but they will also respond to outages and perform periodic maintenance to ensure maximum efficiency. Perhaps most importantly though, they will make sure your sensitive information is kept private. Allowing your customers to access your network can be risky if the right precautions are not taken. You should ensure all of your personal and business information is either on a private network or is well protected on the shared network.

By: Emma Mostrum

Believe it or not, satellite-based internet access wasn’t always the unfettered and limitless alternative in its early days. While it was possible to receive incoming data from the internet through the satellite dish, a dial-up connection was the only connection available and required to upload data to the internet using a dish. It didn’t take too long before technological advances ushered in better features to mesh with the growing trends of internet use that put satellite internet among the list of popular new technologies. No longer will rural residents have to consider going with a dial-up connection when they discover that there are alternative internet service providers in the business of helping customers setup their own internet connection.

Though the days of dial-up are not completely behind us yet, the fact that there are choices when you’ve done your research means no one needs to settle for what’s available for a given area. Often times better options are not suggested either because they’re not efficient or more expensive, which is not the case with satellite internet. Dial-up is not archaic by today’s standards; however, it is realistically sufficient for perhaps a single computer accessing the internet due to its relatively low data transfer rate and various disruptive factors such as line noise, the distance from the exchange, and handshaking that may cripple internet speed. With satellite internet, on the other hand, as long as the dish has an unimpeded view of the southern sky and electrical power, it will be able to send and receive data at high speeds.

Satellite internet providers feature several internet plans to fit any customer’s usage and budget. Included with the plan is the satellite dish that will need to be professionally installed by a certified installer per FCC regulations. The dish is generally installed on the roof the house. A coaxial cable runs from the dish into house and connected to the satellite modem, which is then connected to the computer or laptop. A wireless network can then be created to allow multiple computers to access the internet connection. Dish internet can also be mobile. A dish can be installed on the roof of RVs and campers for those long family road trips where internet access can prove to be resourceful as much as it can be used to pass the time.

While satellite internet providers are still small in numbers compared to the more traditional and widely available cable internet services, they are an invaluable choice for small town residents and those who don’t want to have to deal with internet accessibility wherever they go. It is a solution that doesn’t have to be expensive with the right service plan to suit your usage and budget.

By: Richard H.

A wireless internet network offers an individual the ability to access the internet without needing to use cords and cables to connect to the modem and router. Wireless web service is very convenient and can be used both inside and outside of one’s home. In general, the user will connect to the internet as the computer picks up the internet signal. There are a variety of ways that one can connect a computer to wireless network.

In order to set up a network with wireless capabilities you will need certain equipment. For those that are looking for wireless internet service throughout a building you will need to purchase a wireless router. A wireless router is used to allow computers to connect to the internet without being hardwired. Some popular brands of quality routers include Linksys and Netgear. It is necessary to purchase a wireless router if you want to be able to provide web access to others. These routers are available in different types that offer different internet connection speeds and connectivity range levels so you will have to determine how much you are willing to spend to have the fastest connectivity. For people that need a mobile internet connection you can access an internet network through a number of telecommunication carriers that provide cellular and web service.

After obtaining the wireless router you will need to make sure you have the correct hardware to access a wireless network via your computer. Many of the current laptop computers are made with adapters that allow the user to connect to a wireless access point for internet access. Some of these adapters include PCI and PCMCIA cards. These cards are installed in laptops. There are also usb wireless cards. The usb cards are not installed in the laptop and in order to connect to the internet the user must insert this type of card into the USB port. Any of these options will allow an individual to successfully connect to a wireless network.

Finally, in order for both the wireless router and the wireless adapter to work you will need to obtain internet service. Tihs is available in different formats. There is dial up web service which involves connecting to the internet through telephone lines. This is not a very popular internet choice as it is extremely slow in comparison to other options. The second option for internet access is DSL which is also uses telephone lines for internet connectivity but it does so at a high frequency. The final option is the cable internet service and it is considered to be the fastest of the three internet options. DSL and cable service are the preferred choices when using a wireless network. It is recommended that you select your web service provider (ISP) very carefully as this is one of the main factors that determines successful connectivity to a wireless network. You can have a top of the line wireless router and the best wireless adapter, but if your internet connection is shoddy you will have issues getting onto a wireless network.

By: Jennifer Waller

If you are among the millions of professionals around the work at home, either on a full-time or part-time basis – then it is a must for you to have a high-speed connection at home.

Fortunately, there are a lot of Internet connectivity options that you can take advantage of today. Previously, using dial-up modem to connect to the Internet did not have a lot to offer in terms of speed. Also, if you are already using the phone line to connect to the Internet, you will not be able to use your landline phone unless you have a dedicated line.

Now, as the demand for high-speed Internet connection has increased, more and more types of broadband Internet connection are being introduced to subscribers.

A Brief Definition of Broadband and Its Advantages

Before making the distinction between the different types of broadband, let us first take a look at what broadband is all about.

In layman’s term, broadband refers to any type of high-speed Internet connection which should be about 10 times faster than the traditional dial-up modem speed. One of the primary advantages of having broadband connection is that you are connected on a 24/7 basis – unlike with dial-up Internet connections.

Another benefit of choosing broadband over dial-up Internet access is that the former allows you to have an optimal browsing experience. From the loading of the pages, to sending instant messages to sharing, downloading or uploading of files – they will all be performed in a more efficient and speedy manner.

Now that you have an idea about broadband Internet connection, here is a quick list of the types of broadband connections that you can have:
- Cable
- Wireless
- Satellite
- Mobile
- ADSL or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
- SDSL or Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line
- LLU or Local Loop Unbundling

Here, we will focus on two of the most common types of broadband Internet connection: wireless and broadband.

All about Wireless Broadband

This type of broadband Internet connection is used in rural areas in the UK where other forms of broadband connection are not available.

If you have a wireless broadband connection , a small antenna will be installed outside of your home. The Internet connection works in a way which is similar to how your television set receives signals from the TV station.

No telephone lines are required – and the broadband antenna is connected to your computer.

How about Mobile Broadband?

On the other hand, mobile broadband can be simply defined as Internet access on the go. Much like checking your e-mail using your mobile phone, mobile broadband allows you to connect to the Internet using your laptop computer.

As long as you have a laptop computer and a network-activated broadband dongle – you can get connected even while you are on the go.

Wireless Broadband and Mobile Broadband: Is One Better than the Other?

When you compare wireless with mobile broadband – you can never really say that one is better than the other in a general viewpoint.

Instead, what you need to do is look at your Internet connection needs. If you are the type who is always on the go and you cannot get through the day without checking on your e-mail messages, then a mobile broadband may be the best option for you.

On the other hand, if any other forms of broadband connection is simply not available in your area but you do need to have Internet access at home, then wireless broadband connection is the solution that you are looking for.

By: Caroline Telford

The Answer To The Media Access Control Question

Over the past few weeks I have received quite a few e-mails about Ethernet cards, both wired and wireless, and more specifically, about Media Access Control (MAC) addresses. I think the main reason I’ve received so many questions about Ethernet cards and MAC addresses is people trying to secure their home wireless networks and their desire to use MAC address filtering. This type of filtering in wireless networks can be configured to allow or deny specific computers to use or attach to the wireless network, based on the MAC address.

My first thought was to write an article just about MAC addresses and wireless Ethernet. After thinking about it I decided to expand on this and go over some specific information about Ethernet cards and communication.

Different Ways Of Finding Your MAC Address And More

There are several ways of finding your Ethernet and communications protocol information. Many Ethernet card manufacturer’s have proprietary software that can reveal this information but they work differently depending on the manufacturer. So we will use the Windows 2000 and XP “ipconfig” utility since this is available in the majority of Windows Operating Systems.

First, go to “start” -> “run” and type “cmd” without the quotes. Then hit the enter key. At the command line type “ipconfig /all”, again without the quotes. Actually, just typing ipconfig without the /all will work but will only provide you with abbreviated information regarding your network cards. An example of what you might see by typing the “ipconfig /all” command is below with each item commented in green lettering:

Fault Tolerant And Highly Availability Computer Systems

There are several ways of finding your Ethernet and communications protocol information. Many Ethernet card manufacturer’s have proprietary software that can reveal this information but they work differently depending on the manufacturer. So we will use the Windows 2000 and XP “ipconfig” utility since this is available in the majority of Windows Operating Systems.

First, go to “start” -> “run” and type “cmd” without the quotes. Then hit the enter key. At the command line type “ipconfig /all”, again without the quotes. Actually, just typing ipconfig without the /all will work but will only provide you with abbreviated information regarding your network cards. An example of what you might see by typing the “ipconfig /all” command is below:

OutPut Of The “Ipconfig /All” Command

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Home Computer

This is the name of your computer, typically defined during the windows installation. However, it can be changed after installation.

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : domain.com

If your computer participates in a network such as a Microsoft Windows domain this item may contain the name of the domain.

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

The Node Type may say Unknown, or peer-to-peer, or in some cases “hybrid”. It is a setting that has to do with the Windows Internet Naming Services used in certain types of Windows domain networks.

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

This setting determines if Windows XP or 2000 will function as an IP router. If you have two or more network cards you can setup your system to act as a router, forwarding communications requests from one network to another. Windows 2000 can be configured to do this in a pretty straight forward fashion; Windows XP will need a registry modification.

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy is another setting that is related to the “Node Type” we discussed earlier. It is normally not a required setting in a home or small office network, or newer types of Microsoft Windows domains.

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

If you have multiple Ethernet (network) cards in your systems, as I do in this laptop, you will have multiple listings. This one happens to be the second Ethernet card, an internal wireless Ethernet card.

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN

This is the description of the Ethernet card, usually the Name / Manufacturer and type of Ethernet card. In this case, it is a Broadcom wireless Ethernet card built into my laptop.

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-90-4B-F1-6E-4A

And here we have the MAC address. The MAC address is a 48 bit hexadecimal code and is suppose to be a totally unique address. It is 48 bits because each number or letter in hexadecimal represents 8 bits. Hexadecimal numbers range from 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E, F. There are 6 alpha-numeric codes hence 6*8=48(bits). The first 3 codes identify the manufacturer of the card and the remaining codes are used to create a unique number. Theoretically there should never be a card with same MAC address on a local network. However, there are a few exceptions. There are software tools that allow you to change this code. In fact, this is a step some hackers take to attack other systems on a local network. I say local network because MAC addresses are not routable between network segments. By spoofing this address, you can impersonate another machine on the local network. Traffic that was bound for the intended target can be redirected to the hacker’s machine. This is the address you would also use to populate a MAC address, or physical address table when setting up your wireless access point to support MAC address filtering.

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

DHCP, or the Dynamic Host Control Protocol, if enabled means your computers IP address is being provided by a DHCP server on you network. The DHCP server could be your wireless access point, cable/dsl router, cable modem, or a server on your network. Also, if a DHCP server is not enabled on your network, your computers Operating System will auto generate a random IP address within a certain predefined range. This means you could network a group of systems together without having to manually assign the IP settings.

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.117

This parameter provides you with your current IP address. The address listed above is what is called a “private” address. There are certain classes of IP addresses that have been set aside for private use. This means for your internal, local, or private network at home or office. These addresses are not, or should not, be routable on the Internet. The Internet routes what are called “valid” IP addresses. Your cable/dsl router or cable modem has a valid IP address assigned to its “external” network interface. The external interface may be your phone line or cable TV cable.

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

The Subnet Mask is a special number, or in some sense, filter, that breaks down your IP address, in this case private IP address, into certain groups. IP addresses and Subnet Masks can be a complicated matter and would take an entire article to go over.

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.254

The default gateway, the IP addresses listed above, is the IP address of the device that will route your request, such as when you try to browse a website, to the Internet. It is a bit more complicated than that though as gateways or routers can route traffic to various different networks, even other private networks. At your home or small office, this gateway most likely is your cable/dsl modem or router.

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.49

The DHCP server, remember we talked a little about this above, is the device that assigns your computer an IP address and other information. DHCP servers can assign all kinds of information such as; Default Gateway, Domain Name Servers (DNS), IP address, Subnet Mask, Time Server, and much more.

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.49, 64.105.197.58

DNS Servers are internal or external servers that resolve Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN), such as http://www.defendingthenet.com , to IP addresses. This is done because computers don’t actually transmit your requests using the domain name, they use the IP address assigned to the FQDN. For most home or small office users, the primary DNS server is the IP address of your cable/dsl router. Your cable/dsl router than queries an external DNS server on the Internet to perform the actual resolution of the FQDN to IP address. The address 192.168.0.49 is an internal private device on my network whereas the 64.105.197.58 is an external public Internet DNS server and is present just in case my router has trouble performing the DNS resolution tasks.

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, March 19, 2006 6:38:16 PM

This information tells you when your computer received its IP address and other information from a DHCP server. You will notice it says “Lease Obtained”, that is because most DHCP servers only lease the IP address to you from a pool of available address. For instance, your pool may be 192.168.1.1 through 192.168.1.50. So your DHCP server has 50 IP addresses to choose from when assigning your computer its IP address.

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, March 29, 2006 9:38:16 PM

When the IP address, assigned by the DHCP server, lease expires it will attempt to lease you the same or another IP address. This function can typically be changed on the DHCP server. For instance, on some fully functional DHCP servers, you can configure the Lease to never expire, or to expire within 1 day and so on.

Why Are MAC Addresses So Important And How Do They Work

To jump back to MAC address for just a bit. You may think that IP addresses are the most important thing when it comes to network communication. The reality is, MAC addresses are very important because without them computers would not be able to communicate over Ethernet networks. When a computer wants to speak with another computer on a local network, it will make a broadcast request, or ask a question, of who owns a particular IP address. For instance, your computer may say “Who is 192.168.0.254″. Using the information above, my default gateway is 192.168.0.254 and will answer “I am “00-90-4B-F1-6E-4A” 192.168.0.254″. It sends back its MAC address. That MAC address then goes into what is called a Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table on your computer. You can see this information by going to the command prompt like you did above and typing “arp -a”. You will get information like the following:

Internet Address Physical Address Type

192.168.0.49 00-12-17-5c-a2-27 dynamic

192.168.0.109 00-12-17-5c-a2-27 dynamic

192.168.0.112 00-0c-76-93-94-b2 dynamic

192.168.0.254 00-0e-2e-2e-15-61 dynamic

How A Hacker Can Use MAC Addresses In An Attack

You will notice the IP addresses and to the right of them the MAC addresses. Without this information, without the MAC address, you would not be reading this article right now. MAC addresses are not routable like IP addresses. They work on your local or private network. However, devices on the Internet perform the same tasks. Routers and switches maintain a list of their peer devices MAC address just like your computers and devices on your home or office network. I mentioned above that MAC addresses can be changed in order to redirect requests. For instance, if I were on your office network and you had an internal web server that took personal information as input, I could tell your computer to go to my laptop for the web site by broadcasting my MAC address tied to the real web servers IP address. I would do this when you computer asked “Who is the “Real Web Server”". I could setup a fake web server that looks just like the real thing, and start collecting information the real web server would normally collect. You can see how dangerous this can be.

Conclusion

There are several other easy ways you can find your MAC address but they can be a little confusing if you have more than one internal network card. Most external USB, or PCMCIA wired and wireless Ethernet cards have their MAC address printed on them. In cases where the wired or wireless network card are inside your computer, such as in laptops, the MAC address is sometimes printed on the bottom of the laptop. Even Desktop systems cards that are inserted in PCI slots have the MAC address printed on the Ethernet card.

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)

http://www.defendingthenet.com/NewsLetters/FindingYourMACAddressOnWiredAndWirelessNetworkCards.htm

By: Darren Miller

As a computer tech with over 35 years in the business, I’ve seen a lot of Internet connection problems. That’s especially true with WIFI.

The most common problem is in establishing a ‘good’ connection between the remote computer and the wireless router. Many people don’t realize that just because you’re receiving a signal from your wireless router, (AP) you still may not be able to log onto the Internet. Here’s the problem.

A weak or noisy internet connection is usually caused by lost or scrambled data packets. These damaged packets are constantly being ‘re-sent’ between the router and the receiving computer. This will slow down your connection considerably and could even keep you from getting on the Internet at all.

There are several ways you can improve these weak WIFI signals. The easiest is to move the wireless router. If possible, try to locate your router near the center of the building. I’ve picked up WIFI signals from as far away as 1,000 feet when there were no obstacles blocking the transmission. On the other hand, I’ve also had a hard time just getting the signal to go from one end of a house to the other. This can be especially true if the router is located on a different floor than the receiving computer. The more walls and floors the signal passes through, the weaker it gets.

If you can’t locate the router near the center of the building, there are several other things you can do. First, try moving the receiving computer to a different location. Even turning it in a different direction may help. Laptops often have the WIFI antenna built into the monitor so just turning the laptop slightly might be all you’ll need to do to improve the reception.

In general, I’ve found that USB Internet adapters work much better than laptop internal receivers. The reason is…these external adapters come with a three to five foot cord allowing the adapter to be placed high in the air and away from obstacles that might be blocking the WIFI signal. Unfortunately, this means dragging around an extra device which is not what I really want to do. Luckily, in most cases your internal WIFI device will get the job done just fine.

If you need to reach out to an AP that’s hundreds or even thousands of feet away, you’ll need to investigate adding a high-gain antenna and a USB Internet adapter. This is actually old technology. Ham radio buffs have been building hi-gain antennas for decades allowing them to receive signals from around the world. There are various antenna designs available that practically anyone can build. For a few dollars, you can boost your range considerably.

The world record for a WIFI connection using ‘only’ a hi-gain antenna is 238 miles! You’re probably not planning on challenging any records, but it’s pretty common to see people connecting to wireless routers up to a mile or more away, just by using DIY antennas.

If you’re not satisfied with your wireless Internet connection, try some of the things I’ve mentioned. They should help. If you’re still having problems then I’d look into building your own hi-gain WIFI antenna. It will provide the ultimate wireless performance. You’ll find instructions in a book called, “FREE Internet” available on Amazon.com.

By: Randy Benjamin

Wireless Internet connection, popularly known as Wi-Fi, has become a rage across the globe. The lure of faster and better Internet access from anywhere, anytime is a very powerful and exciting proposition, to say the least. The present day laptops usually have an in-built wireless internet adapter which can receive the radio frequencies transmitted by any nearby Wi-Fi router, provided the laptop is in the designated range. Today many people are freely using Wi-Fi internet connections at airports, schools, restaurants and other places. In fact, many stores, restaurants, coffee shops and clubs offer free Wi-Fi internet access to attract potential customers.

Now, if you have got wireless internet at home, you should be careful because this powerful facility is vulnerable to abuse if its not taken care of. If your connection is not secured, it can be accessed by any stranger without your knowledge. Anyone with a wireless internet enabled laptop can search for free Wi-Fi connections in the vicinity. They can even check whether the connection is secured or unsecured. A secured network would ask for a password whereas and unsecured network would not. There are devices available in the market which can tell you whether there is a network available nearby and also whether it is secured or not. Though these devices are designed to help people who travel frequently and need internet access on-the-go, the potential that it holds for abuse is scary.

If someone has access to your wireless internet connection, you may have to pay for their usage. If your connection is unsecured, anyone nearby who has a wireless adapter fitted into their laptop can get access to your connection. Besides, if the person who accessed your connection used it for any illegal or unethical purposes, it will be traced back to you because you are the rightful owner. Needless to say, that makes it extremely dangerous. On the other hand, many people who travel frequently prefer using a free Wi-Fi connection. If a hacker is on the same network, they can monitor everything that the unsuspecting user is doing online and if they succeed in installing spyware, they can even steal personal information of the users. Such a situation can leave you vulnerable to identity theft and huge financial loss.

Even Facebook has acknowledged this threat and they are offering the users the option to use a secure connection. This secure connection can help in preventing your profile from being hacked into especially if you are using the wireless network to access your Facebook account from public terminals, coffee shops or conferences. Network security experts opine that you avail of the services of a familiar wireless internet provider and if you have to pay for it, do not hesitate. As mentioned earlier, paying for a secured access can mean preventing huge financial loss later on. Also, they emphasize that it is important to change passwords often and use separate passwords for separate accounts.

Considering the extreme potential for abuse, you should be taking precautions to secure your wireless internet connection right away. It is better in the long run that you follow what the experts say and pay for a secured wireless internet connection if necessary. As they say, “Prevention is better than cure” – simple precautionary steps would go a long way in securing your peace of mind.

By: Reed Vallejera

A wireless network is incomplete without a router. The router connects to the broadband connection and in turn the access point in the router enables your laptop or computer to connect with the Internet. There are many wireless routers available in the market and to label one of them as the best and the other not so good is not an easy task. But when we take the speed of transmission of the data, the range it transmits and the ease of use, there are not many that can compete with each other in the wireless router category.

After extensive research we found that the Belkin Wireless Pre-N router is the best in the wireless router category. People who use the router have found it to be very good and it is easy to install as well. The range it covers is very good. It works with Windows, Mac and Linux too. The best part about the router is that it is able to withstand cellular and cordless phone interference. The speed with which data is transmitted is also good.

Though it is priced a little on the higher side, the benefits that it provides make up for it. Not only our research, but experts in the field also provide testimony to the fact that the Belkin Wireless Pre-N router is the best wireless router.

By: Paul Cris