The way technology moves now a days, unfortunately, routers don't usually last more than a couple years before they become outdated. Here are some ways to get the most out of your router, which will increase your network speed in general. If you have problems going to another room in your house, and having to worry about losing your connection or losing speed, these tips are for you.
Location, Location, Location.
Where you position a router has a lot to do with it's range and performance. It is recommended to put your router as high as you can get it, because radio waves spread laterally and down the best. Radio waves spread best if they don't have to go through thick walls, mirrors, fish tanks, or anything metal. Try to position your router as far away from things like baby monitors, cordless phones, wireless audio speakers, Bluetooth gadgets, and even microwave ovens to avoid any interference these devices might cause.
Updating Firmware.
A pretty quick and easy thing that you can do. If you're having problems in the Wi-Fi area, try to find an update for your network adapter driver online. Updating this will give you the latest firmware which usually makes your network adapter work more efficiently. You should also try to update the firmware for your router. You can usually do this by logging into your router, and finding an update firmware link(some routers automatically scan for updates on login). The way you can log into your router to check this is to: 1. Be connected to the router. 2. Type the IP address of the router in your address bar on your internet browser. (Most commonly 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1). 3. Login to your router. (Default user: Admin. Default password: password.). If the IP address of your router is not one of those two, an easy way of checking is going to Start>Run>CMD. When the command prompt (Black screen) is up type "Ipconfig".It will give you a list of three IP addresses. It's usually the "Default Gateway" IP address.
Secure Your Network
By placing a password on your network you're restricting outside access. When you have an unsecured router, anyone within range can connect. The more people that are connected, and exploring the internet, the more it hurts your connection. You can set a password by logging into your router (See Updating Firmware).
Other Tips And Tricks.
This one is kind of silly.. But it some people have noticed a difference. By putting Aluminum Foil on the antennas it's believed to amplify the radio waves.
Buying Different Parts.
There are several things you could purchase to make the signal stronger. Things like wireless repeaters, new router antennas, or a new laptop wireless card are fairly cheap ways to greatly help with Wi-Fi range and performance. You should double check to make sure the product you see would for your needs.
Another option is to buy another router. Buying a new wireless router is a guaranteed way of increasing both connection and performance.
In response to Joshy1028's request. This is a very good and important question. Unfortunately, it's not always an easy answer.. I only know of a few ways that are hints that you might have been hacked. If any of these cases are true for you, don't panic. This usually makes things get worse. Most of these are easy to correct.
Unapproved User On Your Computer
Sometimes, hackers will get into your computer and create a new user. Creating a new account, for their use, allows them better access to your computers resources, without your knowledge. A quick check, listed below, will tell you how to check for this.
Log into your computer as an Administrator. (Most of the time if there's only one account on the computer, you are already the administrator. Depends on what version of Windows you're using)
Click "Start", then type "Run" into the search box. Click the "Run" link that appears. After the Run box pops up type in "CMD". This will open your command prompt screen.
In the new command prompt window, type "net user" and press "enter". Windows will now display all users that have been created on your computer.
After you run the "net user" command, there will be a small list of users that are on your computer. If there is a user on there that you are not aware of, it's likely a hacker. Remove the user at once.
Check To See If You Passwords Have Been Compromised.
A good place to start is here. Enter your E-mail, click "Check it", and it will search stored databases for your e-mail and try to find if there is a password stored with said e-mail. The website doesn't log your e-mail. If it brings up that it's found your password, CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD. This means that your password is in a database that hundreds of people have access to.
Other Slight Changes That Are Good Indications Of Being Hacked.
You end up finding personal information on the Internet, that did not come from you. This could be phone number, address, last name, and any other personal information that people might not put on the Internet.
You find weird and/or random programs on your computer that you did not install yourself. Computers come pre-loaded with hundreds of programs and files already installed. What you have to worry about is the creation date. Programs that were installed within the last week or so, that you have no knowledge of. These are more than likely placed by hackers.
You are constantly using Bandwidth, even when you are not using your internet. A hacker that has entered your network, whether through hacking, or entering through an unsecured network, will be using your Internet connection. Most of the time, you can view whether or not Bandwidth is being used simply by looking at your router/modem. Be aware, however, that any computer connected to the network will cause the blinking lights telling you that your network is being used.
The contents of files change. This is something you might not even notice. If you happen to go into a Word or Notepad file, and you notice the contents went from something like "My History Project" to a bunch of random characters, something is wrong. Delete the file at once and try to scan with an anti-virus to see if any damage was done.
Passwords change. If you go to sign into your computer, your e-mail, or another random website in which you have an account, and you think your password has been changed, that's another good indication that someone has been there, and messing with your accounts. Use an "I forgot my password" link and change it to something harder to figure out, and possibly let the company (I.E. Hotmail for hotmail.com) know that you believe your account has been hacked. Sometimes they can do something for you.
If you have a Firewall installed, sometimes you will get a notification. Most of the time the notification will alert you there's been an attempt, and will prevent the intrusion. A Firewall is a very good thing to have installed.
If you notice a dramatic increase or decrease in your Disk Space on your Hard Drive, that you did not do, you may have had a hacker in your computer. A lot of times, if hackers are there to mess with you, they will delete several files, or install several files. This will cause a huge difference in the amount of storage space you had before and after. Going from 103 G Free Space to 99 G Free, for instance, is a bad sign.
These are just a few signs that your computer has been compromised. Please take action if you fit these cases. And as always, do what you can do to prevent Hackers as much as you can!
Sorry for being inactive for the last few days. I've received over a hundred e-mails with questions about some of my posts. Over the next few days I will be posting new posts with answers to all the e-mails. Thanks again!
Cars are very expensive and in today's society, almost required. Here are a few things you can do to help better protect your car and make the most out the car. A lot of this information can be found in your Owner's Manual.
1. Change your oil regularly. If you're handy, do it yourself. Otherwise have someone do it for you every few thousand miles. This will improve gas mileage, and better protect your engine. Change your oil filter when you change you oil. There's no sense in putting clean oil through a dirty filter. Doing this will make it possible to make your car last 200,000+ miles.
2. Change the air filter. This is something you can do yourself, at home, with very little tools. How to change your own air filter. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, have someone do it when you get regularly serviced. This should be changed around every 12,000 miles or sooner if you're in an area that has a lot of dust, and dirt. You can buy a filter at just about any car store, and they usually have a book to look up your car and get part numbers. If not, ask an associate and they can look it up for you and help you out. A dirty, dusty filter can result in lower gas mileage. It also helps your car breath better when it's a clean filter. Most cars actually have two air filters.. Quite a few people don't know about the second one. The second one is a Cabin Air Filter. Usually located behind the glove box. You'd just pop the glove box out, remove the housing for it and take the air filter out. How to change your own cabin air filter. This air filter is a little different than the one in your engine bay. Cabin air filters help keep pollen, dust, soot, odors and exhaust gases out of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. A dirty air filter can impede air flow and cause heating and cooling problems. These filters should be changed every 12,000-15,000 miles or more often if you live in high pollution areas.
3. Check your fluids. You should check the levels of your antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and clutch fluid(on a manual transmission) on a regular basis. Watch for leaks when your car has been sitting in one place for a while. Even if it's not leaking, leaks can quickly form and bring your fluids down to a dangerous level. If something is low or something is a wierd color(see proper fluid colors), I'd recommend taking it to a mechanic. Might end up costing you $20 or $50, but it's better than a few THOUSAND dollars if you wait and something stops working.
4. Flush fluids when needed. Power steering fluid, brake fluid, and anti-freeze need to be flushed every so often. Refer to your owners manual for specific mileage. Flushing can get a little expensive.. But a car is an expensive investment. $100-$200 now is better than having to end up replacing a lot of parts that will cost $100-$200 A PIECE. It's recommended to flush about every two years. Newer cars generally allow longer intervals between flushes. Change transmission fluid and filter at least every 50,000 miles or other if your owners manual tells you. If your car has over 50,000 miles on it, it's usually best NOT to change your transmission fluid.. Consult a mechanic if this is the case. (Preferably a reliable one that wont tell you "Yeah.. It needs to be changed. Let's do it. That'll be this much money. Thanks for your business.")
5. Wash your car. Sounds kinda silly, but washing your car will protect you from more harm than you think. Road salt, sludge, and other pollution can eat away at your clear coat and your car's paint. Without regular cleaning, it will only take about four years to notice signs of rust forming. People that live near oceans or gulf shorelines should be more careful about there car. Around oceans and gulf shorelines there is a higher chance you'll encounter salty road sand, and morning dew. Salt = Corrosion.
6. Use your parking brake. Even if your car has an automatic transmission, use your parking break, especially while parked on inclines. It keeps the brakes adjusted in the rear of the car and make them last longer. Do not use your parking brake in the winter, as it will freeze and will be stuck until it thaws out.
7. Properly maintain your tires. Rotate your tires. Rotating your tires will help reduce uneven wear and tear on your tires, resulting in a longer life of your tires. Refer to owners manual for intervals, and pattern in which to rotate the tires. Keep the tires inflated. Under-inflated tires can make tires wear up to 15% faster, and reduces gas mileage.
8. Don't fill up when you see a tanker.
When you go to the gas station to fill up, if there's a gasoline tanker filling the underground tanks, RUN. Go back the next day or go to a different gas station. When the tanks are getting refilled, the pressure of the gasoline going into them can stir up sediment. Sediment can clog your fuel filter and fuel injector, causing poor performance and possibly requiring repairs.
9. Lighten up your keychain.
The more keys, trinkets, and other thing you have on your key ring, the more it weighs. The weight, mixed with the bouncing from the road can wear out the tumblers in the ignition, and eventually lead to ignition switch failure. To add years of life to your ignition switch, purchase a lightweight key chain that allows you to separate your key from the rest of the weight on the key ring. If your ignition key ever 'sticks' when you try to start the car, it's a warning that your ignition switch is about to fail. Replace it to avoid being stranded.
, new router antennas
