Learn How Internet Firewalls Work To Keep Your PC Safe

Keep your computer safe from hackers and other intruders by fully understanding how firewalls operate in the background of your computer.

Copyright 2006 Otis Cooper

Not many of us intentionally leave our cars unlocked or the front of our homes open to strangers. But we often leave our computers wide open to anyone and everyone that may want to snoop.

To get and keep our computers safe from hackers,or anyone wanting to have a look in our computers,we need the aid and assistance of something commonly called Firewalls.

A Firewall can be hardware or software that acts as a gatekeeper to your computer. It does this by monitoring all internet traffic coming in and going out of our computers.

They not only allow the passage of this traffic but inspects all,making sure it is safe and do not contain viruses,any spyware,or other malicious software.

Firewalls control internet traffic in two methods: Packet filtering and stateful inspection. A Packet is a chunk of data and it contains the address of the computer it comes from and a destination address.

Ok,so you're wondering what on earth is an IP Address.Well, it is an idenifier for your computer device.The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. If the Firewall recognizes the Packet and its IP Address,or its Internet Protocol Address,it allows the Packet to pass. The Stateful Inspection method look at the some data in the Packet and compares key chunks of data to a large area that contains known,trusted information.

to see if it is safe or if your computer is expecting the data.It aloso allow safe passage of data if all seems well.The Stateful Inspection method is preferred since it checks the data that have passed through your computer before.

ALL ABOUT HARDWARE FIREWALLS
Hardware Firewalls are devices that are designed to run software Firewalls.So why are there hardware firewalls,you ask.One big advantage of having a Hardware Firewall is that the computer don't have to do any work. The hardware running the software does all work,thereby leaving the CPU in the computer free to get on with other tasks.The CPU, or Central Processing Unit should be free as much as possible to keep the computer running at peak performance.

ALL ABOUT SOFTWARE FIREWALLS

WHAT FIREWALL PROTECT YOU FROM
There are many creative ways that people use to access or abuse your computer when its not protected. Smeone is able to connect to your computer and control it in some form. This can range from being able to view or access your files to actually running programs on your computer.Some of the software Firewalls protect your computer from are the following.

Email Bombs.
Someone sends you the same e-mail hundreds or thousands of times until your e-mail system cannot accept any more messages. If you spend time on the internet often you will most likely experience this.

Viruses.
This is no doubt the most well known threat.A Virus is a small file which reproduces itself on other computers.Viruses may be harmless to wiping your hard drive clean. Firewalls may not protect you from all viruses.It would be worth your while to invest in good anti virus software as added protection.Once you invest in a Firewall,study its owner's manual to set it up. Once the Firewall has been installed and setup complete,take a minute to be sure its working.Test the Firewall by going online and visiting a security site.Go to www.grc.com and give their free Shields Up security test a try. If the Firewall pass,you will have the comfort of knowing your PC will have that added protection from someone stealing your credit card information or any valuable information. If you have not invested in a Firewall,won't wait to give one a try. Your critical files and programs will be much safer and you will have the knowledge of being able to install Firewalls on the PC of your friends,enemies,and everyone else in between.

How To Resolve Cable,DSL,and Dialup Modem Problems

Read just what may cause your Internet connection to slow and other broadband problems.Learn the precedures you should follow to correct your computer not recognizing the modem, and what cause your modem to disconnect often from the Internet.

When it comes to diagnosing the modem and any other computer problem,always start with the most obvious first.Modem problems may be repaired as fast as re-booting the computer or can be as complex as resolving hardware conflicts.

First remember to check for the most obvious signs of trouble,such as loose connections at the rear of the computer for external modems.

Internal modems may have their retaining screw at the expansion slot loose are missing.Phone line connections may simply be inserted in the wrong connector.

Nearly all internal modems are inserted into the PCI or Peripheral Component Interconnect slot in the system unit.



NO POWER AT THE MODEM

For Internal Modems,first try inserting the modem in a different PCI Slot.Reboot the computer and click on Start,Control Panel,and click the Phone And Modems icon if you have Windows XP as your operating system.

Then click on modems,properties,and look for the statement "This Device Is Working Properly". You can click on Diagnostics and run a test to see if the modem has power as well.

External modems can be checked for power by inspecting the adapter plug to see if it is plugged in completely.Look to see if any indicator lights flashing and be certain you are using the adapter for your modem.

Be sure the surge protector or wall outlet is providing power by plugging in a lamp or a radio.If the radio works,the culprit may be the adapter or the external modem itself.

If you purchased the modem in your town,you may have the chance to return to the store and ask the technician to test it with a known good power adapter.You can been replace either the adapter or modem.



MODEM DISCONNECTS OFTEN

If your modem,whether internal or external,is working but disconnects from the Internet very often,without warning,check to be sure your call waiting option is not enabled.

Another culprit that cause this headache is line noise.This noise and interference can be caused by such things as loose wiring.

Poor waterproofing,old wiring,worn phone jacks are some causes that will result in line noise. Make sure no other equipment is using the same line that your modem is on.

Be sure other devices as your fax machine, answering machines or even security alarms are not sharing the same line as your modem.

Other PCI devices may be causing conflicts with your modem.Clicking the Control Panel ,and clicking the modem icon will show the message "This Device Has A Problem" or somthing similar if there is a conflict.

Windows will offer ways to resolve the conflict. Take the time to carefully follow instructions tocorrect any conflicts that may be present.

Loose data lines for Internal modems and loose or damaged connectors for External modems can cause data lost as well.Visual check and double check these connections.



MODEM IS PRESENT BUT WILL NOT WORK

The external and internal modem must have device drivers installed before they will work. Bad or incorrect drivers can cause the modem to disconnect as well as not work at all

If you noticed that the device driver was either missing or corrupt in the modem icon,follow the instructions to update the device driver.

If some cases,you may have to completely remove the old modem from thw Windows Device Manager.

Once it has been removed from Windows, reboot the computer and Windows will detect the modem and automatically re-installs the the device driver.

If your modem came with an installation cdrom or diskette,use the software the disk rather than the one in Windows.

Once you are up and running,the first thing you should do is to visit the modem's support web site and search for any software patches or updated drivers to download.

COMMON BROADBAND PROBLEMS

The most common high speed internet problems whether its dsl or cable connections are not being able to log on and poor signal.

If the Cable modem often reboots,you should check to see if your signal indicator is strong.If the signal seems good,electronic signal from mobile phones and other devices nearby may be interfering with the signal.

Stop and look behind the cable or dsl modem to see if the connections have worked themselves loose or have come off completely.Be sure the connections have not be damaged in any way.

The modem is connected to an Ethernet card which will receive and send signals to the computer.Look at the rear of the card and see if the green indicator is on.If not,there is a problem with the card installation or the card may be faulty.

If the ehthernet card in the computer become loose, your high speed Internet reception will be interruppted. Place a finger on the ethernet card and try to move it. If you can,open the system unit case and tighten the card.

If the ethernet card has become loose,it may be a good idea to remove it and inspect the yellow contacts to be certain they are not dirty or damaged.Power will not transfer to the card should this be the case.

Other causes may be the main wiring to the modem may be faulty.The vacuum cleaner or the power tools your son is using in the garage may be causing the problem as well.And we cannot omit the idea that the cable or dsl modem themselves may be faulty.

While you're learning about your computer,understand the modem at every level and do so now while it is still in good operating order.Print or write down modem and all troubleshooting tips.

Put these troubleshooting tips in a binder or at least in a safe place so you can refer to them should your PC fail to boot.Knowing about your computer takes time and effect but you be glad you took the time should your system goes on the blink.

How To Troubleshoot Your Computer's Video Display

Learn the cause and solutions to solving such pc display display problems as a blank monitor.See how to identify your video card and the problems that it may cause.Read simple checks you can take to resolve video display problems fast.
Copyright 2006 Otis Cooper

Troubleshoot Video Cards

When you have problems with your video display,it can be something as simple as having the brightness turned down to a bad controller on the motherboard.If you have not done,first learn to identify the components of the video display system.

When you look inside any open computer,see if you can locate the Video Card.Is your video card mounted in an adapter slot or is it integrated onto the motherboard.If the card is motherboard integrated,locate the jumpers that will allow the card to be disabled should you need to install another card.

The Monitor is the second component in the video display and it must be compatible with your video card.Be sure the maximumn resolution of your video card and monitor are the same.Its even better to your a higher resolution display on your monitor.

Go to http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/photos.html to see a video card in an adapter slot and one that is motherboard mounted. Follow these procedures to correct any type of video display malfunction.

NOTHING ON THE MONITOR

As we first mentioned,chack the brightness and contrast buttons on the monitor to be sure they are not turned down. Yea,we know.This sounds a little silly to think this could be overlokked,but believe me,it really does.

And while we're talking about simple checks,be sure the monitor is receiving power.If the power indicator light is out,remove the power cable and look for any bent or broken pins or connectors.

Try to reboot the computer one or two times to be sure the system did not just lock up.If nothing happens,replace the cable with a known good cable to prove that the wall outlet or surge protector has power.

If the monitor has power but nothing is on the screen, check the data cable going into the rear of the computer. Be sure the cable is secure.If it is,Turn the power off to the system unit,remove the cable and look for broken, loose,or bent pins.

Finally,if you're blessed enough to have two computers, exchange the monitor with a good monitor to see if it works.Replace the old monitor if the new monitor works. If the new monitor fail as well,remove the system cover to inspect the Video Card.

MONITOR WORKS BUT NO DISPLAY

When the Monitor is known to be good but its screen is still blank,the Video Card is the most likely culprit.First inspect the card to be sure it is fullly seated in its slot if it is adapter slot mounted.

Check the jumpers of any motherboard mounted card to be sure a jumper has not been lost or loose.If you have been inside your system,its always a possibility to have moved the card.

MONITOR WORKS BUT POOR DISPLAY

If your monitor works but the images appear fuzzy,or flickering often,and the text are hard to read,it may be time to adjust the video card's resolution and the refresh rate.

Right click the desktop,select properties and open the display properties dialog box.Choose the tab for settings and adjust the slider to change your display resolution.Most 17-inch monitors will have a resolution of 800 x 600 but choose the best resolution for your eyes.

After adjusting the resolution,check the display to see if all flickering and other problems have vanished. If not,optimize the refresh rate.The refresh rate is the rate in which the video card redraws the screen.Lower refresh rates sometimes cause flickering.

To adjust this rate,open the display properties dialog box in the desktop, and choose the settings tab once again.Click the advanced button and choose the adapter tab if your operating system is Windows 98.

If you have Windows XP,choose the Monitor tab.And from there you can set the refresh rate to about 70Hz or 70 Hertz.Check your monitor's manual or web site to see the maximum refresh rate for your monitor.

To effectively maintain your video display,visit the supporting web sites for updated software patches and device drivers.Watch for new control software for your card that will greatly boost its performance.

Take the time to clean the system unit case which will allow air to flow freely.This in turn will help keep the video components cool which will allow the card the perform smoothly.

Rush over to www.ultimatepcrepair.com/photos.html and study the video components.Then open your PC ,locate the video card,and know if it is motherboard mounted or not.To learn much more in great detail, get the PC Super Pack with detailed video all about the video display system.

How To Properly Install A New DVD Drive With Ease

Dvd drives are the most popular drives.Learn the procedures you should follow to install and setup your dvd drive into the system unit.

Copyright 2006 Otis Cooper

When you are ready to begin installing your new DVD Drive,have plenty of room on your desk or table to work.Allow enough space to move around and to be able to move the system unit as well.

Check to see if you have ample light.You may want to have a container to place small screws in.The system unit cover may have small screws and you don't want to lose them.

After you have plenty of work space and ample lighting, prepare your mind as well.Make this and every other adventure of working on your computer educational and fun.

Now go over to www.ultimatepcrepair.com/photos.html to familarize yourself with all components inside the PC. Take the time to study the actual components inside your computer.You'll be glad you did should something go wrong.Follow these steps to install your drive.



REMOVE THE COMPUTER COVER

First Turn off your computer and unplug all peripherals. Take notice of how you unplug or disconnect any devices.

Second Remove the side panel of the tower system or the cover if you have a desktop.Place the panel in a safe place well out of the way.

Third Before touching anything inside the system unit, remove electrical static charge from your body by touching a door knob or any unpainted metal surface.

Fourth Remove the new drive from its protective wrapping and take the time to read through the manual. Be sure you have all components and save the box just in case it need to be returned.

Fifth Check the jumper settings on the drive to be sure it is set to master.If you are adding this drive as a second drive,you will have to set one as master and one as the slave drive.

Your manual should make this procedure quick and fast. A small pair of tweezers can be used to remove the small jumper to the correct position.Most drives are set to master by default.



SLIDE NEW DRIVE IN COMPUTER

Sixth Locate the drive bay for the cdrom drive.In most cases,its at the top of the case.If you are removing another drive,slide it out partially,disconnect cables, and slide the drive out completely.Take note of the location of all connections.

If you are installing a new drive the first time,use a small screwdriver to pop off the 5.25 inch drive bay cover and bezel on the system unit case.

Seventh Slide the new drive in partially and connect the data,sound,and power cables to the rear of the drive.Slide the drive in completely and use small screws to secure the drive to the case.

In some cases,the drive is secured to the case with the use of Drive rails.These rails should be mounted on the old drive if you had to remove one.Check the drive's manual if your new drive came with side rails.

When connecting the cable,carefully graps the cables by the ends and not the wires themselves.Carefully but firmly push the connectors into their sockets until you are certain of a good connection.

If you are installing this drive as a second drive and have made this drive the secondary or slave drive, connect the drive to the center connector on the Ribbon cable.The master drive must be at the end.

Eighth After all cables are re-connected to the drive and the drive is secured to the case,replace the system unit cover,reconnect all peripherals.Be sure the faceplate of the drive is flush with the front of the computer.



SETUP YOUR NEW DVD DRIVE

Ninth Boot up the computer and in nearly all cases,the operating system should detect the new drive and install the device driver if necessary.

In most cases,new cdroms and dvd drives will not come with a cdrom or diskette with a device driver. Windows should install the drive with ease.

Some new drives will come with a cdrom full of software,such as games,music,or movies.Check this cdrom for software utilities that you may need to help run and operate your drive.

Tenth Check your new drive to see if Windows has recognized it.Click on My Computer and you should see the drives installed.Check for both drives if you installed the drive as a second drive.

And that's it.You can now use the drive as a huge data backup.Or you may want to make movies. Whatever the case,check the drive for compatbility with other drives.

Take the time to learn absolutely everything about that computer you're reading this with.Quickly master the art of installing not just the dvd drive, but all drives and other components.

How To Install Cable,DSL,Dialup Modems

Learn how you connect a dialup modem into an empty expansion slot in your system unit.Learn about the right equipment needed to make a cable or DSL connection.Read about installing a cat5 cable and once connected,how to test your modem.


When you want to access the Internet,you want to have the fastest Modem connection possible.And the dialup modem will do if you want just email basic surfing.

The faster cable or dsl are a must have for such internet downloads of large files,super faster web page access,and viewing videos online.

Installing your new modem,whether its dialup,dsl, or cable,it can be a breeze when you both make the installation an education experience as well as having fun in the process.

For this to happen,you must be prepared with the right equipment.High speed modems will need an ethernet card in most cases,for example.

Let's take a deep down look at what it will take to get a new Internal or External modem up and running in your computer.

While we're at it,we will see what it takes to install a cable or dsl modem as well.These modems are always external but will need a couple for parts in order to get that fast internet speed.



CONNECT THE MODEM TO THE COMPUTER

When installing your Modem,first right down the serial number for use should you need to contact technical support.

External modems are connected to the computer with the RS232 cable.This cable is connected to the rear of the system at the serial port and the modem itself.Some modems will have this cable as a part of the modem.

Internal modems are inserted in an expansion slot on the motherboard,unless its intergrated with the motherboard.

Provide power to the external modem with the use of the adapter that with the modem.Internal modems get their power from the expansion slot right on the motherboard.

After the modem has been installed,both the external and internal modem must be connected to the analog phone line.Plug one end of the phone cord to the jack labeled Line on the modem and the other into the phone jack.You can then connect your telephone to the phone jack on the modem.

INSTALL MODEM SOFTWARE

Now you can replace the system unit cover if you are installing an internal modem.And after all peripherals are re-connected to the computer, boot the computer.

With external modems,simply turn the computer and modem on.See if the power indicator is on.

If you have Windows 98 installed,insert the floppy disk or cdrom containing the device driver into the appropriate drive when the "add new hardware" screen appears.Follow the instructions on the disk to install the device driver.

Be sure to read the modem install manual carefully to be sure all installation procedures were followed. Click on fininsh once Windows find and install the device driver.

Users of Windows XP have an updated list of device drivers which may be present.Its best to use the disk when installing the software.

TEST YOUR NEW MODEM

The device driver allow your modem to talk to your computer.To see if the modem is working,click on Start,Settings,Control Panel,and click the Modems icon.

Read the description of the modem to be sure it is the one you have.

Windows XP users should click on Start,Control Panel,and click the Phone and Modems icon. Then click Modem,Properties,and Diagnostics. Run a Query Modem check to verify your modem is up and running.

INSTALLING A CABLE OR DSL MODEM

Cable Modems are external and are connected to the computer by a Cat5 Cable.This cables looks like a regular modem data cable but is larger.

One end of the Cat5 Cable is inserted into the rear of the cable modem while the other end is inserted into a Network Interface Card.

This NIC card must be installed in an empty adapter slot in the system unit and transfer data between the computer and modem.

With the Cat5 cable connecting the modem and PC together,you must provide the Internet signal to the modem by connecting a coail cable to the modem.

This cable provides high speed internet access and may use the same connection as your television. One end of the coaxial cable connects to the modem and the other is connected the cable TV connector.

If the connection is being used by the TV,a cable adapter will split the signals and you can use one connector for both your TV and the Internet.

DSL Modems also use the NIC card and Cat5 cable. Some DSL modem require device drivers and either a cdrom or diskette should come with the modem.

Once you connect to the Internet with a cable or dsl modem,you'll most likely never go back to the slower dialup version.

Onthe other hand,you just may want to keep your dialup modem once you realize just how much more you're going to invest when it comes to broadband Internet.

Since the choice is yours,learn all you can about all modems,how they work,and how they connect to the world wide web.Your internet experience will grow by leaps and bounds if you do.