Here's The Safe Way To Use A Wireless Laptop to Reach The Internet

If you're reading this article, then you probably just got a new laptop with wireless capabilities. Or perhaps you just set up a wireless network in your home or office and want to know how your laptop can connect to it easily.

Here's what you need to know:

For the purposes of this article, I'm going to assume some basic things about your equipment and layout. If your home network looks a bit different, you'll still be able to make things work, but it may not be quite as simple and straightforward.

Hardware

Most home and small office systems will have a cable/DSL modem. Plugged into that will be your wireless access point or router. Your model may have a few wired network ports as well as the wireless antenna. In addition all this, you have all your computers -- some of which may be connected by wires and some of which are wireless.

Network Security

One of the first things you'll want to do is increase the security of your network. There are a number of things you can, and should, do to accomplish this goal.

1. Make Your Wireless Network "Invisible"

   As a convenience, wireless access points "announce" their presence to nearby wireless-enabled computers. This is called "identifier broadcasting." It is turned on by default, purely as a convenience. For example, it is nice if you are in a hotel or coffee shop -- it makes it easy for your laptop to find their network and use it quickly.

   However, when the network is in your home or office, you don't want everyone nearby (e.g., outside or next door) to know you're there. So consult your access point’s user manual for instructions on how to disable identifier broadcasting.

2. Rename Your Wireless Network.

   The wireless network access point/router will be configured with a name, or "service set identifier" (SSID). The wireless manufacturer sets this up at the factory; it is a case-sensitive name that uniquely identifies the network. You'll want to change that name because intruders can scan a neighborhood using the default name to find your network. In other words, until you change your SSID, you might be giving an intruder a head-start on hacking into your network from out on the street somewhere. Consult your manual and change that name. Choose a name that won’t be easily guessed by others.

3. Encrypt Your Network Traffic.

   Your wireless access point/router should allow you to scramble, or encrypt, data moving between the device and your computers. By encrypting your wireless traffic, you are changing it to a format that can only be read by computers with the correct conversion-key for that format.

4. Change Your Administrator Password.

   In order to do the things I mentioned above, you need to log on to your wireless access point/router. At the factory, it was given a default password. These passwords are widely known and can be used to gain unauthorized access to your network. Be sure to change your administrator password.

5. Use File Sharing with Caution.

   Sometimes all you want to do with your wireless network is share an internet connection with others. If that is the case, you may not have file sharing turned on.

   But if your network is set up to help you access files and folders on other computers, you'll need to have "file sharing" turned on. The downside to this is that it makes it easier for outsiders to steal information from you.

   To stop them, you may want to consider creating a dedicated directory for file sharing, and move or copy files to that directory for sharing. Then you should password-protect that directory and the files in it. Note: Never open an entire hard drive for file sharing!

6. Keep Your Access Point Software Up to Date.

   From time to time, the manufacturer of your wireless access point/router will release updates to the software (or patches to repair bugs). Be sure to check the manufacturer’s web site regularly for any updates or patches for your device’s software.

Convenience

Once you've taken care of the security issues, the rest is relatively easy.

After you set the SSID on your access point/router, you may want to add it (and any other wireless networks you use) to your preferred network list if Windows XP Wireless Auto Configuration is enabled. Follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections.
2. Right-click the Wireless Network Connection, and then click Properties.
3. On the Wireless Networks tab, click Add.
4. In the Wireless network properties dialog box, enter the SSID you configured for your wireless access point/router.
5. Fill in the rest of the fields, including the necessary authentication and encryption information based on the configuration of your wireless access point/router.
6. Click OK and your home network will be added to the list of preferred networks.

Now, your laptop should automatically see the desired wireless network and connect to it.

Enjoy!

Small Office Success Building Tactics - Don't Work Too Hard At MLM

The following set of tactics and rules are designed to be instrumental in establishing the right frame of mind in the market place. They are a guide to running your business from home while continuing your 9 to 5, just over broke work situation. The time requirements in starting and running a business are demanding and you will not make a "real" living by putting in 2 to 3 hours a month marketing an affiliate based program unless you have a "real" amount of money to put into play.

The true home office person works a normal job; she has responsibilities and very little free time to commit to a business that isn't making any income. This is the hook that thousands of on-line lead marketing companies use to get us to chase after the bait of money for doing nothing. A small fee is paid and tons of leads are dropped into our personal funnel system and out comes a flood of money.

You will not get rich quick.

Although it does happen. Getting rich over night is like getting hit by lightning. It happens but is very unlikely. If you want to get rich quick. Buy lottery tickets. You can purchase them on line from your official state website or visit a local grocery store and purchase them off line. I am serious. Anyone that is reading this and wants to get rich quick will have a better chance at winning the lottery. This rule is very important. Don't expect to get rich quick using any of my tactics or suggestions.

Work Hard At Something.

This is too easy. You already work too hard at MLM. You already work to hard to please your family. You already work too hard for your boss. This rule is exciting to me. Work hard at something you like.

Find your passion and work hard to communicate that passion to others. People surf the net looking for information about topics that are of interest to them. They will read your content if you target it to them.

Know your prospect.

At this point, you know you will not get rich quick and will be working hard at something that excites you. Your passion for the subject matter is unquestionable. But, who will be interested in reading your website message?

Get to know your prospect. Determine their gender, age, occupation, hobbies, all or anything about the prospective visitor that would be interested in your message.

This is where many of us fail to plan. It seems too large of a task. It is not. Start with what you know and add or subtract as you market to your prospect profile. The profile is important and this is why. Marketing to a person or profile gives you the abilities to avoid getting your message in front of people that do not have an interest in it. As you look for places to market, you can avoid wasting money and time and target your efforts to your profile. You can change your profile based on your responses and get better at hitting the mark.

K-Mart and Sears are copyright trade marks. These companies use surveys to adjust their prospect profiles. They want to know who are their customers, where they live, their occupation, number of kids, what car they drive, what level of education and a host of other factors.

You have your passion for the subject matter. What is your age, gender, and hobbies? Start with what you know and add or subtract as you move forward. This rule will help you save time and money, build a prospect profile and market to that specific profile.

Your most wanted response.

You want to establish what you want from your prospects. Keep in mind you don't want to sell them anything. Some of us do have our own products to sell on line. If you do, keep an open mind while reading the next few paragraphs.

The job of the MLM affiliate is to bring prospects to your affiliate website with an open mind toward the product that is being offered. Most of us shoppers, do not see the immediate benefits of the product. We need to be educated. We surf for information so we can be an educated consumer. I don't want to be sold the product or service by you. I want you to influence me by providing the information I am seeking. If your information is good and your passion for the topic is true, I may be inclined to check out your recommendations.

You business partner is a genius at selling. His site has all the details and is ready to close the sale. You don't have to rewrite copy or try to convince your prospects of the value of the product. They are, like you, already interested in the topic. They have been educated and are in a ready state of mind. Let the affiliate site sell them the product.

You most wanted response is going to be a simple click to your affiliate website. Send them there from your website. This rule is going to sound old, you must have your own website to establish yourself. Even if your website just redirects your prospects to your affiliate site.

The Right Small Office/Home Office Printers

Choosing an output device (notice I did not say "printer") is an arduous task indeed: inkjet, laser, LED, 3-in-1, 5-in-one, 7-in-one, photo printers, MFPs..... the choices are seemingly endless.. To make matters worse, the employee at the big retail/computer/electronics store has held the job for less than a week and is a lot more knowledgeable about PlayStation than anything else. So what do you do? Here's a little quick guide to help you sift through most of the choices.

These tips are based on how much paper you use per month. If you do not know (I wouldn't if somebody asked me), then think of how often you buy paper and how much; then divide by the appropriate timeframe. Regular office paper (A4, letter- or legal-size) normally comes in 500-page reams or 2500 or 5000-sheet boxes. If you buy a 2500-sheet (5 ream) box once a quarter, you therefore use 833 sheets per month.

A - Less than 50 sheets per month: Get as cheap an inkjet as you can - just make sure there are store-brand or knockoff cartridge brands readily available so you can purchase those as soon as the warranty on your printer runs out. If your printer dies, DO NOT fix it: it will be cheaper to get a new one (which will come with a new cartridge pack). I would personally buy a "multi-function" with a flatbed scanner, as they are now quite cost effective. The more mainstream the brand, the more retailers carry it, the better.

B - 50 to 250 sheets per month: If your usage dictates that you need colour and/or a multi-function (any combination of 2 of the following: printer/fax/scanner/copier), then definitely get a multi-function inkjet. However, before you do, do some research (15 minutes on the internet) to determine how much cartridges cost and what their yield (how many pages you can get out of them) is. If a cartridge costs $45 and yields 450 sheets, it will start getting expensive. If you do not need anything other than straight B/W printing, then get an entry-level laser/LED printer. They now come with a very good price tag (under $200) and are very cost-effective.

C - 250 to 1000 sheets per month: In this case, there is no doubt you need to get a laser or LED since it does not make any kind of sense to get an inkjet - the cost will be much higher. If you can, try to get a Multi-function, but remember to do your homework on cartridge cost vs. yield - and do not let the comparatively lower cartridge cost fool you (a $280 cartridge with a 5000 page yield is a lot better than a $120 cartridge with a 1000 page yield). Also, get a system that is suited to your primary application: do not get a fax-based system if 90% of your usage will be copying.

D - Over 1000 sheets per month: In this case, your best bet is to call 3 or 4 office-equipment providers, as they will guide you towards the best choices according to your needs. Just be sure to get 3 or 4 quotes (just to keep them honest) and get an all-inclusive service contract; they include toner and all your services and are typically cheaper (at this stage) than buying toner alone for a laser system.

A few parting words: These tips are for basic office use only; if you need oversize paper (11x17 or A3), o photo-quality finishes for pre-press, these tips are not for you. Also, I do not recommend refilling laser cartridges, as the systems themselves are somewhat of an investment and can be picky. For inkjets, however, since the machines themselves are almost disposable nowadays, it should not be a major issue.