Can I Build My WiFi Antenna?

As the number of portable computing and communication devices grew, so does the demand to connect them to outside world. To go on line the computers had to be plugged into a telephone wall socket. Requiring a wired connection to fixed network meant that computers were portable, but not mobile.

To achieve true mobility the computers need to use radio(or wireless in that case) signals for communication. . In this manner, dedicated users would be able to read and send email while driving or moving to other rooms etc. A system of portable computers that communicate by radio are known as wireless LAN. Therefore to provide mobility to the systems, wireless local area networks were developed and now a new technology “Wi-Fi” or 802.11x(IEEE standard for wireless LAN setup), has become the most popular worldwide standard for the wireless communication in LAN.. Nowadays all major Laptop manufacturers provide an in built wi-fi system. Work is being done to make various devices like mobile phones, mp3 players etc to be wi-fi enabled.

In order to meet the growing demand for wi fi networks, various public places are provided with them.

In order to enhance the wireless capabilities the antennas are developed and are now available in the market, though they are easy to install but these antennas are very expensive. Hence it would be a great thing if it is possible to make our own antennas with some readily available goods. We would need a cable (also known as pigtail) to connect wireless interface card with the antenna. We would also need two kinds of connectors, a N-male connector to connect one end of the cable to antennas and an appropriate connector to connect the wireless interface card with cable. Since the making of antenna requires wire, we would also need a soldering iron to solder wires.

ADVANTAGES OF DESIGNING OUR OWN ANTENAS

The construction of our own antennas provides various advantages to us. Apart from being cheaper than the antennas available in market they are also easy to configure into our system. So instead of investing huge amounts of money in antennas we can better manage that money by adding them to buy better Laptop systems.

There is also time factor involved in making your own antennas system. Since it is easy and faster to make and install our own antennas, it saves lot of time. Hence designing and making our own antennas would provide a better facility to the total cost involved in configuring the communication system

By David Faulkner

You can also find more info on Get Wi-Fi Antenna and USB Wi-Fi. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Faulkner

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3 Ways To Protect Data Privacy

After you delete a "sensitive" file, do you rest assured that nobody will ever be able to access that file? Well, think again... because you are not completely safe until you really remove that file!

What happens is that when you delete a file, this operation is translated as:

* mark the disk space occupied by that file as available, so that other files can use it;

* mark the file as gone from the directory it was in, so it won't be listed anymore;

* leave the actual contents of the file on the disk, so it can be recovered;

...and this is happening in many operating systems, like Windows XP (NTFS), Mac OS X (HFS Plus) or GNU/Linux (with a kernel version greater than 2.4).

The last operation is the one causing problems in some cases, although it has its benefits. But it's not that bad, because, along with new bytes getting written to the disk, that disk space marked as available will be used by other files eventually. So, the content of the deleted file is replaced, making it unrecoverable by software means (I've specified software means, because on older hard disks it's possible to recover a deleted file through physical means and with the right equipment, even if new information has been written on that disk).

If you don't want to wait for that, there are some alternatives:

1. File shredding (preferably on the whole partition rather than individual files - disk free space wiping);

2. store the file using strong encryption at all times, in which case there won't be any useful data to recover (if the encryption key is secure enough);

3. destroy the media (incinerate, use acid, degauss the platters);

These last two are very effective alternatives to protect data privacy, though they are much more that an average user needs. And since using file shredder software is sufficient enough to ensure that the data can't be recovered, I think that's the best alternative to use.

File shredding (also called file wiping) signifies secure deletion of a computer file, so that it can not be restored by any means, and it can be done using specialized software - usually called File Shredder.

Tip: Although your computer is telling you that there is a certain amount of free space on your disk, it doesn't necessarily mean that and it's always a good thing to do a free disk space wipe - some people say that it's even better to do it three times in a row!

Tip 2: Before you decide to buy such software, search the Internet for reviews on the most popular file shredders.

Hope it helps!

By Cheles Nicusor

Nickoo Shore is about tourism, Internet, money, programming stuff, sports, funny stuff, games, movies and my life!

Nicusor Cheles

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheles_Nicusor

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Computer Performance Improvement - 8 Tips to Make Your Computer Purr Like a Kitten

SIGNS OF A COMPUTER WITH PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS!

(If this is indicative of your computer, you need help!)

Programs run slower than they used to.

Frequent freezes or crashes.

Sporadic system instability.

Frequent blue error screens.

Requires frequent reboots because of system hangs.

These 8 simple tips will help clean up your computer and you'll be surprised at the performance improvement!

CLEAN UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY

This essential task is often overlooked but will remarkably improve PC performance. Most PC users don't even know there is such a thing as a Registry much less that that it should be regularly cleaned. In fact, Microsoft doesn't even include a cleanup tool in Windows.

Every time a program is installed or uninstalled changes are made to the Windows Registry which is a huge internal database of Windows' settings. All programs, as well as Windows itself, store a huge amount of information in this database and these entries control the way everything in the computer looks and behaves.

Many times, changes to a computer are not handled correctly leading to conflicts and the slowing of the computer due to a corrupted Registry. Some things which can cause this are:

• frequently installing or uninstalling programs

• removing a program and leaving traces behind

• leftover entries from a hardware uninstall

• power failure or system crash in the midst of updating the registry

• unused drivers on the system

• Spyware or Adware type programs that come back every time the PC is restarted

The Registry can be edited manually using a Windows program called RegEdit, but woe to the novice; this is really a job best left to the experts. Instead, you need to use a special program which makes the cleanup for you.

EMPTY THE RECYCLE BIN

Regularly empty the Windows' Recycle Bin thereby releasing hard drive space and helping to improve performance.

When you delete a file, instead of removing it completely from your computer, Windows puts it into the Recycle Bin. You then can restore these flies from the Recycle Bin back to their original place on your computer if you should need to.

REMOVE UNNECESSARY PROGRAMS

If you're like me and download a lot of free programs or free trials, after a while your computer might begin to slow down. That means it's time to remove some of the old programs you don't use any more (and most you probably only used once just to see how they work).

After installing a program, if you decide you don't need it and won't use it, get it off the computer thereby freeing up system resources. Most programs come with their own uninstaller but if it doesn't you will have to use the Operating System's Add/Remove Programs feature which you can get to through The Control Panel.

Uninstalling unused programs will help speed up your computer, but removing the wrong files can cause you some really big problems. NEVER, NEVER EVER just delete a program file by using the delete key; this can really mess up the Registry. Be careful and if you are not sure, ask for help from someone you know who is more experienced. If you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it's best to leave it.

Some programs leave uninstalled junk all over the Windows Registry! Therefore, to improve PC performance AFTER AN UNINSTALL, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO CLEAN THE REGISTRY.

RUN DISK CLEAN UP

Windows Disk Clean Up is a great built-in utility that automates regular maintenance tasks to improve PC performance. Whenever you "surf the net", open file attachments, delete files, etc., your computer saves a record of your activity. Most if not all of these files are harmless, and are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, before long they will use up enough space to slow your computer down a tad.

Double-click My Computer, right click on the 'C:' drive, then click Properties, then click Disk Cleanup. The PC will then spend a few moments analyzing.

When it has completed analyzing, Windows will give you a list of areas where it has found files to cleanup. To clean an area, check the box next to it. To leave something intact, such as Temporary files, just remove the check mark next to the item and click OK.

Your computer will then begin the removal process which can take a good while.

DISK DEFRAGMENTATION

When Windows stores programs and files on your hard disk it saves fragments of files in the nearest empty spaces and then links these pieces together. When the computer needs to retrieve a file, it has to go through the process of chasing these links hunting down the fragments and piecing the file back together. This can really slow down a computer, especially if it has small internal memory and has to do a lot of caching and file swapping.

The cure is to routinely run the Windows Disk Defragmenter which gathers together the fragments of files and puts them back in the right order in as near contiguous space as possible.

This makes it far easier for your computer to find what it's looking for on the hard drive, enabling programs and files to load more quickly.

To defragment your hard disk click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragment. When the program has loaded, click Defragment. Before starting you need to run "scandisk" which checks for disk errors. Without scanning your disk first for possible errors, defrag may refuse to continue its defragmentation routine.

The process can take over an hour. Because defragmenting your hard disk takes such a long time, you really don't want to go through the process very often; maybe every 3-4 months and it's best not to use the computer while defragmenting

GET A HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION If you spend a lot of time on the internet, a high speed internet connection is a must. It is more expensive, but for most people the savings in time and effort is worth the added expense.

Some of the advantages to having a high speed internet connection: faster surfing, web pages open more quickly, files download faster, and if you send or receive large files, like pictures or video, they will open in a flash when compared to a slower dialup connection.

If you're already spending money for your dialup connection (through your phone line) then you'll find DSL to be comparable in price, and a lot faster.

A cable internet connection might cost a little more, but it is usually the fastest type of internet connection you can get from home.

REMOVE SPYWARE & ADWARE

If you've ever had spyware or adware on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be. All kinds of strange things happen: your homepage changes seemingly on its own, unwanted and inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons, and the list goes on.

Spyware or Adware are files that are often downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge (or at least without you knowing what they really are).

Unfortunately, many of these programs "sneak" their way onto your computer, and avoiding them entirely is difficult, especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, surfing the Internet and downloading new programs and files.

There are ways to remove these unwanted files from your computer.

Check out these 2 adware/spyware removal programs that are simple to use (both are free):

Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/ Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Adware/Spyware continue to be such a problem because most of these programs make money for the people creating and spreading them. If you find these unwanted intruders on your computer, don't panic. In most cases, it is not vicious like a Virus or Worm. You just have some extra "junk" on your computer. However, keeping it off of your computer will help it perform more efficiently.

ADD MORE INTERNAL MEMORY (RAM) AND A LARGER HARD DRIVE

If you have done all/most of the above and your Computer's performance is still so bad that you are thinking: Gee, I guess I am going to have to buy another computer! If everything else about the computer is satisfactory to you, then you might consider an Upgrade. If the PC is only a couple years old, it can easily be upgraded.

If you still have the manuals that came with it, you can determine the type of memory it uses and buy it off of the internet at a good price. If you don't have the manuals, take it to Best Buy or Circuit City and ask them if it can be upgraded (or take the model and make info to them). Their upgrade cost is not that bad and certainly cheaper than buying a new computer.

Another alternative: if you know a High School Kid who has taken some computer courses, he/she can probably do it real cheap.

I have personally maxed out my computers memory and added another hard drive. Together with the items above, my computer runs like a "Tiger chasing a Scared Bunny".

I hope this has been of help to you. I have prepared a brief video which depicts the frustration I was having with my computers performance and how I Cured My Computers Performance Problems. You can see it by clicking the link below.

By Gene Higginbotham

The author has spent his entire professional career of over 40 years in the Computer Business where he programmed or managed Computer projects for NASA, U.S. Dept of Defense and as a consultant to private industry. Click this link for a short video of how He cured his computer performance problems -- http://www.RegistryCleaner.factsNinfo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_Higginbotham

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Buy Computer Monitor

Buying a computer monitor is becoming more common these days as everyone is upgrading the latest flat screen models, new systems tend to all have these flat screen models attached with them now so the chances are that flat screens will be the industry standard in the future.

Flat screen monitors are becoming the standard because of the features they bring compared to the older CRT models which are heavier and take up more desk space, CRT models also suffer from screen glare which sometimes make them harder to see in a room with lots of natural sun light.

The newer flat screen TFT monitors bring sharper images to the display and also combats screen glare more effectively, they are ideally suited for the office environment as they are light and take up less desk space which means they are more portable and easier to move around such you need to reposition your computer system.

CRT monitors should quickly become obsolete as the prices of TFT monitors drop and become more affordable or perhaps even cheaper than their CRT monitor counterparts.

Another thing to take into consideration when purchasing a computer monitor is the size of the display, many people opt for smaller displays only to find out that it strains there eyes, sometimes people buy large 21 inch displays only to find out that it doesn’t fit in the space they outlined for their monitor to go, its always best to research your needs before you go to a store or website and make your purchase.

By Mick Stafford

To purchase computer monitors why not visit our online store, Buy Computer Monitor.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mick_Stafford

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Fix Blue Screen of Death Error

For non techy people that need a solution because they have a "Blue Screen Error" crash that happens whenever you do the following:

1) Loading Microsoft Applications

2) Playing Games

3) Using a Tally software

4) You moved your mouse

This error that you have is the Blue Screen of Death aka BSOD, where the computer screen turns blue, and asks if you have installed any new hardware or software and informs that you need to reboot your computer to fix this error. Here are a few things that can help you fix the blue screen error.

1)Registry Cleaner software

I prefer to use software and fix any errors before deciding what else to do. Reason for this is that going into hardware is little difficult. Opening up the case, changing ram etc. Sometimes when we install multiple programs or delete programs, this can cause the computer to run very slow. The software runs a scan on your harddisk and clears out errors that are giving your problems.

2) Change the Ram Changing Ram is little inconvenient. You'll need to check it the rams at fault. If its a DIY computer and you have 2 sticks of RAM, remove one and see if the problem comes back. Or download Ram checking software to test if the ram is faulty. If you're using Dell or HP, they should have tech support and their own software inbuilt to test the RAM functionality. So just call them for help.

3) In rare cases, both the above don't solve the Blue Screen problem, then the problem could like with the power supply.

If that's the case, then you'll need to backup important data into a thumbdrive and send your PC for repair. The Blue Screen error will not go away on its own and it will come back to haunt you when you did not save that Microsoft Excel File you had spent 2 hrs working on.

By Sherman Choo

This is the Registry Cleaner Sherman uses to Fix Blue Screen of Death Errors and =>http://bluescreenofdeatherrors.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherman_Choo

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External Hard Drive Data Recovery - Not So Different

Internal hard drives. External hard drives. Floppies. CDs. DVDs. They are all great for storing data--until they fail. Nothing is certain in life, and there is no certainty that the means by which you have been storing your important data will not become damaged and require data recovery. You may even be the cause of your lost data, by doing some accidental deleting.

If the data which you are trying to retrieve is stored on an external hard drive, however, the recovery process and can range from simple to highly complicated. But external hard drive data recovery, for the most part, is similar to that used for retrieving lost files no matter where they were originally stored.

Doing Your Own External Hard Drive Data Recovery

If your external hard drive is part of a company network, you will have to attach it to a monitoring system so you can track the progress of t the external hard drive data recovery. Any idle desktop computer or workstation will suffice; you just need to make sure someone is watch dogging the process and can intervene if any glitches occur in the retrieval effort. The last thing you want to have happen is for the external hard drive data recovery process to appear to have finished, and then find that it is still malfunctioning and requires a do-over.

Once the external hard drive data recovery process retrieval is finished, the recovered data will need to be tested for functionality. Begin by checking the operational system files, because without them you will not get far. If they check out, you can go ahead and test the informational files like your business invoices, tax records, spread sheets and databases.

If your general business files are in order, you can branch out and see if the external hard drive data recovery has restored the files with which your company’s different departments work. If all those files are up and running, you can rest assured that the external hard drive recovery went as planned, and you can remove the hard drive from the monitoring station and put it back where it normally belongs.

You can accomplish this by checking various operational and data files that are saved on the external drive. Start out with the operations system first, then move on to some of the larger and more important files, such as your invoicing system. From there you can get into other files that are used fairly often by various persons and departments in your company. Once you are assured that the data is intact, accessible, and working properly, you will know that the recovery was successful and you can return the external drive to its usual station.

When Your Effort Fails

If, however, your efforts at an in-house external had drive data recovery fail, the next step is to take or ship the hard drive to a data recovery specialist. The specialist will examine and evaluate the damage your external hard dive and let you know how much it will cost to perform an external hard drive data recovery, and what you can realistically expect to recover. If your company’s management approves the expense, the specialist will proceed with the recovery attempt and return as much of your data as possible.

By David Faulkner

You can also find more info on Data Recovery After Formatting and Data Recovery Freeware. Pcdatarecoveryhelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Data Recovery.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Faulkner

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Must know facts about toner cartridges

Nowadays virtually, every kind of printer from laser printers to inkjet printers is incredibly inexpensive. Fortunately, the toner cartridges that replace the starter cartridges the come with the printer provide a cost-effective solution. There are great deals online if you are in the market for an inkjet printer cartridge or a laser jet toner cartridge. Laser printer toner called as ‘laser printer toner cartridge’ is a dry powder that is electrically charged during the process to transfer onto the paper to complete the printing procedure. Generally, this toner comes in a cartridge inserted in the printer. This single cartridge can be used for printing multiple pages. Replacing or refilling the empty cartridge is an easy process. Replacing a cartridge offers two advantages: portability and speed.

Toner is used in photocopiers and laser printers to structure the images and text on available printed-paper. Previously it was made of carbon powder. Then carbon was combined with polymer to develop the excellence of the printout. The heat of the fuser result melts toner cartridges elements to attach to the paper. The exact polymer used could be a Styrene Acryl ate Copolymer or a Polyester Resin, but it differs accordingly with the producer. Toner cartridges formulations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from one machine to another machine. These formulae differ from each other in the grain size and melt point. To get a best print, some toner companies use a chemical process to grow toner particles. This results in size in more and more consistent shapes of cartridges particles. This lesser uniform shapes allow more accurate color reproduction and well-organized toner use.

Laser printer toners are classified into four categories in the market. First comes the toner cartridges processed by manufacturer under their brand name. These are called OEM, Original Equipment Manufacturer for example, Epson OEM, Canon OEM, HP OEM, and Brother OEM. Compatible or Generic toner cartridges are the second type which are produced to excel or equal the OEM cartridges. They are less expensive than OEM cartridges. The third one comprises the Remanufactured or Refurbished toner cartridge, which are recycled from the OEMs. Finally, the last type is the Refill Kits that is the most economical method to replace the toner cartridge.

Using toner cartridges against the laser cartridges is beneficiary. The laser printer toners are able to print thousands of pages, and are less expensive per page compared to inkjet cartridges. The printing speed is faster than inkjet cartridges while they almost work on every type of paper. In due course, they prove to be much economical if a lot of printing work is involved. A compatible cartridge benefits you with cost savings and at times massive savings up to 50%. It all depends upon your requirements to utilize these toner cartridges to enhance your printing.

By: senthil , Posted On: 2007-08-14

Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com

senthil is a Copywriter of ink cartridges
He written many articles in various topics.For more information visit: Toner cartridges
contact him at senthilalwar@gmail.com

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