I thought I would occasionally write some info here about tech, and today I will cover a few questions and answers related to Windows Vista, since it will soon be everywhere (sigh).
Question. When I connected to my wireless network, it said it wasn’t secure. Why?
Answer. If you connect to a wireless network that isnt protected with a passkey, then its possible for others to intercept your data.
The chances of this happening arent high, but its best to avoid the problem entirely by using wireless encryption.
Windows Vista supports two types, WEP and WPA.
WEP is older and less secure, while APA is more robust.
Check the manual for your wireless router for how to set them up.
Answer. The icon changes depending on whether you have an active internet connection or not. If your connection is working, it shows a small world globe graphic on the bottom right of the two monitor screens in the icon. If the internet connection isn’t working, it just shows the monitor screens. Click on the icon to see which network you are currently connected to; you can click the “Connect to another network” link to search for another network and connect to it. Should you suddenly lose your connection to the internet, you can quickly find out whats wrong by right-clicking the icon and selecting “Diagnose and repair.”
Question. My old windows xp pc only appears at the bottom of the network map, how do I get it to show in the right place?
Answer. While every windows vista pc should show up correctly in the network map, Windows XP doesn’t have the correct software, so windows xp computers pushed to the bottom of the window. Its easy to update them, though. Al you need to do is go to download.microsoft.com and search for LLTD Responder. Its a very small file so it will be a quick download. Once you have it, double click on it to install it and your Windows XP PC should now appear in the network map. Continue reading →
