Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
August 6, 2006

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Volume 2, Number 07 — Sunday, August 6, 2006

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

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7.  Securing Your Wireless Router

Recently, reader EJ wrote to ask:

Terry, can you tell me or anyone out there how to put a security protection on my Linksys router or tell me where to find it. Thanks

EJ

If you haven't already read them, read my "wireless" articles listed in the Networking section at http://www.terryscomputertips.com/computers/computer-tips.php

I focus on the why and what, rather than the how. I don't go in to the step-by-step procedure because that will vary with the individual model -- even within the Linksys brands.

The .pdf manual for your Linksys router will give you exceptionally good instructions on how to set each of these settings. One of the reasons that I recommend Linksys routers is that their manuals are very good. Another is that Linksys has taken steps to update firmware for older models to fix security glitches and to add features so they can continue to be used effectively.

Linksys also has a quick-setup button on the front of their recent wireless router, which can be a big help if you only have one wireless computer. If you have more than one, you'll have to set up the 2nd and 3rd manually. The manual also covers how to use this function.

The CDROM that came with the router should have the .pdf manual on it. You can read that with Adobe Reader on your computer. You can also copy the manual to your computer.

You can also download the Adobe Reader .pdf manual from the Linksys site. (Support / Downloads). Most router manufacturers make their manuals available for download, and so do many other computer product manufacturers. If you're thinking about buying a product, check the manufacturer's site, then download and read the manual ahead of time. You'll either get a headstart with your new purchase — or you might decide that this wasn't the product you really wanted!

Tip: I made a "Manufacturers" folder on my hard drive, creat a folder for each manufacturer (e.g., a "Linksys" folder), and keep the manuals in them for easy access.

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8.  Hard Drive Replacement Time

In last week's issue, I answewred subscriber Peter Lieurance's questions about reinstalling Windows XP.

This week, I finally did the hard drive replacement that I wrote about recently. Ultimately, I returned unopened Seagate 200GB drive that I had purchased and got a Seagate 250GB drive for the same price from the same vendor. Now, that's a deal...

I decided that, even though I could use the Seagate software to copy my Windows installation to my new hard drive, I would rather do a clean install to get rid of any leftover junk.

So, I looked up last week's newsletter to refresh the process in my mind.

FIRST, I backed up my data. As usual, I used Replicator (free for personal use, but you have to buy a license to use it for any type of business use) to back up my data files across my home network to another computer. I do this with important data files each night automatically, but this time I wanted to make sure I was selecting everything. [See my article Backing Up My Data]

Repeating the steps from last week:

The reinstallation went very smoothly. Microsoft Updates were more "fun" (I immediately selected Microsoft Updates instead of Windows Updates).

My first update included only 3 items: one critical Windows XP update, the infamous Windows Genuine Advantage" and one other. Then, the forced reboot.

The next update found 49 more critical updates that I needed to run.

Then, I reinstalled some other software, including XP Repair Pro which uses Microsoft .NET 2.0. Of course, that took yet another cycle through Microsoft Updates because there were critical security updates issued for .NET 2.0. Whee!

Finally I got to the stage where I could copy all my data files back from my other computers. I still have a few files in a partition on the hard drive that I removed.

In order to load those files, I'll connect that drive into an external drive case that I bought a couple years ago. I'll be able to plug it into a USB 2.0 port and copy the remaining files easily.

By the way, one reason I use Replicator instead of Windows drag-and-drop to copy my files is that it handles errors well. If Replicator has a problem, it logs the error and keeps going (e.g., unable to copy a file because it's in use). On the other hand, Windows Explorer's drag-and-drop function just dies...

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Volume 2, Number 07 — Sunday, August 6, 2006
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Copyright © 2006 Terry A. Stockdale.  All rights reserved.