Q: Can a private individual spy on another person’s computer using a tracking cookie?
A: A web site might be able to determine some browsing habits of a user using cookies but only if they have a presence on other sites. An example of where this might happen is with advertising companies like Double Click and Google Ads. For more detailed information you should read privacy and third party cookies.
Read Question HereQ: I’ve downloaded greasemonkey and enabled it on FireFox. I still cannot see any command to download video when a video is posted. I’d like to download a video that a friend posted but cannot. Can you help!?
A: Greasemonkey allows users to install scripts that can allow you to do these kinds of things. So you still install to a install a script to download this video. You can visit userscripts.org for a large library of greasemonkey scripts that will hopefully take care of what you need.
Read Question HereQ: Is there an easy way to search for registered domain names that contain certain words? For instance, if I know the name includes ‘book’ and ’shop’ but I have no idea where those words come in the name but I want the result IShopForBooks24-7.com.
A: There is a site called namedroppers.com that allows you to search for domains with keywords like you suggested. It also allows you to exclude keywords as well. So if you wanted to search for domains with ‘books’ and ’shop’ but without ‘now’ then you can do that as well.
Read Question HereQ: I have this sunrocket like Vonage which I am trying to hook up through the internet so I can make calls over the internet. I also have beklin wirelss g router and am not able to figure out how to set this up correctly.
A: I can certainly agree that it can be confusing. I have Vonage and I am hoping that I never have to disconnect and reconnect. I am going to make this as easy as possible. I looked at Sunrockets equipment and the setup looks identical to the Vonage setup.
1. Make sure that all equipment is turned off.
2. You should have one cable going from the routers internet/wan outlet to the ethernet port on the modem.
3. Connect another cable from a LAN port on the router (any of them between 1 and 4) to the back of the computer (the one on the computer will look like a phone outlet.
4. Plug your power cord into the modem and wait for the modem to power up so that the lights on the front panel are lit.
5. Now take the ethernet plug from the back of the modem and plug it into the LAN port on the back of the gizmo.
6. Now take the cross over cable and plug one end into the modem ethernet port to the WAN port on the back of the gizmo.
7. Next take the phone cord that is connected to your phone and plug the other end into the Phone outlet on the back of the Gizmo.
8. Plug in and boot up your router and wait for the lights on the front panel to come on.
9. Boot up your computer.
I hope that this clears things up for you.
Q: What is better for my email? Dot com or Dot ca?
A: There really is no reason that one is better than the other. It all comes down to personal preference.
If you want to promote national pride then certainly .ca. If you want people to know you live and/or work in Canada then certain go with .ca. If you deal with a lot of people who are computer newbies then you might want to go .com since those types of people tend to think the only domain suffix is .com.
Q: My grandmother is blind and can’t set her alarm clock. That means I have to get up at 6am on Sunday to give her a wake up call so she can get to Sunday school on time. Using Windows XP, is there a way to integrate Scheduled Tasks and Phone Dialer (or even Hyper Terminal) so I can set up my PC to place this call weekly? Granny would receive her wake up, and I could still sleep in. Incorporating some type of automated voice message would be great as well; it would not absolutely necessary.
A: I am going to start off by answering your question about how to make this work with Windows XP, Scheduler, and Hyper Terminal. It is a rather simple process and then I am going to go on about how you should not do it and explain better solutions that are more reliable and will not require you to keep your computer on.
We first start by opening up Hyper Terminal. To do this go to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Communications -> Hyper Terminal. Now when you open this you might get a popup box asking you if you want to make this your default internet dialer. You probably want to select no but you HAVE to check the check box either way. If you do not check the check box to tell it not to ask you anymore the scheduler will not work because that popup will just sit there and not let the dialer dial. Read the rest of this entry »
Q: I have a PS2 and some of the games have online play. I read that I could just plug an Ethernet cable from my PS2 to my high speed modem, and voila! So I bought a 30 ft. Ethernet cable (cause my modem is in the next room from my PS2) and when I went to my modem (model # 60678EU, and it doesn’t have a brand name printed on it anywhere, got it from charter communications I think), the only port for an Ethernet cable is occupied by the Ethernet cable that is running to my other computer. To make this work, will I have to buy different stuff? Or can I get around what I’ve currently got?
A: There are actually 4 solutions you can use to solve this problem. One does not involve some new hardware where the other 3 do though. I will list them in the order of how easy they are.
The easiest and most annoying solution would be to not use the PS2 and the PC at the same time. Just unplug the PC and plug in the PS2 when you want to use it. This will probably require powering down the modem each time as well.
The most reasonable solution is to buy a switch/hub. We highly suggest a Linksys , D-Link, or NetGear. A switch/hub is a networking device that allows you to convert the one port on your modem to 4 or more ports. Most Cable and DSL modems have their own DHCP service in them, so if your modem is new this should work just fine for you. A DHCP service is a service that will give the devices you connect to the network an IP address, which allows them to talk to each other much like phone numbers.
I spent some time browsing the web looking for information on your particular modem, the Ambit 60678EU, and it does have a DHCP service built in that supports 32 computers. So this means you just need to buy a hub, bring it home, unplug everything, hook the Ethernet cable from your modem to your hub, and then connect your PC and your PS2 to the hub. Then you should be in business! I would suggest getting a switch/hub that has a cross over port because I have a feeling you would need it to connect to your modem.
I personally get confused about that all the time. In short if you plug your modem into your switch/hub and the computers do not get to the Internet then you will need a cross over cable. The easiest thing to do is just get a hub that has an optional cross over port. There is usually a button that handles this or in some cases it is just automatic.
The next option, if your modem did not support DHCP would be similar to the above except you would go out and get a router. The router does the DHCP for you and looks very similar to a switch/hub and can even be used as a switch/hub if you disable the router portion in the settings.
The setup would be similar in that you would hook the modem via the Ethernet cable to the routers WAN port. Then you would connect your PC and PS2 to the LAN ports and you would be ready to go.
The last option is for people who like to make things a little bit more difficult. It would also require you leave your PC on all the time when you want to use the PS2.
You would need to install an extra ‘network interface card’ (NIC) on your computer, if your computer already has an extra NIC (Ethernet port) then there is no need for this installation.
The Internet connection sharing is a fairly technical task and it needs conscientious efforts from your side to follow the steps mentioned below:
After making the above connections, Windows allow you to setup the required Internet sharing between your PS2 and pc and subsequently check out the connectivity of your pc. Now turn your PS2 on and breeze in the network access disc. Simply carry out the on-screen setup steps and enjoy the thrill of your PS2. Please note that for PS2 to be online, your pc should be on and connected to the web.
Q: I am considering changing Internet providers. The one I am thinking of joining has some details about it. One of them says, “Doesn’t participate in any peering networks “. Does this mean that I cannot use torrents?
A: There are a lot of aspects an individual looks at before selecting an Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from the vast pool of ISPs. Different ISPs have different advantages and constraints attached with them. You should be well aware of the various terms and conditions of an ISP before opting for its services. A proper scanning of the market should be done and the services matching with your surfing habits must be fetched out specifically when you are concerned about using torrents.
To begin with it would be good to understand the concept of peering. Peering is the exchange of traffic among various ISPs across the nation without any predetermined financial settlements. If they do not use any peering networks it does not explicitly mean they do not allow torrents.
Peering, however, does allow a frequent usage of torrents to make your surfing a sheer fun. Torrents are always desirable as they facilitate you to distribute and receive any computer file across the peering networks. Torrents reduce the dependency on the original distributor to attain any file as the previous recipients of the file distribute it in fragmented form. Torrents also abate the financial burden on any individual source to diffuse the data in peering network.
Numbers of ISPs across the world often have problems with operating Torrents. But there are some ISPs that allow the usage of Torrents; the only onus on you is to find out which ISPs. Well here is the all important solution, which will definitely assist you in choosing the most suitable services. Just click on http://www.azureuswiki.com/index.php/Bad_ISPs and you will find all the necessary information about your ISP. The given link provides you a country-wise description of all the noted ISPs. Moreover it will also help you to compare the different features of the providers and make the smartest choice. Simply click to the country of your residence and get familiar with all the required information about your service provider.
Q: What does DMZ stand for?
A: DMZ stands for demilitarized zone. Usually you would put a computer in DMZ if it is a web server or another type of server where many ports need to be accessed from the real world and you do not want to take the time or it is not possible to open up all the ports on the firewall. This leaves this computer open to attack, as there is no protection at all when in DMZ. You can read more about DMZ at wikipedia.org.
Q: My question is, my computer was slow for quite some time in opening web pages or sites — it took a lot of time. I took DSL and I am still facing the same problem. Though the speed has become slightly better, it is still not in any way good enough as compared to other DSL computers that my friends have. I want to know if in any way, without spending money, I can increase the speed of my computer’s internet connection? I hope this is clear enough.
A: Thank you for your question. First, let’s consider some of the more basic possibilities. As you may already know, there are different speeds of DSL internet service. There are two important numbers to keep in mind here. The first is your incoming/download speed — how long it takes your computer to get data from the internet. The second is your outgoing/upload speed — how long it takes your computer to send data back to the internet. The easiest way to determine the speed at which your DSL service is supposed to run is to call your internet service provider. But sometimes, factors prevent your service from running at full speed. Try visiting the Tools section of dslreports.com to determine the speed and quality of your DSL modem’s internet connection. You may also wish to consult the instructions that came with your DSL modem for its IP address. A DSL modem’s IP address should look something like 192.168.x.x — replace the Xs with the correct numbers for your hardware. Once you find the IP address, type it into the address bar in your internet browser and press enter on your keyboard. Alternatively — depending on your configuration — you may be able to type the word gateway into the address bar instead.
Slower DSL services offer speeds like 256 kbps incoming by 256 kbps outgoing. If your service is that slow, the best solution is to upgrade to a faster service. For example, my DSL service is medium quality, functioning at a speed of 1536 kbps incoming by 480 kbps outgoing. It is worth noting that I actually pay for a few hundred more kbps of outgoing signal than I am actually using. That is either because my telephone line is of poor quality — probably the case considering the outward appearance of the wires — or I am to far away from certain equipment in my city.
Unlike cable internet, DSL requires that your DSL modem be a certain distance from a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, which is also referred to as a “home office”. If your distance from the multiplexer is greater than 1.25 miles, which could really slow your internet down. I know this from personal experience. My family and I subscribed to DSL service in the early days of broadband internet. We signed up for the service and installed all of the correct equipment and software. But it turned out that we were too far away from the multiplexer, so we were not able to establish an internet connection. We had to switch to cable internet. Consult with your internet service provider to discover your distance from the multiplexer.
Next, please think about how you are connecting your DSL modem to your computer. I recommend not connecting the modem to your computer using USB. All but the oldest of old computers will work faster on the internet if connected to the DSL modem with an ethernet cable, instead of USB. Are you connecting to your DSL modem via wireless? If so, make sure that your computer and the DSL modem are both either 802.11g or 802.11n. Additionally, please make sure that there are “filters” connected to all of your telephones. These filters should have been included with your DSL modem. Filters must be installed on all of your telephones for your DSL to work correctly.
If none of the above are helpful, consider doing a hard reset of your DSL modem. To accomplish a hard reset, find the little hidden button on your DSL modem. Get a paperclip and bend it so that you can press the hidden button with it. The required amount of time may be different on your DSL modem, but mine requires that I press the button for about 10-15 seconds before it initiates the hard reset. You may also be able to do the hard reset using your DSL modem’s IP address. Be sure to have all of your connection information available — username, password, etc. Otherwise, you will not be able to re-establish a connection to the internet. If your connection information was not included with your DSL modem, contact your internet service provider for the necessary details.
Also think about, have you done any maintenance on your computer in awhile? Believe it or not, sometimes it is a computer rather than a DSL modem that is the source of internet speed issues. Three software tools in Microsoft Windows that you should use at least once per month are: Disk cleanup, Defragmentation, and Error-checking. Disk Cleanup is located in My Computer => right-click on your hard drive => Properties. Before pressing the Disk cleanup button, you may wish to deactivate the Compress drive to save disk space option. In Disk cleanup, choose all of the options in the first tab except the one having to do with compression. When you are finished with that, go My Computer => right-click on your hard drive => Properties => Tools, and there you will find both Defragmentation and Error-checking. Be sure to choose both options in Error-checking. If you have more than one hard drive, run all three of these tools on all of the hard drives in your computer.
Good luck! I would love to receive a comment from you, below this answer, letting me know if any of this was helpful.
