Two Computers with Different Dialup Speeds

Assuming each computer has its own internal modem, it makes sense that the two computers connect at different speeds. After all if one computer is equipped with a 56K modem and the other is equipped with a 28.8K modem, the one with the 56K modem will be dramatically faster. But before you invest in an external modem, it's smart to double check to be sure that your slower computer does have a slower modem.

How to Identify Internal Modems

Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Device Manager and open the Device Manager. From there, look for Modems and click the plus sign to expand the list. Find the modem in the list and right-click it. Choose Properties. Here you'll find all kinds of information about your modem.

Other Ways to Identify Modem Speed

·         If Device Manager doesn't reveal the speed, go back to the Control Panel and find the Phone and Modems tool. Launch this tool and click the Modem tab where you should see additional details.

·         Another option is to find your original documentation for each laptop and compare the modem specs.

·         Finally, go to SpeedTest.net or use a similar service to test your actual connection speeds for each laptop

Improving Dialup Networking Speed

Based on the specs and test results, does the slower laptop have a slower modem? If so, investing in a faster one should solve the problem. However, what if the slower laptop's modem is comparable to the faster laptop's modem? If both have 56K modems, but one is dramatically slower than the other, then something else is interfering. It could be related to differences in Web browsers, bad modem device drivers, or registry problems.

Retrieving and Resetting Netgear Wireless Routers

Alright, I am going to assume a few things to address this question -- first, that you are trying to connect your laptop to a Netgear wireless router, and second, that you are actually the legitimate user of this router and the Internet connection it provides. If this isn't the case, and a wireless Internet connection that you usually access is suddenly requiring a password, it is more than likely that the registered user decided to secure the connection to prevent people from hopping on. Encrypting the wireless signal keeps unauthorized computers off  -- which improves security and speed for the registered user.

To recover or reset your security key, since you aren't able to connect wirelessly to the Internet, you are going to need to connect your laptop to the router with an Ethernet cable. You will need a connection in order to retrieve your security key.

• 1. Once online, use a browser search to open the Netgear dashboard; the address is http://tmss.trendmicro.com/dashboard
• 2. This page should prompt you for your user name and password. ***The default setttings for the user name and password are admin and password or 1234.
• 3. Once admitted, choose the Setup tab from the menu and then choose Wireless Settings
• 4. Next, choose Security Options
• 5. In the box labelled Passphrase, you will see your router's security key, copy it down
• 6. If there is nothing showing in the box, you can highlight and delete the text and then enter a new security key, and click Apply.
• 7. With this information, you should be able to enter the security key, or passphrase and gain permission for new computer's to join the wireless network.
• 8. To make a personalised security that is easier to remember, simply change the text in the Passphrase box and then click Apply.

Appeal to Netgear Customer Support

If this fails, you have a couple of options. One is to phone the Netgear customer support and try to troubleshoot the connection with a representative there. They can get more precise details about your system and connection, as well as retrieve or reset lost or unknown user names, passwords and other keys.

Reset your Router to Factory Settings

There is also a reset button on the back of the router. You also have the option of pressing this and returning the router to factory settings. The user name will be admin and the password will be either password or 1234. You will still need an Ethernet cable to connect, and resetting the router will delete any saved settings. Once you have recovered access, you will need to re-apply your security settings using the same steps as above and entering a new security key to protect your network.

I hope this helps!

The Zonet Router ZSR1134 WE User Manual

If you don't already have a copy, you can download a PDF version of your Zonet router's user manual at Zonetusa.com. According to the manual, you can adjust your router's settings by using its Web-based configuration utility which is accessible via Internet Explorer. Open Internet Explorer and enter http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar. You'll be prompted to enter a user name and password. By default, the user name and password are both "guest" (without the quotation marks). If you've never changed these, then enter "guest" in both fields. Note, this password information is for accessing the router's configuration utility, not necessarily for network access.

Setting the Router's Configuration Utility Password

To change the password for managing the router's configuration utility, you'll need to log into the configuration utility and find the System Tools section. From there, you'll need to find System Management followed by Password Setup. Enter a user name and password and then confirm your choice.

Setting the Wireless Networking Password

Once logged in, you can then change the router's wireless security settings. Instead of the term "password," the user's manual tends to use the term "key." You'll need to first select an encryption method such as WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). WPA is generally preferred. Assuming this is for a personal network and you have selected WPA, you'll need to choose the WPA Authentication Mode of Personal (Pre-Shared Key). From there, you can choose to use a "passphrase" format which is a fancy way of saying a password. Enter your desired passphrase in the Pre-Shared Key field and save your settings.

Once you've changed the password, your computers will need to be set to access the network using that passphrase. Apparently this router has a feature for "push button configuration." However, the manual didn't explain how to use it very well. If you only have a few computers, it's easy to enter the passphrase when prompted and click the "remember" option so that the computer remembers it.

Internet Bandwidth

Well, let's see... simply put, bandwidth refers to the bit rate measure of communication resources that are either available or consumed. It can be helpful to imagine bandwidth as the available lanes of traffic along which data can travel from place to place. These figures are represented in bits per second or kilobits or megabits per second -- to indicate the amount of bits transmitted. Standard DSL Internet connectivity provides 1.54 Mb of bandwidth.

Calculating Bandwidth

However, knowing the bandwidth of site A is not enough information to determine the amount of bandwidth available from site B. It is clear from your explanation that you have a remaining 10 Mb of bandwidth available on your site A, but that doesn't determine anything about the other site. In the same way that a standard home DSL Internet connection offers 1.54 Mb of bandwidth to the user, the service provider's bandwidth is going to be much greater so that it can host tens or hundreds of users simultaneously. Without knowing the bandwidth available on site B, there is no way to calculate the remaining bandwidth. The available bandwidth on site B will be related to its connectivity, not to its relationship with site A.

VPN Tunnels

As you likely already know, a VPN tunnel allows information in VPN formatting to be packaged in another carrier protocol and then transmitted between the VPN client and server. VPN connections over the Internet typically involve VPN protocols packaged in IP packets. VPL tunnels are known for poor functionality, as the VPN tunnels are put on top of the existing Internet connection. This factor can also reduce performance and speed when connection sites this way. However, this kind of connection is still less complicated and hardware-dependent than setting up physical connections, and offers inexpensive access to remote sites and systems.

I hope that this information is helpful!

Netgear MTU Setting Suggestions

A Netgear Knowledge Base article details circumstances where you might want to change MTU settings along with some suggested values for different scenarios. It also details (and provides a link to the product) how to change the MTU settings using a third party program called Dr. TCP. Ironically, while Netgear says to check the modem's user manual for specific steps for Netgear modems, the user manual for model CGD24G doesn't address adjusting MTU settings. Take a quick look at the Netgear Knowledge Base article and consider its advice.

General Netgear MTU Adjustment Steps

If you're not sure about using Dr. TCP, you can try these general MTU setting adjustments. The steps may be slightly different for your exact modem, but they should be close enough to find your way around.

First, open Internet Explorer and type the following into the address bar:

192.168.0.1

Next, enter admin into the User Name field and password into the Password field when prompted. Note: these are the standard Netgear login credentials. If you've changed the user name or password, enter those instead.

After logging in, look for the MTU size section. It's often found in the WAN Setup menu. You may also see a description such as "ISP parameters for Internet access." Once you find the MTU section, choose Custom and enter your desired value. Since your error message indicates that your MTU settings are too low, you'll want to increase the size. The maximum setting is 1500. Make sure that your setting is at least 1364 as this is the minimum requirement specified by Xbox Live.

Save your changes, exit out of Internet Explorer, and reboot your system including your computer, console, modem and router. Hopefully this will solve that error message once and for all.

With the explosion of media content over the last few years, most families are struggling with the ability to save and share all of it. This content comes in many forms including videos that have been created or downloaded from the internet, pictures, music, important Emails that have been sent and received, and various other documents that make up the new digital life. Up until now this content has been stored on local computers and transferred between them on a memory stick, or for more sophisticated users, a local area network for others to use. This is a cumbersome process and leads to the possible loss of data as well as the problem of multiple copies of this content floating all over the network eating up expensive disc space.

Another concern is that most families have made the transition from film to digital cameras and the only place those precious family photos that have been taken over the years exists is on an aging hard drive. If this drive fails, kiss those pictures goodbye. All of these concerns can be solved by setting up a simple Home Media Network and using this central location as the "Digital Vault" to store all of the content you rely on and enjoy. This article will present the concept of a Digital Vault and explain the benefits and the basics of how to get a Home Media Network installed and operating in no time.

What is a Home Media Network

In its simplest form, a Home Media Network is a collection of connections between computers in the home along with a central repository of storage where all of the collected media is stored. A Home Media network can share a local area network if its already installed, or can be a totally separate network used just for sharing and enjoying the media. The main components of the Home Media Network are the computers used to collect and generate content, the storage array, and possibly other specialized display adapters (more on this later).

The basic premise of a Home Media Network is to allow the organization and distribution of digital content to whoever needs it. A further aim is to secure this media so that it is not lost in the event of a component failure. Finally, by moving all of the media content to a common repository on the network, there is no worry about losing data when one of the computers is upgraded. All of the data will be available to the new system as soon as it is plugged into the Home Media Network.

Benefits of a Home Media Network

Most folks have setup a home network or local area network (LAN) as it is commonly referred to. The most basic LAN consists of a router and a network card installed in each of the computers that are going to be added to the network. A router is a device that connects all of the computers together with the high speed network connection (like a cable modem). This router allows several computers to connect to the cable modem and share the connection to the internet. It also acts like a "traffic cop" and helps regulate the interaction between computers and ensures that everyone gets their fair share of network access.

If this network needs to be expanded further, a switch can be added to allow even more devices to connect to the network. Additionally, a Wifi (POP) Point of Presence can be connected to expand the network to any device that connects over Wifi. Once setup, this network allows an internet connection to be shared between a group of computers as well as transfer files between them. This works well for basic file trading, but does not really offer any of the benefits that taking things a step further with a Home Media network will provide.

Sharing the data

Even though all of the computers on the network can now share data, they still act as "islands" of storage each containing a portion of all of the data. If one of these computers fails, all of the data on its hard drive is lost to the ages. Also, to access the data on a specific computer on the network from a particular computer, it requires that the computer you are trying to retrieve data from be turned on. This is a major hassle as well as a power waster.

By implementing a central storage repository, you will alleviate all of these problems and will have created a secure, simple place for all of the folks on your network to store their content. It also assures them that the content will be protected from loss due to failure of a particular hard drive, as well as optionally backed up to another location for further protection. Additionally, it provides for an easy way to organize and present your content for all of the users on your network. This central storage repository can take on several forms from "home-brew" solutions to commercially available network attached storage (NAS) units.

Over the past few years NAS units have come way down in price and are well within the reach of the average consumer. They are simple to connect and operate and have grown in features. For example, most of the current NAS units will support multiple hard drives and actually allow you to protect against failure by mirroring the data between all of the drives in the NAS unit. This means that in the event you lose a hard drive in the system (which will happen), another drive in the system has a copy of the data and you never actually lose anything. Some of the more sophisticated units like the Drobo will actually allow you to remove the defective drive, replace it with a new one, and rebuild the data automatically from the mirror copy.

Most of these units will also allow you to mix different drive sizes in the same enclosure giving you added flexibility. The beauty of having a central storage repository like this is that all of your users can see it as a local hard drive in their computers, and store their media to it. Then even if their systems are powered off, everyone else on the network that they designate can access that content.

Some other units like the MvixBOX also include the ability to restrict certain users from accessing specific content and allow you to setup secure folders. In addition, the MvixBOX unit has a webserver installed that enables you to setup and host your own website on your network.

Securing the data

Once you have installed the NAS unit on your network, there are a few basic concerns that need to be addressed, such as security of the data. This comes in several forms starting with access. For example you may have some content that is inappropriate for certain people on your network to access. Most of the NAS units allow you to either setup a password for access to certain directories or folders, or restrict access based on the specific computer. This assures you that only the people you want to views the content have access to it. You may choose to have several folders that are public and unrestricted where you put all of your common media like family movies and pictures. You can also have other folders for other content like scary movies that you don't want your younger children to stumble over.

Another consideration is backing up the data on your NAS. Even though most of the NAS units will protect your data from loss due to the failure of a particular hard drive through mirroring, they cannot protect you from someone accidentally deleting a file. This is a concern because everyone who has access to these shared folders will have the ability to delete things and you may want to have a backup copy somewhere else in case you need to restore a certain picture or song that got inadvertently deleted.

There are a lot of programs on the market that will enable you to make a regularly scheduled backup of any of the folders on your NAS unit to another hard drive anywhere on the network. You could do a monthly backup of all of your pictures and home movies you share on the network with others to prevent any accidental deletes. The program can be scheduled to run in the evening when you are asleep and is automatic. Some of the NAS units even have the ability to do this themselves.

Enjoying the content

This article has outlined the benefits of having a Home Media Network setup and sharing your content between the various computers in your home, but it doesn't end there. Even though it's nice to be able to access a media file to edit it, and even watch it occasionally on your PC, the real reason you collect all of this media content is to watch it together on your TV. In the last few years a new class of device has emerged called a Media Router which helps you do just that. It is an appliance that connects to your TV through one of your video inputs or HDMI and also connects to your Home Media Network. Once installed it allows you to watch any media file you have on any of your network devices on your TV. These can be files that exist on one of the computers on your Home Media Network, or your NAS.

Some of the better units like the Mvix MX-780HD even allow you to install a hard drive in them and store content there as well. What this means for you is that if you put one of these on each of your TV's you can enjoy any of the content you have stored anywhere you want. Additionally there are devices that connect to your network and your stereo system that allow you to do the same thing with your music. Recently there have been a slew of portable devices released like the PSP and the Archos 5 players that allow you to transfer your media to them to enjoy on the road. Having all of your digital content organized and available in one place makes the transfer to these devices easier as well. Imagine never having to find a DVD, or CD again and having every song or movie you ever bought at your fingertips.

Tying it all together

By now the benefits of a Home Media Network should be apparent. You'' like the fact that you can decide on a movie to watch and immediately sit down and start watching it without having to play hide-and-seek for the DVD. Also if you install a few of the media routers, you can watch several programs at once on different TV's. You can even be watching a show in the den while the kids are watching something else in the living room. It is possible to transfer all of your DVD's to your NAS unit and then put them up on the shelf for safe keeping.

You could even take it a step further and install a media router in your vehicle. This means that when you start the car, the Wifi connection in the car joins the Home Media Network and you are able to transfer a few files to the hard drive in it for the kids to watch on that long road trip. You might also own a few portable media players like the Archos 7 unit or the Sony PSP, and having the content on the network allows you to transfer these movies and TV shows to the player for those long plane flights. In this new digital age, having the convenience of being able to access and enjoy all of your media content when you want and where you want is sweet. Installing a Home Media Network makes this all possible.

Fortunately, the software for your Cricket Broadband modem is readily available online at the Cricket website. You will need to know exactly which model of the Cricket modem you have first in order to select the correct installation software for the drivers. Once you know which Cricket modem you have, you can follow the directions listed below and download the Cricket Broadband modem software onto your borrowed computer.

Install Software to Open Zipped Files

The modem software that you need to download has been compressed into a zip file. Therefore, you need to have access to software that will unzip the file for you. If you don't already have a program installed on the computer, you will have to download an application from the Internet. The following popular programs can be used to open zip files: WinRAR or WinZip. Just complete an online search for the program that you wish to use if you don't already have it.

Models of Cricket Broadband Modems

If you don't remember which model you have, you should be able to identify your Cricket Broadband Modem just by looking at it or by searching through any paperwork that you have for the modem. These are the identifying numbers that you are searching for: A600, UM185C, EC1705, or Crosswave.

Installing Cricket Broadband Modem Software

Visit the following webpage for Cricket Modem Drivers. Once you arrive at this page, you will see the question, "Where can I get the Cricket Broadband client software to download on my computer?" Beneath that question, you should see five answers indicating the available downloads.

You will need to select the proper link for your computer operating system and modem model. First look for the Cricket modem identification and then select "PC" if you have Windows operating system and "Mac" if you have a Mac computer. Follow the prompts as they appear until you have completed the download.

Check your cables and connections

Before we assume that there is a problem with your Blu-ray player, we can check a few more basic troubleshooting options to isolate the problem. As simple as it sounds, the first thing to check are your cables, all of them. Especially since your connection was active last night, a cord may have been inadvertently disconnected. Make sure all the connections are good. Next, check your Internet connection by making sure that your computer has access. If there is a wireless connection issue, then the problem could be between the router and the device. In any case, double-check that the Ethernet cable its securely attached -- you can also test the cable with another device to make sure the cable is good.

Power cycle your devices to re-set the dynamic IP address

Depending on your computer configuration, you might have an issue between devices. For example, if you are using a router, you need to re-set the dynamic IP. Assuming that the Internet is working on the computer, disconnect the power source to both the router and any other network enabled devices. Wait for 30-60 seconds before reconnecting, first the router and then the Blu-ray player and test the  connection again.

Set your IP address manually

If this power-cycle doesn't re-set the IP properly, you can try to adjust it manually. Exact steps can vary between makes and models, but generally speaking the process goes like this:

• ● Within the Blu-ray or TV menu, access the Network Settings
• ● Choose the Static IP setting
• ● You will now need to enter information to set the device.

To access this information, follow these steps on your Windows-based computer

• 1. Click to open the Start Menu and choose Run
• 2. type cmd into the dialog box and then OK
• 3. when the command prompt opens, type ipconfig /all and then Enter
• 4. this will display information including your computer IP address, the subnet mask, gateway - the router's IP address and the DNS server information

With this information you should be able to follow the device instructions to manually set the IP address for the Blu-ray player. If this information doens't help, you could write again, providing details about your Blu-ray device make and model, your computer operating system and your network hardware configuration. Good luck!

I have a Fujita Ultra Mini Notebook PC with three USB ports, two marked keyboard mouse, one marked USB disk, and one standard landline telephone inlet plug.

Dial-up Internet Access

Yes, you can get an Internet connection by connecting your computer to a traditional landline. This type of Internet access is called dial-up Internet access. However, you'll need a dial-up Internet access account from an Internet Service Provider and you will need to configure your Web browser so that it knows which phone number to dial and how to connect.

Free and Paid Dial-up Internet Providers

Depending on how many hours you plan connecting to the Internet, you'll need to decide between free and paid dial-up Internet access plans. For example, if you need fewer than 10 hours per month of access, NetZero offers a dial-up access plan. On the other hand, if you plan on using more than 10 hours per month, you'll likely need to pay for the privilege. Fortunately, dial-up Internet access is extremely inexpensive with unlimited access plans available for as little as $10 per month.

Choose Local Phone Numbers

Because you'll be accessing the Internet over your telephone, it's important to choose an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers local phone numbers. Otherwise, you'll see long distance charges on your phone bill - and these can quickly add up.

Configuring Your Web Browser for Dial-up Internet Access

Once you have signed up for a free or paid dialup plan, you'll need to configure your Web browser. This is relatively easy. Your ISP will provide you with a username and password as well as a list of local access numbers from which to choose.

In general, you'll need to launch Internet Explorer, click on Tools, click on Internet Options, and then click on Connections. Next, click the Setup button and follow the prompts. Once you have the browser set up, you can connect to the Internet by launching Internet Explorer. In fact, you can connect to any phone line including home, office, and hotel phone lines. Keep in mind that you'll want to choose a local phone number if you take your computer to another location.

Viewing Other Computers on a Wireless Network - Network and Sharing Center

The process for viewing other computers on a wireless network varies slightly depending on the operating system you are running with slightly different terms used. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, you'll need to go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. Alternately, you can go to Start and type "Network" into the Search bar. A list of matches will appear. Click on the link for Network and Sharing Center.

You'll see a graphical display showing the connection between your computer, the wireless router, and the Internet. Just above that to the right, you'll see a link with the words "See full map." Click the link and the network map will expand, showing you the other computers currently connected to the wireless router. Each will be labeled with the computer's display name. For example, if you have two computers, one named Desktop and the other named Laptop, you'll see computer icons labeled Desktop and Laptop.

Viewing Other Computers on a Wireless Network - Windows Explorer

Windows offers several ways to get to the Network and Sharing Center including the Control Panel and Search bar shortcuts. You can also reach it via Windows Explorer. To get to Windows Explorer, right-click the Start button and choose Explore (or Open Windows Explorer depending on your operating system). Once Windows Explorer launches, look in the left pane and scroll down until you find Network. Clicking Network immediately displays all of the devices your network contains whether they're currently connected or not. For example, if Desktop and Laptop are currently connected, you'll see them in the list as well as other computers that are not connected such as "Netbook" or "Work Computer." You'll also see other network devices such as printers or shared storage devices.

Now look at the menu bar and you'll see a link that takes you to the Network and Sharing Center. Click that link and you'll see the graphical display of your wireless network as before.