Jim Sanderson is Digital Journal‘s expert tech advice columnist. He is the author of Lemon Aid: Personal Computers and president of Dominion Business Machines. Check each issue of Digital Journal to get advice from our PC doctor!
You can also watch Jim every week on David Onley’s television show HomePage, airing on CP24 and Canadian Learning Television.
You can contact Jim at: sanderson@digitaljournal.com
QUESTION 1
Can you tell me the difference between a wireless access point and a wireless router? We have three computers and we want to connect them to the Internet. Which of these would be best? — AJ
Jim Sanderson: It’s easy to get these mixed up, AJ. Though they share many properties, they are different in some ways. A Wireless Access Point (WAP, or AP) attaches to an existing network and adds wireless connectivity to it, allowing computers, printers, handhelds and other Wi-Fi gear to talk to each other.
A wireless router not only connects wireless devices, it provides access between networks, and can forward information directly onto the Internet. Most wireless routers also provide firewall security, printer sharing and intelligent switching — they make decisions about where packets of information will go. So you can think of a wireless router as an Access Point with extra properties built in. Both of these devices have about the same distance ranges.
Wireless Access Points are commonly used in enterprises that need to provide large numbers of connections to a specific network or relay information from one part of a wireless network to another. They are often used with firewall appliances.
Wireless Routers are usually found in small businesses and homes to allow a few computers to share Internet access, a printer, and some security features. So, AJ, it sounds as though a wireless router is what you need. For more info on this see www.dlink.com.
QUESTION 2
I recently heard our IT guys talking about “zombie spam.” Sounds a little scary. What is this and should I be worried about it being on my home PC? — Wendy
Jim Sanderson: Zombie spam! Luncheon meat made from a creature beyond the grave? Nope. Zombie spam is a recent security threat that has caught the attention of many in the IT industry. Not to be confused with “zombified” computers — user systems commandeered to send junk mail — zombie spam is an escalated hijack: the unauthorized use of email servers at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) level.
Previously, ISPs could blacklist domains and IP numbers used by zombified systems but now, using cloaking software, spammers can use the service providers’ computers to make mass mailings appear genuine.
Some estimates put the percentage of all email messages received today at more than 60 per cent junk, and this zombie spam trend may boost that figure to as high as 85 per cent.
Should you be worried? There’s really not much you can do about this, except hope your ISP will rise to the challenge. Meanwhile, you can set rules in your email software or get a dedicated program to filter and automatically delete unwanted messages. For more info on zombie spam, check out www.spamhaus.org.
QUESTION 3 Is it possible for somebody to track down your address if they know your IP? — Dave
Jim Sanderson: It is possible, Dave, though like many issues regarding Internet security, it is often a matter of degree.
For example, if a law enforcement agency is tracking your online activities and wants to find you in the real world, you can be fairly certain they can do so — unless you’ve taken very careful steps to cover your tracks. On the other hand, most reputable ISPs have policies in place to defend the privacy of their subscribers.
An IP address is a 32-bit number in the format of four three-digit values (e.g., 10.165.145.243) that identify devices connected to the Web. IP links to user information: Names, addresses and telephone numbers are most often found in ISP, business, government and Internet registration databases around the world. Anyone can search these using tools available on the Web such as www.whois.net, or by purchasing software such as NeoTrace.
But remember, it’s not difficult to set up a server under false pretenses to cloak one’s Web activities. Also, the Internet is a global network, so the ability to track users and computers in other countries is sometimes impossible.
If you are concerned about your privacy and personal information, you should contact your ISP and find out exactly when they will — or will not — divulge information about you to a third party.
You should also be aware that in matters of law enforcement or national security, your Internet activities are probably more available to others than you think.
QUESTION 4
Although I have erased the temporary Web pages on my PC using Internet Explorer’s Clear History button, I still have cookies in my system. What is left on my hard drive after I clean it this way and how can I clean it more thoroughly? — Arthur
Jim Sanderson:The Clear History function in Internet Explorer only gets rid of Web pages you visited during the designated period. To get rid of cookies you must choose Delete Cookies, and to get rid of temporary files you must choose Delete Files and check “Delete all offline content.”
Unfortunately, even these actions do not get rid of everything, as anyone who has discovered residual info on his system knows.
In fact, completely clearing a computer’s history is something of a challenge. For most people, running a commercial package such as CyberScrub’s Privacy Suite, Norton’s CleanSweep, or McAfee’s QuickClean will achieve an appropriate level of erasure. All of these provide a range of security and privacy features.
On the shareware side, you have programs like CleanUp, and there many similar offerings on sites like www.download.com. As with all free or donation-driven applications, quality or functionality are in no way assured.
Whatever program you choose, you can almost certainly shake out more old data, safely and accurately, than you could with your browser utilities alone.
If you have had any of these problems, you might want to consider some of these products:
Norton SystemWorks 2005: Norton SystemWorks 2005 is the ultimate data protection and problem-solving suite, featuring new Internet Worm Protection and a diagnostics tool to evaluate a PC’s hardware.
Norton AntiSpam 2005: Ignoring spam isn’t as effective as destroying it, and Norton AntiSpam 2005 stops obtrusive emails, even foreign-language ones, from clogging your inbox. Also comes with banner-ad and pop-up blockers.
Linksys Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router: Ideal for small spaces, this three-in-one bundle includes a wireless access point (AP), a full-duplex switch to connect wired Ethernet devices to the network, and a compact 802.11g router.
Linksys Wireless-G PCI Card with SpeedBooster:Connect to wireless networks at 54 Mbps with a souped-up network adapter card known to make Net access fast and easy.
This article is part of Digital Journal’s national magazine edition. Pick up your copy of Digital Journal in bookstores across Canada. Or subscribe to Digital Journal now, and receive 8 issues for $29.95 + GST ($48.95 USD).
