Check If Someone Is Stealing your Wi-Fi

Therefore its a good idea to keep a check on your wireless network. The process may be different depending on your router’s manufacturer, but you’ll get a fair idea of how to achieve this.

Now there are two methods to try out out to know if someone is using your wireless network. The first method involves checking router logs. This can be done by logging in to your router’s web interface by typing the IP address in a browser window. Next you’ll be prompted to enter login credentials. Your login details can be referred from router’s user manual. But its recommended that you change the login as soon as you get into the router’s console.

All router’s web interface are different, depending on the manufacturer. You need to find something called “Attached Devices” for Netgear routers, for D-Link you need to go to Status > Wireless, for Linksys router’s you can find this in DHCP Clients table, for Tomato firmware you can find this in “Device List”. This should provide a list of IP addresses, Mac addresses and device names. You can compare these results with your own.

To compare, you need to know IP address of your computer. To do this, an easy solution is to do this from command prompt. Go to Start and type CMD (Windows XP users need to type CMD in Start > Run). Type ipconfig in the command prompt. Next, you’ll be presented by results, you need to find IP v4 address field. That is your LAN IP address that we’re interested in. Now check this IP address to the results that you got by checking “Attached Devices” in the above step. This should give you an idea of which devices are accessing the internet.

Check DHCP Clients List

The second method is to check the DHCP clients table. On some routers, you’ll need to enable this option and on some routers this option is enabled by default. Login to the router interface and find something like “DHCP Client List”. The screenshot in this article is taken from iBall Baton 150M router interface.

This table offers useful information like client name (computers name), MAC address, assigned IP and lease time. But note that this DHCP list is not much helpful, as it displays devices that have got IP address automatically from the router. A more experienced user can get into your network by using static IP address. Thus, this type of user won’t be displayed in DHCP list.

Wireless Network Watcher

Another method is to use network scanner. Wireless Network Watcher is a small useful utility that scans your wireless network and displays the list of all computers and devices that are currently connected to your network. For every device that is connected to your network, this utility displays information like: IP address, device name, MAC address, the company that manufactured the network card, and optionally the computer name.

This utility can only scan a wireless network that you’re currently connected to. It cannot scan other wireless networks. Download and run this portable tool. It will automatically start scanning and then it will output the results. From “advanced options”, you can also select which network adapter to use to scan. This is useful in rare cases when the this tool doesn’t detect the correct wireless network adapter.

This utility works on Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003/2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Download Wireless Network Watcher

Security Tips for Wi-Fi

Now that you’re aware about how to track someone using your W-Fi, here are some important security tips to always keep in mind. These tips will help you to secure your Wi-Fi network.

Change Router’s Password
First things first. Change your routers default password. Every router comes with a default username and password. A person can easily find the default password by searching on the web. For example, many of Netgear routers have password as “password” by default. This default password can be easily found out, depending on the routers manufacturer. Therefore don’t commit the mistake to leave this default password unchanged. Go ahead, login to your router and change that default login credentials.

Use Network Encryption (WPA2 Preferred)
If you’ve purchased the router withing last 3-4 years, chances are that the router should be supporting more secure authentication protocol such as WPA2 (short for Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2). For now, this is the most strict security protocol that you can use. WPA2 encryption is very hard to crack and most secure, therefore this is the most recommended protocol. To check which encryption you are using, login to your routers interface again and navigate to Wireless security settings area.

Notice the security mode and authentication mode options. Click on the drop down box and select WPA2. Its also possible that some of the connecting devices on your network are not compatible with WPA2, therefore you can also select WPA+WPA2 option. This will ensure that your router is compatible with almost all of the devices on your network. In the Pre-shared key (PSK), you need to enter a strong password. A suggestion here would be to enter a password that is at least 15 characters long, include lower case and upper case letters, numbers and punctuations. Finally click on “Apply Changes” button.

Now whenever you want to connect any device with your Wireless network (router), you’ll need to enter this Pre-shared key (PSK), also known as password. This should make your network private and more secure.

Filter Devices Based on MAC Address
One more method to secure your network is to allow or deny access to the wireless network depending on the devices MAC address. There is one setting in many routers named as “MAC Address Control”. Basically this is a powerful security feature that allows you to specify which computers are allowed on the wireless network. You will need to enter MAC address of all the devices that you’re thinking to connect to your network. Any other device which is not in this filter list will be denied access.

This post - How to Know If Someone is Using your Wireless Network (Wi-Fi) is originally published at: Technostarry

All the computer components can be replaced but stored data cannot be replaced. Imagine a document which you’re working on from quite a long time and now because the hard disk went kaput, that document cannot be recovered. Thus, its very much essential to choose a correct external hard drive which is reliable and as per our requirement.

Some may still think about the need for external drives for backup, when we can use cloud storage for the same purpose. But storing online, just about everything is not a good idea. It’s really not convenient to upload and then download a complete movie, when you can do the same thing with a USB drive sitting next to the computer.

Different Connection Types/Interface

The most common connection interface for external hard drive is USB. Almost every drive out there comes integrated with USB 2.0 port that can transfer data at the speed of 480Mbps. In most cases, this speed can suffice many users. But those who crave for more speed, here’s a good news for them. Some newer portable drives come with USB 3.0 interface, which are upto 8 to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. These new drives are not hard to find as of now, in fact if one is buying external drive, then he/she should opt for USB 3.0 drive only.

Some may have a question in mind, what if their computer is not equipped with USB 3.0 port? Don’t worry, as USB is backward compatible standard. Thus, USB 3.0 drives can work on computers that have USB 2.0 port. Also buying a USB 3.0 drive means you are buying a product that is future proof. This means if your computer doesn’t have USB 2.0, it still makes sense to buy USB 3.0 drives, so that if in future you upgrade the computer you will get benefit of faster speed without shelling out for another drive.

Stay away from FireWire drives (technically known as IEEE 1394), as this interface was never popular. PCs rarely include this interface. eSATA (external SATA) interface is also fading out. Some motherboards and laptops are equipped with eSATA interface that helps in connecting these external drives. And the last interface is the Thunderbolt. This new standard is developed by Intel and first used on Apple computers. This interface is also not not popular and very few peripherals are utilizing Thunderbolt as of now. Thunderbolt can be used for both – monitors and external hard drives. This new Thunderbolt interface is the fastest in speed: up to 10GBps. But its very hard to find external drives with Thunderbolt interface. USB still remains the most common and popular interface to connect external drives.

Different Form Factors: 3.5inch, 2.5inch or 1.8inch

External hard drive comes in 3 different form factors, or call it sizes. 3.5-inch drives are also known as desktop drives. To operate they need a separate power adapter. These desktop drives are designed to stay in one place, on your office or home computer. To carry 3.5-inch drive, you’ll also need to carry around its power adapter. They are bulky and heavy.

2.5-inch drives are equipped with notebook hard drives. They are small, light weight and can be carried around easily, no power adapter needed. This is the most popular form factor found in mostly every portable drive.

Lastly, the 1.8-inch drives. These hard drives are the smallest form factor (iPod sized) available in external drives. They can easily fit in your jeans but hard to find and expensive compared to other form factors.

It doesn’t matter which form factor you choose, all drives come with a USB cable, which connects external hard drive to the USB port of computer.

Different Storage Capacity

Now this is the easiest part to decide. You just need to decide how much storage capacity do you want. In most cases, a 500GB or 1TB is enough to satisfy the needs. Another plus point of 500GB and 1TB drives is that their price per GB calculation will be lower, compared to 320GB or 250GB drives, that means they are VFM (value for money). 2TB drives are newer and some consider these to be just as reliable as 1TB drives. A sweet spot at this time is 500GB, they cost $120 approx. For a normal home user, 500GB should suffice, else opt for a 1TB one.

Speed (RPM)

When going in technical details, you may have noted 5400 rpm or 7200 rpm. Some manufacturers also use this rpm (revolutions per minute) as a marketing factor. No doubt that 7200 rpm drives are faster as compared to 5400 rpm drive, but this improvement can only be seen if the drive is connected internally on the computer, or with an eSATA cable. That’s because other interfaces like FireWire and USB are not that fast enough to handle the throughput of a 5400 rpm drive.

External SSD

Nowadays SSD external hard drives are also available. No doubt their pricing is on the higher side. They are available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage capacities. They can connect with USB 3.0 interface. A mere 64GB external SSD can cost $160. Their cost is high and come with very little storage capacity.

Other Factors

Some other factors are warranty, software bundled with the drive and compatibility with Mac OS. In most cases, you can easily hard drives with 3 year warranty, but some manufacturers/models offer 1 and 2 year warranty also. Some hard drives also come bundled with backup software, which can make the backup task easy, but this should not be the deciding factor as we can always copy and paste files manually or use some other backup software. Finally, if you’re thinking to use this drive in Mac, then check the box and it should have written something like this: “Compatible with Mac”. Most drives can be reformatted to work in Mac.

This portable hard drive buying guide should clear out the dilemma of which drive to choose. Go ahead and choose one, smartly.

This post - External Hard Drive Buying Guide: Points to Keep in Mind Before Buying is originally published at: Technostarry

Cyberoam NetGenie Home – Smart Wireless Router with Family Protection

As the name suggests, this “Home” router is targeted towards home users, for those who want to create a secured Wi-Fi network at home without any complicated process. Many router’s user interface are so complicated that a normal home user would have to seek the help of his/her neighborhood technician to setup a router. Thankfully this is not the case with NetGenie. The setup is truly plug-n-play – connect the internet, connect the computer and you’re online.

Normal routers need to follow a long process to get started, like login to the router, going to the Wi-Fi menu, creating an SSID, entering a password and then remembering that password forever. This is not the case with NetGenie, that’s because it has pre-set Wi-Fi security that comes with a network security key at the bottom of the device. This security key (pass key) is unique for every device. Thus, there is no need for any manual security settings, and of course you can change this security key from the web interface.

NetGenie Web Interface

This is the NetGenie web interface. In this screen, you can see how easy it is to create user accounts. Yes, in normal routers there’s no need to create any user accounts, but since this device also provides parental controls, its better to create a login for each and every family member. Create a user account from this screen and also select the age of the user, this is just to prevent the user from browsing unwanted sites (e.g. social networking, mails, etc) and applications not suitable for their age. Also note the “Tips” section in the right side, this gives additional help about each option on the page.

This parental control feature can help you stop kids from wasting time online. You can select the age group of the user and this in turn will set the preferences of which websites and applications the user can access and which ones be blocked. For e.g. you can prevent your 12 year kid to browse any adult, gaming, etc sites. This age level restriction helps to configure the settings as the way you want.

Clicking on “website categories list” opens a list of all the website categories, for all age groups. Allowing or blocking any website category is also a piece of cake, just click on the category to allow a particular category to be browsed by that age group. This GUI is so simple that anyone can configure all these settings, you don’t need to be a computer expert to do this.

That’s not all. You can also enter a URL to quickly allow or block a particular site. You can configure which applications can access the internet. This helps in preventing access to applications like instant messengers, P2P, VoIP or games that require internet access.

You can also set time for internet access. For e.g. you may want to limit a particular user to access internet only on particular days and for specific timings. Family protection control can also be easily enabled and disabled for a user.

After creating an account, you can just pass on those login credentials to the user. Each time user wants to connect to the internet, they will need to login.

There is no need to remember any IP address to login to this web interface. If a user is not logged in, then that user will be prompted to login with his/her credentials.

The “security” settings page lets you configure different security settings like enable/disable anti-virus, firewall, port forwarding, intrusion prevention and UPnP. By default the security features like inbuilt anti-virus and Intrusion Prevention system are enabled.

“Network settings” page helps in configuring network related settings. Set IP address, subnet mask, gateway, enable/disable wireless, etc. The internet usage meter helps in specifying a limit to data transfer. This is useful for those who have limited data transfer plans. For e.g. if a user has 10GB plan, then you can set monthly, quarterly, half yearly or yearly limit. This helps in limiting usage beyond the ISP plan.

3G Modem Ready Router

This is a 3G ready router. Share internet connectivity of your USB broadband or 3G modem with more than one family member by plugging in your 3G device into the NetGenie appliance.

Logs and Reports

This is yet another notable feature of NetGenie. This section can display a very detailed report on which websites the user opens, which application accesses internet, which users are connected to the internet, overall this section is one stop for every report a home user would ever want to see.

This detailed report can help a user keep a track on what other users are browsing. This means that parents can monitor the online activities of kids and multiple other users. Logs can also be disabled from the configuration menu, just in case a user doesn’t want to keep record of network activities.

Cyberlink NetGenie SOHO UTM (Unified Threat Management)

NetGenie also offers a different model for Small Offices, Home Offices (SOHO). For a productive office environment, its very much essential that a user doesn’t waste time surfing sites not related to office work. To a much extent, this can also lead to productivity loss and bandwidth wastage.

Office users are separated as per “levels” and not as per age group as in “home” model. Set internet restrictions based on levels with a single click.

IPSec VPN functionality over NetGenie SOHO provides secure remote access to central and vendor offices. Cyberoam NetGenie can truly make office network more secure. Control which user can browse which sites and applications, as per your preferences.

The NetGenie SOHO appliance is a UTM (Unified Threat Management) device. This is an all-inclusive security product that has the ability to perform multiple security functions like stateful inspection firewall, VPN (Virtual Private Network), inbuilt anti-virus, intrusion prevention and internet access controls, all in one single device. This device is placed right at the internet entry point in your network.

Availability

NetGenie is available in India, U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Middle East countries, Africa, Latin America, Switzerland, Spain, France, Greece, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy and more.

Warranty, Pricing and Subscription

Cyberoam NetGenie appliances come with 1 year warranty, 3 year security subscription (Internet Controls, Inbuilt Anti-Virus, Intrusion Prevention System) and free 3 months support. Price of Cyberoam NetGenie Home Wireless Router in India is Rs. 7,999 and for NetGenie SOHO costs is Rs. 10,999. No doubt India is a price sensitive market where before asking about features of the product, buyers ask about the price first. The price may seem to be on the higher side but since this device is much more than just a normal Wireless router, the pricing may seem to be somewhat justified.

Conclusion

Pros:

• Wireless N Network
• Superb parental control
• modemAllows sharing of USB broadband /3G modem Internet connection by plugging it into NetGenie
• Inbuilt antivirus and Intrusion Prevention System

Cons:

• Expensive
• Only 4 Ethernet ports to connect wired computers
• User will need to login each time he/she needs access to internet (this is to identify the user to implement internet access rights configured in NetGenie)

One can also whitelist devices to access the internet from his /her own laptop or smartphone with no restrictions and without having to log in to the NetGenie.

The device would have added more value if it had at least 8 Ethernet ports for connecting wired devices. Overall this can be a smart, all-in-one device which not only connects each and every device to the network, but can also provide protection against viruses, inbuilt content filtering system with web filtering and application filtering, intrusion prevention system and offers much more.

If you’re a home user and want to stop kids from wasting time on those social networking sites, then device this for you. The plus point is that you don’t need to waste time configuring each and every thing, but just configure the elements that you’re comfortable with. The web interface helps you do things fast, so that even an average user can configure this router easily.

Small office users will also find this device attractive, as office workers can be prevented from wasting time browsing sites, this in turn can improve their productivity. Do check out netgenie.net for additional information on NetGenie offerings.

This post - Cyberoam NetGenie Home Wireless Router and SOHO UTM Review is originally published at: Technostarry

Can I use SSD along with a HDD?

Yes, definitely. A normal hard disk drive (HDD) and solid state drive (SSD) can be installed in the same computer. This is mostly possible only for Desktop computers, because laptops usually don’t have any other place to install a second hard drive. However, the installed SSD should be used as a boot drive, to improve boot performance and startup time. A boot drive is that drive that loads and run the operating system and startup files.

Advantages/Benefits of using SSD as boot drive

• SSDs offer significantly faster read times compared to traditional hard disk drives.
• SSDs are quieter to operate, as they don’t have any movable parts.
• Because there are no moving parts, it is very rare that any mechanical failure can occur.
• SSD can withstand a great deal of vibration and movement – far more than standard hard drive
• Less weight and can fit in smaller areas as they are 2.5inch drives, compared to standard hard drives which are 3.5inch.
• SSDs improve boot up time.
• Applications load faster.
• Reduced power consumption.
• Less heat generation.
• Transfer/copy files faster
• Faster multitasking and video editing

Despite all these advantages of SSD, we cannot ignore the fact that SSDs are quite expensive. For e.g. Crucial M4 64GB SSD costs $110. Now compare this cost to a traditional HDD like Hitachi Desktar which costs $120 for a whopping 1TB storage capacity.

Looking at the above case, one would say that 64 GB capacity is too less to store data. If you want the best of both worlds, then you can use SSD as boot drive and also store all your startup programs in this drive. For other type of data like music, movies, etc you can use traditional HDD. This means that the computer will have two hard drives:

1. SSD: As boot drive, which contains operating system and startup items
2. HDD: As additional or primary storage device which can contain games, music, videos, movies, etc stuff

SSD really shines when booting an OS and starting up application programs. Those building an ultimate gaming PC, a monster of a video or photo editing workstation, and computer enthusiasts who always want their computer to run fast, should definitely try out SSD. Its time to crave for more speed.

Also read: How to Install a SSD in Desktop Computer

This post - Advantages of Using Solid State Drive as Boot Drive is originally published at: Technostarry

SSDs no doubt have many advantages over traditional hard drives like increased efficiency, reduced power consumption and significantly faster boot times. There’s no problem in installing SSD along your old hard disk drive. Both type of drives can reside in the same computer.

Requirements

Before starting, its essential to have these things ready:

• SSD
• Power cable to connect SSD to power supply
• SATA cable to connect SSD to motherboard
• 3.5-inch to 2.5-inch mounting bracket

How to Install SSD in a Desktop Computer

1. Turn off your computer and make sure all plugs going into the back of the device are unplugged.
2. Open the case (also called as cabinet). Many cases come with a tool-less system or a simple way to open with a couple of screws.
3. After opening the case, you should be seeing the existing hard disk drive. There will be two cables attached to the HDD, a power cable and SATA cable to attach the device to the motherboard. If you want to remove this HDD, then unplug the cables and remove all the screws that is holding that HDD.
4. You would have noticed that SSDs are laptop sized 2.5inch drives rather than the large 3.5inch desktop hard drives. To fit a solid state drive, you’ll need a 3.5in-to-2.5in drive bay adaptor. Most SSDs come with a mounting kit to enable them to fit in a 3.5inch drive bay. (Refer this below image)


Adapter bracket for mounting a 2.5" SSD into a 3.5" drive bay

5. Now fit the SSD in this drive bay and then screw the bay in the case. Also connect the power cable and SATA cable. If you want to use your new SSD drive as a boot drive, then you’ll need to make sure it’s plugged into the lowest-numbered SATA port, so that your computer knows where to boot from.

If you’re thinking which SATA port should be used to plug this SSD, then you can use any of the available SATA ports. All SATA ports are the same and can be used for optical drives, hard disks or SSDs. You can also refer the instruction manual of the SSD to know more about the installation process.

If you’re not removing the existing HDD, then its recommended to leave at least one empty bay between the HDD and SSD so heat has space to dissipate.

Tip: Use SSD as a boot drive to reduce boot time and startup time to start various programs. If you’re already using a HDD, then its recommended to store your operating system and startup programs in SSD. All other data can reside on the traditional HDD.

Video Tutorial to Install a SSD in a Desktop Computer

This post - How to Install Solid State Drive (SSD) in a Desktop Computer is originally published at: Technostarry

Technical Details

Let’s get into the technical details:

• Complies with IEEE802.11g, IEEE802.11b & IEEE 802.11n standards
• Enhanced 150Mbps Wireless transmission rate
• Supports WPA/WPA2 data security
• WEP encryption
• Easy Setup Wizard – Easy installation utility
• Built-in NAT and DHCP server supporting static IP address distributing
• Supports UPnP, Dynamic DNS, Static Routing
• QoS (Quality of Service)- Bandwidth management
• 4 10/100Mbps RJ45 Ports
• Web Based Console for network management
• Firewall security
• Change/clone MAC address

Design and Setup process

This is a normal sized router, nothing fancy here. You just need to connect different wires, connect the detachable antenna and configure the router. Overall the process to configure is very smooth.

To configure the router, you can start the web interface by entering its default IP location: 192.168.1.1 in the browser. If this web interface process seems too complex, then just plug in the CD that comes with this router and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the router configuration process.

Features

This is a basic model and doesn’t comes with any high-end features. To take advantage of all of the available features, you can start the router’s web interface. The web interface is really well organized and self-explanatory. If you’re confused about a certain feature and don’t know its meaning, then check out the help text from right sidebar of the screen. Everything is explained in clear and easy to understand language.

One problem with some routers like Belkin Basic N 150 Router is that it has only one LED which indicates power connectivity. On some routers there are more LED indicators, that indicates the status of the connection between your router and the devices connected to it. For example, let’s say you have connected 4 PCs with this router, but you are facing connectivity problem to a PC, let’s name it 4. In this situation, how would you identify the root of the problem? This is where LED indicators come to the rescue, if the LED for PC no. 4 is lit, then it means its connected properly to the router. iBall Baton 150M comes with 4 LED indicators, so that it becomes easy to troubleshoot the problem.

Through Internet Access Restriction Rule Management, we can control the internet activities of hosts in the LAN. Moreover, you can flexibly combine the Host List, Target List and Schedule to restrict the Internet surfing of these hosts. You can also make use of schedule feature to control the internet activities of hosts for a certain time.

The parental control feature allows us to control the internet activities of the child. We can limit the access to certain websites and also restrict the time of surfing. Rules can be easily created using the simple to use web interface. Blocking some particular PCs with MAC address is also possible.

There is one more notable feature with this router. The router comes with a WPS button. WPS function will help you add a new device to the network quickly. If the new device supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup and is equipped with a configuration button, you can add it to the network by pressing the configuration button on the device and then press the WPS button on the Router. If you’re not thinking to add any new wireless devices this way, then you can also disable this function.

Package Contents

• iBall Baton 150M Router (Device)
• Power Adapter
• Quick installation guide
• Driver CD
• 1 Ethernet cable

Pricing

This is where this router hits the sweet spot. iBall Baton 150M Wireless N Router (model no: iB-WRX150N) costs Rs 1350 in India (approx $27 USD). Yes, its affordable and won’t break your bank. In fact, this router performs much better than other similarly priced routers.

Conclusion

This router is perfectly suited for home and small office users. This can be a good investment for those who need a fast wired network and good Wi-Fi signal coverage.

This post - iBall Baton 150M Wireless N Router Review is originally published at: Technostarry