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DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
April
9, 2006
Q.
I am setting up a wireless home network and
have come across two terms I don't fully
understand. I want wireless security, but
need some help with WEP and WPA. What are
they, which should I use, and how do I set
it?
A.
Unless you want anyone to be able to use
your wireless connection, you should have
some wireless security in place. The two you
mentioned are the most common types of
wireless security.
WEP
stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy and it
sets a security that is about equivalent to
having a wired Ethernet network. One that
can only be accessed by physically plugging
into the router, and that is pretty secure.
It usually has two settings, 64 bit and 128
bit.
The only
difference between these two is the number
of characters that are required in the
password. The 64 bit requires 10 Hex
characters, and the 128 bit requires 26 hex
characters making it more difficult to
duplicate and more secure. Hex
characters are the numbers 0 - 9, and the
letters A-F.
WPA
stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access, and is
more secure than WEP. It requires a phrase
as a password that can consist of from 8 to
63 numeric or alphabetic characters. This
stronger type security is probably an
overkill for a home network and has higher
computer hardware and software requirements.
For most
home networking, the WEP 64 bit is adequate
security protection. For most businesses,
the WEP 128 bit is secure enough. For some
very critical businesses, the WPA is
probably best. All wireless computers on the
network must use the same type security, and
have the same password installed before they
can gain access to it.
To access
most wireless routers, enter the address
http://192.168.2.1 or
http://182.168.1.1 in the web browser on
the computer that is hard wired to it. Check
your router manual to find the address if
this isn't correct. Once the router is
accessed, you may have to enter a password.
This password is pretty generic, and should
be changed as soon as you can. BUT!!!! don't
forget this password as the only way to
reset a router password is to reset it to
factory settings, destroying any personal
settings you may have set up.
Once the
password is entered, there should be a menu
where you can set the wireless security for
your network. Be careful when making changes
here as the wrong setting may keep your
router from working. Of course, you can
always reset it to the factory settings and
start over should a problem occur. On most
routers, there is a little button that you
can press using a pencil or pen that will
restore the factory settings. READ the
manual to find its location.
Q.
When I right click on my C drive in the My
Computer folder, then click the Tools tab, I
don't have the Backup option shown. On a
friends computer it is there. How do I get
this backup option to show up?
A.
Microsoft backup is not installed by default
when Windows XP Home is installed, like it
is with XP
Pro. Although it
isn't installed, it is on the original XP
Home CD, and can be installed on your
computer. Here's how to install it from your
XP CD.
1.
Insert your Windows XP CD into the drive
and, if necessary, double-click the CD icon
in My Computer.
2. On the Welcome to Microsoft Windows
XP screen, click Perform Additional Tasks.
3. Click Browse this CD.
4. In Windows Explorer, double-click
the ValueAdd folder, then MSFT, and then
Ntbackup.
5. Double-click Ntbackup.msi to
install the Backup utility.
I have
searched the Internet, including the
Microsoft site for a place to download
Windows XP Backup for those that do NOT have
the original CD, as may be the case with
most manufacturer's installations. I have
been unable to find anywhere to download it
so, although I may be breaking some kind of
law punishable by life imprisonment or
worse, I have made it downloadable
HERE.
Shhhh.
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