Computers

[Dualit]

Originally posted by Not Bob
So, I finally broke down and got a cable modem. The old 9600 was just too slow for too long.

Unfortunately, the home computer is a couple of years old, and doesn't have a ethernet thingy. The cable modem can be hooked up with a USB port, but for some reason my 4 year old Gateway (with Windows 98) doesn't want to let it work. It won't let the driver be installed. (It works fine on my Dell notebook, so I know it isn't the modem's fault.)

Anyway, rather than continuing to try to get the USB hook-up to work, I decided to install an ethernet connection on my Gateway. How difficult will it be for a non-techie to do? Assume the non-techie is very good at following directions. Or should I have a pro do it (though it will take forever)?

The right answer is to simply buy a new computer, and we are planning on doing it in the near future. And I was planning on waiting to get the cable internet access after that, but but the local cable company was running a promotion, so ...

Thanks.

I installed an ethernet card on my old IBM desktop. It is pretty easy -- just remove the slot cover, snap in the card and attach it with some screws. I wouldn't pay someone to do it unless you had no available card slots.

Note that some cards have cables to permit remote starts from elsewhere on the network. Skip that.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Dualit
I installed an ethernet card on my old IBM desktop. It is pretty easy -- just remove the slot cover, snap in the card and attach it with some screws. I wouldn't pay someone to do it unless you had no available card slots.

Note that some cards have cables to permit remote starts from elsewhere on the network. Skip that.

And a NIC (the card) shouldn't cost more that $20-25.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by Dualit
I installed an ethernet card on my old IBM desktop. It is pretty easy -- just remove the slot cover, snap in the card and attach it with some screws. I wouldn't pay someone to do it unless you had no available card slots.

Note that some cards have cables to permit remote starts from elsewhere on the network. Skip that.

Great. Thanks for the advice.

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by Not Bob
Unfortunately, the home computer is a couple of years old, and doesn't have a ethernet thingy. The cable modem can be hooked up with a USB port, but for some reason my 4 year old Gateway (with Windows 98) doesn't want to let it work. It won't let the driver be installed. (It works fine on my Dell notebook, so I know it isn't the modem's fault.)

Also, it sounds as though you may not have the most recent patches on your computer for Windows 98. While that is merely an annoyance from the perspective of the USB port being flakey, it's downright dangerous from the perspective of putting a potentially vulnerable machine onto the Internet with a full time high speed connection.

As soon as you have the card installed and get the connection cranked up, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ It will tell you what patches you need automatically (you may have to accept the installation of Microsofts update utility), and walk you through the process. Depending on how long its been, it will take a little while of letting the computer crank away, but much less time than with the modem.

Also, get a current copy of McAfee or Norton or PC-Cillin on your machine ASAP and run both the virus protection and the firewall.

Broadband is the greatest invention since the Internet, but without the patches and the firewall, some 15 year old punk will turn your machine into his personal slave. Of course, in your house, that may be true without a connection to the outside world.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by baltassoc
Also, it sounds as though you may not have the most recent patches on your computer for Windows 98. While that is merely an annoyance from the perspective of the USB port being flakey, it's downright dangerous from the perspective of putting a potentially vulnerable machine onto the Internet with a full time high speed connection.

As soon as you have the card installed and get the connection cranked up, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ It will tell you what patches you need automatically (you may have to accept the installation of Microsofts update utility), and walk you through the process. Depending on how long its been, it will take a little while of letting the computer crank away, but much less time than with the modem.

Also, get a current copy of McAfee or Norton or PC-Cillin on your machine ASAP and run both the virus protection and the firewall.

Broadband is the greatest invention since the Internet, but without the patches and the firewall, some 15 year old punk will turn your machine into his personal slave. Of course, in your house, that may be true without a connection to the outside world.

Excellent advice -- I hadn't thought of the lack of a recent microsoft update giving me problems with the USB connection. I planned on running the patches once I got online with broadband -- I simply don't have the spare 768 hours to download them via my 56.6 modem.

And as for the rest of your warnings, also good -- I had also planned on getting a router (perhaps a wireless one). Is it true that they provide an additional level of firewall connection?

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Not Bob


And as for the rest of your warnings, also good -- I had also planned on getting a router (perhaps a wireless one). Is it true that they provide an additional level of firewall connection?

The router does, but the wireless undoes it all, so your neighbor's kid, with the laptop he bikes around on, will soon be consuming all of your bandwidth to add to his KaZaA-gathered music collection. Of course, it can be secured if you follow instructions. Just make sure you do. Or, just buy a wired router for $50 and have no worries.

[mmm3587]

Has anyone tried on of those business card scanners? Are they actually accurate enough to be good for avoiding typing in all the information on them? How error-free is the OCR?

All joking about my secretary editing my posts aside, I can barely get her to answer my phone and do my time, so I'd be happy to be done with typing is business cards myself.

[Alex_de_Large]

I'm sitting in a deposition at a witness' office and he has AWESOME wi-fi coverage in his office. This is the SHIT!

[Dualit]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
I'm sitting in a deposition at a witness' office and he has AWESOME wi-fi coverage in his office. This is the SHIT!

I have it in my house. It works everywhere in my yard. Wanna come over and play?

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by Not Bob
And as for the rest of your warnings, also good -- I had also planned on getting a router (perhaps a wireless one). Is it true that they provide an additional level of firewall connection?

There's a home networking for dummies book that is pretty good, much like the rest of the series, and taking a read-through might help you figure out whether wireless is right for you.

There are routers that include a firewall as part of the router, and routers that come bundled with firewall software to run on your computer. The latter are generally cheaper. I'm not sure the integrated firewall is necessarily better, but might be worth it if you may have random machines in the house (laptop from work, kid's friend's computer, or in my case, father's, mother's and brother's laptops) that may not have their own firewall protection.

I've got a wireless router and I love it, love it love it. The best computer invention since the Internet. Like the Internet, has the potential to change how households function, because everything potentially can communicate with everything else (stereo can play mp3s on the desktop, notebooks can be used in the living room and print to the printer in the basement, etc).

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by Dualit
I have it in my house. It works everywhere in my yard. Wanna come over and play?

I have it in my home as well. It's funny, there are about 5 wi-fi nets in my building, but mine is the only one with security turned on. A nvery stupid choice by those with no security, IMHO.

[Dualit]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
I have it in my home as well. It's funny, there are about 5 wi-fi nets in my building, but mine is the only one with security turned on. A nvery stupid choice by those with no security, IMHO.

I'm also neurotic about turning on security. My SO is a techno-tard and I was worried he would do something stupid. After my system became infected and had to be nuked and put back together, he finally realized "don't click on unknown attachments (even if we are running Norton) and don't download files" was very good advice. He now checks with me first and peace has spread through the land.

[andViolins]

Does anyone else have this software at their respective firm? I think its kinda stupid, BUT, the senior partners (until they are ultimately destroyed by Angel) have decreed this "A GOOD IDEA."

My question is in regard to the comment box in the program. Because it is a web based program, can I paste pictures or change text font/colors in that comment box? My goal is to mess/tinker with it a little bit, in an awesome display of passive/aggressive behavior. I know that I am probably not asking the question correctly, so I apologize in advance.

ANy thoughts would be most appreciated.

The software is made by a company called OfficeTool.com

aV

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by andViolins
Does anyone else have this software at their respective firm? I think its kinda stupid, BUT, the senior partners (until they are ultimately destroyed by Angel) have decreed this "A GOOD IDEA."

My question is in regard to the comment box in the program. Because it is a web based program, can I paste pictures or change text font/colors in that comment box? My goal is to mess/tinker with it a little bit, in an awesome display of passive/aggressive behavior. I know that I am probably not asking the question correctly, so I apologize in advance.

ANy thoughts would be most appreciated.

The software is made by a company called OfficeTool.com

aV

heh heh heh. he said "tool".

[bilmore]

Originally posted by andViolins
Does anyone else have this software at their respective firm? I think its kinda stupid, BUT, the senior partners (until they are ultimately destroyed by Angel) have decreed this "A GOOD IDEA."

We almost went with it, but ultimately opted for something that required a lower level of staff input compliance.

The GPS suppositories are kind of a pain, but the data entry is a lot simpler.