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Now why those keys were left around to begin with is another question...

Installing a router can be very easy if you follow these steps:

Step 1) Identify if you have a broadband (cable) or dsl modem. If you have a modem there should only be one network port on the back with a cable that connects to your computer.  If the device has multiple network connections on the back of it, it may be a combination modem/router device.  If the device is a combination modem/router you will need to follow a different set of steps.  The next few steps are only for a standard broadband/dsl modem.

Step 2) Release the current IP address. Click Start>Then Click on Run or hold the windows key on your Keyboard and press the 'R' key.  Once the run box comes up type 'cmd' and click 'OK'.  After doing this a black command prompt box should come up in the middle of the screen.  In this box you will want to type 'ipconfig /release'.  Doing this will release the connection between you and your modem (the internet). If done correctly you may see IP Address 0.0.0.0

Step 3) Power down and Disconnect the Modem. Unplug the network connection from the back of the modem and unplug the power cable from the back of the modem.  After doing this your modem should be off and the network connection should be disconnected from the back of the modem.

Step 4) Unbox and Connect the Router. Once you've opened your router box you should have three things.  The router, the router power cable, and one network cable.  First you will want to connect the network cable (that came with the router) from the modem to the internet/wan port on the router.  After doing this you can plug the power back into the modem.  Next you will want to connnect the network cable that is currently plugged into your computer (the one we unplugged from the modem originally) into one of the 4 ports on the back of the router.  It does not matter which one you plug into.  Think of the router as a splitter.  Any of those 4 ports can be used by any 4 computers.  Once you haver the network cable plugged into one of the 4 ports you will want to connect the power to the router.

Step 5) Restart your computer. At this point your modem and router should be powered on and connected.  You will now want to reboot your computer and then test the internet.  If you did everything correctly the internet should be working.

Special Considerations:

As mentioned above, some modems are actually modem/router combination devices.  These devices can give out the same IP address range as the router you are trying to attach.  If this is the case, when you connect a new router, the modem will try to give the router the same IP addresses that the router is trying to give to the computers.  This will cause your internet to not work.

The easiest way to fix this is to first check what IP address range your modem is giving.  You can do this by going to Start>Run and typing 'cmd' 

Once the command prompt windows is up you will want to type 'ipconfig'  This will display current ipaddress your modem is giving to your computer.  Lets say it is 192.168.1.12.  Write this down.

Now connect your computer directly to the router, seperately without the modem connected.  Go to Start>Run and 'cmd'.  Type 'ipconfig'.  Lets say the router is giving you IP address 192.168.1.10.  This tells us that the router is using the same IP address range as the modem.  Fortunately we can change the IP address range the router uses by logging into the router.  At this point you may want to call the router manufacturer and have them walk you through doing this.  If you have some technical experience you can open a browser and type http://192.168.1.1 and log into the router using the username and password specified in the user manual.  Once logged in you can change the IP address to 192.168.2.x  This change will force the router to assign IP addresses in the 192.168.2 range which will not conflict with the modem. 

Cannot get to secure websites. Cannot check-out and buy items online
because it says ‘page cannot be displayed.’

Solution:
1. Go to Start>Run and type ‘regsvr32 softpub.dll’
2. Test a secure website. If you do not know any secure websites than you can go to

3. If you still cannot access secure websites then you will need to go to
and download ‘Dial-A-Fix’
4. Open Dial-A-Fix and click the check box for ‘Fix SSL/HTTPS/Cryptography’ then
click ‘GO.’

When typing a webpage into Internet Explorer without the ‘http://’ prefix
, it takes a long time to load. If the webpage is typed with the
‘http://’ prefix it will load right away. When opening ‘My
Computer’ and right-clicking it takes a long time to load.

Solution:
1. Go to Add/Remove Programs and uninstall any Hewlett Packard (HP) software for
All-In-One (AIO) printers.
2. Re-install the software for the All-In-One printer. Note, you can get the newest
software by going to and then clicking the button in the bottom
right corner for ‘Software & Driver Downloads.’

If you have a Highspeed connection you can setup a wireless network. A
wireless network is just a fancy way of saying that you can get internet without
having to be connected to a wire.

How it works:
• Router is a transmitter, basically a fancy splitter.
• Wireless network card is receiver, built into most new laptops but can be
purchased separate as USB, PCI, or PCMCIA
• Your current Highspeed connection connects to the wireless router and
the signal is transmitted to an area of roughly 50 square yards.
Bathrooms, Kitchens, and other large metal appliance can interrupt and
weaken the signal.
• You can then use your computer or laptop to connect to the wireless
connection.

Podcasts are essentially news/radio broadcasts that can be downloaded to your computer or mp3 player. A
common misconception regarding podcasts is that they only work on iPods. This is not true. You can
download podcasts to your computer or any other mp3 player to listen to the broadcast.

If you do have an iPod, you can subscribe to the podcast and have it automatically download to your iPod, but
this is not necessary to enjoy the content of the broadcast.

A couple of websites that have collections of the popular podcast providers are: www.odeo.com &
www.podcast.net

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about voice recognition software and I’d like to point out one that works very
well. Dragon Naturally Speaking 9 is a product made by Nuance. When installed on the computer it converts
spoken word into text on the screen.

The software requires a little training so it can calibrate itself to your speaking style, but after a bit of training it
works near flawless. In addition to being able to speak into the computer and have it converted into text you
can also speak commands into the computer. For example, you can tell the computer to open Internet
Explorer and perform other basic functions.

Outlook

Data Files are Stored in One large .pst file called Outlook.pst
C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

The Outlook.pst file contains all e-mail, contacts, and calendar entries

To import Outlook.pst file on a new computer you can store the file anywhere and Open Outlook

1. File>Import and Export
2. Import from another program or file
3. Personal Folder File (.pst)

Note: The .pst file does not save the account settings. (email address, password, smtp and pop3 settings)
Be sure to reset up the email account.


Outlook Express

Outlook Express stores it's emails and address book in two separate files

The email messages are stored in .dbx files in the following location
C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{1D427C80-F71D-44CB-AAE5-278CA109F51A}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

The address book is stored in a .wab file in the following location
C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book

These files have to be imported separately

To import the Email do the following

1. File>Import>Messages
2. Microsoft Outlook Express 6
3. Import Mail from an OE6 store Directory
4. Then Browse to the directory where the Outlook Express .dbx files are stored

To import the Address Book do the following

1. File>Import>Address Book
2. Then Browse for the .wab file

Note: Be sure to reset up the email account.  If you have access to the old Outlook Express you can
export it settings

1. Tools>Accounts
2. Click the 'Mail' tab
3. click the account you want to export (backup the settings)
4. Click the 'Export' button on the right hand side and you will be prompted to save a .iaf file
5. Save the file in your desired location

Importing the mail account settings is performed the same as above but you will click the 'Import' button
on the right hand side and browse for the .iaf file


Thunderbird

C:\Documents and Settings\back\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\********.default
Copy the files to the new computer

Wireless security is very important if you want to keep people off of your internet. Currently there are two
popular standards for wireless security; WEP and WPA.

WEP or Wired Equivalent Privacy was the original wireless security designed to keep wireless networks
secure. It is the most widely compatible security but it is also the least secure. If you want basic security that
will work over a wide range of users then WEP is for you.

WPA or Wi-Fi Protected Access addressed a lot of known problems with WEP and is significantly more secure.
If you have old software for your wireless card or if you have a first generation Wireless Router then you may
need to update to be able to use WPA. Ultimately, if security is the highest priority then WPA is for you.

What to Look for When Buying a Digital Camera

Resolution – Resolution determines the quality of the picture the camera takes.
Typically this is indicated in megapixels. Right now 5 megapixels is the most
common but the greater the megapixel the higher quality the picture. The higher
quality the picture the bigger memory card you need.

Size/Weight – Pay attention to the size and weight of the camera. You can find
powerful cameras in very small sizes if you do a lot of traveling. But if you plan
on taking some professional photos then you may be better off getting one of the
larger professional grade cameras.

Zoom – Zoom is sometimes a point of confusion when purchasing a digital
camera because there are two types of zoom. Digital and Optical. Digital Zoom
can be used after the picture is taken and Optical zoom is used before and while
the picture is being taken. The higher the optical zoom, the more you can zoom
in while taking pictures. Just be careful, the more you zoom in the more difficult it
is to take clear pictures.

Storage – Some cameras come with a large amount of built in storage. Others
come with a small amount of built in storage and with the ability to plug in an SD,
CompactFlash, or SmartMedia expansion memory card.

Batteries – Digital cameras that use AA’s usually run out pretty fast. You will
definitely want a digital camera with rechargeable batteries or you will want to get
some rechargeable AA’s.

Movies – A newer feature of digital still picture cameras is the ability to take
movie clips. This can be fun but will definitely fill up the memory card fast.

Menu’s – If you have the option to use a camera before purchasing it, make sure
to do so. Some of them have easier menus to navigate than others. Many
camera stores have the cameras on display so you can try them out. Take
advantage of this.

Transferring Pictures to your Computer

There is a common misconception that you have to have special software
installed to transfer pictures from your camera to your computer. This is no
longer true with Windows XP and Vista. In XP/Vista the camera is detected
automatically.
Step 1: Just take a picture or two
Step 2: Plug the camera into the computer using the USB connection
Step 3: Turn the camera on, sometime you have to turn the camera to a special
mode.
Step 4: Windows will detect the digital camera and will allow you to choose the
‘Scanner and Camera Wizard’ this wizard automates copying the pictures to your
computer. You will go through a few questions regarding which pictures you
want to copy, what you want to call them, and where you want to save them.
After completing the wizard, your pictures are typically saved in the ‘My Pictures’
folder.

Manipulating your Pictures

Once the pictures are copied to your computer you will want to manipulate them.
You may want to crop, print, or email them.

There are a few different software packages that make this pretty easy. Kodak
Easyshare is one of the most popular but Google’s Picassa software is becoming
very popular.

Picassa is a free download and it will manage all of the pictures on your
computer. With one single click you can change pictures to black and white, you
can remove red eye, change the size of the picture, print the picture, and even email
pictures.

If you have a Kodak camera you will probably want to try the Kodak Easyshare
software. If you don’t have a Kodak camera then you will enjoy Picassa. It can
be downloaded from http://picasa.google.com/