Home Network Computer

The small networks in homes or offices have many reasons as viruses, worms and other unreliable software to worry a about security. The Internet is great fun and a useful tool, but you need to be alert to protect your computer from Internet threats. By doing these few basic things, you can protect all the computers in your home:
a) Update your softwares regularly- All the software companies regularly release updates to help protect your computer from new Internet threats.
b) Secure your network from viruses and other malicious software- Some malicious software, such as viruses, worms, and spyware, can attempt to install itself on your computer without your awareness and make it hard for you to remove it. To protect yourself from this software and to remove this software which may have already infected your computer, you need to have an antivirus or antispyware software.
c) Secure your wireless home network- Wireless networks can expand beyond the walls of your home, which means that people nearby will be able to see, and potentially access, the connection. Some of these people might misuse your Internet connection.
d) Apply windows Firewall to protect your computer- Windows Firewall is a characteristic of Windows XP that protects your computer from people who might try to harm it from across the Internet. Windows Firewall is enable by default if you have the latest Windows XP updates.
e) Allow few users to access your files, and block access to others- Home network allows you to share the files among computers, so you don’t have to copy files onto various disks.
Protecting the network from viruses and malicious software

Malicious software, also called as malware, affects many computers that are connected to the Internet. Malware can get onto your computer without your information and cause it to become unreliable and slow. Malware often makes itself known by opening unnecessary windows and displaying advertisements, but it also runs invisibly in the background. Malware may monitor and report your Internet usage, and send your confidential files to people on the Internet, or even delete your data.

Malware can be divided into two broad categories:
a) Viruses, worms & Trojan horses. These softwares are clearly bad and offer no value to the user. Usually, the software either tricks the user into installing it or takes advantage of a security weakness to install itself.
b) Adware and Spyware. These softwares might offer some value, such as the ability to trade files with other people on the Internet. But, they might also do things which you don’t want, as to monitor your Web usage, display ads, or install other software. This category of malware installs itself without your information and is difficult to remove.

To protect the network from malware, you need to do numerous things for all home computers:

1) Install antivirus software
2) Keep your software up to date
3) Install antispyware software.

You can also install a router to protect all the computers in your home. A router is a networking device that goes among your computer and the Internet. One of the functions of a router is to provide security with a firewall, which automatically blocks many attacks from the Internet. On the other hand, the firewall in the router is still helpful because it provides an additional layer of protection.

Install antivirus software
Viruses, along with worms and Trojan horses, are types of malicious software that install themselves on your computer without your information. After that they may attempt to copy themselves to other computers across the Internet. Few viruses make your computer crash, delete your files, prevent your computer from starting, or expose your personal data to attackers on the Internet. Viruses are designed to hide from view, so they are difficult to find and remove.
If you don’t have antivirus software, there’s a good chance your computer will be infected by a virus. Antivirus software is different from other software, as it has to be updated often to detect and block new viruses that are released daily.

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How to reinstall Dell Windows XP home CD

Step 1: Backup main files and data.

Utilize Windows XP Files & Settings Transfer Wizard To Backup Files & Data
The Files & Settings Transfer Wizard will automatically gather and save the files in My Documents folder, including Music, Pictures and Videos folders. Also, the wizard will gather and save the files on desktop and in Shared Documents and Shared Desktop.

1. Click Start go to All Programs and select Accessories, now choose System Tools and click Files & Settings Transfer Wizard.

2.Select Old Computer and click Next

This selection will identify that this is the computer which want to back up important files and settings from. The wizard may take a minute to prepare for the next step.

3. Select transfer method, from one of the following selections:

Floppy drive or removable media (Recommended) – select this option if there is a USB memory key, USB hard drive, CD or DVD writable drive and blank discs.

Other – select this option if it’s on a home network and can save files to another computer or shared network drive.

After selecting click next

4. Select Files only and click next

The wizard will start collecting and saving files to the specified location. If specified a removable drive, the wizard may prompt to enter an additional blank disc if more than one is necessary to hold all the files. Be sure to label the discs thoroughly (like “My Files Disc 1” etc.) to quickly restore them later.

5. Once completed then click finish to close the wizard.

Step 2: Remove unnecessary peripherals

Apart from the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, removes all external peripherals including:

• Scanner
• Printer
• Modem or Network cables
• Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
• USB flash drive or other external Hard Drive
• Other external devices (e.g., USB-attached devices)
• Remove the computer from the docking station.

 

 

Step 3: Reinstall the operating system since the OS Setup Disk.

1       Insert the Windows XP CD in the CD drive, and then restart the computer. If the message Press any key to boot from the CD, appears, press a key to carry on with booting to the CD.

2       In the Windows XP Setup screen, press Enter to set up Windows XP.

3       In the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, read the license agreement, and then press Page Down to navigate through the agreement.

4       Press F8 to agree the terms and conditions specified in the license agreement. The partition screen will displayed. Depending on computer configuration, the partitions listed might include a PC Restore partition (2.7 to 4.75 GB) or a Media Direct (1.2 GB) partition.

5       Highlight the biggest partition and press Enter.

Step 4: Install Dell drivers & utilities.

Step 5: join computer to the internet or network.

Step 6: Install critical and suggested Windows Updates.

Step 7: Install the applications.

Step 8: Install the third-party hardware and software drivers.

Step 9: Restore personal files and data from backups.

 

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Home Wireless Network Security

According to a December 2004 study, approximately 60-70 percent of all wireless networks are insecure. Although there is a lot of information on securing wireless networks, most of this information emphases on corporate networks. Wireless security is imperative in the home for the same reasons why it is important in corporations. If you have an unsecured wireless network in your home, anyone in close closeness can spy on your online activities. Depending on how your home network is configured, someone could even gain full access to your computer’s hard drive above an unsecured wireless network. Even if no one is around that wants to spy on you or perform some malicious action in opposition to you, your neighbors could wipe off of your Internet connection. This would not only divest you of bandwidth that you are paying for, but if your neighbor conducted some illegal activity while online, it could be traced back to your network. Right now, one might be wondering what the odds are of any of these things ever occurrence. If you have an unsecured wireless connection, the odds of it being oppressed are pretty good.

 

About four years ago, I was asked by one of the companies that I was writing for at the time to do an experimentation to see how many wireless networks I could detect and how many of those networks were apprehensive. To perform the experiment, I loaded a copy of Net Stumbler onto my laptop and had my wife drive me about while I tried to detect wireless networks. During my experiment I managed to identify seven networks and none of them were secure. Seven wireless networks certainly aren’t many, but there are some things to keep in mind. First, I live in the middle of nowhere in a rural part of South Carolina, not in a densely populated place like New York City. Second, I was using a stock Wi-Fi card without any type of external antenna. Third, I was attempting to detect wireless networks from a moving vehicle, using a Wi-Fi card that had a relatively short range. Fourth, this was four years ago.

If I detected that many wireless networks, four years ago, in the middle of nowhere, under conditions that would give me poor reception, can you imagine how many wireless networks are in use today? Wireless networks are all over, and the vast majority of them are insecure.

 

In fact, as of December 2004, an estimated 60 to 70 percent of all wireless networks did not use any type of encryption. My dot is that wireless networks are everywhere and the majority of them are insecure, and the bad guys know this. Hackers habitually engage in a practice called war walking. War walking is similar to my small experiment. It’s basically a trip on foot, by car, by airplane, or whatever to try to place wireless networks. At first it might not seem like a huge deal if a hacker knows that you have a wireless network. After all, most of your neighbors likely have wireless networks too. Besides, wireless networks have a relatively short range and it would be easy to spot someone sitting in front of your house with a laptop. The problem is that even though your wireless access point may have a short range, it is possible to make a home-based antenna that can receive your network’s signal from many miles away. In fact, if a straight line of sight is available, it is possible to make a Wi-Fi antenna out of a Pringles can that can cut off a Wi-Fi signal from up to ten miles away. Hackers no longer need to sit in a car in front of your house to hack your wireless network.

 

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Home Network Setup

Having a home network can be a real treat. It provides the freedom to work from anywhere within your home and beyond. You can work upstairs, downstairs, and even poolside if you so desire. It also has the flexibility for a multi-user scenario where multiple people can all access the web from different computers simultaneously. You need to get a wireless connection, before you can continue setting up your home network. Buying a router for the first time can be a scary proposition. However, with the proper tips you will find it’s really not all that difficult. Here are some things you should consider when buying a router:

Make sure the router is compatible with your operating system (Windows, Mac, etc.)

Preferably you want an 802.11g router. Just look on the box or ask your retailer to confirm this. This technology provides high speed access and good wireless range.

 

Setting up your home network

 

You are ready to setup your home network if you have a wireless router and a computer with high speed Internet access.Are you ready to start swapping cables? First, find the Ethernet cable connecting your computer to your high speed modem. Without disconnecting the cable from your modem, disconnect only the side connected to your computer. Take the disconnected end of the cable and hook it into your router. The connection where this cable should be hooked into the router will likely be labeled “Internet”. If not, make your best guess 🙂 Really, you won’t hurt anything.Your router should have one or more ports for hooking up computers. These ports are probably labeled “Ethernet”. To configure your wireless network you will need to connect an additional cable between any of these ports and your computer. If all is working properly you should now be able to connect to the Internet via your computer (wired access not wireless). If you cannot connect to the Internet you should reset or turn off your modem and router and try again. If you still can’t connect to the Internet, you should inspect your cable connections and make sure they are correct. Although the wireless router is likely working, you should stop to read your manual for configuration steps. If your manual has any special configuration needed, you should perform those steps now. This is also the point at which you can setup your encryption and password if you desire (recommended to avoid having others leech off your wireless connection).

Final steps
Your wireless network is now configured? Disconnect your PC from the router. If your computer has wireless, you should now be able to connect to your wireless system. When using other computers on your wireless network, keep in mind, that you will need to enter the network encryption and password for them to get admittance, assuming you have encryption enabled.

 

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Home Network Security

Use virus protection software, use a firewall, don’t open unknown e-mail attachments, don’t run programs of unknown origin, keep all applications (also your operating system) patched, turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use, disable all files and folder with hidden extensions, disable java and java script, disable ActiveX if possible make regular backups of your important data, make a bootable disk for emergency, Securing a Home network, not to mention an entire network, is a not as simple as flicking switch, it requires you to eliminate most vulnerabilities starting with the most obvious. Even if you are using the antiquated Windows XP operating system, you can still implement an overall home network security system just as long as you know how to. But if you want to try it or just know the basics, here are some tips:

Boot only from your primary hard drive, password protects your computer/laptop, restrict access to resources, Encrypt wireless network always.

• Supports for Home Network Security.
• A team of certified technicians for all network security issues.
• Disable all files and folder with hidden extensions.
• We keep your network protected against all online and internal security threats.
• Keeping your network security free from all risks.
• Keeping you safe from hacking, port-scanning, sniffing and virus.
• Disable java and java script, disable ActiveX if possible.

The two main methods hackers use to figure out passwords mean there are a couple of essential steps to choose a password which will enhance your network security. The first step hackers take is to run an automated program which runs through all the words in the dictionary to see if they are right. This means you should keep away from a password which is simply a word; it’s best to use a mix of letters and numbers. The second, hacking technique is to simply try every likely combination of numbers and letters. This means you should use the best password possible each extra digit makes your password at least 36 times more secure. Another step you can take to improve your network security through passwords is to change passwords frequently. Even if there is only a tiny chance that someone has figured out your password at any one moment, changing it reduces that chance back to zero. It’s also vital to avoid using the same password in unusual situations as this increases the latent problems if your password is discovered.

Wireless network security is mainly important as it is much easier to physically intercept data from such connections. Where you have the choice, use WPA2 encryption as this is the most secure method. If this isn’t available, prefer standard WPA over WEP unless WPA is not available. Make sure to turn off the wireless connection whenever you are not using it, particularly if you ever plug your laptop into a wired network. And when using a Wi-Fi hotspot, verify with staff to make sure you are connected to the actual network rather than a bogus connection launched by nearby hackers.

 

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