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Here are our Top 3 Inket Printers:

1. Canon Pixma MP620 – We are big fans of Canon at PCToolbox and Brandstar and this printer is one which we have sold two of in the last week!  Although it’s not a small machine it is a scanner/printer all in one, it is a USB Printer and it has a wireless option which is fantastic, the ultimate in lazy printing and relatively speaking it is cheap!  Inks for it range from about £7-£15 depending where you buy from but for photo and everyday printing this has to be an option!  If you don’t want the wireless option consider the MP540 mentioned later.
2. Canon MP540 – Again an All in One printer, scanner, copier machine but this one is just USB, no wireless option, and it saves you nearly £50 too so you have got to really want the wireless feature and slightly better specification to go for the MP620.  Very good for photo printing and general home use.  See the link for full specifications or check out the cannon website.
3. Canon iP2600 – Last but not least ANOTHER Canon Printer, I told you we are fans!!  This is a cheap as chips printer at around £30.  Ok expensive chips but you know what I mean.  This printer is just a printer, not scanner.  It is perfect if you have kids who will be wanting to churn off sheet after sheet of ‘work’!  Or if you’re a Uni student needing a printer on a budget or just don’t want to spend vast amounts of money on a printer.  Being a Canon the quality will be good for both the machine and the printing and you can knock out a half decent photo too!

Here are our Top 3 ADSL Wireless Modem Routers:

1. Linksys WAG160N – This is the ‘new’ type of wireless technology.  The router is excellent, easy to setup, and made by Cisco so has bags of features if you need to do things like VPN pass-through or just want to set it up to be able to Remote Desktop into one of your machines from elsewhere.  The range is good, if not better than any of the other Wireless N routers we have used.  If you’re interested in the Wireless-N Technology have a read on Wikipedia.  This product is currently priced at £69.94 which is a really good price!!
2. Belkin 125g Wireless Router – Now this is a fairly old router, we have been using these for a couple of years now, and for home users or if you aren’t connecting to a Server then this is a brilliant router.  It is under £45, it has a fantastic range, definately the best we have seen on a router of this price and they last, we’ve got a number of clients running these and we have had no problems what so ever with reliability.  This really is a contender for first place.  It is only Wireless G+ so no the new N Technology and the 125 speed only works if you have a compatible adaptor, but still just for the great range I would recommend this router.
3. Linksys WAG 54GS – Yes another Linksys router, but they are by far the best and also some of the cheapest from the big name brands!  This one is excellent for networks that don’t require a long range but require all the features of a Linksys router as mentioned for the WAG160N.

Do you have any Wireless Routers you can recommend?

Our Sixth recommended retailer for Christmas Presents is Misco!  Misco are an electronics company, they sell a wide range of products which include; Computer Hardware, Laptops, Digital Cameras, Desktops, TFT’s, Printers, Servers, Wireless Networks and Software!

They are worth having a look at as they have loads of great deals which could save you loads!

We posted a while back about ways to get an auto generated security password for wireless access.  We came across a site called ‘GRC‘ today that claims to give you a UNIQUE and perfectly secure encryption password for your wireless setup.  In our eyes possibly a little over the top for most home users, but if you are particularly security conscious or want to know a bit more about security passwords then the site might be worth a read.

By security passwords we are talking about WEP/WPA security…also known as the network key required to access a secure wireless network.  Hope it is of interest to some, we found it a good read, although a bit long in places ;o)

No excuses not to be wifi secure! )

This is the third and final step of the Beginners guide to wireless network planning, and this step is an optional one. So far we have looked at:

1. Equipment Required
2. Security

If you find that your wireless network doesn’t stretch as far as you need it to then you can extend it!

Firstly, it is good to use equipment from the same manufacturer of your router/access point. Because if you require assistance they are more likely to help you setup two of their devices and often you can take advatages of features like Linksys Speedboost if you have all their equipment.

These are meant to be quick tips and so I have found a page on the Microsoft site that is better than i could do here so why re-invent the wheel, checkout what they say about Improving your Wireless Signal

So there we go, a short and simple series in planning a wireless network, but I hope it has helped a few beginners get going, or at least understand what is going on with their wireless network

In Step 1 we looked at the equipment you require, in Step 2 we are looking at Security, this is something I often find people don’t bother with! Not Good! If you don’t secure your network you are risking the following:

• People logging onto your broadband connection and using up all your bandwidth,
• Accessing inappropriate sites over your connection.
• Hackers looking at all you are doing…like buying that nice new DVD from Amazon…ooo Credit Card Details being stolen.
• Ok, you get the picture!

To set this up it generally requires logging into the Wireless Router / Access Point with an address that probably is in the form 192.168.x.x through Internet Explorer, Firefox or your chosen web browser.

Encryption

Then you will have the option of Wireless Security, the two most common forms of Wireless Encryption on home routers are WEP and WPA-PSK.

WPA-PSK is more secure than the WEP encryption, but WEP is better than nothing! The way these encryption keys work is like this:

1. The router has a security key
2. You tell the machine wanting to access the wireless network this security key. This is requested when you try to access a secure network.
3. Then the two devices can talk to each other

(that is the simple explanation anyway )

Basically what this is doing is encrypting the data sent between your laptop and the router so anyone trying to read the data you are sent would need to ‘guess’ the key. If you didn’t have this setup you would be sending the data as plain text! Not good!

Three things to remember when creating your security key:

• If it is easy to remember it is probably easy to guess!
• Don’t use a key or pass-phrase that is associated to you
• The longer the key the hard it is to guess or the longer it will take a computer to crack!

If you need help creating the key check out a former Quick Tip on Security Key Generating.

Mac Address Filtering

Another layer of added security is MAC address filtering. Each network device wired or wireless has a unique ‘address’, usually in the form something like: 00-00-00-00-00. On a router you can implement filtering so you can tell it which MAC addresses you want to access the router and therefore the network and internet. To find the MAC code:

In windows

1. Open up command prompt (Start > Run > cmd > Enter)
2. Type the following: ipconfig /all
3. It will be shown as Physical Address

Specifically how to set these security features up is difficult because each router is different so you should have instructions on how to do this either in a paper manual or on the CD which came with the router / access point.

So there we go, no excuses, you now know to secure your network! The third and final part of this series next week is Extending your network!

Last week I installed Sky Broadband for a client and I thought at the time it would be useful for people to know how easy the install process is, the features the modem offers and a general experience. So starting today I will be reviewing the broadband installs that I do, one from each supplier as we do the install and more than one if we come across different modems!

The Modem

So let’s go, Sky Broadband. A while ago I installed Sky Broadband for another user and they were sent a Netgear modem, this client however had a Sagem Wireless Modem Router, looks good, stylish, dark grey device, quite small.

The router has 4 Ethernet ports, however Sky states that the two yellow coded ports are for computers and the other two ports (red and blue I believe) are for features currently in development.

The Install

Being me I ignored the fact I was meant to start with the disc and just plugged the kit in as I knew was right and tried to access the web interface of the router. However none of the default usernames and passwords that work with other routers worked with this one. That was rather disappointing and Sky don’t provide you access to this router. Which for techies I would expect to be a pain.

So that aside I threw in the CD and followed the process through, it was nice and simple, animated and somehow less mundane thn the usual Broadband installation discs I get to see. So for techies and novices alike that process was nice and easy. Possibly the easiest I have come across. It does however brand your Internet Explorer “provided by sky” and add a couple of links to your desktop, which is why i try to avoid the disc’s for things like this in the first place!

At the end of the process you are connected! Nice and easy.

Wireless

If you want to connect a machine wirelessly you do this after the process. The code is on the bottom of the router, which seems the norm these days. The signal strength put out by the router seems to be fairly decent for the average household.

So there we go, my review of installing Sky Broadband with the Sagem router, and to summarise:

1. Use the disc! Don’t try to be clever
2. Setup is nice and easy, just do as the disc tells you and you will be online in minutes.
3. To connect wirelessly after you have completed the setup, the key is on the router!

I hope this helped, Let us know if you have any experiences of your own.

We are going to do a couple of series for the quick tip posts, starting with a Wireless Planning Series For Beginners. So here we go!

First thing to think about is Equipment, the two pieces to consider are

• A router of some sort
• A wireless adaptor, either internal (PCI) or external (USB). If your machine doesn’t already have wireless capabilities.

Things to remember/consider when choosing your router:

• If you don’t already have a modem to connect you to the internet remember to get a Wireless Modem Router either for ADSL (BT) or DSL (Cable Suppliers)
• If you do already have a modem that has a spare ethernet port (most likely a router) then you can buy a Wireless Access Point or WAP. These are often cheaper.
• There are different types of wireless connection, B, G, and N. Different connections have different speeds and different ranges, This is important to consider when purchasing your router. Your supplier will be able to advise you. In short this is roughly where to use them:
• B – In the same room or adjacent rooms, I wouldn’t expect it to stretch much further unless you have thin walls (not really used anymore)
• G – Generally a small house will cope with a router like this, or if you require something faster than B!
• N – Fairly new technology and you need to ensure your wireless adaptor can take advantage of the new technology but in theory this should cover your house and some of the garden as well!

Which type of Wireless Network Adaptor is best?

There are three types of wireless network adaptor, PCI and USB are in my mind the ones to consider. PCI is for internal Desktop use, the USB is external and can be used on laptop or desktop. The third option is for laptops and is PCMCIA and I am not a fan as I have found it to be less reliable than a USB adaptor.

USB

USB adaptors are easy to fit, you just need a CD drive to install the software and a spare USB port and you are away and ready to connect to a wireless network.

PCI

PCI adaptors are more tidy that USB adaptors, no cables to worry about although you do need to be comfortable opening up your computer to install them. Also, if the machine is hidden under the desk or under a shelf then you are immediately restricting the signal. If the wireless network point is in the same room this shouldn’t be an issue.

So there we go, a slightly longer Quick Tip this week, but part one of a series in Planning a Wireless Network – For Beginners I hope it gets you started!

This weeks quick tip is about wireless security! When setting up your WEP or WPA encryption key don’t use your usual password for the key, or to generate the key! You need to think of something that isn’t at all related to you, that people can’t guess! OR Do what I do…use a key generator:

A couple of examples we use:

For A Wep Key: http://www.andrewscompanies.com/tools/wep.asp

For a WPA-PSK: http://www.kurtm.net/wpa-pskgen/

There are many Wireless Keyboard and Mice Desktop sets available, and I have had the privilege of playing with quite a few, however the best one I have come across and the one I use is one of the cheapest, the Microsoft Wireless Desktop 1000.

At the time of writing ebuyer.co.uk have this selling for £24.95 which compared to some of the other big names is very cheap. Why is it my favorite? Because:

• Battery Life is Excellent, I forget how long ago I replaced the batteries in the set, probably around 8 months, and there is no sign that they are running out yet!
• Doesn’t randomly disconnect – I have found that a number of the others regularly need to be reconnected. Although this is only the press of a few buttons it is frustrating. I haven’t ever had to do it to this keyboard and mouse, not even on setup!
• Long Lasting – My last one of these lasted over 2 years, and why did it need replacing…I tipped coffee over it! – Not the keyboards fault!
• It has a few useful extra buttons including links to my docs, my pics, my music, volume/multimedia controls, mail, browser, messenger, calculator, log off and sleep.
• Comfortable to use. It is important that if you use a keyboard and mouse as much as me that you find them comfortable to use.
• Finally, it is cheap!

So there we go, a quick tip on what Wireless Desktop Kit to use