router

Tue
23
Aug
John Lister's picture

Netgear Offers $400 System to Combat Poor WiFi

Netgear is launching its own take on a multi-router system in order to improve WiFi across an entire home. It's not a new idea, but Netgear says its tweaks should give it a significant edge over rival setups. The logic of Netgear's Orbi and similar ... systems is that a single wireless router isn't always enough to cover an entire home adequately. Wireless signals can be weakened by passing through walls and floors, as well as being affected by metal such as pipe work. While that problem has always existed, it's become more noticeable as demand for high-bandwidth activity such as ... (view more)

Thu
25
Feb
John Lister's picture

FTC Cracks Down on Poor Router Security

ASUS has agreed to government supervision for 20 years after exaggerating the security of its routers. Officials say the company put hundreds of thousands of computers at risk. The company has agreed to a settlement in response to Federal Trade ... Commission (FTC) charges. The alleged breach of rules wasn't in the security flaws themselves, but rather that ASUS continuing to market the routers as "safe" was misleading to customers. Among ASUS's bold claims was that its routers could "protect computers from any unauthorized access, hacking, and virus attacks." This ... (view more)

Thu
03
Dec
John Lister's picture

Can Christmas Tree Lights Degrade Wifi Signal?

Can Christmas tree lights degrade a WiFi signal? A British government agency suggests exactly that, but tech experts say it's unlikely to have a noticeable effect. The claim came in a press release for a new app to check WiFi quality. Ofcom, which ... is roughly equivalent to the Federal Communications Commission, noted that WiFi problems "could be down to something as simple as interference from other electronic devices, such as a microwave oven, baby monitor, a lamp - or even Christmas fairy lights." (Source: ofcom.org.uk ) The app runs some basic checks to see whether data is ... (view more)

Fri
01
May
Dennis Faas's picture

How do I Change my IP Address (IP Banned)?

Infopackets Reader Elaine Y. writes: " Dear Dennis, How can I change my IP address? I ask because every now and again I try and email my friend (with a yahoo email address), but Thunderbird keeps telling me that my IP address is being blocked and ... can't send my email. Any ideas why I'm being blocked? Better yet, any idea on how I can change my IP address so I'm not blocked? " My response: This is a good question and the situation (at least for me) comes up often enough, so it's worth explaining. Also, I couldn't seem to find a single article on the Internet that explains how this happens (at ... (view more)

Mon
23
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

How can a Hacker Access my Router and Network?

Infopackets Reader Dean S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've read that most WiFi routers use weak passwords (example: admin / admin), or none by default. I understand that for security reasons, the router administrator user and password should be set to ... prevent outsiders / hackers from logging into the router and changing the WiFi settings. On my own router I am connected to it via cable, and can connect by WiFi if I login with the password set for WPA2 security. What I have not been able to understand is how does the hacker connect to the router, and how can they adjust my WiFi settings ... (view more)

Mon
02
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

Can CryptoLocker Infect Shared Drives, Files, PCs?

Infopackets Reader Michael C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a USB drive attached to my router. This drive is shared by several computers through the router on my home private network. My question is: if one of my computers became infected by a file ... locking virus such as CryptoLocker , would the network drive or the connected computers become infected or encrypted? If so, is there a way to prevent this? " My Response: It is possible for a virus to self replicate and infect other computers on the network, but that depends on the type of virus. At the time of writing, CryptoLocker is not a self ... (view more)

Mon
12
Jan
Dennis Faas's picture

Share Internet between Two Homes?

Infopackets Reader 'vking' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a wireless network inside my home and I want to share it with my neighbor, who lives approximately 250 feet away. Is there a WiFi range extender that I can purchase which allows me to share my ... Internet access and computer network with my neighbor? " Related: How to Fix: Stop Neighbors Stealing My WiFi Related: Need to extend your Wifi coverage at home or in the office? Read this: Explained: What is Mesh WiFi? vs Extender, Router? My response: Yes, there is, however I need to clarify a few things, first. The purpose of a WiFi range ... (view more)

Wed
05
Mar
John Lister's picture

WiFi Virus Spreads Like Airborne Disease

Computer researchers have created an 'airborne' computer virus that takes advantage of WiFi (wireless Internet) routers. The point of the study is to highlight the many ways in which wireless routers are open to abuse. The research studied wireless ... access points, and was completed by the University of Liverpool. Access points are electronic devices that relay information from a local wireless network to another (typically the Internet). For example: a PC or laptop connected to a wireless router (which is then connected to the Internet) would be considered an access point. The goal of ... (view more)

Thu
17
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

D-Link Routers Vulnerable to 'Backdoor' Exploit

Up to ten different router models, including some by popular manufacturer D-Link, are now vulnerable to hackers. It appears the code that runs the devices contains a master password that anyone could find and use. The problem was discovered by ... security researcher Craig Heffner, who admitted he had nothing more exciting to do on a Saturday than nose through code accompanying a recent firmware update for his D-Link DIR-100 router. Like most routers, the settings menu for the D-100 router is accessible through a web browser -- the idea being that the user can access the router through one of ... (view more)

Tue
08
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Netgear 'Nighthawk' the Fastest Home Router Yet

Not willing to compromise when it comes to your home router? For those of us who stream a lot of music and video content or play demanding video games online, reliable and fast networking equipment is a necessity. That's why it's hard not to be ... impressed with Netgear's new Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router (Model R7000), which appears to be the fastest router on the market right now. Serious Hardware for Serious Streamers The Nighthawk is part of Netgear's attempt to establish an in-demand piece of hardware using the new 802.11ac wireless networking standard. This device is powered by ... (view more)

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