These are indeed very common mistakes which can be accounted for such a large number of computers infected with malware.

I am sure that we all have an anti-virus solution installed on our computer however merely having the solution is only the start of ensuring your protection. It is vital that whatever software that we utilise has its anti-virus definitions kept up to date. Now as obvious as this sounds it is sometimes the case that people may install an anti-virus solution but then forget to ensure that it is configured to update its virus definitions – sadly this is leaving the computer open to new virus and malware attacks so always ensure your computer receives scheduled virus definition updates.

Utilising a firewall is also a must to help with your security and this is installed as a feature of most popular operating systems. Simply ensure that the firewall is turned on however there are a number of configurable options that may be used if you needed to tweak applications that are not performing as required.

For those of us that use operating systems from Microsoft it is important that we keep up to date with the regular patches that are distributed and this can be achieved by ensuring that the automatic updates feature of your computer is turned on. For those unfamiliar with the technical side of our computers it is just a case of checking a tick box and the benefit of doing so should not be underestimated.

By helping maintain our own online security we can actually help prevent the spread of malware and viruses to others.

The process of troubleshooting your network if it has wireless components is somewhat more complex than wired infrastructure. In fact you must troubleshoot both wired and wireless infrastructure to determine the problem. The methodology of starting with cabling from the client and working through the OSI model to the application layer is effective. The wireless client traffic doesn’t see any cabling until there has been association with the access point. In essence there is a data link between wireless client and access point. With that established there is data link traffic between access point and wired network switch.

The wired client has a Cat 5 cable plugged into the desktop that terminates at a wired switch. All clients associating at a specific access point now share a single Cat 5 cable run from access point to switch. That makes troubleshooting easier since cabling is a source of a lot of network problems, however any problems with that cable affects all clients. It is important to minimize the number of access point clients for maximum performance. Commercial network implementations average 10 – 24 clients per access point.

The key with troubleshooting is to determine what has changed. Sometimes it is hardware that isn’t working or some change made such as new software, configured equipment or additional employees stressing the network. It could be a specific issue or several problems. Start with the client adapter, determine the specific symptoms and go from there.

The following is a series of questions that can used as a guideline during the troubleshooting process:

1. Can the wireless client associate with any access point?

2. Can you ping the switch IP address?

3. Can you ping the router?

4. Can you ping the DHCP server?

5. Does the client obtain an IP address?

6. Is the WAN circuit available?

7. Has new software been installed on the client?

8. Do all clients experience the problem?

9. Is it random or a specific pattern?

10. Is it server specific or application specific?

11. Is the DNS server IP address setting correct?

12. Is there a firewall that is filtering traffic?

TOOLS:

a) Wireless client software shows status information such as access point association, DHCP enabled, IP address, default gateway, DNS server address.

b) Windows control panel shows wireless adapter settings, firewall configuration etc.

c) Ping will verify that network routing is working.

d) Network packet sniffers examine packet information such as protocols, filtered programs or errors with applications.

e) Spectrum analyzers detect frequency interference and possible sources.

COMMON WIRELESS PROBLEMS:

Wireless Client Settings

• Upgrade the manufacturer client adapter driver.

• Implement current Windows operating system service pack.

• Examine client data rate, transmit power, preamble, roaming decision, WPA settings.

• Confirm shared keys if implemented aren’t mismatched between client and AP.

• Examine IP address settings. DHCP will send specific settings to each client. Those clients without DHCP must configure IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS server IP address.

• The client SSID name configured should match what is configured at the AP.

Access Point

• Confirm the APs have the recommended IOS version with the specific feature set.

• Examine AP mounting and modify if necessary using the installation instructions.

• Delete any configured loopback addresses.

• Configure transmit power setting and decrease when channel interference occurs.

• Mixed 802.11b/g environments must configure each AP with 802.11b basic data rates.

• Configure data rate and duplex settings to match between AP and switch.

Design

• Configure data rate and duplex setting to match between wireless bridges.

• Standard Cat 5 UTP cable should be a maximum of 328 feet between AP and switch.

• Distance from the wireless client to access point should not exceed the specified range.

• Maximum number of clients per access point should not exceed 17 – 24.

• Don’t assign channel overlap between neighbor APs.

• Configure spanning tree protocol at root bridges

• Configure non overlapping channels of 1, 6 and 11 at 802.11b and 802.11g APs.

• Don’t configure multiple root bridges on the same WLAN

• Implement the most current version of Windows Server, IAS RADIUS Server or Cisco ACS

• RF interference will occur in an unlicensed band. Minimize sources where possible.

Cisco Wireless Network Design Guide available at amazon.com and eBookmall.com

Shaun Hummel is an author of various technical books and has a web site focused on information technology job search solutions and certifications.

http://www.networkjobsolutions.com

The process of troubleshooting your network involves a methodology that starts with cabling and works through the OSI model to the application layer. The network devices have a network cable that terminates at a wired switch. Cabling is a source of a lot of network problems.

The key with troubleshooting is to determine what has changed. Sometimes it is hardware that isn’t working or some change was made such as new software, configured equipment or additional employees stressing the network. It could be a specific issue or several problems. Start with the client adapter, determine the specific symptoms and go from there.

The following is a series of questions that can used as a guideline during the troubleshooting process:

1. Can you ping the switch IP address?

2. Can you ping the router?

3. Can you ping the DHCP server?

4. Does the client obtain an IP address?

5. Is the WAN circuit available?

6. Has new software been installed on the client or server?

7. Do all clients experience the problem?

8. Is it random or a specific pattern?

9. Is the problem server specific or application specific?

10. Is the DNS server IP address setting correct?

11. Is there a firewall that is filtering traffic?

12. Ran traceroute and examined routing behaviour?

TOOLS:

1) Windows control panel shows network adapter settings, firewall configuration etc.

2) Ping and traceroute will verify that network routing is working.

3) Examine the ARP table on the desktop, switch and router confirming the device MAC address is there.

4) Network packet sniffers examine packet information such as protocols, filtered programs or errors with applications.

5) Verify change management activities and determine what if any device was changed and how.

6) Show interfaces at the router will reveal any interface errors pointing to a cable or hardware problem.

7) Examine router interface utilization patterns.

Working from the cable level and determining if the problem is affecting a single user, a department, building or city wide is a good place to start. A city wide problem sometimes indicates a data center outage. A building sometimes points to a circuit, router or primary switch. A department can indicate a problem with their network switch or fiber cabling. The single user problem could be a myriad of issues from a bad cable to network permissions. Because companies have in some cases hundreds of  applications, network switches and routers the problem becomes more complex when it is a cross department issue. Not all employees have the same network permissions and use a variety of applications across departments, cities and countries.

Determining who is affected by the problem can be a key factor in resolving the issue. The ping is a popular tool since it verifies to the network layer all is working. In that case your then focusing on application issues although not always. Traceroute verifies how packets are traveling between source and destination. You could have packets using non optimal routing paths that are causing performance problems.

Network Planning and Design Guide is available at amazon.com and eBookmall.com

Shaun Hummel is an author of various technical books and has a web site focused on information technology job search solutions and certifications.

http://www.networkjobsolutions.com

First of all, you need a firewall. This is your first line of defence, making it extremely difficult for any hacker or malicious programme to get through. Nothing is 100% impenetrable, however, and an anti-virus programme that will always be on the lookout for anything nasty that manages to find its way in is essential.

But there are things that manage to get onto your pc in the most unlikely of ways: it can be inadvertently added by you as you download music, screensavers or games onto your PC, or it can even be added by someone you know and trust, such as a suspicious spouse or your employer. This is Spyware and is a frightening breach of privacy which allows people or programmes to see what you’re doing, what sites you look at and even log your keystrokes so that they can reproduce everything you type, such as passwords and credit card details.

The only way to truly guard against spyware is to have a dedicated programme that detects and removes it.

So, you have your firewall and your anti-virus programme in place; surely an anti-spyware programme is just money down the drain? Unfortunately not: this will fill the cracks left by your other security programmes, and although it will not make your computer completely impenetrable (unfortunately the people writing these programmes are extremely good at what they do) it will be the equivalent of locking all your doors and windows and having an alarm system armed before you leave your house – someone could still get in if they really wanted to, but they’d probably rather go next door, where they’ve rather invitingly left a downstairs window open.

People are now using their computers for a range of personal and business applications, the loss or infiltration of which could do them serious emotional and financial damage. Taking preventative measures to ensure your online security should be as natural as closing the door behind you when you go out, and there are affordable and easy to use programmes out there to help you do just that.

For a full range of products to keep your computer safe, visit www.vaultlock.com

Otherwise you might as well order that ‘Robbers Welcome’ mat now!

Questionable reliability of files – Once we get our hands on a P2P program, we download everything we want like crazy. Favorite music, free softwares, as long as it is available, you download them. Hackers, attackers, or whatever, use this to their advantage. They can insert Trojans, viruses, spyware and other kinds of malware, and then share it to the P2P network. Unwary victims fall prey to these traps, and pay its price.

They make you vulnerable. Don’t let them. – Some P2P programs request you to open up your firewall in order for you to share and download files. This makes you vulnerable and giving attackers openings and opportunities to attack your system.

Breaching privacy – P2P programs that require you to give personal information are very doubtful when it comes to keeping your data secure. Since security is also unreliable, unauthorized people can gain access to your information easily.

Piracy – Would you consider the fact that P2P hosts illegal action which violates the intellectual property rights of hardworking people? The music industry, for example, is going down and most people don’t even care, as long as they get songs for free.

To eliminate P2P risks, take preventive measures and just don’t use them. If you still want to use such applications, be sure to be prepared for the worse.

Keep an anti-virus software in your computer and regularly update its definitions. Everyday, there are new kinds of viruses that spread in the internet, so keeping your anti-virus programs updated is a must.

Enable your firewall. If the P2P program asks you to turn it off or open some ports, don’t do it. Just find some other program that doesn’t require you to do anything irrational to your firewall.

To keep your computer secured and optimized, you can go to here for more stuff regarding security. It also contains tips and tricks for pc, internet, softwares and hardwares that can be of real benefit.