Below are the 8 most recent journal entries recorded in teakettler530's InsaneJournal:

Thursday, January 5th, 2012
10:24 am	Why Firewall Is Important For Your Computer When it comes to PC security, firewall plays a very crucial role. There are wide and diverse array of malware on the web that are designed to invade your computer and stop you from enjoying safe and hassle-free computing. A firewall is a security system that plays the role of a protective boundary between your PC and the network. The job of a firewall is to make your system invisible to online attackers as well as malicious objects like Trojan horses, viruses, and worms, etc firewall hardware. there are many computer repair companies that offer remote PC support to the computer users for troubleshooting any and all types of PC issues. If there is a firewall on your computer and it is turned on, your computer will be less vulnerable to malicious objects. While your computer is connected to the Internet, if there is no firewall, hackers can easily gain access to your personal information on your PC. To steal your personal information, they install code on your computer. Not just that, hackers also use your PC to cause problems on other systems connected to the Internet. The first step to protect your computer against hackers is to install a firewall and turn it on. Windows Firewall is built in PC security product that comes with Windows to protect computer and all its operations. All Microsoft operating systems like Microsoft Windows XP, Window Server 2003, and Windows Vista and Windows 7 has this feature inbuilt. It acts as a protective boundary and stop intruders to peep into your computer and privacy firewall software. Windows Firewall is automatically turned on by default. If you want, you can switch it off or customize its settings if necessary. network security There are also several renowned companies that offer Firewall protection software. Some of the notable brands are Symantec, Sonic Wall, etc. You need to buy these third party firewalls. While you run a program and if it requires information from the Web or a network, the firewall will ask whether to block or unblock the connection. And as per your instruction, it will act. It is very important to configure the firewall properly. This is done to let it know what kind of connections you want to block for your network. Remember that a firewall might not make your computer 100 % safe and secure but it provides the most effective first line of defense. It is recommended to install a firewall first, and then add other security measures. These include antivirus and antispyware programs as well as critical software updates. If all these are done properly, then your PC is safe and your can enjoy secure computing. Current Mood: naughty (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 31st, 2011
10:27 pm	Most Laptop Battery Charger Defects are Simple to Identify The laptop battery charger connects in between the wall power electricity plug and the laptop, changing mains voltage AC to reduced voltage DC. If the charger does not work properly then the laptop battery power will ultimately discharge when you switch on the laptop. You will find three items that may fail connected with the laptop battery charger; if any fail then the battery pack will no longer be charged and the laptop may at some point shut off due to a lack of power. If the power light does not come on after you link up the electric power pack then it may possibly be faulty. You will find three parts to the laptop electrical power supply, any can fail preventing the battery recharging or directly powering the laptop. Ultimately the battery will run out of power and the laptop will probably fail to operate. Should the laptop charge lights no longer turn on then it is most likely that the laptop charger is not supplying energy. Probably the most obvious steps would be to replace the mains plug fuse and verify that the electrical wires are properly hooked up within the plug. Various international locations have different electric systems so yours may not have a fuse. Also, if the mains plug has at sometime been replaced, then it may have been hooked up incorrectly so really should also be checked very carefully. Check the power wire that connects from your wall power outlet to the battery charger isn't defective. You must meticulously examine each end of the cord exactly where it joins to the ac power connector plus the socket that attaches to the charger. firewall hardware If you carefully manipulate the lead you may notice exactly where it is becoming detached from the plug or socket. You will need to switch the entire wire plug assembly when it's badly twisted, bulging or reveals slight deterioration. Check the power supply itself. If it has an indicator light that will not illuminate if you hook it up to the wall power supply, then the fault lies with the laptop charger. This can nonetheless can provide the wrong result in the event you connect the charger to the laptop when the laptop has a motherboard fault. So you ought to always test with the battery charger shut off from the laptop. Several battery chargers do not come with an indicator lamp or the light turns on as expected when you connect the mains power. Subsequent take a look at the cord where it joins the low voltage connection that inserts in to the laptop. It is quite common for the lead to fail at this point because the end user will generally bend it sharply. firewall hardware Sometimes if you move around the wire the laptop charge lamp will briefly turn on and off. Look into the wire where it comes out of the charger; this often breaks particularly should you wind the lead around the body of the charger. If somebody has broken the cable either in the connector or anyplace around its length then your complete battery charger will need changing because you can't substitute just the cable. Hardly ever, the battery charger itself might stop working; this can be difficult to diagnose with out substituting it with a replacement. business firewalls Laptop chargers do not generally fail, nonetheless, the reduced voltage lead and connector frequently stops working because of the wire fracturing particularly if a person has bent it sharply or wound it around the battery charger. Therefore , if feasible you must not coil up the cabling right after making use of the laptop, but do detach it from your wall power plug to save electricity. Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
12:44 pm	Streaming video over wireless networks Network Video Overview Traditional analog video is sent as a continuous stream of electrical signals over a cable from the source (camera) to the destination such as a video monitor in a command center. Digital technology and IP has changed that. With this new type of video, a digital camera translates the viewed image into digital signals which it then converts (encodes) into a series of IP packets that can be sent out over an IP-based network as a data stream. The IP network may be a local area network, a company wide area network, or even the public internet. At the destination, the receiver re-assembles these packets back into the original video stream. The reconstructed video can then be viewed, stored, searched, replayed, or retransmitted to virtually any location anywhere in the world. This sounds simple, but IP video is a totally new area with significant technological and integration challenges. Unlike other types of data, video requires large amounts of bandwidth, as well as highly reliable, predictable delivery mechanisms. Unfortunately, IP was not designed to provide this guaranteed quality of service (QoS) to the different types of traffic it carries and frequently one or more packets may be dropped during transmission. For bulk data transmissions such as file transfers, this is effectively managed by re-transmitting the dropped packets and reinserting them into the data; however, for applications such as video, packet re-transmission is a poor option since the missing packets are required to accurately reproduce the video image. Unmanaged, these factors cause latency and jitter, which result in poor quality or even unusable video at the receiving end. Wireless Network ChallengesWhile latency and jitter is minimal in a wired network, wireless networks are quite different. Because of the uncertainty in the wireless medium, Wireless LAN (WLAN) networks employ a variety of techniques in attempt to overcome these problems. When a packet is to be transmitted, the sender first listens for any activity on the frequency, and if there is none, waits a random amount of time before transmitting. This methodology is called Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA). If an acknowledgement (ACK) is not received, either due to interference, collision, or other anomaly, the entire process is repeated. This protocol enhances the reliability of the WLAN network, however, this process also adds jitter and latency to the video traffic which can produce poor quality video or total loss of continuity. The WLAN process also includes a request to send/clear to send (RTS/CTS) mechanism which is used to decrease the chance of collision on a system by making sure that end stations in the vicinity of the source and destination hear the RTS and CTS signals before sending actual data packets. While this mechanism increases robustness it also adds to the latency of packets. Packet Errors, Latency, Delay and Jitter - Why Video and Wireless Don't Mix Low, predictable and consistent latency is key for running video applications over networks, regardless of the available bandwidth; large amounts of bandwidth does not guarantee high quality video. While most wired IP networks can support this requirement, wireless networks are extremely susceptible to errors, which ultimately result in packet loss and packet errors. In many wireless networks a 20% to 40% packet loss is not uncommon. While the built-in mechanisms described above can prevent or recover from some amount of packet errors, each retransmission creates up to 4 ms of additional latency and up to 16 retransmissions can be required per packet error. This process results in unacceptable levels of latency, delay and jitter, which is seen as frozen, jerky, or pixilated video on the viewing screen. In extreme cases, video transmission can stop altogether until the video stream is re-synchronized with the receiver. This is clearly unacceptable for commercial video surveillance applications. Factors Contributing to Packet Errors, Latency, Jitter, and Delay Interference Interference is the predominate cause of packet errors and loss in wireless networks. While the automatic packet recovery process used in typical networks may help, this process introduces increased latency, delay, and jitter which can compromise video quality and reliability. Following is a brief summary of the most common causes of problems in wireless networks. Direct spectrum interference and noise The most obvious source of interference, this occurs when other wireless elements are set up on the same, or overlapping, frequencies or when other devices create radio frequency waves (RF) that conflict with those of the wireless device. For example, microwave ovens, portable telephones, and bluetooth devices can produce RF waves (noise) that interfere with many wireless communications systems. Near-angle interference Near-angle interference is a form of direct spectrum interference that can happen when there are 2 or more point-to-point shots with two centrally located antennas arranged physically close to one another. For example, a campus environment where multiple remote buildings have point-to-point shots back to a central building. firewall software The transmitted signals from one antenna supporting a point-to-point link can interfere with it's adjacent antenna. Multipath and Reflection Multipath and reflection are two related types of interference that usually occurs when parts of a transmission beam are refracted from objects (e. g. , glass, water, furniture, metallic surfaces) between the sending and receiving radios causing the signals to be received a different times or severely attenuated. The refracted beams are received by the receiving radio at different and the radio gets confused. Multipath interference is likely to occur in large enclosed environments such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities or when used in proximity to large reflective objects such as high-rise buildings. Other contributing factors Beyond interference, other factors such as congestion and bandwidth limitations can also cause packet loss and produce unacceptable levels of delay and jitter in wireless video applications. The delay in the IP network is caused by propagation delay in the transmission lines, buffers in routers, and jitter buffers. Transmission delay is split into two parts: a constant or slowly varying network delay and rapid variations referred to as jitter. Because of the nature of the IP network, the amount of delay is different in each direction. The jitter present in packet networks complicates the decoding process in the receiver device because the decoder needs to have packets of data readily available at the right time instants. A jitter buffer is normally used to make sure that packets are available when needed, resulting in additional delay that increases with the magnitude of the jitter. Packet loss occurs either if a packet is lost in the network or if a packet arrives too late to be handled by the decoder. By allowing for a long delay in the jitter buffer, the latter type of packet loss can be almost completely removed, but at the price of increased system delay. For real time video surveillance applications, this solution is unacceptable. Implications for Wireless LANS The lossy nature of the 802. 11 medium amplifies the effects of these factors. The challenges in deploying Video over WLAN stem mainly from issues related to access point congestion and link quality. This is particularly relevant when multiple video sources are connected to the same access point. The efficiency of the system quickly deteriorates when the number of users increases, resulting in significantly higher delay, network jitter, and packet loss than wired LANs. As we have seen, high quality full motion video delivery over ordinary wireless links is a complicated problem because of dramatic and frequent changes in the quality of the underlying wireless channel. This is further complicated by latency constraints and typical TCP/IP protocol processing overhead, which often results in poor quality or unusable video. There are some interesting technolgies that are able to overcome much of the packet loss seen in wireless networks to deliver high quality video regardless of network anomalies. More to come. . . Current Mood: complacent (Comment on this)
12:44 pm	Stock Software the Best Software for Stock Analysis Here are some options for finding stock software for analysing and monitoring your stock trading and investments. Whether you're a small investor or part time stock trader, these software packages will make your life easier. Stock software usually takes three forms: website based, desktop computer based and finally mobile computing based. Day traders and professional traders normally prefer desktop based trading applications. Websites that have stock analysis functions are perfectly adequate for the small investor. In many cases these websites have a wide range of free to use tools. Finally mobile computing now offers an attractive way of being able to trade stocks from any location. Stock software - Stock analysis websites firewall software The problem with desktop software is that you have to figure out how to install it. Once it's installed then you often have to update it, which is quite a frequent occurrence for financial software. Finally desktop software often has to download the latest stock data, and this all takes time. One alternative is to get some web based stock software. Many of the web based stock software sites are free for a basic service, but you have to pay for a live ticker feed if you want the latest stock prices in near realtime. Live prices are pretty much essential for stock day traders and forex day traders. If you only want to manage your personal stock portfolio and maybe do the occasional trade then you might be able to just use a free stock analysis website. For UK based traders the best free stock site is iii.co.uk (here's more information and a ). The site offers stock investors a high quality portfolio system which covers stocks, unit trusts, , investment trusts and . You can even track your debts via the portfolio tool. As far as trading tools the site offers a range of stock analysis tools including some great stock charts. The stock charts support candle stick and standard stick charts. Moving averages and Bollinger bands can be plotted on the charts. There are also a wide range of other indicators and oscillators. A particularly good feature of iii's website is the ability to chart weekly graphs if a stock has a trading history that stretches back three years or more. Iii's free stock charts are based on time delayed data but there is the option to pay for a live prices ticker feed. iii.co.uk also offers some stock screening tools. Stocks may be screened on price change over time, PE ratio, dividend yield or a wide variety of other criteria. iii also has its own low priced trading service which does include advanced features such as the ability to place limit and stop loss orders. Other free stock sites include Yahoo finance, as well as Google's finance pages. Google's financial site is becoming increasingly useful now that the Google Android operating system is becoming more widespread on mobile phones and other devices. The best known stock software package for the small investor is MetaStock. This is a comprehensive desktop based stock analysis and trading tool and is a favorite with day traders. MetaStock comes in three versions. The standard version contains time delayed stock prices and is useful for traders trading on a daily or weekly basis. MetaStock Pro is a better option for day traders as it supplies live stock prices. Finally MetaStock Pro FX is stock software that has been specifically designed for foreign currency (forex) traders. As a software developer, the thing I particularly like about MetaStock is the ability to write custom stock screening and backtesting scripts to test out new trading algorithms. Don't worry if you're not a programmer though, there are thousands of scripts and plugin add-ons available that allow all kinds of new trading algorithms and trading strategies to be used in stock trading via MetaStock. One of my favorites is the Bollinger Band System. This MetaStock add-on is a trading system that allows Bollinger Band trend following to identify the most profitable trading opportunities in a wide range of stocks. An alternative to MetaStock is TradeStation. This is a comprehensive trading software solution for the day trader. TradeStation offers the small investor access to trading strategies that the big Wall Street professional traders use, such as automated trading of stock and forex transactions, backtesting of trading strategies and custom scanning of trading opportunities in the live market. A free trial period is available for TradeStation. For power users, TradeStation is also fully customisable through a built in programming language called EasyLanguage. Mobile phone technology has now advanced to the stage where a stock software solution for a mobile phone is now a realistic option. There are a wide range of mobile stock trading software solutions available. Many of these solutions are supplied as an extension of a desktop or web based trading service. E*Trade is a popular US based trading company. It offers the investor the possibility of trading on a mobile phone via its E*Trade Mobile Pro software. The software is available for a range of mobile computing systems including the BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad. As well as specialist software apps, it is of course also possible to use any web based trading platform thorough a mobile phone that has a web browser included. Google's Android operating system for mobile phones has a particularly well specified web browser built into the operating system. There are also a wide range of free stock software applications. One example is . AptiStock offers a wide range of charting and analysis for a wide range of US, UK and Asian markets. The software uses end of day data, so it's of most use to longer term traders trading on end of day or weekly stock data. Free stock software usually has a lot of limitations, and the lack of live stock data means it is of limited use for day traders and serious investors. In summary there are a wide range of stock software packages available. MetaStock and TradeStation are especially popular with stock and forex day traders as they offer incredibly powerful trading facilities similar to those used on Wall Street. For the smaller investor it's possible to use the free stock websites to keep track of a portfolio. These sites also offer web based stock software for performing basic stock analysis such as trend following using moving averages or Bollinger Bands. The author of this article is not authorised to give financial advice. This article is for information only does not constitute financial advice. Before making investment or stock trading decisions consult an independent financial adviser. Current Mood: ecstatic (Comment on this)
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
4:01 am	Why Internet Predators Love Social Network Sites Internet predators have become a fixture of sorts on many social media sites which necessitates the need for users to exercise caution. Since the advent of the internet 'instances' of cyber crime have evolved into regular and expected occurrences. Now the growing popularity of social network sites has cyber criminals taking direct aim at them with their internet scams. What is it that makes the social networks such an attractive target for this type criminal Social network sites are meant for just what they imply and that is to socialize. This type of atmosphere is casual and relaxed therefore people for the most part are NOT expecting devious . firewall software It is just this type atmosphere that cyber criminals depend upon and thrive in. Their ability to manipulate others is based upon a 'blind' trust or having others believe in their own sense of security. Most social media sites by and large are set up to be easy to use and navigate. This allows even the less than 'tech savvy' to become involved but they also bring along their own naive nature relative to internet security issues. This makes them even easier prey since they are unaware of or unfamiliar with many common internet scams. firewall software This ease of use on the other hand has also made it just as convenient for the 'sinister online element' to gain access to their unsuspecting prey. There are no security systems to work around or advanced coding to decipher therefore the 'door' is wide open for the criminal element gain easy access. As we all know crime always seems to gravitate towards the largest population bases offline and this remains true online as well. The very popularity of social media sites has put them in the 'cross hairs' of the devious minded predators that lurk on the internet. Safety in numbers is NOT something innocent site members can count on when interacting within online social communities. For the 3 reasons we have spoken of above cyber criminals are attracted to many of the online communities. The structure of these sites offers the perfect opportunity for the criminal element to successfully implement their internet scams. For the users they must simply be aware that cyber crime does exist and will continue to do so calling for the need to caution when socializing online firewall software. Current Mood: creative (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 18th, 2011
11:59 pm	Did You Forget the Firewall - Tips and Tricks for the Savvy User Most computer forget about the firewall for internet and privacy protection. Here are a list of items to consider to get the best firewall protection. Top 2 Firewall software programs are included. How to Choose a Firewall: Tips and Tricks for the Savvy User Without a firewall, your computer is opened up your computer to a host of attacks from hackers. These online criminals try to access your computer to change or steal your private information. With this information, the hacker can steal your identity, or access and use money from your bank account or credit cards. The past few years have seen a boom in ID theft, and a corresponding boom in industries, such as firewall, working to combat identity theft. It is predicted that firewall sales will come to 3.7 billion USD in 2007 (from itnews.com). With all the choices out there, how do you determine the best one Choosing Wisely There are four main things a good firewall needs to supply. It needs to have good features, be easy to use, be reliable, and have technical support and updates available. network security Features to look for are the ability to block cookies, websites, browser history logs, and other undesirable things. Blocking these decreases your susceptibility to viruses and attacks. Individual settings are a plus, because you could visit some sites that your children cannot, or limit their time differently than yours. Ease of use means the firewall is simple. Not only is it intuitive, but it should customize itself to your computer through its preset defaults. Installation should be quick and straightforward. Reliable software responds correctly to unknown information. firewall software By responding correctly, it will keep harmful software, such as Trojans, out. These things coming in could cause your computer to automatically restart or shut off, losing any of your unsaved data. Technical Support is preferably free, and should be over either the phone or the internet. Upgrades should be simple to find and use, sometimes automatic. Top 2 personal firewall software programs to consider. Zone Alarm Pro Kerio Personal FirewallLearn as much about the firewall software as possible before you buy. Check for online reviews and forum posts. Ask around to see if your friends or family has used the software you are considering, and see what their opinion of it is. Act quickly, as you never know how much of your information is already in jeopardy. Current Mood: pensive (Comment on this)
11:58 pm	Alienware Laptop Parts 5 Tips to Upgrade your Laptop Configuration. If your laptop is getting slow and you feel like you need to upgrade its' configuration, there are a few things which you need to consider. Since we're living in an age of laptops and high technology, we can presume that we don't need to get messy with upgrading desktops. However, some of the following upgrades can easily be performed on desktops as well as laptops. First thing, you need to lift up the lid on your laptop and see what all you're working with. In a few easy steps, we'll tell you how you can enhance your tired old laptop. However, you must beware, a lot of times, laptop manufacturers; install parts which cannot be removed, which prevent the machine from being upgraded. Having a laptop with removable Alienware Laptop Parts, is infinitely upgradable. 1. The first thing to do when upgrading is tweaking software. firewall software By doing so, you have the option to memory which in turn increases performance (as the original installation option can be less than par). 2.There are a few things like graphic cards, video cards, and memory that you can purchase and install, but in some cases, it may be more wise to purchase a new laptop altogether. These upgrades are sometimes costly and purchasing a new laptop is relatively cheap now. 3.You will also need a list of processors based on the same socket, same voltage, and within the same thermal range of power. This information is important because it'll prevent you from shutting your machine down. 4.The battery is also something which you can easily replace by removing the original one and inserting a new one. A lot of times, the battery life deteriorates and a by installing a new battery, you can more power and life to your machine. Make sure your machine is powered off at this time, as well as unplugged. 5.Lastly, another thing you can to jazz up your laptops' configuration is speakers. Speakers are very accessible in any electronics store. As with any other product, it is important to do your research and of course, compare and contrast your final selection with other equally reputable options. Most speakers can easily be plugged in to your machine with a simple chord but there are others which require intricate installation. When purchasing, it is important to keep in mind what you will be using these speakers for. Will your machine turn into a full entertainment system for big parties or will it be used moderately for your entertainment These are a few of the things we think you can do to upgrade your systems configuration and capabilities. The most important things to bear in mind are installation process and cost. You do not want to pick up a project that you can't finish without pulling your hair out, nor do you want to make grand purchases without thinking the pros and cons out thoroughly. Current Mood: cold (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 10th, 2011
6:03 pm	An Overview of the Computer Network Devices & Components A Computer network is comprised of different devices to share, transmit, and boost the signal, voice and data. business firewalls Network devices or components are the physical parts connected to a network. There is a large number of the network devices and are increasing daily. The basic network devices are: Individual Computers, Server, Hub, Switch, Bridges, Routers, Modems, Printers, DSL Modems & Routers, Gateways, Network Interface Cards, Cabling & Wireless access point. The following is a overview of each of these network devices. INDIVIDUAL COMPUTERS: The personal computer is usually a desktop computer, a work station or a laptop. The personal computers are most widely used in any organization or for personal use. The individual computers are the most common types of the microcomputers. SERVER: A server is a computer on a network, which process request and is used to share the data and resources among the other computers in a network. A server stores all the necessary information and provides the different services like, workstation computers logon access, internet sharing, print sharing, disk space sharing etc. There are different types of servers e.g File and print server, database server, proxy server, Fax server, backup server etc. A database server stores all the data and software, which may related to the certain database and it allows other network devices to access and process the database queries. A file server is used to store the data of any user on the network and a print server manages one or more printers in a network. Similarly a network server is a server that manages the network traffic. NETWORK INTERFACE CARD: Network interface cards are attached with the computer or other network devices and are used to provide the connectivity between the two computers. Each network card is specifically designed for the different types of the network like Ethernet, FDDI, Token Ring and Wireless Networks. The Network card operates on the first and second layers of the OSI models i. e Physical layer and datalink layer specifications. firewall software NIC basically defines the physical connection methods and the control signals that provides the timings of the data transfer over the network. HUBS: Hub is a simplest network device. The function of the hub is broadcasting i.e data is forwarded towards the all ports of a hub, regardless of whether the data was intended for the particular systems in the network or not. Computers in a network are connected to a hub with a twisted pair (CAT5) cables. There are two types of the hubs. 1. Active Hubs. 2. Passive Hubs. SWITCHING HUB: The Switching hub (also called switch is the most advance shape of the basic hub. In a basic hub all the computers are connected with the hub and the speed of the network is defined by the slowest computer network card connected. For example if you have 10/100 Mbps cards in a network and only one card of 10Mbps speed then the system cannot run faster than the 10 Mbps. Now if you have a switching hub in a network, it will allow all the faster connections in the network to remain at the higher speed and still interact with the 10Mbps system. SWITCHES: Switch is a intelligence device than hub. Switch is a layer 2 device. Swith provides the same function as a hub or a bridge but it has the advance functionality of connecting the two computers together temporarily. Switch contains the switch matrix or switch fabric that can connect and disconnect ports. Unlike hubs, switch only transmit or forwards the data to the destined computer and it does not broadcasts the data to all its ports. MODEMS: Modems are the devices, which are used to translate the digital data into the analog format and vice versa. It performs the two main functions. Modulation and demodulation. A modulated data can travel across the conventional telephone lines. The modem modulates the signals at the sending end and demodulates at the receiving end. Modems are required for different types of the access methods such ISDN, DSL and 56K data modem. Modem can be the internal devices that plug into the expansion slots in a system or can be external devices that plug into the serial or USB ports. In Laptops, PCMCIA cards are used for this purpose and many new laptops having the built in integrated modems. The specialized devices are designed for use in the systems such as handheld computers. In ISPs where the large scaled modems are required, rack-mounted modems are used. ROUTERS: Routers route the data between two logically and physically different networks. A Router has the capability to determine the destination address for the data and hence provides the best way for the data to continue its journey. Router gets this capability through its software called routing software. Unlike Switches and Bridges, which use hardware configured MAC address to determine the destination of the data, router uses logical network address such as IP address to make the decision in determining the destination of the data. GATEWAY: A gateway performs the function of translating the data from one format to another format without changing the data itself. A gateway can be a device, system, software. A computer with two NIC cards can function as a gateway. Router acts as a gateway e. firewall software g a router that routes the data from a IPX network to a IP network is technically a gateway. The same can be said of translational switch converts from a Ethernet network to a token ring network. CABLES: There are two most common types of the cables. 1. 10baseT and 10base2. 10baseT is a four paired cable. 10baseT has further two types 1. UTP (unshielded twisted pair) and 2. STP (shielded twisted pair. STP is most secure cable covered with the silver coated twisted paper to protect the cable. On the other end Thin 10base2 looks like the copper coaxial cabling that often used to connect TV sets and VCR. 10baseT/Cat5 cables are most commonly used cables to connect the computers. It has the connector, (like a telephone connector) called RJ45 connector. Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)