networking Archives - Page 2 of 3

Scam Alert: Beware dangerous ‘Evil Twin’ Wi-Fi networks

Posted on January 26, 2025

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Have you ever used a hotel’s secure Wi-Fi network while staying there as a guest?

How about the secure Wi-Fi network that serves the building you work in – or even the network at your church?

Many of us routinely use these types of secured Wi-Fi networks without giving them a second thought, because…well, they’re encrypted, and therefore safe, right?

As a general rule these secured networks are indeed safe and we can use them without having to worry about having our usernames, passwords and personal info being stolen.

But there’s also a danger with using hotel Wi-Fi networks that you need to know about…

[Read more…]

Q&A: What’s the difference between Public and Private IP Addresses?

Posted on December 5, 2023

Question from Bill: I was reading the manual that came with my new IP camera and it referred to both public IP addresses and private IP addresses.

I got the camera working just fine but now I’m curious about the difference between public and private IP addresses.

Can you clear it up for me?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

How (and when) to reset your PC’s network adapters

Posted on February 28, 2023

Does your Windows PC keep disconnecting from the Internet at random times?

Or perhaps your web browser frequently slows to a crawl or completely freezes up even though it appears that you still have a normal connection?

Or maybe you just get the feeling that your Internet or local network connection just isn’t working as well as it should?

These types of issues are often due to a glitch or an incorrect setting in your PC’s network adapter settings. If you’re experiencing any type of connectivity problem a simple Network Reset just might fix it in a jiffy. [Read more…]

How to quickly find the MAC address on a Windows 11 PC

Posted on November 21, 2022

If you ever have to call tech support for any issue that’s even tangentially related to networking or Internet connectivity, you’ll likely be asked to provide your machine’s MAC address.

Just so there’s no confusion, MAC addresses aren’t necessarily associated with Apple’s MAC line of computers.

Yes, Mac desktop computers and MacBooks have MAC addresses, but so do Windows PCs, Linux boxes, Android devices, iPhones and every other such device that connects to a network. [Read more…]

Review: Netgear Orbi Tri-Band WiFi Router System

Posted on October 4, 2022

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

I receive dozens of tech questions every week, and many of them ask me for advice on the best way to cover a large multi-story home with a strong and fast Wi-Fi network.

I’ve written several posts about this very topic over the years, and the solution that I recommend tends to depend on the state of wireless technology at that particular point in time.

I recently had the opportunity to check out the amazing Netgear Orbi Tri-band WiFi system, and I can tell you that this is an excellent solution for ensuring that every room in your home has a strong and super-fast Wi-Fi connection to the Internet.

The Orbi system is extremely powerful, yet dead-simple to set up. Simply connect the Orbi base station router to your modem, then place the satellite unit in a central location in your home and set up your Wi-Fi network using the simple browser-based setup utility.

Here’s a very short video that demonstrates exactly what you can expect after installing an Orbi mesh WiFi system in your home: [Read more…]