Use "ipconfig" to check you network address.

All computers need an IP (Internet Protocol) address to communicate with other computers on the Internet. Most home/small business computers computers get a dynamic (changing) address directly from their Internet Service provider.

The process of acquiring a dynamic address is called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). This means that the ISP has a device that hands out an address to your computer when you connect to the ISP's network. This address may change from time to time, but your computer does not care what address it has, as long as it has a valid one for communication. You can learn more about how DHCP works at www.ask-leo.com

Okay, so now lets see how we can tell if your computer is getting an address. Windows users need to Click Start, then Run. When the run dialog box appears, type "cmd" (no quotes) and hit the enter key. In the black command window that appears, type (no quotes) "ipconfig" and hit the enter key.

You should get a listing of info that looks like this:

Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter local area connection:
  Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 570x Gigabit Integrated Controller
  Physical address . . . . . . . . .: 0F-0F-1F-CB-99-87
  DHCP enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
  IP address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.3
  Subnet mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
  Default gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
  DNS servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 193.19.219.210

Lets look at what this is telling us...
DHCP enabled means that the computer is configured to request an IP address. The next line shows the IP address that was assigned to the computer. You can ignore the subnet mask.

The Default Gateway is important. It tells you the next "hop" to the Internet. If you have a router between your computer and the ISP, then your router is your Default Gateway, and the value listed here will be your router's IP address.

The DNS server shows the address of the computer that helps convert computer names into IP addresses so they can be located. You need one or more of these entries in order to go to websites by name, such as www.google.com. You can learn more about DNS at www.howstuffworks.com

Looking for Errors
If the "ipconfig" output shows:

Media status . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

It means that the computer is not plugged into the network (or the wireless card is not connecting to the Wireless Access Point). Correct this before trying to go any further.

If the IP address starts with "169.254" this means that the computer did not get a response back from its DHCP request, so the computer made up its own IP address. This IP address is worthless, and will not allow you to connect to the Internet.

How to Force Windows to Renew the Computer's IP Address
The ipconfig command has a couple of parameters that can be added to do additional tasks.

• ipconfig /all (shows a lot of additional info about your IP connection)
• ipconfig /release (drops your IP address)
• ipconfig /renew (requests a new IP address)

Get the right AVAST

When you "Google" AVAST, you will get a lot of links to pages that look like avast, and perhaps some of them are varients of it. But most of them want you to pay for it. They are not the real AVAST site.

Here is the link to the real one...
Avast! Antivirus Protection (http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html)

August 7, 2008 Listener Calls

AVG Update Requires Restart

If the message appears even though you rebooted, please perform following procedure:

• Please run AVG Control Center->Update Manager->Settings->Advanced tab-> use "Delete update temporary files" button.
• Reboot your PC.
• Try to update again.

HP MiniNote 2133

I recently acquired a HP MiniNote 2133 laptop for use on the road while performing work duties. I chose this tiny laptop for a number of reasons:

• It is extremely small and light
• It has a great display (1024 X 768)
• The keyboard is nearly full size (92% of normal)
• It is fast enough to do what I need to do with it
• The case is quite solid, and the screen has a hard protective coating
• It has built in wireless
• It has an external monitor port to hook up to a projector
  
• The price is very reasonable (about $550)

Okay, now for the skinny on this little bugger. You can see full specs on the unit at HP's webiste.
The one I ordered came preconfigured with Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop. Whiloe it pains me to say this, it was a big mistake to order the Linux version of the laptop. There was one drawback that was a deal killer for the Linux version: the integrated Broadcom wireless card. The folks at Broadcom have not released their driver and firmware code to the OpenSource community, so difficult at best to get their hardware working in Linux.

My wireless worked great under linux, until I ran a system update. The new linux kernel did not have broadcom support, and wireless quit working. I was not able to restore the wireless, and HP's tech support could not resolve the problem. So, I blew away linux from the hard drive, and installed Windows XP.

This machine works great running XP.

So, you might be wondering how big this unit is. Here is a photo of the laptop with my blackberry phone on top of it. This other photo shows my hand on the keyboard. Finally I have a screenshot of the KAXE homepage as it appears on the MiniNote.

Drawbacks
There are only a few drawbacks (minor for me, but they could be deal breakers for some folks):

1. There is no optical media (CD / DVD) This means I hve to install software from a USB drive.
2. The screen is small (physically) so even though it has a high resolution, everything looks small.
3. Sometimes it runs a little hot, so it might be uncomforta ble on yoru lap without something underneath it.

Would I Recommend It?
This is a great little portable device. Perfect for use on the road, at meetings, or just to show off a new gadget. The display is great for surfing the web, reading email, and making presentations. The keyboard is large enough even for man sized hands. So, it this is what you are looking for, I highly recommend it.

It is NOT a replacement for your desktop computer. The display is too small for prolonged use. I get a little eye strain after using it for an hour straight.

Computer Cable Scam

Here's the scenario, you have a need to purchase a usb cable for one of your computer accessories. You go to the big box store, and see prices ranging from $5 - $35. The more expensive one claims to be "24K gold-plated and corrosion-proof connectors for maximum conductivity and error-free transmission of up to 480 Mbps".

Or perhaps you got one of those new High Definition TV sets, complete with a new HD receiver and DVD player. These new devices have the new high tech HDMI interface. You need to get cables to connect it all up, and the folks in the store have these great HDMI cables with superior quality for $100. Sure, they have a cable for $20, but warn you not want to compromise your video and sound quality with a $20 cable on your $1,500 system!

Well, guess what. There is NO DIFFERENCE between the cheap cable and the expensive cable except for price. It's true. Here's why, HDMI, USB and network cables transmit data in digital format, That means they send data in a signal that is either on or off. There are no wave forms as you have in analog data. So, in digital transmission, the data either gets delivered or it doesn't. Here's a fun read on the practical reality of the matter...

All HDMI, USB and network cables are certified to meet certain standards, and will perform exactly the same, regardless of how much you pay for them.

So, next time you go to the store to buy one of these, look for the inexpensive one. When the sales person tries to persuade you to break the bank on hyped up performance, respectfully suggest that they educate themself on how digital data transmission works.