Problems With Your Wi-Fi Network Signal? How to Fix Them.

Does your wireless network seem slow? A recent study by Epitiro, a UK-based broadband-analysis firm, shows that consumers lose an average of 30 percent of the data speed their broadband connection supplies when they use Wi-Fi connections in the home.

Why the slowdown? You've probably heard that some household electronic devices, including microwave ovens, baby monitors, and cordless phones, hamper Wi-Fi performance. To separate fact from fiction, we did some research and consulted an expert on the topic: Nandan Kalle, networking business unit manager for router manufacturer Belkin.

1. Public Enemy Number One: Your Neighbors' Wi-Fi Networks

"I'd say the biggest source of interference today for most people is their neighbors' Wi-Fi networks," says Kalle. The problem is that most existing Wi-Fi equipment operates on the crowded 2.4GHz band. "There are basically three nonoverlapping channels. I always describe it as a three-lane road that's really, really busy," Kalle adds.

If you use a 2.4GHz router and live in a densely populated area, your neighbors' Wi-Fi networks could interfere with yours, hindering the performance and range of your wireless network.

The solution: Buy a dual-band router that operates simultaneously at 2.4GHz and 5GHz. While the 2.4GHz band is necessary for supporting older Wi-Fi devices, 5GHz "is almost like an 11-lane highway that nobody's heard about yet," Kalle says. "There's much less congestion." 

Newer Wi-Fi devices, including tablets such as the Apple iPad and Motorola Xoom, Internet-ready TVs with built-in Wi-Fi, gaming consoles, and business laptops, are all dual-band. "They all play in the 5GHz band. They can take advantage of that empty highway, and that's really going to help," Kalle says.

It's important to get a router that supports simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz, such as the $100 Cisco Linksys E2500. Some older dual-band routers allow only one band at a time; that's a problem if you have older Wi-Fi devices (as most people do), because you'll have to leave your router at 2.4GHz. "You won't get any benefit from the 5GHz mode," says Kalle.

When you're shopping for a new router, look for a dual-band, 802.11n MIMO device, which typically has an "N600" label. The "N" refers to 802.11n, an international Wi-Fi standard approved in 2009. MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology provides greater range by using multiple antennas to transmit and receive data. And "600" refers to two bands, each transmitting at 300 megabits per second.

2. Household Electronics

Is your microwave oven, cordless phone, or baby monitor sabotaging your Netflix stream? Perhaps.

Most problems with cordless phones and microwaves involve products that use the 2.4GHz band. Many baby monitors operate at 900MHz and won't interfere with Wi-Fi. However, some wireless monitors are 2.4GHz, which can interfere with 802.11g or single-band 802.11n routers.

The solution: When choosing a wireless baby monitor, look for a 900MHz model such as the Sony 900MHz BabyCall Nursery Monitor ($45). Alternatively, get a Wi-Fi-friendly system such as the WiFi Baby 3G ($279), which connects to your existing wireless network.

Newer cordless phone systems like the Panasonic KX-TG6545B ($140) use DECT 6.0 technology and the 1.9GHz band, not the 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz bands.

3. Bluetooth Devices

Older Bluetooth devices did interfere with Wi-Fi networks--but those days have passed.
"Over the past several years, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi manufacturers have implemented specific techniques to minimize interference," says Kalle.

The solution: "Most people replace their phones every couple of years, so unless you have a really old phone or Bluetooth device, it's unlikely that [Bluetooth] will interfere with Wi-Fi," says Kalle.

4. Humans

You might recall from science class that the human body is mostly water, anywhere from 45 percent to 75 percent depending on your age and fitness level. Water can hamper Wi-Fi speeds, too.

"For example, say your room is very crowded and you're having a party. That can actually dampen your Wi-Fi signal--but that's an extreme case," says Kalle.

"When we're doing Wi-Fi testing in the lab and trying to get very accurate results, we have to make sure that we're not standing in front of the antenna, because we'll measurably impact the performance," he adds.

Humidity can affect Wi-Fi speeds too, but not enough for the average user to notice.

The solution: Relax. Don't worry about humidity, or those bags of water called people. After all, you can't control the weather, and it's unwise to be antisocial just to get better Wi-Fi performance.

5. Security Settings

In some low-end routers, a stronger security setting can moderately affect performance. However, that doesn't mean you should turn off security completely, or downgrade to weaker protection.

In recent years, the WPA (Wireless Protected Access) and WPA2 protocols have displaced the older and less-secure WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol). On inexpensive routers that use WEP, upgrading to WPA may impede performance a bit. In contrast, more-robust devices generally have hardware specifically designed for WPA and WPA2 encryption; as a result, the stronger security protocols shouldn't slow Wi-Fi speeds on higher-end routers.

The solution: Kalle stresses the importance of router encryption. "You always hear about data theft, and it's so easy to enable security these days," he says. Since today's routers have security enabled out of the box, users don't have to worry about configuring it. But don't disable encryption, even if doing so may speed up your Wi-Fi a little.

6. Old Firmware

Why upgrade your router's firmware? Well, for performance improvements and occasionally a new feature or two.

"Whenever you have a problem, check to see if you have good firmware. Sometimes there are little bugs out there, and the router manufacturer may already have a fix," says Kalle.

When you buy a new router, it's always a good idea to check for the latest firmware as well.

The solution: Keep your firmware up-to-date. With older devices, you'll have to access the router's administrative interface--typically through a Web browser--to check for updates. The process is getting easier, though. "Our routers have an application--it's almost like iTunes--that tells you whenever there's new firmware available," says Kalle. "The user can update by just pushing a button."

Although the workings of your router may seem mysterious, following these simple tips can go a long way toward keeping your home wireless network in working order.

Conclusion:

I personally was having issues getting a strong signal from from my Netgear Wireless N 150 Router (Model: WNR1000) across the house. As the article above suggested I needed a more powerful Router with a stronger signal and runs at a different frequency than the usual 2.4GHz. I did my homework and opted for the much better Netgear Wireless N600 Dual Band Router (Model: WNDR3700). See pics below.


This router is awesome! I'm provided with two separate bands. One is the standard 2.4GHz range and if I have issues with that I can run connections to my computers at the 5GHz frequency. Needless to say its running with a great signal all the way across the house at 2.4GHz.

The signal from this router seems much more powerful than my previous Netgear. By the way Netgear routers you can't go wrong with. I'm never having to reboot my Netgear router the way I used to have to with Linksys. I highly recommend them.



References: http://www.pcworld.com/article/227973/article.html#tk.nl_wbx_h_topstory

In the Sacramento Area and need your computer repaired visit us at: http://www.sacramentopcpros.com

What to Expect with Windows 8

After looking around online for what Microsoft's next Operating System would be like and features it might contain I found some interesting and exciting things to come. These things are just hints at what is to come. Some may call them "leaks". Here are some of the things I gathered from the references listed at the end of this writing.

I personally was very impressed with Window 7 and it's fresh new look and feel from that of Windows Vista which was a failure for the most part. Let's hope Windows 8 continues on with the Windows 7 tradition of being fresh, quick and with a smaller amount of overhead to hardware ratio than it's predecessors.

Faster Boot Times:

A blogger called Francisco Martin Garcia said the following on his blog:

We can expect some interesting functionality that includes USB 3.0, and Bluetooth 3.0 support, video recognition and 'instant on' booting – which will obviously be seen as a response to Google's Chrome OS. One of Chrome OS' big selling points is the speed of boot-up, and Microsoft is keen to bring the functionality to Windows.

"Windows 8 PC's turn on fast, nearly instantly in some cases, and are ready to work without any long or unexpected delays," said the document.

It also states, "When customers want to check e-mail, sports scores, or play media they love to reach for their PCs because they can get to what they want quickly."

Connect with Kinect:

Another key addition will feature Kinect – the next generation motion sensor video technology that is being brought to the Xbox 360 in the near future.

"Windows 8 could detect my presence and log me automatically," adds the document. This latter nugget of information is intriguing – with person recognition one of the well-appreciated functions of Kinect. Microsoft has long talked up the fact that Kinect tech could be brought to Windows – and there will now be hope that it will be arriving as soon as the next generation of the operating system.

Windows Native PDF Reader:

Windows 8 is also set to feature a native PDF reader, meaning PC owners will no longer need to install a third-party app such as Adobe Reader to view PDFs. The new PDF reader is known as 'Modern Reader', and uses the new AppX application package type, which is similar to that in Windows Phone 7 and likely to be used in Windows Phone 8.

Windows 8 Mulitmedia:

Better media playback and recording, but it will balance using hardware acceleration to save battery life and using the CPU when it gives a better result.

Audio will use hardware acceleration more because that does improve battery life. There will be post-processing to take out blur, noise and shakey video filmed on a phone or webcam, and support for more codecs including AVC and as-yet-undetermined 3D video codecs (stereoscopic3D support is coming, for games and for 3D movies in Media Center, but there are format issues).

Microsoft talks about sharing 'with nearby devices'; one way that will work is adding the Play To option currently in Windows Media Player to the browser for HTML 5 audio and video content, so you can play it on any device that supports DLNA, another is APIs to let other software do the same.

Improved Task Manager:

Task manager will make it easier to see why an app might not be performing; here the Zune software is using all the network bandwidth to download podcasts, so video in the browser keeps pausing. We hope the white on black isn't the final design!

The Windows pre-boot recovery environment will be simpler, combining the safe mode and 'last known good' options into one interface. It will use what Microsoft calls 'superboot' to remove malware and rootkits

If you have to reset your PC, Windows 8 will restore "all the files settings and even the applications" although you'll have to go to the Windows Store to download apps and get a list of apps that didn't come from the store, so it's not clear how automatic this will actually be.

Windows 8 Release Date:

From what I've seen online several sources are speculating that a release for the "Holiday Season" 2011 is in the cards. I'd epxect to see an oficial release in late 2011.

References:
http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-leak-hints-at-kinect-functionality-699604
http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-everything-you-need-to-know-701764

In the Sacramento Area and need your computer repaired visit us at http://www.sacramentopcpros.com

“GeekBusters” - Tech Myths Debunked!

This Tech Tips article is brought to you by our friends at Computer Geeks.
Tech Tips Article - http://www.geeks.com/techtips/default.asp

In this tech tip, we expose the myth and reality surrounding some of the biggest trends in our technology-oriented world. Hopefully, this will shed some light which can help you better understand how these crazy gadgets work!

1. Why a cable Internet service provider's (ISP) advertised speeds are not actually reality.

While it's attractive to see that ISPs advertise 10-15 megabits per second download speed, the reality is that you share the same network node as your neighbor (and neighborhood) when it comes to network logistics. So if you and 15 of your neighbors who have the same cable Internet provider are all online, that 10-15 mbps is split between each of you. What's worse is that if one of your neighbors is downloading 24/7, then you'll see reduced speed all the time. The highest chance of your network's peak performance is late in the evening when everyone else is asleep.

2. True or False - Your CD burner's 52X speed is truly 52X speed.

False-ish - The fine print here is that first, in order to achieve 52X speed, you would need a 52X compact disc. Second, when the cd burner starts, it begins at the inside of the disc and works its way out. That's why some burning programs that show real-time speed will say it's burning at 2.5X speed after 1-2 minutes. The 52X speed is achieved as the burner gets closer and closer to the outer edge of the disc. This is the same for burning DVDs.

3. True or False - Megabits and Megabytes are the same thing.

False - Keep in mind that MEGABITS (Mb) is a unit of measurement for network transfer speed. Megabytes (MB) is a unit of storage such as hard drives. That's why when Internet service providers pitch their fast speeds, they always reference megabits. Therefore, a 1 megabit transfer speed does not mean being able to move 1 megabyte across a network. 1 megabit is about .125 megabytes.

4. Why your 500GB hard drive only shows 465GB of space when you look under MY COMPUTER.

Your computer reads information in different ways.

So for example:

BASE 2

1 Megabyte (MB) = 1024 Kilobytes (KB) - BASE 2 (2 ^ 20 = 1,048,576 bytes)

1 Gigabyte (GB) - 1024 Megabytes (MB) - BASe 2 (2 ^ 30 = 1,073,741,824 bytes)

BASE 10

1 Megabyte (MB) = 1024 Kilobytes (KB) - BASE 10 (10 ^ 6 = 1,000,000 bytes)

1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1024 Megabytes (MB) - Base 10 (10 ^ 9 = 1,000,000,000 bytes)

Because we know that 1024 Megabytes (MB) => 1 Gigabyte (GB) => BASE 2 (2 ^ 30 = 1,073,741,824), 500 GB equals 500 x 1,073,741,824 bytes or 536,870,912,000 bytes.

We also know that in BASE 10, 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

So let's look at what we have:

536,870,912,000 (500GB IN BASE 2)
--------------------- = 1.073741824
(500 x 1,000,000,000) (500GB IN BASE 10)

And if we multiply 1.073741824 x 465, we get 499.28994816, which, if rounded up equals 500 GB

Hard Drive Manufacturers use the binary method when manufacturing their drives but Windows reads the information in the decimal format to show the size. However, which would be more attractive? Buying a hard drive advertised as a 536,870,912,200 byte drive or having it say a simple 500 GB?

5. True or False - The 750 watt power supply you just purchased for $22 is really putting out 750 watts.

False-ish - Similar to how a car with 236 lb-ft of torque provides 100% of it at a certain engine rpm speed, PSU manufacturers know that power supplies hit their max wattage at certain points in time.

For example, 750 watts might be attained with 1 hard drive and 1 optical drive while the computer is idling. Also, it's a dead give-away if you paid only $22 for a high-powered PSU. Look for a PSU that certifies their wattage. So if you see an Antec TRUE 550W power supply, it's Antec's way of saying that the PSU provides 550 watts of power at any given time. Another way to tell that a PSU is reliable is if it’s heavy. Quality-made PSUs are engineered with heavy-duty and longer-lasting capacitors.

6. True or False - Buying a larger-screen size notebook automatically equals more viewing space.

False - Between 15.5" and 16" screen sizes, most entry-level notebooks have a resolution of 1366 x 768 which is fine but doesn't offer more space. Most 17" notebooks have 1440 x 900 resolution.

If you're looking for more viewing space, opt for a higher resolution.

In other words:

15" - 1680 x 1050 or 1920 x 1080

17" - 1600 x 900, 1680 x 1050 or 1920 x 1080

The images, icons and text appear crisper and you can fit browsers side-by-side along with being able to simultaneously view all folders without having to press Alt-Tab to switch windows/folders.

7. Buying a computer with more cores (more than dual-core) equals much faster performance.

False - Mathematically-speaking, more cores would theoretically yield better performance but the issue is that many simple, everyday programs like Microsoft Word, FireFox and Excel won't know to use the extra cores to run the program faster. However, gamers and graphic designers whose programs will see (and utilize) the additional cores will benefit from it. If you want more performance, focus on optimizing the hard drive such as defragmentation, reducing programs that run on start-up (which slow the system down), adding more RAM and cleaning the Windows registry. So ultimately, you really won't see much of a speed difference between a dual-core cpu computer and a hexacore (6-core) computer both running FireFox and Microsoft Word simultaneously.

In Conclusion

The common denominator for these tech myths is that their “validity” is usually exaggerated marketing hype and manufacturer/retailer buzz words in order to entice customers to buy their products, thus adding confusion to the reality. So the next time you’re in the market for a new cheap laptop, digital camera, phone, discount mp3 player, etc., don’t automatically digest the excessive marketing that salespeople throw to close the sale."

Computer Geeks - Your #1 Source for Computer Parts!
Get more cool Tech Tips here: tech tips

In the Sacramento Area and need your computer repaired visit us at http://www.sacramentopcpros.com

Speeding up your PC - 10 Ways!

This Tech Tips article is brought to you by our friends at Computer Geeks.
Tech Tips Article - http://www.geeks.com/techtips/default.asp

Are you a victim of slow-PC syndrome? Do you wish your computer boots up Windows in seconds instead of minutes? Well fear not, you’re not alone! Many people have this issue and it can be remedied by several simple and proactive steps. In this Tech Tip, we examine 10 simple ways to quickly speed up your computer regardless if it’s a laptop or desktop.

1. Turn off unnecessary programs during start-up.

Click START – RUN – and type “msconfig” – click STARTUP tab - uncheck the programs that are not needed upon startup such as ADOBE ACROBAT, GOOGLE UPDATE, QUICKTIME – You can see the program name, its file extension and location by the Manufacturer, Command and Location, respectively.

WARNING – IF YOU’RE UNSURE ABOUT A CERTAIN PROGRAM, DO NOT UNCHECK IT AS IT CAN HAVE UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCES. ONLY UNCHECK THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU RECOGNIZE AND DO NOT NEED TO HAVE RUNNING AT START-UP (i.e. WINAMP AGENT)

2. Use a free cleaning utility to clean out your system.

Free programs like C Cleaner delete old junk files, cached pages, temporary files and other unimportant data from your computer, thus freeing up your hard drive. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, Tune Up Utilities is an excellent program that can tackle all things cleaning-related so you don’t have to use multiple programs to clean your computer. C Cleaner also has a Windows Registry cleaning feature that can help clean out your registry for increased performance.

3. Upgrade your computers hard drive to a new/bigger/faster one!

Hard drives are getting faster, cheaper and bigger so pick up a new one! Whether your current one is old, sputtering on its last spindle rotation, or almost at full capacity, you can purchase a 500GB, 750GB or 1 Terabyte drive that has much more buffer cache, faster spindle speeds and can even consume less power! (eco-green models) Even if your current drive is working fine, a second hard drive is handy as a large dumping ground for files or can serve as a place to store back-up images of your current hard drive. If you don’t feel like cracking open your case, you can opt for an external hard drive and dump your archive files there to free up space. The reason is because as a hard drive gets full, its performance decreases because it has to work harder to access files.

4. More Computer Memory (RAM) Scotty!

Now is the time to buy RAM/Memory if your computer was built within the last 5 years. The prices of DDR2 and DDR3 RAM have gone down significantly so it would be in your best interest to pick up at least 1-2 GB on top of what you have now. More RAM means that the computer can do a better of job of booting up programs, delegating tasks and increase overall system performance. Check with your respective PC manufacturer to determine how much RAM you computer can accommodate.

5. Utilize Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Anti-Malware programs

It’s not rocket science that if your computer is infected with a Trojan, botnet or other type of malicious infection, it can slow down your computer considerably. (And possibly compromise your IT security) Pick up a good anti-virus program like MS Security Essentials or AVG Antivirus if you fancy free versions. If you don’t want to have your system hijacked by a Trojan, pick up Malwarebytes’ Antimalware which can find and quickly eliminate programs such as “Avira AV” which auto-install and trick the unsuspecting victim that he/she is infected. (Then it will try to collect payment from “product activation” but it’s really just a hijacking program) Bottom line, your computer will run faster and much more efficient without these kinds of infections.

6. Update Drivers

This obviously sounds like a chore but keep in mind that with the super fast pace of technology, having the most up-to-date software is important for a computer’s stability, compatibility and performance. For example, if you play PC games or do heavy graphics editing, your gaming/editing performance might suffer if you’re using outdated drivers from the video card manufacturer. (Or OEM PC maker)

7. Take advantage of READYBOOST!

If you’re running Windows Vista or 7, utilizing ReadyBoost is one of the simplest speed tweaks you can perform! Just pick up a 2-4 GB USB flash drive, plug it into your computer and wait for it to be recognized. Afterwards, right click on the flash drive letter under My Computer and click the READYBOOST tab. Check USE THIS DEVICE and click OK and voilá! You’re done!

8. Turn off User Account Control (UAC) and Aero

For Windows Vista and 7 users, turning off UAC not only eliminates the annoying pop-ups but also speeds up the computer.

Just go into Control Panel – Security Center – USER ACCOUNTS – TURN USER ACCOUNT CONTROL OFF.

For those of you who don’t care about the graphical fancy pants that is Windows Aero, you can turn it off and thus save Windows from performing unnecessary gratuitous graphics when you’re simply navigating.

For Vista - right-click on the desktop – PERSONALIZE – click WINDOW AND APPEARANCE – OPEN CLASSIC APPEARANCE PROPERTIES FOR MORE COLOR OPTIONS – COLOR SCHEME – WINDOWS VISTA BASIC.

For Windows 7 – right-click on desktop – PERSONALIZE – Select Windows 7 Basic theme – OK.

9. Remove unnecessary programs in Windows

Speeding up your PC – Geeks.comIf you buy a computer from an OEM such as Dell or HP, it’s most-likely filled with “bloatware”, the programs that are usually trial but are installed with the OEM’s copy of Windows. While these programs are harmless, they get annoying because they slow your computer down considerably. You can either manually uninstall each program from CONTROL PANEL – ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS, or you can download and install PC Decrapifier. This program searches your computer, targets the programs that are considered bloatware such as “Auto Backup – Free Trial!”, “McAfee 90-day Trial”, and “eMusic” and un-installs them to not only free up hard drive space, but also increase performance.

10. Defrag the right way!

Defragmenting your hard drive the proper way can speed up your PC in addition to organizing your files. Some programs like Puran Defrag not only defrags your hard drive(s), it also defrags your boot files so your Speeding up your PC – Geeks.comWindows start-ups are quicker. In addition, there are comprehensive programs like Raxco Perfect Disk that optimize the placement of data for maximum performance depending on the settings you choose.

While there are many ways to speed up your computer, the goal for these 10 speed tips are simplicity and ease of use. Yes, you can tinker with your Windows Registry files but if you make a mistake, you can crash Windows just like that! The most important thing to keep in mind is remembering to perform the above cleaning tasks every now and then. (At least once a month) Just like proactively keeping your car in good running condition (ahem, Skyline GT-R!) with timely maintenance, running these applications from time to time keeps your computer running in peak performance. Regardless of whether you have a dual-core, triple-core or quad-core CPU computer, you did pay for your computer’s performance so it makes sense to able to utilize all of it.

Computer Geeks - Your #1 Source for Computer Parts!
Get more cool Tech Tips here: tech tips

In the Sacramento Area and need your computer repaired visit us at: http://www.sacramentopcpros.com

PCWorlds Top 2011 Antivirus Software Pics

PCWorld ranked them by:

"Since an antivirus product is only as good as its ability to block baddies, we based 70 percent of each program's overall score on its success in malware detection (and blocking and cleanup), with features, ease of use, and overall drag on system performance accounting for the rest."

I personally agree and enjoy using Norton AntiVirus myself. Norton AV 2011 does look pretty slick and seems pretty lightweight and does a great job at protecting my PCs from viruses and malware.

So the top antivirus pics for 2011 are:

1. Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2011
2. BitDefender Antivirus Pro 2011
3. G-Data AntiVirus 2011
4. Kaspersky Anti-virus 2011
5. Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus Plus 2011
6. Avast Pro Antivirus 5
7. Panda Antivirus Pro 2011
8. Avira AntiVir Premium 2011
9. Eset NOD32 Antivirus 4
10. GFI Vipre Antivirus 4
11. Checkpoint ZoneAlarm Antivirus
12. Comodo Antivirus 2011 Advanced
13. Webroot Antivirus With Spysweeper 2011

Full article from PCWorld: http://www.pcworld.com/article/217389/antivirus_2011_digital_defenders.html

In the Sacramento Area and need your computer repaired visit us at: http://www.sacramentopcpros.com

5 ways to backup your data

This Tech Tips article is brought to you by our friends at Computer Geeks.
Tech Tips Article - http://www.geeks.com/techtips/default.asp

The data on your hard drive is the most critical item inside your computer, and the only item which can not be replaced. It may be an unwanted hassle and expense to replace a defective memory module, monitor, or processor, but there is no replacing data once lost.

In addition to the possibility of a simple hard drive failure, the threat of internet borne worms and viruses has become an increasing risk to data loss or corruption. Although you may not be able to provide absolute protection to your hard drive, there are various ways that you can ensure that the data on your hard drive is protected. Five methods of backing up your data are summarized below.

1. USB Flash Drives

Although I am not recommending that flash drives be used for the actual data storage, they are a convenient means of transferring data from one computer to another. Important files can be quickly loaded onto a device such as the MINIDISK-512-DGRY-CS USB 2.0 Flash Drive, and transported to another computer for safe keeping. Installation and operation is extremely simple, and other than perhaps having to install a software driver, the use of a USB flash drive is a matter of having an available USB port on your computer. Just about every computer produced over the last several years has USB ports included, with more modern systems supporting the USB 2.0 standard. USB 2.0 allows for data transfer rates of up to 480 MB/s, which is a tremendous improvement over the original USB speed limit of 12 MB/s, and allows a user to fill their drives with data in a relatively short period of time.

Although the storage capacity of flash drives has increased greatly over the last year or so, users are still limited to common sizes of 512MB and 1GB. Mass storage is obviously not an option, but even 512MB may be enough to backup your "My Documents" folder, several albums of MP3s, or other important files to be stored elsewhere.

2. CD and DVD Writers/Re-Writers

The falling prices of CD and DVD writers/re-writers have made them a staple of just about every modern computer. These devices can typically be found installed in a computer case, but external devices supporting USB 2.0 or Firewire are available for greater flexibility and ease of installation.

A combination drive, such as theNU Technology DBW-521, will provide the user a high speed CD reader/writer, as well as a DVD reader, for under $40. The extremely low price of the drive (and the blank media) makes for an inexpensive means of creating data backups, and the re-writable media increases the convenience by allowing the same disc to be erased and reused many times. The main limitation of using a CD writer for data backups is that the discs are generally limited to a capacity of 700MB per disc. Not nearly enough for a full backup, but adequate for archiving key files.

The popularity of DVD writers/re-writers has surged thanks to dropping prices, and they are pushing the stand alone CD burner towards extinction. DVD media affords the user far more storage capacity than a CD, and DVD burners can generally burn CDs as wells as DVDs. The recent availability of double layer DVD burners, such as the Sony DW-D22A-DO-N, represents a large boost in the capacity of writable DVDs, taking the previous limit of 4.7GB per disc and nearly doubling it to 8.5GB.

With proper storage, CD/DVD media can provide long term storage that can not be jeopardized by hardware failure. The data on a CD or DVD can easily be read by just about any computer, making it a good choice for archiving files that aren't excessively large.

3. External Hard Drives

As the name might imply, external hard drives are generally the same type of drive you might find inside your system, but housed in a smaller, external enclosure of its own. The enclosure will feature at least one data interface (such as Firewire, USB, or Ethernet), and the capacity is only limited by the size of hard drives presently available and the user's budget.

The Ximeta NetDisk is an example of an external hard drive that provides a user the option of connecting an additional 80GB, 120GB, or 160GB of storage to their system by using either a USB 2.0 or Ethernet connection. Installation for such a device is rather simple, and may involve the installation of some basic software, as well as making the necessary connections between the computer and the external enclosure.

The capacity of external hard drives makes them ideal for backing up large volumes of data, and many of these devices simplify the process by including software (or hardware) features to automate the backup.

For example, some Seagate External drives feature a "one-button" backup option right on the case.In addition to being a convenient method of backing up large volumes of files locally, most external hard drives are compact enough to be portable. The inclusion of a common data transfer interface, such as USB, allows an external hard drive to be connected to just about any modern computer for data transfer, or for more than one computer to share the external hard drive as a back up.

4. Additional Hard Drives

By simply adding an additional hard drive to you system, you can protect yourself from data loss by copying it from your primary drive to your secondary drive. The installation of a second hard drive isn't difficult, but does require a basic understanding of the inner working of a computer, which may scare off some users. We do offer a "how-to" section on our site for many tasks such as installing a hard drive into a computer system.

To take the installation of a second hard drive to another level of security and reliability, the hard drives may be installed in a RAID array. RAID stands for a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks, and can be configured in several manners. A thorough discussion of RAID and all of its variations would be an article all by itself, but what may be of interest to this discussion is what is known as RAID 1. A RAID 1 array requires two hard drives of equal size to be installed on a RAID controller, which will then mirror one drive to the other in real time. Many motherboards now come with RAID controllers onboard, but the addition of a PCI slot controller card, such as the Silicon Image Sil0680, is an inexpensive purchase that will add RAID to any system. With a RAID 1 array in place, if one hard drive should ever fail, the system won't miss a best by continuing to run on the remaining good drive, and alert the user that one drive may need to be replaced.

5. Online Storage

Online services, such as Xdrive, allow users to upload their files to a server for safe keeping. Although it may be convenient to have the data available wherever an internet connection is available, there are a few limitations.

The services generally charge a monthly fee relative to the amount of storage space required. At Xdrive, for example, 5GB of storage costs $9.95 per month, which can quickly add up to more than one would spend on any of the other options discussed.

Security is supposed to be very tight on these services, but no matter how secure it may seem, it is still just a password keeping prying eyes from your potentially sensitive documents.

The speed of your internet connection will also weigh heavily on the convenience of your backup, and no matter what type of connection you have; it can't compete with local data transfer rates.

Final Words

Although not a comprehensive list of options available for backing up your data, the five items listed provide some simple and relatively affordable means to ensure that your data is not lost. Data loss is an extremely frustrating and potentially costly situation, but one that can be avoided.

Computer Geeks - Your #1 Source for Computer Parts!
Get more cool Tech Tips here: tech tips

In the Sacramento Area and need your computer repaired visit us at: http://www.sacramentopcpros.com