vpnsite.net

Many people are hearing for the first time about VOIP. VOIP, or voice over internet protocol, is a method of talking on the phone through the use of the internet. It works by taking analog audio signals and turns them into digital data which can then be transmitted over the web. Sounds confusing? Really, it is simple and very interesting. This technology has been developed and used extensively. Today, more and more people are switching their long distance service away from traditional means and focusing them on VOIP simply because it offers high quality and, get ready for this, affordable prices!

In effect, it allows you to get free phone calls through your internet connection. In fact, you can use VOIP instead of using any of the phone company products and therefore you do not have to pay them for what you can get for free using VOIP. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

There are several providers out there that are now offering VOIP service. In fact, some of the traditional phone companies are realizing that this is the way of the future for their business and are developing networks across the United States. Although the technology for the VOIP system has been around for a while, not many carriers put it to use. But, Vonage is one of those that did. And, they have a growing percentage of individuals on their plans now. They are growing because this is an affordable way to make phone calls. Many see VOIP as the phone systems that will be used well into the future.

How Do You Do It?

There are several ways in which the phone call using VOIP can be used.

 The first and most common is ATA. This is the simplest method. It allows you to plug into the computer using a analog telephone adaptor. You will plug your standard telephone into the ATA and then plug the ATA into the computer. As you can see, this sounds simple and works well for most. There is software that is needed to configure the system but like most other programs it is relatively simple to use.

 Another way to use the VOIP service is through IP phones. These phones look just like traditional phones but have special adapters on them. The phones will connect to the computer using an RJ-45 Ethernet connector. This way, they can plug directly into your router. The phones themselves have all the necessary technology stored on them. Soon, you will find that there will be phones that use Wi-Fi connections in that they will allow you to make VOIP calls anywhere there is a Wi-Fi hot spot.

 Lastly, there is even an easier method for using VOIP. Computer to computer systems are available that allow you to never pay for any long distance phone calls again. Using a microphone, speakers and a sound card that your computer may already have, you can talk via the internet to anyone else. In most cases, there is no charge for these calls besides those of paying for your internet service.

Why Should I Have It?

We have talked about how it works, but why should you switch to a VOIP service? The fact is that this system is one that allows for the most affordable pricing of any long distance phone service. Let’s face it, that is what most people are looking at. But, there is more to it than just that.

 You have flexibility in the use of your VOIP service as well. You can take your adapter with you to virtually any location around the world that has broadband technology and hook into your home service. You can also use your computer to make calls anywhere it can get on the internet. As long as you have a microphone and speakers, you are set to use your VOIP service.

 Features. There are just as many and more features that can be used through the VOIP service. Such things as caller ID, call waiting, three way calling and repeat dialing are available through the VOIP service. Call forwarding, voicemail, or even screen your calls using the service, are all options that you’ll have as well. In fact, you can check your voicemail online or send emails with attachments.

 It is also easy to use. Once you get through the initial installation process and become familiar with how the system works, you are sure to be able to take advantage of it fully. It is as simple as doing what you do now.

VOIP is the telephone system of the future. There is little doubt that you will see it used more and more so in business and in homes around the world. Take advantage of the huge savings that this system can offer you and you’ll see just why so many want to take advantage of VOIP!

For more information about voip technology visit http://www.voip-voice-over-ip-info.com/. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, link and URL remain intact.

[tags]voip,provider voip,phone service voip,company voip[/tags]

An auto dialer is an electronic device that can automatically dial telephone numbers to communicate between any two points in the telephone, mobile and Pager networks. Once the call has been established (through the telephone exchange) the auto dialer will announce verbal messages or transmit digital data (like sms messages) to the called party. A regular PC, desktop or laptop, can be turned into an auto dialer.

If a customer is attended by the telemarketer it will take long time. He may not be interested to hold for a long time to talk to the telemarketer. The development of auto dialer technology is a great gift for the entire telemarketing industry. Auto dialer enables business to broadcast phone messages without the use of call center agents. Auto dialer service will begin to dial out from a predefined list of phone numbers.

Auto Dialer application allows you to out dial to consecutive or random telephone numbers. There are several types of auto dialer:

Looking for bandwidth? That can be a daunting and frustrating task even in the best of situations. There’s lots to consider in order to make the right decision for your needs. Below you’ll find some help when evaluating Frame Relay vs VPN. Factors covered include Technology, Speed, Description, Application, Pros, Cons, and Costs.

~~~~~~~~~

Technology: Frame Relay

Speed: 56 Kbps - 1.544 Mbps

Description: A high-speed, packet based, data transmission service used in wide area networks (WANs) to connect multiple locations.

Application: Used to connect multiple locations to a main location or to each other.

Pros: Cheaper alternative to private line connections. Ability to burst when needed. Widely available.

Cons: Up-front equipment cost can be prohibitive.

Costs: Frame relay monthly cost starts at around a few $100 per location for a stable, reliable system. Price climbs as speed increases. However….the pricing for these connections varies widely depending on the carrier, location of service and the application for which the connection is being used.

~~~~~~~~~~

Technology: VPN

Speed: 56 Kbps - 1.544 Mbps

Description: VPN is a software-defined network that runs over a shared public network and offers the appearance, functionality and usefulness of a dedicated private network, at a price savings.

Application: A highly flexible method of communicating between locations via a secure tunnel on a large public network. Is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to Frame Relay and Private Line.

Pros: A user can access the network from any Internet connection. VPNs often cost less and are more flexible and scaleable than competing technologies.

Cons: The availability and performance of a company’s WAN is largely dependant on factors outside of their control.

Costs: VPN prices mirror that of dial-up or dedicated Internet Access. Cost of the VPN tunneling and encrypting is nominal. Expect to spend a few $100 at least for a stable, reliable system.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire
Communications….including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

[tags]Frame Relay, Bandwidth, VPN, voice protocol network, computers, technology, data transmission[/tags]

It may sound strange but is true that several organisations, which have adopted Wireless networking, are open to severe security breaches. Mostly the reasons are that organisations simply plug the access points and go live without bothering to change the default factory settings. Wireless local area networks are open to risk not because the systems are incapable but due to incorrect usage. The biggest problem lies with inadequate security standards and with poorly configured devices. For a start, most of the wireless base stations sold by suppliers come with the in-built security Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocol turned off. This means that unless you manually reconfigure your wireless access points, your networks will be broadcasting data that is unencrypted.

In the old world of wired local area networks, the architecture provides some inherent security. Typically there is a network server and multiple devices with an Ethernet protocol adapter that connect to each other physically via a LAN backbone. If you are not physically connected, you have no access to the LAN.

Compare it with the new wireless LAN architecture. The LAN backbone of the wired world is replaced with radio access points. The Ethernet adapters in devices are replaced with a radio card. There are no physical connections - anyone with a radio capability of sniffing can connect to the network.

What can go wrong?

Unlike the wired network, the intruder does not need physical access in order to pose the following security threats:

Eavesdropping. This involves attacks against the confidentiality of the data that is being transmitted across the network. In the wireless network, eavesdropping is the most significant threat because the attacker can intercept the transmission over the air from a distance away from the premises of the company.

Tampering. The attacker can modify the content of the intercepted packets from the wireless network and this results in a loss of data integrity.

Unauthorized access. The attacker could gain access to privileged data and resources in the network by assuming the identity of a valid user. This kind of attack is known as spoofing. To overcome this attack, proper authentication and access control mechanisms need to be put up in the wireless network.

Denial of Service. In this attack, the intruder floods the network with either valid or invalid messages affecting the availability of the network resources.

How to protect?

There are 3 types of security options - basic, active and hardened. Depending upon your organisation needs, you can adopt any of the above.

Basic

You can achieve the basic security by implementing Wired Equivalent Standard 128 or WEP 128. The IEEE 802.11 task group has established this standard. WEP specifies generation of encryption keys. The information source and information target uses these keys to prevent any eavesdroppers (who do not have these keys) to get access to the data.

Network access control is implemented by using a Service Set Identifier (SSID - a 32 character unique identifier) associated with an access point or a group of access points. The SSID acts as a password for network access.

Another additional type of security is Access Control List (ACL). Each wireless device has a unique identifier called Media Access Control address (MAC). A MAC list can be maintained at an access point or a server of all access points. Only those devices are allowed access to the network that have their MAC address specified.

The above implementations are open to attack. Even when you do turn on WEP, there are still problems inherent within it. The problem lies in the protocol’s encryption key mechanism, which is implemented in such a way that the key can be recovered by analysing the data flow across the network over a period of time. This has been estimated at between 15 minutes and several days. The SSID attached to the header of packets sent over a wireless Lan - is sent as unencrypted text and is vulnerable to being sniffed by third parties. Unfortunately most supplier equipment is configured to broadcast the SSID automatically, essentially giving new devices a ticket to join the network. While this is useful for public wireless networks in places such as airports and retail establishments - in the US for example, Starbucks is offering 802.11b access in some of its stores - it represents another security loophole for corporates that do not switch it off. Finally any MAC address can be change!

d to another (spoofed), so the use of ACL is not foolproof either.

Active

To implement an Active type of security, you need to implement the IEEE 802.1x security standard. This covers two areas - network access restriction through mutual authentication and data integration through WEP key rotation. Mutual authentication between the client station and the access points helps ensure that clients are communicating with known networks and dynamic key rotation reduces exposure to key attacks.

Due to weaknesses in WEP, some standard alternatives to WEP have emerged. Most of the Wi-Fi manufacturers have agreed to use a temporary standard for enhanced security called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).

In WPA, the encryption key is changed after every frame using Temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). This protocol allows key changes to occur on a frame-by-frame basis and to be automatically synchronized between the access point and the wireless client. The TKIP is really the heart and soul of WPA security. TKIP replaces WEP encryption. And although WEP is optional in standard Wi-Fi, TKIP is required in WPA. The TKIP encryption algorithm is stronger than the one used by WEP but works by using the same hardware-based calculation mechanisms WEP uses.

Hardened

There are organisations like banks, which have very stringent security requirements. They need to implement the hardened type of security systems. These are solutions certified in accordance with the Federal Information Protection Standard (FIPS 1.40). Products in this category offer point-to-point security for wireless information communication and include offerings such as AirFortress and IPSec Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). A VPN will increase the cost of your network, but you can base your decision on whether to implement it by using the same course of action that you should be taking with all other parts of your infrastructure. Map the risks against the business data that you will be passing over radio, and assess the financial impact of a breach. If the data is too critical, reassess what should be passed over the network, or use a VPN to enhance your protection.

Summary

The vendors are working towards implementing newer standards and this year we should see products implementing IEEE 802.11i that will further the authentication and encryption gains implemented by WPA. Most notably, it will add a ground up encryption standard known as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) as well as various other enhancements.

Newer standards apart, organisations must understand that achieving wireless security is essential and the good part is that it is easy. An organisation must define its security needs and use the features available in the systems accordingly. Choose a good vendor who can help you implement your requirements through standards based solutions. A good implementation must be supported by a security policy, which is well understood by everyone in the organisation. Make your employees aware that they all are responsible for security and share the cost of security breaches. Assign authority & ownership to few employees for the various parts in the security policy and make periodic reviews of their performance. Most important is to monitor your systems for any possible breaches and adapt if necessary. Never sleep well.

About The Author
Vishwadeep Bajaj is the CEO of ValueFirst Messaging Private Limited (www.vfirst.com), a company, which provides messaging solutions in India, Europe and the USA. Vishwadeep is based in London where he is an active participant in the mobility industry. This Article was published in Mobility Magazine.

[tags]network access, wireless security, security standard[/tags]

Because of the increased demand for a mobile workforce users are finding it necessary to have their data with them at all times. If employees needs to work on a document over the weekend or while on the road they would usually be required to copy the document to their laptop and then manually copy it back to the server. If the company uses a Microsoft Exchange Server for email storage and distribution then the user would not be able to use Outlook to view old emails or retrieve contact information. Fortunately there is a better way for mobile users to work while away from the office. The Offline Files feature in Windows XP Professional enables you to store a copy of network files on your laptop. First, you should verify that Offline Files is enabled and review the synchronization options. Open up My Computer and go to Tools and then Folder Options. Select the “Offline Files” tab and you will see several synchronization options.

If Enable Offline Files is not checked go ahead and check it. In order to ensure automatic synchronization when you log off and on, make sure that “Synchronize all offline files when logging off” and “Synchronize all offline files when logging on” are enabled. I would recommend synchronizing on log off and log on to ensure that all data is kept up to date. There are several other options on this screen which you can enable as well.

Additional configuration options are found in Synchronization Manager. To access this go to Start - All Programs - Accessories - Synchronize. For our purposes there isn’t a need to change any of these settings except for the option that involves receiving a prompt before synchronization. This can be helpful for someone that prefers to have the ability to approve synchronization before it occurs. If you wish to enable this option simply click on “Setup” in the Synchronization Manager window and check the box labeled “Ask me before synchronizing the items.”

We are now ready to setup synchronization on network folders/files. Simply right-click the network folder or file that you would like synchronized and choose “Make Available Offline.” Depending on the amount of data being synchronized this could take a few seconds to a few minutes to complete.

Now if you change the local copy of a file it will automatically update the copy on the network and vice versa. If both copies are changed you will receive a message asking you (1) would like to keep both copies and save the network copy under a different name (2) keep the local copy and replace the network copy or (3) keep the network copy and replace the local copy.

You are now able to work away from the office and still maintain the ability to work with you network files.

If your company uses Microsoft Exchange Server as their e-mail platform they can have similar functionality within Outlook. Using Outlook in Cached Exchange Mode will enable you to access your mailbox while disconnected from the Exchange server. A copy of your mailbox is stored on your laptop and is updated every time you connect to the Exchange server.

In order to configure Outlook open up Outlook and go to Tools and then E-mail Accounts. Make sure that “View or change existing e-mail accounts” is selected and click Next. Verify that Microsoft Exchange Server is selected and click Change. In the Exchange Server Settings box you will see an option to “Use Cached Exchange Mode.” Make sure that this option is enabled. After you have enabled Cached Exchange Mode, click on “More Settings.” Select “Manually control connection state” and “Choose the connection type when starting and then click Ok. Now when you open Outlook you will have the options to connect to the Exchange server or work offline. This will help you to open up Outlook quickly when you are working offline because it will not go through the process of trying to connect to the Exchange server.

You should now be back to the “Exchange Server Settings” box. Click on Next and then Finish. By using the Offline Files feature as well as the Cached Exchange Mode you should be able to maintain your productivity while away from the office.

Enabling Offline Files and Cached Exchange mode gives you the ability work with network data regardless of whether or not you have access to the internet. Whether it’s editing a document while traveling on a plane or retrieving important contact information from your Exchange mailbox while riding in cab, these two features will help you to work more affectively if your job takes you out of the corporate office.

This article may be republished freely providing proper acknowledgment is given to Luke Neuman as the author. The following bio of the author must be included in all publications. www.fidelitynetworks.com

Luke Neuman is a consultant at Fidelity Networks and Development. Fidelity was founded in 2000 and is based in South Florida specializing in networking infrastructure, computer support, and custom application development. Luke has been in the IT industry for over 5 years. http://www.fidelitynetworks.com

[tags]Maximizing,Productivity,File,E-mail,Synchronization,Outlook,Windows,Luke,Neuman,Fidelity Networks[/tags]

Got an Apple Computer? Great - I’m going to show you three quick ways you can begin to make money using the world’s greatest computer and operating system - Apple and OSX.

There are three main areas where Apple Macintosh computers excel in their ability to make you some cold hard cash: Video, Audio, and Print (page layout). The Mac excels in many areas but these three are what separates the Apples from everything else. This guide is not for the Mac pro - it’s for those who have a Mac and want to explore ways to generate some extra income. I started out this way and I’m currently making 6 figures with my Mac. At the end of the article I’ll give some pointers on what to charge for your services.

Page Layout with a Mac (Novice):
Does your school, church or synagogue produce flyers? How about your local charity? Do they do mailings? How about local businesses in town? Know anyone getting married? Everyone needs page layout and print design at some point. Here’s how to do it fast, cheap, and professionally.

First, your going to need a few tools. I recommend getting either Pages (part of iWork) and/or Word for Mac. You can use either of these two applications to create professional looking designs - really.

Pages has some great designs built in. It’s easy to change the pictures and create some compelling text. You are going to need some fantastic photos so go on over to www.istockphotos.com and get a free account. iStockPhoto has royality free photos for $1-$3. Royality free means that once you buy it - it’s yours to use.

Print out some of the Pages samples you like and have added your iStockPhotos to and changed the text to reflect your clients business or service. I strongly recommend using special brochure paper. You can get this at any Staples store. Brochure paper is a little bit heavier and you can get it in a semi glossy finish. Using a regular Epson or HP color printer you can get some amazing results. Make sure you use the glossy setting when printing - big difference!

If you want more templates for Pages, go on over to www.stocklayouts.com . They have free samples of brochures, postcards, flyers and newsletters. Use these along with photos from iStockPhotos for a truly professional look. Use the Word versions as Pages can open Word documents easily.

Now shop your skills around to your local businesses, friends and associations. I have yet to meet an association who didn’t need some help with their mailings.

Bonus tip - if you purchased iWork, you also have the best presentation software on the market. It comes with iWork and it’s called Keynote. Once your foot is in the ddoor for print material you can show the boss how well you can whip up a presentation. Trust me - ANYTHING you do on Keynote will look mush better than anything they have ever done on PowerPoint.

Audio on a Mac (Intermediate):
My church records the sermon each week and offers it for sale at the end of the service. How can they do that? Here’s how.

First we record the sermon (first service) straight into an Apple Powerbook using a Griffin iMic connected to the main audio mixer. You can hook up a microphone from a mic at the podium or have the sound person hook it into the house sound. I use GarageBand to do all the recording.

After the sermon is over I simply burn it to a CD using the built in Superdrive. Then I duplicate this “master” 5 at a time using a CD Duplicator from www.produplicator.com . Duplicators run around $500 for a 16X five burner. I print out labels from Neato (get the glossy ones) and put in a sleeve. So by the time the second service rolls around I’ve burned enough to meet the demand for CD’s for the second and the third services.

As an alternative - you can stream these sermon, messages, association meetings, bat mitzvahs, etc. to the web. I use Loudblog by loudblog.de . This is an excellent tool for posting audio on the web. It’s free and it’s designed to playback from the web and via podcast subscription.

What’s that? You’re not religious? Well there are plenty of meetings, weddings, speeches, lectures, concerts, lessons and gigs just waiting to be recorded. Ask permission first and offer the first one for free. You’re looking for repeat business here. If you do a freebe make sure it’s for someone with a big mouth and a fat Rolodex.

Video on a Mac (Advanced - but not too):
OK - you got a nice little side biz doing print and audio for your local association(s). Now we take it into high gear and offer Video! By now you’re a pro so let’s jump in.

With iMovie you can create some fantastic videos for your local organizations and businesses. You’ll need a miniDV camera or you can borrow one. If you don’t have access to a camera you can use digital photos. Either way we are going to create an engaging music video.

What to shoot? Many associations have a yearly picnic or awards banquet. My hobby club has a yearly event. Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Divorce Parties (no - really), and Sweet Sixteen parties are perfect for a music video keepsake.

Why a music video and not a full production? If you’re up to it and you have all the gear (mics, lights, tripod, etc) and time (figure 1 hour per edited minute) and skills (intro, story arch, graphics, extro, etc) then by all means. But I’m showing you a quick and easy way to make a buck or two. Walk first, then run.

I import all my photos using iPhoto (included free with you Mac) and I import all my video using my camera hooked up via firewire and iDive by www.aquafadas.com . I use iDive because it keeps me organized and I can quickly select the best takes using iDive’s shot view feature.

You can easily add photos from iPhoto to iMovie and video from iDive just as easily. I usually edit to a soundtrack. Selecting a soundtrack can be tricky. There are very little options if you want to stay completely legal. I use two sources. One is SonicFire Pro by SmartSound.com . SomicFire lets you pick the style, tempo and length of your music - all instrumental. For vocal music you can check out music.podshow.com . The Podsafe Music Network (PMN) offers what they call “Podsafe Music.” The music is first rate and you can communicate directly with the bands and arrange to use their music.

Music videos are generally 3-4 minutes in length. For longer events I string 2-3 songs together. Great music and creative use of slo-motion and dissolves (fades between images) will give your video emotional impact. I suggest leaving photos on the screen for 5-6 seconds and use the Ken Burns effect to keep the images moving - slightly. Don’t use a lot of fancy transitions. Use what you see on TV. Cuts and Dissolves. Maybe an occasional page turn or wipe but how often do you see that on TV. Want to look pro? Do what they do on TV.

You want HOW MUCH?
What to charge is always an interesting question. For me it has varied greatly with no rhyme or reason until lately. A good friend who does graphic design said he charges what would make the job worth it to him. I like that. Some jobs are not worth taking no matter what the price - those I charge accordingly! Some jobs are so exciting and new that I’ll adjust my price accordingly. What to charge? Simply ask for what it would take to make it worth your while. If you spend $100 on Pages and $50 on a template and 5 hours and 3 print cartridges your costs add up. Make sure you factor in your costs.

So there are three ideas of how to generate some extra cash. If you noticed, I emphasized ideas that will appeal to organizations and associations. It seems that these groups are always looking for good, inexpensive resources and you just may fit the bill. Good luck!

Perry Lawrence is a professional videographer and editor of http://www.appleweek.com.

[tags]Apple, iMovie, Apple Pages, Make Money, Macintosh, iWork, Pages Template, Keynote, Apple Business[/tags]

For years the office PC was truly a personal computer. Whether a standalone system or part of a network of PCs, the PC was controlled by the user. He or she had access to all files and folders, could install any applications, and had unquestioned control over settings and use. The PC was a revolutionary tool, making workers more productive and more informed-there was little reason to question such unfettered access.

But cases of abuse arose, such as excessive web browsing, gaming, and other indiscretions. Acceptable use policies were eventually established which were intended to assert the employer’s ownership and control over the PC while sanctioning a certain amount of personal use. The reality was, of course, that there was little the employer could do to monitor and enforce such policies.

” With recent developments in operating system security, such as Microsoft’s XP group policy management, systems administrators are able to greatly limit the access and control long enjoyed by users.”

In fact, recently there has been a dramatic backlash. IT organizations are imposing draconian lockdown policies upon user workstations which prevent any installation or change to the system. This addresses the abusers, but also undermines some of the advantages of the decentralized, distributed workstation for those trustworthy and conscientious workers who need some flexibility in their computing environment. In addition, harsh lockdown policies send a message of distrust and suspicion to employees, which is contrary to the service-oriented spirit IT should be fostering.

Recommendations:

A sensible approach should be taken in managing user access and in implementing group policies. Although administrative access should be viewed as a privilege and not a right, a middle ground can be taken which accommodates the interests of both IT departments and users.

1. Workstations in common or high-risk areas should be locked down to allow access to specific applications only.

2. A range of profiles with varying levels of privileges and access should be offered, and managers should be allowed to make judgments about who should have which profile.

3. Although full administrative access should be the exception rather than the rule, profiles for trusted workers should be open, disallowing only high-risk activities such as changing IP addresses or modifying rules.

Conclusion:

Managing IT resources and network security require good risk management. But managing risk does not mean eliminating risk. You must balance the need to secure IT resources against the goal of providing the organization with quality IT services. A one-size-fits-all lockdown approach to workstation management is an easy solution to controlling and securing workstations, but it is not service-oriented. Offering a tiered approach to workstation lockdown and leaving the decisions to managers may be the best approach to accommodating competing interests.

About Jonathan Coupal:

Jonathan Coupal is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of ITX Corp. Mr. Coupal manages both the day-to-day and strategic operations of the Technology Integration Practice Group. Among Mr. Coupal’s greatest strengths are evaluating customers’ unique problems, developing innovative, cost effective solutions and providing a “best practice” implementation methodology. Mr. Coupal’s extensive knowledge and experience enables him to fully analyze client systems to recommend the most effective technologies and solutions that will both optimize their business processes and fulfill immediate and future goals. Mr. Coupal and his team build a high level of trust with clients, establishing ITX as their IT partner of choice.
Mr. Coupal holds certifications with Microsoft and CompTia, including MCSE, MCSA, Security+, Linux+ and i-Net+, and served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the development of the CompTia Linux+.

About ITX Corp:

ITX Corp is a business consulting and technology solutions firm focused in nine practice areas including Business Performance, Internet Marketing, IT Staffing, IT Solution Strategies and Implementation, Technical Services, Internet Services, and Technology Research. To learn more about what ITX can do for you visit our website at http://www.itx.net or contact us at (800) 600-7785.

[tags]workstation lockdowns,Internet abuse[/tags]

The first step is: Start > My Documents

So you have the My documents folder open.

Second click the tools button, than select folder options.

Now you will see a few tabs, we want the View tab so go ahead and select that one.

Now scroll down the list and double-check that “Use simple file sharing (recommended)” setting was checked.

Click the OK button

Open a new folder in My documents

Next right click on the folder and select Properties.
Choose the Sharing Tab
Double check that the “make this folder private” option is not checked
Click ok and close the properties window and now drag the folder you would liek to share to the “Shared Documents” folder located on the left hand menu.

Now right click on the Shared Files folder and select properties, choose the sharing tab
Check the box beisde the dialog “Share this folder on the network”
Click Apply
Now all computer connected to your workgroup or domian can access the folder, that you wanted to share.

Now for confirmation there should be a little hand holding your folder, you are sharing.

Jason Barrett

http://www.computing-forums.com

[tags]How to set up simple file sharing in windows XP professional.[/tags]

Imagine a computer whose memory is exponentially larger than its apparent physical size; a computer that can manipulate an exponential set of inputs simultaneously; a computer that computes in the twilight zone of space. You would be thinking of a quantum computer. Relatively few and simple concepts from quantum mechanics are needed to make quantum computers a possibility. The subtlety has been in learning to manipulate these concepts. Is such a computer an inevitability or will it be too difficult to build?

By the strange laws of quantum mechanics, Folger, a senior editor at Discover, notes that; an electron, proton, or other subatomic particle is “in more than one place at a time,” because individual particles behave like waves, these different places are different states that an atom can exist in simultaneously.

What’s the big deal about quantum computing? Imagine you were in a large office building and you had to retrieve a briefcase left on a desk picked at random in one of hundreds of offices. In the same way that you would have to walk through the building, opening doors one at a time to find the briefcase, an ordinary computer has to make it way through long strings of 1’s and 0’s until it arrives at the answer. But what if instead of having to search by yourself, you could instantly create as many copies of yourself as there were rooms in the building all the copies could simultaneously peek in all the offices, and the one that finds the briefcase becomes the real you, the rest just disappear. - (David Freeman, discover )

David Deutsch, a physicist at Oxford University, argued that it may be possible to build an extremely powerful computer based on this peculiar reality. In 1994, Peter Shor, a mathematician at AT&T Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, proved that, in theory at least, a full-blown quantum computer could factor even the largest numbers in seconds; an accomplishment impossible for even the fastest conventional computer. An outbreak of theories and discussions of the possibility of building a quantum computer now permeates itself though out the quantum fields of technology and research.

It’s roots can be traced back to 1981, when Richard Feynman noted that physicists always seem to run into computational problems when they try to simulate a system in which quantum mechanics would take place. The calculations involving the behavior of atoms, electrons, or photons, require an immense amount of time on today’s computers. In 1985 in Oxford England the first description of how a quantum computer might work surfaced with David Deutsch’s theories. The new device would not only be able to surpass today’s computers in speed, but also could perform some logical operations that conventional ones couldn’t.

This research began looking into actually constructing a device and with the go ahead and additional funding of AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey a new member of the team was added. Peter Shor made the discovery that quantum computation can greatly speed factoring of whole numbers. It’s more than just a step in micro-computing technology, it could offer insights into real world applications such as cryptography.

“There is a hope at the end of the tunnel that quantum computers may one day become a reality,” says Gilles Brassard of University of Montreal. Quantum Mechanics give an unexpected clarity in the description of the behavior of atoms, electrons, and photons on the microscopic levels. Although this information isn’t applicable in everyday household uses it does certainly apply to every interaction of matter that we can see, the real benefits of this knowledge are just beginning to show themselves.

In our computers, circuit boards are designed so that a 1 or a 0 is represented by differing amounts of electricity, the outcome of one possibility has no effect on the other. However, a problem arises when quantum theories are introduced, the outcomes come from a single piece of hardware existing in two separate realities and these realties overlap one another affecting both outcomes at once. These problems can become one of the greatest strengths of the new computer however, if it is possible to program the outcomes in such a way so that undesirable effects cancel themselves out while the positive ones reinforce each other.

This quantum system must be able to program the equation into it, verify it’s computation, and extract the results. Several possible systems have been looked at by researchers, one of which involves using electrons, atoms, or ions trapped inside of magnetic fields, intersecting lasers would then be used to excite the confined particles to the right wavelength and a second time to restore the particles to their ground state. A sequence of pulses could be used to array the particles into a pattern usable in our system of equations.

Another possibility by Seth Lloyd of MIT proposed using organic-metallic polymers (one dimensional molecules made of repeating atoms). The energy states of a given atom would be determined by it’s interaction with neighboring atoms in the chain. Laser pulses could be used to send signals down the polymer chain and the two ends would create two unique energy states.

A third proposal was to replace the organic molecules with crystals in which information would be stored in the crystals in specific frequencies that could be processed with additional pulses. The atomic nuclei, spinning in either of two states (clockwise or counterclockwise) could be programmed with a tip of a atomic microscope, either “reading” it’s surface or altering it, which of course would be “writing” part of information storage. “Repetitive motions of the tip, you could eventually write out any desired logic circuit, ” DiVincenzo said.

This power comes at a price however, in that these states would have to remain completely isolated from everything, including a stray photon. These outside influences would accumulate, causing the system to wander off track and it could even turn around and end up going backward causing frequent mistakes. To keep this from forming new theories have arisen to overcome this. One way is to keep the computations relatively short to reduce chances of error, another would be to restore redundant copies of the info on separate machines and take the average (mode) of the answers.

This would undoubtedly give up any advantages to the quantum computer, and so AT&T Bell Laboratories have invented an error correction method in which the quantum bit of data would be encoded in one of nine quantum bits. If one of the nine were lost it would then be possible to recover the data from what information did get through. This would be the protected position that the quantum state would enter before being transmitted. Also since the states of the atoms exist in two states, if one were to be corrupted the state of the atom could be determined simply by observing the opposite end of the atom since each side contains the exact opposite polarity.

The gates that would transmit the information is what is mainly focused on by researchers today, this single quantum logic gate and it’s arrangement of components to perform a particular operation. One such gate could control the switch from a 1 to a 0 and back, while another could take two bits and make the result 0 if both are the same, 1 if different.

These gates would be rows of ions held in a magnetic trap or single atoms passing through microwave cavities. This single gate could be constructed within the next year or two yet a logical computer must have the millions of gates to become practical. Tycho Sleator of NYU and Harald Weinfurter of UIA look at the quantum logic gates as simple steps towards making a quantum logic network.

These networks would be but rows of gates interacting with each other. Laser beams shining on ions cause a transition from one quantum state to another which can alter the type of collective motion possible in the array and so a specific frequencies of light could be used to control the interactions between the ions. One name given to these arrays has been named “quantum-dot arrays” in that the individual electrons would be confined to the quantum-dot structures, encoding information to perform mathematical operations from simple addition to the factoring of those whole numbers.

The “quantum-dot” structures would be built upon advances in the making of microscopic semiconductor boxes, whose walls keep the electrons confined to the small region of material, another way to control the way information is processed. Craig Lent, the main researcher of the project, base this on a unit consisting of five quantum dots, one in the center and four and at the ends of a square, electrons would be tunneled between any of the two sites.

Stringing these together would create the logic circuits that the new quantum computer would require. The distance would be sufficient to create “binary wires” made of rows of these units, flipping the state at one end causing a chain reaction to flip all the units states down along the wire, much like today’s dominoes transmit inertia. Speculation on the impact of such technology has been debated and dreamed about for years.

In the arguing points, the point that it’s potential harm could be that the computational speed would be able to thwart any attempts at security, especially the now NSA’s data encryption standard would be useless as the algorithm would be a trivial problem to such a machine. On the latter part, this dreamed reality first appeared in the TV show Quantum Leap, where this technology becomes readily apparent when Ziggy –the parallel hybrid computer that he has designed and programmed– is mentioned, the capabilities of a quantum computer mirror that of the show’s hybrid computer.

Many more papers on this and similar topics may be found at http://www.termpaperadvisor.com and http://www.safe-papers.com

Doctor Mike Cooper has been a college level instructor since 1986. He has a Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems and a Master’s Degree in Data Communications. He is a retired Army Officer and a veteran of 33 months service in Vietnam. Dr. Cooper has lived in Thailand, Belgium, Germany and still travels extensively.Dr. Cooper has been doing ebusiness since 1996 and is considered by many as an expert in this field.

[tags]quantum computing, term papers, computing, essays, computer science, quantum[/tags]

Here’s what you should look for when choosing anti-virus software:

Effective Virus Detection. Viruses are detected by antivirus software in two ways: a full scan of your hard drive, or in real-time as each file is accessed. It is critical that antivirus software provide both these features, especially real-time protection. Does the product quickly identify infected files with a realtime scanner, whether it comes via email, IM Apps, web browsing, etc?

There are a number of certification laboratories that test the detection rate of antivirus software, purely rating products on whether or not they are capable of detecting in-the-wild viruses. I recommend only choosing products that are certified by at least one recognised certification scheme. Check the following sites to see whether the product you’re interested in passes their tests:

West Coast Checkmark http://www.westcoastlabs.org/

Virus Bulletin 100% awards http://www.virusbtn.com/index

ICSA https://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/icsahome.php

There may be several certification programs to choose from and you’ll need to match the product version you’re considering with the platform you intend to install it on.

Effective at Cleaning or Isolating Infected Files. Does the product thoroughly clean, delete, repair, or quarantine the infected file to stop the spread of the virus and save the rest of your system/network?

Performance and Ease of Use. No product will be effective if users do not understand how to use it, if certain features are absent, or if it has a negative impact on their system. How easy is it to install the software? How easy is it to scan for infected files? Can you schedule a time when your files will be inspected or specify what files will be inspected? Are the features easy to access and understand? Some anti-virus programs interfere with other software - in certain cases making programs unstable or worse. All anti-virus software will slow your computer down, but the best have the least impact on performance.

Ability to update. Keeping antivirus software up to date is critical; more so than with any other software. Computer viruses are being written every day. The product should be able to update easily and should allow for full customization of the types of files to be scanned. Does the software developer provide regular updates? Are they free? If so, for how long? Will the software update automatically, or does the operation have to be performed manually? Anti-virus software should provide the option to change any of these settings and to schedule the automatic updates at a specific time that suits you.

Activity reporting. You should be able to view what each demand scan found and what it did with any infected files. You should also be notified immediately of any infection found with the realtime scanner.

Support. Does the software developer provide adequate technical support (extensive frequently asked questions/knowledge base, email support, help desk phone number, etc.)?

Help Documentation. Is there a help document available? How useful is it? Is it easily understood without relying on technical jargon? Can you find your answers easily?

Check the system requirements before you buy.

David Furlong is a qualified and experienced IT specialist and Technical Trainer. His list of credentials includes MCSE, MCSA, Dip IT, and he is one subject away from completing a Masters in Networking and Systems Administration.
http://www.avg-antivirus.com.au

[tags]anti-virus software, choosing anti-virus software, anti-virus important features, virus protection[/tags]