Solve WiFi-No-Internet

One of the more perplexing and annoying wi-fi problems is having a strong wireless signal but still no Internet connection. Unlike issues like not having a wireless connection or dropped wireless signals, when you have a strong wireless signal, all indicators seem to be saying everything's OK -- and yet you can't connect to the Internet or, sometimes, other computers on your network.

Here's what to do about this common problem:

If the issue occurs on your home network, log in to the wireless router's administration page (directions will be in your manual; most router's admin sites are something like http://192.168.2.1). From the main page or in a separate "network status" section, check if your Internet connection is actually up. You can also go to the router itself and look at the status indicator lights -- there should be a blinking or steady light for the Internet connection. If your Internet connection is down, uplug the modem and the router, wait a few minutes, and plug them back in. If this doesn't refresh your service, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance, since the problem is likely on their end.

If you're using a wi-fi hotspot (at a hotel, cafe, or airport, for example), you may think you can check your email (e.g., in Outlook) once you have a wireless connection signal. Most hotspots, however, require you to first open a browser and view their landing page where you'll have to agree to their terms and conditions before using the service (some will also require you to pay for the access). This holds true whether you're using a laptop or a smartphone or other portable device to access a public wireless network.

Some operating systems (like Windows XP) won't warn you if you put in the wrong wireless security code. Although your laptop may show you have a strong wireless signal, if the wrong key is input, the router will refuse to properly communicate with your device. Re-input the security key (you can right-click on the icon in the status bar and click Disconnect, then try again). If you're at a public wi-fi hotspot, make sure you have the correct security code from the hotspot provider.

A simiilar problem is if the router or access point has MAC address filtering set up. MAC addresses (or Media Access Control numbers) identify individual networking hardware. Routers and access points can be set up to allow only certain MAC addresses -- i.e., unique devices -- to authenticate with them. If the network you're connecting to has this filtering set up (e.g., on a corporate or small business network), you'll need to have the MAC address of your computer/device's network adapter added to the permission list.

Changing your DNS servers, which translate domain names into actual web server addresses, from your ISP's to a dedicated DNS service -- such as OpenDNS -- can add more connection reliability and also speed up your Internet access. Enter the DNS addresses manually in your router's configuration pages.

These are the most common fixes for wireless problems. Another source that can help you diagnose and solve wireless issues on your laptop is this pretty technical Laptop Internet Connectivity flowchart from the Laptop Repair Workbook.

(Note: This article is also available in a PDF version for saving to your computer for reference before going on the road. If you need further help or want to discuss wi-fi or other mobile computing topics, feel free to visit our forum.)

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Solve WiFi-No net

Wireless connection problems can be incredibly frustrating, especially when they happen at the worst possible time (like when you need to send an email to meet a deadline and are working on the road with no access to tech support). But don't worry, wi-fi problems can often be fixed rather easily.

The most common types of wi-fi/networking issues for remote workers are (we'll tackle these one by one):

Here's what to do if you get a red X over the wireless network icon in your status bar, your computer/smartphone reports there is no wireless connection, or you're told there are no wireless networks available (when you know there are):

Look for a hardware switch or special function key on your laptop that can turn the wireless radio on or off -- it may have accidentally been turned off. Flip the switch or hit the function keys to test if this is the case.

Also, sometimes the wireless radio may be disabled by power management settings on your laptop or your phone; fix this permanently by going to the Power Options for your device and changing the settings there so the wireless adapter won't be disabled by low battery triggers.

If you're using a USB wireless network adapter, make sure it's plugged in correctly. On smartphones, you should also check whether wireless is enabled in the phone's main settings.

Windows, walls, furniture, wireless phones, metal objects and all sorts of other obstructions can affect wireless signal strength (one study quoted by Cisco found that microwaves can degrade data throughput as much as 64% and video cameras and analog phones can create 100% decreased throughput -- or, no data connection). If you're able to, move closer to the wireless signal source. For your home network, also try placing the wireless router in a more central location in your house.

If you have access to the wireless router, powering down and restarting the wireless router can reset the signal, sometimes enabling you to connect.

Sometimes, weather or electrical disturbances can reset wireless equipment to their default state. If you recently had a bad storm in your area, try connecting to your wireless router using the default settings provided in the manufacturer's manual (usually, the admin settings for a router can be accessed at an IP address such as http://192.168.2.1). If you get in using the default settings, you'll need to again set up any custom settings, like essential WPA wireless security.

Typically, your computer or smartphone will automatically find new available wireless networks and let you choose one to connect to. Some wireless networks, however, are set up to be hidden (they don't broadcast their network name or SSID -- Service Station Identifier -- to the public). If you can't find the name of a network in your list of available wireless networks, find out from the network owner what the SSID and security key, if any, are. Then, manually add the new wireless network.

Most wireless routers are set up as DHCP servers, which allow computers and other client devices to join the network so their IP addresses don't have to be manually set up. Check your wireless network adapter's TCP/IP settings to make sure your adapter is automatically obtaining settings from the DHCP server:

Driver issues can also cause problems with network connections -- your network driver may be outdated, a new driver can cause problems, the wireless router may have been recently upgraded, etc. Try doing a system update first; going to Windows Update can suggest updates for both your operating system and network adapter; also visit your router's website to see if there are available firmware updates.

Windows can try to repair wireless issues for you or provide additional troubleshooting. Right-click on the network conections icon in the status bar and select either "Repair" (Windows XP) or "Diagnose and Repair" (Vista/Windows 7).

(Note: This article is also available in a PDF version for saving to your computer for reference before going on the road. If you need further help or want to discuss wi-fi or other mobile computing topics, feel free to visit our forum.)

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Hair chemistry could help solve cold cases

Patterns of certain chemical elements get into people’s hair from the food they eat and the water they drink. CBCCanadian researchers have just finished collecting samples for a database that may help police solve cold cases based on chemical information found in people’s hair.

“Hair gives a chronological indicator of your daily habits — your dietary habits and your movements,” said Michelle Chartrand, one of the two University of Ottawa researchers involved in the project.

That’s because patterns of certain chemical elements get into people’s hair from their food and the water they drink, and the record of their past habits and locations is retained as their hair grows out.

“Carbon and nitrogen indicate what you eat,” Chartrand said. “Hydrogen is an indicator of where you are.”

Chartrand and her colleague Gilles St-Jean have spent every summer since 2008 collecting hair and water samples from across Canada, and finally finished the job this summer, with sampling in B.C. and Alberta.

Once the data is analyzed and compiled into a database linking specific patterns to locations across Canada, they hope it will help generate new leads in cold cases.

'If someone drinks a glass of wine every night from Australia, for example, does that make a difference in their hair?'— Michelle Chartrand, University of Ottawa

They’ve already begun work on several cases, including the famous case of Madame Victoria, the body of a woman in her 50s found near the Royal Victoria Hospital in 2001, which was featured on CBC’s Fifth Estate in March.

“Her hair was about 43 centimetres long, so that gives us roughly 43 months of information,” Chartrand said, noting that hair grows at a rate of about a centimetre per month.

“Based on what our analyses showed us, we believe that she lived in seven distinct locations over those past 43 months.”

The researchers were able to say with confidence that she was not from western Canada

All her time was spent east of southern Manitoba or northwestern Ontario. It appeared that she started off in northern Ontario or Quebec, then moved toward the south, never returning to any of her previous locations. The analysis also showed that she had either been ill or made a major change to her diet in the four months before her death.

That was a rich amount of information, but it wasn’t enough to uncover the identity of Madame Victoria.

Still, the researchers say they’re always willing to apply their developing technique to case work. One issue at the moment is that the cost per case can be thousands of dollars, but that is expected to go down over time.

“As it becomes more mainstream or better known,” St-Jean said, “what I suspect will probably happen is forensic labs probably will start buying this type of equipment and hiring specialists that will help them do cases.”

Hair analysis relies on the fact that hydrogen — an element found in water — comes in slightly different chemical forms called isotopes. Some isotopes are heavier than others, and their proportions vary with latitude and the distance people live from either coast. That’s because heavier isotopes have a greater tendency to fall as rain.

The body of Madame Victoria was found in Montreal in 2001 and her face was reconstructed from her skull. Analysis of her hair showed she had moved seven times in 34 months, starting from northern Quebec or Ontario and moving south. CBCOver time, as clouds drift north and away from the coasts, they gain a higher proportion of lighter isotopes, which is reflected in the water sources – and the tap water – in those regions, St-Jean said. The ratios make their way into people’s hair when they drink the local water, and can be measured using a machine called an isotope ratio mass spectrometer.

Archeologists were the first to link isotope ratios in hair to geographic locations, developing the technique about 25 years ago. One of the questions they wanted to answer was whether the people buried in mass graves at ancient Mayan temples were local or captured from other regions, St-Jean said. Analysis of their hair showed they were not locals.

Applying the technique in Canada is a little trickier, the researchers acknowledge, because of the extra sources of water and other elements that enter our bodies.

“We can get food from any part of the world, any time of the year,” Chartrand said. “That’s what makes [it] much more difficult to track modern humans.”

As part of the sample collection, the researchers gave people who offered hair samples a questionnaire about their daily habits – asking what kinds of fluids they drink, including how much bottled water, how much they travel, and so on – to try and account for that.

“If someone drinks a glass of wine every night from Australia, for example, does that make a difference in their hair?” Chartrand wonders. “These are big unknowns that we are trying to compensate for.”

So far, it appears that the local water accounts for only around 27 per cent of the hydrogen isotope signal in people’s hair, she said. But that’s enough to distinguish an Albertan from a Manitoban or a person from Toronto from a person from Thunder Bay.

The technique does have limitations. For example, everyone along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River from southwestern Ontario to Montreal shows a similar signal due to their common water source.

“This is not an exact science,” Chartrand said. “It’s not designed to pinpoint an exact location.”

Nor is there a standard, internationally recognized method of hair analysis that will stand up in court.

But it is on its way to becoming one more technique that can be used with other forensic evidence, the researchers said.

St-Jean added, “It is a tool that helps the investigators to point their investigation in maybe a different direction than they would have thought of.”

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Solve WiFi-Dropped-Signals

Some of the same issues that affect not being able to get a wireless connection at all (the first part in our wireless troubleshooting series) can also cause a weak wireless signal or one that often drops out. Dropped wireless signals can, however, have other unique causes and possible solutions.

Here's what to do when you often find yourself having to restart your computer or wireless router to "fix" the wireless connection:

One of the biggest causes of dropped or weak wireless signals is interference from other objects (including walls, metal objects like filing cabinets, etc.). Being very far from the wireless signal source also negatively impacts signal strength. To solve these issues, try to move closer to the wireless router or access point and remove any obstacles you can -- a clear path to the router is your best bet. Also, try placing your home wireless router in a more central location of your home.

Another cause of dropped wireless signals is outdated drivers for your devices (computer, wireless router) or your operating system. Windows XP, for example, greatly improved its support for WPA/WPA2 wireless security with XP Service Pack 3; if you only have the earlier SP1 or SP2 update, that may be the source of your intermittent wireless problems. Use Windows Update to see if there are operating system and device driver updates available; also visit your router manufacturer's website for any firmware upgrades needed.

If being too far from the wireless access point or router is the problem, you can get a wireless repeater or wireless extender to extend the range of the wireless network. These "signal amplifiers" are available from Linksys, TRENDnet, Dlink and other makers of networking products; prices go from around $50 and up (check prices on wireless extenders)

Unfortunately, the cause of some wireless problems -- especially frequently dropped wireless signals -- is the router itself (I've personally seen three cases where wireless routers just died after constantly dropping the wireless signal). If the suggestions above don't work, try resetting your wireless router to the defaults and testing if it can maintain a wireless signal. If not, you probably need to get a new router (while you're at it, you may consider upgrading to wireless-n).

(Note: This article is also available in a PDF version for saving to your computer for reference before going on the road. If you need further help or want to discuss wi-fi or other mobile computing topics, feel free to visit our forum.)

source from about.com

Solve WiFi-Dropped-Signals

Some of the same issues that affect not being able to get a wireless connection at all (the first part in our wireless troubleshooting series) can also cause a weak wireless signal or one that often drops out. Dropped wireless signals can, however, have other unique causes and possible solutions.

Here's what to do when you often find yourself having to restart your computer or wireless router to "fix" the wireless connection:

One of the biggest causes of dropped or weak wireless signals is interference from other objects (including walls, metal objects like filing cabinets, etc.). Being very far from the wireless signal source also negatively impacts signal strength. To solve these issues, try to move closer to the wireless router or access point and remove any obstacles you can -- a clear path to the router is your best bet. Also, try placing your home wireless router in a more central location of your home.

Another cause of dropped wireless signals is outdated drivers for your devices (computer, wireless router) or your operating system. Windows XP, for example, greatly improved its support for WPA/WPA2 wireless security with XP Service Pack 3; if you only have the earlier SP1 or SP2 update, that may be the source of your intermittent wireless problems. Use Windows Update to see if there are operating system and device driver updates available; also visit your router manufacturer's website for any firmware upgrades needed.

If being too far from the wireless access point or router is the problem, you can get a wireless repeater or wireless extender to extend the range of the wireless network. These "signal amplifiers" are available from Linksys, TRENDnet, Dlink and other makers of networking products; prices go from around $50 and up (check prices on wireless extenders)

Unfortunately, the cause of some wireless problems -- especially frequently dropped wireless signals -- is the router itself (I've personally seen three cases where wireless routers just died after constantly dropping the wireless signal). If the suggestions above don't work, try resetting your wireless router to the defaults and testing if it can maintain a wireless signal. If not, you probably need to get a new router (while you're at it, you may consider upgrading to wireless-n).

(Note: This article is also available in a PDF version for saving to your computer for reference before going on the road. If you need further help or want to discuss wi-fi or other mobile computing topics, feel free to visit our forum.)

source from about.com