On-Line Training Classes

Last month we talked about on-line classes, and mentioned a very popular site, http://www.barnesandnobleuniversity.com, which was scheduled to reopen last month after a hiatus for them to "remodel" as a "new and improved training center." Well, the remodel is over, and guess what? Most all classes now COST you, with only a few that are free. So, head over to Hewlett-Packard, http://www.hplearningcenter.com, where it's all still free (so far!).

Microwave Oven Disrupts Computer Network

No, it's not a tabloid headline under some circumstances, it can be true. If you use wireless networking in your home or office, it's possible for the microwave oven, or the newer cordless phones, to interfere with the wireless signals transmitted by your network. These wireless networks (often called "Wi-Fi" or 802.11b networks) operate on a frequency of 2.4 Ghz, which is the same frequency that the newer cordless phones use, and is in the same spectrum used by microwave ovens. Like all transmitters and receivers (intentional or otherwise), the most convenient and easiest way to avoid interference is to relocate the affected (or offending) appliances. That may mean you'll need to use your laptop on the dining room table instead of the kitchen nook, or when the microwave is not in use. If you have a cordless phone problem, one way to eliminate or at least reduce interference with your computer network is to get a phone that operates on the "older" 900 MHz frequency range. Lastly, if you are experiencing this kind of interference, you might consider upgrading your wireless network to the latest standard called 802.11a which (at least for now) uses spectrum that practically nothing else uses. But 802.11a costs more that 802.11b, and has a shorter effective range.

Switching From AOL to Another Provider