A common computer issue we’ve seen lately is an alert popping up from the bottom-right part of the screen that says “Local area connection unplugged.”  This will come up periodically.  You might still have Internet access or intermittent online access.

This “local area connection unplugged” error usually lies in the one of three causes:

1. Network cable is faulty between your computer and the port, router, or modem
2. Network interface card (NIC), or network jack, that the network cable connects to is failing; or
3. The router or modem port that the network cable is connected to is failing.

The first thing to do is call up your Internet Service Provider, such as Verizon or TimeWarner.  They’ll send a signal from their central office to your modem to make sure everything is okay from their end.  Once that checks out, replace your network cable to see if that fixes it.  If not, a quick work-around fix is to make your computer wireless by installing a wireless card and then you won’t have to worry about local area connection issues.  Otherwise, you can replace your network interface card by installing a network adapter. 

Then, you can run the network cable from that adapter to your modem or router.  Finally, if that doesn’t work, or if you’re just too lazy to try those steps,have your Internet Service Provider replace your modem, claiming that the network port from the modem is faulty which lately has been the case.

It is good judgement to replace your modem every once in a while anyway since its speed, like routers, degrade over time.  The one thing that your Internet Service Provider cannot test is the port on the modem that connects to your local network.  So, when all else fails, you should persuade them that is the problem.  They might need you to test it out with another computer or just take your word for it.

Searching for stuff on the Internet could be tedious and slow-moving.  It is not easy to filter out searches to find the right results.  You can add Inquisitor as a plug-in for your browser to speed up your results.

Inquisitor may be installed as a plug-in for Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari and may be set up on a Mac or PC.  It brings back search results faster and may be used with Yahoo or Google.  It brings back results on the fly as your typing your search like Google.  And best of all it is a free software that doesn’t bring about viruses or spyware.

This little speedster is a good one to keep in your tech support toolchest.

Windows XP SP3 has introduced a little bug with its service pack.  But, luckily for Microsoft, Windows can point the blame elsewhere. 

In the last month, some Windows users have experienced an issue after downloading Service Pack 3 for Windows XP.  Some folks noticed that the device manager didn’t show any devices.  Other PC users noticed that either the network adapter, wireless connection, or shared network drives didn’t work.

So, what caused this SP3 snafu? 

Symantec took responsbility by explaining that SP3 caused its Symantec product to load the Windows registry with corrupted keys.  These corrupted keys could cause intermittent or permanent non-functionality of a direct network connection or wireless connection.  In short, Symantec’s security feature wasn’t able to mesh well with SP3.

What can you do to prevent this?

1. Make sure to disable and stop Symantec from running in the background when you install Service Pack 3.  It is a good rule of thumb to do this for all anti-virus software when installing software.
2. If you’ve already installed SP3 and are experiencing issues with connecting on the Internet or with your network drives/connections, download the Microsoft fix.

Do not fear downloading SP3 in general as this is a necessary security safeguard and stability measure for your computer experience.  If you do not feel comfortable installing SP3 on your own, feel free to contact a Windows certified technician.

If your wireless access point is weak, you can strengthen it by installing a wireless access point.  Or if you have a duplex or large square footage area to cover, a wireless access point, or WAP, is an ideal way to extend the signal to hard-to-reach dead spots.

A wireless access point is a piece of equipment that is integrated in a wireless router network.  If you have floors to cover, lots of electronics, or an outdoor area, a WAP is what you need.

So, which wireless access point should you purchase?  They have brought upon rave reviews since it is still a relatively new concept.

Here are our favorite wireless access points:

1. Netgear Range Extender Wireless Access Point
2. Linksys Wireless N Access Point
3. Apple’s Airport Express Access Point

When setting up your wireless access point, pay particular attention to any firware upgrades that are necessary.  And by all means, make sure that your spyware and viruses are at a minimum.  The last thing you want to do is spread such maliciously material wirelessly throughout your network.

Verizon DSL service is a good way to get on the Internet for your home or office.  It is also a cost efficient way to ensure the speed you pay for is actually the speed you get.  This is in contrast to Time Warner’s Internet Service where your paid service is shared with your building’s users.  So, you might not be getting the speed you paid for.

Enough about speed.  The biggest thing to watch out for with Verizon DSL, or for Time Warner’s Cable, is the activation date.  We get a lot of people asking our computer Internet technicians to come out to set up their computers for the Internet; however the Internet service is not activated yet.  Typically, the Internet companies ship out kits, including the modem, filters, cables, and sometimes routers.  Just because you receive the kit, it doesn’t mean your service will automatically work.

You’ll need to confirm with Verizon or TimeWarner that your service has been activated or else the modem will not pick up the Internet signal.  This is similar to the phone service where you need to make sure the phone service is activated or plugging your phone into the phone jack will not help at all.  This may seem obvious to make sure the service is activated, but the date you get is typically delayed.  So, the next time your Internet service is about to be set up by an Internet setup tech, make sure your Internet service is really activated.

If your laptop’s internal wireless connection just died, what can you do?  Can your friends or officemates get on your wireless router, but you cannot?  You have a few options that will get you back on the Internet wirelessly.  

Here’s what you can do:

1. Replace the internal wireless connection.  You’ll probably need a computer repair technician for this job.
2. Insert one of those Linksys wireless adapters into your available laptop slots.  These are the cards that sticks out from the side of your system.
3. Insert a USB wireless adapter.  These are not as stable, but the easiest to set up.

If you don’t feel like fixing your wireless issue, then you’ll be grounded with just using a physical, wired cable for your Internet use.

Internet Explorer 8 is already out in beta form.  We would have added a big “Yipee!,” but openly can scream “Copycat!” instead.  IE 8 looks like just Mozilla’s Firefox, but on steroids.  It restores crashed website sessions, downloads files while surfing on other tabbed browsers, and is more graphic-intensive. 

The big difference that Internet Explorer provides that Firefox doesn’t is the following:

• provides slices or pop-up windows featuring RSS-feed like preferences
• new favorites bar that allows links to files on your desktop
• activities section that features Live Maps and Microsoft Live
• easy-to-find domains (www. and .com are grayed out)

Overall, the interface is glossier and chock-full of buttons and drop-downs.  We like it because it’s more like Firefox; however, it fails in that the fluff sometimes gets in the way of a larger viewing surface like Firefox.  In the end, we’d wait for IE to have patches or applied the necessary fixes for IE8 or else you’re bound to have a computer crash.

Do you find that your laptop is accessing the Internet slow?  If your laptop is 4+ years old, chances are your internal wireless card is still on the slower 11 mb of speed.  Today, we are on 54 mb of speed, which is approximately 5x faster.  So, if your laptop is still on 11 mb, then your connection to the Internet can seem slower than modern laptops.  Also, your wireless signal could be failing slowly. 

What’s the computer fix?  Buy a wireless PC card and slide it into one of your available slots.  You can buy a Linksys wireless G card which is pretty stable one.  Or you can pump it up a notch to the N series which is even faster than the G’s 54 mb.  These cards usually cost $70 - 95 and are well worth it to speed up your wireless Internet. 

Your wireless issue may be an easier fix than you think.  Many wireless issue pertain to spyware, viruses, or pop-ups preventing Internet access.  Or perhaps your wireless router is not functioning.   What about your Internet provider not being active in your area?   OK, these fixes are not so easy and will probaby require a computer service technician or a long time on the phone with TimeWarner or Verizon.

But, what if your wireless fix was right under your nose…literally?  There is a keyboard combination, such as Fn and F2 that will enable your wireless connection.  Sometimes, it is not easy, but possible where these keys are pressed by mistake which will turn off your wireless connection.  The combination to press is to first hold the Fn key at the bottom-left of your keyboard and then press one of the F keys at the top of your keyboard that has the wireless signal button on it.  This will also enable your wireless signal.  Other than these keys, you can also make sure that your wireless on/off switch is switched on.  That little button could have easily been turned off as well by mistake.  These two wireless switches could be a big nuisance if you don’t know where to look. 

Ad-ins are tools or added functionality that allows your to customize your Internet browsing experience.  The common ones are Google Toobar or Window Live Toolbar.   Add-ons, or plug-ins, are typically found in Firefox, but we’re here to give you some tips on finding cool add-ins for Internet Explorer.  

Below are the most useful ad-ins for Internet Explorer: 

• Quero Toolbar - Customizable Ad pop-up blocker
• Feeds Plus - Combine news feeds together
• Inline Search - Mimics Firefox’s search capabilities
• StumbleUpon - Share sites with others
• McAfee SiteAdvisor - see if the site your visiting is safe

Check out the ad-ins.  They are all free and safe to use.   Enjoy your new tricks!