Networking: 802.11 WiFi Standards (Updated)

Are you confused by all the 802.11 WiFi "alphabet soup of letter name" standards, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, etc? Currently 802.11n  is the most popular standard, and its backwards compatible with 802.11b, and 802.11g.

Here is a brief breakdown of the different 802.11 standards; including: speed, frequency, and the date it was ratified as a standard:

• 802.11: up to 2Mbps, uses the 2.4GHz frequency (Finalized: 1997)
• 802.11b: up to 11Mbps, uses the 2.4GHz frequency (Finalized: 7/1999)
• 802.11a: up to 54Mbps, uses the 5GHz frequency (Finalized: 7/1999)
• 802.11g: up to 54Mbps, uses the 2.4GHz frequency (Finalized: 6/2003)
• 802.11n: up to 150Mbps+, uses the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz frequency (Finalized: 10/2009)
• Utilizes MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), uses multiple transmitters and receivers antennas to allow for increased data throughput.
• Some Wi-Fi cards and routers can support speeds of 300Mbps when utilizing a feature called 'channel bonding' (if its supported in the networking equipment) and not running into interference from other nearby wireless networks.
• 802.11ac: up to 866Mbps+, uses the 5GHz frequency (Still in draft)

For more information see the following Wikipedia article.

From: Wikipedia

Notes:

• All 802.11 Wi-Fi hotspots only can run as fast as the slowest device on the network.  For example, if you have a 802.11n wireless network with 5 people communicating at 150Mbps. Then if someone brings 802.11b device on the network the Wireless Access Point will slow down to 11Mbps to support the slower device. 
• 2.4GHz equipment can incur interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, and other appliances using the same radio signal frequency range.
• The higher frequency 5GHz equipment signals has more difficulty penetrating walls and other obstructions.

Windows 8: TCP/IP Addressing (Static and Dynamic)

In Windows, you can have one of two types of IP addresses: dynamic or static. Dynamic IP addresses are temporarily assigned to a network device when their requested, and is generally done during the boot process. The network service that assigns dynamic IP addresses is known as DHCP. While static IP addresses have to be manually assigned to a device by a systems administrator, and are meant to be changed infrequently.

Dynamic IP addresses are the most common method of assigning an IP address to a network based device (such as a computer, printer, etc) because it reduces the network administration overhead. Today's office and work force are in a constant state of flux. People with mobile devices (such as tablets, smartphones, and laptops) will move from location to location, even desktop users can get moved around within a company on a semi-regular basis.

Note: If a Windows client makes a DHCP request for an IP address and doesn't get a reply in a timely manor, then it will switch to using Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). APIPA is a private IP address range (169.254.0.0 to 169.254.255.255) that allows devices on a network using this address range to communicate with themselves. To configure this service, click on the Alternate Configuration tab in the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) dialog.

If all devices used a static IP address, it would cause a network administration nightmare, they would all have to be changed every time a device was moved.  Most static IP addresses are assigned to servers or network based devices like routers or DNS servers. These devices need a static IP address because other devices on the network depend on knowing how to contact them.

To configure the TCP/IP addressing (dynamic or static) in Windows, follow the instructions below:

• From the Start screen, type Network and click Settings on the right.  Click the Network and Sharing Center icon.  In the left pane, click the Change adapter settings link.
• Right-click the active network connection (note: this selection can change between systems depending on the equipment that is installed), and select Properties.
• Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) [or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) depending on how your network is configured] and the press the Properties button.

From here you can select one of two options, Obtain an IP address automatically (dynamic) or Use the following IP address (static). If you're using a static IP address you need to know the following information: unique IP address, subnet mask for the network, IP address of the default gateway, and the IP addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers. When you're done press the OK button twice.

Networking tips:

• To find the TCP/IP address of the local computer, from the command prompt type: IPCONFIG /ALL.
• To request a new DHCP address, from an administrator command prompt type: IPCONFIG /RELEASE and then type: IPCONFIG /RENEW 

Windows 8: File Path Name Tricks

Some windows commands require that you use the full path name of a file, which can be quite long depending on how deep it's in a folder structure.

Below are some tricks to avoid typing this information:

• Hold down the Shift while right-clicking the file or folder and select Copy as path.  This will copy the objects path to the clipboard.
• Drag and drop the file from the desktop or File Explorer into the command prompt window, or the Run... command (WinKey + R) Open field.  From here you can select the text and copy it to the clipboard.

Bonus tip: To open a command prompt at a specific folder in the folder structure, just right-click it and select Open command window here in the pop-up context menu.

Windows 8: File Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

Most of us use Window's built-in File Explorer application (formerly known as the Windows Explorer) to manage files, folders and drives that are accessible by the local computer.

If you prefer using the keyboard to control an application, here are some of the better keyboard shortcuts to know for the File Explorer.

• Ctrl + F: Open up the search pane. 
• Build a complex search query using the controls in the pane to find specific files.
• Alt + Up Arrow (or backspace): Go up a folder.
• Alt + Right Arrow: Go forward (takes you back into your folder browsing history)
• Alt + Left Arrow: Go back (takes you back into your folder browsing history)
• Alt + D: Focus the address bar and select the current path.
• Alt + P: Shows the Preview pane
• Alt + Shift + P: Shows the Details pane
• Alt + Enter: Properties of the selected file
• Ctrl + Mouse wheel: changes the folder view type.
• Ctrl + Shift + N: Creates a new folder at the current location
• Ctrl + F1: Opens or closes the ribbon at the top of the window 
• F4: Opens dropdown menu in the address bar.
• F11: Puts the File Explorer into full-screen mode.

Note: The Windows File Explore tracks the folder browsing history, similar to the way Internet Explorer's tracks your browsing history. Every folder or network path you visit is remembered, you can then use the Alt+Left or Right arrow to move through the folder location history that were previously visited.

For more File Explorer keyboard shortcuts.

Windows 8: Managing the Send To Menu

The Send To menu is a very useful context menu. This feature gives you the ability to right-click on any file and perform a specific action, such as sending a file to the desktop or another location. You can also send a file to a blank e-mail, so that it can be mailed to a friend. The options are not limitless, but they're pretty extensive.

To access the Send To menu, do the following:

• From the Run... command (WinKey + R) Open field or the File Explorer address bar type %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo and press the Enter key.
• From here you can create new folders, shortcuts to applications (such as Notepad), and more. If you create a shortcut to an application, make sure that it can handle those file types you want to send it.

If you ever want to remove some items from the Send To menu, just open up the folder and delete the shortcuts you don't want.

Software: Sysinternals Free Utilities

Personally I am not a huge fan of using 3rd party utilities for performing most types of systems diagnostics. I like to rely on the OS's built-in tools as much as possible.  Primarily I don't want to be reliant on a utility that I might not have with me at the time or it requires some type of installation on a customer's system.

Although when I do have to rely on external utilities, one of the first sites I use is Sysinternals (http://www.sysinternals.com). These are some of the better diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities available for Windows. Also, Mark Russinovich and his team are continuously updating the existing tools and creating new ones.

Besides being free and powerful tools, all (or most) of these utilities don't require that they be installed (this is known as being a 'portable application' because it can be moved between systems without installing it).

Sysinternals Suite

The tools on the site can be downloaded individually, or you can download the Sysinternals Suite which contains the latest versions of all the utilities in one package.  As of the writing of this article, below is a current list of the programs that come included within the suite (see below).    

AccessChk AccessEnum AdExplorer AdInsight AdRestore Autologon Autoruns BgInfo CacheSet ClockRes Contig Coreinfo Ctrl2Cap DebugView Desktops Disk2vhd DiskExt DiskMon DiskView Disk Usage (DU) EFSDump FindLinks Handle

Hex2dec Junction LDMDump ListDLLs LiveKd LoadOrder LogonSessions MoveFile NTFSInfo PageDefrag PendMoves PipeList PortMon ProcDump Process Explorer Process Monitor PsExec PsFile PsGetSid PsInfo PsPing PsKill PsList PsLoggedOn

PsLogList PsPasswd PsService PsShutdown PsSuspend RAMMap RegDelNull Registry Usage (RU) RegJump RootkitRevealer SDelete ShareEnum ShellRunas SigCheck Streams Strings Sync TCPView VMMap VolumeID WhoIs WinObj ZoomIt

Note: Text above is from the following page.

Sysinternals Live

The site offers a feature called 'Sysinternals Live' that provides quick access to the latest versions of all their free tools. You can download any of the utilities without having to unzip them. All you have to do is remember the following URL to download them live.sysinternals.com.

Tip: You can also attach live.sysinternals.com like any other network mounted drive, and run the utilities directly from the Internet.

• Open a command prompt (type CMD in the search field under the Start menu)
• Type: net use * \\live.sysinternals.com\tools\
• You will see a message like "Drive Z: is now connected to \\live.sysinternals.com\tools\"
• Type drive letter and press return (i.e.: type Z: then press the Enter key)
• Now type DIR and you will see all the utilities, or open the Windows Explorer and goto the Z: drive (or whatever drive letter the NET USE command gives you).

Windows 8: Installing Hyper-V

Hyper-V is Microsoft's virtual machine (VM) hyper-visor technology.  If you're not sure what a VM is, its virtual hardware composed of software that runs inside of a computer.

Windows 7 had a similar feature called "XP Mode" which utilized the Virtual PC technology.  Although, the Virtual PC lacks several of the more advanced features of Hyper-V.

Hyper-V only used to be available on the Windows Server 2008 platform (and higher).  Microsoft has incorporated Hyper-V technology into Windows 8.  Although, this option is only available in the 64-bit versions of Windows 8 Professional and Enterprise editions of the OS.

Notes: 

• If you're running Windows 8 Standard Edition (or Windows 7), then you will need to use a 3rd party VM technology like: VirtualBox (or another application). 

• There are differences between the Hyper-V Client (Windows 8), and Hyper-V Server (Windows Server 2012).

To utilize this feature the computer needs to have enough RAM (minimum 4GB of RAM), storage and a fast CPU to support this feature.  The computer's CPU and motherboard also need to support the VM extensions (e.g. Intel Virtualization Technology [VTx] or AMD-V) and it must be enabled in the BIOS (check with your Motherboard manufacture's web site for more information).

• From the Start Screen, type Windows Features, click on the Settings button and click on Turn Windows Features on or off.
• In the Windows Features dialog display, check the Hyper-V option, and then press the OK button.  Note: If the Hyper-V Platform is grayed out the 64-bit version of the OS is not installed.

Notes: 

• To enable Hyper-V using the administrator command prompt, type: Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
• To enable Hyper-V using Windows PowerShell, type: enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All 

After the Hyper-V installation is completed, the computer will need to be restarted.  To create, delete or manage the VMs, you will need to use the Hyper-V Management console.  To access the console from the Start screen, type Hyper-V and then click the Hyper-V Manager.

Software: FileZilla (FTP Client)

If you do any development (such as web site design) on the Internet or systems administration, then you need a FTP client to upload or download files from remote computers and services.  FileZilla is a free open source cross-platform FTP client with a graphical user interface (note: there is also a FTP server option available).

Below is a brief list of some of its features:

• FTP over SSL/TLS (FTPS) and SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)
• Supports resume and transfer of large files > 4GB
• Powerful Site Manager and transfer queue.
• and more.

To download the program or get more information, visit the FileZilla web site.

Windows 8: Taking Ownership of a Folder

When a user creates a file or folder in Windows, they automatically become the owner of that resource. As the owner, they are able to set and change security permissions to the object.

If you want to change the permissions on a resource that you do not own, you must be assigned the Full Control permission. If you don't have the Full Control permission, you must first take ownership of the resource and then you can proceed with assigning yourself the correct permissions.

You can take ownership of a folder in Windows using the steps that are listed below.

• Log on to the computer with an account that has administrator permissions, and open the File Explorer.
• Right-click the file or folder that you want to change ownership permissions on then select Properties, and then click on the Security tab.
• Press the Advanced button.
• Click the Owner link towards the top left of the dialog.
• The current owner of the resource will be listed.
• In the select user or group dialog select the user that needs ownership assigned to them.
• Press the OK button twice.

Now that the new user has ownership of the object they must be assigned the Full Control permission to change the security permissions on the file or folder. 

Windows 8: Sticky Notes and Keyboard Shortcuts

In Windows 7 a new feature was added called Sticky Notes that for allows the creation of little virtual notes on the monitor. To activate this feature, open the Start screen, and type: Sticky Notes then click on the icon to activate it.

You can move the Sticky Notes around by moving them with their title bar at the top of each note.  You can delete them by pressing the "X" button, or create a new note by pressing the "+" button in the title bar.

One cool feature of the Sticky Notes is the rich text formatting shortcuts that are available. All you have to do is select the text, and use the keyboard shortcuts below:

• Ctrl + L: Left aligns the text
• Ctrl + E: Center aligns the text
• Ctrl + R: Right aligns the text
• Ctrl + B: Bold the text
• Ctrl + I: Italicizes the text
• Ctrl + U: Underlines the text
• Ctrl + T: Strike Through the text
• Ctrl + Shift + A: Capitalizes all characters
• Ctrl + Shift + L: Turns text into list (press multiple times to change the bullet style)
• Ctrl + Shift + < (less then sign): Decreases the font size
• Ctrl + Shift + > (greater then sign): Increases the font size
• Ctrl + = (equal sign): Subscripts the text
• Ctrl + Shift + = (equal sign): Superscript the text
• Ctrl + 1: Sets single line spacing
• Ctrl + 2: Sets double line spacing
• Ctrl + 5: Sets line spacing to 1.5
• Ctrl + N: Creates a new sticky note
• Ctrl + D: Deletes a sticky note

Additional Tips/Notes:  

• To change the color of the Sticky Note, right-click the note and select a new color from the pop-up menu.
• All Sticky Note are able to re-sized to be smaller or larger.
• All Sticky Notes are stored in a file called %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Sticky Notes\StickyNotes.snt. 

Video: How to Buy High Speed RAM

This video has some great advice on how to buy RAM.  It gets a little technical, but I think its also very understandable.

Video Description: "High speed memory has been a staple for enthusiasts who want to get the most out of their systems for YEARS, but in this investigation we take a look at how much of a difference it actually makes to performance."

Windows 8: Using and Creating Desktop Toolbars

Windows 8 desktop mode still provides Toolbar support in the Taskbar. This feature allows adding additional functionality to the taskbar by adding any of the four built-in toolbars or allowing for the creation of a custom one.

To enable or disable the toolbar functionality, use the context menu in the taskbar.

• Right-click the taskbar, and select Toolbars in the pop-up menu.  From here you can select one of the built-in toolbars, or create a custom one based on links in a folder.
• Below is a list of the built-in toolbars: 
• Address: Use this toolbar to open up URLs, or run commands (such as CMD.EXE) from the taskbar.  Works similar to the Run... command (WinKey + R).
• Links: Provides quick access to the Internet Explorer Favorites (e.g. bookmarks).
• Touch keyboard: Provides access to the Windows on-screen keyboard.
• Desktop: Provides quick access to shortcuts, folders and files on the desktop.

To create a custom toolbar:

• Right-click the taskbar, and select Toolbars > New toolbar... in the pop-up menu.  
• When the file dialog appears, select a folder that contains shortcuts, documents, applications, or even other folders that you want to access via this feature.
• Press the Select Folder button.

The new toolbar will be available in the right-hand part of the taskbar.  To disable a built-in toolbar, or to delete a custom one, all you have to do is uncheck it in the Toolbars pop-up menu.

Video: Digital Security Life Hacks

Video Description: "Have you ever had an account compromised or your information stolen? It's National Cyber Security Awareness Month and as a public service to you, here are some tips to help protect yourself online and offline. "

Software:7-Zip (Archive/Compression Utility)

7-Zip is a free open source file archive and compression utility for the Windows. It can be operated from the command line program or via its graphical user interface.

Below is a brief list of some of its features:

• Supported formats: Packing / unpacking: 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP and WIM.Unpacking only: ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DEB, DMG, FAT, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, VHD, WIM, XAR and Z.
• Supports AES-256 encryption in the 7z and ZIP formats.
• The 7z format supports a self-extracting capability.
• and more

To download the program or get more information, visit the 7-Zip web site.

Game: Party like 1995 with the Browser Version of Hover...

Microsoft has released a browser version of a 1995 game it created called Hover.  Its not GTA, but it will remind you of driving a bumper car through a maze trying to collect flags before your opponent.  The real purpose of this game is to showcase the power of Internet Explorer 11 (it also runs in other browsers).

To play the game, go to: http://hover.ie/.

Windows 8: Stupid PC Tricks - Lock Screen Shortcut

Note: "Stupid PC Tricks" are a series of user tips that I think are interesting, but unfortunately they're not all that useful.

In any organization its important to lock your computer when you leave it, this will prevent someone from abusing your network security access.  By pressing the WinKey + L on the keyboard you can lock the computer screen.  With this tip you can create a shortcut icon that does the same thing by clicking on it.

• Create a new shortcut (right-click the desktop, select New > Shortcut)
• In the Type the location of the item field, type: rundll32.exe user32.dll LockWorkStation, and then press the Next button.
• In the Type the name of the shortcut field, type: Windows Switcher, and then press the Finish button.

Microsoft Announces the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2

Today Microsoft announced the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, it's new Window 8.1.tablet.  The new Surface 2 is based on Windows 8 RT, and Surface Pro 2 based on Windows 8 Professional.

New features of the devices include:

• A new fingerprint resistant magnesium-based case.
• Faster processor:
• Surface 2: 1.7 GHz quad-core Tegra 4 ARM chip. (w/ 2GB of RAM)
• Internal storage: From 32GB or 64GB configurations.
• Surface Pro 2:  1.6 GHz Intel Core i5 Haswell processor. (w/ 4-8GB of RAM)
• Internal storage: From 64GB to 512GB configurations.
• USB 3.0 port, and Bluetooth 4.
• Surface 2 has a 3.5MP front-facing camera, and a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera.  While the Surface Pro 2 only has a 720P front-facing camera.
• High resolution 1080P display (1920×1080)
• Thinner and lighter case.
• Surface 2: 0.35 inches thick, and weights under 1.5 pounds
• Surface Pro 2: 0.53 inches thick, and weights under 2 pounds
• Enhanced kickstand (2 positions, 20 and 40 degrees for better viewing)

Both Surface devices will be available for pre-order starting September 24, 2013, and will be available for purchase on October 22, 2013 (in select markets). Visit www.surface.com/pre-order to learn more. 

New Accessories:

• The Surface Remix Project, which is a new purpose-built music kit that attaches on to the Surface 2, Surface Pro, and Surface Pro 2 and works with a new music remix app. 
• New keyboard covers (i.e. the Touch, Type and Power Cover 2) with back-lit keys and extended battery (extends usage up to 10 hours).  Features vary between the different products
• New docking station.
• New active pen.

More information: 

• Article: Surface 2 declassified: How Microsoft made Surface into the tablet the world said it wanted
• Surface web site: www.surface.com.

Windows 8: Map Folders To Drive Letters

If you regularly work with specific folders, and are tired of typing their path (e.g. C:\Windows\System32\Drivers or anything else) its possible to assign it a drive letter.  There's an old DOS command called SUBST (example: SUBST X: C:\{pathname}\foldername}) that can associate a drive letter with a specific folder path.

For example, to assign T: to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers, at the command prompt type SUBST T: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers and press the Enter key.  Now to access all the files in C:\Windows\System32\Drivers just type T:\.  This will work at the command prompt or in any application such as the File Explorer.

To delete the drive letter that was created by the substitution command, from the command prompt type SUBST T: /D.(just replace T: with the substitution drive letter that needs to be deleted).

Windows 8: Booting From a VHD

Since Windows 7, the OS has supported the ability boot the comptuer from a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk) or ISO file.   The VHD files were originally created for Microsoft's Virtual Machine (VM) technologies like Hyper-V.

• Create or mount an existing VHD, and place it in an easy to find location such as C:\VHD.  For this example purposes the VHD file will be called C:\VHD\VHDTEST.VHD
• For information on how to create a VHD.
• Open up the administrator command prompt, from the Run... command type CMD.EXE and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
• Run the following command: bcdedit /copy {current} /d "Windows Test VHD" (the name is quotes is arbitrary and is only for demo purposes, but it's what will show up in the Windows Boot Manager list at startup).  This command creates GUID that is associated with VHD that was just created and will be needed later in the successive steps.  
• Run the following command: bcdedit /set device vhd=[C:]\VHD\VHDTEST.VHD (Note: the brackets around the drive letter are necessary)
• Run the following command: bcdedit /set osdevice vhd=[C:]\VHD\VHDTEST.VHD. This command associates the GUID with the physical location of the VHD file.
• Run the following command: bcdedit /set detecthal on (allows the VHD to access the physical computer resouces, such as the processor, virtualization technologies, USB drives, any other physical hard drives attached to the computer.)
• Run the following command: bcdedit /v. Displays the all of the individual Boot Loaders that are available. 

To remove the VHD:

• Open up the administrator command prompt, from the Run... command type CMD.EXE and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
• Run the following command: bcdedit /v (find the GUID of the entry you want to delete)
• Run the following command: bcdedit /delete {GUID} /cleanup
• Now you should be able to delete the VHD if you no longer need it.

Windows 8: Built-in Command Line Network Utilities

Below is a list of command line network utilities that come with Windows that are used for troubleshooting network problems. The problem with these utilities is that they're not very intuitive until you learn to understand what you're looking at.

For example, the PING command is for checking if a remote computer or device is network accessible (note: this can be block by the device's firewall). The IPCONFIG command displays information about the  computer's TCP/IP configuration, such as its IP address.

To access these utilities utilizing the command prompt, from the Start screen, type CMD and press Enter. To exit the command prompt, close the window or type EXIT and press enter.  For more information and options on any of the commands below, use the "/?" switch at the end of them (e.g. PING /?).

PING [hostname]

Example : ping example.com
Preforms a basic network test to check  communication with a remote device. 

TRACERT [hostname]

Example: traceroute example.com
Shows the path and the number of routers (aka 'network hops') that the data passes through to arrive to the destination, if a connection is broken, this will show where it could be happening.

IPCONFIG

Example : ifconfig
Shows the basic TCP/IP network configuration for the computer, such as the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.

NSLOOKUP [hostname]

Example: nslookup example.com
Displays the remote IP address assigned to a domain name based on the DNS information. This is a good test to make sure that the DNS connection is working properly.

Below is an example of the output:

Non-authoritative answer:
Name: example.com
Address: 192.0.34.166

NETSTAT [options]

Example: netstat -nt
Displays the current TCP/IP based connections established on the computer. This is handy to see the remote TCP/IP connections the system is using. 

TELNET [hostname] [port]

Example: telnet example.com 80
Provides a simple terminal session with another computer to perform different tasks, such as remote device administration or running text based applications. This utility can also be used for doing basic troubleshooting on HTTP, SMTP, and other text based  services.

ARP [options]

Example: arp -a
Shows and manages the local computer's address translation tables

NBTSTAT [options]

Example: nbtstat -n
Shows protocol statistics for NBT (NetBIOS over TCP/IP) connections.

NETSH [options]

Example: netsh interface show interface
Manages local or remote network configurations.

NET [options]

Example: net view
Displays or configures advanced network and system settings.

NLTEST [options]

Example: nltest /query
Tests the secure channels between a Windows computer in a domain and domain controllers.

PATHPING [hostname]

Example: pathping example.com
Functions similarly to TRACERT command but also reports information about network latency and loss at each router.

GETMAC [options]

Example: getmac
Displays the MAC addresses for the NIC(s) attached to the computer.

HOSTNAME 

Example: hostname
Shows the network name of the local computer.

ROUTE [options]

Example: route print
Displays and manages the local computers network routing tables.