UP
MENU SEARCH

Smarthome

What is a smart home? How do you create a Wi-Fi network? How do you pick a good Wi-Fi router? How do you use and install smart products into your home?

Reviewing the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi EA6900 Router - Is This a Smart Router?

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
This is the first time we get the chance to test and review a router from Linksys and, luckily, we are reviewing a premium model which promises great performance and plenty of features: the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi EA6900 router. As you would expect, this is a dual-band router with support for the latest 802.11ac wireless networking standard. Considering how much brand recognition Linksys has in the networking space, we were

Reviewing the ASUS USB-AC56 Dual-Band Wireless-AC1200 USB Adapter

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
In this review I take a close look at another wireless adapter from ASUS. This time I have tested ASUS USB-AC56 - a USB adapter which was designed to work on both desktop computers and laptops. After a couple of days of regular use, I can share my conclusions. Read on to learn whether this wireless adapter is a good choice for you. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] Unboxing the ASUS USB-AC56 Wireless Adapter
review Reviewing the ASUS PCE-AC68 PCI-Express Wireless Adapter for PCs

Reviewing the ASUS PCE-AC68 PCI-Express Wireless Adapter for PCs

Have you considered removing the network cables in your house and going full-wireless, including on your desktop PCs? If you have, then you should consider purchasing a wireless adapter for your desktop computers. ASUS PCE-AC68 is one such device that is able to work with all modern wireless standards, including 802.11ac. We were very curious to test it and learn more about what you
tutorial How to Delete or Forget Wireless Network Profiles in Windows 8.1

How to Delete or Forget Wireless Network Profiles in Windows 8.1

As soon as I installed Windows 8.1 on my laptop, I noticed a pretty big annoyance: the absence of the "Forget this network" option in the Networks pane. I was left with no intuitive way of removing wireless networks that no longer worked because their password has been changed. How do you get around this problem and remove wireless networks in Windows 8.1? Let's

Reviewing the ASUS RP-N14 Range Extender for Wireless Networks

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
I live in a reasonably large apartment and I have a few rooms where the signal of my wireless network is not that great. That's why I was very curious to test a wireless range extender and see whether it can deliver a much-required boost in those problematic rooms. We have received the RP-N14 range extender from ASUS - an affordable device for people who want to improve and extend
tutorial How to Connect Windows 8.1 Devices to Wireless Networks via WPS

How to Connect Windows 8.1 Devices to Wireless Networks via WPS

If you have a Windows 8.1 laptop, tablet or hybrid that you can connect to wireless networks, you may need or want to use the WPS standard to make quicker connections to some networks. If that is the case for you, here's how to connect any Windows 8.1 device to a wireless network by using the WPS feature on any router. NOTE: If

Connect Windows 8.1 Devices With Mini DisplayPorts to HDMI Displays

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Surface and Surface Pro tablets from Microsoft do not have an HDMI port and it isn't very obvious how to connect them to an external monitor. The same is true about many other Windows 8.1 devices, including laptops and tablets created by HP, Dell or Lenovo. All these modern devices do have a Mini DisplayPort that you can use for connecting them to all kinds of displays and projectors that

Change the Location of a Network from Private to Public in Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
When connecting to a new network in Windows 8.1, you are asked whether you want to find PCs, devices and content on the network. If you answer Yes, the location of the network is set as Private and if you answer No, the location is set as Public. But what if you have made a mistake and you want to change the location from Private to Public or vice-versa? Here's
tutorial Set Windows 8.1 Apps that May Use the Webcam, Microphone & other devices

Set Windows 8.1 Apps that May Use the Webcam, Microphone & other devices

Another useful new feature in Windows 8.1 is that you can set in detail which apps can use devices like the webcam, microphone and others. This tutorial shows how this configuration is performed. As you will see, it is very quick and painless. :) NOTE: The settings detailed detailed in this tutorial apply only to apps from the Windows Store. Desktop applications are

How to Remove Network Locations Mapped as Drives in Windows 8

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
The process called mapping, assigns a drive letter on your computer to a location on a remote system allowing you to access and save files over the network easily. We have shown how to make these links permanent by reconnecting them every time you log on, which assures they'll never disappear on you. However, it also means you'll get annoying messages from your tray if the network drive doesn't exist
tutorial How to Install Any Version of Windows from Other Network Computers

How to Install Any Version of Windows from Other Network Computers

Talk about a complex thing to do: installing Windows over the network. Even installing it via a USB drive is simpler. However, this doesn't mean it cannot be done. Using a free tool named Serva and a bit of time and attention, anyone can set up his/her network environment so that Windows installations are performed with ease, from one network computer. Here's how the

Reviewing the Belkin AC 1000 DB Wi-Fi Dual-Band AC+ Gigabit Router

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Have you noticed that many AC routers have been launched on the market in the last few months? What does AC stand for? It turns out it is the latest wireless networking standard. It is supposed to be the successor of the 802.11n standard and provide theoretical transfer speeds up to 500 Mbit/s. That's quite fast for wireless but are these AC routers any good? To start answering the question,

Introducing Windows 8: How to Add or Remove Devices from PC Settings

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Did you know that Windows 8 also offers a new way to add and remove devices connected to your computer? On top of the tools that exist in Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows, now there is also a Devices section in PC Settings that makes it real easy to add and remove devices. In this tutorial you will learn how it works. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] How to Open the Devices

How to Use File History with Network Drives & Locations to Backup Data

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
File History can work both with local drives plugged into your computer and drives connected to other computers on the network or to the network itself. How does this work and what is the best way to set things up? Learn this and more from this article. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] Connect an External Drive to a Computer & Recommend it to the Homegroup One way to use the same drive to backup

Reviewing the ASUS RT-N56U - Is it Really the Fastest Wireless Router?

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Lately, I have been searching for a really good wireless N router, able to provide both good speed and coverage, while battling successfully with all the other wireless networks available in my area. I did a bit of research and I have learned that many people were talking about ASUS RT-N56U and how fast it is. While hype is a good thing to have for a product, it doesn't mean

Reviewing the Belkin @TV - Mobile TV for Geeks

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Recently, I got my hands on the Belkin @TV. From the moment I touched it, I was very intrigued: Mobile television? Remote streaming? Interesting concepts I have not fiddled with until now. Imagine my curiosity while unpacking the device and setting it up for the first time. I was very eager to learn how this concept works, if it is useful, to whom, etc. If you want to see what

The Geek's Way of Managing Printers - The Print Management Console

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Have you heard about the Print Management console in Windows 7 and Windows 8? I did but I ignored it blissfully for years. Until recently when, by chance, it stirred up my attention. I began to use it and I loved it. Therefore I decided to share what I have learned with our readers and show a better way to manage your installed printers and drivers. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] Where to Find
tutorial How to Manage Wireless Network Connections & Profiles in Windows 8

How to Manage Wireless Network Connections & Profiles in Windows 8

When you connect to a wireless network, the network's security information, settings and password are automatically stored on your computer in the form of a network profile. This profile allows Windows to connect automatically the next time this network is in range. In previous versions of Windows you could open a list of available profiles for management purposes. From this list you could easily

How to Sync Offline Files & Network Folders on a Set Schedule

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Did you know that you can set the Offline Files feature in Windows 7 to synchronize network folders on a schedule set by you? I didn't know either, until very recently. Therefore, in this tutorial I will share how to schedule your sync partnerships and have network folders synced when you want to. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] Viewing Sync Partnerships First, you need to access the network folders synchronized by Offline Files and
EXPAND CLOSE