Router

May 2009 - Verizon Wireless will introduce the highly-anticipated MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot on May 17. Developed by Novatel Wireless, the MiFi 2200 lets customers create a personal Wi-Fi cloud capable of sharing the reliability and high-speed Internet connectivity of the Verizon Wireless 3G Mobile Broadband network with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as notebooks, netbooks, cameras, gaming devices or portable media/MP3 players.

The MiFi 2200 is small enough to fit in a pocket, measuring 3.5" x 2.3" x 0.4" and weighing 2.05 ounces. It combines a variety of features into its streamlined form factor, including integrated internal CDMA and Wi-Fi antennas, advanced security and authentication technologies. When one device is connected through Wi-Fi, the MiFi 2200's rechargeable battery provides up to four hours of active use and 40 hours of standby time on a single charge.

"The MiFi 2200 gives more than 86 million customers access to the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network," said Mike Lanman, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. "With projected growth rates of over 30 percent for Wi-Fi mobile phones, MiFi will be of great benefit to both business customers and consumers. It gives customers the flexibility to transform their Wi-Fi-enabled consumer electronics into Mobile Broadband devices and to choose how and when they need to be connected at a price point that will match most budgets."Read more

May 12, 2009 - A series of recent Internet security attacks on home and small office computers are compromising networks where users least expect it - their routers. These malicious software invasions, in which users unknowingly download a Trojan horse when performing common tasks, invade the router to detect wireless capabilities, then alter the victim's domain name system (DNS) records so that all future traffic is diverted through the, attackers' network first.

In response to the growing number of these attacks and subsequent user security concerns, D-Link has integrated CAPTCHA - a system, designed to detect whether responses are human or computer-generated - into its popular home and small office routers as an extra safety measure. CAPTCHAs are used to prevent malicious software from performing actions that degrade the quality of service on a network, such as those found in worms, viruses and Trojan horses.Read more

Now that wireless networks are everywhere, computer burglars, aka hackers, are having a field day, attempting to invade your privacy and worse yet, steal your identity. Believe me, you don't want that to happen.

That is why we strongly suggest that you take the following steps to secure your network:

1. Almost all routers and access points come with an administrator password that is a weak default, like "password" or the manufacturer's name. Replace the default passwords on every wireless router or access point you purchase with passwords of your own. Imagine, for instance, how many "dlink" networks there would be in the world if none of our customers renamed their routers? Hackers make it a point to know every company's default passwords. By simply defining a new password, one that will certainly be easier for you to remember than the default, you will establish the protection you need to halt hackers from accessing your network or devices.

Most reputable vendors supply easy set-up wizards with their devices. Just follow the directions to rename your router or device with something unique and easy for you to remember. But be careful not to be so creative or simplistic that you provide sensitive information with the name you give your device. "Smith Family Router" is not the best idea. Be sure to write it down and keep it someplace safe for future reference. Without it, the only way to access the router or access point may be to reset it to factory default settings. which will wipe away any configuration changes you've made.Read more