TOPIC: Internet Connections

(from Ashley)
Hi Willie,
I am having difficulty getting my laptop to go online at home. My roommate's PC is working fine with the modem, but my laptop won't connect to it. Why?

Willie says:
Hi Ashley. I am inclined to think that your roommate's PC is connected to the modem via an ethernet cable, yes? And, you are trying to go wireless?
If this is the case, that modem may not be suitable for a wireless connection to the Internet. Or, perhaps the wireless part of it isn't turned on. This happens frequently because people don't want others nearby to steal their bandwidth with a wireless connection via their modem. And, trust me, that is easy to do because most people have the wireless connection turned on but do not set up a firewall to protect it from others who happen to lock in to their signal and take advantage of it. I suggest your roommate contacts the company that he (or she) has for an Internet service provider (ISP) and ask them how to turn the wireless feature on and off as well as how to set up a firewall to protect it.
Let me know if this helps.

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(from Doug)
Hi Willie,
I recently went to Q----T for Internet service. I was supposed to get 40 MBPS of speed. When I try to watch online videos, they keep locking up and buffering. Isn't 40 MBPS fast enough?

Willie says:
Hi Doug. I think you may not be getting the 40 MBPS you were offered. Here's a good way to find out. Do a search on the web for "check my speed". In the results, you will find several websites that allow you to test your computer's Internet speed by pretending to upload and then download a file. Results will vary between these sites by a little bit. But, you should see something close to the 40 MBPS you were quoted. If you don't, call your provider and explain the problem to them.
If you DO get close to 40 MBPS on these tests, there may be an issue with your machine (like too little RAM).

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Disclaimer:
(lawyers make us do this stuff)
Although we will try to diagnose the problems you may be having with your PC through this column, there is no guarantee that this advice will fix the problems you are experiencing with your machine. Only a true, one-on-one diagnosis is an accurate way to pinpoint the issues a computer may be having. This advice is directed at the most common and easiest "fix" issues that are found in most home or office PC's and can usually be repaired or resolved (with some direction) by the PC user and not a IT professional. 360custom.com, its owners, staff or associates is not responsible for any damage including (but not limited to) loss of data, hardware or software damage) that may result from attemps at following the instructions in this column.