Fix a Broken Internet Connection

While we certainly want our internet connection to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the truth is that outages will sometimes occur.  Sometimes they are the fault of our provider's equipment, but sometimes they are actually due to our own equipment.  If they are our provider's fault, there is little we can do but wait.  However, if the equipment inside our house is malfunctioning, there may be a simple solution to get it working again.

Inside your house, there are usually two boxes.  The first is a modem.  This connects to your service provider's lines and translates the data being transmitted.  If you are old enough to remember dial-up internet (yes, I fall in that category!), the modem would translate all that noise you heard as you attempted to connect into signals that the computer could read.  In fact, if you picked up the phone while you were connected, you would hear more of the same noise, which was actually your web pages coming through the line.

DSL permitted data to be transmitted while using the telephone by transmitting data at multiple frequencies.  A filter would be installed that would send one frequency to the modem and another frequency to the telephone.  Cable also works in a similar manner:  television data is sent to one location while internet data is sent elsewhere.

Regardless of where your internet service comes from, you will have a modem.  However, there is probably a second box located near you modem:  your router.  If you want to connect multiple devices over your internet connection, you will need a router to tell all the incoming traffic where to go.  It would be horrible if you were watching a Netflix movie, and then the movie went to your son's laptop while his research for a term paper was displayed on your television.

Malfunctions can occur in either of these devices.  Sometimes, they are able to correct themselves and you never notice the problem, but other times, you will need to reset both boxes.  The process is simple:  find the power cord, and unplug both of them.  Wait about 30 seconds (devices can hold a charge for a short period after they are unplugged), and then plug your modem in first.  (The modem will have a cable running from the wall into the back of the box.)

Once your modem is running again and the lights have stopped flashing, plug your router back in.  Once again, wait for lights to stop flashing.  Then, check your internet.  If it still does not work, your service provider may be experiencing an outage.  In this case, it is best to call them to confirm the outage.  If they do not see a service outage, they may take you through some troubleshooting steps, including the reset I just described.

It would also be a good idea to perform a reset every so often while your internet is still out.  Most of the time, my computer has worked fine once service has been restored, but I remember one time when we had to do a reset before our service worked again.  Since it takes less than a minute, it might be worth it to recheck every hour or two.

Secure Your Accounts with Two-Step Authentication

It seems that hardly a day goes by without word of another high-profile company being hit with a data breach.  If someone gains access to your password, they can do anything that you can do inside your account.  Anything you can see or do when you log in, they can see or do from their own computer.

However, there is a way that you can keep people from accessing your account, even if they have your current password.  It is called two-step or two-factor authentication.  This requires two forms of identification before access to your account is granted.  My first introduction to two-factor authentication happened over a decade ago.  My dad would connect to the network at work with not only a password, but also a random code generated by a token he carried on his keychain.  Anyone who got his password would also have to steal his token in order to access the network under his name.

Of course, a token for your Gmail or Yahoo email account would be impractical.  It becomes even more impractical when you consider that you would also need one for your Facebook account, your Walmart account, etc.  Imagine having a token for each online account you set up:  you would never be able to find the one you wanted when you need it.

However, many modern accounts can activate some form of two-factor authentication.  For example, when I log into my online banking account from a computer, I am required to have an access code emailed or texted to my phone.  After I successfully enter a code, a cookie is placed on the computer that notifies the site that this computer is approved, and I no longer have to enter it until I clear the cookies or log in on a different computer.

Unfortunately, two-factor authentication is rarely required or even presented as an option when signing up for an account.  As mentioned earlier, my bank requires it when you log in for the first time on a particular computer, but I do not recall ever being offered two-factor authentication for my Gmail or Yahoo emails, even though Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft emails (Hotmail/Live.com) all have this as an option.  Facebook, Twitter, PayPal, and Amazon are among other companies that also offer two-factor authentication.

If you are unsure if a site offers two-factor authentication, try searching the site's help pages or contacting customer support.  If it is offered, I recommend that you enable it wherever you can.  It is certainly not foolproof, but it is an additional step to help keep unwanted guests out of your accounts.

Request Desktop Sites on Your Mobile Device

Mobile sites are usually wonderful.  They are formatted for small screens and require less processing power for phones and tablets.  However, there are times when you may not want the mobile site.  The layout on a mobile website may be different from what you are used to, or not all features may be accessible from the mobile site.

Most websites used to include a link to access the desktop site on their mobile pages, allowing you to quickly switch back to the desktop site.  However, changes in web development practices have meant that many sites have gotten rid of these buttons.  This means that you will have to use other measures to get the desktop site instead of the mobile site.

Fortunately, most major mobile browsers now include an option to request the desktop site.  (The one exception is the Safari browser for iPhone and iPad.)  For Chrome, simply tap the menu button and the "Request Desktop Site" button appears on the main menu.

This will work for most sites, but some will still force you onto the mobile version.  In some cases, you can try editing the website's address.  Most mobile sites will start with an "m." or have a "/mobile" at the end.  Deleting this may take you to the desktop site, but the site may recheck your information, see you are on a mobile device, and redirect you back to the the mobile site.

If neither method works and there is no button on the site to request the desktop version, you are out of options unless you can develop another workaround.  For example, the mobile site for my employer does not contain a link to the database where we log in to check our payroll data.  To get around this, I went to the login page and copied that address into an email, and then opened the link and bookmarked it on my phone.

Test Your Internet Speed

When I first started using the internet, there was one speed available:  56k dial up.  (In case you are curious, there are still people who use dial up internet.)  Then, we had the option to upgrade from dial up to DSL, which worked at almost 100 times that speed.  Now, we have the option to get even faster internet speeds via cable and fiber optic lines.  DSL, cable, and fiber optic usually also offer multiple speeds.  However, with so many options available, how do you know that your internet provider is actually giving you the speeds it promises?

That's where Speedtest.net comes in. It will test your internet connection and give you a measure of how fast your internet is working. Then, you can compare the result to the speed you purchased. (If you are unsure what your speed should be, check your bill or contact your internet provider.)

A few notes about this test:

• It is best if you use a wired connection to your router for the test. Wi-Fi speeds can vary based on a number of factors, including distance from the router.
• Before you test, stop any other internet activities and tell everyone to stay off the internet for the test. Otherwise, your speed will be slowed by these other activities.
• If your speed comes out slower than you were expecting, disconnect your router and connect your computer directly to the modem. Try the test again and see if your speed improves. If it does, then your router is slowing down your speeds.
• Try testing your speeds at different times. Cable internet speeds can vary based on the number of people in your area using the internet.
• Do not be concerned if your upload speed is significantly lower than your download speed. Unless you are hosting a web site, your internet usage is primarily download. (When you open a site, your computer uploads a request to the internet, and then spends the rest of the time downloading the content the site sends you.) Therefore, service providers invest much more in boosting download speeds.
• Just because your service is not at the speed you purchased does not mean that your internet provider is the problem. There could be problems with your computer or router. Before you call your service provider, check for problems on your end.

Use Cloud Backup to Save Important Files

Today, I received a phone call inquiring about data recovery from a desktop that had sustained water damage.  While it is not easy to talk about, we should all have a plan for backing up and recovering important files regardless of the circumstances we may encounter.

Most of us (myself sometimes included) do not back up our files on a regular basis.  And when we do back up, it usually consists of copying our important files onto a flash drive and leaving that near the computer.  While the flash drive is sufficient to give you your files if the hard drive crashes, it may not be enough if you face a disaster.  If a tornado, fire, flood, or other disaster strikes your house, the flash drive could be destroyed or lost along with your computer.  In the past, the only way to keep your data safe was to perform a backup and store it at another location.  While this worked fine for large companies, it was more difficult for home users and small businesses.

Now, the internet provides a simple solution.  There are many companies that offer a variety of automatic or semi-automatic backup options for you to store backups where they can be easily recovered.  Google Drive and Dropbox both offer a limited amount of free storage (15 GB for Google Drive and 2 GB for Dropbox) with options to purchase more space.  Both of these provide software that will install a folder on your desktop.  Anything saved into the folder will be automatically backed up.  I use Google Drive for personal files and Dropbox for my business files and would recommend either one.

If you want a complete backup of everything without having to save it to a particular folder, you can use an automatic backup company like Carbonite.  (I have not used Carbonite, but I know several people who use it and are very happy with their service.)  Carbonite will back up every file on your computer unless you specifically mark it to be ignored.

Regardless of which option you choose, you will find that it is simple to use and maintain an automatic backup.  Then, if you suffer a hard drive crash or another catastrophe that destroys your computer, you will be able to rest assured that your files will be safe.

Plus, as an added bonus, you will have the ability to access your files from anywhere.  Google Drive, Dropbox, and Carbonite all have mobile apps that allow you to open your files from your phone or tablet.

Move Quickly Between Browser Tabs

It is hard to believe that there was ever a time that we survived without browser tabs.  It is a rare event when I only have one tab open.  Currently, I have two browser windows open.  One browser window has three open tabs and the other has seven open tabs.  Before tabbed browsing, that would have been ten separate windows I would have had open.  Even for those who do not open quite as many tabs as me, tabs are still a great way to organize two or three web pages.

However, when you have multiple tabs open at a time, switching between them can take time if you reach for the mouse for each switch.  Fortunately, all the major browsers have some key combinations to help you move between tabs more quickly.  Even better, the same key combinations are used on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.

Here are a few of the best key combinations to use with tabs:

Open a New Tab:  Ctrl + T will open a new tab.

Open the Last Closed Tab:  If you accidentally close a tab you wanted open, use Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen it.

Switch Between Tabs:  Ctrl + Page Down moves to the next tab.  Ctrl + Page Up moves to the previous tab.  (I thought this key combination worked on Internet Explorer, but it did not work on my computer.)

Go To a Specific Tab:  Use Ctrl + [Number] to advance to a specific tab.  For example, Ctrl + 1 moves to the first tab, Ctrl + 2 moves to the second tab, etc.  If you have more than eight tabs, this tip will only allow you to move directly to the first eight.

Move to the Last Tab:  Regardless of the number of tabs open, Ctrl + 9 moves to the last tab.

I Can't Log In!

Today's tip is actually going to be sponsored by...me!

As you may have noticed, my daily tips did not go out on schedule at the end of this week.  Starting Wednesday night, every time I attempted to log into my mail program, I was greeted with a message stating:

OOPS! The system is offline and will be available shortly.
We are currently working on getting your account back online.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Assuming that they were having a problem, I did not contact them until Thursday evening, when they were approaching 24 hours offline.  Assuming that the problem was on their end, I simply asked them if they had an estimated time that their system would be back online.  They quickly responded to say that they were not having any problems.

After I realized Friday afternoon that I could log in on any other computer--just not my primary one--I knew that the problem was a setting on my computer.  My first course of action (and the reason for relating this story in today's tip) was to clear my browser settings, cookies, and cached pages.

The reason why clearing all those setting helped is complicated and would be best saved for another tip.  However, the point is this:  if you are having trouble with a website on just one computer or device, clear out those settings, cookies, and cache before you contact tech support.  This is especially true for websites with security or websites where you have to log in.  It may not be the solution, but it will likely be one of the first things that tech support will tell you to do.  By telling them you already did it, it could save you one step in your email exchange.