Computer Networking and Consulting

• What is Wireless Networking?

  Any computer/device that can communicate with other computers/devices, without a wire connected to it. Wireless Networking came out before Wireless Access Points and Wireless Routers, just in another form. Two examples of wireless networking that are not related to computers but not limited to are, your remote to lock/unlock your car doors, and remote to turn on and off your TV. This term has mainly been used to allow wireless devices to communicate to the internet.

• Why would I should I choose a Wire connection over a wireless connection?

  We all Love to go wireless, the ability to pick up a device and use it while not being plugged into a wall. However what most people don’t know is that wireless now days is very hard to work with. Wireless Range Coverage is acceptable to any interference to some degree from: other wireless devices broadcasting their signal, outdoor interference, cell phones, garage door opener, remote car starts, remote control for Home Entertainment, outdoor weather, smoke detector, and etc. We have seen some Wireless Bands completely hide on devices, until we have moved that wireless device that was broadcasting that wireless signal to a location where wireless interference was low. We are not saying you should forget about wireless all together, but we will recommend that the wireless devices be kept to a minimum, to avoid wireless headaches. We have some customers that have installed everything in their house to use a wireless connection, once they are done there is little to no internet left, so they can stream Netflix, or browse the Internet. A wireless connection may be a simple and cheap compared to a wired connection, however it might cause expensive headache in the future.

• What is the Difference between Bluetooth and Wireless?

  Bluetooth is a form of wireless, except its small range is up to about 50 feet. This is why this technology mainly stays in cell phones. You would not want to install Bluetooth Repeaters every 20-30 Feet, that would not be cost effective.

• What is Dual Band?

  To make computers wireless and to have wireless range cover your building, they need to operate at certain frequencies. Wireless-G operates up to 300Mbps at 2.4Ghz and Wireless N (AC) operates at 5.8Ghz band up to 1.3Gbps speed or sometimes even faster. Most new devices now a days are Dual Band capable, but not all of them can broadcast both frequencies at the same time. Most wireless cards in devices like: phones, laptops, computer, and etc. can only connect to one band at a time. Some devices like: Routers, Wireless Access Points (WAP), Repeaters, Extenders and etc. can broadcast both bands at the same time, which is very useful if you are trying to connect old devices to wireless. Wireless-G (2.4Ghz) band is a slow speed compared to Wireless-N (5.8Ghz), however Wireless-G(2.4Ghz) band gives you a much better range

• What is a Wireless Access Point (WAP)?

  A Wireless Access Point (WAP), is a device that allows devices like: computers, laptop, cell phones, etc. to be able to connect to it and communicate over an Cat 5e/Cat6 Ethernet Wire. A (WAP) will broadcast any name that is assigned to the SSID name. This can either be the same as another (WAP) or can have a new SSID name. Networks, recommends these and only these devices for expanding the Wireless Coverage in a Building, However they will require a minimum of one Ethernet Cable to the location of Installation, sometimes Electrical Power may be required at the location as well.

• What is a Wireless Repeater and how is it different from an Wireless Extender?

  A Wireless Repeater and a Wireless Extender usually refers to the same device, just different name. They both extend the Wireless Coverage throughout the building. Usually Wireless Repeaters get their name because they make a weak wireless signal strong. Some may say they boost the Wireless Coverage. Wireless Extenders sometimes require a wire connected to them, either coax and/or Cat 5e/Cat 6 Ethernet Wire. Some Wireless Extenders do not require any configuration at all, where most Wireless Repeaters may require some level of configuration and generally don’t need any wires except to power them, almost giving you a minimum amount of freedom as long as they are place by an outlet. Networks, does not recommend these devices, because they are not an effective solution to extend wireless coverage in a building. These devices tend to slow down a wireless network, then to keep the speed moving. These devices also tend to create their own loopback, creating problems for any device that is trying to connect to the internet. Just because you are shown you are connected, does not mean you are.

Computer Forensic

• What is MD5 checksum?

  MD5 checksum is a 128-bit value that helps identify the uniqueness of a file. You can have two file names, but each will have a different checksum. You use these checksums to compare two different files to identify if they are the same.

• What are common data sources used during investigations?

  While there are many sources of data that computer forensic investigators use during `an investigation, the following are the most common:
  
   1- Log files
   2- Network traffic
   3- System images
   4- Databases
   5- Application data
   6- User data

• What is an .ISO file?

  An ISO file contains an application or CD image of several files and executables. Most app software can be made into an ISO that you then mount as a virtual drive and can browse files within the ISO. New Windows versions come with internal ISO mounting capabilities.

• What is a SAM file?

  A SAM, or Security Accounts Manager, file is used in Windows computers to store user passwords. It’s used to authenticate remote and local Windows users, and can be used to gain access to a user’s computer.

• What is data mining?

  Data mining is the process of recording as much data as possible to create reports and analysis on user input. For instance, you can mine data from various websites and then log user interactions with this data to evaluate which website areas are accessed by users when logged in.

• What is geotagging?

  Geotagging refers to the addition of geographic information to digital media. A standard geotagging method is adding GPS coordinates to data, photos, and videos. It can be used to track people and objects and add context to a file.