Ronald Pacchiano

Of all of the network security threats your company faces, few are as potentially dangerous as the rogue Access Point (AP). A rogue AP is a Wi-Fi Access Point that is set up by an attacker for the purpose of sniffing wireless network traffic in an effort to gain unauthorized access to your network. Ironically, […]

Many computer owners mistakenly think that if they run anti-virus software on the computer connected to the Internet then all PCs on the network are protected. However, if you use Microsoft’s Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) and Internet Connection Firewall (ICF)programs to share a DSL or cable modem line with several PCs, you need to use […]

I own two computers: one desktop and a second-hand notebook that I recently purchased on eBay. For sometime now, I’ve wanted to set up a wireless connection for my notebook so that I could use it throughout the house, but I’m not the most computer-savvy person and have been intimidated to try. Lately, though, I’ve […]

A lot has changed in home and SOHO networking in the 5 years since we first published Installing a Cable Modem: USB vs. Ethernet. If you want the current thinking on which port is better for connecting a cable modem — USB or Ethernet — be sure to read the updated version. Just click on […]

I used to work for a large law firm in Calif., but I recently left to start my own practice. I spend a lot of time traveling and in court, so I usually need to carry a lot of documents with me. As you might guess, I occasionally misplace or forget some critical document back […]

I’ve been using a wireless network for a few months. I don’t know much about (Wi-Fi) encryption and security, but I would like to get a better understanding so I can respond appropriately in certain situations. I’ve come up with couple of scenarios (based on what I know) to illustrate how I think the wireless […]

I maintain the computer network for a small community center in Florida. The network is composed of three Windows 2000 servers and about 20 Windows XP Professional workstations. Over the next year, we’re expecting to add at least another 10 workstations to the network. We also have a couple of access points installed for members […]

I was just wondering — If you set up MAC filtering on a home wireless network without enabling WEP or WPA, wouldn’t that be sufficient to protect the network from unauthorized access? Since no PC would be allowed to join the network without a previously authorized MAC address, how could anyone possibly gain access to […]

Q. I’ve recently started experiencing a rather unusual e-mail problem. I was working out of my home office the other day composing an e-mail. Seconds after hitting the send button, I received an error message indicating that the message had been blocked by something called SORBS. I’ve never heard of SORBS before this and have […]

For the last couple of years I have been living in a small, single-level, two-bedroom apartment. Thanks to my wireless network, I have Internet access available from any room. Over the years I’ve become very comfortable with this level of mobility, and it has proved quite valuable on many occasions, especially when professional colleagues visit […]

Norton and McAfee are two of the most popular names in anti-virus software, especially among small businesses. While it’s a good idea to go with a leading company when it comes something as important has antivirus protection, it’s not always an economical choice. In this case, that price is about $53 for Norton or $59 […]

I run a small IT consulting business in the New York area. One of my clients approached me with a project that I’m not certain how to go about implementing. I was hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction. This particular client runs a sports car club and is interested […]