Bellevue BSIT Posting - HH

Security threats are everywhere. Recently, I have received more than one phone call from Korea. Of course, I didn’t answer.  I have also received an email from the “IRS” that informed me that my tax return might have been compromised and I should call the provided number. Again, I didn’t respond. I went to the IRS website and called an official phone number. The real IRS said everything looks fine. I also try to avoid clicking links within emails so I don’t accidentally give access to malicious software. The main thing to remember is that you need to be defensive. I have enjoyed this class. For the most part, I didn’t learn of new hardware components or Windows security options that I was not aware of before this class. However, I did learn additional in-depth concepts of SSD technologies, WANs, internet protocols, windows features and utilities, and data paths within computer systems. I am sure I learned more, but I can’t recall anything else at the moment. Currently, I am not in a

Some individuals own a printer and others do not, but everyone uses the product of a printer. Printed documents are used for items such as loan agreements, education documents, and restaurant receipts. There are several types off printers, but a few of them are more popular. The primary printers types are Inkjet printers, laser printers, tank printers, and thermal printers. Cannon and Epson are two types of Inkjet printers. Both of them squirt ink on a piece of paper, but LaserJet printers are a little more unique. It uses electricity to create a positive and negative charge that makes the toner (not ink) stick to the paper. Then a hot roller melts the toner onto the paper. Thermal (receipt) printers don’t use ink or toner. It uses heat to cause thermal paper to react. There are a few features to consider when buying a printer. Some of the features include black and white prints, color prints, print resolution, and print tray capacity. You also need to decide if you want to buy i

Currently, there are two mainstream operating systems on mobile devices. For Apple and Android developers, security is one of the foremost considerations. Security of company properties and customer’s confidence in privacy are both important. Simplistically speaking, the basic concept of operating system security of a mobile device is the same as the more robust desktop and laptop computers, but on a smaller scale. Although, iOS and Android devices do not need security software installed like most desktops and laptops. System security is an integrated part of the operating systems and continuously updated by major and minor updates. The primary methods of data transfer are through cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near-field communication. There are several best practices are should be strongly considered.  The first thing is to ensure the operating system is up-to-date, which will help reduce the likelihood of compromising security. Additionally, be to use dissimilar passwords on your d

Generally speaking, there are four common means of getting internet service. You can receive internet through Fiber, cable, DSL, and satellite services. Fiber is exactly as it sounds, data travels through a fiber optic cable. Cable internet uses the same cabling that supplies your TV programs. DSL internet uses a phone line, and satellite internet travels by Ku band frequencies. In any case, losing your internet connection is a pain and a terrifying experience if you have never had to troubleshoot it. In my experience, it is one of four things that cause me to lose internet. I could accidentally unplug the Ethernet cable, the wireless dongle turns off, the cable modem (or router) needs to be rebooted, or the provider is having issues. Although, a few years ago I moved to a different home. We purchased cable internet, but could not connect to the internet. Come to find out, the line that came from the phone pole to the house was the original line from the early 90's. fortunatel

Network systems are important in today's tech-centered society. In reality, many of the common infrastructures we use would be crippled (at least for a short time) if something was to happen. A network, usually internet based, is comprised of multiple devices that are interconnected. The devices can be any system that has the ability to connect to the internet. For a home network, devices connect to the internet through a router. The router is the host that sends and receives data to an external network (such as Walmart.com). The two basic types of networks are the Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN).  A LAN is a self-contained network that connects multiple devices together and is usually connected to the internet (World Wide Web).  A step up from a LAN is the WAN. A WAN connects multiple LANs, in which the LAN is the “device” and the WAN is the self-contained network. Businesses and some home networks use hubs and switches. Hubs and switches are used in LAN sy

Computers are amazing machines. They can crunch thousands and millions of data points in a few seconds. Government officials can share vast amounts of intelligence and gamers are able to play complex and visually stunning video games. Unfortunately, computer systems occasionally run into errors that cause problems and bring the system to a halt. Those issues can be caused by malfunctioning hardware and software. Hardware malfunctions occur while installing new hardware, improper re-installation after maintenance, and over-working hardware (overclocking). Fixing a hardware malfunction may be as simple as removing the hardware, cleaning it, and reinstalling. Other times, the hardware must be replaced to resolve an issue. Conversely, the software or driver might be faulty if the hardware was replaced and it still does not function. software errors can be caused by erroneous code, a bad device driver, or missing device driver. Software and driver errors may occur at any point. They can o

Not all users need enterprise level security, although, controlling your data is important. There are numerous options that will improve single-user and multi-user security. First option is to create user accounts and set appropriate permissions. A user account will improve system security by allowing an administrator to manage account access and restrictions. The user account can be limited to certain files, settings, and functions unless the user has the administrator password. The administrator can also manage file permissions by accessing the properties of specific files or a parent file and managing the permissions under the Security tab. Second option, the user can encrypt data. Basic data encryption, of some internal devices, is available on Windows 10 Home. Although, Windows 10 Pro will unlock additional capabilities with BitLocker. Additionally, the administrator can restrict applications. For Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows Education, the AppLocker can limit certain appli

Repairing a computer start-up problem can be a simple issue to fix. On the other hand, it could require intensive troubleshooting of hardware and software. Removable media, hardware connections, and software changes are among the culprits. Various issues could cause the boot process to lockup. Many times, the problem will be a simple to fix. Hard drive free space, too many start-up programs, incomplete software updates, and upgraded hardware are among the culprits. For example, upgrading Windows 7 to Windows 10 could be troublesome. You might get an error message telling you that the computer does not have enough space. Microsoft recommends 20 GB of hard drive space, although, you might not have enough space to allow the new version to be downloaded (and decompressed) while the older software version is moved to an archived folder. Make sure you have a little extra room on the hard drive. You could also run into a problem if your computer attempts to load too many programs during t

After the power button is pressed, how does the computer know how to start or if it is functioning correctly? On the motherboard, there are several mechanisms. Traditionally, a computer uses Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS), and a Master Boot Record (MBR) to get the end-user to the welcome screen. Currently, a newer version of the BIOS and MBR is available. In simple terms, the BIOS and UEFI are interchangeable and MBR and GPT are interchangeable. The new BIOS is called Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and provides better flexibility than BIOS. The updated MBR is called GUID Partition Table (GPT). It contains a better partition table on the hard drive, which allows larger hard drives to be used as a boot drives. The BIOS is a native software within the motherboard, although, relatively simple. After power on, the BIOS script starts. The BIOS performs a Power-On Self-Test (POST) and communicates with all of the installed hard

So far, we have the central processing unit (CPU), Random Access Memory (RAM), hard drive, and a few sub-parts such as the memory controller chip (MCC) and Bus (one of the data highways). The CPU is the brain and the RAM contains temporal data that is routinely needed, or expected to be needed, by the CPU. The hard drive is the third-tier component that contains all permanent data. The hard drive cannot keep up with the speed of the CPU so the CPU retrieves data from the RAM through the Bus. The CPU’s process is initiated by the clock wire. Following, the CPU seeks to retrieve information by communicating with the RAM. Assuming the RAM contains the needed information, the CPU uses an address Bus to transmit the location of the data and execution command to the MCC. The MCC interprets the instructions, grabs the data, and returns the data through the Bus back to the CPU for processing. The CPU can then produce a solution for the person in front of the computer screen. Resour

Last week I watched a video that described the basic parts of a computer and a little about the function of each part. Since that video was published, all of the hardware mentioned has evolved materially and improved in processing capacity. For example, the evolution of processor configuration and data pathways. However, the basic functions are still the same. Power flows into the computer supply which is converted into a 12 volt (or less) power source for the numerous pieces of hardware. Some of the different power connectors include the 20/24 ATX for the motherboard. My computer used the 24 pin version. The CPU is attached directly to the mother board so it does not require external power. For my graphics card, two PCI-E 6 pin connectors are used for power and data is transferred through the PCI-E 2.0 x 16 connections. My HDDs and CD-ROMs use 5 pin SATA power connectors. The data travels to and from the HDDs and CD-ROMs by way of SATA data cables. The two fans in the computer are

Hello bloggers, my name is Howard. I am married, have two kids, and a dog. I am in the Air Force and live in Florida. Most of my time off work is spent at my kid's sporting events and on the coastal waters of south Florida. Currently, my knowledge of PCs is lacking compared to professional standards, but I am the family techy. When something doesn't work, I get voluntold to fix it. My knowledge is enough to get me into trouble. I know how to install hardware components such as power supplies, graphics cards, fans, USB expansions, SSDs/HDDs, CD drives and basic router hookup and setup. My graphics card is not working (which is probably from trying to overclock it). Because of that, I am familiar with reinstalling Windows on my PC. I can do basic software manipulations such as putting all non-Windows files on a separate HDD. I would love to buy a NAS, but I have not committed to it yet. My PC maintenance and troubleshooting capabilities are in-line with my basic PC knowledge. I