1. Getting Started

2. Searching The best way to find information on the web: googling What search engines are there?

3. Searching The best way to find information on the web: googling What search engines are there?  Google  Yahoo  ask.com  answers.com  Bing  about.com

4. How do we add add-ons to Firefox?

5. Next question: which is the best computer? Depends:  for what purpose?  How are you going to use it? For gaming. For lugging around. To store movies and songs. To create movies and songs. To do email and word processing

6. What to look for when buying a computer, components, software Adequate CPU Enough RAM Storage space? Screen space/resolution? (http://www.consumersearch.com/desktop- computers andhttp://www.consumersearch.com/desktop- computers http://www.consumersearch.com/laptops ) See also http://www.pcmag.com/

7. How WIFI works (http://howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm )http://howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm Uses radio waves, 2.4 or 5 GHz 802.11 Networking standards. (a,b,g,n) Communication between the computer through a wireless adapter and an “access point”, usually a wireless router.

8. How to use a Hotspot WARNING!!!! Unsecured and pirate hotspots are dangerous! – Every password, sensitive number should be “encrypted”. Need a wireless adapter (most of the time, it is built into the laptop). Activate adapter; computer will detect available networks. Choose one, type in credentials and go!

9. How to set up a wireless network at home Best to use a wireless router, which includes: – Ports to connect your DSL or cable modem and cabled computers. – Logic to direct traffic between the different items “connected” to it. (Called a “router”) – A Firewall – A wireless access point. The first two things to do are: – Connect to it – Change the admin password!

10. Rules for good passwords Must have capital letters, small letters, digits and punctuation. At least eight characters in length There should not be a recognizable word in it. Should not be known to ANYBODY!

11. How to set up a wireless network at home (continued) Choose an SSID (something non-obvious). You may want to turn off SSID broadcasting. In area to set up security for network, choose an encryption security: – WEP (bad) – WEP128 (just as bad) – WPA better – WPA2 (best) Each of these require a password (again!) You may (additionally) add MAC filtering