Leo's Answers #58 – December 29, 2006

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

*** Contents

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

How do I extend my network wirelessly?

I have a home network set up where my router is connected to an access point. That access point talks wireless to another access point on the property. That access point is then hooked to a PC with ethernet. I have just purchased a laptop with wireless capability. My question is how can i access the internet at the remote location wireless? Can i somehow use the 2nd access point? Right now they are set up to only talk to each other.

What you describe as having could be done several different ways, so it's difficult for me to give a specific recommendation without knowing your situation exactly.

However, it's not at all uncommon for people to want to extend their wireless network somehow, or use wireless technology to extend their wired network.

We'll look at a couple of ways to do that, and see if we can't solve your problem along the way.

Continue reading: "How do I extend my network wirelessly?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_extend_my_network_wirelessly.html

* * *

How do I put my business on the web?

I am a small business owner and it's time to have a presence on the web. I'd like to do as much, if not all of it, myself. What would you recommend for someone that is not computer savvy and has no experience / expertise with creating and hosting a web site. All I want to do is list our products, a line card, contact info and monitor hits.

In this day and age, it's almost become a requirement to have a presence on the internet, even for the smallest business. Even before reading this question, I'd just looked up our local dry-cleaners on the web... not a web business, but the contact and other information I was looking for was right there.

More and more and more people expect at least that much.

So you're definitely headed in the right direction.

Let's look at what it'll take.

Continue reading: "How do I put my business on the web?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_put_my_business_on_the_web.html

* * *

Will sending someone a link to my Hotmail allow them to get in?

I was talking to someone in an Instant Messenger while I was reading through my emails. I found a funny email that was sent to me that linked to another site and I decided to send that link to my friend. I wasn't paying attention and I sent him a link to the actual email in my Hotmail account rather than the link that opened in a separate window. Can he access my account through that link or will it only access from the my IP on my computer?

It's an easy mistake to make - I frequently copy and/or paste the wrong thing in to email messages or other items. Still it pays to be careful.

The good news here is that it's very unlikely that your friend could now access your email. While it has nothing to do with the IP address of your machine, it does have everything to do with Hotmail's security.

Continue reading: "Will sending someone a link to my Hotmail allow them to get in?"
http://ask-leo.com/will_sending_someone_a_link_to_my_hotmail_allow_them_to_get_in.html

* * *

Why do I get "There is another user logged onto your computer" when I shut down?

I turned on my computer and came back after 30 minutes or so to let Norton do its scans and so forth. When I tried to start working my computer was nearly frozen, so I tried to shut it down. I got a message that said "There is another user logged onto your computer if you terminate now they may lose there work" - so I quickly powered off but What's going on? this is a new problem and I have never accessed nor anyone else from elsewhere.

Based on your description, I'd personally be concerned that your computer had been infected with some kind of malware allowing remote control.

But before we jump to such an extreme conclusion, let's take a look at just what that message means, and what you might consider doing to determine exactly what's going on.

"There is another user logged onto your computer" can actually mean a couple of different things.

Continue reading: "Why do I get "There is another user logged onto your computer" when I shut down?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_do_i_get_there_is_another_user_logged_onto_your_computer_when_i_shut_down.html

* * *

Someone used my credit card on-line illegally. What recourse do I have?

My American Express statement showed a charge for software that I had not ordered. I notified Amex and they checked it out and said that the charge appeared legitimate. The problem was that the order data supplied was my card number, my address, and everything else, except the email address was not my email address.

Someone used all of my data and created a special email address to download software and charged it to my account. Amex has turned this over to their Fraud department, and my card number has been changed.

Can an email address be identified as to who originated it?

If a software provider gives a customer a license number for their software, can they revoke that license and make that software inoperable?

Welcome to identity theft. Clearly someone assumed your identity for a bogus transaction, and you're left holding the bag - sort of. (As it turns out, it's the merchant that's often left holding the bag - I've been in the merchant's position.) The opportunities for resolution are few and difficult.

Can the email address be traced?

Maybe. But I would not be hopeful. Here's why.

Continue reading: "Someone used my credit card on-line illegally. What recourse do I have?"
http://ask-leo.com/someone_used_my_credit_card_online_illegally_what_recourse_do_i_have.html

* * *

Are web-based applications any good?

I look at the potential, and risks, of applications such as Google Docs & Spreadsheets, and Zoho.

Continue reading: "Are web-based applications any good?" Article Includes Audio
http://ask-leo.com/are_webbased_applications_any_good.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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*** Popular Articles from the Archives

This is another of those exceptionally common questions that seems simple on the surface, but causes many people problems.

What's a '.dat' file?

I have a ".dat" file on my computer, and I'd like to open it up and see what's inside. What is a .dat file, and what application do I use to look at it?

In short: there's no way to tell.

The problem is that many applications use the file extension ".dat" to indicate a file that contains data.

But that's exactly all it tells us, and that's not enough.

Read more... What's a '.dat' file?
http://ask-leo.com/whats_a_dat_file.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

I got around to updating What are some other good support sites? this week. Some familiar sites were suggested, but a few sites that were new to me as well. Definitely some potentially helpful resources. Thank you to everyone who's suggested a site. Keep suggesting: if you don't see a site listed there that has been particularly helpful to you, let me know - we all benefit from finding out about it!

I was interviewed this week on the new podcast Three Things You Should Know. (Full Disclosure - Three Things You Should Know is, coincidentally, a paid advertiser this week, and happens to be run by Anne Mitchell, a good friend of mine.) Quoting the site: "'3 Things You Should Know' is the weekly podcast conversation that will make you say 'Hey, I didn't know that!'".

My "thing you should know"? The first thing you need to do before connecting your new computer to the internet. Hopefully it'll have been posted by the time you get this.

Though, in all honestly, I expect most of you already know the answer J.

This is also the last newsletter of 2006! Hard to believe another year's flown by. Here's wishing all of you a very happy and prosperous 2007!

Until next year, er, week...

Leo

* * *

The Latest:
Forwarded Funnies: "The perfect Christmas gift for your man..."
Taming Email: "Is a Response Really Required?"
Leo's MovableType Tips: "Use Meaningful Page Names"

*** Newsletter Administration

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I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, I read every email I get.

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Newsletter contents Copyright © 2006, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

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Posted: December 29, 2006 in: 2006
Shortlink: https://newsletter.askleo.com/2884
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I'm Leo Notenboom and I've been playing with computers since I took a required programming class in 1976. I spent over 18 years as a software engineer at Microsoft, and after "retiring" in 2001 I started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place to help you find answers and become more confident using this amazing technology at our fingertips. More about Leo.