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How To Get WiFi-N Signal Strength From WiFI-G or WiFI-B Routers
Aug 24th
Personally, I have wifi-B routers in the house. To extend the coverage, I’ve daisy-chained two of them to increase the footprint of reception. It’s really easy to use a 2nd wireless router to basically act as an extension cord. All you have to do is turn of DHCP and make it into a wireless switch (switches are different than routers, but that’s a different blog post right there).
But I still have areas of the house and backyard deck where the signal strength is a bit weak. So I’ve been monitoring prices for the latest WiFi-N routers of course. The other option is to buy an “extender” or larger antennas – but the price is about the same with option A or option B.  Since what I have set-up basically works for 90% of my needs, I’m in no rush to spend full retail for the upgrade.
I recently heard of a hack that turbo boosts your signal. Here’s an amazingly simple router hack that lets you boost your Wi-Fi signal strength (in truth, it works for 802.11N / G / B / etc) for about $0.25.
The secret is in the parabola. . . check out this video tutorial to see how to create the wifi signal extender in less than 10 minutes:
If you don’t want to risk 10 minutes of your time to make an actual antenna dish, here’s a video that shows all the steps in detail. It’s not that involved in making the wifi extender parabolic reflector from the printable template. Remember all you need is the printed template, aluminum foil, scissors and a glue stick.
Ok, now do you like what you see?
Here’s the link for the printable wifi-extender template:
QUESTION: HOW MANY WIFI DEVICES DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE?
How To Send A Fax Via Internet For Free
Jun 25th
There’s tons of free incoming e-fax services out there.
Personally, I have been using k7.net unified messaging lately which gives me free inbound faxes and voicemail.
However when you want to SEND A FAX, that’s a completely different story. This is where the online faxing companies make their money.
TrustFax.com, efax.com, faxaway.com all charge different rates for outbound faxing capabilities – per page, per minute of transmission, monthly fees, etc.
S
ince I don’t send faxes often, the two services I use are www.faxzero.com and now www.myfax.com — as you guessed, both are free faxing services.
But one of these two internet faxing services is the clear winner. Here’s why: Read the rest of this entry »
Pencil Pushing Made Easy
Jun 5th
This just might be the right moment for you to go it your own way and start your own business.
You know you’ve been thinking about it on and off for awhile now.
Well, since the time is right, where do you start?
When you open for business, one of the first critical steps is to make sure your books are in order.
Accounting is so important in business. Not just for tax purposes, unless you know exactly where your money is coming from and where it is going, you won’t be able to make strategic decisions to keep your business afloat and succeed in the future.
While it’s no replacement for a good accountant that can be a great advisor on your side, bookkeeping software can really make your daily business life a little less stressful. Seriously.
Here’s one strong suggestion I have for all entrepreneurs when they open the doors to their new business and haven’t paid any attention to the numbers side of business yet. . . Read the rest of this entry »
How To Gain Podcast Powers – Part 1
Jun 2nd
Have you ever listened to a podcast on your second generation iPod Touch or iPhone 3G?
You’re not alone!
But have you ever tried to record one on your Touch or iPhone? Probably not, right?
Everyone seems to have a blog and now a podcast of their own. And you can too. I recently had a chance to catch-up with fellow blogger and podcaster Graham Scharf in New York City to tap his experiences in searching high and low for the perfect mic for the job.
In this series of posts, Graham will go over key fundamental things you need to know about getting the hardware ready for your podcast-with-personality:
Until now your recording option was the built-in mic in the iPhone, or an external headset or lapel mic from Apple or a third-party vendor.
As a podcaster, I was shocked that there wasn’t a good way to capture high quality audio on top-of-the-line devices like the iPod Touch or iPhone 3G. (There are great recording options for the classic Ipod, but nothing for the Touch and iPhone.)
I was particularly frustrated that to record a face-to-face interview for a podcast, the app store had plenty of good options, but there wasn’t a good external mic to use with the apps.
Well, I wasn’t the only one who noticed the need. . . Read the rest of this entry »
Deal Alert: SnagIt Now
Jun 1st
When you want to show someone else something that’s on your screen, a way to take a photo of your monitor is a great way. Screen captures do exactly that, minus the camera.
Some screen capture software lets you grab definable regions and/or crop or annotate the images after you take them.
TechSmith, the maker of Camtasia Studio (one of the best video screen capture software applications) is making their SnagIt screen capture software available as a free download this week (until June 5).
Just use this link to download SnagIt software v. 7.2.5.
There’s a newer version available commercially with more bells and whistles, but most users won’t need to upgrade at all.
One more caveat – the SnagIt 7.2.5 being offered free is not compatible with Vista (XP only). You can upgrade to the latest version (SnagIt 9.1) for only $24 vs. paying the full price for the latest version.
If you are still on Windows XP, this is a MUST DOWNLOAD. If you’re looking for the latest version, this is a great discount path to the full version for 24 bucks (well worth it).
Deal Alert: Wifi-G Router $16 including S&H
Apr 27th
I was boxing up an extra router I had to ship to my brother.
He’s going to extend this WiFi network by simply plugging in a 100ft Ethernet cable to the main router and hook up a 2nd router somewhere else in his home.
Then by simply going into the web-based control panel, he just needs to turn off DHCP support, basically just turning it into an additional wifi antenna to extend the reach of the wifi signals.
As I was packing it up, I got to the shipping part and my online printing app told me it was $17-31 to ship the box via UPS or USPS. That’s nuts!
So I quickly searched for router deals and voila! I found a simple WiFi-G Router for $16 including shipping and handling. That’s cheaper than if I were to ship the used router I have sitting here in front of me!!!
Plus it would be new, under warranty, etc.
If you haven’t set-up a WiFi network or just want to extend your current one to have a better signal wherever you might be in the house (or outside), this is a great deal.
If you’re paying for high-speed internet from the cable company or FiOS, this is the cheapest way to maximize the dollars you’re already spending each month.
WiFi-G Router: LINK to Buy.com page
These deals come and go. But this one is HERE. So if you need one or know of someone that needs one, this is a very inexpensive way to get a WiFi network up and running.
Sewing PDF Documents Together
Jan 4th
Whether you are a guy or a gal, old or young, one of life’s most useful skills to learning to sew a button.
If you know how to use a needle and thread life becomes just a little bit easier here and there.
The some thing holds for e-life. Knowing how to splice and dice PDF documents is a handy trick to know about and keep in your toolbox until those times when you really need it.
Here’s how I solve the urge to merge PDF documents with a free service that’s easy to learn and use online. Read the rest of this entry »
I love tech, gadgets and the web. Hope you pick-up a useful tip or two here today that helps you use technology to your advantage! Better yet, why not share your own expertise in a comment on a post today to help the other readers that land here for answers!