5 Common Tech Questions I get a lot

Some tech questions are just asked over and over again, because people can’t remember the answer or because it is something a lot of people are having the same Tech issues. In this post I will try to answer some of the common questions I have been asked a lot over the years..

Why Using a Public Wi-Fi Network Can Be Dangerous?Questions

Public Wi-Fi for free might sounds like a great thing, but it could be just the opposite. I you are in an airport or a hotel and you see a Public Wi-Fi without security and code it might be a hacker that actually want to connect to your computer, just as much the well as you want to connect to the Internet. While you think you have been smart getting free Internet, a hacker might be nearby, trying to get access to your PC. He might be looking for passwords, credit card information or other things he can take advantage of. He could also be trying to install a Trojan horse, that he can use next time you get online and think you are all secured back home behind your own firewall.

My advice will have to be: don’t connect to free Public Wi-Fi network.

What is the difference between a router and an Access Point?Access point

Most people have a good idea about what a Wi-Fi router is, but Access Point is often a big mystery to many people. The thing is that when people are buying a router, they often should have got an Access Point instead. E.G. if you have a router connecting a you to the Internet, but it is not located optimal in the middel of your house, don’t just go out buying an extra router. All you need is an access point you can place at the right physical spot in your home, behind your existing router. The old router will still take care of security and routing and the access point is much easier to configure and you can place it in the best possible spot regardless of where your Fiber/DSL connection is entering your house. For more info about Router Vs Access Point read this post.

My Computer has started running slow, but why?

Well, from a technical perspective your computer is running with exactly the same speed, as the day you bought it. The reason why you feel it is started to become slow is because you are asking more and more of it. What I mean is that over time, you have installed new programs, maybe added extra devices like printers and USB devices and updated your operating system and antivirus software and security patches. Many of those things require more and more power from your computer, but it is still running at the exact same speed at is always has, there is just more data to process. Another thing that is changing all the time is the Internet. Websites today contains more and more data and ads and the picture resolutions are getting higher and higher. I am often hearing people saying: “I don’t need an expensive computer, I am only using it for E-Mail and Internet”. The thing is that browsing websites today, actually requires more and more of your computer. If your computer is running slow you might want to take a look at what programs your have installed and if there is any programs you don’t need anymore. In some cases, a complete reinstallation of the OS or maybe a small hardware upgrade is what you need. It could be some additional memory or a fast SSD hard drive.

Why is my Wireless network unstable and slow?

For a start you should check how many other wireless networks you can see within your range. If there are many nearby networks in your area, chances are, that many of the are using the same channels and by that the same frequency. The reason for that is that most router and Access Points today, are by default using channels 1, 6, or 11. If your router or access point is using one of those channels you might want to reconfigure your device to use another channel/frequency.
How to change the channel on your router or access point

2_4_GHz_Wi-Fi_channels

Another reason to an unstable and slow Wi-Fi network can also be Interference from other electronics or interference from physical barriers such as brick, walls, water or metal.

What does Error 404 File Not Found mean?

When you get a 404 error while trying to browse to a site, it means that the server cannot find the file or page your browser requested. It can be caused by a website being down or clicking on a broken link. It is properly not your computer having a problem, but a problem in the other end, on the Web Site Server.

Oops-404 error
Create 404 error messages
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Feel free to leave me a comment below if you have any questions.

Related posts

9 Thoughts to “5 Common Tech Questions I get a lot”

  1. I think developer must convert error code in to user language.
    displaying Error 404 is understandable only for technical person but common person prospective it must convert to some other message.

    1. Hi Mathu
      I agree, it can be a good idea to create custom 404 errors on websites and blogs to help visitors finding what they was looking for.

  2. Hamza Tariq

    I am still unable to understand the difference between Access Point and Routers. Many of the other questions are pretty basics, and there was a day when I too was confused about them.

  3. Bestfoundation

    Virus could possibly slow down a computer system too
    Thanks for sharing

    1. Yes, virus almost always take op all your systems ressources. A scanning for virus and malware is often a good place to start if your computer is running slow.

  4. Hi Thomas,
    Very Impressive post. I liked the points you have shared and it was worth reading.
    Thanks for sharing.

  5. i usually add custom messages on my 404 error pages to make it simple for my users. Nice points right there too! Thanks for sharing.

  6. Hi Thomas,

    This was very informative, I didn’t know what an access point was until just now! One thing I’d like to add: I with agree Kolo above. Showing your users where to go after they encounter a 404 error will not only help them, but also help you.

    Keep the great posts coming.

  7. promil pandey

    didn’t know that free wifi could be dangerous too….will make sure to not use it anywhere…

Leave a Comment