PC Hints and Tips

If you haven’t changed the default login details, try using these users and passwords for some of the most common routers:

If you have changed the details but can’t remember the password you chose, you’ll have to reset the router to the factory defaults. Refer to your router manual for instructions on how to do this.

This could be caused by several issues, including interference, incompatible hardware, or a weak signal. You can improve your signal by making sure the router is high up (on top of a desk, rather than under it for example) and that there aren’t too many obstacles getting in the way. You could also buy a range extender, which receives the Wi-Fi signal from your router and boosts it, increasing the coverage. Alternatively you could upgrade your router to an 802.11n draft model. This new standard offers faster speeds and increased range.

Broadband is a contended service, which means the full line speed is shared with other users. The ratio varies from ISP to ISP, but 50:1 (50 people per line) is typical. At peak times – evenings and weekends – the number of home users online increases, leading to congestion. The more people fighting for bandwidth, the slower the connection.

I’ve discovered another browser – Visual Explorer (www.visual-explorer.com). I know there a lot of these kicking about already, and some of them are from big and important companies, but this one has a lot of features that you can only find dotted around one or another of its rivals, making it very full-features. My personal favourite is the ability to unlock the navigation buttons from the top of the browser and have them as a floating toolbar.