If you are in a Cafe or the restaurant which has an hotspot gateway, you have a
good chance of getting connected to the internet through your notebook or laptop
computer or the PDA.

The Netcomm wireless hotspot gateway enables any business such as a cafe,
restautant , hotel or even an airport to provide internet access to individuals
with a wireless enabled device such as a notebook or PDA.

The Netcomm wireless Hotspot comes with a built-in accounting and billing
system that allows the CAfe or restuarant to sell wireless internet access
 in blocks of minutes, hours or days. The cafe or the restuarant can set
 the rate. After that it's like selling the time and collecting the cash. Paid
access time, billing and other user information are recorded on a receipt,
printed from a simple three button printer.

This smart piece of equipment is designed to ensure fast and efficient
processing of sales. At just the press of a button the user is issued a
receipt containing their user ID and password and access to the internet
 is right at their fingertips.

Features and benefits:

1) The HS800 Wireless Hotspot Gateway provides internet connection for
     up to 100 users at a time from a single location.
2) An 802.11b wireless router
3) An 4 port 10/100 switch
4) An service gateway.
5) A small ticket printer.

The Netcomm wireless hotspot gateway takes less amount of space --
like the standard size telephone.

It is definitely advantageous to have a laptop as you get connected to
the internet even while on the run. A fairly simple way to get a Laptop is to
purchase the Laptop kit and assemble one on your own. This will not only
give you hands on experience of building a Laptop, but it will allow you to
build your customized laptop suitable for your needs.

        

Your search for wireless networking solution for your home computers may well end on a good note, since, now, with the help of a versatile router such as the NB5580W, it is very easy to setup a wireless home network (SOHO) without the wires running throughout your house. This type of networking is also suitable for small business networks (SBN).You can share your files and printer and also your internet connection with everyone connected to the network.

However, for the actual networking to take place, besides the wireless multifunction router you would also require a few wireless adapter cards, an ethernet adapter card and few ethernet cables. Let us find out how a wireless router such as the NB5580 is useful for Home networking and Small business networking.

The NB5580W is an intelligent all in one ADSL sharing solution. It can work as an internet sharing device, and also as a wireless or wired home or small business LAN.There are very few requirements for gettng started. The main requirements for setting up the networking are that each computer must have either Windows XP or networking operating system such as the Windows 2000. There must be an wireless adapter card in each of the computers.

The connection and configuration procedure is simple as well. You can connect your ADSL internet modem directly to the router, instead of to the computer. Then connect a computer to the router through a wire from the network ethernet adapter card to the ethernet port on the router.This computer, wired to the router, is your main computer. Install the wireless adapters in each of the computers you wish to connect and configure the adapters individually. Now is the time to configure the entire setup for sharing the internet and the networking to take effect. Follow the setup procedure as per the videos and the instructions provided with the wireless router.

The advanced features of the NB5580W include firewall and WPA security with support for multiple VPN tunnels.After the basic configuration is over, also take time to configure the routers advanced security features to give more protection to your network. The Advanced security features are the firewall setup, wireless encryption etc.

Simple to install and configure, the NB5580W shares a Broadband internet services with both wire and or wireless clients. It also makes communication between wired and wrieless services efficient and sercure. This is an intelligent All in one ADSL sharing solution designed for today's busy SMB or HOME office.

Features and Benefits


1) Integrated 54 Mbps wireless access point. (802.11 g/b compatible)
2) Wireless encryption  WEP 64 bit and 128 bit
3) Integrated ADSL modem supports Auto
4) Active firewall featuring stateful pactket inspection
5) 5 integrated VPN tunnel endpoints
6) Universal plug and play.

        

Rather than buying a whole computer , assembling a computer by yourself, which is a  simple 'Do it yourself' job,  could save you a lots of money as well as allow you the flexibility to build the computer exactly as per your liking.
However, after having decided to assemble a computer on your own, the short answer to "Which components should I buy?" is "The best." Of course that answer is extremely subjective because "the best" to one person is certainly different to another. My definition of "the best" is the fastest and the biggest, but even that leaves the computer technician a bit confused. Here's a quick rundown of what you should do and why.
 
1. Buy the seven major computer components: motherboard, CPU unit,memory,hard-disk, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Buy the best and the latest type of processor; don't settle for anything less than the Intel Duo 2 core. Buy minimum of 256 MB of Ram.

2. Decide what you'll use the computer for. If you want to use your computer for cruising the web, sending email, or performing simple word-processing or spreadsheet tasks, a computer with the basic components should suffice. If you want to use the computer to help with a career in multimedia however, you're going to need to accessorize your system with a scanner, printer, digital camera, tablet, or digicam, for example. If you want the computer to help with a career in music, you will need a quality microphone and set of good quality speakers.

3. Look for the "fastest and the biggest." By "fastest and biggest," I mean an assembled  computer with the fastest processor, the fastest modem, the biggest memory, and the biggest hard drive capacity. Even if you think that you'll never need the amount of speed or space available on the market today, it's important to have it, in the event that you truly do need that much in the future. Having such a large reserve will cut down on costs when the time comes to upgrade for more than what you may settle for in a computer that offers less.

4. When buying the computer components stick with the better-known brands. Venturing off the beaten path with lesser-known brands is always a bit risky affair. Although those better-known brands may be a tad bit more expensive, you will appreciate the comfort in getting the best results when it comes to reliability and speed.

5. Apart from selling individual computer components, a few top specialized computer stores also sell computer kits. They sell the computer kits for the basic computer, the multimedia computer or the business computer.  If you buy the computer kit, all the major components are included in it, so that you don't need to go on shopping for individual items.  Buying the  computer kit is the simplest and most cost effective solution.

These suggestions should give you a great start in selecting the quality computer components and peripherals, required to build your PCs. After making these decisions and finally selecting one that fits your needs, you can then venture into the fascinating world of software - a world that is just as grand as the world of hardware!

        

Nowadays we are using the computers for online banking, shopping and investing. For accomplishing
these tasks we have to connect to the public network such as the internet. But, this exposes our
computer to several security risks. We are open to hackers, attackers and crackers. These
people try to steel your identity, such as credit card numbers, email ids, passwords etc. There
are also many phishing sites on the network which cause havoc by hacking vital and valuable
information. It is, therefore, essential to protect your pc against such attackers. Here are
a few methods which can make your computer safe and secure.


1. Always make backups of important information and store in a safe place separate from your
   computer.

2. It is important that you keep your computer Updated. Patch your operating system, web browser
   and softwares frequently. If you have a Windows operating system, start by going to
   www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the  update wizard. This program helps you find
   the latest patches for your Windows computer. Also go to www.officeupdate.microsoft.com to
   locate possible patches for your Office programs.Installing patches helps to seal the security
   holes in the operating systems,browsers and the softwares.

3. Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware
   can all easily access your computer from the Internet.  Consideration should be given to the
   benefits and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs.

4. Set your browser and email settings for optimum security. Active-X and JavaScript are often
   used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your computers. At a minimum set your security
   setting for the “internet zone” to High, and your “trusted sites zone” to Medium Low.

5. Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current
   versions.

6. Do not open unknown email attachments. It is simply not enough that you may recognize the address
   from which it originates because many viruses can spread from a familiar address.  
    
7. Do not run programs from unknown origins. Also, do not send these types of programs to friends
   and coworkers just because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes, without further
   confirmation. They may contain a malicious software waiting to infect a computer.

8. By default, the Windows operating system is set to “hide file extensions for known file types”.
   Disable this option so that file extensions display in Windows. This will enable you to find
   out quickly if there are any unsual files that have invaded your computer.  

9. Turn off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer.A hacker can not
   attack your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.

10. MAke a backup of your system by storing all your important files to another hard disk. In case your data is damaged or compromised by a malicious program you can take steps to format and restore your data files to the previous position. Obviously, you need to take this step before you experience a hostile breach of your system. 

        

Once you have your PCKit Computer built you will probably begin to think about what your next computer project could be.  Sure, you could put together another computer kit for other members in your family but why not explore the fine art of computer upgrades.  You already have the basic knowledge of how to install components into your computer, why not expand upon them?

Installing new components into your computer can be a quick and easy process.  In fact, components that were once very difficult to install are now sold as upgrade kits that you usually can install in five steps or less.  One of the hardest components to upgrade in the past was the CPU but now all you need to do purchase a CPU kit, pop your old chip out of the socket on the motherboard and insert your new CPU kit.

The hardest part of the entire CPU upgrade process is researching your motherboard to determine which CPUs are supported.  If you purchased your PCKit from a dealer who provided you with details on all the components, you should have information on the model of motherboard you built your new computer around.  While researching your motherboard, you need to determine what CPU socket style your motherboard has and what clock speeds are supported by your motherboard.  With this information you will be able to determine what CPUs are compatible with your motherboard and plan your CPU upgrade with confidence. 

Once you have a CPU upgrade that is compatible with your motherboard and you are ready to proceed with your upgrade, you should collect all your materials and equipment together.  There is nothing more frustrating then starting work on your computer and discovering that your missing a tool or a part you need.  Upgrading the CPU is a delicate process so make sure you discharge any static electricity that could be built up in your body before you touch your computer or the CPU chip.  You also want to make sure that you limit the amount of time you spend handling the CPU and never touch the bottom of the bare chip.  Do not take the chance that you damage your new CPU before installing in your computer.  

OK.  Now your ready to complete the upgrade process.  Make sure you follow any instructions provided with your upgrade kit, but in general the process for installing a CPU is as follows:

1. Locate the CPU Socket on the Motherboard

2. Remove the old CPU, make sure you unhook any sockets carefully and do not force the CPU. If you force your old CPU you take the chance of breaking the socket or breaking your motherboard.

3. Remove your new CPU chip form its plastic case.  Pay close attention to how you hold the CPU, you want to make sure you never touch the bottom of the CPU and hold the CPU by the edges only.  

4. Align the CPU with the socket according to the instructions provided with your new CPU.  

5. Insert the CPU straight down into the socket, do not tilt or slide the CPU into place and never force the CPU.  If everything works correctly and you have aligned the CPU correctly your new CPU will fit easily into the socket. Make sure the CPU is seated fully and is level.

6. Lock the socket level into place. This may be a little tight but do not force anything, if you can not move the lock, you may not have the CPU in place correctly. If needed, remove the CPU and try installing again.  

7. Install a new CPU fan and Heat Sink according to their corresponding instructions.

8. Turn your computer back on and test that everything is working correctly.

        

In case you are really new to computers... The Internet is a worldwide network of computers. The network provides services like browsing, email, Ftp and Irc etc. By means of the Internet, not only the text messages, but photos, graphics and sound can also be shared. The Internet also allows money transactions to take place, giving rise to ecommerce applications. By connecting to the Internet you can get advantage of all these services and take part in electronic commerce. In this Article you will find out how to connect your PC to the Internet.

In order to get connected onto the Internet backbone, it is necessary to purchase Internet connection package from your Internet Service provider. The Internet Service provider is generally a large Telecommunications company which provides connection to the Internet.

 There are various types of Internet connections possible.

1. Dialup connection over the telephone lines
2. DSL ( connections  to telephone lines ) or cable modem (connections to the television cable network)  broadband connections

Connecting to the Internet

Purchase the Internet package from your service provider. This can be either the dialup connection or the broadband connection.

Connecting  through the dialup connection

You have purchased dialup connection package from your service provider. Follow the following steps to get connected to the Internet.

Step 1.
Connect the modem to the PC. The modem is a device that converts the parallel data signals from our PC to the analog signals suitable for the telephone lines. Open ‘Phone and modem ’ options in Control Panel. In the Dialing rules tab click ‘New’ and when you are prompted for location  information, specify the dialing information for your location, and then click OK. Next go to the ‘Modems’ tab, click Add. Follow the instructions in the Install New Modem Wizard.

Step 2.
The Internet uses a networking protocol called as the TCP/IP protocol. Check to see whether the TCP/ IP protocol is installed in your PC. If not, install the TCP/IP protocol.

Step 3.
Click ‘Start’, click ‘Control Panel’, and then double-click ‘Network Connections’. Under ‘Network Tasks’, click ‘Create a new connection’, and then click Next. Click ‘Connect to the Internet’, and then click Next.

Step 4.
Select the option ‘Set up my connection’ manually. If your ISP has provided a CD disk then choose the option ‘Use the CD I got from the ISP’.

Step 5.
Select the option ‘Connect using the dialup’ option and click next. The other two options are for the broadband connections which we will consider in the next topic.

Step 6.
Select the modem and click next. Type the correct name of your ISP as provided by your ISP. Type the phone number to which you will be dialing. This will be the phone number of your ISP and not your own phone number. Type the User name and the password. Confirm the password by typing again. The user name and the password will be supplied to you by the ISP when you purchase the package.

Step 7.
Check the box ‘make a shortcut on desktop’. Click the finish button.
You have made an Internet connection and you will get an icon in the ‘network connections’. You will also get a shortcut on the desktop.

Step 8.
Click on the shortcut on the desktop. The dialup networking will start dialing to the ISP and connect your PC to the Internet. Once this procedure is completed you can start your browser, such as the Internet browser and start surfing or send your emails.

Connecting through the DSL or cable modem broadband connection

You have purchased broadband or cable modem connection package from your service provider. Follow the following steps to get connected to the Internet.

Step 1.
Connect the Ethernet adapter card to your PC expansion slot. You can purchase a Ethernet card yourself or purchase it from your service provider. The Ethernet card will be sensed by Windows Xp and the necessary drivers will be installed automatically.

Step 2.
The Internet uses a networking protocol called as the TCP/IP protocol. Check to see whether the TCP/ IP protocol is installed in your PC. If not, install the TCP/IP protocol.

Step 3.
Click ‘Start’, click ‘Control Panel’, and then double-click ‘Network Connections’. Under ‘Network Tasks’, click ‘Create a new connection’, and then click Next. Click ‘Connect to the Internet’, and then click Next. Follow the instructions in the New Connection Wizard.

Step 4.
Select the option ‘Set up my connection’ manually. If your ISP has provided a CD disk then choose the option ‘Use the CD I got from the ISP’.

Step 5.
Select the option ‘Connect to Broadband connection that requires username and password’ and click next. If your ISP does not require you to sign and the connection is always on then select the option ‘Connect using the broadband connection that is always on’.

Step 6.
You don’t require to provide the phone number as in the dialup connection. Just type in the correct name of your ISP as provided by your ISP. Type in the User name and the password. Confirm the password by typing again. The user name and the password will be supplied to you by the ISP when you purchase the package.

Step 7.
Check the box ‘ make a shortcut on desktop’. Click the finish button. You have made an Internet connection and you will get an icon in the ‘network connections’. You will also get a shortcut on the desktop.

Step 8.
Click on the shortcut on the desktop. The  networking will start dialing to the ISP and connect your PC to the Internet. Once this procedure is completed you can start your browser, such as the Internet browser and start surfing or send your emails.

Note: Apart from the above, when you are configuring either the dialup connection or a DSL or Cable modem connection, your ISP may require one or more of the following settings to be made :

1) A specific IP address.
2) DNS addresses and domain names.
3) POP3 settings for incoming e-mail.
4) SMTP settings for outgoing e-mail.

Enter these settings from the instructions provided by your ISP.

Sharing the Internet connection.

We can get one Internet connection from the ISP, whether dial up connection, or the DSL or cable modem connection and share the same across the network by means of the ICS (Internet Connection sharing) in the Window Xp. You can designate one computer as the main computer where the main connection to the Internet can be established and other computers connected on the computer can access this connection. This computer is called the ICS host computer. Other computers can get Internet access through this ICS host computer by enabling ICS on their computers.

For example, you have one computer that connects to the Internet by using a dial-up connection. When ICS is enabled on this computer, called the ICS host, other computers on the network connect to the Internet through this dial-up connection.

Enabling ICS on the host Computer.

When you are setting up a home or small office network, it is recommended that you use the  Network Setup Wizard  in Windows XP Professional to enable Internet Connection Sharing. The Network Setup Wizard automatically provides all of the network settings you need to share one Internet connection with all the computers in your network.

Enabling Clients to access the shared Internet.
To configure Internet options for the ‘Internet Connection Sharing’ on your computer first, open your Internet Explorer. On the ‘Tools’ menu, click Internet Options. On the Connections tab, click Never dial a connection, and then click LAN Settings. In Automatic configuration, clear the Automatically detect settings and Use automatic configuration script check boxes. In Proxy Server, clear the Use a proxy server check box

        

Face it, we build computers for the purpose of running software.  Many people hate to admit it, and this includes me, software runs our lives.  Every decision I make for my career is based upon software.  If I take on a new project, my first thought is do I have the necessary software.  You can call me an addict but I know I am not alone.  In my past life, I worked for a hardware manufacturer and every decision we made was ultimately based on the needs and wishes of our software partners.  Then I went to work for a software manufacturer who had thousands of employees with the sole job of controlling the hardware. 

You may think that if your building your own computer, you can choose each component without any involvement from someone else.  You are wrong, and you know you are wrong.  When you build your own computer you still end up making decisions based upon software.  Choosing the hardware you need to run your software can be a never ending job, every week new software is released and that new software is designed to take advantage of and sometimes tax the hardware we use.  But building computers is fun and even though I know it can be impossible to keep ahead of the software, I do so love the challenge.

Building a computer that meets the needs of your software is actually not as hard as it sounds.  You simply need to know what software you use and what the hardware requirements are.  Begin your next computer project by determining what software you are using today and what software you want to use in the future.  My list for today includes firefox, email, text editor, and web designer software.  I have also discovered that since I work mainly on the web now, I need lots of photos so my new computer will have the hardware necessary to run photoshop even though I do not use that photo editing software now.  I am building a new computer that can handle Adobe Creative Suite, and let me tell you, the hardware requirements for this massive software suite is large and quite thrilling for someone who loves the challenge of building to meet the software requirements. 

If you have problems focusing on what software you use, start making a list by recording each program you open on your computer for one week.  Once you have the list of software you use and the list of software you need to use, (Notice the word “need” here) you can plan your computer building project without being sidetracked with new and shinny. I find that creating a list helps keep me focused on on target.  We all know the lure of extending the ability of our computers “just in case” but be honest with yourself and the needs of your computer.  If you only check email and surf the internet you really do not need to spend the extra money on that top-of-the-line video card.  Save your money and save your time, build a computer for your software.

        

The phonograph disks, used in olden days, to record and play sound were large in size and data was recorded in analog form. As opposed to this the data can also be stored in a compact manner, in digital format, on a smaller size optical disk. A sharply focused optical laser light can be directed on to the disk to write the data and the reflected light can be used to read the data. Large amounts of data can be stored and read, and this has given rise to the technology of optical disks, such as the CDROM, CDR/RW, DVDROM, DVDRW etc. Reading or writing to optical disks requires optical drives.

We will first discuss the optical disks and then the optical drives.

OPTICAL DISKS :

CDROM Disks :

The CDROM disks are made of polycarbonate material with a silvered reflective coating. The data is written to the disk in the form of spiral track, starting from the center of the disk and diverging out. Data can be written only once by directing a laser beam on the disk. The disk is Read Only, i.e. you can write to the disk only once and read many times. These disks are cheap and they are used to distribute photos, video clips, sound files, software etc. The maximum capacity of the disks is 650 MB.

CD-R Disks :

These are magneto-optical Disks. They are read-write disks and can be read and written to many times. The disk is coated by magnetic crystals sandwiched inside an optical medium. The data can be erased and rewritten many times. The maximum capacity of the disks is 650 MB.

Audio CD Disks :

Audio files can be recorded on this CD disk and the entire CD disk contains Audios files and songs. The  Audio CD can be played on CD ROM / R drives connected to the Computers or a separate CD Audio player.

DVDROM Disks :

A DVD disk looks similar to the CDROM disk but it stores a much larger amount of Data than the CDROM. It also uses the reflected laser beam to read the data from the disk. It can be written only once but read many times. It is formatted to store photos and large video and sound files permanently. The data on the disk cannot be erased. The maximum capacity of the disks is 4 GB. Just like the CDROM it is used to distribute photos, videos, audio files and software.

DVD -R / +R Disks: 

These are magneto-optical Disks. The DVD -R disks can be read and recorded. The data can be erased and the DVD-R can be rewritten. A large amount of data can be stored. The disks are costlier as compared to the DVDROM disks and used for storing temporary data and not for distribution of data.

One more disk is the DVD+R disc. Whereas, the DVD -R requires the data to be erased and than rewritten, the DVD +R disks can be read and rewritten, without erasing the data. The data gets written on the empty space available on the disk. The maximum capacity of the disks is 4GB.

Video DVD Disks :

The Video DVD disk contain only videos and movies along with sound in the MPEG -2 format. It is possible to record the entire videos and movies on to the DVDs in the MPEG -2 Compressed form. The Videos or  movies can be played in the DVDROM / -R / +R drives connected to the PC or through separate DVD players.

The video file has to be decompressed in order to play it. The MPEG -2 decoder may be in the form of software or hardware. In case you have the software you can install the same in your PC. In case you have an MPEG -2 decoder board, you can install the same inside the PC. In certain cases the DVD drive itself has an inbuilt MPEG -2 decoder. The video is decompressed by MPEG -2 decoder and then displayed on the screen by Windows media player.

OPTICAL DRIVES:

The Optical disks are removable, and can be taken from one place to another. Reading or writing data to the disk requires a CD /DVD Disk drive. The CD / DVD Disk drives are installed permanently into the PC. The following are the different types of Disk Drives available:

1) CDROM drives 2) CDROM / R drives 3) DVDROM drives 4) DVD –R drives
5) DVD+R drives. These drives can either have an IDE or SCSI interface.

Latest drives can also have Serial ATA interface.

We will take a short look at the construction and installations of these drives.
 
The construction of CDROM / R disk drives :

The front of the drives contains the tray to load and unload the CDs. There is a busy indicator lighting up whenever the disc is being read or written.

At the rear side of the drive there is a four pin Molex power connector. It has a 40 pin EIDE or a 50 pin SCSI signal connector. In case of EIDE drives there are jumpers for configuring the drive either as a master or a slave. In case of  SCSI drives there are jumpers to configure the drive numbers.

The inside of the drives have various subassemblies for accepting the disks, spinning the disks, reading, writing and erasing the disks A spindle motor turns the discs. The main mechanism to hold, eject, spin and read the disks is called as the CD Drive engine. The important element of the CD Drive engine is the optical assembly that contains the 780 nm , 0.6 mW gallium arsenide laser diode and detector, along with the optical focus and tracking components.

The electronics part of the CDROM contains the controller section and the drive section. The controller section contains all the interface circuits. The EIDE CDROM drive will contain the circuits of the EIDE interface, whereas the SCSI CDROM drive will contain the circuits of the SCSI interface. All the intelligence of these interfaces is contained in these circuits. The drive section contains the drive controller IC which takes care of the loading, unloading, spinning and moving the sled.

The installation of CDROM / R drives :
Step 1.
Insert the CD ROM / R drive into the bay inside your PC and secure with the screws.

Step 2.
In case of EIDE CDROM drive set the drive to either as a master or a slave, by means of jumpers on the drive. (If there are already two EIDE hard drives connected to your PC, connect a separate cable for the CDROM /R drive and set the jumper to the Master position. In case only one EIDE hard drive is connected to your PC there will be one empty connector in the data cable. Connect your CDROM to this empty connector and set the jumpers to the slave position.)

If the CDROM / R drive is a SCSI drive then set the jumper to indicate the number of the device you are connecting.

Step 3.
Connect the power cable to the CDROM / R drive.

Step 4.
Connect the data cable (50 pin in case of EIDE) or (40 pin in case of SCSI).In case there are two hard drives in your PC, connect a new cable for CDROM / R drive and setup the drive as a master. In case only one hard disk is connected to your PC, there will be an empty connector in the data cable. Connect the CD ROM / R drive to this empty connector and setup the drive as a slave.

In case of SCSI CDROM/ R connect the drive to the SCSI cables.

Step 5.
Connect the audio cable from the CD ROM / R drive to the sound card.

Step 6.
Start your PC. The windows Xp operating system will automatically detect the CDROM / R drive and install the device drivers for the drive. (as both the drive and the operating system are plug and play)

Step 7.
In case the device drivers are not installed, if Windows Xp does not have the support for your CD ROM / R drive, you can click on ‘have disk’ prompt and install the drivers from the  floppy disk supplied by the manufacturer.

The construction of DVDROM / -R / +R/ RW drives :
The DVD drives look almost identical to the CDROM/ R drives. The DVD drives can read and write the CD disks as well, apart from the DVDs. The front of the drives contains the tray to load and unload the DVDs. There is a busy indicator lighting up whenever the disc is being read or written.

The rear side of the drive is similar to the CD drives. There is a four pin molex power connector. There is a 40 pin EIDE or a 50 pin SCSI signal connectors. In case of EIDE drives there are jumpers for configuring the drive either as a master or a slave. In case of the SCSI drives there are jumpers to configure the drive numbers.

Inside the drives are the subassemblies to operate the drive. A spindle motor turns the discs. A laser assembly and laser sled causes the laser beam diode to move back and forth. The disk is inserted onto a tray. There is a mechanism to load and unload the tray.

The installation of DVDROM /-R /+R/ RW drives :
Step 1.
Install the DVDROM / -R / +R drive into the bay inside your PC and secure with the screws.

Step 2.
Set the jumper settings according to whether your DVDROM / -R / +R is an EIDE drive or a SCSI drive. If it is EIDE then set the jumper to Master or Slave.

If the DVDROM / -R / +R drive is a SCSI drive then  set the jumper to indicate the number of the device you are connecting.

Step 3.
Connect the power cable to the DVDROM / -R / +R drive.

Step 4.
Connect the data cable (50 pin in case of EIDE drive), either as a master  or slave.
Or connect SCSI cable in case of SCSI drive.

Step 5.
Connect the audio cable to from DVDROM / -R / +R drive to the sound card.

Step 6.
Start your PC. The windows Xp operating system will automatically detect the DVDROM / -R / +R drive and install the device drivers for the drive. (both the drive and the operating system are plug and play)

Step 7.
In case the device drivers are not installed, as Windows Xp does not have the support for your DVDROM /
-R / +R drive, you can click on ‘have disk’ prompt and install the drivers from the floppy disk supplied by the manufacturer.

Step 8.
Install the MPEG-2 decoder board for viewing movies or videos from the Video DVD disk. If you have an MPEG -2 decoder software then install the software in your PC.

Step 9.
Connect the video cable from the DVD drive to the MPEG – 2 decoder board. Make other connections to the MPEG-2 decoder board as given in the manual.

Reading and Writing from CD, DVD disks:

Once the CD or the  DVD drives are installed in your computer, you can read and write from the CD and DVD disks and the drive is assigned a separate alphabetical letter such as F:. For reading the CD or DVD insert the disk into the drive. Start My computer from the desktop and navigate to the CD or DVD drive, say F:  Locate the file or the folder on the disk and double click to open the folder or the file.

For writing to the disk, click on My computer. Navigate to the group of  folders or the files which you want to copy  to the CD or DVD disks. Select all the folders and the files. Click on the option to ‘Copy the files or folders to the CD’. This will write the folders or files to the CD or DVD disks. The process of writing or copying the folders and files to the CD or DVD disks is known as burning.

Besides using the operating system to burn the CDs or DVDs, you can use the specialized CD / DVD burner software called as ‘Nero’. You can install Nero software to make it easy to burn the CDs and the DVDs.

        

CMOS is a small amount of random access memory in your PC. This memory stores certain important settings of the motherboard. The CMOS is refreshed by the CMOS battery even when the system is turned off. The information in the CMOS Ram is not wiped off, unless the battery stops functioning. You might think that your only need to know about CMOS if your are learning how to build a computer however, this article can also help you if you already own a computer, but want it to perform faster.

If the CMOS battery stops, it can be replaced easily and the CMOS settings can be restored. The information in the CMOS setup is read by the BIOS during the system boot up process.

You can access the CMOS setup by pressing a certain key combination or the delete key. This depends on the type of BIOS you have in your PC. Watch you boot screen and it should indicate the correct way to access CMOS.

Most CMOS setups consist of menu selections. This Article gives a general idea of how to perform CMOS setup. Different CMOS setups exist in different PC’s and if you want more information on the setup for your motherboard, you can always obtain it from the motherboard manual.

Menu Selections :

1) Configuring Standard CMOS setup.

Most of the configuration in this part of CMOS setup is done automatically.

1) IDE drive is automatically detected when Enter is pressed.
2) Floppy drive is to be selected as per the drive connected to your PC – 1.44 M, 3.5 in
3) Video is set to VGA
4) Internal memory is automatically detected.
5) Date and time can be set through the CMOS setup as well as through the operating
     system.

2) Configuring Advanced CMOS setup.

Advance CMOS settings configure the boot characteristics, the memory and cache.

Typical entries are :

? Virus warning 
? CPU level 1 Cache, CPU level 2 Cache
? Quick power on self test
? First boot device, Second boot device, Third boot device.
? Boot other device
? Swap Floppy drive
? IDE block mode
? Typematic rate setting , Typematic rate , Typematic delay
? Security option 

The Advance CMOS settings allow you to enable or disable the CPU caches.
First boot device allows you to set the device from which your system will boot. If you want to boot from the hard disk, as is mostly the case, then set this to HDD0. If you want to boot from CD Rom, as when you are installing a new hard disk and operating system, set it to CDRom.

If your system is not able to boot from the First boot device than it will search for operating system in the Second boot device and boot the PC from there.

If typematic rate is enabled, you can set the typematic rate for your keyboard.

If Quick power on self test is enabled your PC will boot faster, and the BIOS will skip many of the hardware tests.

3) Configuring Advanced Chipset setup.

In this section you will find the parameters that can be configured to optimize the performance of your chipset. This has to be done carefully, otherwise it may result in lowering the performance of your PC, instead of enhancing it. This section contains entries for the memory operations, memory refresh options, data bus performance, cache enhancements etc

As every BIOS is not similar, the motherboard manual can give you a better idea of how to configure the chipset settings.

Some of the entries in this section  are the following.

? Sdram RAS to CAS delay , Sdram RAS precharge time
? Dram read burst, Dram write burst
? System BIOS Cacheable, Video BIOS Cacheable
? Video RAM Cacheable
? 8 bit I/O recovery time, 16 bit I/O recovery time
? Passive Release etc.

The above settings can be either enabled or disabled to enhance the chipset performance.
For example, enabling video BIOS cacheable will improve the video performance, though it may not be of much help for some latest video devices.

4) Configuring PCI and Plug and Play setup.

This section contains entries for configuring the PCI slots and Plug and Play behavior of your PC. Some BIOS’s have the option to automatically configure the PCI slots and Plug and Play. If this is enabled the Interrupt requests will be automatically assigned to the devices you connect to the PC.

The Interrupt requests for particular devices can also be set manually using the respective entries in the CMOS setup.

5) Configuring Integrated peripherals.

This section contains CMOS setup entries for the external IDE devices connected to the motherboard.

Besides the IDE devices, you can also configure the serial ports, parallel ports etc

There are also options to enable and disable the Infra red and the USB ports.

Some of the entries are the following :

? IDE HDD Block mode, IDE PIO mode
? On chip PCI IDE , PCI slot IDE 2nd channel
? On board serial port – allows you to select a the address for the serial ports
? On board parallel port – allows you to select the address for parallel printer port.
? Parallel port mode
? Infrared duplex type – keep enabled if your system has infra red devices.
? USB controller – keep enabled if your system has USB ports and devices connected to them.

6) Configuring Power Management.

This section contains CMOS setup power management functions. The Power consumption in modern PCs is reduced due to use of efficient components. However, PCs have to remain on for a long time and power may be wasted. The CMOS settings allow you to configure your PC so that the power can be saved.

Here are some of the CMOS settings you can use to save power.

Doze timer : This setting determines the time  before which the idle PC system will reduce itself to 80% of its activity. (set to 10 to 20 minutes)

Green timer: This setting determines the time before a CPU of an idle system will shut down.

HDD Standby Timer : This setting determines the time before which the idle hard disk will shut down.

Standby timer : This setting sets the delay before which the  idle PC system will reduce itself to 92% of its activity. (set to 30 to 40 mins)

Suspend timer : This setting sets the time after which the system goes into the most inactive state possible (99%) (set to 30 to 45 mins)

System slow down : This setting will slow the CPU clock dramatically after the timer has elapsed.

What is Auto-configuration.

Motherboards now provide Auto-configuration option, which allows the technician to set the BIOS defaults and the power on defaults. Hence, if the Auto-configuration setting is enabled the BIOS will work fine and booting will take place smoothly. Hence, there is actually no need for the technician to setup the CMOS. However, this does not ensure optimization of the system, which will have to be carried out manually.

BIOS defaults

Turning on BIOS defaults does not ensure that the machine is fully optimized. If your CMOS settings are totally messed up and your system does not boot, BIOS defaults will restore the setting to acceptable values for booting your system.

Power on defaults

When powering up the system, the system may not enter the CMOS setup. Setting Power on default ensures that you can always enter the CMOS setup.

Understanding of CMOS settings is useful for optimizing your system. If you want to run your system faster and smoother, or you want to upgrade the devices, or connect new adapters because the onboard adapters have gone faulty, it is essential to have good knowledge of CMOS settings. 

        

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