How to revive an old computer with quick and dirty PC repair

Are you fixing up a computer to give for the holidays? Kicking around a 3- to 6-year-old box that you want to breathe new life into? I've figured out a few ways to keep them going, especially in my job where I sometimes act like an OEM, building and reviving systems that require a little TLC.

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Best tips for improving wireless networks

How to secure Wi-Fi, tune an AP for best performance, and why it won't give you cancer.

Wireless networking is as easy as taking the router out of the box and turning it on. But consumers still have a lot of fear and misconception surrounding Wi-Fi. They don't know much about channels, beacons and what A, G, or N means and are often confused over built-in security (WEP versus WAP) and so on. Even fears about cell phone radiation get transferred to Wi-Fi. Here's a rundown of Wi-Fi facts and fiction, from some basics to tips for the IT professionals.

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Best Networking Tweaks for Linux

A Linux system can be tweaked to a degree Windows users may envy (or fear) especially for networking. Tweaking a Linux box for networking is a bit more mundane than other platforms: there are specific driver settings one can work with but its best flexibility comes from a mix of OS-level modifications and adherence to different RFCs.

ifconfig (interface) txqueuelen #

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Best Networking Tweaks for Windows Server, Vista and XP

Like most Sys Admins, my job includes managing both Linux and Windows machines. This is the start of a two-part series regarding tweaks I have found for networking in each type of system. First up: Windows.

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Breaking the code in wacky product codenames

According to AMD, we're about to set sail for the Northern Islands on Bulldozers powered by Fusion. And Intel will build us a Sandy Bridge if we would like instead. Computer and project naming has a weird history, and it can be a tad confusing at times.

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