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WiFi Network Problems – Try WiFi Stumbler

Greg — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:23:45 +0000

If you are having problems with your WiFi connection, such as dropouts or disconnections, slow speeds, etc., it could be interference on your router’s WiFi channel. (Yes, your router has channels, just like your TV.) One way to check this out is using WiFi Stumbler. This is a free (beta as of this writing) online tool that uses Java to search out all the WiFi networks and reports their signal strength.

Here is a screen capture of WiFi Stumbler.

Find your WiFi network on the list, then look at the Signal (%) column. If the percent is low, or there are other WiFi Networks using the same channel as your router, it might be time to make some adjustments. In order to the change WiFi channel on your router, please consult your router’s documentation or search the manufacturer’s website.

In my case, my router’s WiFi strength is pretty good and I don’t have any problems with it. However, I know someone who is having problems, so I’ll be using WiFi Stumbler to help troubleshoot their network.

Error clicking on links in Outlook

Greg — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:46:44 +0000

Recently, when clicking on a link in an email in Outlook 2007, all that would happen is pop up saying:

This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

I did a few quick searches with no solutions found. Microsoft’s support site had a number of solutions that were not solutions for this problem. I was getting frustrated with it so today I started a methodical approach to try and find the solution. I eventually ended up on the SlipStick.com site which finally got me the solution I needed. Their first two solutions where the same as what I had found on Microsoft’s site. But their Edit Registry, Part 2 was what I needed to resolve the problem.

In my case, I had tried UltraEdit to see if I wanted to purchase that tool or not. I eventually decided not to purchase it so I uninstalled it. Well, their uninstall process left a lot of “junk” in the registry. Because of that junk, if finally came back and caused me problems, so after backing up the registry, I manually searched the registry, cleaning out everything to do with with UltraEdit, then running CCleaner on the registry multiple times to clean it up.

I don’t know that IDM Computer Solutions, makers of UltraEdit, is any worse than any other software developer. But if their uninstall process did a better job of cleaning up after itself, I wouldn’t be blaming them for the problem I experienced. They left dozens of pieces in the registry, including the culprit which caused my problem – an entry for .html pointing to their uninstalled editor. Because of this, I highly recommend against their products.

Pure chance (maybe)

Greg — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Do you know about the symmetry behind a solar eclipse?

The beautiful symmetry of a total solar eclipse happens because—by pure chance—the sun is 400 times larger than the moon but is also 400 times farther from Earth, making the two bodies appear the exact same size in the sky.

Fast and furious

Greg — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

During an eclipse, do you know how fast the moon’s shadow is moving?

The moon’s shadow zooms across Earth’s surface at up to 5,000 miles per hour.

Sweet Discovery

Greg — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Did you know that several artificial sweeteners discovery was by accident?

The artificial sweeteners saccharin and aspartame were found accidentally when lab workers doing research that had nothing to do with sweetening put a bit of the test compounds in their mouths and liked what they tasted.

The scientists who discovered sucralose (now sold as Splenda) were originally trying to create an insecticide. An assistant thought he had been instructed to “taste” a compound he’d only been asked to “test.”

A compound called lugduname is the sweetest compound known—more than 200,000 times as sweet as table sugar.

Cubes of sugar in cola

Greg — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Do you know how many cubes of sugar are in a 20-ounce bottle of cola?

Can you imagine eating 16 sugar cubes at one sitting? You probably have. That’s a little less than what is contained in a 20-ounce bottle of cola.

A lot of sugar

Greg — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:00:11 +0000

Do you know how much sugar the average American eats?

The average American eats 61 pounds of refined sugar each year, including 25 pounds of candy. Halloween accounts for at least two pounds of that.

Loudest human burp ever recorded

Greg — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:00:39 +0000

Do you know how loud, the loudest human burp ever recorded was?

The loudest human burp ever recorded—107.1 decibels, about as loud as a chain saw from three feet—was produced by Londoner Paul Hunn in September 2008. On TV, no less.

Small Intestine

Greg — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:00:23 +0000

Do you know the total surface space of the small intestine?

The small intestine contains so many folds—down to the microscopic level—that its total surface area is about 2,700 square feet, enough to cover a tennis court.

Playing Cards Kings

Greg — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:00:21 +0000

Do you know who each king is in a deck of cards?

For a period, starting in the 15th century, French playing-card manufacturers assigned to each of the king cards names taken from history or mythology. This practice had largely disappeared by the 19th century. The most common names for the kings were:

King of Spades: David (a biblical king)
King of Hearts: Charles (presumably after Charlemagne)
King of Diamonds: Caesar (presumably after Julius Caesar, dictator of the Roman Republic)
King of Clubs: Alexander (king of Macedon)

Source: Wikipedia