JD has a FIOS connection, but his computer keeps auto joining his neighbor's Wi-Fi. Leo says it auto joins because JD probably joined it once manually. JD should go into the Wi-Fi settings > Network preferences, highlight the connections, select Wi-Fi, and then under "Advanced", select "forget". He can also order the connections according to his preferences.
Perry is a teacher, and he needs to sync files back from the school's server to his office computer so he can then sync them through DropBox. Leo suggests a utility called Second Copy. The chatroom likes SyncBack. Microsoft has SyncToy, but the latest version has some issues. Nice thing about Syncback and SecondCopy is that they do WildCards.
Another option is SpiderOak, but it's a paid service.
Charlie wants to know what Powerline Networking is and why would anyone need it? Leo says the idea is that the house is already wired with power lines, so why not piggy back on them? When it first came out, it wasn't that great. Engineers have improved it to the point that it's very reliable and is great for those who have large houses and need to access their network throughout the house when Wi-Fi isn't practical.
John wants to secure his wireless network, and is wondering if he should set it up with MAC addresses. Leo says MAC addresses don't really do anything. He recommends setting up the router with WPA2 (NOT WEP) encryption and give it a good password with alpha and numeric digits. He should also set the SSID for something that is easy to remember (Leo uses dead rock stars).
Steve bought his wife an iMac and he's been trying to set up Wireless printing and is having trouble connecting. Leo says it's likely a driver issue. The Mac says "drivers unavailable." Leo wonders if the printer is compatible for wireless printing since it's older. It may not work with the wireless router. If the printer can be seen, then it probably is just a driver issue. Since Bonjour recognizes the printer, that's a good sign that the printer can handle network printing. Leo says that the Xerox site has drivers, but they're only supported on Lion (OS X.7), not Mountain Lion.
Ronnie has a PS3 and an XBox connected via a switch to the TV via a Trendnet Ethernet Bridge. Leo says that the PS3 has WiFi built in, which means switching isn't really necessary. But Ronnie says his WiFi switcher works better with multiple devices, but it keeps losing it's configuration. Leo says that assigning static addresses is an option, but it's dangerous to do that from a security standpoint. The chatroom says that using a third party bridge router is probably the issue. It's best to use the same brand when dealing with WiFi bridges.
Leo says that mobile devices remember WiFi networks, but he can go into the settings and disable the option to join a network automatically. That's what causes it to remember them. Leo also recommends using the Windows WiFi tool and not the one that came with his computer. It should be under the 'Network and Sharing Center'.
Another flaw in routers has been exploited which allows hackers to burrow in and take control over a user's computer. Leo says that there are a few things you can do to safeguard your router, and your network:
Leo says that Nick could do it by running the Network OS in VirtualBox or VMWare. VMWare has a good pre-packaged network and desktop OS he could run. Leo says that VMWare is an excellent choice. The chatroom says that he can run Windows Server with Virtual Box and it works great.
Leo says this is becoming very popular in restaurants, movie theaters, etc. Many are connected to networked MacMini's which can then be switched on a dime. Many companies do this including 9X Media, A10, and Matrox all specialize in video walls and multiple displays.
