There are 3 things to look out for when using a free spyware cleaner. Since there are so many of them on the web offering almost similar services, a keen eye in looking out for the details (that set certain brand names above others) is important because in the end of the day, you will be using these to protect your computer against malicious software that could harm your PC.

Comprehensive Software
Spyware can be categorized into various groups - these include malware, adware and even certain forms of software that are carriers for viruses and other harmful pieces of code that are out to take control of the various functions of the PC. Spyware also rarely works alone, so you need software that is multi-pronged and comprehensive in its approach to root out and find out its various forms. It also has to be able to sink its teeth deep into system and memory banks as well as sniff out the event matrix known as the Windows registry - because the damage done by adware and malware can sometimes even go deep into registry keys and embed themselves in signatures and data within the system registry.

User-friendly Functions
Look at the layout of the spyware cleaner. It should be visually ergonomic and easy to use, with clear definitions of functions and uses. Usually, a good spyware cleaner should have different categories of cleaning - from a simple sweep to deep scans. You should also be able to customise your approach; meaning that you must be able to scan single programmes or folders; as well as the complete system memory. The spyware cleaner should also be able to scan network folders, shared documents as well as any internet related files and folders.

Update System
Free spyware cleaners - as with all protection software, should also have an update system. There is no point having good software when its definition files are not updated and it is unable to recognise and clean new versions of spyware. Spyware and adware are being created at an alarming rate over the internet and every day there are newer and more virulent forms of them on the internet. Their code also gets constantly updated to bypass and infiltrate standard security measures like firewalls and browser protections. This means they are more likely to get past your defences and infiltrate your computer as the days go by.

This is why the spyware cleaner must have an online 'watcher' function - where it scans the incoming and outgoing data when the user is logged on to the internet. The damage done by spyware sometimes is debilitating to the computer and your time on the PC is precious. Work, family, personal or entertainment - no body wants unplanned crashes that disrupt our ordinary routine. Though this is not in built within most spyware cleaners - I think the trend should be that ALL spyware and adware cleaners have this function - because the best defence against spyware is, well, a good defence all the time. Look out for these things when using a spyware cleaner and you will find your computing experience all the more better.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Barghout

This is a true tale about free Spyware programmes.

This is how the story goes. One day, a guy's computer starts to act a bit funny. Firstly, he finds himself unable to connect to the internet, and when he does, he keeps running into unfamiliar error messages. He gets frustrated and logs off, thinking that it's his service provider acting up again. He wants to make an angry call, but he is a busy man and he is sure that both his internet problems and his frustration will cool down in a few moments.

He fires up his word-processing software. The deadlines are quite knotty and the work seems a long way from done. He glances at his watch and he does a little mental calculation in his head. He thinks, "I have enough time if I stick at it for the next few hours." He looks to the screen - the little hourglass icon still hasn't changed, and his spreadsheets still haven't loaded up yet. He ticks an impatient tick against the side of his mouth and starts clicking the mouse for no real reason - it's like pressing the button to make the traffic light go green - a useless endeavour.

Finally, the spreadsheet loads. Numbers and figures jump at him from all angles but he is all familiar with that sinking feeling in his gut. The coffee on his table is still warm and he takes a good swig and starts rapping on his keyboard. Halfway through, his internet connection causes a dialogue box to spring up, interrupting his work. He clicks the 'Cancel' button but all he is greeted with is an irritating default beep as the dialog box re-appears. He clicks it again, but gets the same result. Again, and again. He swears under his mouth and rubs his head in frustration. Other pop-ups start inundating his screen and suddenly his spreadsheets and his 2 hours of work get buried under a snowstorm of error messages. He screams in frustration and after a few frustrating moments - he loses his sanity briefly and decides to end it, outsmarting the pop-ups by hitting the hard reset button.

But he hasn't saved his work. Something inside of him dies.

This happens again and again. For days he can't figure out what was wrong with this computer and was seriously thinking of buying a new one - even though this one was just a few months old. Never mind - he thinks - he'd take care of the new one. But lucky hat and fate have a weird way of meeting. He met his friend who heard his tale and recommended him something called an anti-spyware programme, a free programme no less. No way - he said.
Way - his friend replied. What had he to lose? He downloaded one, and within minutes started scanning his computer. He wasn't sure whether the programme was legit or even reliable - but he had nothing to lose. After a surprisingly quick scan and deletion of a host of problems he didn't even fathom, he rebooted his computer and waited for the usually 3 minutes of loading time.
A minute later he was whooping inside (because he is a conservative man) and his internet connection was fully functioning. All from a software program less than a few megabytes large, and a fix that took less than a few minutes. So are free spyware programmes reliable? Well, I am that man, and I had that problem not so long ago, and I can tell you the answer. YES!



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Barghout

Part of earning your CCNA and CCNP - especially passing the difficult CIT exam - is becoming a master network troubleshooter. Today, we'll take a look at troubleshooting EIGRP and spotting common errors.

Most adjacency issues are easily resolved - mistyped IP address, bad wildcard mask in the neighbor statement, mistyped EIGRP AS number, and so forth. You know the AS number has to match, but always double-check that. Next, check the wildcard mask to make sure the correct interfaces are EIGRP-enabled. In the following example, we've configured three loopbacks on R2 and want to advertise all three loopbacks via EIGRP, but R4 only sees one.

R2(config)#int loopback1

R2(config-if)#ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0

R2(config-if)#int loopback2

R2(config-if)#ip address 10.1.2.1 255.255.255.0

R2(config-if)#int loopback3

R2(config-if)#ip address 10.1.3.1 255.255.255.0

R2(config-if)#router eigrp 100

R2(config-router)#no auto

R2(config-router)#network 10.1.1.0 0.0.0.255

R2(config-router)#network 172.12.23.0 0.0.0.255

R4#show ip route eigrp

10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets

D 10.1.1.0 [90/409600] via 172.12.23.2, 00:00:25, Ethernet0

We know it's not an adjacency issue, because R4 has to have an adjacency to get the route. Perhaps the config on R2 is the problem.

R2(config-if)#router eigrp 100

R2(config-router)#no auto

R2(config-router)#network 10.1.1.0 0.0.0.255

R2(config-router)#network 172.12.23.0 0.0.0.255

The only one of the three networks that matches that network statement is 10.1.1.0 /24. As a result, the networks 10.1.2.0 /24 and 10.1.3.0 /24 will not be advertised.

We could use a network statement with 10.1.0.0 0.0.255.255 to successfully advertise the loopbacks, but by breaking the three networks down into binary, we can see that the three networks have the first 22 bits in common. Therefore, a better wildcard mask to use is 0.0.3.255.

R2(config-router)#no network 10.1.1.0 0.0.0.255

R2(config-router)#network 10.1.0.0 0.0.3.255

R4#show ip route eigrp

10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 3 subnets

D 10.1.3.0 [90/409600] via 172.12.23.2, 00:00:36, Ethernet0

D 10.1.2.0 [90/409600] via 172.12.23.2, 00:00:36, Ethernet0

D 10.1.1.0 [90/409600] via 172.12.23.2, 00:00:36, Ethernet0

Another factor that must match between potential EIGRP neighbors is the K-metrics, or metric weights. Let's change the EIGRP metric weights on R2 and watch the effect on its adjacency with R4.

R2(config)#router eigrp 100

R2(config-router)#metric weights 0 1 2 3 4 5 ?

03:33:18: %DUAL-5-NBRCHANGE: IP-EIGRP 100: Neighbor 172.12.23.4 (Ethernet0) is down: metric changed

03:33:20: %DUAL-5-NBRCHANGE: IP-EIGRP 100: Neighbor 172.12.23.4 (Ethernet0) is down: K-value mismatch

The adjacency goes down, and the router's kind enough to tell you that it's the result of the metrics changing. We'll also see that message on R4, but just in case you don't see it, debug eigrp packet will indicate the K-value mismatch as well.

R4#debug eigrp packet

EIGRP Packets debugging is on

(UPDATE, REQUEST, QUERY, REPLY, HELLO, IPXSAP, PROBE, ACK)

3w2d: EIGRP: Received HELLO on Ethernet0 nbr 172.12.23.2

3w2d: AS 100, Flags 0x0, Seq 0/0 idbQ 0/0

3w2d: K-value mismatch

3w2d: %DUAL-5-NBRCHANGE: IP-EIGRP 100: Neighbor 172.12.23.2 (Ethernet0) is down:K-value mismatch

The changed K-values will also appear in the running configuration. This is one time when you don't have to depend on debugs to know what the problem is - the router's going to scream at you until you fix it!



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The Computing Technology Industry Association more commonly known as CompTIA, created A+ certification in 1993 as a standard to test the proficiency of entry-level service technicians in the computer industry. A+ certification evaluates ones aptitude of 6 months of computer support and repair experience. Most computer repair businesses and technical support companies regularly call for prospective employees to be A+ certified.

CompTIA created the A+ certification exam to place an industry wide proficiency standard that is recognized nation wide. With this set standard, many organizations can more efficiently recruit and hire the qualified employees to work in their organizations. This certification standard helps to fill the existing need for an IT workforce by providing people with the proper skills.

With a national standard in place, job seekers can define their career paths by having skills that are transferable, and industry-recognized credentials. As well, educators and trainers have a competency standard so they can better prepare potential employees to meet present IT job requirements.

IBM, Microsoft, Lotus, and Novell are among 7500 businesses and organizations that are CompTIA members and support A+ certification. And, many of these businesses are A+ Authorized Service Centers. Being an A+ Authorized Service Center means that at least half of their technical professionals are A+ certified. There are A+ Authorized Service Centers in over forty countries worldwide. The United States alone has approximately 1200 service centers.

For certification, you need to pass two exams - the A+ Core Hardware exam and the A+ Operating Systems Technologies (OST) exam. Since A+ demonstrates basic competence in supporting microcomputers, both exams require hands-on expertise as they test your ability with PC Hardware, Operating systems and basic networking. The exams are extremely practical in nature. CompTIA plans to revise the exams every 2 years to keep up with new trends and technology

The Core Hardware examination measures basic knowledge of installing, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting, and repairing microcomputer systems. The Core exam's Customer Satisfaction domain comprises 10 percent of the exam's questions. However, answers to these questions don't affect your pass/fail score. CompTIA's members discussed the value of customer service skills and determined that those skills were important enough to test, but not important enough to cause one pass or fail the exam. CompTIA has recently updated the Core exam, but the exam still focuses on desktop PCs, portable systems, and printers. The Operating System Technologies exam measures basic knowledge of Command Line Prompt, Operating Systems for installing, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting and repairing microcomputer systems. These essentials of A+ are based on standards defined by CompTIA’s test specification.

The Core exam includes 69 questions, and candidates have 1 hour to complete it. To pass the Core exam, you must score at least 65 percent. The DOS/Windows exam requires a score of 66 percent to pass, and candidates have 1.25 hours to answer 70 questions.
You must pass the Core and DOS/Windows exams within 90 days of each other to achieve A+ certification. You can take the exams as many times as you need to pass, and A+ certification is good for life. CompTIA members had debated the need to require re-certification from time to time, but decided that technicians who attain this entry-level certification will most likely sustain or augment their technical abilities.


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I was reading The Big Moo: Stop Trying To Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable this morning, and I’d recommend a copy of this to anyone who wants to improve their career and their future. And that’s all of us, right?

There was one particular line that really stood out to me: Betting on change is always the safest bet available. That describes life perfectly, but it also describes a career in Information Technology perfectly as well. There is no field in the world that has the constant and never-ending changes that IT does. And every single one of us can look at this as a massive opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Is that how you’re looking at it? I remember when I passed my first certification exam, the Novell CAN, back in 1997. Man, I thought I knew it all then! But I quickly learned that you’ve got to keep learning in IT. I also learned that if you’re willing to put in the work and make the sacrifices, there’s no other field with the limitless potential for growth and excellence.

Like everyone else, my career has had its ups and downs, but I always kept learning and growing. Today, I’ve got my dream job, working with studI was reading The Big Moo: Stop Trying To Be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable this morning, and I’d recommend a copy of this to anyone who wants to improve their career and their future. And that’s all of us, right?

There was one particular line that really stood out to me: Betting on change is always the safest bet available. That describes life perfectly, but it also describes a career in Information Technology perfectly as well. There is no field in the world that has the constant and never-ending changes that IT does. And every single one of us can look at this as a massive opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Is that how you’re looking at it? I remember when I passed my first certification exam, the Novell CAN, back in 1997. Man, I thought I knew it all then! But I quickly learned that you’ve got to keep learning in IT. I also learned that if you’re willing to put in the work and make the sacrifices, there’s no other field with the limitless potential for growth and excellence.

Like everyone else, my career has had its ups and downs, but I always kept learning and growing. Today, I’ve got my dream job, working with students and customers just like you – to help you create your own future.

The next 18 months are filled with endless possibilities, particularly with the rapid growth of VoIP and Microsoft Vista on the horizon. There will be those who rationalize their inertia, saying “I’ll never have to support those, so I don’t need to learn them."

There will also be those who see VoIP and Vista as enormous opportunities to learn and advance in their careers and their lives. These people will get started today, learning the fundamentals of Cisco and advancing their networking knowledge in order to be ready for opportunities as they come along.

You can’t start studying and learning when the opportunity arrives – you’ve got to be ready when opportunity knocks. If you’ve been putting off studying for a Cisco or other computer certification – and I know the summer is a really good time for putting off studying – get back on track today.

Because you never know what opportunities are going to come along – but you do know that when they do, you’ve got to be ready to take advantage. After all, opportunity really does knock only once!
ents and customers just like you – to help you create your own future.

The next 18 months are filled with endless possibilities, particularly with the rapid growth of VoIP and Microsoft Vista on the horizon. There will be those who rationalize their inertia, saying “I’ll never have to support those, so I don’t need to learn them."

There will also be those who see VoIP and Vista as enormous opportunities to learn and advance in their careers and their lives. These people will get started today, learning the fundamentals of Cisco and advancing their networking knowledge in order to be ready for opportunities as they come along.

You can’t start studying and learning when the opportunity arrives – you’ve got to be ready when opportunity knocks. If you’ve been putting off studying for a Cisco or other computer certification – and I know the summer is a really good time for putting off studying – get back on track today.

Because you never know what opportunities are going to come along – but you do know that when they do, you’ve got to be ready to take advantage. After all, opportunity really does knock only once!

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