In this surreal world of the internet, anyone, even you, can put your point across to a staggering number of people in every country on the planet.
From political activists to artists and writers, can now find an audience to take notice of them where they could not get much attention in their local community. Their horizons have been dramatically extended, so their work will travel on indefinately with no end in sight as in entering a collosal black hole.
Where does their online work go? Where does it come to a stop? The answer is, it will go on as long as the internet is there. Even after they have no longer maintained a web site, their work can be handed on to other sites, to add content.
There are too, website archive sites who keep copies of websites for people to look at now and in the future. Twenty years from now people will be able to look through archived websites to see what was new then, what were the prices, what the stock market was doing, what writers and artists were putting out, and the list goes on and on. Ideal for a writer in the future.
Not only will people be able to see what was going on, but in some cases will be able to hear what peple had to say, for websites now are using music, video, and sound.
For those aspiring authors, and everyone it has often been said, has a book within them, can write their great work of literature, compile it to an e-book, and pass it around the internet, where it could go the rounds for ever more, long after the author has died. Conventional authors could hardly say that about their hardback or paperback books.
At this moment in time, maybe only 40% to 60% of people in any country log on to the internet every day, but the numbers keep growing every year, and for those wanting to make a living out of the internet, the future potential is enormous.
Consider the Asian market where the internet is fairly new, with China as the next real big explosive market with unlimited potential. Credit cards in China are unheard of, except for an elite minority. To receive payment for anything over the internet you would either, have to wait another 50 years if you want to be paid by credit card, or persuade your Chinese clients to open an internet payment account online with the likes of Stormpay, which is an innovative new company, who will take any form of payment to credit your new account, even cash, or bank check. Stormpay even have 'WalkUp' offices around the world in major cities and more are being established where a client can deposit cash to credit their account for use on the internet. Then the client can pay for anything on your site, e-books, software, music etc., if you also open a Stormpay account for receipt of the credits, all you need to open an account initially, is an email address. Could not be simpler. Credit cards over the internet could be a thing of the past, many people still will not use credit cards over the internet because of hackers, so what better way of secure transactions do you need than a Stormpay account? It gives confidence to your clients who need not hesitate to make a payment, there and then, for whatever type of goods and services you provide.
Consider another aspect of selling to Asia and China in particular. Most of the internet to-day is based on the English language, but that is not the language they understand in Asia and China. So, to sell to them you would have to make your site multi-lingual. This could be just a few captions in Asian or Chinese languages together with a button they can click on for web pages in their own language. Or failing that, clicking on a picture of an item on the screen can bring up a voice in their language to explain what it is and how much it costs, and to pay for it, they don't need a credit card, just click on a link to to Stormpay's site and sign up for an account and subsequently they can pay for anything on your site instantly. The voice in their own language can be reassuring to the client.
Consider once again, if you intend selling to the vast Chinese population, the enormous potential of this untapped market, if you could only make a single dollar from each one living there, you would be rich beyond your wildest dreams, for the population totals ONE POINT TWO BILLION and still counting.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Be Aware of Phishing Scams!
If you use emails actively in your communication, you must have received various messages claiming to be from Ebay, Paypal and a number of banks. A recent email as if from U.S. Bank Corporation that I received contains the subject "U.S. Bank Fraud Verification Process" and in the body of the mail it says "We recently reviewed your account, and suspect that your U.S. Bank Internet Banking account may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party. Protecting the security of your account and of the U.S. Bank network is our primary concern. Therefore, as a preventative measure, we have temporarily limited access to sensitive account features. To restore your account access, please take the following steps to ensure that your account has not been compromised:". It continues with a link to a webpage, which looks very similar to original web page of the bank.
The misleading web site appears authentic with familiar graphics and logos. The wordings are professional right down to the legal disclaimer at the bottom of the page.
If you happened to be holding an account of the claimed bank, followed the instructions of the email and input your account, pin, password, etc. you are doomed. You just have handed over access to your account to a con artist, who, in a matter of days, will drain off all the money available in that account.
This new scam, which is proliferating in a very rapid pace, is called "Phishing". Phishing is a form of identity theft, where a con artist with the help of official looking email containing link to phony web pages capable of harvesting information, tricks an unsuspecting victim into divulging sensitive personal data. Scammers use these data to bilk victims out of their savings.
One of the most common phishing campaigns being waged has targeted users of Web auction giant eBay and its PayPal division with financial services giant Citibank serving as another popular target. However, recently, every major bank has been hit with this scam. Crooks send out huge amounts of emails with an expectation that some of these email address owners may have online access to their accounts at the bank.
The term "Phishing" is a deviation of the word "Fishing". In hackers’ lexicon, in many words, "F" becomes "Ph". The term derives from the fact that scammers use sophisticated bait as they "fish" for users’ personal information.
According to Gartner, a research firm, illegal access to checking accounts gained via phishing has become into the fastest growing type of consumer theft in the United States. Roughly 1.98 million people reported that their checking account was breached in one way or another during the last year and US$ 2.4 billion were defrauded from the victims!
Gartner also estimated that 57 million U.S. Internet users have received phishing emails and 3 percent of them may have fooled into revealing their personal sensitive information.
The Anti-Phishing Working Group has also spotted a dramatic increase in reports of phishing attacks in recent months. Since November, 2003 phishing scams increase by about 110 percent each month. In April alone, the group identified 1125 unique phishing scams, a sharp lift of 178 percent from the previous month.
MessageLabs, a company that watches phishing scams closely, has noted an even more dramatic increase in number of phishing emails. It claims to see phishing messages jump from just 279 in September, 2003 to a staggering 215,643 in March of 2004.
The scammers also started to use more sophisticated technologies in recent months. The latest generation of phishing scammers uses several methods to trick users, including pop-up graphics to mast the true web URL of the phishing site and the installation of Spywares and Trojans on victim’s computer. The perpetrators also take advantage of security bugs in web browsers, in which the URL in the address bar appears to be for one site but is, in fact, a link to a totally different site.
A new Windows worm under the name "Korgo" is able to infiltrate into victim’s system with a key logging Trojan, steal information that the victim input in web forms and secretly transmit to designated server. There are a number of variants of this worm and they are spreading rapidly. However, Microsoft in April came up with a patch to seal this glitch. Many computers without the patch are still vulnerable to this potentially dangerous worm.
A U.S. Treasury report provides consumers with steps to prevent and report phishing scams:
* Do not respond to or open any e-mail that warns that an account is about to be closed. Contact the company directly by phone and inquire of this e-mail.
* Do not submit financial information unless there is a symbol for a locked padlock on the browser's status bar. Also look for the https:// at the beginning of the Web address. If both of these signs are absent, the Web site is not secure.
* Always review your bank statement and credit card statements immediately upon receipt.
* Verify the domestic telephone number listed on the Web site through directory assistance or other reliable sources and call the number. Many phishing attacks have originated outside the U.S. and don't have a domestic number.
* Report suspicious activity or if you have been defrauded to the FTC and the FBI.
* Phishing e-mails can be forwarded to uce@ftc.gov. Complaints can be filed at www.ftc.gov. Phishing attacks can also be reported to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center at www.ifccfbi.gov.
Other cautionary measures you should take in order to protect yourself are:
* Since most of the phishing emails come through spam, get a spam filter and install on your computer.
* If you suspect a phishing attempt, report immediately to the bank. Every bank web site has a link or a toll-free number to report scams. Don't be ashamed if you were tricked into divulging account information. If you report it immediately, your account will be protected until you receive a new PIN.
* Change your password and PINs regularly. Banks advise that you use separate PINs and passwords for different accounts, that way if one gets compromised, your entire financial life won’t be revealed. - If you are a frequent user of EBay, download its Web browser toolbar, a small program that runs with a user's Web browser. It flashes red when the user visits a possible spoof site. The toolbar uses a database of spoof site URLs, submitted by customers and is updated quite often.
* Check your computer frequently for possible Trojan virus.
The misleading web site appears authentic with familiar graphics and logos. The wordings are professional right down to the legal disclaimer at the bottom of the page.
If you happened to be holding an account of the claimed bank, followed the instructions of the email and input your account, pin, password, etc. you are doomed. You just have handed over access to your account to a con artist, who, in a matter of days, will drain off all the money available in that account.
This new scam, which is proliferating in a very rapid pace, is called "Phishing". Phishing is a form of identity theft, where a con artist with the help of official looking email containing link to phony web pages capable of harvesting information, tricks an unsuspecting victim into divulging sensitive personal data. Scammers use these data to bilk victims out of their savings.
One of the most common phishing campaigns being waged has targeted users of Web auction giant eBay and its PayPal division with financial services giant Citibank serving as another popular target. However, recently, every major bank has been hit with this scam. Crooks send out huge amounts of emails with an expectation that some of these email address owners may have online access to their accounts at the bank.
The term "Phishing" is a deviation of the word "Fishing". In hackers’ lexicon, in many words, "F" becomes "Ph". The term derives from the fact that scammers use sophisticated bait as they "fish" for users’ personal information.
According to Gartner, a research firm, illegal access to checking accounts gained via phishing has become into the fastest growing type of consumer theft in the United States. Roughly 1.98 million people reported that their checking account was breached in one way or another during the last year and US$ 2.4 billion were defrauded from the victims!
Gartner also estimated that 57 million U.S. Internet users have received phishing emails and 3 percent of them may have fooled into revealing their personal sensitive information.
The Anti-Phishing Working Group has also spotted a dramatic increase in reports of phishing attacks in recent months. Since November, 2003 phishing scams increase by about 110 percent each month. In April alone, the group identified 1125 unique phishing scams, a sharp lift of 178 percent from the previous month.
MessageLabs, a company that watches phishing scams closely, has noted an even more dramatic increase in number of phishing emails. It claims to see phishing messages jump from just 279 in September, 2003 to a staggering 215,643 in March of 2004.
The scammers also started to use more sophisticated technologies in recent months. The latest generation of phishing scammers uses several methods to trick users, including pop-up graphics to mast the true web URL of the phishing site and the installation of Spywares and Trojans on victim’s computer. The perpetrators also take advantage of security bugs in web browsers, in which the URL in the address bar appears to be for one site but is, in fact, a link to a totally different site.
A new Windows worm under the name "Korgo" is able to infiltrate into victim’s system with a key logging Trojan, steal information that the victim input in web forms and secretly transmit to designated server. There are a number of variants of this worm and they are spreading rapidly. However, Microsoft in April came up with a patch to seal this glitch. Many computers without the patch are still vulnerable to this potentially dangerous worm.
A U.S. Treasury report provides consumers with steps to prevent and report phishing scams:
* Do not respond to or open any e-mail that warns that an account is about to be closed. Contact the company directly by phone and inquire of this e-mail.
* Do not submit financial information unless there is a symbol for a locked padlock on the browser's status bar. Also look for the https:// at the beginning of the Web address. If both of these signs are absent, the Web site is not secure.
* Always review your bank statement and credit card statements immediately upon receipt.
* Verify the domestic telephone number listed on the Web site through directory assistance or other reliable sources and call the number. Many phishing attacks have originated outside the U.S. and don't have a domestic number.
* Report suspicious activity or if you have been defrauded to the FTC and the FBI.
* Phishing e-mails can be forwarded to uce@ftc.gov. Complaints can be filed at www.ftc.gov. Phishing attacks can also be reported to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center at www.ifccfbi.gov.
Other cautionary measures you should take in order to protect yourself are:
* Since most of the phishing emails come through spam, get a spam filter and install on your computer.
* If you suspect a phishing attempt, report immediately to the bank. Every bank web site has a link or a toll-free number to report scams. Don't be ashamed if you were tricked into divulging account information. If you report it immediately, your account will be protected until you receive a new PIN.
* Change your password and PINs regularly. Banks advise that you use separate PINs and passwords for different accounts, that way if one gets compromised, your entire financial life won’t be revealed. - If you are a frequent user of EBay, download its Web browser toolbar, a small program that runs with a user's Web browser. It flashes red when the user visits a possible spoof site. The toolbar uses a database of spoof site URLs, submitted by customers and is updated quite often.
* Check your computer frequently for possible Trojan virus.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Understanding Survey Software Features
If you take a look at the features that different survey softwares offer, you will quickly realize that understanding all of them is no mean task. But it is very important that you do because only then you can choose the right survey software. It is important for one other reason, it determines your price. More features invariably means more dollars. So if you don't choose the right survey software, you might end up paying more for features you don't need.
While it is impossible and not even worthwhile to look at all the features, here is a look at some of the important ones. Chances are that these are the ones will make or break your decision. The features have been divided into 6 categories based on their function in the process of conducting an online survey.
Survey creation
* Images, sounds, video - This allows you to insert images, sounds, and videos in your surveys, and can enhance the appearance of your surveys. However, use it only when necessary since it increases the time it takes to download and display your survey, and certainly don't overdo it.
* Question library, response library, sample surveys - These allow you to create surveys quickly since you don't have to create them from scratch. They are a must if you do a lot of surveys regularly. And they don't impact the price that much, so you might as well opt for them.
* Skip logic - This allows you to skip questions depending on the answers to previous questions. Most survey softwares allow either AND or OR logic to decide whether to skip or not, but some allow a combination of any logical conditions. It might sound like a "nice-to-have" feature rather than a "must-have", but you will be surprised how often you need to skip questions in your surveys.
* Data piping - This allows you to use the answers to some questions in the following questions. This is a very neat feature and it allows you to "personalize" your surveys. For e.g., you can say "Thanks Steve" instead of only "Thanks" if you know that the name of the respondent is Steve from a previous question. It also allows you to ask questions like "What do you like most about Coke?" when the respondent has selected Coke as his/her favorite drink in the previous question.
* Advanced survey creation features (spell check, auto-correct, thesaurus, import from MS Word) - These are fairly advanced features and not really required in most cases, especially if you don't do surveys regularly. You can spend the time to spell check the survey yourselves. However, if you do a lot of surveys, then you might want these features. But they will impact the price quite a lot since they are considered as "premium" features.
* Branding (your logo and background color) - This allows you to place your company logo and use your company website's background color for your surveys. This is good enough in most cases, but not if you are looking to customize each and every aspect of the survey. It is quite an important feature since it gives your respondents the feeling that they are still on your website.
* Advanced survey presentation features (pre-designed editable survey templates, new templates, full-customized look) - These are fairly advanced features and allow you to customize almost every aspect of the survey. Survey softwares do this in a variety of ways: they have pre-designed editable templates, ability to create new templates, or create surveys with a full-custom look. These features are also considered as "premium" features and will impact the price quite a lot.
Survey Distribution and Tracking
* Handheld device - This allows you to distribute your surveys on hendheld devices. This method of distributing is not as common as the other methods like placing link on website, embedding entire survey in websites, sending email invitation with link, or embedding entire survey in emails and newsletters. But it is definitely becoming popular because of the convenience it offers for taking surveys "on the road". As of now though, it is considered as a "premium" feature and will impact the price.
* Track respondents - These allow you to track your respondents after they receive your email invitations. The simpler ones allow you to maintain an email list and send email invitations to all or some email addresses in the list. The more complex ones allow you to create an "audience" from the list in a variety of ways. They also allow you to track who read your email invitation and clicked on what links, who took the survey and who didn't, send reminders to the ones who didn't, etc. All these complex tracking activities fall more under the realm of "campaign management" than conducting surveys though. If you need these features, you are much better off going for a full-blown campaign management solution than a survey solution with half of what you need.
Taking Survey
* Password protected surveys - This allows you to protect your surveys with a password. The respondents have to know the password to be able to take the survey.
* Save and continue later - This allows your respondents to save the survey and continue later. It is a very good feature to have especially if your surveys are going to be long. Some survey softwares make the respondents explicitly save a link and bookmark it to continue later. These don't work that well compared to some others that don't require the respondents to do as much.
* Response validation - This allows you to validate the responses your respondents enter. These features are very important since they ensure that your respondents enter "valid" responses and increases the quality of the results. Always prefer survey softwares that have more types of response validation.
* Respondent uniqueness control - This allows you to ensure that a respondent takes the survey only once. There are a few ways to do this and not all of them are "full-proof". If you want to strictly enforce respondent uniqueness, make sure that the survey software allows you to send unique URLs to every email recipient. It is the only "full-proof" method of enforcing respondent uniqueness.
Response Collection
* Email notification upon response submission - This allows you to get email notifications when a respondent completes a survey. It is the only way to get the responses with survey softwares that don't store them in a database. But it is also offered as an addon by those that do store them in databases.
Survey Analysis
* Graphical reports - This allows you to graph the results and not all survey softwares have this feature. If you like to see results in neat-looking graphs, make sure that the survey software has this feature. Check out the sample reports; most companies have them on their website. Or better yet, try out the product and generate them yourselves!
* Advanced analysis features (cross-tabulation, sub-set analysis, 360 degree feedback, etc) - These allow you to perform advanced analysis on the results. Cross-tabulation allows you to relate the responses of one question to those of another. Sub-set analysis allows you to perform analysis on a sub-set of the responses by filtering out certain responses. These are definitely "premium" features and will impact the price.
* Export data - This allows you to export the responses so you can do analyses in your favorite tool, like Excel or SPSS. Make sure that the survey software has this feature, especially if it doesn't natively support the advanced analyses that you want to do.
While it is impossible and not even worthwhile to look at all the features, here is a look at some of the important ones. Chances are that these are the ones will make or break your decision. The features have been divided into 6 categories based on their function in the process of conducting an online survey.
Survey creation
* Images, sounds, video - This allows you to insert images, sounds, and videos in your surveys, and can enhance the appearance of your surveys. However, use it only when necessary since it increases the time it takes to download and display your survey, and certainly don't overdo it.
* Question library, response library, sample surveys - These allow you to create surveys quickly since you don't have to create them from scratch. They are a must if you do a lot of surveys regularly. And they don't impact the price that much, so you might as well opt for them.
* Skip logic - This allows you to skip questions depending on the answers to previous questions. Most survey softwares allow either AND or OR logic to decide whether to skip or not, but some allow a combination of any logical conditions. It might sound like a "nice-to-have" feature rather than a "must-have", but you will be surprised how often you need to skip questions in your surveys.
* Data piping - This allows you to use the answers to some questions in the following questions. This is a very neat feature and it allows you to "personalize" your surveys. For e.g., you can say "Thanks Steve" instead of only "Thanks" if you know that the name of the respondent is Steve from a previous question. It also allows you to ask questions like "What do you like most about Coke?" when the respondent has selected Coke as his/her favorite drink in the previous question.
* Advanced survey creation features (spell check, auto-correct, thesaurus, import from MS Word) - These are fairly advanced features and not really required in most cases, especially if you don't do surveys regularly. You can spend the time to spell check the survey yourselves. However, if you do a lot of surveys, then you might want these features. But they will impact the price quite a lot since they are considered as "premium" features.
* Branding (your logo and background color) - This allows you to place your company logo and use your company website's background color for your surveys. This is good enough in most cases, but not if you are looking to customize each and every aspect of the survey. It is quite an important feature since it gives your respondents the feeling that they are still on your website.
* Advanced survey presentation features (pre-designed editable survey templates, new templates, full-customized look) - These are fairly advanced features and allow you to customize almost every aspect of the survey. Survey softwares do this in a variety of ways: they have pre-designed editable templates, ability to create new templates, or create surveys with a full-custom look. These features are also considered as "premium" features and will impact the price quite a lot.
Survey Distribution and Tracking
* Handheld device - This allows you to distribute your surveys on hendheld devices. This method of distributing is not as common as the other methods like placing link on website, embedding entire survey in websites, sending email invitation with link, or embedding entire survey in emails and newsletters. But it is definitely becoming popular because of the convenience it offers for taking surveys "on the road". As of now though, it is considered as a "premium" feature and will impact the price.
* Track respondents - These allow you to track your respondents after they receive your email invitations. The simpler ones allow you to maintain an email list and send email invitations to all or some email addresses in the list. The more complex ones allow you to create an "audience" from the list in a variety of ways. They also allow you to track who read your email invitation and clicked on what links, who took the survey and who didn't, send reminders to the ones who didn't, etc. All these complex tracking activities fall more under the realm of "campaign management" than conducting surveys though. If you need these features, you are much better off going for a full-blown campaign management solution than a survey solution with half of what you need.
Taking Survey
* Password protected surveys - This allows you to protect your surveys with a password. The respondents have to know the password to be able to take the survey.
* Save and continue later - This allows your respondents to save the survey and continue later. It is a very good feature to have especially if your surveys are going to be long. Some survey softwares make the respondents explicitly save a link and bookmark it to continue later. These don't work that well compared to some others that don't require the respondents to do as much.
* Response validation - This allows you to validate the responses your respondents enter. These features are very important since they ensure that your respondents enter "valid" responses and increases the quality of the results. Always prefer survey softwares that have more types of response validation.
* Respondent uniqueness control - This allows you to ensure that a respondent takes the survey only once. There are a few ways to do this and not all of them are "full-proof". If you want to strictly enforce respondent uniqueness, make sure that the survey software allows you to send unique URLs to every email recipient. It is the only "full-proof" method of enforcing respondent uniqueness.
Response Collection
* Email notification upon response submission - This allows you to get email notifications when a respondent completes a survey. It is the only way to get the responses with survey softwares that don't store them in a database. But it is also offered as an addon by those that do store them in databases.
Survey Analysis
* Graphical reports - This allows you to graph the results and not all survey softwares have this feature. If you like to see results in neat-looking graphs, make sure that the survey software has this feature. Check out the sample reports; most companies have them on their website. Or better yet, try out the product and generate them yourselves!
* Advanced analysis features (cross-tabulation, sub-set analysis, 360 degree feedback, etc) - These allow you to perform advanced analysis on the results. Cross-tabulation allows you to relate the responses of one question to those of another. Sub-set analysis allows you to perform analysis on a sub-set of the responses by filtering out certain responses. These are definitely "premium" features and will impact the price.
* Export data - This allows you to export the responses so you can do analyses in your favorite tool, like Excel or SPSS. Make sure that the survey software has this feature, especially if it doesn't natively support the advanced analyses that you want to do.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tips For Developing An Effective Questionnaire by: Nick Hill Developing the questionnaire is undoubtedly the most important part of conducting a su
Developing the questionnaire is undoubtedly the most important part of conducting a survey. The quality of the questions will determine the quality of the results and the effectiveness of your survey. Here are 12 tips for developing an effective questionnaire.
1. Write a good introduction - The beginning of your survey should have an introduction of the survey. It should state your objective in a way that grabs the attention of potential respondents and encourages them to take the survey. Also, since it is easy for online survey respondents to abandon your survey, you should include instructions on how to complete the survey and an estimate of how much time it will take.
2. Ask questions that provide the information you need - Always keep your objective and the information that you need to gather to achieve it in mind while asking the questions. Also, it is best to avoid the temptation to gather "extra" bits of information that are "nice to know" but irrelevant to your objective.
3. Ask important questions first, demographic questions last - Since it is very easy for online survey respondents to abandon your survey, always ask the important questions first and the demograhic questions last.
4. Organize the questions in logical groups - Always organize the questions in logical groups. It makes it easier for your respondents to understand and answer the questions, thus increasing the quality of the results.
5. Use plain, easy to understand language - The most effective surveys always use plain, easy to understand language. Using unclear or ambiguous language will give you misleading results. So test your survey thoroughly to ensure that it is indeed easy to understand.
6. Avoid technical terms, jargon, and acronyms - If you use technical terms, jargon, and acronyms, your respondents might not understand them, get frustrated, and abandon your survey. So strictly avoid them.
7. Use even number of responses - Whenever possible, use even number of responses for multiple choice questions. That way the respondents have to give a positive or a negative opinion, they can't give a "neutral" answer.
8. Randomize the responses - Whenever it makes sense, randomize the order in which responses are displayed. This removes "order bias" from the responses.
9. Avoid unnecessary graphics and embedded components - Although it might be tempting to use graphics and embedded components, their use increases the time it takes to download and display your survey. So use them only when it is absolutely necessary and certainly don't overdo it.
10. Be sensitive to the feelings of your respondents - Always be sensitive to the feelings of your respondents. If you offend them, they might abandon your survey. So test your survey to ensure that it is not offending to any group of people.
11. Thank the respondents - Your respondents spend the time to take your survey. So never forget to thank them for completing the survey.
1. Write a good introduction - The beginning of your survey should have an introduction of the survey. It should state your objective in a way that grabs the attention of potential respondents and encourages them to take the survey. Also, since it is easy for online survey respondents to abandon your survey, you should include instructions on how to complete the survey and an estimate of how much time it will take.
2. Ask questions that provide the information you need - Always keep your objective and the information that you need to gather to achieve it in mind while asking the questions. Also, it is best to avoid the temptation to gather "extra" bits of information that are "nice to know" but irrelevant to your objective.
3. Ask important questions first, demographic questions last - Since it is very easy for online survey respondents to abandon your survey, always ask the important questions first and the demograhic questions last.
4. Organize the questions in logical groups - Always organize the questions in logical groups. It makes it easier for your respondents to understand and answer the questions, thus increasing the quality of the results.
5. Use plain, easy to understand language - The most effective surveys always use plain, easy to understand language. Using unclear or ambiguous language will give you misleading results. So test your survey thoroughly to ensure that it is indeed easy to understand.
6. Avoid technical terms, jargon, and acronyms - If you use technical terms, jargon, and acronyms, your respondents might not understand them, get frustrated, and abandon your survey. So strictly avoid them.
7. Use even number of responses - Whenever possible, use even number of responses for multiple choice questions. That way the respondents have to give a positive or a negative opinion, they can't give a "neutral" answer.
8. Randomize the responses - Whenever it makes sense, randomize the order in which responses are displayed. This removes "order bias" from the responses.
9. Avoid unnecessary graphics and embedded components - Although it might be tempting to use graphics and embedded components, their use increases the time it takes to download and display your survey. So use them only when it is absolutely necessary and certainly don't overdo it.
10. Be sensitive to the feelings of your respondents - Always be sensitive to the feelings of your respondents. If you offend them, they might abandon your survey. So test your survey to ensure that it is not offending to any group of people.
11. Thank the respondents - Your respondents spend the time to take your survey. So never forget to thank them for completing the survey.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
How To Conduct Effective Online Surveys
Although they are inexpensive and product fast results, online surveys still need to be conducted properly to be really effective. The key steps for conducting effective online surveys are:
* Identify your objective
* Decide what information you need
* Develop a questionnaire
* Conduct the survey
* Analyze the responses
* Recommend a course of action
* Identify your objective
Online surveys are conducted to find out the characteristics, behaviors, opinions, and knowledge of a particular population. No matter what the subject matter, all surveys are conducted with an objective, to gather information relevant to a specific problem or situation. And the key to a successful survey is clearly identifying that objective upfront. To do that, ask yourself "what problem am I trying to solve?" The ideal objective has a narrow scope and can be clearly stated. The wider the scope, the more complex your survey and the less meaningful its results. Always remember, your survey is only as good as your understanding of your objective!
* Decide what information you need
Once you have defined your objective, identify the information you need to gather to achieve your objective. If the objective is clear and narrow, the information you need to gather will be apparent. Be specific and avoid the temptation to gather "extra" bits of information that are "nice to know" but not relevant to your objective. Once you have identified the information you need, you should explore the possibility of gathering it from existing data sources. With an abundance of information available from corporate databases and public information sources, you might gather the information without even conducting a survey!
* Develop a questionnaire
Developing the questionnaire is undoubtedly the most important part of conducting a survey. The quality of the questions will determine the quality of the results and the effectiveness of your survey. Get tips for developing an effective questionnaire.
* Conduct the survey
Once you have developed the questionnaire, you need to test it on a few people to determine if it is clearly written and can be understood by people representing your potential respondents. Testing the survey might take several iterations, but it is well worth the effort. Once you are satisfied that your questionnaire is clear and unambiguous, you are ready to conduct your survey.
If you are going to distribute your survey through email, make sure that your email message is clear and compelling. A boring message will not get the attention of your potential respondents and decrease your response rate. Additionally, you should also remember the following things:
* Address emails to a single person whenever possible.
* Always use the blind carbon copy (BCC) if you must send a single email message to a group of people.
* Include a valid email address in the "From" field or the recipients will consider your message as spam.
* Provide the URL that will take people directly to your survey, if you are inviting them to the website to take the survey.
* Tell recipients how to contact you if they have a problem or concern.
* Identify the source of purchased email addresses so recipients know who to contact if they want to be removed from the list.
* Ignore the "flame" or "hate" messages you might receive in response to your email invitation. A small percentage of the recipients always take offense to something or the other.
If you are going to distribute your survey from your website, you need to consider how will get visitors to take the survey. If your site has just enough traffic, you can probably place a hypertext link on your home page through which visitors can reach your survey. If you have very heavy traffic, you can use a program on your web server to randomly deliver your survey to some of the visitors. However, if your website doesn't have enough traffic, you should consider sending invitations by email or other traditional methods.
Once you have sent out notifications, responses will begin to come in immediately. For online surveys that invite individual participants (email or postal mail), most people will respond within 72 hours of receiving your invitation. Surveys that rely on passive participation (clicking on website links or responding to indirect advertising) generally take much longer. In either case, you need to decide how long to keep your surve active based on your target audience and how many responses you need to collect. If you are surveying a known group of people (e.g. customers, employees, students, etc) you might need to send out reminders to remind some people to take the survey.
* Analyze the responses
You can begin to analyze the responses as soon as you receive them. Unlike traditional methods, online surveys make it possible to analyze responses without human intervention. Responses are received in electronic format and immediately added to a database. Once in the database, they can be manipulated with a variety of tools, including the survey software, statistical packages, spreadsheets, and presentation programs. The key to proper analysis of online surveys is no different than that for traditional methods. You must be able to filter the data and display results in a variety of formats for effective analysis. And always remember to relate the analysis back to your objective.
* Recommend a course of action
The last step in conducting effective online surveys is to recommend a course of action. With your objective in mind, you should be able to recommend specific actions as a result of your survey. Your recommendations can vary widely depending upon the nature of the problem you are trying to solve. If you cannot identify any actions as a result of your survey, then it is highly possible that your objective was too broad, your information needs were incorrect or incomplete, or your questionnaire was poorly written. In these cases, your recommended action should be to conduct further study.
* Identify your objective
* Decide what information you need
* Develop a questionnaire
* Conduct the survey
* Analyze the responses
* Recommend a course of action
* Identify your objective
Online surveys are conducted to find out the characteristics, behaviors, opinions, and knowledge of a particular population. No matter what the subject matter, all surveys are conducted with an objective, to gather information relevant to a specific problem or situation. And the key to a successful survey is clearly identifying that objective upfront. To do that, ask yourself "what problem am I trying to solve?" The ideal objective has a narrow scope and can be clearly stated. The wider the scope, the more complex your survey and the less meaningful its results. Always remember, your survey is only as good as your understanding of your objective!
* Decide what information you need
Once you have defined your objective, identify the information you need to gather to achieve your objective. If the objective is clear and narrow, the information you need to gather will be apparent. Be specific and avoid the temptation to gather "extra" bits of information that are "nice to know" but not relevant to your objective. Once you have identified the information you need, you should explore the possibility of gathering it from existing data sources. With an abundance of information available from corporate databases and public information sources, you might gather the information without even conducting a survey!
* Develop a questionnaire
Developing the questionnaire is undoubtedly the most important part of conducting a survey. The quality of the questions will determine the quality of the results and the effectiveness of your survey. Get tips for developing an effective questionnaire.
* Conduct the survey
Once you have developed the questionnaire, you need to test it on a few people to determine if it is clearly written and can be understood by people representing your potential respondents. Testing the survey might take several iterations, but it is well worth the effort. Once you are satisfied that your questionnaire is clear and unambiguous, you are ready to conduct your survey.
If you are going to distribute your survey through email, make sure that your email message is clear and compelling. A boring message will not get the attention of your potential respondents and decrease your response rate. Additionally, you should also remember the following things:
* Address emails to a single person whenever possible.
* Always use the blind carbon copy (BCC) if you must send a single email message to a group of people.
* Include a valid email address in the "From" field or the recipients will consider your message as spam.
* Provide the URL that will take people directly to your survey, if you are inviting them to the website to take the survey.
* Tell recipients how to contact you if they have a problem or concern.
* Identify the source of purchased email addresses so recipients know who to contact if they want to be removed from the list.
* Ignore the "flame" or "hate" messages you might receive in response to your email invitation. A small percentage of the recipients always take offense to something or the other.
If you are going to distribute your survey from your website, you need to consider how will get visitors to take the survey. If your site has just enough traffic, you can probably place a hypertext link on your home page through which visitors can reach your survey. If you have very heavy traffic, you can use a program on your web server to randomly deliver your survey to some of the visitors. However, if your website doesn't have enough traffic, you should consider sending invitations by email or other traditional methods.
Once you have sent out notifications, responses will begin to come in immediately. For online surveys that invite individual participants (email or postal mail), most people will respond within 72 hours of receiving your invitation. Surveys that rely on passive participation (clicking on website links or responding to indirect advertising) generally take much longer. In either case, you need to decide how long to keep your surve active based on your target audience and how many responses you need to collect. If you are surveying a known group of people (e.g. customers, employees, students, etc) you might need to send out reminders to remind some people to take the survey.
* Analyze the responses
You can begin to analyze the responses as soon as you receive them. Unlike traditional methods, online surveys make it possible to analyze responses without human intervention. Responses are received in electronic format and immediately added to a database. Once in the database, they can be manipulated with a variety of tools, including the survey software, statistical packages, spreadsheets, and presentation programs. The key to proper analysis of online surveys is no different than that for traditional methods. You must be able to filter the data and display results in a variety of formats for effective analysis. And always remember to relate the analysis back to your objective.
* Recommend a course of action
The last step in conducting effective online surveys is to recommend a course of action. With your objective in mind, you should be able to recommend specific actions as a result of your survey. Your recommendations can vary widely depending upon the nature of the problem you are trying to solve. If you cannot identify any actions as a result of your survey, then it is highly possible that your objective was too broad, your information needs were incorrect or incomplete, or your questionnaire was poorly written. In these cases, your recommended action should be to conduct further study.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Conduct Online Articles Or Be Left Out!
In a world where websites and email have become ubiquitous, conducting online surveys has become so convenient that everybody is doing it. Are you? If not, here are 10 reasons why you should.
1. Develop quickly - Most survey softwares have a sample survey library, question library, and a response library that enables you to develop surveys quickly. You can also develop surveys from scratch very quickly.
2. Present the best way possible - You can use a drop-down list for questions with many responses, or you can also use audio and video where it is appropriate. Online surveys allow you to present your questions in the best possible way.
3. Pre-populate with data - You can pre-populate your surveys with data that you already have about each respondent.
4. Distribute easily - You can distribute online surveys very easily, and in many different ways: link on website, entire survey on website, link in email, entire survey in email or newsletters, or handheld devices.
5. Skip questions - You can skip questions based on the answers to some questions. The logic to determine whether to skip or not can be simple or fairly complex.
6. Personalize your surveys - You can use answers of questions in the following questions. This allows you to personalize your surveys, like saying "Thanks Steve" instead of only "Thanks". You can also ask questions like "Why do you like most about Coke?" if the respondent selected Coke as his/her favorite drink in the previous question.
7. Validate the responses - You can validate the responses given by respondents thus ensuring that they enter valid data. This increases the quality of the results.
8. Eliminate errors associated with manual entry - With online surveys, respondents take the survey themselves. This eliminates the need for manual entry and its associated errors.
9. Get fast results - With online surveys, you can begin to accumulate responses in hours rather than days, and complete surveys in days rather than months.
10. Save time and money - You save lot of time developing surveys due to the time-saving features that survey softwares have. You can also save money compared to the traditional method of conducting surveys since you have to send out postal invitations, hire call personnel, hire data entry personnel, and generate results manually.
1. Develop quickly - Most survey softwares have a sample survey library, question library, and a response library that enables you to develop surveys quickly. You can also develop surveys from scratch very quickly.
2. Present the best way possible - You can use a drop-down list for questions with many responses, or you can also use audio and video where it is appropriate. Online surveys allow you to present your questions in the best possible way.
3. Pre-populate with data - You can pre-populate your surveys with data that you already have about each respondent.
4. Distribute easily - You can distribute online surveys very easily, and in many different ways: link on website, entire survey on website, link in email, entire survey in email or newsletters, or handheld devices.
5. Skip questions - You can skip questions based on the answers to some questions. The logic to determine whether to skip or not can be simple or fairly complex.
6. Personalize your surveys - You can use answers of questions in the following questions. This allows you to personalize your surveys, like saying "Thanks Steve" instead of only "Thanks". You can also ask questions like "Why do you like most about Coke?" if the respondent selected Coke as his/her favorite drink in the previous question.
7. Validate the responses - You can validate the responses given by respondents thus ensuring that they enter valid data. This increases the quality of the results.
8. Eliminate errors associated with manual entry - With online surveys, respondents take the survey themselves. This eliminates the need for manual entry and its associated errors.
9. Get fast results - With online surveys, you can begin to accumulate responses in hours rather than days, and complete surveys in days rather than months.
10. Save time and money - You save lot of time developing surveys due to the time-saving features that survey softwares have. You can also save money compared to the traditional method of conducting surveys since you have to send out postal invitations, hire call personnel, hire data entry personnel, and generate results manually.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
How-To Refill Your Ink Cartridge
Forget about emptying your wallets every time you see the blinking light. Quit worrying and start doing it yourself! It’s an easy process that won’t take you more than five minutes.
The following is included in a typical ink refill kit: ink bottles, syringes and detailed instructions. Some kits include an air balance clip for balancing the air inside the cartridge to ensure proper ink flow. Some kits also include hand-drill tool to make a hole in the top of your empty cartridge.
Refilling Process
1. To start the refilling process, fill the syringe with one of the ink colors over the sink or several sheets of scrap paper to prevent any mess. Different printers hold different amounts of ink. In most Epson printers, the black cartridge holds approximately 17 ml and the color cartridges hold approximately 8 ml. See the instructions with your refill kit to see how much ink your cartridges can hold.
2. Before inserting the needle, make a small hole in the top of the cartridge (one for each color chamber). The hole is at the top of the cartridge near the label. Simply push the needle through the hole and press to the bottom of the cartridge towards the outlet hole. It’s important to fill the cartridge slowly so as to avoid the ink from foaming and introducing air in the chamber.
3. You do not need to seal the refill holes since there are already breather holes on the top of the cartridge.
4. Any unused ink can be put back in the bottle. You should clean the syringe with water and dry it properly to do the same process for the other cartridges or for future use. You can also label each syringe for the different colors so that each syringe is only used with one color.
5. Once you place the cartridge back in the printer, run the cleaning cycle 1 to 3 times. If there are any gaps in the printing, run the cleaning cycle again.
Don’t Forget
There are a few things to remember when refilling your cartridge. It should be refilled before the cartridge is completely empty to avoid the chamber from drying out and clogging. Also, it is a good idea to let the printer cartridge sit for a few hours (or overnight) so that the pressure in the cartridge will stabilize.
Some printers, like newer Epson models, have a green chip on their ink cartridges which is visible by looking at your cartridge. They are often referred to as “Intellidge” cartridges. The chip keeps track of how often the cartridge is used and lets the computer know when the cartridge may be low or empty. As long as you reset the chip, refilling the cartridge with ink from a refill kit will not be a problem. A resetting tool can be used to reset the memory on the chip. This allows the printer to recognize the cartridge as being full which makes printing with a refilled cartridge possible.
Refilling your own ink cartridge is easy, good for the environment, and very good for your pocket.
The following is included in a typical ink refill kit: ink bottles, syringes and detailed instructions. Some kits include an air balance clip for balancing the air inside the cartridge to ensure proper ink flow. Some kits also include hand-drill tool to make a hole in the top of your empty cartridge.
Refilling Process
1. To start the refilling process, fill the syringe with one of the ink colors over the sink or several sheets of scrap paper to prevent any mess. Different printers hold different amounts of ink. In most Epson printers, the black cartridge holds approximately 17 ml and the color cartridges hold approximately 8 ml. See the instructions with your refill kit to see how much ink your cartridges can hold.
2. Before inserting the needle, make a small hole in the top of the cartridge (one for each color chamber). The hole is at the top of the cartridge near the label. Simply push the needle through the hole and press to the bottom of the cartridge towards the outlet hole. It’s important to fill the cartridge slowly so as to avoid the ink from foaming and introducing air in the chamber.
3. You do not need to seal the refill holes since there are already breather holes on the top of the cartridge.
4. Any unused ink can be put back in the bottle. You should clean the syringe with water and dry it properly to do the same process for the other cartridges or for future use. You can also label each syringe for the different colors so that each syringe is only used with one color.
5. Once you place the cartridge back in the printer, run the cleaning cycle 1 to 3 times. If there are any gaps in the printing, run the cleaning cycle again.
Don’t Forget
There are a few things to remember when refilling your cartridge. It should be refilled before the cartridge is completely empty to avoid the chamber from drying out and clogging. Also, it is a good idea to let the printer cartridge sit for a few hours (or overnight) so that the pressure in the cartridge will stabilize.
Some printers, like newer Epson models, have a green chip on their ink cartridges which is visible by looking at your cartridge. They are often referred to as “Intellidge” cartridges. The chip keeps track of how often the cartridge is used and lets the computer know when the cartridge may be low or empty. As long as you reset the chip, refilling the cartridge with ink from a refill kit will not be a problem. A resetting tool can be used to reset the memory on the chip. This allows the printer to recognize the cartridge as being full which makes printing with a refilled cartridge possible.
Refilling your own ink cartridge is easy, good for the environment, and very good for your pocket.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Avoiding Blacklisting: Making Sure Your Email Gets Through
We all know that email is probably today's most popular way to advertise. Every day our inboxes are filled with messages from people who want our business--whether we asked for the contact or not. Email is today's biggest communication factor; but why shouldn't it be? It's all but free to use, and it's almost instantaneous.
But there is one problem with advertising via email that you may not think of very often: blacklisting. All it takes is one complaint, and your ISP or domain name can be put on someone's black list. If you're on the black list, your emails are not getting through--and neither is your advertising message.
So how big of a problem is this? Well, AOL, one of the world's biggest Internet service providers, winds up blocking a whopping 80% of messages to its subscribers due to blacklising. Your email could be the most legitimate message ever sent, but if one person forgets they signed up or decides to complain, you could be blacklisted. And for your business, the resulting slump in sales can be devastating.
What is a blacklist, exactly? A blacklist is a database of known Internet addresses (or IPs) used by individuals or companies sending spam. Various ISP's and bandwidth providers subscribe to these blacklist databases in order to filter out spam sent across their network or to their subscribers. Companies like AOL, MSN, and Yahoo all have very strict policies on spam, so many well-intended, legitimate emails never get through.
So how can you be sure you haven't been blacklisted? Unfortunately, you really can't be 100% sure. You may be on someone's black list and not even know it, and be added to and removed from black lists at the drop of a hat. The only way to prevent being blacklisted unfairly is to use today's technology to keep track of it all. There is cutting-edge software technology available that checks all the major black lists like Spamcop, MAPS, and SPAMHaus to ensure your domain or ISP hasn't been added.
Taking a few moments to understand and solve your potential blacklisting problem can mean a world of difference in your bottom line.
But there is one problem with advertising via email that you may not think of very often: blacklisting. All it takes is one complaint, and your ISP or domain name can be put on someone's black list. If you're on the black list, your emails are not getting through--and neither is your advertising message.
So how big of a problem is this? Well, AOL, one of the world's biggest Internet service providers, winds up blocking a whopping 80% of messages to its subscribers due to blacklising. Your email could be the most legitimate message ever sent, but if one person forgets they signed up or decides to complain, you could be blacklisted. And for your business, the resulting slump in sales can be devastating.
What is a blacklist, exactly? A blacklist is a database of known Internet addresses (or IPs) used by individuals or companies sending spam. Various ISP's and bandwidth providers subscribe to these blacklist databases in order to filter out spam sent across their network or to their subscribers. Companies like AOL, MSN, and Yahoo all have very strict policies on spam, so many well-intended, legitimate emails never get through.
So how can you be sure you haven't been blacklisted? Unfortunately, you really can't be 100% sure. You may be on someone's black list and not even know it, and be added to and removed from black lists at the drop of a hat. The only way to prevent being blacklisted unfairly is to use today's technology to keep track of it all. There is cutting-edge software technology available that checks all the major black lists like Spamcop, MAPS, and SPAMHaus to ensure your domain or ISP hasn't been added.
Taking a few moments to understand and solve your potential blacklisting problem can mean a world of difference in your bottom line.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Internet News Services Explode Online
It seems no matter how much information comes available online, people thirst for more.
To illustrate this point, just take a look at all the online news services sprouting up on the web like garden weeds.
With the click of a mouse you can instantly search thousands of news sources for specific and timely information on virtually any topic you choose.
Heck, if you're a real news junky, you can even get up-to- the-minute news emailed straight to your desktop!
Now, I'm the first one to say that nothing beats a good old-fashioned newspaper you hold in your hands.
Few things rate as relaxing as a cup of coffee, a quiet morning, and today's newspaper ready for my inspection. In fact, my day doesn't officially start until I walk to the end of my driveway to retrieve the paper (occasionally from under a bush).
But as much as I love the paper, it rarely contains stories on highly-specialized subjects such as the latest email marketing laws, html parsing, and search engine promotion.
Of course, it doesn't make sense for virtually any local newspaper to carry news about email marketing laws (other than how they affect consumers) because the market demand simply doesn't exist on that level.
However, around the world, thousands of people just like me want to know the instant a news story breaks on the latest "Can Spam" legislation, and that's where online news services come into play.
Log on to http://news.google.com, http://news.yahoo.com and www.news.com to search thousands of different news sources from around the world.
On these sites you can dig up information on anything from current world events and your favorite Spanish soccer team, to cattle tagging regulations in Argentina (no kidding) and the exploding online auction markets in mainland China.
News from around the world on virtually any subject waits literally just a few keystrokes and a mouse-click away.
An incredibly useful feature offered by many of these sites includes email notification based on your keyword search criteria.
So instead of paying a "clipping" service to find articles and send them to you, these websites will do it free.
Now how could you use this type of news notification service?
Well, imagine you own stock in a specific company. You could subscribe to a number of different news services and have them send you breaking stories about the company, CEO, affiliated companies and anything else you choose.
Or, let's say you deal in a very specific industry, such as real estate investment publishing.
You could sign up to get notified any time a news story gets published about changing regulations, interest rates or other factors affecting your business.
All this online news certainly does not rate a substitute for morning coffee, local and national news, and an important ritual to start the day, but it has a place, especially for extremely specialized areas of interest, hobbies, or business news.
Watch for many new services, software, and opportunities to arise from this growing and dynamic area of online publishing.
To illustrate this point, just take a look at all the online news services sprouting up on the web like garden weeds.
With the click of a mouse you can instantly search thousands of news sources for specific and timely information on virtually any topic you choose.
Heck, if you're a real news junky, you can even get up-to- the-minute news emailed straight to your desktop!
Now, I'm the first one to say that nothing beats a good old-fashioned newspaper you hold in your hands.
Few things rate as relaxing as a cup of coffee, a quiet morning, and today's newspaper ready for my inspection. In fact, my day doesn't officially start until I walk to the end of my driveway to retrieve the paper (occasionally from under a bush).
But as much as I love the paper, it rarely contains stories on highly-specialized subjects such as the latest email marketing laws, html parsing, and search engine promotion.
Of course, it doesn't make sense for virtually any local newspaper to carry news about email marketing laws (other than how they affect consumers) because the market demand simply doesn't exist on that level.
However, around the world, thousands of people just like me want to know the instant a news story breaks on the latest "Can Spam" legislation, and that's where online news services come into play.
Log on to http://news.google.com, http://news.yahoo.com and www.news.com to search thousands of different news sources from around the world.
On these sites you can dig up information on anything from current world events and your favorite Spanish soccer team, to cattle tagging regulations in Argentina (no kidding) and the exploding online auction markets in mainland China.
News from around the world on virtually any subject waits literally just a few keystrokes and a mouse-click away.
An incredibly useful feature offered by many of these sites includes email notification based on your keyword search criteria.
So instead of paying a "clipping" service to find articles and send them to you, these websites will do it free.
Now how could you use this type of news notification service?
Well, imagine you own stock in a specific company. You could subscribe to a number of different news services and have them send you breaking stories about the company, CEO, affiliated companies and anything else you choose.
Or, let's say you deal in a very specific industry, such as real estate investment publishing.
You could sign up to get notified any time a news story gets published about changing regulations, interest rates or other factors affecting your business.
All this online news certainly does not rate a substitute for morning coffee, local and national news, and an important ritual to start the day, but it has a place, especially for extremely specialized areas of interest, hobbies, or business news.
Watch for many new services, software, and opportunities to arise from this growing and dynamic area of online publishing.
Monday, October 8, 2007
How To clean your Case
There is nothing wrong with leaving spills, dirt, and stains on your computer case. After all isn't that what the case is for, to protect the electronic components inside from spills and dirt? This is true, but there are still parts of the case that need to be cleaned and checked if you want your computer to live a long and prosperous life.
Unless you like looking at dirt everytime you look at your computer, you should go ahead and clean those spills, stains, and dust off of the case. You can do this with just about any cloth and cleaner. Do not use highly abrasive cleaners that might ruin or mar the surface and do not use solvents on plastic. A wet sponge will even work. Just make sure that the cleaner or any liquid does not seep into the inside through cracks and vents. If there is any possibility that you are going to get that messy, turn off and unplug the computer first and wait to turn it back on until any liquid has had a chance to fully dry.
After you have wiped off the outside, it is time for a little inspection. Look at the blades of the fan in the back of the computer. Also look at any vents. Is there dust there? Is there a lot of dust and grime caked on to it? If so, that is an indicator that the inside also needs to be cleaned (I will tell you how to do that in next week's article - How to Clean your Motherboard).
Some clean environments never have to have the inside cleaned. Some need it cleaned monthly. When I lived in Russia, even though I didn't notice it, the air was not clean. The fan on the computer would cake up with dirt and grime after about a month of use. And so I would have to clean the fan, vents, and inside monthly. If I had let it go for several months without cleaning, the fan would have stopped working and the computer would have overheated. Where I now live in the US, the air is clean and I have gone years without having to clean it. Again, the indicator of this is the blades of the fan and the vents. If they are dirty, they need to be cleaned.
You can do some of the cleaning from the outside. First, turn off the computer. Then get out the vacuum sweeper and using the hose, vacuum out the vents and the fan(s). If you have compressed air (you can purchase compressed air from your computer store), you may want to blow air in through the vents (or intake fan if you have one) to loosen the dust and suck it out using the vacuum. If there is still dust or dirt in the vents or on the blades of the fan, you can use a Q-tip to clean them.
If you do not have a vaccum, you can use compressed air alone. Always use short bursts to avoid moisture buildup. Start with the computer off and blow into every hole and vent. Then turn the computer on and blow everything except for the exhaust fan once again.
With the case clean, your computer will look nicer and with the fan and vents cleaned out it will breathe easier and run cooler.
Unless you like looking at dirt everytime you look at your computer, you should go ahead and clean those spills, stains, and dust off of the case. You can do this with just about any cloth and cleaner. Do not use highly abrasive cleaners that might ruin or mar the surface and do not use solvents on plastic. A wet sponge will even work. Just make sure that the cleaner or any liquid does not seep into the inside through cracks and vents. If there is any possibility that you are going to get that messy, turn off and unplug the computer first and wait to turn it back on until any liquid has had a chance to fully dry.
After you have wiped off the outside, it is time for a little inspection. Look at the blades of the fan in the back of the computer. Also look at any vents. Is there dust there? Is there a lot of dust and grime caked on to it? If so, that is an indicator that the inside also needs to be cleaned (I will tell you how to do that in next week's article - How to Clean your Motherboard).
Some clean environments never have to have the inside cleaned. Some need it cleaned monthly. When I lived in Russia, even though I didn't notice it, the air was not clean. The fan on the computer would cake up with dirt and grime after about a month of use. And so I would have to clean the fan, vents, and inside monthly. If I had let it go for several months without cleaning, the fan would have stopped working and the computer would have overheated. Where I now live in the US, the air is clean and I have gone years without having to clean it. Again, the indicator of this is the blades of the fan and the vents. If they are dirty, they need to be cleaned.
You can do some of the cleaning from the outside. First, turn off the computer. Then get out the vacuum sweeper and using the hose, vacuum out the vents and the fan(s). If you have compressed air (you can purchase compressed air from your computer store), you may want to blow air in through the vents (or intake fan if you have one) to loosen the dust and suck it out using the vacuum. If there is still dust or dirt in the vents or on the blades of the fan, you can use a Q-tip to clean them.
If you do not have a vaccum, you can use compressed air alone. Always use short bursts to avoid moisture buildup. Start with the computer off and blow into every hole and vent. Then turn the computer on and blow everything except for the exhaust fan once again.
With the case clean, your computer will look nicer and with the fan and vents cleaned out it will breathe easier and run cooler.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Cache In Your Chips And Get A Bus!
Computer related terminology could sometimes be daunting to newcomers. These are relatively new words or hybrids of words, already in existence. Someone with a degree in English, for example, could not necessarily guess, the function of a particular devise, by its name. This is because such a devise never existed in history or in the history of the English language.
Tolerance and patience is required.
If you work in the field of computers, these “new” words must be learned. However, P.C.’s are designed for use by ordinary people, and the gritty details regarding their construction, can be largely ignored. A journalist, typist, builder or bookkeeper doesn’t need to know what an EIDE or SCSI is, or indeed isn’t.
Hard drive description is not relevant to the majority, as long as the devise is functional.
A “BUS”, though, could be guessed by some, as it carries something, not unlike a conventional bus. In this case, it carries current/electrons/data, and is simply a conductor. A bus conductor, if you like. For now, buses are made of copper with experiments underway to utilise other materials. I read recently that “prions”, which are a type of protein, are been considered as conductors. Will some of our computers’ components be organic? We shall have to see!
Fibre optics, which are, basically speaking, glass pipes around four thousands of an inch (0.1 mms.), in diameter, employ the speed of light, for signal/data transfer. A light (diode), is on or off, at one end, and a photo-resistor at the other end registers its state. Now, wasn’t that simply put! These glass pipes are coated to reflect the light inwards, meaning that light can be “bent” around corners, while within its container/pipe. Heat generation is minimal and electrical resistance is redundant.
It is heat generation and resistance that brings your “fan” into play, keeping everything cool, and electron transfer at a controlled level.
Low resistance= high current. Your starter motor for your car has really thick cables allowing electrons from the twelve volt power source (battery) to do their job in turning over you engine, which is a considerably difficult task. A smaller cable would have a higher electrical resistance, causing it to overheat, and eventually, melt. Keep listening for that “fan”.
It is your computers first line of defence.
In fact, it is the principle of electrical resistance that is employed by electrical heaters.
CACHE is not legal tender in most countries, but a type of memory that your CPU (central processing unit ) first looks for. It does this, not to be awkward, but more because it is the fastest route, from a users point of view.
Tolerance and patience is required.
If you work in the field of computers, these “new” words must be learned. However, P.C.’s are designed for use by ordinary people, and the gritty details regarding their construction, can be largely ignored. A journalist, typist, builder or bookkeeper doesn’t need to know what an EIDE or SCSI is, or indeed isn’t.
Hard drive description is not relevant to the majority, as long as the devise is functional.
A “BUS”, though, could be guessed by some, as it carries something, not unlike a conventional bus. In this case, it carries current/electrons/data, and is simply a conductor. A bus conductor, if you like. For now, buses are made of copper with experiments underway to utilise other materials. I read recently that “prions”, which are a type of protein, are been considered as conductors. Will some of our computers’ components be organic? We shall have to see!
Fibre optics, which are, basically speaking, glass pipes around four thousands of an inch (0.1 mms.), in diameter, employ the speed of light, for signal/data transfer. A light (diode), is on or off, at one end, and a photo-resistor at the other end registers its state. Now, wasn’t that simply put! These glass pipes are coated to reflect the light inwards, meaning that light can be “bent” around corners, while within its container/pipe. Heat generation is minimal and electrical resistance is redundant.
It is heat generation and resistance that brings your “fan” into play, keeping everything cool, and electron transfer at a controlled level.
Low resistance= high current. Your starter motor for your car has really thick cables allowing electrons from the twelve volt power source (battery) to do their job in turning over you engine, which is a considerably difficult task. A smaller cable would have a higher electrical resistance, causing it to overheat, and eventually, melt. Keep listening for that “fan”.
It is your computers first line of defence.
In fact, it is the principle of electrical resistance that is employed by electrical heaters.
CACHE is not legal tender in most countries, but a type of memory that your CPU (central processing unit ) first looks for. It does this, not to be awkward, but more because it is the fastest route, from a users point of view.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
How to clean your Mother Board
If you have not done the inspection mentioned in the previous article - How to Clean your Case, now is the time to do so. Look at the blades of the fan in the back of the computer. Also look at any vents. Is there clusters of dust there? Is there grime caked on to it? If so, the inside needs to be cleaned. If the fan blades are clean but it has been several years since you have cleaned the motherboard or if the computer is around cigarette smoke, it probably should be cleaned anyway. Dust and particles in the air (like cigarette smoke) can build up on the circuitry of the motherboard and cause it to heat up and/or corrode.
The first thing that you need to do is unplug your computer. Then open up the case to get access to the motherboard. Cases open differently. If you don't know how to open your case, look on the back of your computer along the edge for some screws. These screws may hold on side panels or an upside down U shaped panel that covers the sides and top. Removing the screws will allow you to take off the cover. Other cases have the screws on the front of the computer. To get access to these screws, you must first remove the front panel by pressing a hidden latch. The cover is there to give easy access to the inside of your computer, so if you look hard enough, you should be able to figure out how to remove it.
Remember that if you touch anything on the motherboard, you should be grounded by either touching the metal frame of the computer with your other hand or by wearing a special grounding device.
The goal of cleaning the motherboard is to remove all dust and debris from the motherboard and all components inside of the case. This can be done using one of three methods.
The preferred method is to use a can of compressed air to blow it out. Always hold the can in an up-right position to prevent the propellent chemicals which can damage or corrode components from coming out. Dust and dirt should be blown away from the motherboard and out of the case.
Another way to remove dust is to use a vacuum. The common advice is to only use a battery operated vacuum because an AC powered vacuum causes static and static can ruin the motherboard. I have used an AC powered vacuum (before I knew that it was not recommended) to clean my motherboard many times and it has never caused any problems, but I may have just been lucky. When using the vacuum, keep the nozzle a couple of inches away from the motherboard or any other components so that it does not come in contact with them and so that any small parts are not sucked into the vacuum.
If you do not have a can of compressed air or a vacuum, you can use a dry cloth and brush to clean the motherboard. Be careful not to dislodge or break anything using this method.
While cleaning the motherboard, be careful not to unplug any cables or connections or to dislodge any loose components, such as, jumpers.
Methodically clean the whole inside of the case going over all of the motherboard from one end to the other and all other components. Don't forget to clean the fans and heat sinks. Do not open up the power supply box or stick anything in it beyond the fan. If you do, you could get a shocking surprise and ruin your computer.
If your computer does not work when you put it back together, something was obviously dislodged during the cleaning. Open the case back up and push all connections and cards into their slots. Look for anything that may have become disconnected.
Cleaning the motherboard is probably the most dangerous form of cleaning but it is necessary to prevent an early death of your computer.
The first thing that you need to do is unplug your computer. Then open up the case to get access to the motherboard. Cases open differently. If you don't know how to open your case, look on the back of your computer along the edge for some screws. These screws may hold on side panels or an upside down U shaped panel that covers the sides and top. Removing the screws will allow you to take off the cover. Other cases have the screws on the front of the computer. To get access to these screws, you must first remove the front panel by pressing a hidden latch. The cover is there to give easy access to the inside of your computer, so if you look hard enough, you should be able to figure out how to remove it.
Remember that if you touch anything on the motherboard, you should be grounded by either touching the metal frame of the computer with your other hand or by wearing a special grounding device.
The goal of cleaning the motherboard is to remove all dust and debris from the motherboard and all components inside of the case. This can be done using one of three methods.
The preferred method is to use a can of compressed air to blow it out. Always hold the can in an up-right position to prevent the propellent chemicals which can damage or corrode components from coming out. Dust and dirt should be blown away from the motherboard and out of the case.
Another way to remove dust is to use a vacuum. The common advice is to only use a battery operated vacuum because an AC powered vacuum causes static and static can ruin the motherboard. I have used an AC powered vacuum (before I knew that it was not recommended) to clean my motherboard many times and it has never caused any problems, but I may have just been lucky. When using the vacuum, keep the nozzle a couple of inches away from the motherboard or any other components so that it does not come in contact with them and so that any small parts are not sucked into the vacuum.
If you do not have a can of compressed air or a vacuum, you can use a dry cloth and brush to clean the motherboard. Be careful not to dislodge or break anything using this method.
While cleaning the motherboard, be careful not to unplug any cables or connections or to dislodge any loose components, such as, jumpers.
Methodically clean the whole inside of the case going over all of the motherboard from one end to the other and all other components. Don't forget to clean the fans and heat sinks. Do not open up the power supply box or stick anything in it beyond the fan. If you do, you could get a shocking surprise and ruin your computer.
If your computer does not work when you put it back together, something was obviously dislodged during the cleaning. Open the case back up and push all connections and cards into their slots. Look for anything that may have become disconnected.
Cleaning the motherboard is probably the most dangerous form of cleaning but it is necessary to prevent an early death of your computer.
Friday, October 5, 2007
What To Expect At The Cisco Testing Center
Candidates can register for the CCNA exam (640-801 exam or 640-821 INTRO or 640-811 ICND ) at Pearson VUE or Prometric testing centers.
In order to do their best, candidates should know what to expect at the testing center for the Cisco CCNA certification exam. Since testing center guidelines may vary from one center to another, we recommend that the candidates call the local testing center to check about the guidelines. Here are some points providing information on what you can expect at the exam center:
Re-certification: If you have taken a Cisco CCNA certification exam before, find out your Cisco ID and specify it before you start with your registration. This will ensure that you get proper credit for the exam and will help avoid any duplicate records.
Reach before time: We strongly suggest reaching the test center before time. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the appointment.
Sign the logbook: You may be asked to sign-in the logbook upon arrival as well as upon departure. Do check on this.
You must carry your identification: You will be required to show a valid identification (ID), perhaps including a recent, recognizable photograph. If the supervisor questions your ID, you may be required to show another ID. You should check the testing center guidelines on identification and take all supplemental identification documents with you.
Generally Accepted Identification:
Passport
Photobearing driver's license with signature
National/Military identification card
The following MAY not be accepted as valid ID:
Credit Cards (Please check with test center)
Private identification cards
Any expired ID
Read the testing center regulation form carefully: You will be provided with a Testing Center Regulation form by the supervisor. Read the regulations carefully and comply with them during the test.
Sign the confidentiality statement: The supervisor is responsible for asking you to sign the confidentially statement at the test center indicating that you will not reveal exam questions to other students after the test.
Supervisor sets up your test computer: The supervisor will ensure that the Cisco certification test displays on screen before handing over the machine to you.
Ask for sheets for scratch work: Scratch papers will be provided to you at the testing center. These are sometimes only available on request. Ask for some blank scratch sheets to do calculations and rough work. Jot down important points and tables (such as powers of 2, binary representation tables etc) before exam starts. This can be a big time saver. Do not take the scratch paper out of the testing room on completion of exam.
Items not allowed in the testing room: The candidate is not allowed to bring in the testing room personal items such as:
Books, revision sheets or notes: The exam is closed book
Cellular phones & alarms
Food or drinks may not be allowed
Calculators
Your session may be audio and video taped: Do not attempt to talk or communicate in any form to anybody in the testing room. Your session may be taped and can lead to immediate disqualification .
On exam completion: You will be explained by the supervisor what to do when you complete the exam. If not, or if you are unclear about what you should do, ask it yourself before beginning the exam.
Do not take with you the the testing material from the testing room: Return all of your testing materials, including the scrap paper, on the completion of your exam to the supervisor.
Certified copy of the exam result: Your supervisor will give you a certified copy of the exam report on completion of the test. This will list your score indicating strengths and weaknesses in the various test areas. Ask the supervisor for the certified copy, if you do not get it.
In order to do their best, candidates should know what to expect at the testing center for the Cisco CCNA certification exam. Since testing center guidelines may vary from one center to another, we recommend that the candidates call the local testing center to check about the guidelines. Here are some points providing information on what you can expect at the exam center:
Re-certification: If you have taken a Cisco CCNA certification exam before, find out your Cisco ID and specify it before you start with your registration. This will ensure that you get proper credit for the exam and will help avoid any duplicate records.
Reach before time: We strongly suggest reaching the test center before time. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the appointment.
Sign the logbook: You may be asked to sign-in the logbook upon arrival as well as upon departure. Do check on this.
You must carry your identification: You will be required to show a valid identification (ID), perhaps including a recent, recognizable photograph. If the supervisor questions your ID, you may be required to show another ID. You should check the testing center guidelines on identification and take all supplemental identification documents with you.
Generally Accepted Identification:
Passport
Photobearing driver's license with signature
National/Military identification card
The following MAY not be accepted as valid ID:
Credit Cards (Please check with test center)
Private identification cards
Any expired ID
Read the testing center regulation form carefully: You will be provided with a Testing Center Regulation form by the supervisor. Read the regulations carefully and comply with them during the test.
Sign the confidentiality statement: The supervisor is responsible for asking you to sign the confidentially statement at the test center indicating that you will not reveal exam questions to other students after the test.
Supervisor sets up your test computer: The supervisor will ensure that the Cisco certification test displays on screen before handing over the machine to you.
Ask for sheets for scratch work: Scratch papers will be provided to you at the testing center. These are sometimes only available on request. Ask for some blank scratch sheets to do calculations and rough work. Jot down important points and tables (such as powers of 2, binary representation tables etc) before exam starts. This can be a big time saver. Do not take the scratch paper out of the testing room on completion of exam.
Items not allowed in the testing room: The candidate is not allowed to bring in the testing room personal items such as:
Books, revision sheets or notes: The exam is closed book
Cellular phones & alarms
Food or drinks may not be allowed
Calculators
Your session may be audio and video taped: Do not attempt to talk or communicate in any form to anybody in the testing room. Your session may be taped and can lead to immediate disqualification .
On exam completion: You will be explained by the supervisor what to do when you complete the exam. If not, or if you are unclear about what you should do, ask it yourself before beginning the exam.
Do not take with you the the testing material from the testing room: Return all of your testing materials, including the scrap paper, on the completion of your exam to the supervisor.
Certified copy of the exam result: Your supervisor will give you a certified copy of the exam report on completion of the test. This will list your score indicating strengths and weaknesses in the various test areas. Ask the supervisor for the certified copy, if you do not get it.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
CCNA 640-801 Preparation & Exam Review
The CCNA certification equips you with networking skills to design, plan, install, configure and operate small to medium size computer networks. CCNA certified professionals can install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial access services for small networks (100 nodes or fewer), including but not limited to use of these protocols: IP, IGRP, Serial, Frame Relay, IP RIP, VLANs, RIP, Ethernet, Access Lists.
The CCNA certification has grown significantly in popularity over the last few years. It is a worthwhile addition to the resume of any networking professional.
CCNA Exam Tracks
There are two tracks that can be followed in achieving the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification.
Track 1: Single Exam Path
Passing the 640-801 CCNA exam.
Track 2: Dual Exam Path
Passing the 640-821 INTRO exam and 640-811 ICND exam.
Topics On The Test
List of recommended topics is given below. Please note that related topics not listed below may also be asked on the exam.
Planning & Designing
Design a simple LAN using Cisco Technology
Design an IP addressing scheme to meet design requirements
Select an appropriate routing protocol based on user requirements
Design a simple internetwork using Cisco technology
Develop an access list to meet user specifications
Choose WAN services to meet customer requirements
Implementation & Operation
Configure routing protocols given user requirements
Configure IP addresses, subnet masks, and gateway addresses on routers and hosts
Configure a router for additional administrative functionality
Configure a switch with VLANS and inter-switch communication
Implement a LAN
Customize a switch configuration to meet specified network requirements
Manage system image and device configuration files
Perform an initial configuration on a router
Perform an initial configuration on a switch
Implement access lists
Implement simple WAN protocols
Troubleshooting
Utilize the OSI model as a guide for systematic network troubleshooting
Perform LAN and VLAN troubleshooting
Troubleshoot routing protocols
Troubleshoot IP addressing and host configuration
Troubleshoot a device as part of a working network
Troubleshoot an access list
Perform simple WAN troubleshooting
Technology
Describe network communications using layered models
Describe the Spanning Tree process
Compare and contrast key characteristics of LAN environments
Evaluate the characteristics of routing protocols
Evaluate TCP/IP communication process and its associated protocols
Describe the components of network devices
Evaluate rules for packet control
Evaluate key characteristics of WANs
Review Of CCNA 640-801 Exam Specifics
Pre Requisites: The CCNA exam has no pre requisites.
Time Allotted: 90 minutes
Total marks: The exam is marked from 300 to 1000. Minimum marks is 300.
Passing Grade: Cisco revises the ccna passing score periodically. Last known pass mark is 849/1000.
Score Report: Delivered immediate on test completion.
Certification validation period: 3 years
Number of Questions: Not fixed. In general the questions range from 55 to 65 in number.
Exam Pattern: The pattern may vary from exam to exam, depending on how many questions are there to be answered. The question types found on the CCNA exam are:
Multiple Choice with Single answer: Student is required to select a single answer from a range of options (generally 4-5) by clicking on a radio button.
Multiple Choice with Multiple answer: Student is required to select a range of options. The number of options to select is specified. The selection is made by clicking on a checkbox. A “v” appears against selected checkboxes.
Drag And Drop: These questions are graphical in nature. Student is required to drag options to different drop areas.
Fill in the Blank: Student is required to type in the missing text to complete the sentence.
Router Simulation: Router simulation questions test knowledge of Cisco IOS in simulated environment. All of Cisco IOS commands are not supported by the simulator, however the task can be performed with the available commands in the simulator. Do note that the exam engine may be slow when switching between the simulator-based questions and the standard multiple-choice questions.
The CCNA certification has grown significantly in popularity over the last few years. It is a worthwhile addition to the resume of any networking professional.
CCNA Exam Tracks
There are two tracks that can be followed in achieving the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification.
Track 1: Single Exam Path
Passing the 640-801 CCNA exam.
Track 2: Dual Exam Path
Passing the 640-821 INTRO exam and 640-811 ICND exam.
Topics On The Test
List of recommended topics is given below. Please note that related topics not listed below may also be asked on the exam.
Planning & Designing
Design a simple LAN using Cisco Technology
Design an IP addressing scheme to meet design requirements
Select an appropriate routing protocol based on user requirements
Design a simple internetwork using Cisco technology
Develop an access list to meet user specifications
Choose WAN services to meet customer requirements
Implementation & Operation
Configure routing protocols given user requirements
Configure IP addresses, subnet masks, and gateway addresses on routers and hosts
Configure a router for additional administrative functionality
Configure a switch with VLANS and inter-switch communication
Implement a LAN
Customize a switch configuration to meet specified network requirements
Manage system image and device configuration files
Perform an initial configuration on a router
Perform an initial configuration on a switch
Implement access lists
Implement simple WAN protocols
Troubleshooting
Utilize the OSI model as a guide for systematic network troubleshooting
Perform LAN and VLAN troubleshooting
Troubleshoot routing protocols
Troubleshoot IP addressing and host configuration
Troubleshoot a device as part of a working network
Troubleshoot an access list
Perform simple WAN troubleshooting
Technology
Describe network communications using layered models
Describe the Spanning Tree process
Compare and contrast key characteristics of LAN environments
Evaluate the characteristics of routing protocols
Evaluate TCP/IP communication process and its associated protocols
Describe the components of network devices
Evaluate rules for packet control
Evaluate key characteristics of WANs
Review Of CCNA 640-801 Exam Specifics
Pre Requisites: The CCNA exam has no pre requisites.
Time Allotted: 90 minutes
Total marks: The exam is marked from 300 to 1000. Minimum marks is 300.
Passing Grade: Cisco revises the ccna passing score periodically. Last known pass mark is 849/1000.
Score Report: Delivered immediate on test completion.
Certification validation period: 3 years
Number of Questions: Not fixed. In general the questions range from 55 to 65 in number.
Exam Pattern: The pattern may vary from exam to exam, depending on how many questions are there to be answered. The question types found on the CCNA exam are:
Multiple Choice with Single answer: Student is required to select a single answer from a range of options (generally 4-5) by clicking on a radio button.
Multiple Choice with Multiple answer: Student is required to select a range of options. The number of options to select is specified. The selection is made by clicking on a checkbox. A “v” appears against selected checkboxes.
Drag And Drop: These questions are graphical in nature. Student is required to drag options to different drop areas.
Fill in the Blank: Student is required to type in the missing text to complete the sentence.
Router Simulation: Router simulation questions test knowledge of Cisco IOS in simulated environment. All of Cisco IOS commands are not supported by the simulator, however the task can be performed with the available commands in the simulator. Do note that the exam engine may be slow when switching between the simulator-based questions and the standard multiple-choice questions.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Cisco Certification: Cabling Cisco Devices
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) is a cable that has four pairs of wires twisted inside it to eliminate electrical interference. UTP cables are connected using RJ-45 connectors that have eight connector pins. The data equipment that is used for internetworking is classified as Data Terminal Equipment (DTE e.g. router interfaces) and Data Communication Equipment (DCE e.g. A WAN connects DTEs through DCE network).
UTP cables are used in many configurations and for different purposes, to form an internetwork including:
Straight-through
Crossover
Rollover
Applications of UTP include:
Serial transmission
Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) connections
Console connections
Modular and fixed interfaces
These configurations and applications are discussed below.
Straight-Through Cable
A straight-through cable is the standard network cable connection and is used to connect the source and destination computers through an internetworking device. Specifically, you can use it to connect a host to a hub or switch
Crossover Cable
In a crossover cable, the standard RJ-45 cable between the source and destination computers is cross-connected. A crossover cable can be used to connect:
Two computers
Two hubs
A hub to a switch
A cable modem to a router
Two router interfaces
Rollover Cable
These Cisco proprietary cables used to connect to a router or switch console port. In a rollover cable (8 pins), RJ-45 connectors are usually present at each ends and are used to connect router and computer ports. Pin 1 on one end of cable connects to Pin 8 at the other end of the cable, similarly, Pin 2 connects Pin 7, and so on.
Serial Transmission
All WANs use serial transmission, which can pass one bit at a time over a single channel. Cisco provides a 60-pin serial connector for one end of the cable while other end of the cable may be EIA/TIA-232, V.35, EIA/TIA-449, X.21 or others;
ISDN Connections
ISDN refers to a collection of standards that define a digital architecture that can carry integrated voice and data, using the public-switched network. ISDN BRI (Basic Rate Interface) is a two 64 kbps Bearer channels (2B) plus one 16 kbps Data channel (D) service. ISDN BRI terminates at the customer premise with the U interface.
Console Connections
A console is a type of DTE through which commands are entered into the host device. Most Cisco devices support the RJ-45 console connection. A rollover cable with an RJ-45 connector is used to connect the PC or terminal to the console port of the Cisco device.
Modular and Fixed Interfaces
Unlike a fixed interface router, a modular interface router allows you to add new interface cards without buying a new router.
In the fixed interface series, you refer to the interfaces as:
interface_type interface_number
For example, the first serial interface on a Cisco 2503 router would be referred to as serial 0. Higher routers have modular interfaces that allow you to change the interfaces as and when required. Here, the interfaces are referred to as:
interface_type module_number/interface_number
To practice such commands you can download a free CCNA router simulator from SemSim.com and proceed to the troubleshooting 1 exercise that configures ethernet 0 interface.
UTP cables are used in many configurations and for different purposes, to form an internetwork including:
Straight-through
Crossover
Rollover
Applications of UTP include:
Serial transmission
Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) connections
Console connections
Modular and fixed interfaces
These configurations and applications are discussed below.
Straight-Through Cable
A straight-through cable is the standard network cable connection and is used to connect the source and destination computers through an internetworking device. Specifically, you can use it to connect a host to a hub or switch
Crossover Cable
In a crossover cable, the standard RJ-45 cable between the source and destination computers is cross-connected. A crossover cable can be used to connect:
Two computers
Two hubs
A hub to a switch
A cable modem to a router
Two router interfaces
Rollover Cable
These Cisco proprietary cables used to connect to a router or switch console port. In a rollover cable (8 pins), RJ-45 connectors are usually present at each ends and are used to connect router and computer ports. Pin 1 on one end of cable connects to Pin 8 at the other end of the cable, similarly, Pin 2 connects Pin 7, and so on.
Serial Transmission
All WANs use serial transmission, which can pass one bit at a time over a single channel. Cisco provides a 60-pin serial connector for one end of the cable while other end of the cable may be EIA/TIA-232, V.35, EIA/TIA-449, X.21 or others;
ISDN Connections
ISDN refers to a collection of standards that define a digital architecture that can carry integrated voice and data, using the public-switched network. ISDN BRI (Basic Rate Interface) is a two 64 kbps Bearer channels (2B) plus one 16 kbps Data channel (D) service. ISDN BRI terminates at the customer premise with the U interface.
Console Connections
A console is a type of DTE through which commands are entered into the host device. Most Cisco devices support the RJ-45 console connection. A rollover cable with an RJ-45 connector is used to connect the PC or terminal to the console port of the Cisco device.
Modular and Fixed Interfaces
Unlike a fixed interface router, a modular interface router allows you to add new interface cards without buying a new router.
In the fixed interface series, you refer to the interfaces as:
interface_type interface_number
For example, the first serial interface on a Cisco 2503 router would be referred to as serial 0. Higher routers have modular interfaces that allow you to change the interfaces as and when required. Here, the interfaces are referred to as:
interface_type module_number/interface_number
To practice such commands you can download a free CCNA router simulator from SemSim.com and proceed to the troubleshooting 1 exercise that configures ethernet 0 interface.
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