Devoted to bringing you little factoids, helpful hints and emergency procedures, TekTips are our way of keeping you up-to-date on all things Mac. Bookmark this page and check back for progressive updates and more fascinating tidbits, courtesy of the Old Reliable Mac Shop.

A few frequently asked questions:

How to secure an AirPort wireless network with password protection, by Leslie Sisson, Tekserve IT

Are you running a wireless network using an AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme Base Station and you're concerned about network security? Some wireless networks, like the one at Tekserve, are password-free so that any user can join it freely and easily. However, if you'd like to set up your network so that only selected users can join it, first check in your Utilities folder under Applications to see if you have AirPort Utility or AirPort Admin Utility. Then follow these simple steps to secure your wireless network with password protection.

Using AirPort Utility

Step 1: Open AirPort Utility.

Step 2: Your base station should show up in the list on the left. Select it. Then go to the Base Station menu and select Manual Setup. Enter your base station password, which is different from the security password in that it keeps others from changing your base station settings. In the toolbar, select AirPort, then select Wireless.

Step 3: Under the Wireless Security pop-up menu, choose a password scheme (or encryption):

• WPA, or WiFi Protected Access (recommended), is the new standard. It is more secure than WEP, but may not be compatible with some older network cards
• WEP, or Wired Equivalent Privacy, is the older industry standard. It is less secure than WPA, but compatible with more network cards
• Choosing None is the least secure of all. It means your wireless network won't require a password and anyone can access it

Step 4: Type in a password, which is what all users will enter to access your network, and allow it to save. Once your computer restarts, your AirPort network will prompt you for a password to join it. After that, the password will save in your keychain so you won't have to enter it again.

Using AirPort Admin Utility

Step 1: Open AirPort Admin Utility.

Step 2: Your base station should show up in the list on the left. Select it and click Configure. Enter your base station password, which is different from the security password in that it keeps others from changing your base station settings.

Step 3: Under the Wireless Security pop-up menu, select Change Wireless Security and choose a password scheme (or encryption):

• WPA, or WiFi Protected Access (recommended), is the new standard. It is more secure than WEP, but may not be compatible with some older network cards
• WEP, or Wired Equivalent Privacy, is the older industry standard. It is less secure than WPA, but compatible with more network cards
• Choosing Not Enabled or No Security is the least secure of all. It means your wireless network won't require a password and anyone can access it

Step 4: Type in a password, which is what all users will enter to access your network, and allow it to save. Once your computer restarts, your AirPort network will prompt you for a password to join it. After that, the password will save in your keychain so you won't have to enter it again.

TekTip: What are the Differences Between Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n?

With wireless networking becoming a standard in homes and businesses these days, you may have heard the term "802.11" followed by one of four letters: a, b, g, or n. What's the difference between these delineations and what does it mean to you? Well, 802.11a and 802.11b are older wireless formats that have been around since 1999. The big differences between the two are that 802.11b has better range than 802.11a (up to 90 feet from the wireless router), but 802.11a can transmit more data (around 25Mbit/s vs. the 802.11b rate of 6-7Mbit/s). 802.11g is a more recent wireless standard that came out in 2003 and basically combines the benefits of "a" and "b", giving you the same range as 802.11b and the same throughput of 802.11a. A brand-new wireless standard, 802.11n, offers up to 10 times more data throughput than 802.11a and 802.11g and a range of around 150 feet.

However, it's important to note that this does not mean that an 802.11n wireless router will make your website downloads faster than 802.11g. The web can only transmit data at a certain speed, one that is already maxed out using the 802.11g standard. What this means is that the new 802.11n standard is ideal for those of you transmitting large data files - such as video, audio or photo files - between local computers or between your computer and your TV using the new Apple TV.

I just bought a new Mac. Where is the manual?

New Macs come with a very short printed setup guide. The "manual" is built into the computer and can be viewed under the Help menu. If a Finder window is active you will see Mac Help, if the active window belongs to another application, you will see help related to that specific application. If you are new to computers (or to Macs), or just want more printed information, you can buy one of many books that are available. We like Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, by David Pogue. (This is one of many Mac related books we stock at Tekserve.)

Should I get AppleCare for my portable?

MacBooks and MacBook Pros are manufactured more precisely, get rougher handling than desktop computers, and are expensive to fix. We think that Apple's own extended warranty program, called AppleCare, is a good investment for portables. Of course Apple is betting that you won't need it and that they'll come out ahead, but many of us would rather spend $249 or $349 on insurance to avoid the chance of a $500 or $1,000 repair. AppleCare doesn't cover broken plastic or physical damage from dropping, spills, or abuse. AppleCare can be purchased only before your original warranty expires, and it cannot be renewed. But it does now provide worldwide coverage for portables.

What speed memory do I need for my particular Mac, and how much can I add? Should I add it in pairs?

This has become so complicated that we suggest you use one of the online references like MacTracker or call Tekserve. Before calling, please check your exact Macintosh model and write down the memory information shown in About this Mac under the Apple menu. You can get more detailed information about the memory in your computer with the System Profiler.

How do I get the latest Apple software updates?

If you have a fast Internet connection, the best way is to use the Software Update feature in OS X. Choose Software Update... from the Apple menu. Your computer will query Apple's servers to find the latest updates for your particular computer. You may be asked for an administrative password during installation.

Tips to Avoid and Reduce the Pain of Laptop Theft

Here are five simple steps to avoid laptop theft or reduce the damage of a theft:

1. Get a Laptop Case that Doesn't Look like a Laptop Case. Nothing says "Steal Me" louder than what is obviously a laptop case.
2. Lock Up Your Laptop. We offer Kensington notebook locks to cable your Mac to your desk, a podium, or even to something in your apartment.
3. Don't Leave Your Laptop Alone in Public. Be careful where you leave your laptop, especially in the coffee shop or at business conferences.
4. Password Protect your Laptop. Make it hard for thieves to get at your important data.
5. Backup your Data Frequently. If your laptop is stolen, a good backup will mean that you didn't lose much work.

Printer Sharing

Peter, Glass Case Sales, says: In order to easily share a USB printer on a network of Mac computers (connected via a router, wireless router or hub), one of them must be running Mac OS X v10.2 or higher. Connect the printer to that computer, then go to the "Sharing" Preference Pane in the System Preferences and check the box that says "Printer Sharing." As long as that computer is up and running, then other Macintosh computers using any version of Mac OS X will be able to access the printer. To select the printer on another machine, pull down the "Printer" menu in the Print Dialog Box, go to the "Shared Printers" section and select the appropriate printer. Using this method you can share multiple printers by simply plugging them into the same machine or any other Mac OS X v10.2 computer and enabling Printer Sharing. If the printers are not on the same network, you can purchase a USB switch that will allow you to connect one printer to up to four computers through standard USB cables.

Understanding the difference between optical and digital zoom on your Digital Camera

Bernard, Glass Case Sales and Aaron, Networking, say: Most digital cameras list two specifications for zoom: optical and digital. Optical zoom works just like a traditional film camera, by adjusting glass elements to magnify an image. This allows the camera to maintain sharpness and clarity over the full range of the zoom. Digital zoom, on the other hand, takes over after you have optically zoomed to the greatest magnification. Digital zoom manipulates the captured image in the camera's memory by enlarging and blurring pixels. Since digital zoom is always worse quality than optical zoom, many pros disable digital zoom entirely. You can get the same or an improved effect in a post-processing program such as Adobe Photoshop or iPhoto.

Don't Use That CD!

Printers, scanners, and many other peripherals need software drivers to make the hardware communicate with your Mac. Companies like Epson, HP and Minolta are continually fixing bugs, and making it work with Apple's latest revisions.

However, manufacturers package and ship their products weeks or even months before you purchase it and plug it in. So the drivers on the CD included with your printer, scanner, or other peripherals may be far from current.

Before you insert that CD, take a spin around the manufacturer's web site. Look under "Support" or "Downloads" to find the latest software for your model. You will likely avoid any problems from incompatible or buggy software.

Here is a list of several vendors' driver download areas:

Epson: epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/SupportIndex.jsp
HP: welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/support.html
Xerox: xerox.com/go/xrx/template/productsupport.jsp
Ricoh: ricoh-usa.com/downloads
Lexmark: lexmark.com/US/support/drivers
Keyspan: keyspan.com/downloads
D-Link: support.dlink.com/downloads

Transferring files between two Macs using FireWire

You can use FireWire to connect your computer to another Mac and have one of the computers appear as an external hard disk on the other computer. This is sometimes called Target Disk Mode.

To transfer files using FireWire:

1. Shut down the first computer and leave the second computer on.
2. Connect the two computers using a 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable. (If both computers have higher-speed FireWire 800 ports in addition to the standard FireWire 400 ports, you can use a 9-pin to 9-pin cable with the FireWire 800 ports to transfer data at higher speeds.)
3. Start up the first computer while holding down the T key. A disk icon for the first computer appears on the desktop on the second computer. Drag files to and from the disk to transfer them.
4. When you finish, eject the first computer's disk by dragging its icon to the Trash.
5. Push the power button on the first computer to shut it down and disconnect the FireWire cable.

How can I view Tekserve's upcoming free seminars on my iCal?

Visit tekserve.com/seminars, and click on the "iCal Subscription" link. Then in iCal, check the "Refresh" box, select "Every Day," and click "Subscribe." That's it! If you are using iCal 1.5.1 or later, you can even click a link in iCal to get more info and even register for the seminar of your choice on the web.

I just spilled beer/tea/cough syrup on my keyboard (well, my cat threw up on it).

Shut down, unplug the keyboard from the computer, and turn it upside down. Wait a day or few for it to dry. It may all be okay now. If not, buy a new keyboard. (Former Byte columnist Jerry Pournelle says just to take it in the shower with you and rinse it thoroughly and then dry it for a few days, but he also believes in Star Wars missile defenses.) If it's an iBook or a PowerBook, remove the battery and the power cord and bring it in for service immediately. Don't turn it on! The internal backup battery can cause electrolytic corrosion and lead to an expensive logic board repair. Damage caused by spills is not covered by warranty or AppleCare (but may be covered by some third-party warranties.)