Hi-speed DNS servers for faster Internet Browsing.

If you have been using internet for some time now, I am sure that you would have faced some kind of a connectivity issue in your computer. One fine morning you switch it ON and try to browse through your favorite websites in your browser, only to see the "Page cannot be displayed" error on the browser. Otherwise your browser will take its own time to show you a simple website like Google. This problem may occur due to various reasons starting from network card issues to some cargo ship scraping over the underwater cable that brings the Internet link to your country.

However most of the time it is just a DNS server issue which can be solved very easily by yourself. Before taking you through the steps, let me explain what a DNS server is. 


DNS Server


Every network device in the Internet like your Laptop, Servers, Routers, etc.,  have to identify itself with a unique address called IP address. You have to use these IP addresses to access or identify a device on the Internet. Sometimes remembering these IP addresses can be very tiring particularly when it comes to remembering the address of a webpage. To make things easier, names like www.microsoft.com or www.google.com are used to represent an IP address of a website.  

In Windows 95 and 98, these names would get stored in your laptop or desktop, so that when you type www.google.com in your browser, it will replace the IP address of Google's web server and try to connect to it. Later this process of storing or caching the web addresses was shifted to distributed servers called DNS (Domain Name Service) servers. Now whenever you type a web address in your browser, a query is made to the DNS server and an IP address is fetched. If your computer cannot contact the DNS server or if your DNS server does not have the web address you typed cached in its database and could not find a website's IP address within the timeout period, you will get a "Page cannot be found" error.

So how will your computer know the IP address of a DNS server which is somewhere in the cloud. It would make a query to another server called DHCP server in your network to find the IP address of the DNS server. If you have a broadband connection in your home or office, your ADSL modem does the job of a DHCP server as well as the DNS server. So your computer will be using this DNS server most of the time to translate the Web addresses. But your modem does not always have enough buffer to hold and serve you with a web address you request. When you make a request for an address that your server does not have, a request is made to a DNS server which is above it - a server maintained by your ISP. So it is always a better idea to use a faster DNS server either from your ISP or from a Public DNS service provider to get your web pages found and loaded quicker.

Changing DNS Settings


Follow the steps given below to manually enter a DNS server address in your Windows PC.

1. Click Start button and then press Run.(Windows Key + R)

2. Type control netconnections and click OK. A window called Network Connections will open now.

3. Right Click the Network connection you use to connect to the Internet (eg. Wireless Network Connection or Local Area Connection.) and click Properties

4. Click the Internet Protocol version 4(TCP/IP) and click Properties.

5. In the TCP/IP properties dialog box, select 'Use the following DNS server Address'.

6. You can type two DNS server addresses in the boxes below it.

7. Type any of the DNS servers' address I have given below and click OK to the dialog boxes that are open to save the settings. I would recommend the Public DNS server address which are more reliable and faster.

List of DNS servers of the ISPs in India.

If you use Airtel Broadband Connection use any of the following DNS servers.

202.56.215.6

202.56.230.6

203.145.184.32

203.145.184.13
202.56.250.5

For BSNL use the following.

61.0.0.5

61.1.96.69

218.248.255.147

218.248.255.146

For Tata Indicom

203.197.12.30

203.197.12.42

For Reliance 

220.225.236.84


List of Public DNS Servers.

Apart from using the above IP addresses you can always use the Public DNS servers given below irrespective of your Broadband connection.


Google
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

Cisco

64.102.255.44

Level 3 Communications

4.2.2.1 

4.2.2.2
4.2.2.3
4.2.2.4
4.2.2.5
4.2.2.6

Verizon

151.197.0.38
151.197.0.39
151.202.0.84
151.202.0.85
151.202.0.85
151.203.0.84
151.203.0.85
199.45.32.37
199.45.32.38
199.45.32.40
199.45.32.43

GTE

192.76.85.133 

206.124.64.1

One Connect IP

67.138.54.100

OpenDNS

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

Exetel

220.233.167.31

VRx Network Services

199.166.31.3

SpeakEasy

66.93.87.2
216.231.41.2
216.254.95.2
64.81.45.2
64.81.111.2
64.81.127.2
64.81.79.2
64.81.159.2
66.92.64.2
66.92.224.2
66.92.159.2
64.81.79.2
64.81.159.2
64.81.127.2
64.81.45.2
216.27.175.2
66.92.159.2
66.93.87.2

Sprintlink

199.2.252.10
204.97.212.10
204.117.214.10

Where is the Any Key?

Heard of the famous Joke "where is the Any Key?"


Try this website from Microsoft. You won't miss any.

http://www.wherestheanykey.co.uk/


Cya....;-)

Keep your User files in Safe Place- A simple tip.

I have been facing this problem ever since I started my Business. There would be a problem at my clients' place. I would go there to find some problem like boot problem, virus issue, OS file corruption, Registry error etc., where I have to completely format the C: drive but I couldn't do that just because my client's files would be sitting on the Desktop or the My Documents folder in C: drive. Of course I would try to repair the Windows installation and then boot into Windows and try to solve this issue. But this procedure would not help always particularly when the computer is infected with a virus or if the hard disk has a partition level problem.


I am then forced to take this hard disk to my office and connect it to my computer and take a data backup and take it back to install Windows. I would do this happily when I had sufficient manpower and time with me. But when I had problems in these two valuable things, it will be such a pain to take a hard disk back and forth just for a data backup.

I started to advise my clients to keep their data safe by not saving their files in My Documents or Desktop. Not all the them will be religiously following it. When they call us the next time for an issue like what I said above, I will have to take the hard disk to my office. Why doesn't Microsoft ask the user where to keep their files after the setup is completed?

Then I did this small trick at one of my client's place after (taking the hard disk to my office, taking the file backup and then) installing Windows. As usual this person asked me what she should do to prevent all this mess and whether she should not save anything to the C: drive. I said to her not to worry about it and asked her to continue saving her files in the Desktop and My Documents. She said o.k and didn't even ask me what I did. Then I understood that this is how clients are and how they saw the Computer. We want to use a device to complete our task. The easier it is to use the gadget, more we use it.

Now let me explain what I did to solve this issue.

Warning: Please do this at your own risk. It worked for me always. But be careful as there might be a risk of data loss if don't do this properly.

1. After Installing Windows,go to

For Windows XP C:\Documents and Settings\xxxx 

For Windows Vista and 7 C:\Users\xxxx.

Where xxxx is the your User-Name

2. Select the folders Desktop, My Documents in Windows XP. In Vista and 7 Select the folders Documents, Desktop, Videos, Music, Downloads, Contacts.

3. Right Click the Selected folders and then Click Cut (Ctrl + X).
Warning: Don't click copy.

4. Now go to My Computer and Select any drive other than your C: drive (Prefer the Last Partition).

5. Create a new folder in it and name it something like "Documents and Settings" or "My files(dont delete)" . 

6. Now Right Click the Folder and click Paste(Ctrl + V).  The files will be moved to the New location.

When you do this Windows redirects all its pointers for the Desktop and My Documents to the new location automatically.

7. Now go to the Desktop or the My Documents folders and Check if your files are intact. 

Do these steps in your PC and Keep your data safe. The next time you call me for a Virus issue all I have to do is a Windows Installation from your Windows Disc.

Bye for now.

iPad Killer from Google?

Apple, though it didn't invent the Slate, has created a market for the Slates with its iPad. The sales estimates are 50 million iPads by 2013. Now everyone in the IT industry want a piece of this pie and it is not surprising to see Google in this game which has put its hand in anything and everything in technology.

Google is planning to introduce it own Slate with its most successful Android OS. Android has already been acclaimed for its features and is starting to gain preference from users over the iPhone. It can multi-task unlike the iPhone and is an open source Operating System therefore has more flexibility  in terms of Application development. This makes the availability of more 3rd Party Applications for Android in the market. 

It also supports Flash and Java which is the platform formost of the Applications for the Web and the Smartphones. Google, which is already associated with Amazon, can also provide a wide range of Books and ebook formats to the Users than what iPad can give its Users today. This kind of a flexibility and options are not available on the iPad and that is an opportunity for Google to gain the Market.

On the other hand, other competitors for Apple like HP, Toshiba are preparing their Slates with Microsoft's Windows 7 on them. A tech review site has already reviewed HP's Slate with a leaked piece and the result is not a happy news for Microsoft or HP. Though the HP's new iPad alternate have device and application flexibility, it could not perform task quicker than iPad and the battery life is only half of iPad's.

The reason behind this is that iPad uses its proprietary iPhone OS which Apple had refined with its iPhone. Another reason why iPad is successful is it works more like a smartphone than a computer. And this is known to be the reason to why Google has now planned to design its own Slate around Android, a smartphone OS than it Chrome OS.

With its support to Opensource, Flash and Java, Google's slate would be a delight to the Users and Adobe. Apple has banned applications that use flash from its iPad App store citing security issues. Even flash contents  on the websites are not displayed on this new device from Apple. While all this is happening between Apple and Adobe, it is the Users who are affected who unable to the view content on the web and use some wonderful applications that are available that are available online.

So Google's Slate with its Android has all the possibilities of capturing the market that Apple had generated, provided Apple does not change its approach with its openness towards the Users and its applications. Either way that is a good news for the Users. Isn't it?

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User Profiles for Web Browsers - Part II

Creating User Profiles in Google Chrome is not as simple as it was in Firefox which I explained in my previous post. You will have to manually create Profile folders and have to create a shortcut for chrome with the Path of the Profile in the command switch. I wonder why Google has made this option so complicated. Let us go to the steps now.

1. Open Windows Explorer and go to
 for Windows Vista and 7 : C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\
 for Windows XP : C:\Documents and Settings\xxxx\Application Data\Local Settings\Google\Chrome


Note:
xxxx is the Windows User in which you are Logged in.


2. Make a copy of the folder "Default" and Rename it any name you like. Of course, I should be your name. Now this will be the Profile folder for the New Profile we are about to create.

3. Now go to Start and then Press Run (or Windows Key + R). Type the command given below in the Run Dialog box.


chrome.exe --user-data-dir="C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\yyyy" -first-run

Note: 
a. Replace "xxxx" in the path with the Windows User Name and  "yyyy" with the name of the Profile folder Name you gave. 
b. The -first-run switch is used to take the New Profile to the Factory default Settings. 
c. The path should be with the double Quotes 
"C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\yyyy"
d. For Windows XP, use appropriate path.


4.  Create a new shortcut in the desktop and type 


C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe 
--user-data-dir="C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\yyyy"  




in the Location text box.


Note :
For Windows XP, User Appropriate path.


5. Name the Shortcut with the Profile Name and Close it.


From now every time you open the shortcut you created, a new Google Chrome browser will open with an entirely different settings from the Default Profile you are using right now.




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User Profiles for Web Browsers - Part I

This Post will take you through the steps on creating separate user profiles for different users of a common PC or a Laptop that is used by all the family members.

Yeah I can hear you saying "What is the need for a Separate Profile?" or "What is a User Profile?"


Let me answer these Questions before taking you through the steps.


User Profiles


We use User Profiles for User specific Data Storage and Settings. Or Simply put, you can have a user profile in your computer to have your documents, pictures, music, videos etc., for you. You can configure the desktop wallpaper and resolution that suits you. Put shortcuts of the Applications you use frequently to the desktop and you can also customize you start menu.


Meanwhile you can create create a separate User profile for your kids and family members so that they don't meddle with your official documents in your My Documents or change your Preferences like wallpaper.


User Profiles for Web Browsers


Why do we need Profiles for Browsers, anyway?


The answer is simple. Each one of us have different preferences and different patterns of browsing while browsing the internet. You may not want to share it with others or you may want your Browsing History and Bookmarks to be organized and you don't want that to be mixed with browsing data of others who are using your computer.




Now let us see how we can create profiles for different Browsers.


Internet Explorer

 There is no Specific option for creating a separate User profile in IE. But you can maintain a Separate login for individual users using your PC in your Windows operating system. Windows creates a Separate Browser(IE) preferences Folder for every user you create in Windows. This can be tedious, at times, because you will have to completely logout of the User profile you are working on and then login to a new User.


Mozilla Firefox

In Firefox, creating or modifying a User profile is made very simple compared to other browsers. To manage profiles in Firefox, first you will have to close all the Firefox windows. Then Click the Start button and click Run. If Run command is not available in start menu, simply press the Windows key + R on the keyboard. In the Run dialog box type "firefox.exe -ProfileManager" without the quote.

Click OK. Now you should get a dialog similar to the one given below.

Remove the tick mark in the Don't ask at startup check box. Now every-time you click on a firefox shortcut you will be provided with a dialog box like this so that you can select the necessary profile and start Firefox by clicking Start Firefox button.

Click create profile to create a profile. Click Next in the first page of the Wizard that comes up and in the Second page type the Profile name.

You also have an option to select the path for the Profile. This is the location where Firefox stores all your personal data. Click Finish and the new user will be listed in the Choose User Profile window.

You can also use this procedure to troubleshoot problems in Firefox as the new profile will not have any of the addons that you have installed in the previous user.


I will explain about User Profiles in Google Chrome in my next post as we will have to do some manual configuration in Chrome and So I am going to dedicate a complete Post for Chrome's User Profile.


To be continued................




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