Online issues under the spotlight

Slow sharing speeds
Q I signed up to a 24Mbits/sec broadband service and, although not quite as fast as advertised, I find it downloads files far quicker than my old 2Mbits/sec service.

However, it often takes far longer when it comes to uploading photos to my photo-sharing site. Sending emails with attachments can also be painfully slow. Why is this?

A When it comes to broadband speeds, the speeds at which you can download files from the web and upload them are often very different. Since most internet activity involves downloading web pages, music and so on, ISPs place more emphasis on this, while offering a far lower upload speed.

If you are regularly uploading lots of files, speak to your ISP as they may have a service with a faster upload speed.

SnipCA links won’t work
Q I tried to use one of the www.snipca.com addresses given in your magazine but it didn’t work. Instead of being directed to the website stated in the article a list of Google search results appeared. How can I get the snipca.com addresses to work?

A This happens when you type a web address into the search bar within your browser instead of the address bar. In most browsers, the address bar is located at the top of the window on the left side of the window, just to the right of the navigation arrows.

The search bar is a similar looking box but sits at the far right of the window. Type the address from the magazine into the address bar rather than the search bar.

Alternatively, try holding down the Ctrl key and pressing ‘L’. In Internet Explorer, this opens up a separate box into which you can type the web address, while in Firefox it moves the cursor to the address bar ready for you to type. You also must type in the whole address as it is printed in the magazine.

Disappearing browser
Q Something’s gone wrong with my Internet Explorer web browser. All the buttons and bars disappeared from the top of the screen, so although I can surf the web I can’t go back or type in a new address. I tried turning the PC off and restarting it but when I started Internet Explorer the problem reappeared. How can I get the browser back to normal?

A This is a common problem, but the good news is that it’s easy to fix. What you’ve most likely done is activated the Full Screen mode without realising. This mode is useful for laptops with small screens since it removes all buttons in order to increase the space available but for computers with large monitors it’s rarely required.

To switch out of the Full Screen mode, press the F11 key. The same problem can appear in Firefox and the solution is also the same.

Spamming myself?
Q The volume of spam email I receive seems to be increasing. More worryingly, some of the spam appears to be coming from my own email address. Is this something I should be concerned about?

A Spam email is a big problem and one that isn’t likely to go away any time soon. Receiving spam purporting to be from your email address isn’t uncommon, either, but there is no need to be concerned. Often the sender simply fakes your email address in the hope that the email will bypass your spam filter.

Sadly there is little that can be done to prevent this. However, spammers can occasionally break into email accounts (particularly online ones such as Hotmail and Gmail), so if your friends or colleagues receive emails purporting to be from you then change your passwords immediately.

Network security
Q I make sure all computers on my network have anti-virus software installed and that they are always up to date. However, I’m worried about the other devices that connect to my network. For example, my son’s Wii and Xbox games consoles both access the network but neither have security software installed on them.

I use Wep to encrypt my wireless network but is there any way to load security software onto these devices? If not, does using them present a security risk?

A We haven’t seen any reports of security vulnerabilities affecting devices such as the Wii and Xbox, and it’s safe to use these without security software. In fact, even if you wanted to install security software on them you would find there isn’t any available.

Using Wep to encrypt your wireless network, however, isn’t particularly secure. Instead, we would recommend using WPA. Almost all modern routers have WPA security built in, and it makes it far harder for any unscrupulous passers-by to access your network without permission. Check the router’s manual for details on how to change.

Mirror downloads
Q I followed a link to a download on the open-source Sourceforge website and saw a message about mirrors. The download seemed to arrive normally but could you explain what mirrors are and whether they can be dangerous?

A A mirror is a second website offering a file to download that’s already available elsewhere, in order to share the work of sharing these files. As long as the site that’s advertising the mirror is reputable (such as the Sourceforge site), it’s perfectly safe to click on the mirror link.

It’s often easiest to let the download commence as you did but if it’s very slow or doesn’t start at all you can try using one of the other mirrors. The location of each mirror is also usually displayed, and it’s best to pick the one that’s closest to your current location for the quickest download.

PC Myth – Is file sharing illegal?
Q I have downloaded the Bittorrent software but have since been told that file sharing is illegal. Have I broken the law?

A It’s a common misconception that peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing is illegal. P2P has long been used as a way for people to share large files, and has many legal uses. That said, if you download or share copyrighted material (such as commercial DVDs or music) then you most certainly are breaking the law.

As long as you are careful what you download there is absolutely nothing wrong with P2P, though, and simply having a copy of Bittorrent or any other file-sharing application certainly isn’t breaking the law.

You can read more about file-sharing and its associated legal issues in our online feature.

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