Broadband Question

For those on BB, when you log out of your computer do you turn the thing off at the wall? I turn my computer, speakers and modem off at the wall, predominantly as a power saving gesture. Just wondering what everyone else does?

No.
I leave my turned on 24/7
If we have high winds/thunderstorms I turn it off at the wall.
cheers

The modem stays logged on 24/7 because it uses stuff-all power and modern electronics are best left running continuously if possible.

My computer gets put into Hibernate mode at night, which uses no power at all, but wakes up much faster than a full restart (approx. 10 seconds or less).

Speakers and all the other little gadgets never get turned off for similar reasons as the modem.

If however a lightning storm is brewing, I turn everything off at the wall and we also have surge suppressors installed.

What about the increased risks of viruses and the like by leaving on all the time???

Viruses generally arrive by e-mail or by visiting dodgy websites, downloading dodgy software etc [xx(]

Whether you leave your router/modem switched on or off is not the determining factor. It is what you do with your computer that matters.

If you have the kind of modem which connects by USB, your computer is at some risk of infection unless you use the Windows Firewall or some other piece of software (which nearly everybody does these days).

But if you have a modem/router with an Ethernet connection, it will have a built-in hardware firewall (using NAT) and unless you deliberately open some ports in the firewall, it is extremely difficult for hackers to penetrate your computer from the outside.

So, to answer your question Oskatd, your PC is no more or less at risk from leaving your modem on 24/7 unless you have no firewall installed (which is definitely NOT recommended).

Cheers, Grant, my is an ethernet connection and I believe that XP has it's own firewall, I have started leaving the modem on! I seem to get more tracking cookies since visiting facebook, I know Limewire is dodgy.

Now, for some reason my AVG isn't updating, when i check for updates it says none are available, hasn't been a new one since the middle of last month, any ideas why this might be? Is the free edition! Ta

quote:Originally posted by oskatd

Now, for some reason my AVG isn't updating, when i check for updates it says none are available, hasn't been a new one since the middle of last month, any ideas why this might be? Is the free edition! Ta

Has your 12 month keyword access expired? I recently installed AVAST on mum and dad's computer as well as the new laptop, and to register it, had to put in a keyword/password, it came with a warning that it is only valid for 12 months and then you have to register for it again.

I turn my computer and speakers off at night, although not at the wall. We have had big electrical storms recently so then I also unplug screen, zap board and modem at the wall.

However this forthcoming trip I will be turning off everything at the wall and unplugging, esp after the debarcle of having usage on my broadband account the first 2 days I was in NZ last trip.[:0]

quote:Originally posted by oskatd

Cheers, Grant, my is an ethernet connection and I believe that XP has it's own firewall...

Yes, that's correct. XP's firewall is typically all you need so long as you have a router with an Ethernet connection.

Some others will tell you different and say that you need Zone Alarm or Norton or whatever but I don't agree, and XP's firewall is all I have ever used for the past 6 years.

quote:Originally posted by oskatd

I seem to get more tracking cookies since visiting facebook, I know Limewire is dodgy.

A lot of people get upset about cookies being left on their computer, but in fact they are just a text file and perfectly harmless Limewire though is dodgy, and personally I wouldn't touch it. You are asking for trouble with downloading files that appear to be MP3 music tracks, but instead they could contain a virus. Wyseyes mentioned this a few days ago.

quote:Originally posted by oskatd

Now, for some reason my AVG isn't updating, when i check for updates it says none are available, hasn't been a new one since the middle of last month, any ideas why this might be? Is the free edition!

Sorry, I can't help you there because I don't use Anti-Virus either. I'm just very careful about what e-mail attachments I open and which web sites I visit.