How to Know the Version Number for Your Windows Device Driver

How to Know the Version Number for Your Windows Device Driver

Version names or version numbers are a combined process of computer software. Within a given category of version number (major or minor), is generally assigned to increasing order and corresponding to new developments in the software.

A device driver is a computer program, which operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer. A driver typically communicates with the device through the computer bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects. 

Generally drivers are handled by Device Manager. To open Device Manager for Windows OS, press the keyboard combination Win+R, then type devmgmt.msc and press enter. 

This generic method will open the Device Manager window, where you can work for all recent versions of Windows.

Right click on the device to which you want to know the driver version then highlight Properties and click.

Now Controller Properties window will open for the chosen device. Here you've to switch the Driver tab. 

After switching the Driver tab, you can see the Driver Version number as marked below.  

From this step you can also get driver details, updating the driver software and etc.,

Network Router: Hidden Features

Network Router: Hidden Features

 

The wireless router, which you're using, has a variety of hidden features, and practically, they can be digging-out from the router's configuration page to work better the web interface.

Keep in mind that different routers has different features and you may not have all the features as explained below. The features will also be in different locations with different names in the configuration page of the router. 

Accessing Web Interface: The majority of routers has web-based configuration pages, which can be accessed from the web browsers, as long as you were on the same network of the router. To access router's web interface, you've to enter router's local IP address into the web browser's address bar. To find the IP address, Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. 

      

To view the status of the connection click Local Area Connection. 

Look for the IPv4 Default Gateway, which is the IP address for your router, and enter this IP address into your web browser’s address bar.

Now, log-in with the combination of user name and password to access the configuration page. Almost all the routers, probably, may using log-in credentials as its default combination; so, check the manual to get the credentials or perform a web search with router's model and number, if you really do not know the credentials. After logged-in, you can view and browse the router's configuration pages then configure it's settings.

Who is on your network? The router's configuration page reveals a option to know 'who is connected' on your network. The option will be in the sections of Status or Wireless or somewhere else - under a button named 'Wireless Clients Connected'. 

You may also view all the activated devices on the network. A table, named DHCP Active IP Table, will provide the Clients Host Name, IP Address and  etc.,

And if you give meaningful names to your computers and devices then the names will also be shown in the list, which helps to verify only the approved devices are connected.  

Wireless Channel: You may modify a variety of wireless network settings from router's web interface, specially Wireless Channel. Modifying wireless channel of router will speed-up the Wi-Fi service. If other wireless networks in your area, probably, using the same wireless channel of yours, then the interference will result a slower performance. So, changing wireless channels will be resulted a good performance of Wi-Fi.     

Note: Before modifying wireless channels, you should analyze the local area networks to get the best wireless channel, which has the least interference. For Wi-Fi, you may use Wi-Fi Analyzer for Android, which available in Google play and for Windows, inSSIDer utility. Both utilities will scan the networks of local area and provide the best wireless channel. 

QoS (Quality of Service): Many routers contain QoS, which ensures better service to prioritizes the traffic in order to provide a better experiences such as Internet phone calls or video conferencing. This is useful to prevent a user, who may slowing down the entire network. QoS features are configurable; so, you may even be able to prioritize one computer’s network connection over others.

Port Forwarding, Port Triggering and DMZ: Router provides several ways to set up a computer as a server to use certain services such as peer to peer file transfers or some forms of VoIP. By default, the feature Port Forwarding may allow you to open a specific port on the internet. 

Routers use Network Address Translation (NAT),  which is a process of modifying IP address, to share a single IP address to multiple computers. When an incoming traffic, through Internet, reaches the router then the traffic will be discarded because the router has no idea to which computer the traffic has to be forwarded. But NAT acts as a firewall and prevents those incoming traffics to reach the computer. By modifying routers settings may also be able to block some specific types of out-going traffics. 

DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) is a subnetwork, which added an additional layer of security, to the Local Area Network (LAN) where incoming traffics were forwarded to DMZ. DMZ forwards all the traffics to a specific computer and the router works as a firewall.       

DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System): Routers web interface, generally, has the pages for DDNS, which lets you assign a fixed host and domain name to a dynamic Internet IP address. (If you already have a fixed IP address, then you don't need to use DDNS) DDNS is useful when you are hosting your own website, FTP server, or other server behind the Gateway. Before using this feature, you need to sign up for DDNS service at a supported DDNS service provider.

Access Restrictions: Router offers several options such as to control network traffics, block specific vulnerable websites and even accessing Internet in a scheduled timings. Some routers may even allow you to set up the scheduled timings to per computer basis, which limiting only specific system.

To set up parental controls visit: How to set up parental controls

Re-Boot: If you face any problem on network issues, then the router has to be re-booted by pressing either the re-set button, available on router, or unplug the router from power. You may even find a convenient reboot button on the configuration page of your router, so you may reset the router from here, too.

Using Third-Party Firmwares: You may install a variety of third-party router firmwares to know more about the router. Before installing these type of firmwares, you've to check whether your router is supporting these types of firmware. Some firmwares are popular in providing additional features, which were not generally come with your routers. 

OpenWRT is a popular router firmware, which described as a Linux distribution for embedded devices, allowing to access Linux shell and installing software on the router, which works efficiently.

This article doesn't cover all the features of your router rather you may go around web-based configuration pages to get full benefits of your router.

How To Trace Your Laptop, In Case You Lose It!

How To Trace Your Laptop, In Case You Lose It! 

 

"Find My Mac" is a service from Apple to track a lost / stolen Mac computer. But Microsoft doesn't supporting such an equivalent service for its Windows PCs, including Tablets that even running on Windows 8. 

The users of Windows would like the ability of tracking their laptop, which ever become lost or stolen, then install some third-party software. There were several paid services offering for this solution; however, there are also some better free services available. 

All tracking services work similarly after installing a piece of software on your device then set-up an account with service. If you lost the device, then visit the website of appropriate service, and log into your account to view your device location and control it remotely. 

Remember, it would be more difficult to track a laptop than a smartphone - because, a smart phone will probably be connected with data network and in standby mode. So, a smart phone could able to communicate its location while a laptop may be powered off or not connected to Wi-Fi, then the laptop would not be able to send a report.

LockItTight (LiT) is an open source tracking software, which lets you precisely locate and monitor your Windows computers and Anroid phones.

 

In case your computer was lost or stolen then you can access the reports from any computer and able to find where it is, who is using it and how. With all these information, the chance of retrieving your lost computer is greatly increased.

 

Prey also an open source tracking software, which lets you keep track of your laptops, Android phones and even tablets whenever stolen or miss placed.

It offers tracking Apps, too, for Android and iOS that enables using one service to track all of your devices. 

Prey has paid Pro-Plans and Basic tracking services, which is completely free of charge. The free basic service allows you to have three devices linked to your account and storing-up report for ten locations per device. After installing Prey, you’ll be prompted to create a new user account or enter your current user account details.

 

After logged into your account, Prey runs as a Windows service by default. It may also be configured from Start Menu > Program File > choose Prey Folder.

 

By making the service to check frequently, will allow you to get reports quickly and you ever lost your device. To activate this option, go Options for execution then modify Frequency of reports and actions.   

Track the Lost Laptop: Go to Prey website and log into the same account credentials that you've registered. Now, you may view your computer and any other devices, if you already have registered on your account.
 

If you really lost the laptop, then you've to click it's name from Prey control panel.

Now from Main tab, move the slider from 'OK' to 'Missing'. Prey only tracks the device, when it is missing and does not track the location, constantly. Geo option should also be enabled that makes the laptop's internal GPS hardware (or nearby Wi-Fi hotspots names) to report the location. Click 'Save changes' button. 

After this process, a message will be displayed as 'Tracked, waiting for report'. Now Prey software on your laptop will connect the server of Prey. The server checks the status of your laptop then receive a message and generate as a report. You may receive only an alert, if the laptop is switched on and connected over net. There is also an option 'ENABLE ON-DEMAND', where you may request an immediate report; and this option wouldn't work in the free version. However, if you wait for few minutes, the free version will work for your report.         

Once the report arrives, it will be in the Reports tab. The report having the info that you've selected such as laptop's Geo location, IP address, network status and even a screen shot. These info may help you to get the laptop back or it's an evidence to make complaint that your laptop has been stolen.