Network Connection Configuration

Today was supposed to be the last day of waiting before my Computer Hardware Servicing NC II examination. Then, I received a text message informing me that the said exam was rescheduled to 4 July 2014. It was half-relief for me because I will still have enough time to review for another week. It was half-eagerness for me too because I already want to finish it and relax but maybe it was my destiny to review more. I also have to file for another leave because it was scheduled on a Friday which is still a working day.

Anyway, this is part of my review on how to configure network connection in Windows XP.

1. Click on the Start menu. 
2. Click on Control Panel. 
3. When the Control Panel window opens, you will see items in either Category View (continue with step #3) or Classic View (skip to item #4).
4. Find and double-click on the Network and Internet connection icon. 
5. Next, find and double-click on the Network Connections icon, a window will open with all network connections available on the computer (wired and wireless). 
6. Find the network connection you want to manually configure, right-click on it and select Properties from the pop-up menu. 
7. In the Connection Properties window, under the section labeled This connection uses the following items: find the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item and double-click it. 
8. A new window will open, select the second radio button which is labeled Use the following IP address.
9. Enter the appropriate IP address (192.168.0.1); subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0); and gateway (the router or proxy server address).
10. The next part of the windows will now have a radio button selected which is labeled Use the following DNS server addresses. 
11. If you need to access the Internet, enter the DNS addresses provided by your ISP; if you do not have that information you can use the OpenDNS server. Their DNS addresses are: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 
12. After entering the required information, click the OK button twice and close the Control Panel window.

12 Basic Mobo Parts

Two days before my TESDA Computer Hardware Servicing (National Certificate) NC II examination. This is part of my review for the said assessment.

12 Basic Parts of a Mobo (slang for Motherboard):

1. I/O ports - this is located in the rear panel of the CPU. This is use to connect the outside hardware or peripherals of the computer.
2. ATX Power Connectors:
1. ATX Power connector (4 pin) - this is use to connect the 4 pin of the power supply unit (PSU) .This is separate of the 20 or 24 pin of ATX power supply to provide DC voltage of computer processor.
2. ATX Power connector (24 or 28 pin)- a group of connector of the MOBO, This is separate of the 4 pin power assignments. Its provide a DC power output to the system board(SB)from the output of the Power Supply Unit.
3. Processor’s ZIF Socket - part of MOBO which is use to hold the processor or CPU chip (Zero Insertion Force). The compatibility of the socket depends on the computer processor type such as the AM2 socket of the AMD and the socket 775 of the Intel company.
4. Memory slot (DIMM) - this is called Dual Inline Memory Module which is the computer's memory slot or what we call RAM. The memory slot depends on the type of the memory such as the PC 133 SDRAM and PC 400 SDRAM-DDR 1.
5. CMOS/BIOS jumper - this is use to disable the BIOS default setup such as disabling the supervisor password of the BIOS.
6. IDE connector (Integrated Drive Electronics) - this is use to connect the IDE cable of the HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or CD/DVD ROM to the motherboard IDE.
7. SATA connector - this is Serial Advance Technology Attachment. The new standard of the IDE connection array of the computer HDD (SATA HDD) to the motherboard system.
8. FDD connector - the connector of the FDD cable through the system board. Normally there are 34 pins out of it to connect the 3.5” 1.44mb Floppy Disk Drive.
9. Front panel connectors (F-Panel) - this is use to connect the Power LED, HDD LED, Power Switch and Reset switch of the computer system unit(CPU).
10. PCI slots - part of the computer motherboard that is use to connect the I/O cards of the computer such as LAN card, WIFI card, USB expansion card and sound card.
11. PCI express slot - part of the computer that holds the computer video card (VGA), the PCIe card. The latest card used which is most compatible with 3D and 4G gaming of the computer. (The old video card type is the AGP or Accelerated Graphic Ports.
12. Controller Hubs:
1. North Bridge IC - another name of the north bridge is Memory Controller Hub (MCH) which is assigned to manage and control the computer memory before the processing of the CPU chip.
2. South Bridge IC - another name of the south bridge is I/O Controller Hub (ICH) which is a microchip tasked to control all the input and output devices of the computer such as the keyboard and mouse, the monitor screen of the computer, that is commonly found at the back of the CPU or system unit.

12 OHS Procedures for Computer Hardware Servicing NC II

Three days before my examination in Computer Hardware Servicing NC II at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on Saturday, 28 June 2014. This post is part of my review for the said assessment.

OHS or Occupational Health and Safety refers to the legislation, policies, procedures and activities that aim to protect the health, safety and welfare of all people at the workplace.

1. Do not work alone so that there's someone who can take care of you in case of emergency.
2. Always power off the computer and unplug the computer before working on it.
3. Take away any liquid near your working area to avoid getting electrocuted or accidentally damaging computer parts.
4. Be careful with tools that may cause short circuit.
5. Always ground or discharge yourself before touching any part of the computer.
6. Do not use excessive force if things don't quite slip into place.
7. Clean the area before and after using it to maintain sanitation and prevent accidents.
8. Hold the components on the edges and do not touch the Integrated Circuit (IC) parts.
9. Always wear personal protective equipments (PPE) in accordance with the organization's OHS procedures and practices.
10. Make sure that the pins are properly aligned when connecting a cable connector.
11. Contingency measures during workplace accidents, fire and other emergencies are recognized.
12. Use brush, compressed air or blower in cleaning the computer system.

12 Tips For Work From Home To Work For You

Work From Home

Not every one is capable of doing work from home. Anyone can start work from home but only a few succeed and are able to maintain and sustain this alternative source of income. In light of this, here are some recommendations which you can apply if you work from home or if you have plans to work from home.

• Schedule.

• Creating a schedule is a good way for developing time management skills, and helps improves yourself to be well-organized and become a self-starter. The fact is that work from home release us from the traditional 9-to-5 or 8-to-5 schedule but working without any structure can seriously hurt your productivity according to entrepreneurs Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in their book "Remote: Office Not Required." The recommendation is to divide your workday into three sessions, if possible, arranged to your liking: a "catch up" time to go through emails and read the news, a "collaboration" period when you work with coworkers on projects or talk about planning with your manager, and a "serious work" time when you get through the most difficult assignments of the day. Setting up a schedule makes it easier to maintain a distinction between your professional and personal lives. 

•  Savings.

• Even though you are working from home, you must consider saving part of your earnings to have a buffer in case of emergencies. Learn to have a savings goal by having a target amount of savings so that you will be motivated to save.

• Skills.

• Improve your technical skills because technical help is not always around when you encounter technical problems. You are left to your own devices if you encounter a technical glitch and you may be left alone wondering what to do. There are also some free and some paid softwares you can use for giving presentations and are really useful for you to become conversant such as Web-based meeting programs like GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, Join.me, TeamViewer or Google+ Hangouts.

• Paperwork.

• Get the proper business paperwork, with emphasis on "proper", especially for those who have small home business operations, proper tax registrations, business and occupational licenses and permits from different agencies are needed to operate legally. Also, you need to pay taxes in order to avoid future problems with tax agencies.

• Insurance.

• Do not forget about insurance. Try to find out the regulations regarding home business insurance because you also need to protect your valuable equipment against theft or injury to yourself. 

• Dress.

• Get dressed. Although business attire is not necessary, you still need to work using a decent dress and not pajamas. Choose something that makes you feel good. Wear colors such as yellow, orange, and purple which reflect creative auras and has psychological benefits. This is another way for you to have boundaries between work and relaxation.

• Workspace.

• Find a workspace. Designate a room exclusively for your office or workspace. If this is not feasible, then find a  corner or other empty space that will serve as a workspace for you. Whatever you do, never bring work to bed. The best work-at-home jobs are often ones that demand a quiet space where there are few distractions. Try to make the "area" for purposes of work only.

• Out.

• Go out and work outside.
  
  Try to change the aura of work occasionally by going to the nearest coffee shop, bookstore, library, or park which is especially effective for boosting your creativity level. 

• Socialize.

• In person, if you have extra time, get off the computer, put your phone away, and socialize. Participate in conferences, retreats, seminars, workshops or meet up with friends for coffee or lunch. 

• Network.

• Network electronically by getting active in Social Media groups like LinkedIn groups that relate to your work, employer, alma mater, past employers, or other interests that suits you. You can comment on posts and add your own two cents which shows a part of your expertise and gives you a virtual feeling of being connected to a community. But be careful of photos that you posts because it might be use unknowingly by others and might lead to you being scrutinize by others. 

• Creativity.

• Routine is a slow process of creative suicide and in order to avoid boring yourself to death, try to develop a new technique for your routine by downloading a new software, decorating your workspace, calling instead of e-mailing, discovering a potential partnership, reading books, attending workshops or taking on an intimidating challenge which can get your creative juices overflowing again.

• Break.

• Take a break. A break is one of the biggest advantage you have if you work from home. Sitting for long periods of time without a pause is personally and profesionally unhealthy. Try to go for a walk, have lunch at the table, reserve an hour for reading magazines or newspapers or prepare your dinner. Never take a break that consist of more screen time. It's not good for your eyes. It's bad for your health. Try to relax. Get some fresh air. Walking rejuvenates us and stretching helps boost our energy. If you are tempted to do a mid-afternoon nap, if you have a budget, consider working at a local coffee shop or library. According to the book "Remote: Office Not Required" by the entrepreneurs Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, "It sounds counterintuitive, but the presence of other people, even if you don't know them, can fool your mind into thinking that being productive is the only proper thing to do."

The Book "Remote: Office Not Required" available at Amazon

References:

9 Tips For Staying Motivated When You Work From Home

How To Make Working From Home More Productive
10 Tips For Working From Home

Working from home: 6 tips to ensure productivity

Remote: Office Not Required

Remote: Office Not Required Hardcover 

My Biggest Takeaway on 37Signals’s New Book on Remote Work (Hint: It’s Not Technology)

A Book in 5 Minutes: “Remote: Office Not Required” by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson