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You may already have a ‘NAS’. If you have a higher end router there may be a USB connector on it. You can plug in a thumb drive or a USB hard drive. It’s very handy if you want to access your files when you are not at home. I don’t use this method since I have a mini-itx server running Linux. I can access my files using the VPN built into my router. Of course I backup my important stuff to a USB hard drive. Always have your files in at least two places.

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wavy, SupremeLaW

I have a AC2900 (RT-86U). I don’t know if it’s the same as the GT-AC2900. When I logged in the notification icon in the upper right was not flashing which it has in the past when there was an update. I went to the administration section / firmware update and clicked the check button. It found an update and I installed it. It would sure be nice if we could register our routers with Asus and they would send an email notification when there is an update. Without logging into your router and checking how would you know?

Off topic:

I love my Asus router, it works great. I recommend setting up the built-in VPN and using OpenVPN Connect on your phone or tablet. You can then access your network safely and know that if anyone is sniffing your remote WiFi connection they won’t be able to see your traffic.

For additional security you may want to add some things to your hosts file. I use some of the things from this web site:

https://someonewhocares.org/hosts/

I went from XP to Linux (now using Mint) and have never had a virus. As was pointed out above, the biggest weakness is the user. Use good passwords and use a password manager. I use KeePass. Turn off UPnP in your router and make sure all unnecessary ports are closed. Run ShieldsUp at grc.com. Get rid of unneeded IOT devices, if they have bad security they expose your network.

 

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Steve, doriel, DrBonzo

I also use Self Destructing Cookies in Firefox. I just looked to see how many cookies are stored on my system, 5 and they are sites I use. I too tried different solutions in the past and this one is the most effective and trouble free.

I trust you Woody, I don’t trust third party guys that put up ads with scripting. Too bad the ads can’t be embedded into the site.
I running Linux for years. I stopped reading ‘Windows Secrets’ when the pay-wall went up. I only come here to read how Microsoft is making the Windows users suffer.

I switched to Linux about 6 years ago. I now use Mint on my 4 computers. I’m very pleased with the results. If you don’t need certain Windows programs then make the switch. You can start by downloading the iso file and burning it to a DVD, then boot it. There is a learning curve but there is so much good help on the Internet. If you come to Woody’s site then you probably have enough brains to make the switch. If you install Linux on a computer where the user is not computer savvy then they wont have any problems at all.

Why wouldn’t Microsoft continue to push Windows 10, the difference is now you will have to pay.

I trust none of them. I keep my ripped / downloaded stuff on a USB drive (backed up to another USB drive). I copy the music I want to hear to my mp3 player. After I listen to it I delete it from the player. I even wrote a program to index all of the folders so I can see what I have without turning on the USB drive. The only sad thing about this is I have so much music I might not live long enough to ever listen to it all again.

“It seems we are less and less in control of our computers.” Not true, install Linux and use Thunderbird Mail. This stuff just doesn’t happen and you won’t need to mess with anti-virus. Woody is stuck because he makes his living off of Windows but the rest of you don’t need to put up with this crap.

I gave up on all this nonsense years ago. Now I run Linux Mint MATE on all my machines. I have XP in VirtualBox for those times I need to run some Windows programs. The stuff I coded myself runs fine in Wine. Yes there was a learning curve since I had been using Windows for years but with the Internet’s help I have found the answer to all my questions. Start by downloading an image and burn it to a CD. Boot the CD and play around with Linux. If you can choose your boot drive at boot time (F12 on my computer) buy an SSD and install the Linux on it. Migrate to it and after a while you will find you don’t need Windows. I’d never go back.

With all the people working for Microsoft I don’t understand why they couldn’t have got one guy to incorporate the updates into Windows 7 to create a new install disk. Think of all the frustration that could have been avoided. Instead they will twist your arm until you install Windows 10. Linux has set me free.

I had this problem with Win 7 on a friends laptop. I found a program on the Internet to reset the password. I installed it on a flash drive and booted off of it and reset the password. The hardest part was figuring out how to tell the CMOS that I wanted to boot from the flash drive. So much for Windows security.

Linux user here, after you install Thunderbird, you should install “Lighting” for an integrated calendar.

But worth it. I switched years ago and am over the curve. Vista did it for me. Widows will never improve so the sooner you switch the better. The rest of you guys are like the frog in the boiling pot of water.

Or you can upgrade to Linux for free and end up with a better system. You would think that anybody that reads Woody’s column with all its Windows doom and gloom would want to do the same.