Configure a Web Proxy in Internet Explorer

Configure a Web Proxy in Internet Explorer

1. Note the IP address and the port number of that proxy server.
2. Open Internet Explorer.
3. Open the Tools menu.
4. Select Internet Options.
5. Click on the Connections tab.
6. Click on the LAN Settings button.
7. Check the box next to "Use a proxy server for your LAN".
8. Enter the IP address of the proxy you selected into the "Address:" box.
9. Enter the port number of the proxy you selected into the "Port:" box.
10. Click the OK button.
11. Click the OK button.

How to find Subnet Mask

How to find Subnet Mask

If you want to find your subnet mask of the network or if you are in the network but want to know what is my subnet mask, here is a handy article for you. Subnet mask helps to identify which section of an IP address is reserved for network and which part is available for the use of host. Subnet mask is also known as netmask. Now I’m going to tell you how to find subnet mask on your local network.

Windows Vista/ XP/NT/2003 – On Windows Vista, XP or other NT versions you can follow simple steps below.

[1] Go to Start Menu -> Run

[2] Type “cmd” and press enter to open the command prompt window.

[3] Now type “ipconfig /all” [without quotes]

You will get the subnet mask on your local network like the following screenshot.

Also you get the same information from the properties of Local Area Network. Just go to Start Menu -> Settings -> Network Connections and double click the Local Area Network icon. Then just click on the support tab at the top of the window.

Linux/ Unix – On Linux or Unix system just type following commands on shell to get the subnet mask.

$ ifconfig

or

$ /sbin/ifconfig

or

$ /sbin/ifconfig interface-name

The output will be as follows…

lnc0: flags=108843 mtu 1500

inet 72.122.61.51 netmask 0xfffffff8 broadcast 72.122.61.55

ether 00:0c:29:32:8a:8c

plip0: flags=108810 mtu 1500

lo0: flags=8049 mtu 16384

inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0×3

inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128

inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000

The netmask is the subnet mask and displayed in hexadecimal format.

How to increase speed of Internet

A faster Internet connection is everybody’s dream even though you may have the fastest Internet connection in the world. That is how we feel when it comes to the information that comes through the Internet.

Following are a few tips and tricks that will help to make your existing Internet connection faster. Please remember, faster Internet does not necessarily mean more bandwidth!

Windows XP Tweak

1. Login to your computer as an Administrator.

2. Click ‘Start’ and then click ‘Run’.

3. Type ‘gpedit.msc’ and press enter.

4. Click ‘+’ sign of ‘Local Computer Policy’.

5. Click ‘+’ sign of ‘Administrative Templates’.

6. Click ‘+’ sign of ‘Network’.

7. Highlight ‘QoS Packet Scheduler’.

8. Click ‘Limit Reservable Bandwidth’ and make is enabled.

9. Now set the value of ‘Bandwidth limit %’ to ‘0’ (zero).

10. Close the window.

[This will enhance the speed of the Internet connection once you restart the computer.]

Change your router

If you use a wireless router to connect to the Internet and it is slow, changing the router may help. There can be many reasons behind slow wireless Internet connections and the following are common issues.

• Low signal strength

When the wireless signal strength is low, you usually get a lower surfing speed. Changing the location of the wireless router or buying a new router with high signal capability will enhance the surfing speed.

• Low bandwidth router

‘g’ and ‘b’ classes are the most common for current wireless routers. If your Wi-Fi network is used by many users, high bandwidth ‘n’ class routers will definitely help.

• Router has not been configured properly

Many home-used wireless routers are used with factory settings. These settings may not be ideal for your broadband connection. Read the manual or get professional help to tweak and speedup the Internet connection.

Disable heavy web content

Heavy web content such as images and flash animations consume more bandwidth than you ever imagine. If you use a dial-up connection, these will turn out to be disasters. Web browser plug-ins (Ex: Flashblock Firefox extension) are used for blocking download of flash content, so the user experiences faster Internet.