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Strictly speaking, the router is associating the IP address with the hardcoded MAC address of the client's network interface, so if you were to take the network card out of one machine and put it into another, the IP address would go with it. 04 What's NAT? The router also has its own internal address (typically 192.168.0.1) - but as part of your home internet service, your ISP also provides your router with a globally unique address. It also allows the router to provide internet services to all the other devices on your LAN; when a computer on your network wants to connect to (say) wikipedia.org, the router forwards the request over the internet. Double NAT normally happens when you connect a device with router functions to a network that already has a router - for example, you might find that the only way to get a new Wi-Fi 6 router on to the internet is to plug it into your old ISP-provided router. [Extracted from the article]

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D desktop processor Intel and AMD do like to have a barney over who builds the fastest gaming processor, and the 58ooX3DisAMD'slatest swing at the title. AMD claims this doubles the performance compared to a Ryzen 5900H CPU, which doesn't support AMD Advantage. AMD Ryzen 6000 Series processors AMD's confusing approachto naming processors continued at CES, where it announced the Ryzen 6000 series for laptops and the Ryzenyooo series for desktops. Top of the list is AMD SmartShift Max, which shifts - smartly- the balance of laptop power between the CPU and GPU depending on thegame. [Extracted from the article]

To make the change, open the Apps page in Settings, select Default apps, then click "Set defaults for applications". FEATURES One of the major complaints from seasoned users about Windows 11 is that it veers towards simplicity rather than customisability. You can also click the cogwheel at the bottom of the panel to open the main system Settings app - it's a handy two-click shortcut, though you can get the same effect even more quickly with the Windows-I keyboard shortcut. For some apps, you can click on the three-dot menu and select "Manage background activity": this option is mostly for Store apps and Windows components, but if it's there then you can block any particularly power-hungry apps from running in the background. [Extracted from the article]

Almost all tablets now use a standard USB-C socket, but Amazon's Fire 7 tablet has a distinctly old-school micro-USB port, while the base iPad still uses Apple's own Lightning connector. With its exceptional power and professional features the iPad Pro sits apart from other tablets - it's more of a competitor to high-end laptops such as the MacBook Pro If any tablet can claim to fully replace a laptop, it must be Apple's flagship iPad Pro. Several Android tablets also feature Face Unlock, so you can get into your tablet simply by smiling at it; you won't find this on an iPad, outside of the super-expensive iPad Pro models. Microsoft Surface Pro X We still love the hardware and the design, but it's hard for the Surface Pro X to compete with the iPad Pro SCORE PRICE SQ2/256GB,£1,108(£1,329 incVAT) from microsoft.com The Surface Pro X isn't the only tablet that Microsoft produces. [Extracted from the article]

However, Microsoft continues to make strong inroads with Defender, both as a free product built into Windows operating system, and as a licensed platform for business users. Windows tablets finally come of age Darien Graham-Smith I realise this sounds like a prediction from another era, but 2022 could be the year of the Windows tablet. FEATURES Predicting the future of the tech industry is a fool's errand. All Microsoft needs to do is get Windows 11 onto them and, after a decade of shilly-shallying, the OS could finally take its place as the best-of-both-worlds platform for computing on the go. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the release of the Amazon Eero Max 7, the first router that works with Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be). Wi-Fi 7 offers significant upgrades, including a new ultra-fast 320MHz channel width and multi-link operation, allowing devices to communicate simultaneously across multiple bands. However, the article advises against purchasing the Eero Max 7 at this time, as compatible client devices are not widely available yet. The Eero Max 7 is praised for its performance with Wi-Fi 6 and older devices, but it falls short compared to Wi-Fi 6E systems. The article suggests waiting until Wi-Fi 7-capable devices become more prevalent before investing in the Eero Max 7. [Extracted from the article]

Our computing needs just keep getting bigger and bigger - but our C drives don't. There's no specific software bundle for the Ultimate SU800 drive; Adata's SSD Toolbox lets you monitor the health of your drive and securely clean it if needed, although hardware encryption isn't supported. Samsung T7 It lacks its sibling's biometric selling point, but there's a lot to like aboutthis cheerful drive SCORE PRICE 500GB, £49(£59 inc VAT) frompcpro.link/324sam5 READSPEED 965MB/SEC WRITESPEED 773MB/SEC There's something familiar about Samsung's T7 external SSD. First the price: if you're looking for a 1TB SATA SSD, Samsung's offerings are the cheapest right now, but £112 is still a very reasonable price to pay for this drive, working out to 12p per gigabyte. While the multithreaded AS SSD tests didn't expose any particular weaknesses, the One Touch stumbled in the PCMark 10 storage benchmarks, ending up with a data drive score of 598 - the lowest of any SSD this month. [Extracted from the article]

Historically, Intel's processor cores are individually faster than AMD models for single-threaded tasks, and often run at faster clock speeds. AMD vs INTEL We've talked a lot about the generalities of processor design; this may be interesting, but it doesn't necessarily tell you which processor you want in your next computer. X86 vs ARM AMD and Intel have the x86 CPU market largely sewn up - but that isn't the only platform in town. AMD compensates for this by building more cores into its processors - meaning that, while Intel's chips mostly offer between six and eight cores, you will see plenty of Ryzen CPUs with 16 cores or even more. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES In 2008, GPU computing was supposed to be the next big thing. Today, contrary to the predictions of the early days of GPU computing, some of our recommended laptops and productivity desktops don't have a dedicated GPU at all. At the moment, no other GPU manufacturer has anything to compete with Nvidia's RT and tensor cores: if you work in an app that takes advantage of them, you may well conclude that GPU computing is a revolutionary technology after all. [Extracted from the article]

If you have a tri-band router, you can split your busiest devices across two different 5GHz networks; most routers will try to do this automatically, but this might be ineffective because the router won't know which are the most demanding devices. If that's not enough, you can combine channels 36 to 48 into a chunky 80MHz channel, centred on channel 42 - and the Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 standards allow support for ultrawide 160MHz channels, although not all routers or clients support this. You might find that your router then offers a different set of channel numbers to choose from; for example, channel 38 may become available for selection, as this corresponds to the centre frequency of a 40MHz channel formed by combining channels 36 and 40. THE NAME'S BONDING… CHANNEL BONDING There's one final, very simple way to improve the performance of your network: under all recent wireless standards (going back to 802.11n), it's possible to bond two channels together to effectively create a single 40MHz channel, allowing more data to be sent and received at once. [Extracted from the article]

Isolated browsing If you're using Windows 10 Pro then on the main "App & browser" control page, below "Reputation-based protection", you'll see an security feature named "Isolated browsing" (see tweak seven). Reputation-based protection Now that you have your antivirus and ransomware protection configured how you like it, we suggest you skip forward to the "App & browser control" component of the Windows Security app and hit "Reputation-based protection settings". Tamper Protection is another feature that's mostly worth leaving on: when it's enabled, Windows Security will ignore 3 By default, Windows checks for new signaturesevery24hours,while many third-party security packages check several times a day, or even hourly - which means they have a better chance of learning about new threats before you become a target. [Extracted from the article]

The Synology BeeStation is a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device designed to replace cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive. It comes with 4TB of onboard capacity and can be shared with up to eight users, making it a cost-effective option for families or workgroups. Setting up the BeeStation is easy, and it offers desktop and mobile apps for file syncing and access. It also has a feature called BeePhotos that automatically backs up and organizes photos locally. However, the BeeStation has limitations, such as limited performance and no protection against mechanical failure. It is recommended to use an external hard drive for backup or consider a more robust NAS option. [Extracted from the article]

The D-Link Eagle Pro AI R32 is a Wi-Fi 6 router that offers good value for its price. It is faster than its predecessor, with wireless bandwidth of up to 800Mbits/sec on the 2.4GHz band and 2.4Gbits/sec on the 5GHz band. The router has four gigabit LAN ports and basic features such as quality-of-service tools and internet access schedules. It also offers security features like secure DNS and a configurable firewall. However, its performance decreases over longer distances, so it may not be suitable for wide-area coverage. Overall, it is a reliable option for basic connectivity in a small area. [Extracted from the article]

Thus, even if a file only contains 2KB bytes of data, it effectively occupies 4,096 bytes of disk space - and if the file grows to 4,097 bytes long, it spills over into another cluster and takes up 8,192 bytes on disk. Alternatively, you can keep a disk usage analysis tool on hand to keep tabs on the state of your storage. PHOTO (COLOR): TOP The venerable Disk Clean-up tool is still alive and kicking - for now PHOTO (COLOR): ABOVE Don't want to bin files? The only exception is if a file is smaller than around 500 bytes, in which case NTFS stores it entirely in the file allocation table and Windows reports it as taking up zero bytes on the disk. [Extracted from the article]

You now know the total amount of RAM you're using, how much use you're making of virtual memory and how much spare RAM is being used to cache files and speed up your PC. GRAPH GRAPH GRAPH GRAPH GRAPH GRAPH GRAPH GRAPH PHOTO (COLOR): RIGHT Task Manager provides an at-a-glance RAM bill of health PHOTO (COLOR): BELOW RAM going awry?. [Extracted from the article]

How Windows uses the TPM Any application that uses encryption can get a security boost by using a TPM, rather than storing its keys in system memory or on disk. It can also act as a gatekeeper for the TPM: when the Crypto Provider tells the TPM only to allow specific processes to make use of certain keys, other processes (such as malware) are completely shut out. FEATURES Buy a Windows computer today and it's all but certain to contain a TPM. Thus, once you've stored your private key in the TPM, it can encrypt files, decrypt files and generate signatures for you - but if the system isn't in an approved state, or if the request comes from an unfamiliar process, the TPM can simply refuse to cooperate. [Extracted from the article]

With a suitable cable or adapter, you can use USB-C with USB 2 devices, or you can use it to connect two USB 3 devices and enjoy SuperSpeed connections. All USB 3 ports provide up to 900mA at 5V, and can go up to 1.5A, but USB-C connectors can also be connected directly to a power supply and carry a massive 5A at 20V, giving rise to the current generation of laptops that charge over USB. USB 3.1 and onward A year after the arrival of the USB-C connector, the USB standard was updated again, ready for the age of HD video and external SSDs. The old SuperSpeed and SuperSpeed+ connection modes were once more renamed as USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 and USB 3.2 Gen 2x1, while the new 20Gbits/sec mode was called USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Most Windows users, we'd guess, are aware that there's a system component called PowerShell - it's been around since XP - but few have delved into what it is and what it can do. PowerShell syntax PowerShell is designed to be clear and unambiguous, so that administrators can easily see exactly what each command does, and make changes without falling foul of syntactic gotchas. At the PowerShell prompt, try entering: Get-ChildItem This rather obscure-sounding command appears to do the same thing as the MS-DOS dir command, returning a list of all the files and folders in the current directory. Restart-Computer - computer Name "MyDesktop" This command restarts the computer that you're sitting at-and you can shut it down using the Stop-Computer command - but perhaps more usefully, it can also reboot a different PCon the same network. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES Google Chrome was launched back in 2008, and since 2012 it's been the web's number one browser, currently accounting for around two-thirds of all website visits. One way to keep your tab count manageable is to reuse tabs you no longer need: you can replace the contents of an open tab by using the mouse to drag a link onto the tab header. And if you're prone to absentmindedly opening the same sites in multiple tabs, keep an eye on the search suggestions as you type: if you have a tab open that matches what you're typing, it will appear in the dropdown with a clickable "Switch to this tab" button next to it. Chrome for Android In this feature we've focused on the desktop edition of Chrome, but the Android browser also has some neat navigation and tab-management features. [Extracted from the article]

Every time Windows starts up, numerous third-party programs and processes start with it. And as you use your computer and install the applications and tools you actually require, these too will drop startup items onto your PC, to the point where there might be literally dozens of programs firing up in the background before you've even logged in. The simplest way to get an overview of all your startup items is to open the Windows 10 Settings app and navigate to Apps | Startup. The catch is that startup tasks created in this way don't appear in the Task Manager (nor the Windows 10 Settings app). [Extracted from the article]

Both of the testing organisations featured in this Labs (see below) also scan a large number of harmless programs and websites to check that the security software correctly gives the green light. The program's Trusted Applications mode locks down Windows so only programs that have been positively validated by Kaspersky as safe can be opened - perfect for a kid's PC, or for a less technically able family member. Since then it's been not only renamed but progressively absorbed into Windows, to the extent that Defender no longer exists at all as a program in its own right: type its name into the Windows 10 Start menu and you'll simply be directed to the main Security page in the Settings app. AV-Test also rated G Data Internet Security one of the slowest security suites around, noting a performance drop-off of around 12% when visiting popular websites and launching applications, along with a steep 29% hit when installing new software. The real, useful meat of the program comes down to three components: an automatic software updater, McAfee's WebAdvisor plugin (for Chrome, Edge and Firefox) and the good old virus scanner. [Extracted from the article]

Then there's the Security log, which speaks for itself, recording events such as when saved credentials are accessed, while the Setup log records Windows installation events (which most of the time means activities related to Windows Update). The last of the standard logs is the Forwarded Events log: by default this will be empty, but if you're managing a multi-PC network, you can configure a group of connected Windows machines to forward specified logs to a nominated PC for centralised monitoring, and here's where those events will appear. Between the Windows Logs and Subscriptions sections, you'll also see a folder entitled Applications and Services Logs, which contains any custom logs that have been registered with the Event Viewer by individual programs. Click into Microsoft Windows and you'll also find detailed individual logs from Windows' hundreds of background services and components, which may be more extensive and informative than the entries made in the main System log. [Extracted from the article]

For example, Windows might begin to boot and then crash with an error, or simply restart and then go into a boot-loop. If Windows still can't start, something might have messed up the low-level boot data on the disk. The first two commands rewrite the standard Windows startup information onto your hard disk; the third scans all drives for Windows system files (you may be prompted to choose one, if they're found on more than one location), then rebuilds the Boot Configuration Data file to point to the location of your OS. There's no way to mount a Linux RAID array natively in Windows, but as Microsoft continues to develop the Windows Subsystem for Linux, there's good reason to hope that this may be possible in the medium term. [Extracted from the article]

FEATURES 1 PCI EXPRESS IS OLD ENOUGH TO BUY AROUND OF DRINKS We may think of PCI Express as a modern standard, but it was first introduced way back in 2002. 6 PCI-E CONNECTORS COME IN DIFFERENT SHAPESAND SIZES When you think of PCI Express, you probably picture a standard motherboard slot, but there's no reason why a PCI-E connection needs to be limited to that format. 2 PCI EXPRESS HAS PHENOMENAL CROSS-GENERATION COMPATIBILITY That first PCI Express interface was a big hit, quickly supplanting PCI-X in both consumer and server hardware. [Extracted from the article]

Always the IT guy In the past 20 years wherever I work, I have become the IT guy. REGULARS Importance of being Ethernet Following your recent review of printers (see issue 341, p74), I bought a Brother MFC-J4340DW. Dr Robert Allan Reviewer Simon Handby replies: I haven't encountered problems with printers dropping their Wi-Fi connection in sleep mode, but they do sometimes lose their IP address lease if we switch them off and connect other devices to our network. [Extracted from the article]

The leftmost one shows the library of scheduled tasks that are already set up on your PC: click on Task Scheduler Library and you'll see a list of all the assorted tasks that have been created by programs you have installed. The language used by the Task Scheduler strongly implied that we were creating only a "basic task", but in reality all tasks in Windows support the full set of options. If you want to modify these advanced settings, click the Properties link in the Actions pane, or double-click your task in the task list in the middle pane. Click on the Details pane in the lower view and you can see all the technical details of your task - which won't be useful to most of us, but could be handy if you're planning to configure or launch your task program automatically. [Extracted from the article]

On the pages that follow, you'll find swish convertible laptops, brawny Core i7 processors, speedy NVMe SSDs, killer gaming performance and even a hulking 17in desktop replacement - although actually, that machine costs a whisker more than £800. Even if you're shopping for a convertible laptop, we'll wager that you're going to end up doing a lot of typing on your new laptop - so a decent keyboard is a must. You might also be interested in things such as webcam capabilities, fingerprint readers and keyboard backlights; you'll find these features detailed for each laptop on test in our feature table overleaf. The Asus VivoBook S432F gives you twin USB 3 sockets, plus two USB 2 ports and a USB-C connector, while at the other end of the scale, Microsoft's Surface devices have just one connector each. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the Windows 2019 operating system from Microsoft Corp. INSETS: WINDOWS LITE;THE NEW WAY TO PLAY WINDOWS GAMES.

The article reviews several backup softwares from software developers including Acronis True Image 2019 from Acronis Inc., IDrive and Livedrive Backup Personal.

The article presents the author's suggestions for developing a single board microcomputer Raspberry Pi on a laptop. Topics discussed include description of a pi-hole, its dependence on Raspberry Pi, its use for blocking domain name systems (DNS) queries, installation of pi-hole and its web admin interface.

The article offers information on wireless extender technology and evaluates several wireless internet extenders to eradicate dead spots in the home. These extenders include the Devolo Magic 1WiFi from Devolo AG, Netgear Nighthawk X6S from Netgear Inc., and the TP-Link WPA9610 kit from TP Link Technologies. It also provides several tips to choose the most suitable extender for one's needs.

The article evaluates several smart home products which include the Amazon Smart Plug from Amazon.com Inc., the Philip Hue smart lighting system, and the Door/Window Contact Sensor from Devolo.

The article evaluates several antivirus software for Windows 10 operating system including the Bitdefender Internet Security 2019; the Kaspersky Internet Security; and the McAfee Internet Security.

The article talks about virtual private network (VPN), a technology that creates a safe and encrypted connection over a less secure internet connections. It is mentioned that VPN technology was developed as a way to allow remote users and branch offices to securely access corporate applications and other resources. The article reviews various VPN softwares including NordVPN, PureVPN, and Hotspot Shield.

If you need to cover a wider area, the router also supports Asus' AiMesh protocol, so you can simply buy a second unit and stick it halfway across your house to extend the network - or you could opt for the Asus Zen WiFi XD5 (see issue 349, p64), which offers many of the same features in a compact mesh format. And since the RT-AX59U runs the same firmware as Asus' most expensive (non-gaming) routers, it has an impressive wealth of software capabilities. REVIEWS THIS MONTH Asus RT-AX59U A very reasonably priced Wi-Fi 6 router that provides good performance and excellent firmware features SCORE PRICE £104 (£125 inc VAT) from uk.store.asus.com A sus' latest router isn't much to look at, but it's unassuming in a way that in itself makes a statement. [Extracted from the article]

REVIEWS THIS MONTH Linksys Velop Pro 6E Not the fastest 6E mesh we've seen, but in terms of bang per buck it's a compelling contender SCORE PRICE Two units, £317 (£380 inc VAT) from amazon.co.uk (B0C86GLJKW) The Linksys Velop Pro 6E is one of the most affordable Wi-Fi 6E meshes on the market - but that doesn't mean it's cheap. Indeed, once you get past some slightly confusing performance figures, there's plenty to like about the Velop Pro 6E. While it's not the fastest or most feature-laden mesh you can buy, it delivers very strong performance with impressively consistent coverage over a wide area, for a price that easily undercuts all 6E-toting rivals. Counterintuitively, therefore, this Wi-Fi 6E mesh works best when your client devices aren't using Wi-Fi 6E, so they don't interfere with the backhaul connection. [Extracted from the article]

REVIEWS PRICE Two pack, a3500 (a3600 incVAT) from amazon.co.uk (B0BKTDPWC8) If you want the fastestrouter or mesh performance, you need Wi-Fi 6E. However, to get the benefit you also needWi-Fi 6E-compatible devices - andwhile the recently approved networking standard is increasingly popping up in newphones and computers, it's farfrom ubiquitous. On that note, TP-Link's Deco app is generally quite pleasant to workwith, offering easy access to all the Important Wi-Fi and network configuration settings. Rather than focusing on those newest devices, TP Link's Deco XE200 mesh takes a more inclusive approach. [Extracted from the article]

The smaller XD5 units don't have USB ports, so all that's offthe table. REVIEWS PRICE Two pack, a3127 (a3210 inc VAT) fromamazon.co.uk(B0BJKZNK95) Where TP-Link's Deco XE200 opposite takes a maximalist approach, the Asus ZenWiFi XD5 goesin the other direction. Internally, the XDs is a simple dual02band mesh, with a single 5GHz radio connection for both client and backhaul communications. [Extracted from the article]

The expectation is that the Orbi will replace your existing router, but it can also be switched into access point mode to provide upgraded wireless services for a separate router. The Orbi WiFi 6 can be set up using either Netgear's Orbi mobile app or a web-based wizard. Thus the Orbi WiFi 6 outpaced the Linksys, Zyxel and older Orbi systems in every test, and gave me faster downloads than the BT system too. [Extracted from the article]

This is where colour management comes in: it allows us to apply display-specific corrections to the colour values that are sent to the monitor, to bring the colours as close as possible to consistent, standardised shades. Jointly created by Microsoft and HP back in 1996, sRGB has become the de facto standard for personal computing, and if two applications or devices are sRGB-compliant then colours within this palette should appear consistent across them. As we've noted, sRGB was originally defined in the age of CRT monitors, and today's displays can do a better job of rendering the most vivid colours - so a modern high-end display might boast a colour volume of, say, 110% of the sRGB range. Adobe RGB can be useful if you're producing media that's intended to be viewed on a professional display or a cinema screen; "prosumer" cameras and camcoders often give you the choice of shooting in either sRGB or Adobe RGB. [Extracted from the article]

The XPS 13 2-in-1 uses Intel's latest top-of-the-range mobile Core i7 processor, the i7-1065G7, so despite its slimline design, we expected strong performance. As for graphical performance, the Core i5 version of the XPS 13 2-in-1 comes with bog-standard integrated graphics, but the Core i7 silicon includes a more powerful Iris Plus-branded GPU. Dell has created a superb, uncompromising laptop, which also just happens to offer the convenient option of flipping around into tent or tablet mode. [Extracted from the article]

The article evaluates the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 Android tablet computer from Samsung Corp.