Ethel from Gardner writes, “I live in Gardner during the summer months and Florida in the winter months. Can I take DSL service with me?” Ethel, I spent some time on the phone with our local DSL provider’s technical support people and it turns out you probably will not be able to travel with a DSL modem in-hand and expect it to function correctly at an alternate location.
DSL stands for “digital subscriber line” and requires the customer to subscribe (or setup) the specific location for the service. Hence, each location would require a separate activation and account to function correctly. DSL works by transferring a specific frequency through subscribers’ telephone lines. This frequency is translated into usable signals through the DSL modem provided there is an activated account at each location.
I believe the best way to transport internet service from one location to another is a dedicated broadband card. Such cards are offered by cellular telephone providers and connect to either a laptop or desktop computer through one of several means. Most commonly, these cards occupy a USB connection on the computer and require software installation prior to use. Typical costs for these services vary depending on the service provider; but generally range between $40.00 to $60.00 per month.
Chris asked this week’s second question: “What is the difference between memory and storage space?” Well Chris, you’ve asked a question which we receive all the time at the shop. Memory refers to the amount of random access memory (RAM) which the computer has installed. Storage space refers to the hard drive capacity inside the computer.
The hard drive is permanent storage used to hold your operating system (Windows), files and other settings the computer needs to operate. When the computer is powered on, Windows loads from the hard drive into RAM through the processor (or CPU). All user files; such as documents and pictures are read from the hard drive. When a document or setting is saved, it is then written back to the hard drive for permanent storage.
RAM is temporary storage – when the machine is on and running. As Windows is being used, files are being created and other functions of the PC are executed, RAM is loaded and unloaded. When the machine is off, RAM is unloaded and retains zero data.
If either the RAM or hard drive is missing or malfunctioning the machine will not work correctly. Both are common failure modes for computers and both need to be inspected regularly. Both failing RAM and hard drives will cause the computer to operate incorrectly; moreover, both present similarly during diagnostic tests and are sometimes hard to diagnose.
Tech-tip of the week: We had a woman come into the shop this week who told me her computer had been shutting down periodically. After a three hour diagnostic of letting the machine run we determined the problem was at her house. Due to the cooler weather she plugged a space heater into the same outlet as the computer. The combination of computer, space heater, monitor and other items limited the power to the computer causing it to shut off. If you must have a space heater plugged in make sure it’s connected to a different circuit than your computer to prevent electrical issues. The computer, monitor and related components should be plugged into a dedicated surge suppressor.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can e-mail him at Jeromy@LocalComputerWiz.com or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)