IT DEVICES

How to Enable Two Factor Authentication for iCloud on iOS

With the latest release of iOS, 
Apple has enabled a new feature called Two Factor Authentication. They 
previously had enabled a feature called Two-Step Verification, but that 
isn’t as robust or as secure as the new authentication method.
In order to use the stronger two factor authentication with your 
iCloud account, you first have to disable two step verification. In this
 article, I’ll walk you through the entire process step by step so that 
you can ensure only trusted people can access your account.

Once you enable two factor authentication for your iCloud account, 
any device trying to sign into your account will need to be approved by 
another trusted device. Once approved, the trusted device will also 
receive a code that needs to be entered onto the device signing in. 
What’s cool is that the trusted device will also be able to see a map of
 where the attempted sign in was originating from.

<h2>
Disable Two Step Verification</h2>
Firstly, if you have two-step verification enabled, you will need to 
disable it. If you don’t have that enabled, you can skip this step. To 
get started, go to <a href="https://appleid.apple.com/" target="_blank">appleid.apple.com</a> and sign in with the Apple ID you use for iCloud.

Once logged in, go ahead and click on the Edit button that is located to the right of the Security section.

Scroll down all the way to the bottom and you’ll see a link called Turn Off Two-Step Verification.
 When you click on that, you’ll be asked to confirm that you want to do 
that and then you’ll get another dialog where you have to pick three 
security questions.

Once you have picked your questions, click Continue and you’ll be asked to verify your birthday. Click Continue again and you’ll be asked to enter a rescue email address. It has to be something different than your Apple ID email address.

Finally, you’ll get a message stating that two-step verification has 
been turned off. At this point, you can go ahead and sign out of the 
website.

<h2>
Enable Two Factor Authentication</h2>
Now let’s go ahead and enable two factor authentication. In order to 
do that, we have to go to an iPhone or iPad that is already updated with
 the latest version of iOS. If the device is not already logged into 
your iCloud account, you’ll get a new message asking if you want to 
enable this feature when you try to sign in.

If your device is already signed into iCloud, then tap on Settings, iCloud and then tap on your name at the very top.

<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/tap-on-name.png" rel="attachment wp-att-59502"><img alt="tap on name" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59502 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/tap-on-name.png" height="368" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/tap-on-name.png" style="display: block;" width="450" /></a>On the next screen, tap on Password and Security.

Again, scroll all the way to the bottom and tap on the Set Up Two-Factor Authentication link.

The next screen will show you the two factor authentication overview, which is the first image above in this section. Tap Continue
 and then enter the number for the phone you want to use as a trusted 
device. The code and approval will have to come from the number you 
enter here.

Once you verify the phone number, you may or may not have to enter 
the answers to the security questions on your account. On one of my 
Apple IDs, I had to answer all three security questions, but when I 
setup two factor for a different Apple ID, I didn’t have to answer the 
security questions.

You should now see at the bottom that two factor is On.
 At this point, you can add another trusted phone number if you like. 
Now that two factor is setup, try to log into iCloud on another device 
and you’ll be asked to enter the verification code sent to the trusted 
devices.

On the trusted device, a message will appear that shows a map of where the sign in was requested and the options to Allow or Don’t Allow.

If you tap Don’t Allow, the person will not be allowed to sign into the account. If you tap Allow, you’ll then get a popup with the six-digit verification code that has to be entered on the other phone so that it can sign in.

As you can see, this is a lot more secure than just enabling two-step
 verification. The only downside is that it can be a little 
inconvenient, especially if you have several family members logging into
 the same iCloud account. However, once the initial setup is done and 
everyone is verified, it won’t come up that often.

Also, when you go to sign into iCloud.com, you’ll have to get 
approval before you can load anything. Previously, if you had two-step 
verification enabled, you were still able to login and use the Find My 
iPhone app, while everything else was disabled until you verified your 
identity.

Now with two factor, you won’t even be able to see the Find My iPhone
 app until you are verified using a trusted device. This is more secure,
 but again, less convenient. You can choose to trust the browser, so 
that you won’t be prompted to enter the code each time you login, but 
then you need to make sure you sign out, otherwise someone could just 
come and sit on your computer and go to iCloud.com and you’ll still be 
logged in.

Overall, two-factor authentication does a better job of protecting 
your account from unauthorized access and is a great step for those who 
want to ensure their digital privacy. If you have any questions, feel 
free to comment.

TIPS How to Enable Two Factor Authentication for iCloud on iOS

How to Create an Encrypted Disk Image in OS X

1:10 PM Unknown 0

Looking for a way to encrypt a folder of sensitive data on your Mac? You could <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-encrypt-your-computers-hard-disk-data-and-files-for-free/" target="_blank">encrypt your entire hard drive using File Vault</a>,
 but this may be overkill for most people. Luckily, OS X has a built-in 
feature that allows you to create an encrypted disk image containing 
whatever data you want inside the image.
The only way to open the disk image is to enter the password. You can
 copy the disk image like a normal file and it will be unreadable unless
 unlocked on a Mac. Overall, it’s like creating your own encrypted file 
container.

Also, be sure to check out my article on how to <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/encrypt-usb-flash-drive/" target="_blank">securely encrypt a USB flash drive</a>, which is another good way of storing sensitive data.

<h2>
Create Encrypted Disk Image</h2>
To create the disk image (DMG) on your Mac, first create a folder 
that includes all the data you want to encrypt. Note that once you 
create the disk image, the original unencrypted folder will still remain
 on your system and you should delete it immediately.

To get started, go ahead and open Disk Utility by going to Applications or by clicking on the Spotlight icon (magnifying glass) at the top right and typing in Disk Utility.

Once Disk Utility is open, go ahead and click on File – New Image – Image from Folder.

You’ll now have to choose the folder that you would like to encrypt as a disk image.

Click Open and you’ll get the Save As dialog where you have to give your new image a name and choose from a couple of options.

By default, it’ll save the new disk image in the same folder that you are encrypting. Under Encryption, you can choose from 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption.
 The latter will be slower because of the stronger encryption, but your 
data will be better protected. When you choose any of the encryption 
options, you’ll be asked to enter a password.

Make sure you enter a very long and strong password because this is 
the only security that protects your data. If a hacker gets a hold of 
your file, they can try to use a brute-force attack to determine the 
password. Anything over 12 characters with letters, numbers and symbols 
will take a very long time to crack even on a really fast computer or 
cluster of computers.

For Image Format, you can choose from read-only, 
compressed, read/write, DVD/CD master or hybrid image. For our purposes,
 you should choose either read-only or read/write. If you choose the 
latter option, you’ll be able to add more files/folders to your 
encrypted image at a later point.

Click Save and your new image will be created. Note 
that if you chose 256-bit AES encryption, it could take quite a while 
for your disk image to be created.

Now when you go to open the image file, you’ll get a prompt asking for the password. Make sure you do NOT check the Remember password in my keychain box.

If you enter the password correctly, the image will be mounted like a drive and if you chose read/write for the Image Format,
 then you can add or remove items from the encrypted image just like a 
normal drive. When you add something to the drive, it will automatically
 be encrypted and protected.

<h2>
Create Blank Encrypted Image</h2>
It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to necessarily create an 
encrypted image from a folder. You could also open Disk Utility and then
 click on File – New Image – Blank Image.

Here you will see a couple of more options. Firstly, you can specify 
the size of the disk image and the file system format. It’s recommended 
you stick with OS X Extended (Journaled) so that all security features are supported.

For Partitions, you can choose from Single partition – GUID Partition Map or Single partition – Apple Partition Map. All of the other settings are the same as previously mentioned.

Overall, it’s a great way to secure data on your Mac from prying eyes
 without having to install any third-party software or enabling File 
Vault on your entire system. If you have any questions, feel free to 
comment.

TIPS How to Create an Encrypted Disk Image in OS X

Looking for a way to encrypt a folder of sensitive data on your Mac? You could encrypt your entire hard drive using File Vault, but this may be overkill for most people. Luckily, OS X has a built-in feature that allows you to create an encrypted di…

Edit the Windows Hosts File to Block or Redirect Websites

1:08 PM Unknown 2

The Windows Hosts file is a file 
that Windows uses to control and map IP addresses. By editing the Hosts 
file, Windows can be customized to block or redirect specific websites 
and even protocols that are used by programs and applications.
To get started editing the Windows Hosts file, you first need to locate it. Open Windows Explorer and click on This PC or My Computer. Double-click on C:\, then the Windows folder and scroll down the page until you reach the System32 folder. Inside of that folder, open drivers and then open etc. You’ll now see several files, one of which is hosts.

<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hosts-file.png" rel="attachment wp-att-59485"><img alt="hosts file" class="lazy alignnone size-full wp-image-59485" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hosts-file.png" height="208" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hosts-file.png" style="display: block;" width="595" /></a></div>
Now, notice that the file type for the hosts file is listed as File.
 Because there is no default program set to open a file type like this, 
double clicking the hosts file will simply give you a Windows prompt, 
asking you which program you would like to use to open the file.

<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Choose-a-program-prompt-Windows-7.png"><img alt="Choose a program prompt - Windows 7" border="0" class="lazy aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Choose-a-program-prompt-Windows-7_thumb.png" height="433" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Choose-a-program-prompt-Windows-7_thumb.png" style="border: 0px none; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="524" /></a></div>
From this prompt, you can choose to edit the hosts file with Notepad. So, simply click to select Notepad and click the OK button. From there, Notepad will launch with the hosts file information.

This way of opening the hosts file was demonstrated to show where the
 hosts file is actually located within Windows, but you won’t be able to
 edit it because it’s a system file. In order to edit the file, you have
 to open Notepad first, running as an Administrator.

Click on Start and type in Notepad, but don’t click on Notepad to open it. Rather, right-click the Notepad listing to bring up the context menu. Select the option Run as Administrator.

<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/notepad-run-as-admin.png" rel="attachment wp-att-59487"><img alt="notepad run as admin" class="lazy alignnone size-full wp-image-59487" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/notepad-run-as-admin.png" height="332" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/notepad-run-as-admin.png" style="display: block;" width="389" /></a></div>
With Notepad open, select File > Open. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc. You will get a blank screen that displays the prompt No items match your search. Change Text Documents (*.txt) to All Files using the drop down menu. Now, you can select the hosts file and click Open.

<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/open-hosts-file.png" rel="attachment wp-att-59488"><img alt="open hosts file" class="lazy alignnone size-full wp-image-59488" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/open-hosts-file.png" height="309" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/open-hosts-file.png" style="display: block;" width="611" /></a></div>
Adding files to the hosts file is very simple. The hosts file uses the format:

<pre>IP Address exampledomain.com</pre>
Blocking a website in Windows is as simple as typing the following into the bottom of the hosts file:

<pre>127.0.0.1    www.exampledomain.com</pre>
So, if I wanted to block a website like www.nytimes.com, I could just add the following line:

<pre>127.0.0.1    www.nytimes.com</pre>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/redirect-website-hosts.png" rel="attachment wp-att-59490"><img alt="redirect website hosts" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59490 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/redirect-website-hosts.png" height="196" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/redirect-website-hosts.png" style="display: block;" width="551" /></a>

What we are actually telling Windows is that the website 
www.nytimes.com should redirect to the IP address 127.0.0.1, which is 
just the loopback address on our local system. If you don’t have a local
 website setup on your computer, you’ll just get an error page in your 
web browser.

Pretty cool, huh!? Obviously, you can see how this can be used in 
several different ways: a prank, parental control, etc. If you didn’t 
want to block the website in that way, you could also redirect it to 
another website. In order to do this, you have to find the IP address of
 the other site first.

To do that, just open a command prompt (click on Start and type in CMD) and type in the following command:

<pre>ping examplewebsite.com</pre>
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ping-website.png" rel="attachment wp-att-59491"><img alt="ping website" class="lazy size-full wp-image-59491 aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ping-website.png" height="289" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ping-website.png" style="display: block;" width="468" /></a>

In my example, I pinged Adobe.com. The IP address is 192.150.16.117. 
Now I can simply plug that number into my hosts file in front of 
www.nytimes.com.

Now when I visit www.nytimes.com, I get redirect to Adobe.com! Nice! 
Note that if this doesn’t work for the websites you are entering, it 
could be because of the URL you are using. For example, it makes a 
difference if you use www.nytimes.com as opposed to nytimes.com without the www.
 Visit the website and see exactly what the URL is for the website you 
want to redirect. You should always try without the www first to see if 
that works.

If the website uses HTTPS like Google.com or something, it should 
still redirect if you use the host name. There is no way to specify the 
HTTPS version of a website in the HOSTS file, but it should redirect the
 HTTPS and non-HTTPS versions of the website if you use just the host 
name (i.e. google.com).

Lastly, you can use the hosts file to create simple shortcuts to your own devices on the network. For example, my router is at 192.168.1.3 on my home network, but I could add the following line to my hosts file and simply type in myrouter.com into my address bar.

It doesn’t really matter if myrouter.com is actually a website or not
 because the hosts file is read first and you are redirected to the IP 
address specified in the file. It’s worth noting that not all browsers 
may use the hosts file, so if it’s not working, that could be the issue.
 I tested it using IE, Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox and it worked 
on all of the browsers.

Overall, the hosts file is still useful, even in Windows 10. It also 
still works just fine in Windows 8, 7, Vista, etc. If you have any 
questions, feel free to comment.

Networking Edit the Windows Hosts File to Block or Redirect Websites

Top Ways to Boost WiFi Signals & Improve Performance

1:07 PM Unknown 0

Equipped with a wireless 
router from your ISP, most WiFi networks are usually fairly efficient. 
For at-home setups, a quality router will usually be more than enough to
 run a decent network. After all, even your close neighbors can normally
 see your wireless network. Of course, there are some exceptions.
If you live in a very large house or your ISP installed your router 
in a strange location like your closet, your WiFi signal may not reach 
every part of the house adequately. When it comes to streaming media, a 
weak WiFi signal result in extreme lag and choppy videos.

<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/wifi-signal.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-59463"><img alt="wifi signal" class="lazy alignnone size-full wp-image-59463" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/wifi-signal.jpg" height="393" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/wifi-signal.jpg" style="display: block;" width="680" /></a></div>
Luckily, there are several things that you can do to help boost WiFi 
signal strength. Here are some of my top recommendations for improving 
weak WiFi. Note that this article focuses on WiFi specifically and not 
on your Internet connection.

If your Internet connection is slow, check out my article that talks about the many ways you can <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/cool-websites/speed-up-internet-connection/" target="_blank">boost your Internet speed</a>.

<h2>
Use Latest WiFi Protocol</h2>
Wireless AC has pretty much become the standard, but if you have not 
yet upgraded to a Wireless AC router and are still using Wireless G or 
N, you may want to consider upgrading. Wireless AC has proven to be a 
much more capable technology that not only produces greater WiFi range, 
but improved and more consistent signal strength as well.

Of course, a Wireless AC router will be most efficient with Wireless 
AC devices.  If you are using a newer device with a built-in wireless 
card, such as a laptop, check to see what wireless protocol it supports.

It’s also worth noting that after AC, there will be AD, AH, AJ, AX 
and so on. You don’t always have to be using the latest protocol, but 
you also don’t want to be several protocols behind. Wireless N and AC 
also support MIMO, which allows for multiple antennas.

<h2>
Get a Dual-Band Router</h2>
You may have noticed that some routers offer a feature called dual 
band. This means that it supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. So 
what’s the difference? 5 GHz allows for much greater speeds than 2.4 
GHz, but over a shorter distance.

A dual band router can be helpful because you’ll get faster speeds 
when you are closer to the router, but you can switch to the 2.4 GHz 
network when you are farther away since 2.4 GHz signals can travel 
farther and penetrate more walls. Unfortunately, you mostly have to 
manually switch between these two networks.

<h2>
Call Your ISP</h2>
Since most people use the default router given to them by their ISP, 
it’s a good idea to make sure you have the best one they have to offer. 
Most ISPs will install a cheaper router with less speeds and less 
features and then try to get you to upgrade later.

If you are getting service connected, you can usually make them give 
you the best router before you sign up with them. If you are already a 
customer, you can always try to threaten to leave. Unfortunately, to get
 a better router, you normally will have to pay a monthly cost or buy it
 upfront.

However, if you buy the router upfront, never buy it from the ISP. 
Instead go to Amazon or eBay and buy it from there. You can always call 
out a technician to come and install the router, if you don’t feel 
comfortable doing it yourself.

<h2>
Use a Cable Signal Booster</h2>
If you have cable internet, several factors can play into the actual 
cable signal strength coming from the cable company to your home. If you
 live in a busy neighborhood with many households, the actual cable 
power that your home receives may not be optimal. Aside from this, 
things like splitters that allow for a cable outlet in every room tend 
to weaken the signal, and the more splitters you have, the weaker the 
signal will become.

A cable signal booster can help give your home WiFi network the best 
possible signal by acting as an amplifier. Basically, these devices look
 and work just like normal coaxial splitters. However, they are 
engineered to distribute cable signals in the most efficient manner. 
Cable signal boosters will also improve the signal strength to your 
television.

<h2>
Optimize Router & Update Firmware</h2>
This one is pretty much a given, but it’s always best to have the 
most up to date firmware for your wireless router. As technology 
changes, firmware updates are needed to keep the router running at peak 
performance.

You should also tweak the settings on your router for maximum output.
 For example, if you are getting a lot of interference, you may want to 
switch channels. Most of the time it is set to Auto, but sometimes it’s 
worth manually configuring. It is best to consult a router’s user manual
 for firmware and settings tips.

<h2>
Re-position the Router</h2>
For best WiFi coverage, a wireless router should be placed in a 
central location within a home. It should also be positioned not too 
close to the floor, but not too close to the ceiling either. WiFi 
signals travel in a lateral pattern, and most of the time, WiFi devices,
 such as laptops are used at midpoint within a home. For example, you 
usually sit on the couch when using a laptop; you don’t lay on the floor
 (most of the time), and you do not stand on a ladder.

<h2>
Use a Multi Router Network Setup</h2>
All the methods mentioned above still won’t help you if you live in a
 very large home and the distances are simply too great, even for the 
latest wireless protocol with MIMO technology. In these types of cases, 
you probably need to setup a second router.

This can come in the form of a wireless extender/repeater, wireless 
bridge, or simply a second wireless router. I’ve already written about 
setting up a <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/setup-a-second-wireless-router-on-your-home-network/" target="_blank">second separate network using a second wireless router</a>, but you can also add a second router to the same network.

For example, if you have Verizon FIOS, you can purchase another 
identical router and configure it as a MoCA LAN bridge. You can 
configure the second router with the same wireless SSID and password, so
 devices will connect to whichever router is closer.

<h2>
Purchase a WiFi System</h2>
These days, there are a lot of companies selling WiFi systems. These 
are basically wireless mesh networks. They include multiple identical 
routers that you connect in different locations in your home.

The main advantage these systems is that they configure themselves 
and talk to each other automatically. This makes them really easy to 
setup and you can add as many devices as you want to keep extending the 
range of your wireless network.

<a href="https://eero.com/" target="_blank">Eero</a>
 is one example of a WiFi system. It comes with three access points for 
about $500. You can control and configure everything via an app and it 
takes half an hour to set it all up. Of course, you lose all the 
flexibility and control that you have when you purchase a traditional 
router.

Another company that I know is popular is <a href="http://www.open-mesh.com/" target="_blank">Open-Mesh</a>.
 Luckily, consumers can buy it too and it works just fine for 
residential purposes. Again, these are much more expensive solutions, 
but you’ll be one happy camper at the end of the day.

<h2>
Add a WiFi Booster Antenna</h2>
Depending on the exact model of your WiFi router, it may be 
compatible with an add-on WiFi booster antenna. WiFi antennas seem to 
have a varying degree of mixed reviews from purchasers, but for 
approximately 50% of people, they are worth the purchase. WiFi booster 
antennas work with the same concept that retractable antennas on old 
boom boxes work. While the default antenna may be built-in or minimal, a
 standalone WiFi antenna may help improve WiFi network signals.

<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/WiFi-Booster-Antenna.png"><img alt="WiFi Booster Antenna" border="0" class="lazy aligncenter" data-original="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/WiFi-Booster-Antenna_thumb.png" height="282" itemprop="image" src="http://11986-presscdn-0-77.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/WiFi-Booster-Antenna_thumb.png" style="border: 0px none; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="40" /></a></div>
<h2>
Use Powerline Adapter</h2>
For some people, you just can’t get a wireless signal into a certain 
area of the house. Maybe the wall is made of a material that blocks WiFi
 and therefore nothing but a direct cable connection would work. You can
 always try to drop a network or coax line to that location, but if 
that’s not feasible, then a Powerline adapter might be a good 
alternative.

<div style="text-align: left;">
Speeds are nothing to write home about, but
 it’s definitely better than nothing. You basically plug them into the 
wall, one where your router is and one where you need an Ethernet 
connection. Most have just one Ethernet port, but some like the 
Actiontec one above, have several ports to connect multiple devices.</div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Turn Off Other Devices</h2>
If you are a heavy gadget user and have tons of devices connected all
 around your home like cameras, phones, monitors, IOT devices, etc., it 
might be worth turning some things off to see if there is some kind of 
interference.

Other appliances like microwaves can also cause interference, so try to keep your router away from any other electronic gadget.

Using any of the above methods should help strengthen your WiFi 
network and using a combination of the methods should greatly boost the 
WiFi in your home. Any other good ways to help improve WiFi signals? 
Leave us know in the comments!

Networking Softwares TIPS Top Ways to Boost WiFi Signals & Improve Performance

How to Create Fillable Forms in Word

1:07 PM Unknown 0

Did you know that you can create 
forms in Word that people can fill out? When you hear about fillable 
forms, it is almost always related to Adobe and PDF documents because 
that’s the most popular format.
However, Word is also quite a powerful tool and you can use it to 
quickly create forms that you can either print or send via email, etc. 
If you need to create a survey that will go out to many people and you 
want all the responses tallied for your automatically, it might be best 
to use <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/google-softwaretips/how-to-create-an-online-survey-for-free-using-google-docs/" target="_blank">Google Docs to create the survey</a>.

In this article, I’ll show you how to create a form with text boxes, 
check boxes, a date picker and a list box. You can also make your forms a
 lot better looking if you use tables to organize everything.

<h2>
Enable Developer Tab</h2>
By default, you can’t create forms in Word unless you enable the Developer tab in the ribbon. Since it’s not used by a lot of people, Microsoft disabled it by default. To enable the tab, click on File and then Options.

On the left-hand side, click on Customize Ribbon and then check the Developer box in the right-hand list box.

Click OK and click on the tab in the ribbon. The section we are most interested in is Controls.

<h2>
Creating a Form in Word</h2>
The Controls section has about eight different controls that can be 
added to your Word document: Rich Text, Plain-Text, Picture, Building 
Block Gallery, Checkbox, Combo Box, Drop-Down List, and Date Picker.

To insert a control, just click on it and it will appear wherever 
your cursor was located. In my example below, I created a table and 
added two plain-text boxes for first name and last name.

By default, each control has its own filler text. For a plain text control, it is Click or tap here to enter text. You can edit this text for any control by clicking on the Design Mode button that is to the right of the control icons.

You’ll see some blue placeholders appear on the left and right of any
 controls you have added to your document. Select the text and change it
 to whatever you like. Click on the Design Mode button again to exit the mode.

Next, click on your newly added control so that it is highlighted and then click on Properties,
 which is directly below the Design Mode button. Each control will have a
 standard set of options with custom options at the bottom based on what
 type of control it is.

Here you can give the control a title, change the color, style the 
text and specify whether or not the control can be edited or deleted. At
 the very bottom are the control specific options, which for the case of
 a plain text control, is whether you want to allow multiple lines or 
not. That last option is useful if you need someone to type in a 
paragraph of text.

So what’s the difference between a plain-text control and a rich text
 control? Well, not much. In a rich text control, you can change the 
font/color settings for each word individually, whereas the plain-text 
control will apply the formatting to all the text. You would think the 
plain-text control would not allow bold, font changes or color changes, 
but it does.

Next, I went ahead and added a drop down list control to my form. You’ll see it says Choose an item and that’s it. In order to add items to the list, you have to click on Properties.

Click the Add button and then type in a name for your choice. By default, the Display Name and Value
 will be the same, but you can change it if you like. There really is no
 reason to change the value unless you are writing Word macros and refer
 to the controls in code.

Once you have added all your choices, go ahead and click OK and 
you’ll now be able to select the options from the drop-down list.

The only difference between the dropdown list control and the combo 
box control is that the latter allows the user to enter their own value 
if they please. In the dropdown list, you have to choose from one of 
choices in the list. In the combo box, you can either choose from the 
list or type in your own value.

The date picker control works just like any date picker you have 
probably used on airline booking sites, etc. When you click on it, a 
calendar appears and you can simply click on the date to select it.

If you click on the Properties button, you’ll see that there are quite a few options for the date picker control.

You can choose a different format to display the date and choose a 
different calendar type. The picture control is another nice option that
 will allow users to insert a picture easily.

When the user clicks on the image, a dialog will appear where they 
can choose a picture from their computer, from Bing image search or from
 OneDrive. They also have options for Facebook and Flickr.

Now let’s add a few checkboxes to our document. Note that when you 
add a checkbox and try to type text into it, it will tell you that the 
selection is locked. I believe this is by design. You have to click next
 to the checkbox and then type in your text.

Lastly, you can insert a building block control, which lets you pick 
content from Quick Parts and AutoText. If you don’t know what I’m 
talking about, check out my post on <a href="http://www.online-tech-tips.com/ms-office-tips/use-ms-word-autotext-and-quick-parts/" target="_blank">how to use AutoText and Quick Parts in Word</a>. In my example, I added some quotes to a custom AutoText and then linked the control to it via the Properties dialog.

Once you have all the controls in your document the way you want, it 
might be a good idea to protect the document so that user can only fill 
out the form fields and that’s it. To do this, click on Restrict Editing on the Developer tab.

In the pane that shows up on the right, click on the dropdown under Editing restrictions and choose Filling in forms. Make sure to check the Allow only this type of editing in the document box.

Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection and then enter
 a password if you like. Now only the form fields will be editable and 
everything else locked/protected. The user can easily use the TAB key to
 move between the different form fields.

Overall, Word isn’t the greatest tool for making forms, but it’s 
decent and probably more than enough for most people. If you have any 
questions, feel free to comment.

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