Computer Support For Network Interface Controller

Network Interface Controller or NIC in short form, is a networking device, used by a computer for communication through a network. It is the networking component, into which network cable is plugged. This device is also known as Network Adapter, Network Interface card and Local Area Network Adapter. It is installed in the host computer to enable the host to be connected to the Local Area Network. Some computers have built in NIC while the others have removable cards which could be replaced if any need like changing the baud rate or bandwidth arises.

Brief History Of NIC

Token Ring was the earliest network configuration and protocol designed and developed by IBM. Computers, connected through token ring network cards, use two different paths to transmit and receive data. Later on, 5 Base T networking standard,also known as Ethernet standard, was developed in early 1970s. Using this standard it was possible to transmit and receive data over a thick coaxial cable over a distance of 1km at a baud rate of 5 Mbits/second. After that, prolonged and painstaking research for more than one decade yielded the 10 Base T standard which was able to transmit and receive data through twisted pair of cables at a much higher baud rate. The twists also helped minimize electromagnetic interference. Then 100 Base T, Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Data Digital Interface came in quick succession. 100 Base T standard, also known as fast Ethernet improved the baud rate considerably. Using the latest Gigabit Ethernet standard, it is possible to transmit and receive data at the baud rate of 1000 Mbits/second.

Working Principle Of NIC

Earlier, the NIC used to be connected to the computer bus through expansion card. Later, due to cheap price and easy availability, the NIC was integrated with the motherboard itself. Nowadays many latest motherboards come with dual integrated network interfaces. In some computers, network interface is implemented on a cheap dedicated Ethernet card, which is connected to the motherboard through PCI Express bus.

Network Controller uses multiple different methods to transmit and receive data, such as interrupt driven method, polling method, Direct Memory Access.

In the interrupt driven method, the peripheral generates interrupts when it receives data or when it is ready to transmit data. The polling method continuously monitors the peripherals to check whether any data has arrived or the peripheral is free to transmit data. In the Direct Memory Access method, the peripheral directly communicates to the memory chip and accesses data without the intervention of the microprocessor.

The typical Ethernet NIC comes with RJ45 socket, to which the network cable is connected. Earlier versions of NIC had AUI or BNC connectors mounted on the card. LEDs are used to indicate the status of the NIC.

Types Of NIC

There are multiple types of NIC based on connection types and speed capabilities,like 10/100 Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet,Fiber Optics Ethernet, Wireless Ethernet,etc.

10/100 Ethernet cards can transmit and receive data at the maximum speed of 100 Megabits/second. This type of NIC is typically used in small business enterprises or home based activities. Generally PCI,PCIe or ISA interfaces are used by these cards to connect to the computer motherboard.

Gigabit Ethernet cards are capable of data communication at the maximum speed of 1 Gigabits/second. These cards use mostly PCIe interface to connect to the motherboard.

Fiber optic NICs employ fiber optic cable to transmit and receive data at the maximum speed of 100 Gigabits/second.

Wireless Ethernet cards are connected to the main computer through wireless router.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6565722

Microsoft Product Support Reports

The Microsoft Product Support Reporting Tool facilitates the gathering of critical system and logging information used in troubleshooting support issues. This information helps diagnose problems in the software quicker and provide solutions.

The tool offers the ability to select the particular scenarios for which system configuration data will be collected: General, Internet and Networking, Business Networks, Server Components, Windows Update Services, Exchange Servers and SQL and other Data Stores (MDAC) . Depending on the particular system configuration and the categories selected, Microsoft Product Support Reports might take between 7 to 25 minutes or more to complete the data collection. Please read the readme.txt files for more details about the information collected by each category.

There are two executables, that correspond to each specific OS architecture, 32 or 64 bit. Please make sure to download the version that correspond to your system architecture.

You may install and use an unlimited number of copies of MPSReports solely for the purpose of gathering system information necessary for your support professional to provide you with technical support services requested by you. All other purposes are not supported by Microsoft. Please refer to the EULA for more detailed information regarding your usage rights.


System requirements

Supported Operating Systems: Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-Bit x86), Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 editions, Windows Server 2003 x64 editions, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit

* Requires Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0

* Requires Windows Powershell 1.0

* Requires Windows Installer 3.1

* Requires Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0

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Instructions

1. Download the executable specific to your OS architecture, 32 or 64bit.
2. Copy the file to the system having the problem.
3. Double-click the executable to launch the report gathering tool.
4. Accept the Microsoft License Agreement.
5. Follow the steps as guided by the Wizard.

Microsoft and Intel Help Bring Technology Access

New york is the first state to launch an official program of this kind, developed through a public-private partnership, as a way to encourage technology adoption. The program includes the following components:

* Professional development, technology training and free technology tools from Microsoft Partners in Learning and Intel Teach, made accessible through any of the more than 400 New York State Teachers Centers sites for more than 300,000 educators.
* Teachers will be able to purchase discounted technology through an online store, available today, which offers a range of Microsoft software products and computing devices, including PCs, laptops, slates and tablets from a number of manufacturers.
* The Tech4Teachers Program is accessible to any public, private or pre-service teacher who is or becomes a member of the New York State Teachers Centers.
* The Teachers Centers will help subsidize the cost of required professional development and technology training for participating teachers to maintain their certification.

"Because a teacher's job requires long hours preparing lessons, individualizing instruction and connecting with parents, having the technology tools they need to complete this work outside the classroom becomes essential," said Sig Behrens, general manager for U.S. Education, Microsoft. "This partnership extends Microsoft's commitment, through our Shape the Future program, to ignite digital access and education tools, not only to students, but also to those who teach them. Technology, brought to bear to support quality teaching and parent engagement, will help to drive positive outcomes for New York's students."

Microsoft and Intel are working to scale the Tech4Teachers program to other states across the country, as part of ongoing efforts by both companies to provide educators with impactful and relevant resources to improve 21st-century skills in the classroom.

"As technology dramatically changes our society, educators must master the skills and behaviors of professionals in the digital age," said Eileen Lento, Ph.D., Intel Americas K–12 strategist. "Programs like these are essential because they empower teachers to drive change in our schools and in our classrooms. Today's educators must be equipped to provide a learning environment that takes students beyond the walls of their classrooms and into a world of endless opportunities."

"Teachers are passionate about helping their students succeed and recognize the need to stay current with tools that can help them do that," said Stan Silverman, co-chair of the Technology Committee of the New York State Teachers Centers. "What we need in the classroom are people who are going to push the boundaries to help students learn, and it is our belief that teachers who are comfortable with technology at home translate those experiences directly into the classroom."

Today's announcement is an extension of the Shape the Future program, unveiled last week at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. The program aims to provide 1 million students from low-income families in the United States with the benefits of software, hardware and broadband Internet service over the next three years. The commitment is focused on filling the gap in home access to technology, and it helps give students in digitally excluded homes the skills training they need to compete in the global market, to increase employment opportunities and to contribute to their communities' economic recovery.

Source : sacbee.com

Get Microsoft Help Support

The online technical support world has grown vaster following the burgeoning need for technical support services across the world. Being the most widely used applications, Microsoft products dominate the global software product market. The larger the use of Microsoft applications is, the higher the tendency of occurring technical problems is. There are several instances in your life when you do rounds of a local repair shop or call a technician friend to fix the major or minor glitches in your computer. You might have been irritated with the fact that such problems sometimes take longer than ever to resolve and sometimes never come to. The last problem can only happen if you have not contacted a reliable Microsoft-certified professional. So, your next question may be where to find the great Microsoft product support from?

Well, there are a number of third-party service providers that provide online tech support services for problems related to Microsoft products such as Microsoft Windows XP setup, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Outlook etc., and other software applications also. Generally, these providers have a team of certified, skilled professionals that undergo rigorous training before getting on to the technical support job.

These professionals are generally reachable via a toll-free phone service or internet chat. You simply have to subscribe to their yearly plans and get going with their certified technical support services anytime and anywhere. The services are available round-the-clock and throughout-the-year so that whenever you have a problem with your PC, you get the resolution instantly. So no matter what time zone you are in, what place you are at, you will get your problem resolved without delay and at the comfort of your home. Easy and professional it sounds, the outstanding the experience it offers.

The best thing is that the entire troubleshooting process does not usually stretch beyond 15-20 minutes unless the problem is extremely bigger. Most of the problems are fixed in the first call thereby sidelining the need of calling again and again. Besides, the technical experts advise you how to keep your PC problem free and run it smoothly and faster. They also document all the troubleshooting steps and your information in their record for the future interaction purpose.

These services are intended to meet the requirements of all the users ranging from home, small and medium businesses (SMBs), large businesses, enterprises, to professionals etc.

Microsoft itself offers technical support for its products. Further, Microsoft technical support would only entertain its Microsoft products but not other software products, peripheral, or non-computer devices. However, third-party service providers offer better and lower-priced support plans than Microsoft tech support itself. Besides Microsoft Windows XP setup, these service providers resolve issues related to your computer (any make); peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, and routers etc.; and non-computer devices such as PS3, XBOX, Roku, and Apple TVs etc.

It is strongly recommend that you should rely only on Microsoft-certified professionals as they know the products very well and use latest tools and technologies to resolve any technical glitch occurring in your PC or peripherals etc.

Source : EzineArticles

How to Install Windows Help & Support

One of the great features of Windows is the Help & Support files. No matter what issues and questions you may have, the help files are always of assistance. Believe it or not, many issues can arise that could cause these files to disappear. Fortunately, if the help files are inaccessible, the Windows website is an excellent resource. It isn't hard to reinstall the Help & Support files to your operating system.

1. Go to "Run." Type "regedit."

2.Navigate to the following registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/App Paths."

3.Double click "HELPCTR.EXE." Right click "Default" in the right window and click "Modify."

4.Type "C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe," without the quotation marks.

5.Click "OK." Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows.

source : EHow

Microsoft Technical Problems

A variety of resources are available if you experience technical problems with any Microsoft product. As Microsoft software is widely used, most problems that can occur are well-documented.

1. Options
Microsoft has a large presence on the Internet and it is likely you will find the solution to your problem online. Two particular resources may hold the information you need to resolve technical issues: Microsoft Technet, aimed at IT professionals, and Microsoft's support pages, aimed at consumers.

Both resources are easy to search; if you have a specific error message, searching for the message will usually yield relevant information.

2. Alternative
A wide range of third-party online resources also deal with Microsoft technical problems. Searching for the specific problem you are having with a search engine will usually yield plenty of information.

3. Support
If you need further help, you should be able to find someone in your local area qualified to solve technical problems. Many computer engineers have undergone specialist training in Microsoft's product range. Check online or in your local telephone directory to find suitable technicians.

source : eHow

Microsoft Announce Statewide Partnership

The Microsoft IT Academy Program will help prepare the next generation's workforce.
MICROSOFT LOGO Microsoft company logo. (PRNewsFoto/Microsoft) REDMOND, WA UNITED STATES
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Microsoft Corp. announced that Virginia is the third state in the nation to launch and implement the Microsoft IT Academy Program at all public high schools statewide. The Microsoft IT Academy provides students and teachers with real-world technology skills needed to thrive in the 21st century global economy. The partnership highlights Virginia leadership's commitment to produce the most technology-savvy and literate workforce in the world. The adoption of the Microsoft IT Academy Program will help ensure equality of access to every high school across Virginia, regardless of location, size or economic status.

Speaking about the Microsoft IT Academy Program in Virginia, McDonnell said, "In today's global economy, it is essential that our students are prepared for the skilled and technical jobs that are driving job growth today and will continue to be important economic drivers in the future. Since taking office, this administration has been looking at ways to provide more innovation in our classrooms and better prepare our students in the STEM subjects. The Microsoft IT Academy brings greater technology to the classroom and ensures that students in every corner of the Commonwealth have access to a quality technology education."

The Microsoft IT Academy is a comprehensive program that supports ongoing technology education for students, teachers and other education professionals spanning computer basics to high-level programming, along with information and communications technology management. The program features access to online learning content, official Microsoft course materials, instructor resources and support materials, including lesson plans, software licenses, and professional, industry-recognized certifications. There are more than 10,000 Microsoft IT Academy members in over 160 countries.

"For nearly three decades, Microsoft has been committed to contributing to education reform by developing technology and programs that help improve teaching and learning," said Sig Behrens, general manager for U.S. Education, Microsoft. "An important part of that commitment is helping students develop the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. We are excited to partner with Virginia to help ensure students graduate from high school with Microsoft skills and certifications that are widely recognized by employers and can give students an edge in today's competitive job market."

The deployment of the Microsoft IT Academy Program and teacher-readiness plan is being managed through the Virginia Department of Education. Phase I will begin with the following 30 high schools and nine regional career and technical education centers this fall, with the intent that all high schools participate by the end of the school year.

* Arlington County — Technical Education and Career Center, Washington and Lee High, Wakefield High and Yorktown High
* Buena Vista — Parry McCluer High
* Carroll County — Carroll County High
* Chesapeake — Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology
* Chesterfield County — Chesterfield Technical Center and Lloyd C. Bird High
* Cumberland County — Cumberland High
* Danville — Galileo Magnet High
* Fairfax County — Edison High, Marshall High and Westfield High
* Frederick County — Sherando High
* Halifax County — Halifax County High
* Hampton — Phoebus High
* Hanover County — Hanover High
* Henrico County — Deep Run High
* Henry County — Magna Vista High
* Isle of Wight County and Suffolk — Pruden Center for Industry and Technology
* Loudoun County — C.S. Monroe Technology Center
* Lynchburg — E.C. Glass High
* Norfolk — Norfolk Technical Center
* Prince William County — Battlefield High and Forest Park High
* Richmond — Richmond Technical Center and Thomas Jefferson High
* Roanoke — Patrick Henry High
* Roanoke County — Burton Center for Arts and Technology
* Russell County — Castlewood High and Lebanon High
* Stafford County — Brooke Point High and Colonial Forge High
* Tazewell County — Richlands High
* Virginia Beach — Advanced Technology Center, Landstown High and Ocean Lakes High
* York County — Grafton High


Students are able to earn certification, such as the Microsoft Office Specialist, the Microsoft Technology Associate or Microsoft Certified Professional, by completing the Microsoft IT Academy coursework and passing industry-recognized certification exams, giving them skills employers seek. By spring 2012, the Virginia Department of Education is recommending that all high schools use the Microsoft IT Academy curriculum in various career and technical education courses, such as the computer information systems course sequences.

More information on Microsoft's efforts in education is available at http://www.microsoft.com/education. Details on the Microsoft IT Academy program are available at http://www.microsoftitacademy.com.

More information from the State of Virginia is available at http://www.governor.virginia.gov.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

source : prnewswire.com