On occasion I spend an entire night reviewing, downloading, and installing a whole bunch of new security programs and very rarely, maybe once in a few years, I end up spending the next night scanning and reanalysing what knocked my Internet access off kilter.

Anyway, I got access on the other computers in the home, even on my phone, so I knew it had to be this computer that was problematic and it was definitely something I did on that itchy crazy night at download.com.

After testing by the process of elimination, I found it that it was PC Tools' Firewall that was causing the lack of net access. Now I remember why I had it disabled but not uninstalled. That shall be no longer! True enough, I am back on the grid.

Moral of the story is: if your Internet access is down and other computers on the network are fine, check your firewall. It is most likely that (yup and this is not the first time this has happened). If all computers' accesses are down, try turning your router off and then on again.

Update on phone acquisition: Will buy Nokia N95 8GB when price falls a bit more. Now armed and ready with coupons and redemption points for a killer buy.

Technorati: no internet access, internet access down

Just the other day, my brother proudly displayed an Apple iTouch (8GB) he bought off the net. It cost him about US$260 and he let me touch it.

The surfing experience was amazing. It reminded me of the interface Tom Cruise used in Minority Report, except this one is in your hand and it is way prettier. It expands the contents of a screen beautifully and holding it, I couldn't help but feel I was in possession of a very advanced piece of technology. Alien-like even. And very shiny. Till my brother calmly asked for it back or else...

I spent the next 2 days surfing for an iTouch myself and told myself only the 16GB would do since 8GB could only store maybe 2 movies and some songs and photos and that's about it. Finally, I lay my hands on my laptop and sighed. After studying the specs, I couldn't justify the cost of it.

I already spent that same amount of money on the Nokia e61i, whose camera function fails miserably in comparison to my old Nokia 6280, and I was getting tired of shifting the phone in my hand every time I wanted to type anything. So what I have done is to use my 6280 as a phone and the e61i as a surfing device.

I could watch movies and the such on my laptop, which had a way better and bigger screen. Somehow watching a movie on such a tiny screen wouldn't quite be the same. Think watching a movie on an airplane screen vs your very own 35 inch screen.

So until the iPhone and the iTouch reaches a reasonable price, I won't be getting either. Functionally, you'd be better off getting the Nokia N95 8GB when the price drops under US$300.

Meanwhile, I wonder if my brother will mind me borrowing his iTouch for another test run... :p

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Technorati: business website hosting, personal website hosting