[Eug-lug] AVG virus protection software

[Brian Gallagher]

Garl Grigsby wrote:
> Brian Gallagher wrote:
>> It looks like AVG will not be free any more after January 15th.  Now 
>> I am looking for suggestions for a replacement.
> Avast. (www.avast.com).  You have to login once every 14 months, but 
> it is a superior product to AVG. No money involved for home users.
Thanks for the tip!
>>
>> Some Background:  I use a wireless share for my connection for my web 
>> access.  I pay my house mate to be part of his network, so this is 
>> not road warring!  I am on the edge of the wireless router range, so 
>> the signal is weak to begin with and drops out frequently 
>> complicating my wireless technical development.  I have setup a test 
>> station that is much closer to the router, but its cold in the 
>> garage, if you know what I mean!
>>
> Buy a higher gain antenna. Better yet, buy two. One for the client and 
> one for the WAP. I've used these [1] in the past and they are well 
> worth the money. Gained an extra 200 feet in one direction and a solid 
> signal through three walls in th other. If you watch you can get them 
> for < 15 shipped after rebate. Or you could always build your own 
> antenna...
I would like to have a conversation with you about antennas.  Ben 
recommended a bridge and I appreciate that offer, but this wireless 
share is transitory.  Wireless bridges are generally expensive and if 
the share situation changes I could end up with a bridge to nowhere, so 
to speak.

The picture of the high gain antenna that you suggest show the antenna 
on a pedestal, held down with a nut.  Do I remove the nut and fasten 
antenna onto the post of the WAP w/ its antenna removed or is there some 
connecting hardware not shown?

Building an antenna sounds interesting, do you have "hands on" 
experience there?  I would need some tech help on that.

>> Given that I don't know much about wireless accept what I have 
>> learned from trial and error, it has been rough to get to a Linux 
>> implementation of wireless networking.  At present I am still using 
>> windows.  Frankly, I just kept giving up too easily and never really 
>> tried to get things running, as other work has take priority.
>>
> What card are you using?

I have four cards, all D-link.  I have no allegiance to D-Link, I just 
bought a set, on sale: wireless router, PCI and USB cards when I got 
started looking into wireless.   I am working on the assumption that I 
have to test these cards under Windows to prove a "known good" status 
before delving into the Linux unknown.

DWL-G510 (PCI)  this card had a history of flakyness under WinMe (hey, 
its Me what did I expect.  I haven't tried it under XP.  The one thing 
PCI does seem to have is greater range!)

DWL-G520 (PCI) this card was found  in a computer by side of the road 
that some Frat Boys had take a baseball bat to.  Status unknown.

DWL-G120 (USB) this card is the one I use primarily.  It has a long 
dongle cord and I have it run up the wall close to the ceiling.  When I 
was playing with setting it up with Ubuntu I ran into the "which rev is 
the chipset issue."  I chickened out on opening the housing to view the 
chipset, as this is my web access, unless I want to sit in the cold 
garage and I don't.

DWL-G122 (USB) this card in promising.  Ubuntu showed a Marvel chipset, 
if I remember correctly.  The issue with these thumb drive type wireless 
cards is signal range; and with a short dongle cord to a pedestal base,  
I can't work the antenna directionality as I would like.

Give me till after the holidays, I would like to revisit this discussion 
and solve this problem once and for all.  Also, I got a how-to specific 
to this DWL-122 card and Ubuntu and it mentioned the software setup.  
I'll have to find that documentation.

As with everything Linux, while I've been frittering, someone has 
already solved the issue and I just need to update my OS version, etc, 
etc. will probably be the case.
>> Here is my question: should I stop worrying about virus protection 
>> and make implementing Linux wireless my top priority, because virus 
>> threats are low under Linux; Therefore, would I be better off running 
>> Linux, with no virus protection, then to keep working with windows 
>> and outdated AVG software?
> That's up to you. If you are going to keep using windows, then get an 
> A/V solution. Also, make sure you are running Firefox and Thunderbird.
I am running Firefox and Thunderbird.

Thanks Garl,

Brian
>
> Garl
>
> [1] http://tinyurl.com/ppxtj
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