stupid computer questions

I'm not sure who to ask since all of my friends are equally dumb about computers, but here goes:
1) if you have a lot of stuff on your desktop (i.e. photos and documents) as opposed to filing those things in various files not on the desk top, does that make your computer slower?

2) we have wireless internet here at the house that is not locked. lately it's been spotty at best. if there's an interloper (neighbor) on the wireless, would that pull the signal away from my airport-thing? (the router thing is in the basement, i'm on the second floor of the house. it hasn't been problematic for the past year, but the past two weeks has been really painful to get a continuous signal upstairs. first floor is less problematic)

you may begin laughing at me now, thanks.

The short answer to both of your questions is no.

#2 may be due to someone in the house or a neighbor getting a new cordless phone, which may interfere with the wifi. Another cause could be someone else's router being on the same channel as yours (the channel can be set in the router settings…usually by plugging in 192.168.1.1 into your web browser).

Chip beat me to the cordless. I think 802.11b conflicts with the 900 Mhz phones from my own prior experience. Aside from the changing the channel, you could also switch to 802.11g, or if it is your own cellphone causing the problems, switch to one with another frequency like 2.4 ghz. If your router or cards don't handle g, you'll have to buy new gear, but prices are relatively cheap nowadays. Also some cordless phones employ spread spectrum, which can use a range of frequencies and still overlap your channel changing.

Originally posted by Chip Chanko:
#2 may be due to someone in the house or a neighbor getting a new cordless phone, which may interfere with the wifi. Another cause could be someone else's router being on the same channel as yours (the channel can be set in the router settings…usually by plugging in 192.168.1.1 into your web browser).

as far as crap on the desktop goes, it can have a small effect on performance but only noticeable if you're on an older/less powerful machine.

it'll slow down your boot-up by a few seconds while the computer scans your hard drive for icons for each on of those files you have there, amidst the 1000 other things it's trying to do during start up.

it might also take a fraction of a second longer to redraw (refresh) your desktop should you minimize your windows.

Originally posted by 930clubber:
Chip beat me to the cordless. I think 802.11b conflicts with the 900 Mhz phones from my own prior experience. Aside from the changing the channel, you could also switch to 802.11g, or if it is your own cellphone causing the problems, switch to one with another frequency like 2.4 ghz. If your router or cards don't handle g, you'll have to buy new gear, but prices are relatively cheap nowadays. Also some cordless phones employ spread spectrum, which can use a range of frequencies and still overlap your channel changing.

Originally posted by Chip Chanko:
#2 may be due to someone in the house or a neighbor getting a new cordless phone, which may interfere with the wifi. Another cause could be someone else's router being on the same channel as yours (the channel can be set in the router settings…usually by plugging in 192.168.1.1 into your web browser).

damn, bill gates . . . but thanks for the great info. yours is the first post i've ever cut and paste and print.

Have you considered moving your wireless router to the first floor of your house so that whatever floor you're on you're never more then one floor away from the router?

It seems obvious to me that if you have a problem connecting on the second floor (when you're 2 floors away) and much less of a problem when you're on the first floor (only one floor away), that your real problem is the distance (which has become an issue because of electrical interference, phones, etc, as everyone else has commented on).

Originally posted by Julian, good manners AFICIONADO:
The short answer to both of your questions is no.

Technically, the answer to #2 could be yes, but not likely. An easy way to check is when you're struggling with the wireless, turn off your wireless devices and see if the wireless light on your router is still flashing. If it is, then you might have someone stealing the signal and slowing your broadband down (if you have a low limit DSL, for example).

Originally posted by vansmack:
If it is, then you might have someone stealing the signal and slowing your broadband down (if you have a low limit DSL, for example).

I read his question to mean he's having a problem staying connected, not his connection being slow. If he was talking about his connection slowing from time-to-time, my immediate thought would be someone's stealing his bandwidth, but someone leeching on your wifi shouldn't shut him out altogether.

Originally posted by Julian, good manners AFICIONADO:

Originally posted by vansmack:
If it is, then you might have someone stealing the signal and slowing your broadband down (if you have a low limit DSL, for example).

I read his question to mean he's having a problem staying connected, not his connection being slow. If he was talking about his connection slowing from time-to-time, my immediate thought would be someone's stealing his bandwidth, but someone leeching on your wifi shouldn't shut him out altogether.

Ooooooh… a geek fight, I love it!

wait til you read my Steve Ballmer.

#2

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-6346_11-5206675.html

Originally posted by walkonby:

damn, bill gates . . . but thanks for the great info. yours is the first post i've ever cut and paste and print.

Originally posted by tigers scare me:
2) we have wireless internet here at the house that is not locked.

why the hell have you not implemented encryption? get on that, will ya? it will stop 99% of bandwidth thieves, so that should help you determine if that is the source of your probs.

my roommate put a lock on the wireless interwebs.
thanks one and all for the advice.
for what it's worth, it's made an improvement.

Cat5 is the official medium of board patrol TCP/IP packets.

Originally posted by sweetcell, board patrol captain:

Originally posted by tigers scare me:
2) we have wireless internet here at the house that is not locked.

why the hell have you not implemented encryption? get on that, will ya? it will stop 99% of bandwidth thieves, so that should help you determine if that is the source of your probs.

Originally posted by 930rebelliousteenageclubber:
Cat5 is the official medium of board patrol TCP/IP packets.

WPA is an officially-sanctioned alternative.

Unfortunately I have to slum it with WEP due to the DS.

I went to TGI Fridays for dinner, ya dig?

WTF

WPA2

Originally posted by sweetcell:

Originally posted by 930rebelliousteenageclubber:
Cat5 is the official medium of board patrol TCP/IP packets.

WPA is an officially-sanctioned alternative.

IOKIYAR