In a typical home network setup, you could have multiple computers and other devices connected to a switch, the switch connected to a router, and the router connected to a modem through the router’s wide area network (WAN) port. Small home networks can function without a switch by connecting devices directly to the router’s LAN ports and Wi-Fi, while business and school networks often have multiple switches. Overall Findings Routers connect local devices to each other and the internet, while switches only connect devices locally....

Deciding between an iPhone 7 and an iPhone 6S can be confusing because they have the same shape and design. Here’s a look at the differences between these two older-model iPhones so you can decide which one best suits your needs. The iPhone 7 Doesn’t Have a Headphone Jack When the iPhone 7 came along without a headphone jack, it caused an uproar among users dedicated to their wired headphones....

Longer battery life means fewer charging stops, but it also means a lot more than that. First is a lessened environmental impact if batteries need to be replaced less often. After that comes a whole slew of features and activities that are not even possible with today’s battery life, which is measured in hours, not weeks. Think about the different ways you treat gadgets depending on their battery life. You can set an e-reader aside just like a paper book, whereas you might obsessively turn off the screen of your phone whenever you’re not looking at it....

Sephus is the founder and CEO of The Bean Path, an incubator and tech consulting organization that provides technical advice and guidance to individuals and small businesses to help grow networks and fertilize communities. The tech nonprofit leader recently purchased a 14-acre property to build a workspace called the Jackson Tech District. “I want to provide tech help and exposure to people in the community who otherwise wouldn’t have been empowered with such or had access to such,” Sephus told Lifewire in a phone interview....

AirPod batteries last a few years, max, and when they’re dead, they’re dead. Apple doesn’t offer a battery replacement, although if you play it right, you can trick Apple into “repairing” them for you. There is an out-of-warranty battery service available, but this costs $49 for each unit, and you have to jump through hoops to even qualify. PodSwap, on the other hand, is cheaper and easier. “Disposable gadgets have definitely (slowly) conditioned us to spend more money on tech over time,” Rex Freiberger, CEO of Gadget Review, told Lifewire via email....

Add Apps to a Samsung Smart TV If you have a Samsung Smart TV and want an app that isn’t on your Smart Hub, download it from the Samsung App Store. Here’s how: Add Apps to an LG Smart TV LG Smart TVs use the webOS platform, which includes app management. Like many other smart TVs, LG includes a package of preinstalled apps you’ll see on the home screen. Here’s how to add more apps:...

Changing DNS on Android 9 and Higher It’s fairly easy to change the DNS address on Android 9 and higher. Instead of changing the addresses on a per-network basis, you can set alternative DNS addresses in a single location. To manually change the DNS, follow these steps: Caveats About Changing DNS on Android It’s important to note that with Android 9 and higher, you can’t configure a standard DNS server (such as Google or OpenDNS)....

Connect Portable Devices With Compatible Adapters and Cables Adapters and cables transfer media and connect USB devices to an iPhone or iPad. Whether it’s an Apple official Camera Adapter or a third-party offering, look for these basic adapter cable features: A 30-pin or Lightning connector at one endA standard USB port on the other end The idea is to plug one side of the adapter into a tablet or smartphone and then use the USB port on the other side to plug in a USB device....

Choose a Conversion Type There are two ways to save an image and convert it into a PDF so that you can print or share the file: Print to PDF: Printing the image to PDF is faster than using a PDF conversion tool since most computers have this capability. The built-in PDF printer works with any application on your computer, from an image viewer to a web browser. It is the easiest method to use since it’s listed as an installed printer in any application on your computer....

Format of a Graphic Design Project Outline How you format and present your outline is up to you. Make sure it is clear, to the point, and easy to follow. You don’t want there to be any confusion as to what is included in the project, as ambiguity can lead to problems later on in the process. However, being too-precise and legalistic can constrain the process and lead to confusion arising from unnecessary complexity....

How Pandora Chooses Music Pandora’s “Music Genome Project” breaks down the musical qualities of five parent genres or “genomes,” as well as hundreds of subgroups called “genes.” Through musical analysis, Pandora is able to define the characteristics of every song within its genome. Most of this process is performed by real people, but the process of play-listing and recommending music is controlled by mathematical algorithms. Here are some examples of how songs may be characterized: Mellow rock instrumentation, folk influences, disco influences, subtle use of vocal harmonyAcoustic rock instrumentation, subtle use of vocal harmony, acoustic rhythm piano, extensive vamping Electronica influences, rhythm-and-blues influences, subtle use of vocal harmony, synthetic sonority Mellow rock instrumentation, subtle use of vocal harmony, intricate melodic phrasing, minor key tonality Female lead vocals, minor key tonality, catchy hooks, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation...

There are many reasons why a computer won’t turn on and often very few clues about what might be the problem. The only symptom is usually the simple fact that “nothing works,” which isn’t much to go on. First: Don’t Worry, Your Files Are Probably OK Most people tend to panic when faced with a computer that won’t start, worried that all their precious data is gone forever. It’s true that the most common reason a computer won’t start is because a piece of hardware has failed or is causing a problem, but that hardware isn’t usually a hard drive, the part of your computer that stores all of your files....

In some cases, dxgi.dll errors could indicate a registry problem, a virus or malware issue, or even a hardware failure. Dxgi.dll Errors There are several ways dxgi.dll error messages might be phrased, depending on the cause of the problem. Here are some examples: Dxgi.dll Not FoundThe file dxgi.dll is missingThis application failed to start because dxgi.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problemCannot find [PATH]\dxgi.dllCannot start [APPLICATION]....

How to Get an Em Dash in Google Docs The Google Docs app on Android and iOS will autocorrect for an em dash when two hyphens are placed together. Tap the hyphen key twice type your word, and then press the spacebar. You’ll see Google Docs change the hyphens to an em dash. Windows users accessing Google Docs in a web browser can create an em dash by holding the Alt key and typing 0151 on the numpad....

Do Samsung Watches Receive Text Messages? Samsung watches are capable of both sending and receiving text messages. If your Samsung watch has its own LTE data plan and phone number from your cellular carrier, then you can send and receive texts and make phone calls without the assistance of a phone. If you use your watch in conjunction with your phone, then you can use it to receive and send texts as long as it’s connected to your phone....

How Do You Take Your Birthday Off of Facebook? The steps are nearly identical whether you’re doing it from a computer or the app: Hide Your Birthday on Facebook Via the Website Go into your profile settings, to the Contact and basic info section, to change who can see your birthday month/day or year. Hide Your Birthday From the App Editing your birthday privacy settings from the mobile app is just as easy as it is on the website....

Turn on Low Data Usage Mode WhatsApp has an option that lowers data during chats and calls. Selecting it reduces the amount of data consumed, which reduces the audio and video fidelity of the calls you make. You can test the option by activating it, placing a call, then monitoring the change in quality. To activate this data saving option, open WhatsApp, then from the three dot menu select Settings > Data and Storage Usage....

Speed Up Downloads by Closing Games and Apps On the Xbox One, video games and apps download in the background. This is a convenient feature as it allows you to play a game or watch videos on YouTube, Netflix, or DC Universe as your purchase downloads. Unfortunately, performing another activity while something is downloading in the background can dramatically decrease the download speed, especially if it requires online connectivity. Quitting all games and apps can be a great way to speed up downloads on an Xbox One....

Pop-up Ads They just keep appearing. If you shut one down, sometimes many replace it. It seems that the “shadier” the website you are visiting, the more likely you are to encounter a seemingly endless cascade of pop-up web advertisements. But, even reputable sites like Weather.com or Lifewire.com might use pop-up ads as a marketing tool. So how do you stop pop-ups in your web browser? For computers not kept up to date with patches from the operating system and respective application vendors and machines that aren’t running current antivirus or firewall software, these pop-up windows could also pose a security risk....

When in doubt, refer to your service provider and phone manufacturer for instructions, but here’s some information to get you started. What You Need To set up your cellphone as a modem, you need the following: The device you want to use with the internet—your laptop or tablet, for example. A data-capable cellphone that you’ll use as the modem. Some feature cellphones can’t access the internet, so they won’t work....