Karaoke Forums

'Fraid so....
I witnessed something for the 3rd time last Sunday, and had to bring it up. A PC crash during a show -due to a VIRUS. Really??

The host used his PC - the core of his show- to go online for other reasons. Bad enough. However, this particular moron did or does not understand WI-Fi.

My home computer, unlike my office computer, is wi-fi enabled. However, I use a hot spot puck rather than centralized (cable-style) wi-fi. This means that can hit an off switch on the puck or the PC, and I do.

I cannot tell you how many people I know (actually most) who have centralized wi-fi that end their computer sessions by simply closing their lappy.

News flash: While this will put your wi-fi enabled lappy into sleep mode, IT DOES NOT DISCONNECT FROM THE INTERNET. Your sleeping PC is susceptible to hacking and viral invasion.

If you can't turn off your wi-fi, turn your freaking computer off.

Don't believe the Luddite? Watch the indicators on your router or puck.

If I was a PC peep, I would disable the wi-fi and never allow the core of my show that sort of exposure.

A download host? Do it with another PC, then transfer.

However being a Luddite, nevermind. Continue on....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

You have to realize, and I've said this time and time again... the human being is the stupidest specie on the planet.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Utter bullpucky unless you have the "network wake-up" feature enabled, which it never is by default.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Thank you. I read this last night during my karaoke show so I could not provide a decent reply.

Joe - I forgive you for not knowing what you don't know. But mcky is correct.

You can watch the traffic all day long and see bytes go back and forth, but those will be bytes from the puck, not from the sleeping PC. The puck is responding to the requestor saying the destination is not responding.

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-Chris

I have to disagree with that, too. Some laptops have a switch which actually turns the radio off. No wireless signal will reach the operating system. Others, when you disable the wireless through the Network Connections panel, it also disables the radio.

If this person has a virus on his WORKING laptop, then yes. He's not too bright.

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DJ Don

Absolutely correct in regard to disabling wi-fi. I was referring to those who end an online session by simply closing the lappy. I can't tell you how often I have seen this...

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I have both my laptops set to shut down when I close the lid. I get out of whatever programs I am running, then shut down. My puck shuts itself down when not in use.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

As noted though, putting a machine to sleep disables network access for that machine by default. Unless some intentionally enables on a PC then it doesn't work. It usually requires some configuration on a router/switch as well to fully support it.

The most common term for this feature is called "Wake on LAN".

This feature isn't used in production too often specifically due to security considerations. It isn't very reliable and typically requires a fair amount of configuration for it to properly function.

"Wake-on-LAN can be a frustrating technology to implement. This is because it requires appropriate BIOS, network card and, sometimes, operating system and router support to function reliably. In some cases, hardware may wake from one low power state but not from others. This means that due to hardware issues the computer may be waking up from the "fully off state" (S5) but doesn't wake from sleep or hibernation or vice-versa. Also, it is not always clear what kind of magic packet a NIC expects to see."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake-on-LAN

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-Chris

I think that people that get virus just go to places that they are going to be like PORN sites.
I've got 3 desktops that run 24/7 and all internet connected. Have never had a virus in the 30+ years I've been computing online. (knock on wood), but if I did it would probably be from something I did and nothing else. I mean there are great free virus/malware programs out there so use 'em.

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

I go to porn sites. I have for years. I just know which ones are safe and what not to click on.

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-Chris

Damn perv.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

"All men watch porn, scientists find. Scientists at the University of Montreal launched a search for men who had never looked at pornography - but couldn't find any". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/67 ... -find.html

Yeah, I’ll admit it. I go to porn sites too. But I don’t use my new Win7 & win8’s anymore. Tired of how many times my pc crashed & restored to factory settings from visiting these sites. My old winxp desktop is now dedicated mainly for that purpose. Holy sh** Need to log-off fast. Wifey just got home!

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

If I want porn, I will hit up the lady for some sex. Don't need to watch it.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

(I don't mean anything by it smooth. I added a smiley emoticon

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

You are just as likely to get a bug from an ad at a top site like the news service as from a "reputable" porn site. You are probably more likely. They target sites that get the most hits.

I buy mostly retired Engineering Laptops the came with "Wake On Lan" enabled due to the requirement to update during the PM by the IT department...

I normally turn that off.. Many systems also have PXE enabled.. Also turned off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Ex ... nvironment

But, aside from that, they make solid systems..

The implication here, is that by leaving your computer connected to the internet, viri are somehow going to magically weasel their way onto your machine. This is simply not the way it works.

This reminds me of the folks who click some silly link and send out email spam to all their friends. Then claim "I was hacked!" and change all their passwords.

Actually, you are wrong.


Usually, the "Click" loads unwanted software on the system and that is what sends out the spam.
An ongoing problem.

Were this true, essentially every computer that exists would be infected. But I will bite. Feel free to explain the mechanism by which a virus in the wild infiltrates an idle machine in someones home via a typical home internet connection. I'll wait.

The overwhelming majority of problems (I would venture over 98%) occur by users clicking where they shouldn't. An email attachment, a strange .exe in a downloaded ZIP file, an odd pop-up, etc. The #1 problem with such things isn't the persistent connection, or even their anti-virus software. The part most responsible is "the nut behind the screen".



Exactly my point, see above. Hence, not a "hacked" account.

There are very few vulnerabilities in modern software that allow someone to remotely seize control of a computer WITHOUT some sort of action on the part of the end user.

Practically all major breaches you hear about these days involve someone clicking on some malware or installing malware that THEN lets a hacker take control.

So long as you are up-to-date on Windows Update and leave the Windows Firewall on, you are generally perfectly safe.

I have 12 computers in my house that run 24/7. I have had as many as 16 and I have had that many for almost 20 years and I have never had any malware or virus breach (and I scan for root kits at least once a month and have for many, many years now.)

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-Chris