A few weeks ago Smart announced their newest product, SurfTV. I got curious about how it works and finally got some info from some people working for Smart.
The unit costs about PhP4,500 and includes the following: SurfTV box, Smart Bro dongle and SIM, keyboard, mouse and cables. You can use it on your TV or a VGA monitor. Just plug it all in and you can surf or watch TV and when you do you are charged PhP10 for every 30 minutes (for prepaid) or you can get the unlimited monthly plan.
Haven't tried it out though, but I'm quite curious whether this is something that would finally get my Dad online.
I am writing this post to remind myself that I should monitor our wifi closely at home. We use different devices at home and have had difficulty getting every single one connect to wifi when it had a security password. The solution? Network Magic.
Network Magic is an app you will be prompted to install when you connect a new Linksys router. The app serves as an easy way to monitor who connects to your wifi. You will be alerted whenever somebody connects to your network and you can track this through a map. The feature though that allows you to block devices from connecting to your network works only in the paid edition.
It was either I put in a security password to keep other devices out or pay for the Network Magic feature I needed. If I chose to put in a password I would've not been able to use my other gadgets, so I paid $40 to activate the feature that would allow me to block intruders. It has so far worked for me especially since I moved to a new place and my nosy neighbors have been taking advantage of the open wifi connection. I just need to make sure that I check my network map once in awhile.
Anyway, also make sure that your router has a security password. Last week the hotel I stayed in at Cebu had problems with their wifi because a guest placed a password in their router. They could have prevented this if they had a router password. To put a password in your Linksys router just access it by going to http://192.168.1.1using a browser. (And make sure your remember your username and password!).
Here's a great vid I found that will guide you on setting up a password for your Linksys router:
