It starts with a telephone call from someone you have never heard of, claiming your computer has a fault.

The caller purports to be a Microsoft technical support worker, who offers to sort out the problem. All you have to do is pay a fee using your credit card or debit card.

If your computer IS giving you problem you might think the call is a happy coincidence and willingly part with your money. If you do, not only will the fault not be repaired, but you could find your bank account is raided and emptied before you've said a cheery goodbye.

This cold calling scam, believed to operate form India, has been running for the couple of years and still it catches people out!

The truth is that Microsoft and other reputable companies NEVER cold call customer touting for business. Nor would they ever ask you for your bank details. If your computer is nt working properly, take it to a shop, or call Freelance Computers :)

There are a lot of tricksters about, keen to relieve the unwary of their money, these numbers will grow with the recession...don't get caught!

Unhappy with your wireless network performance?

With the 2.4Ghz frequency band becoming ever-more congested, the best way to give your Wi-Fi the boost it needs is with a dual-band router.

When wireless first came along in the 1990's, it was a brave exciting new world.  But in the many years since, as the availability of wireless has steadily spread, the number of devices jostling for attention in the frequency band used by most laptops and mobile devices has exploded.

The result is heavy congestion, and if you are still using a single-band 2.4Ghz-only router, the likelihood is that, at one time or another, your wireless router has had a its performance compromised by the activities of neighbouring wireless networks, microwave ovens, video and TV senders, Bluetooth devices and even baby monitors!.

If you want smoother HD video streaming over your wireless networ, snappy backups and a reliable, steady connection, you need a dual-band router.  Dual-band routers operate in a different radio frequency band - 5Ghz, that's far less congested, and can offer faster speeds and more reliable operation.

Solid-State drives (SSD's) are maturing fast.  Only a year ago they suffered from tiny capacities and high prices, and many models were barely faster than a mechanical drive.

Price are tumbling, while capacities and performance continue to improve.  Durability has become better too.  Thanks to improved manufacturing and wear-levelling techiques, write endurance is a non-issue for desktop drive.

All told, if you have been hankering after an SSD for your home PC/laptop, the upgrade is starting to look eminently realistic.

Before you dive in, it's worth noting that an SSD won't make your programs run any faster, it will, however, make your system feel more responsive.

Windows boots more quickly from an SSD, applications start in the blink of an eye and, thanks to the hige bandwidth and near-instant access time of modern solid-state drives, multitasking feel distinctly smoother.