How did I fix dead Lenovo Laptop

I was happy with my Lenovo T series laptop which is working perfect with no flaws since 2003. LOL! Even I forgot the model name. That old is the laptop about which I gonna talk about. With arduous service, the laptop died 2 weeks ago. The death was without any symptoms. A sudden death! Nothing but a black screen gazed at me. So thought of buying a new laptop. Still, to try my luck, I browsed few forum regarding my issue (though I didn't post my question or problem). I found a crazy bit of information which was weird at first. But works actually.

The info was how to reset your apparently dead Lenovo laptop. The information was quite simple yet effective:

1. Unplug your AC input cable and battery from the laptop
2. Then press power button 10 times each with 1 second intervals. Then press and hold the power button for 30 seconds.
3. Insert your battery and boot your laptop as usual. It will work!
4. Remember, do not plug in your AC adaptor cable before booting the laptop. If you do and your laptop dies, repeat from step no. 1.

As stated above, the steps seems weird. But to my surprise it did work! For those who use Lenovo laptops must remember these steps if you find your laptop not responding to the boot request.

And for your information, I forgot the source of the website forum. I just desperately tried these steps. It worked. So writing about it as it may help others. Once I get to know the real source, I will post them. If you know, let me know! If your laptop didn't get fixed by following the aforesaid steps, kindly leave a comment about your problem.

How to extent Wifi coverage with second router?

With those who use wooden construction material can move on with this blog post. But for those who still complain about the black spot or patchy WiFi connection inside the house, You are in right place. I am not going to present with some cut and paste article from another website. All I am going to present is my personal experience of setting up WiFi connection and extending it to increase the coverage area. Technically, to fill black spots where you won't find signal with your existing Wifi router.

To begin with you need basic things. Before getting started, have the following ready:

1. Two WiFi routers

2. Lengthy CAT 6 cable

3. PC/Laptop to connect and configure routers

4. Some patience and time. Most of you reading this article may try it for first time. So if you do fail in your first attempt, congrats! Be proud that you started learning something new!

Alright! Now let's get started with our setup.

1. First of all, decide upon which router will be your primary. It should the router which gets internet directly either through a modem or wired connection. Fix this modem as your primary router so that you can extend connection from it to the slave or secondary router.

2. Note down following configuration information from your primary router. If you are unaware of how to know those information. Open your web browser and type in the IP address of the router. In most case, it would be 192.168.1.1, if your are using D-Link router, try 192.168.0.1. For those who find this difficult may refer the user manual of the respective router. And for configuration information, following details of from the primary router may be noted:

• wireless mode
• channel at which primary router works
• security settings like WPA, WPA2, WEP
• Passphrase of your primary router
• DHCP addresses of primary router

3. That's it for the info you need from primary router. Now reset your secondary router and connect it your PC/laptop. Make the following changes to make it slave of your primary router:

• Click the LAN settings page and edit the IP address of the router to be one of the Static IP address under primary router. For example, if your router provides IP address in the range of 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.49, fix the IP address of the secondary router within this range. As our case is for home connection, I would highly recommend using last IP address which would kept idle! So in this case, set the IP address of the secondary router to 192.168.0.49. Hit save and let the router reboot.
• Now, enter the new IP address of the secondary router and select 'OPERATION MODE'. Set operation mode to 'bridge'. Then hit save and wait until router reboots with new configuration.
• Again login to the configuration page of the secondary router. Now, change the basic wireless settings to match exactly with your primary router. ONLY EXCEPTION IS ASSIGN DIFFERENT SSID TO YOUR SECONDARY ROUTER. Apart from that, change all the values like channel, security, wireless mode and it must exactly match your primary router. Now hit save and let the router reboot.

By now, you have made your secondary router work alongside primary router which would extend your WiFi connection fill black spots in your home. To connect two routers, you could prefer long Ethernet CAT 6 cable. To establish connection, plug one end of the Ethernet cable in any one of the LAN port in your primary router and plug the other end in any LAN port of your secondary router.  Place the secondary router well away from primary router to extend the WiFi coverage. That's it. It must work now.

For this experiment, I had the following equipments:

1. D-Link 816 wireless modem/router.
2. ZyXel wireless router (I had a spare router in home)
3. Cat 6/ Ethernet cable (any of them would work but make sure it is of good quality)
4. Ofcourse, an internet connection in working condition.

Nonetheless, power source is far more important. Do not forget to plug in your AC cable in your routers.

Trackback: Importance of crediting original blog post in your blogs

Now, you might have started a blog and keep running it. If you don't have a blog, know how to start a blog. You would have started writing unique and original content to your reader. Either it may be for business or personal need, whatever it may be, it is deemed to be blog for all purpose by the audience you receive from internet. Importance of blog in business circle is far important than running a website for business. You might have wonder running a website for local business would be great thing if we were in 1990s. But with 2000s, no business will survive online if you don't run a website of own. Running a website alone will not give you the result, you need a blog. That's apart.

Now, when you start writing a blog post, you might have to rely on sources upon which you write the blog post. It is quite nature that most of the blog post you see on the internet will be based on the any information or source which is seems authentic to public. That how, we build trust. To build trust, either we have to celebrity or rely on trusted sources of information. 

What is Trackback and Advantages of Trackback?

So, now on, you are a blogger, who trust on trusted sources to create your own content. What would be important to make your reader know that you rely on a trusted information? The answer is obvious, mention the original source in the each blog post if available. Some bloggers post about the research, travel experience, personal diaries on internet blogs. For them, none will care about the authenticity of the contents presented. But when it comes to blogging based on technology, medical science, economy, society, anthropology, history, Geological work, etc, it is good to mention your source and info-graphics. This will convey that you did some real work on those facts. 

To be a known as serious blogger, you have to be serious about the source of the information you receive and post to your audience. The topic on serious blogging is different issue which does not fall under this post. 

Well, now time for trackbacks, some blogs or information website enable backlinks which act as trackback. So placing the source of information will help you get new visitors from original blog source. The parent blog to which you have placed a link in your blog will in return place a link stating that you blog discuss on the same topic. So, you will have high probability of any one who visit the parent source would visit your blog for further information. 

To my surprise, I find so many blogs which typically post similar content but also copy and paste content. Many of them do not post what is the source on which they rely. It would appear like a personal blog of authors. To be authentic, one has to provide the source if blog needs one. I am not insisting that every blog post must have mention the source. Yet, if you have one, it is well-advised to post the source. Who knows? You might get links from source websites. Thus, new readers!

Note: Trackback comes with lot of explanations. Yet, the information presented here limited and only stressed the importance of trackback. If you find anything left out, kindly mention them in comments.

Airtel Zero is not against Net Neutrality. Zero-rating will provide free data to consumers.

SaveTheInternet campaign made the Flipkart, leading e-tailer, to quit Airtel Zero, initiative by the leading telecom operator, Airtel. The huge uproar and backlash in the social media has prompted the move which welcomed by most online activist who wish to free and fair internet. Internet is a utility and not a marketing platform.

See also: Flipkart pulls plug from Airtel Zero

Now, Airtel is determined to promote zero-rating. It has taken by the very support on free data to Airtel consumers. The claim is that consumers will browse website under the plan free of any data charge. The website or business which is part of the plan will pay the telecom operator for the data charges or browsing charges instead of consumer using the service. Further, the Airtel-zero plan was compared with the toll-free service operated by various business entities.

See also: SaveTheInternet campaign

But is good to compare zero-rating to a consumer toll-free calls. I would like to question that how of us call toll-free in a day? Compare those numbers with users browsing internet. Is internet and toll free number fall under same category? Is it possible to compare toll free telephone calls with internet which is entirely different medium of communication? The comparison is unreasonable!

Further, Airtel has claimed zero-rating is open platform and anybody could participate under the plan. How could it be declared a open platform? Individuals paying telecos to promote a content. It would be like legalizing corruption to get the work done for oneself. Paying a fee to get job done. What it would mean? You pay me and you will do business! The creator of WWW intended internet to free and controlled by none. It is self-regulated. But service providers' zero-rating will promote a particular service and product at the cost of others. Consumers traffic will be take a U-turn towards to zero-rated websites as the service provider don't charge for data but charge the website or business instead of consumer. The fee levied has any definite quantum?!! How would small startups will get into the plan? Well, who cares about startups. It is the burden they have to carry. 

Though Airtel claims it to be a separate platform and is not against net neutrality, it disguises well enough to treat a particular traffic favorably over others. 

By observing world trend, zero-rating has been banned in America, Latin-America and EU. It is evident that zero-rating is against net neutrality. But Still Airtel insist on the plan. The ball is on TRAI court. The opinion on consultation paper can be provided till 24 of this month.

Flipkart quits Airtel Zero in support of Net Neutrality

Activist Backlash made Flipkart pull out from the scheme

'We at Flipkart has always strongly believed in the concept of net neutrality, for we exist because of the internet' - Flipkart.

Airtel, the leading Indian Telecom company, started a scheme 'Airtel Zero' which made way for the website to have preferential treatment but for a fee. It promised free consumer browsing and special promotion campaigns for companies which subscribed to the plan. But net neutrality envisages that all data and websites should be treated equally and charged equally.

Severe social media criticism and downgrading of its rating app stores has persuaded Flipkart to pull out of Airtel Zero. 

See also: TRAI's consultation paper on Over-the-top (OTT) service

Net Neutrality:

The term net neutrality was coined by Columbia University professor Tim Wu in 2003. It is the principle that mobile operators, internet service providers and governments should not discriminate on data access on the Internet. A service provider, for instance, should not offer a higher access speed to a website on the basis of a higher payment by that website.

Internet Companies response:

Most internet companies and startups denounced the zero-rating deal of the telecom operators. Zero-rating is against net-neutrality.

Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekar Sharma said telecom players are national utilities and not a marketing platform to run such a programme when asked about Zero-Ratings.

'Telecom infrastructure must be a open ecosystem...'

Internet has disrupted the world of business like no other technology in the world. With penetration of Internet, the growth of online entrepreneurship has grown many fold. The Technology has paved way for smaller startup to setup its market. 

'By rejecting the net neutrality, we'll be shutting the door on the entrepreneurial aspirations of millions' - Ritesh Agarwal, CEO of Oyo Rooms.

Net Neutrality is essential to maintain free and competitive market. As the regulatory framework for net neutrality is unclear and equivocal, the telecom companies are trying to make a dent into the market with sponsored contents from publishers for a fee. While the Zero-rating is an innovation in Indian telecom business, yet it hampers the free and competitive internet. It may lead to few choice to the consumers considering the preferential treatment for few websites.

However, Rajan S Mathews, Director General, Cellular Operations Association of India (COAI) said a distinction must be made between zero rating and net neutrality. He said telecom operators are not violating any terms and conditions that came attached with spectrum. They are waiting for TRAI framework on net neutrality and find a way out of problems.

As usual, Telecom companies will find its way to circumvent rules and laws once TRAI defines a framework for net neutrality. 

Net Neutrality Law:

Chile was the first country to introduce Net Neutrality law in 2010. It was a popular movement by Neutralidad Si. In 2014, Chile Telecom regulator banned mobile operators from zero-rating websites.

It was followed by Netherlands in the year 2011. The footsteps were followed by Belguim, France, Solvenia. Later, European Union (EU) adopted laws passed by the Netherlands which now provides uniform net neutrality law. Zero-rating has been banned in EU. 

In 2014, Brazil followed the footstep and enacted law principled at net neutrality. It states all data transmissions must be treated equally.

Later, USA's Federal Communications Commission laid down new rules on net neutrality. At&t, Verizon and Comcast are not allowed to block lawful contents, slow down applications or services, or accept fees for favorable treatment.

SaveTheInternet:

In India, in response to consultation paper from TRAI, Indian Telecom Regulator, SaveTheInternet to uphold net neutrality in India. 

Get Ready To Pay for WhatsApp, Viber, Hike, Blackberry,etc

Airtel, a leading telecom company, which advocated for separate charges for (Over-The-Top)OTT has turned huge tide. The Regulatory authority has moved consultation paper to levy separate charge for OTT. The deadline to submit suggestion is April 24, 2015. This move have challenged the very net neutrality in India. If the regulatory authority approves such move, then get ready guys, we have to pay for all video and voice calls in messaging services. Apart from data charges we have to shell out extra charges in the OTT charges. No more chit chats!

OTT (Over-The-Top):

1. 'In broadcasting, over-the-top content (OTT) refers to delivery of audio, video, and other media over the Internet without the involvement of a multiple-system operator in the control or distribution of the content.' - Wikipedia
2. Until now telecom operators don't distinguish OTT and other browsing data. But the regulatory authority was forced move which will prompt a distinction which will lead to hefty phone bills in future. 

Save The Internet!

An online campaign has started against the TRAI move to allow telecom operators to levy charge on OTT. Visit savetheinternet.in to lodge your protest today. Click on 'respond to Trai now or edit answer' to lodge your protest.

If not now, as a user of internet, we will lose our rights forever. Our free and neutral internet will be under the grip of telecom operators. The choice of network will depend on the choice of service offered. The leading telecom operators lobby for favoritism over other networks, concession for using particular service over their networks. 


We are under pressure to decide our future internet. If we lose now, you will lose it forever. Stand against the move to uphold net neutrality. 

It may appear as a simple move. But soon it may outrun us. One day, apart from exorbitant charge for data connection which we pay today, we will be forced to pay for every single message which are sent and received through internet messengers. It is high-time to lodge your response to maintain net neutrality in India.

My humble request is to lodge your response by visiting savetheinternet.in and send an email to TRAI protesting against the proposed move.

The first day saw a 27,000 emails in response to the consultation paper. But considering the number of internet users in India, we need more people to respond to the consultation paper to uphold net neutrality. Provide your support today! Have a happy future!

Update as on April 28, 2015: The crisis worsen as the Telecom operators like Airtel, vodafone, Idea has appealed with the Government to charge for OTT services today. Once TRAI grants approval then next target would be preferred content network by telecom operators. The Airtel Zero will get it's rigor back and will engulf user experience with sponsored contents based on Zero ratings.

If corporate lobby extends to the TRAI consultation then all is lost for Indian Internet users. Than the widely publicized broadband connection in 2003, mobile data cover vast majority of the internet users. The easy to setup and use network now faces challenge posed by the service providers. As no concrete net neutrality law is in place, which now making telecom operator to encroach upon mobile internet as and when they need to. Most prime target of these move is the internet messaging application whatsapp. As Indian user base vast, tapping the minimal charge over this OTT service will boost revenue of those telecom companies. With gross profit on mind, service providers started muddling with OTT service.

One day, telecom operators will invade your privacy if such trend gets approval from TRAI. Whatever these telecom operators dictate will be the laws of internet if not nipped in the bud.  TRAI, telecom regulator of India, yet to respond on the consultation paper on OTT services. Stay tuned for the updates. 

NOTE: To add insult to the injury, TRAI, listed 1 million user name and email id of those who sent reply to the consultation paper on OTT services. Well, a Telecom regulator of a country provides 1 million email id for spammers and marketers to solicit. Have you seen such a pathetic situation in any other country? Please share your opinion through comments. (Source: Times of India, link: 1 million email id exposed)

Whatsapp Marketing: New Marketing Strategy

How many of you reading this post is without smartphone? I would like to know what is your popular and most used personal messenger! If was early 2000, I would presume Blackberry messenger is the most used personal messenger which topped the list of best personal messenger in smartphone. That was the time when word Smartphone would only mean Blackberry or HTC device. Rarely Microsoft Window found itself in few pockets. But such devices are often seen with either a business executive or top executive of any organisation. The aim was to make sure that vital assets of the company or organisation are in the boundaries of the corporate even off the work.

Now, the definition of smartphone was redefined. The Advent of Android OS has reached wide range of world population than expected. With Apple iPhone, Google Android devices vied for the market share, the then popular Blackberry Smartphones were sidelined by the corporate. The Apple and Google raced against each other to attract large user base. Being Open Source, Android gained popularity. Than being a premium device, Android catered to the need of budget smartphone specification which augmented the Android User than the competitors such as Apple, RIM, Windows, Symbian.

See also: Who uses Whatsapp Marketing?

But the penetration of Smartphones has brought the pleasure of personal messenger to all its users without any discrimination either they work for corporate or doing the homework. The smartphones have provided unlimited choice when comes to selecting software and service compared to the traditional cell phones which are limited to SMS, MMS and voice calls. The Technology has brought 3G, 4G which added value to messenger service unlike the conservative data packs of early 2000. 

Why Whatsapp so Popular?

If we have to install a most popular and well used messenger service into our smartphone, it would be 'Whatsapp'. The popularity was Whatsapp is well known among any smartphone user. Whoever don't have Whatsapp are frowned by their colleagues or business partners.  The very success of the Messenger Service is due its policy towards end-users. Whatsapp had policy not to display or provide with pop-ups to the end-user and to provide clean and neat intelligible interface unlike other free application available on the store which are supported by ads for revenue. 

Though, Whatsapp free service is limited to first year, it charges about $1 or so per year to avail the service for the subsequent year. Yet, users find no fault with the service. An application which understands requirements of end-user find its place in the podium of the market. To our surprise, many users are willing to pay advance subscription for the subsequent year use of the world's most popular Smartphone Messaging Service. It had surpassed many other messenger. Even Google's Hangout opined to have less popularity than Whatsapp when it comes to Smartphones.

Whatsapp Marketing: A New Way To Find Customers

For World's Most Popular Messenger, one must have register one's phone number with Whatsapp. Once done, we can start directly pinging our friends and family or the one who is in our contact list. The idea of Group messaging help us connect with friends and families. We can have light moment virtually through Internet without any hindrance. Whatsapp identify us using our phone numbers. So anyone who posses our phone number could contact us through the Whatsapp service. It will open for all whoever have your number and whatsapp installed on smartphone to contact you at their will. So do the marketing companies have started campaigns to market product through Whatsapp. 

Worst part is marketing companies which have previously collected large list of mined data regarding targeted users have now vast array of phone numbers at its disposal. With Whatsapp service and unlimited WiFi connection from Internet Service Providers (ISP), marketing through whatsapp is walk in the park. Either you like or not, they will be sending queue of messages. 

The traditional SMS marketing was limited by the telecom operators and controlled by the regulating agencies of the concerned country. But with Whatsapp which uses internet as the medium of communication is unregulated. If it to be regulated, it must be done either by Facebook or the Regulating Agencies of State. In this case, both are nonviable options as Facebook regulation would spark contention over privacy issues while state regulation will cause concerns over net neutrality.

Whatsapp policy was not to store messages that are through its servers. And it does not monitor activities of its users. With huge broadcast list, Ad companies send unlimited messages for small annual subscription fee.

Economical Marketing:

It is economical and innovative strategy to use Whatsapp to advertise business and product. Some really benefited from the marketing. With less than $2, you can make your product ad reach thousands of users. It is most viable than the SMS marketing. Whatsapp marketers charge pennies for 1000 messages while traditional SMS marketing could escalate cost. 

Moreover, Whatsapp is not limited by territorial boundary of state unlike SMS or MMS. This strategy was availed by email marketers which is a cheap option if one decides to market beyond one's own state boundary. So if your target is local or international audience, the charge for using the service remains same irrespective of the locality. 

The era of smartphone has brought world under single roof. Message across the seas are free and reliable considering the advancement of technology and abundant bandwidth under sea Fiber optic cables. For marketers, it is a boon. And with Whatsapp web, composing and drafting a marketing message make simple.

Drawbacks:

Though, Whatsapp is viable and economical marketing option for those experienced and new start-up Ad agency, it is not free from defects. With Facebook and founders of the Whatsapp have turned against advertisements, such ad free experience is taken away by these marketers. 

Blocking Ads in Whatsapp:  

Those unsolicited message if you find annoying, user have option to block those numbers from which such ads were sent by the Whatsapp marketers. As user don't have other known mechanism to stop ads being send from unknown numbers, it is a make shift solution to stop receiving ad messages from known advertisers phone number. Further, users can block any other numbers from which user receive messages.

Free Internet!

Hello buddies! Since 50's Internet has evolved at various level. From CERN project to global infrastructure, internet has turned our lives to new era. The developers of World Wide Web decided to keep the project free. They wish no one have control over the network worldwide. They created free and independent environment for sharing ideas, concepts, data, etc. Internet has transcended boundaries and reached billions of lives. Internet is like a nation without boundaries. But with present day internet is hogged with restrictions and filters placed by state agencies.