This web page contains links to sites and documents related to a wide variety of
Internet Services and topics.
The majority of the underlined links in the table below simply jump down this page to a section
related to the item named in the link. Some section headings are links to tutorial pages about that topic.
Links on this page that appear enclosed in brackets [like this]
and will open a separate browser window when activated.
A wide variety of anti-viral products and upgrades are available. Many can be found
through the File Catalog at [TUCOWS]. They are organized by Operating System:
[Windows®],
[Linux®], and
[Macintosh®].
For impartial reviews of anti-viral software, view the popular [Virus Bulletin] site.
Free Online Anti-viral Scanning Services
A few anti-virus software companies are now offering free online scans of end-user systems via the Internet.
The service will scan and identify known viruses, but normally will not remove them.
For that you would have to purchase and install their product. Nevertheless, the free scan is worthwile.
These services typically require that you allow them to transfer a small scanning program to your computer
to facilitate the scan. No guarantee is made that these programs are safe - use them at your own risk.
There is also a service that analyzes individual suspicious files and facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms, trojans, and all kinds of malware detected by antivirus engines. [VirusTotal] is a service developed by an independent IT Security laboratory that uses several command line versions of antivirus engines, updated regulary with official signature files published by their respective developers.
File Archiving and Compression Utilities
A wide variety of file utilities are available for packaging software into more
manageable and smaller files. Many can be found through the File Catalog at [TUCOWS]. They are
organized as follows:
DOS and Windows: [PKZip] - The
original Zip program. Click "Download Shareware" and then choose the appropriate
version for your computer. Save the .EXE file to a place on your hard drive. Then,
double-click on the .EXE file to install the program. Read the accompanying instructions
on how to extract files from Zip archives.
Windows: [WinZip] - A popular
alternative to PKZip. Select to download an evaluation version of WinZip and choose the
appropriate version for your computer. Save the .EXE file to a place on your hard drive.
Then, double-click on the .EXE file to install the program. Read the accompanying
instructions on how to extract files from Zip archives.
Linux: [bzip2]
- a popular free codex utility for Linux.
Macintosh: [ZipIt] - This is a
Macintosh program that can handle Zip files, even those created on a PC. Download the file
ZIPIT.HQX. If you don't have the software to unencode an .HQX file, consult your network
administrator. Once you have unencoded the file, double-click on ZIPIT 1.3.8.SEA to
install the program. Read the accompanying instructions on how to extract files from Zip
archives.
There are three Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) worldwide which collectively
provide IP number registration services to all regions around the globe. These are:
Telnet is one of the oldest and most primative protocols on the Internet. Its use has diminished in recent years in favor of more secure remote access protocols (such as [SSH]), but it is still widely used for network diagnostic activities and remote access on intranets. For more information about telnet and links to useful resources related to it, see:
The most recent versions of Windows and Microsoft Internet Explorer have removed (or uninstalled
by default) support for telnet. This is also true in other popular browsers.
For information on how to correct this, do a web search including the words "telnet"
and the name of your browser; for example: "telnet in ie8".
If your browser is properly configured to run a local Telnet client on your computer, then you
should be able to use the telnet protocol link below to make your browser launch your Telnet client
to allow you to engage in a character-based session with the software located on the
Telnet server at the [Weather Underground].
While using Telnet, do not try to use your mouse to select items on
the screen. Use only your keyboard. You may have to use a special keystroke (such as Ctrl+J
or Ctrl+M) to act in place of the Enter key. Also you may find that your Telnet client does
not echo (display) your keystrokes, but does respond to them. Read the prompts to control
the program. Terminate them as indicated. Then close the Telnet window.