DigItAll Consumer Ideas and Insights About the Next Consumer Web Frontier, Visual Networking

Home Networking got you Frustrated? – Tell us about it and you could win a Flip Video!

If you have a home network you may have faced some frustrating situations in the set up of your router – or maybe connecting multiple PCs or perhaps getting your printer to talk to your computers?  Well, we want to hear about it.  We also want to hear how you fixed your problem maybe through a software program like Network Magic, other hardware solutions or called tech support? 

We are holding a contest called “Lifestyles of the Tech Frustrated” where we are inviting you to send in your story (500 words or less) of all your frustrating moments of setting up and experiencing a home network and how you fixed it.  If you share one of the top 10 stories – you could win one of our Mino HD Flip Video Camcorders!

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 09:17AM PST

Johanna Fry

Keeping Kids Safe Online

Today’s connected world has gone beyond laptops to include PDAs, games, and other WiFi-enabled devices. As a result, kids can be exposed to a variety of online risks—and many traditional security solutions can sometimes fall short in protecting against these threats. Add to that the fact that statistics show that this demographic is often less concerned about online safety and you can see a recipe for trouble.

Parents today need to be more aware of their kids’ online habits and usage patterns. And that’s exactly the focus of an upcoming Lifetime Television show, The Balancing Act, which will feature Marie Hattar, Cisco vice president of Network Systems and Security Solutions. Above all, Marie suggests keeping communication lines open and helping your kids to understand the potential dangers on the internet so they feel comfortable reporting unusual activity. But there are also products such as Linksys by Cisco’s Home Network Defender, powered by Trend Micro, which can block preset sites and report internet activities to network administrators. Learn more about Cisco’s commitment to keeping kids safe online.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 12:06AM PST

Johanna Fry

Linksys by Cisco Router as a Transformer in the Movie:  Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen

Okay now we think this is pretty cool… Our Linksys by Cisco Wireless-N Dual Band Router was casted in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen movie released this week in theaters!  Our top of the line wireless-n router, the WRT610N is featured in a scene that turns into a transformer.  Here is the trailer where you can get a glimpse – but you’ll have to see the movie to see how it all transpires!

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 10:08AM PST

Johanna Fry

New Digital Cribs! Take the Virtual Tour

Today three new Digital Cribs webisodes have been released on www.digitalcribs.com. They feature Lastminute.com founder and philanthropist Martha Lane Fox in London, world famous electronic music DJ Paul van Dyk in Berlin, and TreeHugger.com founder and Planet Green spokesperson Graham Hill in New York City.

Each personality will take you on a three minute tour of their Digital Crib to show how they use consumer technology and their home network in their day-to-day lives. In addition to the virtual tour, extra video hot spots are included to give extra insight into the favorite features of their Digital Crib.

Anyone can have a Digital Crib and live a connected life, but it’s up to the individual to decide how they will let technology further their passion, be it music, philanthropy or the environment.

Click Read More to see the Digital Cribs of Martha Lane Fox, Paul van Dyk, and Graham Hill.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 04:35AM PST

Johanna Fry

Capturing the Hearts and Minds of the Empowered Consumer

As consumers, we’ve largely benefited from the prevalence of broadband and the digitization of content. In today’s era of the empowered consumer, we wield a lot of influence over technology trends and adoption. The power has largely shifted to our hands, as we control where, when and how we experience entertainment content. While this disruption has been great on one hand, it has also created a challenge in terms of finding relevant content among overwhelming options and choice.

“Travis” is a typical consumer of entertainment content. He has a lot of places where he can find interesting content, but the trick is to hold his attention and keep him coming back. In the past, he’s had to go to a lot of different sites to find the right mix of professional and UGC. Social networking sites are great places to interact with friends, but Travis was looking for an entertainment experience where the community was centered around compelling entertainment content. He found that kind of experience on the “Ernest and the Bean” site.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 01:47PM PST

Johanna Fry

Conduct Your Music Using This Cisco Home Network!

Sending music around your home network often gives the impression that you need to have sound systems, speakers and wireless extenders in every room. That can be expensive. Some people are looking for a simpler solution that takes up less space and is easy to carry. A home network system they can move from room to room or even outdoors to the patio, as long as there is a power outlet.

That’s the job of the Linksys By Cisco Conductor, a home network system that is now available!  Unlike component sound systems where you have multiple boxes and separate speakers, this home network Conductor is an all-in-one solution. Built in wireless-n networking means no separate wireless extender is required. Speakers and amplifier are included, as is a CD player. The only device you might want to attach to it is a small Linksys By Cisco iPod dock.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 01:15PM PST

Johanna Fry

Adding a router to your home network? Follow five easy steps

If you’ve decided to add a router to your home network, congratulations! Even if you had an Internet connection before, your new router will enable you to share a single connection among multiple computers and other devices on your home network. It will also enable you to share files and other resources like printers, without having to physically transport files from laptop to desktop, and vice versa.

The setup process for your is quite easy. Here are the tools you’ll be working with on your home network:
• Your PC—the primary computer in your home

• The modem you received from your Internet Service Provider (which is connected to the Internet via a coaxial cable)

• The Linksys by Cisco router, which enables you to share your Internet connection with other computers and devices in your home

• Two Ethernet cables (one will already be connecting your modem and your computer; the other you’ll find in the Linksys by Cisco router box)

To see the potential of a home network, check out this Digital Cribs video called the “The Digital Architect”

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 09:35AM PST

Johanna Fry

Home Network Clutter Can Go Away!

Take your home network from this:

to this:

Does it seem like everyone wants to sell you a different box for your home network? And every box needs a cable. And sometimes you have boxes you don’t use all the time, so they pile up? Or, every device you own ends up not having enough places to plug in a cable. Your computer does not have enough USB ports. You are missing an HDMI port (that’s the one you need for HDTV), so you need to buy USB hubs or HDMI hubs?

Don’t let your home network overwhelm you, keep reading to find out how can you simplify your life and your home network.

How can you get rid of the boxes, the hubs, and the cables from your home network? How can you make life easy and regain space on your desk, your bookshelves and stereo racks?

There are four things that can help now:
1. Go wireless wherever possible
2. Shamelessly exploit the Internet
3. Look for WiFi enabled devices
4. Get rid of old boxes.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 04:22PM PST

Johanna Fry

Choosing the Right Home Network for you!

How do you know which home network is right for you? The answer is that there isn’t just one, and that’s actually the beauty of it- each home network is unique. 

Home networks can be configured in a multitude of ways and the key is figuring out what you want yours to do for you. Because the needs and wants of a family of four are not necessarily the same as those of a young professional living on his or her own, there are several factors to consider when evaluating purchases for your home network.

What are these factors? Among the things to consider are the number of computers and other devices that will be accessing the network, whether the computers are PCs or Macs, what other types of devices you want to connect, the number of other potential networks there are in your area, and whether you will be looking to use your network for home entertainment purposes. 

Last year we launched a Digital Cribs webisode series and video contests to show the different ways people use their home network and consumer technology. Check out the Digital Crib of Lincoln Schatz, celebrated video artist and creator of Esquire Magazine’s “Faces of the 21st Century,” in the video below.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 01:07PM PST

Johanna Fry

Home Network Benefits

Do you have more than one PC or laptop in your home?  If so, then having a home network is a requirement for connecting to the Internet and sharing resources like files and printers. With a basic home network set up you can:

1. Share an Internet connection so everyone can surf the web simultaneously
2. Access your own private computer while others print, access files or the web
3. Share all types of files, including music, digital pictures, and documents
4. Store and backup all your priceless music, photos, videos and data files all in one place

Last year we launched a Digital Cribs webisode series and video contests to show interesting ways people use their home network and consumer technology. Check out the Digital Crib of Houston Rockets b-ball star Shane Battier in the video below.

Beyond the basics of a home network, there are several advantages of growing a home network to include the diversity of content available on multiple devices now being used in the home. 

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 02:54PM PST

Johanna Fry

Linksys by Cisco Routers Now Come With Network Magic

Software is critical for protecting your home network from virus attacks, enforcing important parental controls, and preventing identity theft. Unfortunately, one in three consumers experience difficulty setting up their home network, according to an upcoming home networking survey conducted by ABI Research.

Would setup difficulties compromise the trust you have in your home network? Cisco’s Peder Ulander shows the easy to use capabilities of Network Magic in this video.

As of today, all Linksys by Cisco wireless routers come equipped with Network Magic home network management software. Network Magic has a consumer-friendly user interface that provides a network map to easily control multiple devices on your home network. The new interface also adds simplified access to printer and file sharing, an easier process for adding wireless devices, and support for an increased number of devices.

To take full advantage of your home network’s capabilities, it is important to feel comfortable with the technology; especially as faster networks emerge and we purchase more devices that create a media-enabled home. Consumer industry analyst Jason Blackwell shared how the home network is changing in a recent Q&A, “We’re seeing a move from data-centric networks – connecting personal computers, laptops and occasionally things like network-attached storage – to home networks that are more media-centric. This brings in a whole new level of connectivity with devices that aren’t typically computer-oriented, such as TVs, set-top boxes and game consoles.”

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 05:00AM PST

Johanna Fry

14 Reasons Why a Media Server is Worth Your While

If you are not a computer geek, you may wonder why you need a media server. What’s the difference between buying a plain external hard drive and a Media Server like the Linksys by Cisco Media Hub?

1. Mobile. If you use a laptop or netbook, the moment you attach an external drive, bye bye mobility. In contrast, with the Media Hub you can move your laptop around. You can work in your office, at the dining room table, on the couch or outside in the garden.

2. Better performance. If you have three or four members of your family accessing video, photos and music from your hard drive, your computer’s performance will became annoyingly bad. By offloading the serving up of media to the Media Hub, your computer performance remains at its normal level.

3. Less complicated.A shared computer is a messy computer. If other members of your family or roommates are using your computer to access the music in your household, you will have to give them your password, or set up a separate account for them to access the computer. Then you need to remember to make your music public so all the accounts on the computer can access the music. It all gets a bit complicated. You can share your hard drive across a network, but that is hard to set up and it doesn’t work if you computer has gone for a walk or is switched off.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 09:02AM PST

Johanna Fry

Wireless Networks vs. Wired: Which Network is More Secure?

Wireless networks are rapidly becoming the popular standard in home networking. Not only do they allow you to access the Internet from anywhere in your home, they make web surfing and file sharing incredibly convenient—and can eliminate cable clutter by eliminating the cables themselves.

That’s particularly valuable when you consider that today’s networks might include other devices such as game consoles, music systems, and even telephony. Where are you going to hide – not to mention hook up – all those Ethernet cables? For families with children making their presence (virtual and otherwise) felt, all the cables were just an eye soar stretching from room to room.

But there are times when wired networks make sense.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 11:36AM PST

Johanna Fry

Green: One million acts are more than just a fad

One Million Acts of Green… imagine the difference that could make on our environment!

Cisco is taking acts of green very seriously and we hope you’ll be inspired by the impact a few company changes have made so far.

For example, would you ever think that we could save over 30,000 tons of carbon in just two years by shifting the transportation of our Linksys by Cisco products from air shipping to long distance boats? That is exactly what we did, resulting in fuel emissions of 8,665 tons in 2008, down from 40, 590 tons in 2006.

In 2008 we also introduced our more environmentally-sound packaging, which features boxes made of 80% recycled content and vegetable-based ink printing. This packaging was on just four products when it was introduced—-less than a year later, we have almost 100 products shipping in it.

We’ve also incorporated Energy Star-rated power adaptors, and today have 39 SKUs listed on the Energy Star website. We believe that helping to protect the environment must come from several angles—a total approach.

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Posted by Johanna Fry at 09:00PM PST

Johanna Fry

What is a Home Network?

”Home network” sounds too technical or even scary to some, but millions of people have one, some without even knowing it, and get daily benefits that they wouldn’t want to be without! So what exactly constitutes a network?

Many homes have an Internet connection, either through a “cable modem” or “DSL”.  If more than one device (computers, video game consoles, DVRs, etc.) in your home can access the Internet, you have a network—it’s as simple as that!  The “box” that lets your devices share the Internet connection is called a “router”, because it “routes” requests from and to your devices in and out of the single Internet connection.

Sometimes the router will be built into the modem, creating a “gateway”.  And these days, the router or gateway will frequently have wireless capability, allowing computers and other devices to connect to it without wires.

Another benefit (and evidence) of a home network is the ability of your devices to connect to each other.  This lets you copy files from one computer to another in the home, print to a single printer from multiple computers, and more.

Of course, once you have a home network installed, there are many other things you can do with it, like on-line gaming, digital movie rentals, media sharing with friends and family, listen to your digital music anywhere in the home—the list goes on, and expands every day.

Posted by Johanna Fry at 11:39AM PST

Johanna Fry