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1. Upgrade routers and wireless network adapters to (interim) 802.11n. Ever since January 2004, when the IEEE announced that it had formed a task group to develop a new flavor of the 802.11 standard for wireless local-area networks -- 802.11n -- customers have been demanding to buy the new hardware. Why? Even though the standard is not due for final approval until July 2007, it promises to deliver far greater range and throughput -- up to 50 times greater than b-standard, and 10 times greater than the a- or g-standard. Of course all interim n implementations are backward-compatible with some or all of the current flavors of 802.11 -- but if you introduce an a-, b- or g-standard client into an n-standard network, your hot new n-standard router will slow down. So upgrade wireless adapters and routers at the same time.

2. Move the router off the floor and keep it as far as possible from walls and metal objects. As we mentioned earlier, metal, walls and floors wreak havoc with your router's wireless signal. The more of these obstacles your router needs to punch through to reach your notebook, the worse the interference, and the slower your connection will be.

3. Place your router (or access point) in a central location in the office. If your wireless router is at one end of the office (or your home), the signal will have farther to go to reach the other end. Using a central spot splits the difference.

4. Upgrade your router's antenna. Most routers come with an omni-directional antenna --meaning that it broadcasts and receives in all directions with equal efficiency. If you don't know where your receiving notebooks will be, or if they are indeed scattered in a random 360-degree pattern, omni-directional is fine. However, if (as is most often the case) your router is near an outside wall, with most of the network computers in a 180-degree pattern in one direction only (that is, toward the opposite outside wall), you are wasting half of the router's signal. If you upgrade to a hi-gain directional antenna that focuses the wireless signals in only one direction, you can maximize the efficiency of the system by aiming the signal in the direction you need it.

5. Upgrade the antenna for your notebook’s wireless network adapter. Wireless network signals must be received and sent reliably by your remote computer. Sometimes, even if your router is broadcasting effectively, your computer can't send a strong signal back. Most notebook wireless adapters use an omni-directional antenna. You can improve reception considerably by replacing your laptop's PC card-based wireless network adapter with a high-gain, low-cost, range-boosting adapter with an external antenna.

6. Check your wireless channel, and change it if necessary. Wireless routers use one of 11 possible channels to broadcast. If another wireless network nearby happens to be broadcasting on the same channel your router is using, both networks will experience severe loss of range and power. You can use the wireless software on your notebook to find out how many wireless networks are active in the area, and which channels each is using. If you discover that another network is using the same channel as your router, log into the router via your browser and use its built-in configuration screen to select an unused channel. Chances are your signal strength will improve significantly. (You don't need to adjust your notebook; it's designed to automatically detect the network's new channel.)

7. Invest in a wireless repeater. Or two. Wireless repeaters (or access points) extend your wireless network's range with no need to install additional wiring. Just buy one or more wireless APs, place them roughly halfway between your previous wireless access point and your computer, and power them on. Voila! You now have an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. There are many affordable wireless repeaters on the market; all the major vendors make them. If you buy one like Apple's Airport you can even use it to stream wireless music to your stereo at the same time you're extending your wireless range.

8. Update your router's firmware and your network adapter's drivers. Hardware vendors are always upgrading and improving their wireless equipment to increase range and performance -- and most of those upgrades are free. Check for new firmware updates at your router manufacturer's Web site, as well as the site of your wireless adapter card. Microsoft also updates the drivers that Windows uses to communicate with your network adapter. To get those updates, visit Microsoft Update and click "Hardware, Optional."

9. Reduce wireless interference. Cordless phones, microwave ovens, and other wireless electronics in your home or office can interfere with your wireless network. To improve reception, look for cordless phones and other electronics that use the 5.8 GHz or 900 MHz frequencies. They won't interfere.

10. Use equipment from a single vendor. While every router will work pretty well with every network adapter (assuming their respective flavors of 802.11 are compatible), you will often get better performance if you match a router and network adapter from the same vendor. Some vendors like Linksys offer a boost of up to twice the performance when you use their hardware exclusively.

The Caliber of Sex-Ed Instruction in Public Schools
The Delivery of the Message

The public controversy centered around sex education in public schools has shifted. Where the question was once whether or not sexual education should be taught in public schools, the fray now questions the methodology of what is being taught. The division exist between advocates of an "abstinence only" approach (supported by the "No Child Left Behind Act") versus the more traditional sexuality programs that include the correct usage and protective qualities of contraceptives. Many parents however, find themselves more concerned about the environment their children find themselves exposed to when sex-education classes are being taught.
In many schools across the country, these classes are gender exclusive, however teachers can quickly find themselves out of control when facing a room full of adolescent students. With classes full of immature children titillated by the subject matter, giggles, whoops and hollers echo into the halls as middle school children are exposed to the deadly serious aspect of approaching their sexual development responsibly. Their teachers constantly struggling to keep the children focused on the gravity of what is being discussed. Consequently, because of the loose and casual atmosphere of sex ed classrooms, thousands of parents question the validity and the effectiveness of sex-education being delivered in public education. If the message can't be delivered responsibly then should it be delivered at all?
The sexual education of adolescent children is presented to parents as a necessary and legitimate course of study. Shouldn't the demeanor of the class and the accountability regarding the subject material be just as serious and in depth as any other class centered around health and science? Why is such a serious subject encapsulated within a few days? Many parents feel that sex education programs in public schools today amount to no more than a 3 day sex talk complete with giggles, immature commentary, and very little real instruction taking place rather than being approached in a true academic manner.
Taught properly, sexual education and development could easily become part of any other scientific course of study like Human Biology, Human Behavior, Human Anatomy or Health. More importantly, perhaps if administrators present a more dignified and academic approach to the delivery of sexual education, complete with test and grades, it may just impress upon our children that they should view sex a serious part of their human development rather than a recreational activity.
I Village.com: Sex education that delays sexual activity (excerpt) A new and more effective sex education program called A PAUSE (Added Power and Understanding in Sex Education) takes a different approach. Based on extensive research at Exeter University’s Department of Child Health, it doesn’t just focus on the physical aspects of sex, but also addresses the emotional side. So far, around 100 schools have enrolled in this ground-breaking programme.
Family Education.com: Is It Enough to "Just Say No": (excerpt) Does sex education belong in public schools? Yes, say 90 percent of parents around the country. But that doesn't indicate parental consensus on what sex education means. Should it be health-and-safety oriented? Informed by moral principles? Focused on contraception or celibacy? School boards everywhere are wrestling with different perspectives on a very touchy subject. This article explores the "abstinence only" approach.
University of California - Center for Aids Prevention Studies: Does Sex Education Work: (excerpt) The question is no longer should sex education be taught, but rather how should it be taught. Over 93% of all public high schools currently offer courses on sexuality or HIV.(1) More than 510 junior or senior high schools have school-linked health clinics, and more than 300 schools make condoms available on campus. The question now is are these programs effective, and if not, how can we make them better?