Most new Windows computers come with a trial antivirus from McAfee or Norton. BestBuy installs a 6 month license to WebRoot. Microcenter won't let you leave without a disk from Eset. And Apple tells you that you don't need a thing. I am asked about virus protection frequently, so here are my recommendations.

Windows - Prior to Windows 10, you needed to install an antivirus as a matter of course. Whether you chose to download Microsoft Security Essentials, the free version of Norton offered by Comcast, or some other pay or free antivirus, Windows 7 or older didn't come with any built in virus protection. If you are still using Windows 7 (and you should not be as of January 2020) you MUST have some sort of additional antivirus installed.

Windows 10, on the other hand, comes with a base antivirus system, called Windows Defender. When Windows Defender first appeared, it was an incomplete and relatively ineffective product. However, Microsoft has improved it over the years, and now it's very highly rated by third party antivirus testers. I believe it is sufficient protection for most users, and recommend that most Windows 10 users simply uninstall any trial or pay antivirus programs on their systems and rely on Windows Defender. This table shows current Windows Antivirus products ranked by overall effectiveness. 

As you can see, the only products more highly rated are Norton and Kaspersky. If you really want a third party antivirus for your Windows machine, I would go with Norton, either free with your Comcast subscription, or a paid subscription. The products I really don't like are Webroot, pushed by BestBuy, and McAfee, installed as a trial by HP and Dell. I uninstall both of those automatically when I set up new computers. I also don't care for most "freemium" antivirus programs like AVG, Avast, and Avira, as I have seen them load up computers with junk add-ons and toolbars in order to create revenue from their "free" model.

Mac - There's still a lot of debate about whether you need an antivirus program for a Mac or not. In researching for this article, I noticed that many of the articles saying "yes" are sponsored by Mac antivirus program producers.  I will continue with my contention that you are safe without an antivirus as long as you keep your Mac up-to-date and are careful about the software you install.

The biggest problems I see on Macs are misleading clean-up programs and toolbars that are installed automatically with free downloads. Fake Adobe Flash updates are commonly used to fool Mac users into downloading malicious programs. Along with manual cleanup, I use a program called Malwarebytes to remove these infections. Malwarebytes has a premium, subscription component, and that is the only "antivirus" program I currently recommend for a Mac. If you have a Mac that is riddled with pop-ups and programs that insist you are infected, that is the infection - call me and I will clean it up, update your system, and help you install Malwarebytes if needed.  

Remember, an antivirus program is just like a vaccine - it's only going to keep you safe from infections it has been programmed to find, and it won't protect you if you insist on infecting yourself. The best protection is to use safe computing practices at all times!

With the advent of home digital assistants and smart devices, and the popularity of streaming TV content via Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, there's been an increase in t he demands placed on home WiFi in the last few years. People need their wireless networks to provide a fast, strong, and reliable signal to all corners of their house. The industry has responded by creating the Mesh WiFi Network. 

Basically, a Mesh WiFi network consists of multiple access points that can be placed strategically throughout your house, creating a seamless internal "cloud" of coverage. You move from device to device within the house, but you don't notice any change - as far as you're concerned, it's all the same network. This is in contrast to the standard single router setup, which sends out a signal that gets weaker as you get further from the router. It's also far superior to a setup with WiFi range extenders, which can be unreliable, require you to sign into a different device in a different part of the house, and decrease network speed by 50%.

The main players in mesh networking are Google WiFi, Eero, and Netgear Orbi. These systems are typically set up and controlled through an app on your phone or tablet, and offer lots of great features, such as the ability to add additional satellites if needed, guest network access, and parental controls which can let you turn the internet on and off for individual devices. The biggest obstacle to installing a mesh WiFi system is the expense - they cost between $250 and $400 for a 2-3 satellite setup. 

I've installed multiple mesh systems in the last year or so, and have to say everybody who has bought one has been very happy with the results. If you'd like to upgrade your home wireless system, give me a call! 

As my regular readers will know, I'm an inveterate bargain hunter. If you need to buy your student some new tech for school, but are looking to save a few bucks, here are my favorite places to shop online for tech bargains. Oh, and don't forget to search the web for additional coupon savings, and to make your purchase with a credit card that will double the manufacturer's warranty!

Apple sells certified refurbished products at their online outlet

Dell has an online outlet that I purchase from extensively. I prefer their business products, but I also shop at the home outlet. All products are sold with the same warranty as new.

And let's not forget HP, which has a business outlet stocked with quality products as well.

If you missed the tax holiday in Massachusetts, you can always order tech tax free from BH Photo & Video

And, if you are willing to dig deep into the inventory, Amazon Warehouse Deals has great prices on returned and gently used technology.