Netcomm N4 Router issues keeps crashing

I am onto my second Netcomm router. First one kept on dropping out the DHCP settings, second one causing issues as well. Customer support is poor so I thought I'd put it out there to see if anyone else has had issues and how to resolve them.
I have two Macs attached via ethernet cables to router.One G4 on Tiger the other G4 on Panther. The settings keep dropping out. I set up the G4 just now,in network it allowed me to set up using DHCP but when I went to set up G5 it will only let me set up manually.
On the router at http//:192.168.1.1 I have set DHCP setup to distribute ip address's from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.234 however they don;t seem to hold- I have keep re-entering everything over sometimes daily. I also have UPnp selected as I use ichat (this helps open ports that I originally had problems with). On the Upnp it has Connection 0 as selected.
What else do I have to do to make it so that I can configure both macs for using DHCP on the router and how do i make it so that it stays instead of dropping out. When it's working it runs great?
Any feedback would be so appreciated!!

We're sorry to hear that Firefox is crashing. In order to assist you better, please follow the steps below to provide us crash ID's to help us learn more about your crash.
#Enter about:crashes in the address bar (that's where you enter your website URL) and press Enter. You should now see a list of submitted crash reports.
#Copy the 5 most recent crash ID's that you see in the crash report window and paste them into your response here.
Thank you for your help!
More information and further troubleshooting steps can be found in the [[Firefox crashes]] article.

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    1. This is a comment on what you should and should not do to protect yourself from malicious software ("malware") that circulates on the Internet. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
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    Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is unsafe.
    A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
    Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
    Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
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  • My iMac keeps crashing and I have no idea why

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    com.apple.filesystems.cddafs          2.6.0
    com.apple.driver.AudioAUUC          1.60
    com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch          80.14
    com.apple.driver.AppleHWSensor          1.9.5d0
    com.apple.driver.AGPM          100.14.11
    com.apple.driver.AppleTyMCEDriver          1.0.2d2
    com.apple.filesystems.autofs          3.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager          4.2.0f6
    com.apple.driver.AppleHDAHardwareConfigDriver          2.5.2fc2
    com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyHIDDriver          124
    com.apple.driver.AppleHDA          2.5.2fc2
    com.apple.iokit.IOUserEthernet          1.0.0d1
    com.apple.Dont_Steal_Mac_OS_X          7.0.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleHWAccess          1
    com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothUSBDFU          4.2.0f6
    com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport          4.2.0f6
    com.apple.driver.ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin          1.0.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleMikeyDriver          2.5.2fc2
    com.apple.driver.AppleLPC          1.7.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleMuxControl          3.4.12
    com.apple.driver.AppleBacklight          170.3.5
    com.apple.GeForceTesla          8.1.8
    com.apple.driver.AppleUpstreamUserClient          3.5.13
    com.apple.driver.AppleMCCSControl          1.1.12
    com.apple.nvidia.NVDAStartup          8.1.8
    com.apple.driver.iPodSBCDriver          1.7.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleIRController          325.7
    com.apple.driver.AppleFileSystemDriver          3.0.1
    com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless          1.0.0d1
    com.apple.AppleFSCompression.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib          1.0.0d1
    com.apple.BootCache          35
    com.apple.iokit.SCSITaskUserClient          3.6.0
    com.apple.driver.XsanFilter          404
    com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIBlockStorage          2.4.0
    com.apple.nvenet          2.0.21
    com.apple.driver.AppleFWOHCI          4.9.9
    com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4331          700.20.22
    com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHub          650.4.4
    com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEHCI          650.4.1
    com.apple.driver.AppleAHCIPort          2.9.5
    com.apple.driver.AppleUSBOHCI          650.4.1
    com.apple.driver.AppleRTC          2.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleHPET          1.8
    com.apple.driver.AppleACPIButtons          2.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleSMBIOS          2.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleACPIEC          2.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleAPIC          1.7
    com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient          216.0.0
    com.apple.nke.applicationfirewall          153
    com.apple.security.quarantine          3
    com.apple.driver.AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement          216.0.0
    com.apple.driver.IOBluetoothHIDDriver          4.2.0f6
    com.apple.driver.AppleMultitouchDriver          245.13
    com.apple.AppleGraphicsDeviceControl          3.4.12
    com.apple.kext.triggers          1.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOSerialFamily          10.0.7
    com.apple.driver.DspFuncLib          2.5.2fc2
    com.apple.vecLib.kext          1.0.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOAudioFamily          1.9.4fc11
    com.apple.kext.OSvKernDSPLib          1.14
    com.apple.iokit.IOSurface          91
    com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily          4.2.0f6
    com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothHostControllerUSBTransport          4.2.0f6
    com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireIP          2.2.5
    com.apple.driver.AppleHDAController          2.5.2fc2
    com.apple.iokit.IOHDAFamily          2.5.2fc2
    com.apple.driver.AppleSMC          3.1.6d1
    com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginLegacy          1.0.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusPCI          1.0.12d1
    com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily          5.5.1d27
    com.apple.driver.AppleGraphicsControl          3.4.12
    com.apple.driver.AppleBacklightExpert          1.0.4
    com.apple.nvidia.classic.NVDANV50HalTesla          8.1.8
    com.apple.driver.AppleSMBusController          1.0.11d1
    com.apple.nvidia.classic.NVDAResmanTesla          8.1.8
    com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport          2.3.6
    com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily          2.3.6
    com.apple.iokit.IOUSBMassStorageClass          3.6.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleUSBHIDKeyboard          170.15
    com.apple.driver.AppleHIDKeyboard          170.15
    com.apple.iokit.IOUSBHIDDriver          650.4.4
    com.apple.driver.AppleUSBMergeNub          650.4.0
    com.apple.driver.AppleUSBComposite          650.4.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIMultimediaCommandsDevice          3.6.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOBDStorageFamily          1.7
    com.apple.iokit.IODVDStorageFamily          1.7.1
    com.apple.iokit.IOCDStorageFamily          1.7.1
    com.apple.iokit.IOAHCISerialATAPI          2.6.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireSBP2          4.2.5
    com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice          3.6.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily          3.6.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOFireWireFamily          4.5.5
    com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family          600.34
    com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily          3.2
    com.apple.iokit.IOUSBUserClient          650.4.4
    com.apple.driver.AppleEFINVRAM          2.0
    com.apple.driver.NVSMU          2.2.9
    com.apple.driver.AppleEFIRuntime          2.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOAHCIFamily          2.6.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily          650.4.4
    com.apple.iokit.IOHIDFamily          2.0.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOSMBusFamily          1.1
    com.apple.security.sandbox          278.10
    com.apple.kext.AppleMatch          1.0.0d1
    com.apple.security.TMSafetyNet          7
    com.apple.driver.AppleKeyStore          2
    com.apple.driver.DiskImages          371.1
    com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily          1.9
    com.apple.iokit.IOReportFamily          21
    com.apple.driver.AppleFDEKeyStore          28.30
    com.apple.driver.AppleACPIPlatform          2.0
    com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily          2.8
    com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily          1.4
    com.apple.kec.pthread          1
    com.apple.kec.corecrypto          1.0
    Model: iMac9,1, BootROM IM91.008D.B08, 2 processors, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.93 GHz, 8 GB, SMC 1.45f0
    Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 130, NVIDIA GeForce GT 130, PCIe, 512 MB
    Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 4 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x8783, 0x53524433344731333333534D414300000000
    Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM0, 4 GB, DDR3, 1333 MHz, 0x8783, 0x53524433344731333333534D414300000000
    AirPort: spairport_wireless_card_type_airport_extreme (0x14E4, 0x8E), Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.106.98.100.22)
    Bluetooth: Version 4.2.0f6 12982, 3 services, 23 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
    Network Service: Ethernet, Ethernet, en0
    Serial ATA Device: ST31000342ASQ, 1 TB
    Serial ATA Device: OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5670S, 295 MB
    USB Device: Built-in iSight
    USB Device: Keyboard Hub
    USB Device: Apple Keyboard
    USB Device: IR Receiver
    USB Device: BRCM2046 Hub
    USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller
    Thunderbolt Bus:
    <Edited by Host>

    And what is wrong with Trend Micro Titanium as a package?
    1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack, and what you should and should not do to protect yourself from that threat. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
    If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only sections 5, 6, and 10.
    OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
    2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
    The following caveats apply to XProtect:
    It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
    It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
    As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.
       3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
    Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
    It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
    A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
    An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
    For the reasons given above, App Store products, and other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. OS X security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
    4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
    5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. The first and best line of defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
    That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source, or that does something inherently untrustworthy. How do you know what is trustworthy?
    Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
    A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
    Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
    Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
    Software that purports to help you do something that's illegal or that infringes copyright, such as saving streamed audio or video for reuse without permission, is unsafe. All YouTube "downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily harmful.
    Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe.
    Even signed applications, no matter what the source, should not be trusted if they do something unexpected, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
    6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
    Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
    Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers.
    Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
    Follow the above guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself from malware.
    7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. Any database of known threats is always going to be out of date. Most of the danger is from unknown threats. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free anti-virus products in the Mac App Store — nothing else.
    Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
    Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
    In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
    To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. Most of the real-world danger of malware attack comes from highly targeted "zero-day" exploits that are not yet recognized.
    By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
    8. An anti-malware product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
    An anti-virus app is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
    A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
    ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
    Anti-virus software may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use the software unless a network administrator requires you to do it.
    The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
    9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
    10. As a Mac user you don't have to live in fear that your computer is going to be infected every time you install an application, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you have the false idea that you will always be safe, no matter what you do. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.

  • My Mac keeps crashing--a newbie needs help

    Lately, my Mac keeps crashing.  It's an iMac, with the most recent updates of Yosemite.
    I'll be working, I might have several things open, and then suddenly the screen will go black and I'll have the notification that it shut down and push to restart.
    It has happened more than several times now, and I can't remember if it started doing it before Yosemite or not.
    Not sure how to search out the problems, it's my first Mac.  Are to many things open?  There's no crash report when I restart.
    thanks!

    Mac users often ask whether they should install "anti-virus" software. The answer usually given on ASC is "no." The answer is right, but it may give the wrong impression that there is no threat from what are loosely called "viruses." There  is a threat, and you need to educate yourself about it.
    1. This is a comment on what you should—and should not—do to protect yourself from malicious software ("malware") that circulates on the Internet and gets onto a computer as an unintended consequence of the user's actions. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the computer, or who has been able to take control of it remotely. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it.
    The comment is long because the issue is complex. The key points are in sections 5, 6, and 10.
    OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
    2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user. Internally Apple calls it "XProtect."
    The malware recognition database used by XProtect is automatically updated; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
    The following caveats apply to XProtect:
    ☞ It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
    ☞ It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
    As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.
    3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
    Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
    ☞ It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
    ☞ A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
    ☞ An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
    Apple has so far failed to revoke the codesigning certificates of some known abusers, thereby diluting the value of Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. These failures don't involve App Store products, however.
    For the reasons given, App Store products, and—to a lesser extent—other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. Sandbox security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
    4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
    5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they are not, and never will be, complete protection. Malware is a problem of human behavior, not machine behavior, and no technological fix alone is going to solve it. Trusting software to protect you will only make you more vulnerable.
    The best defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "Trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and Internet criminals. If you're better informed than they think you are, you'll win. That means, in practice, that you always stay within a safe harbor of computing practices. How do you know when you're leaving the safe harbor? Below are some warning signs of danger.
    Software from an untrustworthy source
    ☞ Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, doesn't come directly from the developer’s website. Do not trust an alert from any website to update Flash, or your browser, or any other software. A genuine alert that Flash is outdated and blocked is shown on this support page. Follow the instructions on the support page in that case. Otherwise, assume that the alert is fake and someone is trying to scam you into installing malware. If you see such alerts on more than one website, ask for instructions.
    ☞ Software of any kind is distributed via BitTorrent, or Usenet, or on a website that also distributes pirated music or movies.
    ☞ Rogue websites such as Softonic, Soft32, and CNET Download distribute free applications that have been packaged in a superfluous "installer."
    ☞ The software is advertised by means of spam or intrusive web ads. Any ad, on any site, that includes a direct link to a download should be ignored.
    Software that is plainly illegal or does something illegal
    ☞ High-priced commercial software such as Photoshop is "cracked" or "free."
    ☞ An application helps you to infringe copyright, for instance by circumventing the copy protection on commercial software, or saving streamed media for reuse without permission. All "YouTube downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily malicious.
    Conditional or unsolicited offers from strangers
    ☞ A telephone caller or a web page tells you that you have a “virus” and offers to help you remove it. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
    ☞ A web site offers free content such as video or music, but to use it you must install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "downloader," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one.
    ☞ You win a prize in a contest you never entered.
    ☞ Someone on a message board such as this one is eager to help you, but only if you download an application of his choosing.
    ☞ A "FREE WI-FI !!!" network advertises itself in a public place such as an airport, but is not provided by the management.
    ☞ Anything online that you would expect to pay for is "free."
    Unexpected events
    ☞ A file is downloaded automatically when you visit a web page, with no other action on your part. Delete any such file without opening it.
    ☞ You open what you think is a document and get an alert that it's "an application downloaded from the Internet." Click Cancel and delete the file. Even if you don't get the alert, you should still delete any file that isn't what you expected it to be.
    ☞ An application does something you don't expect, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
    ☞ Software is attached to email that you didn't request, even if it comes (or seems to come) from someone you trust.
    I don't say that leaving the safe harbor just once will necessarily result in disaster, but making a habit of it will weaken your defenses against malware attack. Any of the above scenarios should, at the very least, make you uncomfortable.
    6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
    Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
    Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it—not JavaScript—in your browsers.
    Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a padlock icon in the address bar when visiting a secure site.
    Stay within the safe harbor, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself.
    7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" (AV) or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they are all worse than useless. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free security apps in the Mac App Store—nothing else.
    Why shouldn't you use commercial AV products?
    ☞ To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. This technique is a proven failure, as a major AV software vendor has admitted. Most attacks are "zero-day"—that is, previously unknown. Recognition-based AV does not defend against such attacks, and the enterprise IT industry is coming to the realization that traditional AV software is worthless.
    ☞ Its design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere. In order to meet that nonexistent threat, commercial AV software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
    ☞ By modifying the operating system, the software may also create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
    ☞ Most importantly, a false sense of security is dangerous.
    8. An AV product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," has the same drawback as the commercial suites of being always out of date, but it does not inject low-level code into the operating system. That doesn't mean it's entirely harmless. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
    An AV app is not needed, and cannot be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful, if at all, only for detecting Windows malware, and even for that use it's not really effective, because new Windows malware is emerging much faster than OS X malware.
    Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else. A malicious attachment in email is usually easy to recognize by the name alone. An actual example:
    London Terror Moovie.avi [124 spaces] Checked By Norton Antivirus.exe
    You don't need software to tell you that's a Windows trojan. Software may be able to tell you which trojan it is, but who cares? In practice, there's no reason to use recognition software unless an organizational policy requires it. Windows malware is so widespread that you should assume it's in every email attachment until proven otherwise. Nevertheless, ClamXav or a similar product from the App Store may serve a purpose if it satisfies an ill-informed network administrator who says you must run some kind of AV application. It's free and it won't handicap the system.
    The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have all the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
    9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
    10. As a Mac user, you don't have to live in fear that your computer may be infected every time you install software, read email, or visit a web page. But neither can you assume that you will always be safe from exploitation, no matter what you do. Navigating the Internet is like walking the streets of a big city. It can be as safe or as dangerous as you choose to make it. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.

  • My itunes keeps crashing every time i open it with my windows 7. im active military and dont have time to be messing with this. please help

    my itunes keeps crashing every time i open it with my windows 7. im active military and dont have time to be messing with this. please help

    Hello there, Staver13.
    The following Knowledge Base article provides some assistance in troubleshooting your issue:
    Can't connect to the iTunes Store
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1368
    Particularly:
    Troubleshoot issues on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
    If you haven't been able to connect to the iTunes Store:
    Make sure your date, time, and time zone are correct in Settings > General > Date & Time.
    Note: Time Zone may list another city in your time zone.
    Make sure that your iOS software is up to date by tapping Settings > General > Software Update (iOS 5 or later) or connecting your iOS device to iTunes and clicking Check for Update on your device's Summary page.
    Check and verify that you're in range of a Wi-Fi router or base station. If you're on a device with cellular service, make sure that cellular data is turned on from Settings > General > Cellular.
    Note: If connected to cellular data, larger items may not download. You may need to connect to Wi-Fi to download apps, videos, and podcasts.
    Make sure that you have an active Internet connection. You can check the user guide for your device for help with connecting to the Internet.
    Make sure that other devices (portable computers, for example) are able to connect to the Wi-Fi network and access the Internet.
    Try resetting (turning off and then on again) your Wi-Fi router.
    If the issue persists, try troubleshooting your Wi-Fi networks and connections.
    Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
    Cheers,
    Pedro.

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