There’s a gadget for every purpose nowadays, and tracing or detecting problems with network problems is one of those. It’s a Network Cable Tester and you can get one on sale from Buy.com (which even comes bundled with an RJ-45 crimper for under $10). This model checks both RJ-45 cables and BNC cables. All you need to do is plug one end into one cable and the other end in the other. If you’re not sure which cable is which, just plug it into all of them until the lights light up. Once you’ve established which cables are which, I would suggest colour coding them with different bits of coloured paper and tape. This way, you’ll always know which is which.

I remember the days when I used to test BNC cables by shorting one end and checking the other with a multimeter. Wish I had one of these back then. I believe there used to be devices like these around, but they used to cost hundreds of pounds and the company I worked for just wouldn’t invest in one. I love how gadgets are so much cheaper nowadays

Hi there, and thanks for your email. Yeah, power is a pretty critical thing that your computer needs and it needs it to be stable. Luckily there is something you can do to help. There’s a class of devices called UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supplies which give you a few minutes to turn off your machine when there’s a power cut.

They also do something more than that though. The way they work is by using your normal power source to charge a battery, while simultaneously using the battery to power your computer. This means that your computer is virtually isolated from your power source and can’t be affected by anything that happens. UPSes help protect your computer from surges, brown outs and other power nasties.

I came across an interesting one called CyberPower Intelligent LCD 685VA Compact UPS. It seems to do all the things you’re after and it’s currently on sale at around $80, which isn’t too bad for some protection. It also has some interesting features, like some software that automatically shuts your computer down when it detects a power outage. My favourite feature however, is the display on the front of the device that can tell you exactly what’s going on inside the box.

Check it out and tell me if you think it fits.

Gadgets are becoming an everyday part of our life but they do have one fatal weakness: moisture. Getting electronics wet is a sure fire way to render them useless and turn them into an expensive door stop. Luckily, devices are getting more sturdy, but you can also get protective covers for most of them.

One particular one that looks really great is the iHome Portable Water Resistant Speaker Case. Not only does it help protect your iPod from rain, water and your mates’ splashing; but it also helps you listen to your music in stereo while it’s keeping your device safe. You can see the device alongside and can see that it has a vinyl window that lets you keep an eye on the screen and also lets you control the device without having to take it out of the pouch.

It always pays to make sure your iPod is protected. As you know they don’t come cheap and splashing them can be an expensive proposition. The iHome Portable Speaker Case is currently on sale from Buy.com at under $15.00, so you really have no excuse not to keep your MP3 player protected.

More and more people are switching to digital cameras and anyone who has used one knows exactly why. They are dead convenient and the quality nowadays is a just superb. The one downside they have is that they are so convenient they it’s easy to take snap after snap after snap. And as the resolution of cameras improve, the size of photos increases, and with that the amount of space they need. And the thing about photos is that they contain all your memories; so the last thing you want is to lose any of your photos. Here’s a way you can make sure you don’t lose any.

The D-Link Network Storage Enclosure is a storage appliance that you connect to your home network and let you store your photos. And here’s the great bit. You can configure it with two different hard disks that mirror each other, that way; if you ever lose a disk you can recover all your data from the second one. It’s a great technique that is used by individuals and organisations to make sure their data stays secure.

The enclosure is currently on sale from Buy.com at just over $100; and you’ll need to buy a pair of disks to actually store your data. You have the option of buying any size disks you like as long as they are SATA disks; I would guess if you decided to mirror the disks they should be identical. The customer reviews at the end of the product are pretty good, so I have no problems recommending this product. I actually wouldn’t mind getting one for myself!