Is it stored on my old laptop somewhere and, if so, can I recover it?

If your old laptop used Windows 7, the Wifi password can be retrieved by right-clicking the Wifi-connection icon in the Notification Area, selecting Properties and clicking the Security tab on the dialogue box that opens.

You’ll then see a box labelled ‘Network security’ key with a row of dots – just tick the Show characters box below this to reveal the password.

Older versions of Windows won’t show the Wifi password in this way, so you’ll need to download additional software to reveal it. Here’s one to try! Now that’s better news than getting one of those awesome Birthday Gift Baskets everyone’s talking about.

It’s a good thing that computers and other devices show their signal strength, because it’s a great way of getting an approximate idea of where the boundaries of your network lie. I’m going to assume that you’ve already tried moving your router closer to your upstairs floors (maybe moving to a different telephone point), or changing the orientation of the antenna on the router. If these don’t work, there’s another option you might want to consider.

The Hawking HWREG1 Wireless-G Range Extender is a device that performs one simple task. It extends the reach of your wireless router. It has a really easy installation process where all you have to do is supply the ID of your wireless router and it takes care of all the rest. You can find it on sale from Buy.com at around $45.00 which is a great price to make your network go a little bit further.

If you place it on the first floor, it should let you get a good signal up in the attic. Let me know how you get on if you go down that route.

Actually, by my book, that’s an excellent idea. The great thing about a wireless camera is that you can use if for a variety of purposes. You can watch it from anywhere you want; you could stream it online, you could even pipe it to your TV if you had a network connection for it.

There are a variety of models of wireless camera on the market, but I particularly like the D-Link SecuriCam DCS-920 that’s currently on sale at Buy.com for around $62.00. That’s around £40 in real money which I find really tempting. If it weren’t for shipping charges I’d actually get one for myself to watch out babies. The last time I checked on a couple of UK websites, the cheapest I found was around £100.

Anyway, the great thing about Wifi cameras is that they have a small web server inside them, which means all you have to do is point your browser at them and you can see everything the camera can see. And the fact that they use Wifi means that all you need is a power source for them. No cabling, no wires, no mess. Hmm .. maybe a Christmas present …

Hmm, how do you define awesome? Different people love different things and something that one person will like may find amazing could be boring for someone else. Luckily gadgets are one of those things that most people like, so as least you’re on the right track.

I’ve had a look around at some toys and other things that maybe a teenager would like and would like to suggest the Spykee Spy Robot, which might fit his definition of “awesome”. It’s a robot you build up and then can right from your computer. But it’s not just about controlling it. The robot has a webcam so you can use it to watch what’s going on, and it also supports VOIP, so you can use it to listen and talk to people anywhere in the robot’s range. It talks to your computer over Wifi, so you can control it anywhere in the house. The robot can also be built in different configurations so you can make it look like anything you wish.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t mind having one of these myself and they’re currently on sale for around $120. I’d obviously have to use my kids as an excuse, but hey, I’m sure they’ll love playing with Spykee

Connecting to a WiFi network is a tad trickier than just plugging a network cable into a computer, but it gets easier and easier as software gets more advanced. I have seen this problem in the past, and it’s usually caused by an incorrect WEP key. I don’t want to sound condescending, but it’s possible that you typed it in wrong, and I would suggest you try to reconfigure it again.

Right-click on your wireless icon and then choose “View Available Wireless Connections”. Click on the “Change advanced settings” link on the left. Left-click on the Wireless Networks tab and you should see the name of your WiFi network in the Preferred Networks section. You may have other networks listed in the section if you have connected to other Wifi networks in the past.

Left-click on your Wifi network and click on Properties. Make sure the Network Authentication option is set to Shared and make sure that “The key is provided for me automatically” is unticked. Wipe out the Network Key and key it in and confirm it before clicking OK.

Hopefully this will fix your problem otherwise you have my permission to go as green as one of those perennial plants and smash up your computer. (Hope you get the Hulk reference there)

I was asked this question some time ago, but never got it down on AskOwen, so well, I suppose the time is right. What I had recommended in this instance was a digital photo frame, one which takes a memory card and displays the photos on a rotating schedule. There’s a whole selection of them available on the market nowadays and the prices are getting better and better. So here’s some more information about what to look for:

• Screen size: This is usually the first thing to look for in a digital photo frame. They come in a variety of sizes. A 5.6″ frame will allow you to view your digital pictures across a normal size room, but sizes are available all the way up to 10.4″ frames. The bigger they are the more expensive they tend to be.
• Quality of screen: Screens come in a range of qualities and usually, the more expensive the frame, the better the quality. My best advice here is to see the screen before buying it if at all possible.
• Memory Cards: Most digital frames have the ability allow you to put a card with photos in them. This is the most cost-effective way of using frames
• WiFi: The more expensive frames let you connect to them via WiFi and send photo to be displayed all the way from your computer.

It can be pretty confusing, so it’s worth looking around and reading as many reviews as you can before you decide which digital frame you’re after. Remember, whether it’s a family present or a corporate gift you’re after, a little bit of research can go a long way towards making sure you get the right gift.