Using inSSIDer and WiFi Analyzer to scan wireless networks around you

Do you want to know what are the active WiFi networks around you, together with the detail of their signal strength, maximum bandwidth, and connection security setting? Do you want to search for WiFi networks with open security?

If you encounter connection and/or bandwidth problem with your own WiFi, do you want to know which is the best available wireless channel to have least disruption from other wireless networks around you?

inSSIDer is a free open source tools for PC running on Windows or Linux to scan for all nearby wireless networks and to troubleshoot competing access points. It is best used in a laptop with WiFi capability. It provides detail of the wireless network around you as shown below.

With it, you can look for unoccupied WiFi channel to set for your own WiFi network, in order not to compete with the others. If you compete the same channel with other access points, you will possibly encounter poor wireless speeds and even frequent WiFi network disconnection.

If you have an Android device (eg. smartphone or tablet), there is a similar tool for the mobile device called WiFi Analyzer. WiFi Analyzer even has a Channel Rating feature to suggest for least competed channel to get the optimum WiFi stability and speed.

If you install the open source WiFi Connecter Library together with WiFi Analyzer, you add in the ability for WiFi Analyzer to connect to the WiFi network that you tap on its listing. This will make WiFi Analyzer to be a nice GUI tool for you to pick for the WiFi network you want to connect.

Disabling WiFi function of Unifi D-Link DIR-615 router

By default, the WiFi wireless function of the D-Link DIR-615 router that comes with TM Unifi High Speed Broadband is turned on.

If you are not going to use WiFi wireless for your network connection, you can turn it off to eliminate the WiFi radiation around you that is emitted by your D-Link DIR-615 router. This will also eliminate any possibility of intruder gain access to your network via WiFi connection. In addition, this will also free up some CPU cycles and memory resources in the D-Link DIR-615 router to serve its other functions.

Here are the steps to diable the WiFi function of the D-Link DIR-615 router that comes with TM Unifi HSBB:

• Login the router with "admin" or "operator".
• Go to Setup tab and click on the "Manual Internet Connection Setup" button.
• Go to Wireless Setup and click on the "Multiple Wireless Network Name Setup" button.
• Uncheck and also clear out all the fields in Wireless Network Name, then click the "Save Settings" button.

• You are not done yet. Click the Reboot button to restart the router.
• By now, the WiFi should be turned off. You can see the WiFi indicator light on the D-Link DIR-615 front panel is turned off.

If the WiFi indicator light is still on, your WiFi is not off yet. Check if you have missed out any of the steps above.

iCapital.biz Bhd (ICAP, 5108) year 2011 Annual Report

ICAP,  managed by Mr. Tan Teng Boo (陈鼎武), which is the one and only closed-end fund in KLSE, has just published its 2011 Annual Report.

As disclosed in the annual report, this is the current portfolio of ICAP as at 22 June 2011.

ICAP has finally sold out all MIECO (5001) and removed it from the portfolio. If you want to criticize ICAP, this is the failed investment which has caused a 59.22% or RM1.2 million lost to its share owners. MIECO was sold out at an average price of about RM0.5257 (RM857,876/1,632,000), which was not a good timing and near its lowest price. MIECO has once gone up to RM0.83 in March 2011, and even gone up to RM0.97 one day before the 6th AGM of ICAP held last year. In fact, during the AGMs of past few years, share owners had been asking Mr. Tan Teng Boo about why MIECO was still kept in the portfolio despite horribly performed in its EPS as well as share price.

To my surprise, within the year, ICAP has bought and also sold 1,360,000 units of COASTAL (5071), making a profit of 12.12%. Why COASTAL is such a short term investment/speculation, despite its fundamental still looks good?

You will notice that PADINI (7052) has increased by 5 times in the portfolio. Actually, this is due to share split exercise of PADINI. ICAP has not changed its holding in PADINI since 2008.

ICAP currently only invested in 10 counters only, which is the lowest number since inception. The cash position has increased to RM115 million. This shows Mr. Tan remains cautious to the investment environment, especially when he quoted John Donne's "no man is an island, entire of itself" in this annual report.

Anyhow, despite the failed investment in MIECO and lowering of invested position, the NAV of ICAP still keeps on climbing and is now at its historical high. This shows that overall, ICAP is still a well performed closed-end fund, and Mr. Tan remains a remarkable fund manager trusted by some 3,200 share owners, including foreign financial institutions such as The Bank of New York Mellon, Credit Suisse, etc.

I have produced the table below to show the change in portfolio of ICAP from 2006 to 2011.

MSC (5916) was highlighted during the 6th AGM of ICAP last year, and ICAP has bought in another 1 million shares of MSC after that. SURIA (6521) was another highlighted counter during last AGM, and ICAP has also increased its position in this counter. However, the share price and trading volume of these 2 counters still remain dull until now.

The NAV performance of ICAP over the year is mainly contributed by blue chips such as F&N (3689) and PETDAG (5681) bought a few years ago.

Well, see you in ICAP 7th AGM and 2011 Investor Day on 1 October 2011.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for sharing of point of view only. It is not an advice or recommendation to buy or sell any of the mentioned stock counters. You should do your own homework before trading in Bursa Malaysia.