Q What’s the best way to run a cable from my internet router to a room 30ft away?

Jackie Evans, via e-mail

A The best way is not to do it. You could set up a wi-fi network but these are often limited in range, especially if you have thick walls between the router and the room where you need the connection to reach. Instead, try a pair of Solwise HomePlug Ethernet connectors (see www.homeplugs.co.uk) for £22 each plus Vat.

They work by piggybacking along the mains electrical wiring to create a home network. Plug one of them into the mains socket nearest your router and connect the two. Plug the other into a power socket anywhere else in the home and then connect a computer to it.

Q My wife died last year and I would like to print out a book she wrote and stored on floppy disks on an old, broken Amstrad computer. How can I do this?

Bryan Russell, via e-mail

A I suggest you try Emag Solutions’ disk-conversion service (tinyurl.com/3f3o3w). The Amstrad floppy format was not common and, while you might pick up an old machine on eBay, it’s easier and more reliable to use an external service. Good luck.

dontpanic@ sunday-times.co.uk

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