If you travel with your laptop or tablet PC and are concerned about it being stolen or lost you should install tracking software ahead of time that will allow you to possibly locate the computer after it is stolen or lost. The key word is “possibly” because there is no guarantee you will recover your computer, but having the software installed will at least give you a chance of finding the computer. This is all contingent on the computer being powered on and connected to the internet after it has been lost or stolen. Another important recommendation is to install an online backup program like Carbonite so you will be able to recover your files regardless of whether or not you get your computer back. We can help you with both types of software.
With good tracking software installed, you can determine if the laptop is connected to the Internet and, if so, the lost or stolen computer will receive an IP address from the site’s provider. If the computer has a camera, your software may be signaled to turn the camera on to observe the device’s immediate environs and possibly even see the thief.
Obtaining an IP address will not provide an exact location. Log onto the website http://www.whatismyip.com for a set of tools that will translate the IP address and provide the owner of that particular block of IP addresses. Contact the listed IP address owner and explain why you need the exact address of that particular IP, but remember many companies guard customer privacy and will not comply. If that happens, contact your local law enforcement agency.
Tom
