Practical Technology

for practical people.

January 20, 2011
by sjvn01
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Easy Network Quality of Service Management for Windows Users

When I’m called in to consult on network traffic management, I usually end up recommending heavy-duty, network traffic solutions such as Cisco’s IOS NetFlow, F5 Network’s BIG-IP, or Juniper’s Network and Security Manager (NSM). These are serious tools for serious networks. But, if you’re using Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 and all you really want is do is keep your users from eating up your Internet connection’s bandwidth catching up on the episode of Modern Family on Hulu that they missed last night, Windows’ built-in URL Quality of Service (QoS)-based traffic management is all need.

Windows has had QoS traffic management for a while now, but it used applications, IP addresses, and port numbers to determine which traffic got priority. That’s both overkill and more complicated than you might need for your business network.

Starting with the latest versions of Windows, you can set traffic priority by Website address. This way, as a network administrator all you need do is set up policies by Website address, instead of digging around for IP addresses. So, for example, you could set the ZDNet Website to have a high-priority while locking down ESPN.

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January 20, 2011
by sjvn01
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4G mobile broadband and you: Coverage, cost, and, yes, caveats

Who doesn’t want a faster Internet connection? What with Netflix, Hulu, and other Internet video rising in popularity, everyone wants more and more bandwidth. If your phone company and cable provider can’t provide it, maybe your mobile phone company can instead with 4G technology.

After years of slow deployments, all the major wireless telecomms — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon are all rolling out nationwide 4G data communication plans. Now, you can argue whether any of the technologies behind these rollouts are actually 4G, but whether you call it 3G+, 3.5G, or 4G, the bottom line is that in ideal conditions users can expect to see from 4Mbps (Megabits per second) to 23.5Mbps. Compared to what a lot of people are getting from their DSL or cable connections, no matter what the technology is called, you can see why some folks are considering considering dumping their landlines not just for voice phones but for their data needs as well.

Whether they’ll actually be able to do that is another matter entirely though. You see, 4G in 2011 still comes with many caveats.

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January 19, 2011
by sjvn01
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The EU won’t stand in the way of Microsoft & Friends acquiring Novell’s patents

CPTN Holdings–a Microsoft-led group with fellow-members Apple, EMC, and Oracle–isn’t just still try buying Novell’s patents, the group’s patent acquisition attempt recently received an OK from the European Commission (EC) vice president and competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia.

As Florian Mueller, an European intellectual property activist pointed out in his blog, Emma McClarkin, a British conservative from the East Midlands, asked the EC, on behalf of a constituent, that they were concerned about “Microsoft recently purchasing a large number of patents from Novell. This move strengthens the hold Microsoft has over its competitors, which could potentially harm consumer choice and increase prices. Is the Commission aware of this situation? If so, does the Commission believe there have been any infractions by Microsoft of EU competition laws?”

On behalf of the EC, the European Union’s (EU) executive branch, Almunia replied, “The Commission is aware of the proposed acquisition by CPTN Holdings, a consortium of technology companies which includes Microsoft Corp, of a portfolio of 882 patents from Novell. On the basis of the information currently available at this stage, it appears unlikely that the proposed transaction requires a notification to the Commission under the Merger Regulation.”

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January 19, 2011
by sjvn01
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Cisco introduces new top-of-the-line Linksys Wi-Fi Router

Cisco doesn’t want to be just the number one networking hardware company for the enterprise, it also, through its Linksys brand, wants to be the number one network equipment company for your small-office and home (SOHO). So, it is that Cisco unveiled today, January 19th, 2011, it’s latest top-of-the-line Wi-Fi home router, the Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Dual-Band Wireless-N Router.

According to Cisco, the E4200 is “designed for optimum home theater performance, the E4200 works seamlessly with the latest entertainment devices, including Internet TVs, iPad tablets, game consoles, smart phones, e-readers, and VoIP devices. This new router not only helps boost performance and range in the home, it provides industry-leading speed of up to 450 Mbps* for smooth streaming of video and music and uninterrupted gaming.”

How does it do it? With simultaneous dual-band wireless-N, four Gigabit ports, and a 3×3 antenna configuration that help give it unparalleled speed and range. Additionally, a combination of internal and external amplifiers coupled with six antennas help increase the signal strength across greater distances, providing improved home network coverage and reducing dead spots. The E4200 also features a next-generation industrial design that combines sleek contours with advanced functionality.”

Well, it all sounds good. I myself like the Linksys line. At this very moment, I’m using an older Linksys Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router WRT610N for my SOHO network. But, and this is a big but, some newer Linksys routers, such as the Linksys E3000 had some really serious heating problems.

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January 18, 2011
by sjvn01
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Canonical and Shuttleworth add Qt to Ubuntu Linux

Want to start a fight in Linux desktop circles? Say, loudly and obnoxiously that Qt, the programming libraries behind the KDE desktop, are better than GTK+, the libraries backing GNOME. Or, vice-versa. Either will work. Now, though, Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical, Ubuntu’s corporate big brother, is bringing Qt software to Ubuntu, long a GNOME stronghold.

So far I haven’t heard any shouting from the programmers’ corner, but give it a minute.

Shuttleworth made the announcement writing, “As part of our planning for Natty+1 [Ubuntu 11.10], we’ll need to find some space on the CD for Qt libraries, and we will evaluate applications developed with Qt for inclusion on the CD and default install of Ubuntu.”

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January 18, 2011
by sjvn01
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Facebook wants to be your Internet ID Card

God knows I understand that going from one Web site to another with one login and password scheme after the other is a real pain-in-the-rump. After the Gawker password fiasco it’s become clearer than ever that using the same brain-dead simple login and password from one system to another is clearly dumb. But, the idea of using Facebook (Facebook!?) Connect as a universal Internet login and password system makes me want to gag.

You see Facebook is insecure by design and privacy is given only a minimal amount of programming and lip-service. Sure, you can make your Facebook information safe, well safer, anyway, but who has the time to be constantly plugging in Facebook’s privacy holes? Especially since Facebook keeps opening up more and more or your personal information to vendors.

For example, Facebook quietly announced just before the recent three-day weekend that they were opening up a way for third-party Facebook apps developers to get to your snail-mail addresses and phone numbers. Isn’t that nice of them? I know I want the likes of Zynga, makers of FarmVille, and all their partners, to have my home address and phone number.

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