by: Manbeer Singh
Home networks are becoming more common. People want to be able to share a single broadband Internet connection to several computers in the house. There are many different devices that you can use to make up your home network. If you have never heard network terminology device names like router, hub, etc may seem confusing.
The purpose of most of these devices is to control how the network passes around information. This information is sent in the form of "packets". I will refer to the term packet several times in this article. It simply means the data that the network is transporting. I will now explain the purpose of the major components of a home network.
What is a Hub
A hub is a device that has several Ethernet ports on the back of the device. One of these ports will likely be labeled “Uplink”. This port allows you to connect multiple hubs together, if you run out of ports on your hub. If you do not have an uplink port on your hub, the hub cannot be easily extended if you run out of ports.
A hub is a device that attaches multiple computers on an Ethernet network. If you have a number different computers that you want to connect together, you could connect each to the hub. Any packet that is sent out by any computer on the network will immediately be transmitted to the other computers. Each computer will determine if the packet was really intended for it, and filter out packets that were intended for other computers.
You really should not use a hub in a modern home network. You should always use a switch in place of a hub. Switches will be discussed in the next section.
What is a Switch
A switch is a device that has several Ethernet ports on the back of the device. One of these ports will likely be labeled “Uplink”. This port allows you to connect multiple switches together, if you run out of ports on your switch. If you do not have an uplink port on your switch, the switch cannot be easily extended if you run out of ports.
A switch serves the same function as a hub. It allows you to connect multiple computers together, so that they can exchange packets. However, a switch is much more efficient than a hub. A switch will only send Ethernet packets to the computer that the packet was intended for. Because of this you should always use a switch in place of a hub.
What is a Router
A router is a device that has several Ethernet ports on the back of the device. One of the connectors will be labeled WAN. You should connect the WAN port to the Ethernet connection on a broadband source, such as a cable or DSL modem. The other ports on the router can be connected other computers or switches/hubs that will share the WAN connection.
Routers allow you to share your broadband connection with multiple computers in your house. Rather than connecting your computer directly into your cable or DSL modem you connect the router to the cable or DSL modem. Now any computer that you connect to the router will have access to the Internet.
If you run out of ports on your router you can always connect an additional switch to the router. To connect a switch to a router simply connects the switch’s "uplink" port to one of the routers Ethernet ports. Of course, don’t connect to the router’s WAN port. The WAN port should only be connected to something such as a cable or DSL router.
Some routers come with additional features installed. Most routers also include a firewall. Firewalls are discussed in the next section. Some routers will also include a wireless access point (WAP). The WAP allows you to use wireless devices, such as wireless laptops, with the Internet.
What is a Firewall
A firewall controls traffic flow between your network and the Internet. A firewall can be either hardware or software. Windows XP SP2 or higher includes a software firewall. A hardware firewall is included with most routers.
A firewall is a very good idea. It can protect you from inbound virus attempts. By inbound virus attempt I mean other computers that will connect to your computer and attempt to infect your computer. You do not want to run a computer directly connected to the Internet, without a firewall. There are just too many other computers out there that can connect and infect you without you even noticing.
What is a Network Attached Storage (NAS)
A network attached storage device is a device that allows a hard drive to be shared across the network. This hard drive is NOT attached to any of your computers. It is simply made available by the NAS. This can be a convent way to add a hard drive that can be accessed by several computers on your network. The other common way to add a network hard drive is to simply share a folder on one of your computers. However, with the NAS, you do not need to keep one of your computers on at all times.
There are two types of NAS commonly available. The first type comes with a build in hard drive. The second accepts a USB or Fire wire external hard drive. The advantage to using a USB or Fire wire hard drive is that you can upgrade the hard drive if it ever were to become too small.
What is a Print Server
Just like you can buy a device to allow you to share a hard drive, you can do the same with a printer. A print server connects directly to your printer. Your printer is then shared to all of your computers on the network. This is convent because you do not need to leave the printer hooked to a computer, which must be turned on to print.
Conclusions
As you can see there are many different components. Perhaps the final component that I ave yet to mention is the cable. These components are connected together with CAT5 Ethernet cable.
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Understanding the Components of a Home Network
5 Tips to Organize your Server Room in 2008
by: Marcos Garza
If you are looking to get your server room organized in 2008, there are a few key steps to keep in mind while you are going through the process. Your server room houses valuable information for your business and the safety and security of your equipment should be of top concern. In addition, the equipment that you choose should be efficient and safe for long term use.
1. Choose the Appropriately Sized Rack
As you are looking to organize your server room, the most logical place to start is by choosing new server racks. Select server racks with sufficient internal space to house all of your current equipment and room to accommodate future expansion. Having extra space is a must in your server room for expansion as well as unplanned additional equipment purchases. Some obvious things to check as well include determining that you have enough space to move the new servers in and that you have the proper floor space to maneuver around the equipment and that there is enough space in between the equipment to allow for safety spacing. When you are installing the equipment, be sure to install it according to the included instructions so that you do not have any future problems.
2. Include your New Server Room in your Security Strategy
Security, especially with vital information, is always important for a business to consider. As you are organizing your server room, be sure that any changes or additions fit into your overall business security plan. You may want to consider purchasing server racks that have locking doors, minimizing personnel access to the room and using monitor devices within the room for added protection. In addition, newer technology allows you to monitor the environment of the server room at all times. Temperature changes, water leaks, electrical circuit issues and other issues can change unknowingly, causing potential damage to your server room. With the addition of this technology, you will be able to act quickly to resolve any issues in order to protect your valuable equipment.
3. Customize your Server Rack Design
Once you have decided on a manufacturer for your server racks, most will allow for customization. Consider the addition or modification of the shelving, top or side panels, mounting rails and the feet to create a server room that matches all of your business needs and the space that you are utilizing as your server room.
4. Evaluate your Power Technology
Power technology is constantly updated, providing you with various options for your power strip. You have several choices to consider including rack mount power strips, remote power products, Three-phase power technology and standard power strips. Consider your space, the number of outlets that you will need, each plug’s requirements and any redundancy requirements when you are choosing the power technology for your server room.
5. Ensure your Safety with a Cooling Strategy
The heat that each unit gives off varies, making the cooling needs within your server room vary as well. Evaluate all of your requirements and the available cooling strategies to ensure the overall safety of the equipment, environment and company when making your selections.
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Cisco CCNA, CCENT, CCNP, And CompTIA Questions: HSRP, OSPF Cost, Route Summarization, And More!
by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Let's test your knowledge of important CCNA, CCENT, CCNP, and Network+ exam topics!
CCNA Certification:
The term used for an OSPF path metric is ____________ .
Extra credit: What formula does OSPF use to calculate that metric?
Answer: OSPF's metric is referred to as cost, and the calculation is 100,000,000 / interface speed in bps.
Cisco CCENT / CompTIA Network+ Question:
Which of the following do TCP and UDP headers have in common?
A. sequence number
B. source port
C. source IP address
D. window
E. destination port
F. destination IP address
G. ACK bit
H. reset bit
Answer: B, E. In addition to the source port and destination port numbers, the UDP and TCP headers also have a checksum field in common.
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
In ISIS, what is the most efficient point of a network at which to perform route summarization?
A. An L1 router.
B. An L2 router.
C. An L1/L2 router.
D. A DIS router.
Answer: C. L1/L2 routers are area boundary routers in ISIS, and this is the most efficient point at which to configure route summarization
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
Short answer: An HSRP router is the primary router and it has a priority of 100. Another router comes online in the same group and it has a priority of 107. Does the new router become the primary? If so, why? If not, what additional configuration is needed to make it the primary?
Answer. By default, the new router with the higher priority will not become the primary router. To allow a router with a higher priority to take over the role of HSRP primary from an existing and normally functioning primary, the preempt option must be configured on the router with the higher priority.
Let's use a two-router HSRP deployment as an example. R2 is the standby, R3 is the primary ("active"), and both have an HSRP priority of 100. Raising R2's priority to 150 does not automatically make it the primary, as shown below.
R2(config)#interface ethernet0
R2(config-if)#standby 5 priority 150
R2#show standby
Ethernet0 - Group 5
Local state is Standby, priority 150
Hellotime 4 sec, holdtime 12 sec Next hello sent in 0.896
Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured
Active router is 172.12.23.3, priority 100 expires in 8.072
Standby router is local 1 state changes, last state change 00:14:24
R2 now has a higher priority, but R3 is still the active router. R2 will not take over as the HSRP primary until R3 goes down - OR the preempt option is configured on R2.
R2(config-if)#standby 5 priority 150 preempt
1d11h: %STANDBY-6-STATECHANGE: Ethernet0 Group 5 state Standby -> Active
R2#show standby
Ethernet0 - Group 5
Local state is Active, priority 150, may preempt
Hellotime 4 sec, holdtime 12 sec Next hello sent in 1.844
Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured
Active router is local
Standby router is 172.12.23.3 expires in 10.204
Virtual mac address is 0000.0c07.ac05 2 state changes, last state change 00:00:13
That's enough for today! Look for more free Cisco and CompTIA certification exam questions on this website soon! A+ certification and Microsoft Vista certification practice questions are on the way as well!
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CCNA, CCENT, Network+, And Security+ Practice Questions: TCP, UDP, Smurf Attacks, And More!
by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933
Let’s test your knowledge of UDP, TCP, smurf attacks, EIGRP, and more with these questions designed to help you prepare for success on your CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, Network+, and Security+ certification exams!
CCENT Certification / Network+ Certification:
Which of the following protocols runs on both UDP and TCP?
A. DHCP
B. SNMP
C. DNS
D. ARP
E. Inverse ARP
Answer: C. DNS runs on port 53, both on TCP and UDP.
Security+ Certification:
Briefly define the term "smurf attack". (Not too briefly, though!)
Answer: Basically, a smurf attack involves sends ICMP Echo packets (pings) with the intended victim's IP address specified as the source of the Echo packets. This transmission takes the form of a directed broadcast, which means that quite a few hosts can receive it - and then respond with ICMP Echo Replies, which will all be sent to the intended victim.
CCNA Exam:
R1 and R3 are directly connected at their respective Serial1 interfaces via a DTE/DCE cable. What command will tell you whether the interface is connected to the DTE or DCE end of the cable?
Answer: Run show controller serial 1 on either router - the DTE / DCE information is near the top of the output.
CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:
DUAL has discovered four possible paths to a remote network, with the following metrics: PathA, 1500. PathB, 1500. PathC, 2600. PathD, 3100. What command will allow EIGRP to use the first three paths without using the fourth?
Answer: variance 2 would do the job. Any path with a metric of 3000 or lower will be utilized; setting it to 3 would bring PathD into the equation.
CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:
What is the main purpose of IEEE 802.3ac?
Answer: The IEEE 802.3ac standard allows the maximum frame length to be extended to 1522 bytes, which means the dot1q 4-byte header doesn't cause problems in transmission.
CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:
Which queueing strategy gives priority to interactive, low-bandwidth communications by default?
Answer: Weighted Fair Queueing (WFQ) gives priority to interactive, low-bandwidth conversations, and then splits the remaining bandwidth fairly among the remaining conversations.
Look for a new set of Cisco and CompTIA certification exam questions soon!
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How to Configure Windows Server as a Ntp Server
Computer time synchronisation is highly important in modern computer networks, precision and time synchronization is critical in many applications, particularly time sensitive transactions. Just imagine buying an airline seat only to be told at the airport that the ticket was sold twice because it was purchased afterwards on a computer that had a slower clock!
Modern computers do have internal clocks called Real Time Clock chips (RTC) that provide time and date information. These chips are battery backed so that even during power outages, they can maintain time but personal computers are not designed to be perfect clocks. Their design has been optimized for mass production and low-cost rather than maintaining accurate time.
For many applications, this is can be quite adequate, although, quite often machines need time to be synchronised with other PC's on a network and when computers are out of sync with each other problems can arise such as sharing network files or in some environments even fraud!
Microsoft Windows (2000 and above) has a time synchronisation utility built into the operating system called Windows Time (w32time.exe) which can be configured to operate as a network time server. It can be configured to both synchronise a network using the internal clock or an external time source.
Note: Microsoft strongly recommends that you configure a time server with a hardware source rather than from the internet where there is no authentication.
To configure Windows Time service to use the internal hardware clock, first check that w32time is located in the system services list in the registry, to check:
Click Start, Run then type regedit then click ok.
Locate and then click the following registry entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Time
It is highly recommended that you back up the registry as serious problems may occur if you modify the registry incorrectly, modifications to the registry are done at your own risk.
Note: the following instructions are based on Windows 2000 other versions of Windows may differ.
To begin configuration for an internal clock, click on the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParameters
In the right pane, right-click ReliableTimeSource, then click Modify.
In Edit DWORD Value, type 1 in the Value Data box, then click OK
Exit Registry Editor
To restart the Windows Time Service click Start, Run (or alternatively use the Command Prompt facility).
Type: net stop w32time && net start w32time
Then press enter.
To reset the local computers’ time, type the following on all computers except for the time server which must not be synchronised with itself:
w32tm –s
To configure the Windows Time service to use an external time source, click Start, Run and type regedit then click OK.
Locate the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParameters
In the right pane, right-click Type then click Modify, in edit Value type NTP in the Value data box then click OK.
Now in the right pane, right click ReliableTimeSource, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type 0, then click OK.
Right-click NtpServer in the right pane then click Modify.
In Edit Value, type the Domain Name System (DNS), each DNS must be unique.
Now click Ok.
For Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 only, set the time correction settings to do this locate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParameters
In the right pane, right-click MaxAllowedClockErrInSecs, then Modify in the Edit DWORD Value box, , type a time in seconds max number of seconds difference between the local clock and the time received from the NTP server in order to be considered a valid new time.
Click OK.
To set the poll intervals locate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParameters
In the right pane, right-click Period, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type 24 then OK
Exit Registry Editor
Click Start, then Run then type the following and press Enter:
Net stop w32time && net start w32time
To reset the local computers’ time, type the following on all computers except for the time server which must not be synchronised with itself:
Network Time Protocol (NTP) is an Internet protocol used for the transfer of accurate time, providing time information along so that a precise time can be obtained
To enable the Network Time Protocol; NTPserver, locate and click:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNtpServer
In the right pane, right-click Enabled, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWord Value box, type 1 under Value data, then click OK.
Now go back and click on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParametersNtpServer
In the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value under Value Data type In the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value under Value Data type the Domain Name System (DNS), each DNS must be unique and you must append 0x1 to the end of each DNS name otherwise changes will not take effect.
Now click Ok.
Locate and click the following
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNtpClientSpecialPollInterval
In the right pane, right-click SpecialPollInterval, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type the number of seconds you want for each poll, ie 900 will poll every 15 minutes, then click OK.
To configure the time correction settings, locate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Timeconfig
In the right pane, right-click MaxPosPhaseCorrection, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value box, under Base, click Decimal, under Value Data, type a time in seconds such as 3600 (an hour) then click OK.
Now go back and click:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Timeconfig
In the right pane, right-click MaxNegPhaseCorrection, then Modify.
In the Edit DWORD box under base, click Decimal, under value data type the time in seconds you want to poll such as 3600 (polls in one hour)
Exit Registry Editor
Now to restart windows time service, click Start, Run (or alternatively use the command prompt facility) and type:
net stop w32time && net start w32time
And on each computer, other than the time server, type:
W32tm/ -s
And that’s it your time server should be now up and running.
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Keeping Time: Network Synchronisation
The worst part of a power cut is running around the house setting all the clocks and timers back to the correct time, it can take ages and you will always forget one, however, as long as you have a wrist watch it should be quite easy to get your clocks all telling the same time. But what time is your wrist watch set too and who regulates that time?
Complete precision and accuracy in time telling is not essential for our day-to-day lives and neither is synchronisation, our computer may be a few minutes slower than our wall clock but it will make little difference when we send an email.
However, what if the person we sent the email to has a computer clock that is even slower? They may end up sending a reply before they have technically received it. Computers are easily fooled if timestamps run backwards – remember the millennium bug!
For this reason it is important for computers, particularly those that deal with time sensitive or financial applications, to be telling the same time; otherwise global stocks could be bought whilst already sold-out or an airline seat, already purchased could be bought again by a buyer with a slower computer clock.
The regulation of time didn’t start until after the development of atomic clocks when the oscillation of the caesium atom became the standard definition of a second (9,192,631,770 a second).
The time told by these atomic clocks was so accurate a new timescale was developed called International Atomic Time (TAI). However, it was discovered that the traditional method of telling time, based on the revolution of the Earth (ie 24 hours in a day) and this new timescale soon became out of sync with each other as the gravity from the moon alters the revolution of the Earth, slowing it down.
This difference in the Earths spin is only minute but enough people argued (mainly astronomers) that if it was not compensated for, night would eventually creep into day (albeit in many thousands of years) and it would be difficult to keep track of the celestial bodies.
A compromise was called for and the new timescale, Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) was developed that accounted for the slowing of the Earth’s spin by adding leap seconds every year or so.
UTC has meant that modern technologies and applications such as the Global Positioning System, satellite communication, live television broadcasts and global trading have become possible.
Computer networks can receive UTC time and keep all their devices synchronised to it by using a NTP server (Network Time Protocol). NTP servers can receive UTC time from an atomic clock source via the Internet, a national radio transmission or through the GPS network.
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Technology and the Importance of Time
It is a question that has perplexed philosophers and scientists since the dawn of man, ‘what exactly is time?’ and it has only been in our recent history that we have started to discover answers, thanks to Einstein and his work on special and general relativity.
We now know time is not the abstract concept we first thought it was, we also know it is not constant and is relative to different observers throughout the universe with the speed of light being the only constant in the universe.
In other words if the speed of light has to be the same for everybody then someone travelling at close to such a speed would find time slow down.
Fortunately as all humans live within the boundaries of the planet Earth it means the passing of time is very similar for us all (or so minutely different as to be impossible to measure). However, technologies such as satellites and GPS systems have to take into account this altering state of time otherwise they would become wholly inacurate.
As humans have progressed, telling the time with ever increasing accuracy has become more and more important. Historically, knowing the time was not so imperative. People needed to know the correct day to plant crops or when sunrise and sunset happened but accuracy was not a preoccupation.
However, since the invention of the mechanical clock followed at the turn of the twentieth century by electronic clocks, humans have started to rely on more and more accuracy for their technologies.
Seafaring, aviation and now space travel mean that humans have sought more and more accuarte ways of keeping time.
In the 1950’s atomic clocks were developed which were so accurate it was discovered that the revolution of the Earth, something we had based our timescale on for centuries, was no where near as accurate as these new clocks.
Now technologies such as the Internet, the Global Positioning System and satellite communication requires absolute precision as light can travel 300,000 km every second meaning accuracies of a split second could mean our satellite navigation systems could be out by thousands of miles and computer trading would be nigh on impossible.
Fortunately a global time scale, UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), has been developed and is based on the time told by atomic clocks. This allows systems all over the world to be synchronised to the exact same time.
Computer networks use the NTP protocol (Network Time Protocol) to receive a UTC timing reference and synchronise all machines on a network to that time.
NTP servers can receive a time reference over the Internet (although not very secure) from a national radio transmission (as long as the receiver is within range of a suitable transmission) or from the GPS network (via a rooftop GPS antenna).
Richard N Williams is a technical author and a specialist in the telecommunications and network time synchronisation industry helping to develop dedicated NTP clocks. Please visit us for more information about NTP and other network time server solutions
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Configuring Windows as a Ntp Server
Microsoft Windows has a built in time synchronisation facility called windows time (w32time.exe). Windows time is based on Network Time Protocol (NTP) an Internet protocol designed to synchronise computers on a network.
Using Windows Time service it is possible to configure the operating system to run as NTP time server, allowing you to synchronise all network devices to that time. Inn some older versions of Windows such Windows 2000 a stripped-down version of NTP called SNTP (Simplified Network Time Protocol) exists but is perfectly adequate for most timing applications.
Windows Time should be present in the service list. To locate Windows Time simply find the following subkey in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Time
NOTE: editing registry entries can cause irreversible problems it is strongly advised to create a backup before editing any entries to the registry.
Windows can easily set the system clock to use UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, the World’s time standard) by accessing an Internet source (either: time.windows.com or time.nist.gov). To achieve this, a user merely has to double click the clock on their desktop and adjust the settings in the Internet Time tab.
It must be noted however, that Microsoft and other operating system manufacturers strongly advise that external timing references should be used as Internet sources can’t be authenticated.
To configure the Windows Time service to use an external time source, click Start, Run and type regedit then click OK.
Locate the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParametersType
In the right pane, right-click Type then click Modify, in edit Value type NTP in the Value data box then click OK.
Locate the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeConfigAnnounceFlags.
In the right pane, right-click AnnounceFlags and click Modify. The ‘AnnounceFlags' registry entry indicates whether the server is a trusted time reference, 5 indicates a trusted source so in the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type 5, then click OK.
Network Time Protocol (NTP) is an Internet protocol used for the transfer of accurate time, providing time information along so that a precise time can be obtained
To enable the Network Time Protocol; NTPserver, locate and click:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNtpServer
In the right pane, right-click Enabled, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWord Value box, type 1 under Value data, then click OK.
Now go back and click on
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParametersNtpServer
In the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value under Value Data type In the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value under Value Data type the Domain Name System (DNS), each DNS must be unique and you must append 0x1 to the end of each DNS name otherwise changes will not take effect.
Now click Ok.
Locate and click the following
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNtpClientSpecialPollInterval
In the right pane, right-click SpecialPollInterval, then click Modify.
In the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type the number of seconds you want for each poll, ie 900 will poll every 15 minutes, then click OK.
To configure the time correction settings, locate:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Timeconfig
In the right pane, right-click MaxPosPhaseCorrection, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value box, under Base, click Decimal, under Value Data, type a time in seconds such as 3600 (an hour) then click OK.
Now go back and click:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Timeconfig
In the right pane, right-click MaxNegPhaseCorrection, then Modify.
In the Edit DWORD box under base, click Decimal, under value data type the time in seconds you want to poll such as 3600 (polls in one hour)
Exit Registry Editor
Now, to restart windows time service, click Start, Run (or alternatively use the command prompt facility) and type:
net stop w32time && net start w32time
And that’s it your time server should be now up and running.
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The Web Design Myths
If your site has been around for a while, you'd probably have been visited by the "Web Design Police" (people who have a lot of time on their hands). In fact, depending on your site, you might have been visited by different branches of these people, both advocating opposite policies. I recently received an email from one of my visitors who had apparently been "helped" by some of these people, and thought that an article on two of the myths of web design is appropriate.
1. The Myth of "Content is King, No Animation/Sound/Java/etc"
The adage that "Content is King" applies to all websites, and I am not disputing that. It is also true that when you add sound, animation, Java applets and lots of graphics, your web page takes a long time to load, and some of your visitors may not bother to wait for it to load; they'll just go away.
However, putting those two together does not actually mean that all pages with animation, sound and applets are necessarily bad. The trick is to know when they're appropriate and to make the download speed as fast as it is reasonably possible under the circumstances. I will mention a few ways of reducing your graphics and animation file sizes later in this article.
When is it appropriate? Sometimes applets are needed for some sort of processing - for example, the Sesame Street website has a Java applet that shows Elmo (a Sesame Street character) dancing, and the child using it can use the mouse pointer to "tickle" Elmo and he'll respond according to where he is tickled. The applet takes forever to load on a 56K modem, but you cannot say that it is out of place: the site caters to young children who are there to play. In this case, the applet is an appropriate solution. Likewise, animation and sound might be appropriate for sites that feature online comics, online gaming, etc.
In fact, if yours is a website that sells website design services, that is, you want people to pay you to design their website, it is in your interest not to make your site too plain. Many potential customers see your site as an example of what their site can become. There's no point claiming "Content is King" at this time - they won't be around long enough to hear your claim. Such sites need a certain amount of colour, graphics, etc, although of course making it take too long to load would also be a deterrent to your potential clients.
Like all things, how you design your site depends on your topic and your target audience. Keep that cardinal rule in mind and you'll be fine.
2. The Myth of "Good Web Design is in the Graphics"
On the other end of the scale are the people who believe a good website must have much colour, graphics, animation and sound. You might meet them, for example, in the form of newcomers or pundits who either do not have much real world web experience or who only surf on T1 connections.
My first encounter with such people came in the form of an old friend who exhibited his personal website proudly to me. At the centre of his home page was a large animated graphic that was a few hundred kilobytes in size. That graphic had little function on that page - it did not provide any informative value: it was neither a logo, nor was it a photo of himself, or an image map, or anything at all. It was purely decorative. At that time (many years ago), I was using a 14.4K modem and that page took ages to load.
Now don't get me wrong. Decorative graphics on a page are fine. They make a page more pleasant to look at, and hence more likely to be read. But you should at least make them as small as possible. While I'm hesitant to give a hard and fast rule about how big such graphics should be, a decorative graphic that is a few hundred kilobytes in size is definitely too big to be tolerated.
3. Some Page Design Tips
If your concern is that your page should look good without being too slow to load, here are a few commonly used tricks that you may want to consider:
Do not put too much text in one big block. Separate them out into paragraph and put white space between paragraphs. This makes your text look more readable.
Like colored pages? That's okay, but in general, if the readability of your text is important to you, a white background with black text works best.
If you must have a colored background, make sure you try out your page by viewing it in resolutions like 256 colors to see whether the page looks alright. A colored page that looks fine on your 32 bit color resolution system may have dithering that makes your text difficult to read on lesser settings.
If you check the websites of big companies (Microsoft, Yahoo, etc), you will find that they still prefer a white background with black text for their main text. These companies probably have more resources for testing the usability of their website than you have, so it may not be wise to scoff at their design too quickly.
http://www.thedesignbuild.com
http://www.webdesign.reprintarticlesite.com
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Certification Programmes in Networking
MCSE boot camp training is for those who want to build a career in the field of networking. A boot camp training process covers the main topics very quickly but effectively. The course is of very short duration, that is, of only two to three weeks. MCSE or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer is one of the best-known and opening Microsoft certification. MCSE certifies a person as being able to handle the networking problems and can analyze the networking requirements to run the business. The certification not only validates your expertise with products launched by Microsoft, but also demonstrates your skills and capabilities to present and potential employers and peers.
Windows 2000 and Windows server 2003 are the two different product platforms of MCSE past 2007, these lines were not a part of the MCSE, and each of them requires a different set of exams.
For MCSE boot camp 2003, candidate must pass six core-designed exams (one client operating system exams, one design exam, and four networking exams) and one elective exam.
For the windows 2000 MCSE boot camp training, a candidate is required to clear five core exams (four operating system and one design exam). There are four compulsory or core examinations to be cleared by the candidate for MCSE NT 4.0 boot camp (retired). The syllabus of the examinations includes Networking essentials, Windows NT Server, Windows NT server in the enterprise and Windows NT workstation, plus two electives. The basic subjects of the exams are Microsoft SQL Server, network security, computer networking, Microsoft Exchange Server, other topics of networking and specific Microsoft products.
The individuals also prefer CISCO career certifications like CCNA, CCNP, and CCNE etc. Various institutions organize CISCO boot camp training program that provide, for training for these specific courses.
There are three levels of certification: Associate, Professional and Expert. The certification of CCNA cab be gained by passing two tests (ICND1 and ICND2), or one single test (CCNA 640-802), the two test option is more advantageous, allowing the candidate to focus on certain subjects. The certificate is valid for three years.
CCNA imparts trainee knowledge of networking like ability to install, configure and trouble shoot local and wide area networks. On the other hand, CCNP certifications have the demonstrated knowledge and expertise required to manage the routers and switches that form the medium sized networks (between 100 and 500 nodes). All the MCSE, CISCO and CCNP Boot Camp training programs are required to gain expertise in the networking field.
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Home Networking One 0n 0ne Part 3
Electronic imaging consumes large amounts of bandwidth and data. Current connections to the home consist primarily of modems running at 33.6 Kpbs or 56 Kpbs. For those users who deal with still images and video, these speeds are not acceptable. The home needs fatter pipes in order to proliferate any kind of imaging services or if someone is trying to sell different types of imaging appliances that intend to use the Internet infrastructure.
The home user has to contract with an ISP for a flat-rate monthly fee. The ISP usually provides a dial-up line that the consumer uses with s standard modem. The cost of a dial-up line is usually under $20 a month. Many new technologies have been developed with the consumer in mind in order to increase the amount of bandwidth that will be available to a home computer.
The first hurdle you have to pass is to become more familiar with many of the letters and names. One the terminology is learned, the rest is just common sense and being able to carefully follow directions. One of the very first terms you will encounter, is the word ‘protocol’. The technical definition of the word as well as the acronyms can be very complex. However, for your purpose it is quite straightforward.
A protocol is a set of rules that have been adopted as a means for devices to communicate. For instance, the HTTP protocol used by Internet browsers specifies a detailed list of methods for passing Internet data back and forth. TCP/IP or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is a method that dictates how packets get defined and transported on a TCP/IP based network.
Note that there are a variety of ways, involving other protocols, to establish networks and their rules. In days past IBM was one of the earliest with its SNA network philosophy. This was widely used in business for decades. Though it has now been replaced by TCP/IP, it is still in use throughout the world. These are not the only two that have been adopted at one time or another. While the details are only of interest to computer geeks and professionals, there are aspects that affect how a home network builder has to proceed. If you happen to know some of them, you will be able to choose your equipment and design your network intelligently.
For instance, if one of the central parts of the home network gear is the router. However, router come in a variety of types and each one is associated with a certain protocol. Wireless routers may use the 802.11b or 802.11g protocol. It is not important to know the technical definition, but you much know that the first is rated at 11 Mb versus 54Mb throughput impacts your network.
Even though the first is rated at 11 Mb, that is the rate under ideal conditions. The real throughput is approximately 6-7 Mb. Also keep in mind that there are 8 bits per byte. That is equal to one character of data. So the actual rate is only just about 1/8th of what you actually tend to think of when you go to transfer files. Faster gear that follows the 802.11 standard running at 100Mb should soon be available.
However, most people do not have any reason to care about the details of Ethernet protocol. The standard protocol used in Ethernet networks is 802.3. This helps to do away with some of the strangeness from another cryptic number. It is also helpful to know that 10BaseT is like a synonym for wired Ethernet networks that run at 10 megabits per second. 100BaseT is the standard for cabled Ethernet networks that use equipment running at 100 Mbps.
Every week there will be a new acronym created as well as a new unfamiliar set of numbers. Network designers are among the geekiest in the business! However, if you familiarize yourself with a few of these protocols and related items, you will soon be barking them out with the best of them.
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Home Networking One 0n 0ne Part 2
Today, more than ever, home networks are easier and less expensive to set up. At times, however, the knowledge needed for building a network is not accompanied by any guidelines on how to secure them. In some cases, the guidelines are simply ignored. No matter what the case, that is a data disaster just waiting to happen.
You may have a thing about being paranoid about security. That is an excessive amount of concern that should be tempered. However, you should have a certain amount of caution. Security is much like medical insurance. You may not need it very often, but when you do need it, chances are you need it badly. If you don’t have it you may face dire consequences.
Wireless home networks are becoming increasingly popular due to their lower cost and flexibility. However, the wireless network is particularly prone to security issues. In theory, someone that has a wireless enabled laptop can just drive by your house, get into your space and tap into your network. It’s not too much of a problem if all they do is steal a little bandwidth. However, if they happen to be malicious and clever, they will be able to implant a virus into your home network without you even knowing it!
Using the Internet has similar risks. However, in a case like that you usually have to download an attachment from someone you don’t even know to get infected. This scenario is easy to avoid. As a rule of thumb, if you do not know who it is from, do NOT open it. It could be a hacker with a virus. However, in the case of a wireless home network, you do not have to take any action to get infected. Even though you may be following good Internet file sharing practices, you are still vulnerable.
Even if you have a cabled network, it is possible for someone to break in while you are away. Most of these incidents will revolve around stealing property. But by infecting a computer a disgruntled employee, an angry person or a party to a lawsuit may use this as a way of getting revenge. What a better way to get revenge than to have your computer crash!
The solution is typically the same in either type of network. Practice the same good habits you use for Internet data sharing and magnify them. You must make sure that each computer on the network has a password that is required in order to gain access to the system. Leaving a system unprotected to just save a few seconds of inconvenience at home will expose your entire network to unnecessary risk.
One thing you want to do is change the password on your router often. The defaults for most of the popular vendors’ products are known by just about everyone who has the necessary skills to do harm. Make it harder for them to inflict damage by following this simple step. Configure your wireless router according to the manufacturers’ instructions in order to prevent unauthorized access. Today, all wireless routers use WAP to prevent drive-by’s from accessing your system.
Most adults today would be astounded by the amount of computer knowledge a teenager has. Most are well meaning, but some young people have not yet learned how to use a home network securely. Some young people can master the techniques, but they do not yet have the common sense or the wisdom to know how to put these techniques into practice.
Treat your home network in much the same way as you would treat your credit cards. You wouldn’t just hand you credit card out to a stranger would you? Moreover, you wouldn’t tell that stranger your password would you? You would be broke in no time! Do not provide physical access or pass out information to anyone that you do not want to have access to it. This is often a short step from having them access your money. It is an even shorter step to your valuable home network as well as your data!
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Home Networking One 0n 0ne Part 1
Not too many years ago, no one ever thought of having more than one computer in the home. Now that we are so dependent upon them, it is a common thing for home to have multiple computers. Before the blink of an eye, there are seven computers in the house yet there is only one printer and just one Internet connection. How is everyone going to be kept happy and productive?
The answer is to set up a network! This is none other than a group of computer components connected together with a router, hub and switch which gives its users the ability to share resources. These resources are some of the most integral parts of computer use. A network is much like a spider web. That is the basic reason why the Internet is often called the World Wide Web. Signals are constantly flowing along the network. Unlike a spider web, a computer network sends and receives those disturbances in the form of ‘packets’. Although there are other ways to perform the same function, almost all networks today operate as explained below.
On the network, the software and hardware cooperate to pass those packets.These packets are chunks of information that contain your data that is wrapped in control information. The control data allows the computers and the routers to know where and how to send your data. In most commercial and home networks, the method uses IP or Internet Protocol. Every device on the network is assigned an address such as 206.121.34.148. When you are talking about using a computer in the home these addresses are typically in the range of: 10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255, or 172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255, or 192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255
These are what are known as Private Addresses since they are not able to be sent unmodified over the public networks that make up the Internet. These are used by computer, routers and peripherals in your home network. These same address ranges are also used by private commercial networks. An NAT, or network address translation, and coupled with the use of a boundary router allows many companies and homes to use the same range without unintentionally passing information to and from one another over the Internet.
It may happen that your computer may have quite a different address such as 70.31.192.243. This is often true because a single computer that is connected to the Internet gets an address that is assigned by the ISP or Internet Service Provider. You then do not really have only a home network, but you are considered to be a paying customer of a commercial network. When every device, computer, router and printer, is assigned its own address, the software as well as the hardware can ascertain where the data is coming from and when it should go. This is called communication without confusion.
The router software along with the hardware, routes the data to and from the proper devices using those addresses. The method is almost exactly the same as the postal system when it routes letters from one home or business to another.
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What is the Lan Switches and Packet-switched Network
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI and Token Ring often referred to as traditional LAN, and they are sharing media, sharing of bandwidth shared LAN. In order to increase bandwidth, often using a network router division, will be divided into a network of more than one paragraph, each of the networks have different sub-address, different broadcasting domain, to reduce conflicts on the network, increase network bandwidth. Micro-paragraph of the network can not meet the LAN extension and the new high-bandwidth network applications to the demand, it is said that "traditional local area network has come to an end."
In recent years the exchange processes-LAN technology, to address shared by the LAN network inefficient and can not provide adequate network bandwidth and network expansion and a series of difficult issues. It fundamentally changed the structure of shared local area network, to solve the bandwidth bottleneck. At present, the exchange of Ethernet, token ring exchange, the exchange of FDDI and ATM, such as the exchange of local area networks, Ethernet one of the most extensive exchange. LAN exchange has become the mainstream LAN technology.
Switches provide the ability to bridge the existing network and increase bandwidth capabilities.
For the LAN switches on the bridge with similar because they all operate in the data link layer (level 2), M A C-layer, the inspection of all network traffic into the device address. And the bridge still has some similar switch to maintain an address on the table and used the information to decide how to filter and forward LAN flow.
And bridge different, switches using technology to increase the exchange of data input and output media and installation of the total bandwidth. General switch delay small forward, the economy and can be divided into small network of conflict domain, for each workstation to provide higher bandwidth.
Packet-switched network is the circuit-switched networks and packet switching network after a new exchange network, which mainly used for data communications. Packet switching is a store-and-forward of the exchange, it will at the user's text is divided into a certain length of the packet to packet for store-and-forward, therefore, than the utilization of circuit-switched, than when the message exchange Extensions to small, but with real-time communication capabilities. Packet-switched TDM principle of the use of statistics, a data link multiplexing into multiple Luojixindao, eventually forming an Caller, Called party transmission of information between the access road, called the VC (VC) to achieve data Packet sent.
Packet switching network has the following characteristics:
(1) packet switching with multiple Luojixindao the capacity utilization rate is high trunk circuits
(2) can be realized packet switching codes of the different online, the rate between the terminal and a point of order Interoperability;
(3) The packet switching error detection and correction of the capacity of the transmission circuit is a very small error rate
(4) packet-switched network-management capabilities.
Packet switching the basic business SVC (SVC) and PVC (PVC) two. SVC as telephone circuit, that is, two data communication terminals to be used when the first call to establish procedures for circuit (VC), and then sent the data, communications rewirable procedures used after the removal of VC. PVC as green, in the net division between the two terminals for the period of the contract to provide permanent logical connection, no call set-up and rewirable procedures, the data transmission phase, with the SVC the same.
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Utilizing Texas Network Management Services for Your Business
When looking into Texas network management services you want to be sure that you know exactly what to expect. You don't need to understand every single thing that is being handled, as that's why you're hiring network management services in Texas, but you should have a basic understanding.
Understanding Network Services
Texas network management services refer to the different methods, procedures, activities and the tools that pertain to all of the aspects of network services. Network management services in Texas will cover not just the operation of the network or networks but the maintenance, administration and different ways of provision the network system as well.
You want to find a company or individual who can help you with each and every aspect of these network services, to ensure you do not have to spend undue time or money hiring a specialist in a particular sector of network management.
Operation
The operation part of the Texas network management services refers to actually keeping the network up and running. Not only does the operations area keep it up and running, they keep it up and running smoothly. A very important aspect of this arena is for network management services in Texas to learn to be proactive and anticipate future problems.
Knowing what problems might arise and preventing them can save valuable time and money. It's also a great time and money saver to catch a problem as soon as possible before it had a chance to turn into a more serious problem.
Administration
The administration part of the Texas network management services is all about keeping the work flowing smoothly. Much like a manager of people would do with employees, a network management services in Texas team would allocate system resources.
As a manager in a store with a sale in one department would send more employees to that department, a network administrator will send more resources to those parts of the network that are being used at a higher rate at any given time.
Maintenance
A Texas network management services team would use maintenance just like a handyman would perform maintenance on an apartment building. As problems arise network management services in Texas will take a look at the problem, figure out a possible solution and fix it. The maintenance part of the equation is also concerned with taking care of upgrades.
There are many parts of a network that must be constantly monitored. When any or all of these parts have a newer patch available or a newer function that needs to be installed, it is up to the maintenance department to ensure that portion is upgraded quickly and effectively.
Getting the most of out Texas network management services means that you must fully understand what it is you need and how it is that can give you what you need. Network management services in Texas can make your business network run smoothly and efficiently, so long as they have the expertise and are given the proper tools that they need.
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Modern Web Conferencing Trends
In our modern world, business requires new technologies to achieve better productivity. With the computer and internet being the center of modern business, the new trend now is green technology.
Think about a business conference that does not require travel, nor the need for translators in an international meeting. This kind of model reduces business travel expenses and the carbon
footprint of big modern business.
OzoneConferencing is a fully independent,privately owned, UK based conference services provider offering corporate class, national and international, telephone/web conferencing and telephone interpreting services.
OzoneConferencing has 2 business packages available, Enterprise and Lite. Enterprise is the most advanced telephone & web conferencing service available. With benefits like; Personalized greeting messages, on demand telephone interpreters, application sharing and a unique disaster recovery service.
Lite is perfect for a start-up business, independent consultants or individuals where price and simplicity are key. If you have never tried telephone conferencing before, OzoneLITE is a great way to get started. Lite has benefits like; No account to set up, hosting charges, contracts or bills. You can use any phone, landline or mobile 24/7.
Save time and money by reducing travel. Audio and web conferencing lets you meet and work with colleagues, customers and suppliers anywhere in the world - Instantly. Speak your customer's language and exploit overseas markets with Ozone's telephone translators covering over 150 languages - available in just seconds.
Help protect the environment! Demonstrate your commitment to reducing carbon emissions and lowering your costs and increasing productivity.
OzoneConferencing is currently offering a 2 week free trial, where you can use their services to the full extent... no limitations.
OzoneConferencing
Ozone Blog
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T1 Vs. Ethernet Broadband Choices for Businesses
The reason businesses use T1 lines vs. Ethernet (Fast, Metro or Gigabit) is because of the differences between these two services. Fast Ethernet refers to the internal network traffic whereas a T1 line is an external to internal network connection. While it may be true that many companies are offering options like fiber to the home, which offer speeds significantly faster than T1 lines, T1 (and its siblings like DS3) still offers many advantages.
The following are advantages of deploying a T1 line over Ethernet:
1. Dedicated - A T1 line is dedicated, while your home network is shared, meaning that depending on the data usage in your area, your speed will fluctuate. For a home user, this is a non-issue, but for a business where servers are mission-critical, you cannot have insufficient bandwidth because there are too many people torrenting in your neighborhood. T1 lines provide dedicated access and often have a higher priority when it comes to uptime and maintenance.
2. Technology Limitations - Ethernet through CAT cable has a limit of 100 meters (328FT). T1 lines can expand further. That's why ISPs can't hook your house up with CAT cable. It's too far.
3. Cheaper - In general, a T1 line is about half the cost of an Ethernet line, but this is only a generalization and it all depends on the location of the network being set up.
It's also important to know there are differences between a T1 line and Ethernet services. A T1 voice and data line is a form of internet connection while Fast Ethernet is the cabling they used in LAN (Local Area Network) environments, making them more speedy and reliable.
In short, there are many reasons why businesses use T1 for their Internet, but this really is in no way comparable to Fast Ethernet. Your computer's network card is designed to handle more requests than just the Internet. For example, if you are streaming video from a server on your network, you need significantly more bandwidth than 1 Mbps which is plenty sufficient for anything Internet.
On a future note, some ISPs are beginning to use CAT cable to hook directly into your house. This technology is called Metro Ethernet. Look it up if you want to learn more.
This article isn't an all-encompassing discussion of the advantages of T1 over Ethernet, but merely a "scratching of the surface" look at what to think about when deciding which service is right for you business' voice and data network.
Generally speaking, any business looking into what network technology makes the most business sense for their employees, business suites, and conference activities needs to do their homework and not jump without a thorough analysis. For help with that assessment, I strongly suggest taking advantage of the no cost research and support available through USaveTelecom.com.
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Hosted Call Center Solutions
With the advance in technology, call center industry is also experiencing a new shift from premise based solutions to hosted call center solutions. Call center technology is changing rapidly leading way to replace on premise call center equipment to hosted call center solution. All the call center equipment that was installed in call centers is being replaced by agent desktops and internet cables. In essence the definition of call center equipment has been cut down to agent pcs and internet access. This shift in the nature of call center equipment came with shift in call center technology because of newly and disruptive hosted call center solutions available today in the market.
Call center technology these days is primary focusing on hosted call center equipment. So, companies providing hosted call center solutions are hosting the call center equipment for the call centers. This is a result of the change in the way internet is being used by businesses as key part of their operations. With the advent of broadband internet available easily and at affordable prices, these call center can now have the benefit of hosted call center solutions.
The hosted call center solutions are also known as VoIP contact center solutions and hence VoIP call centers. The hosted call center solutions are mainly based on VoIP technology platform that has evolved over time as a wonderful technology with benefits like:
1. On demand call center set up
2. Instant set ups for any size of call centers
3. Call centers can be set up anywhere in the world.
The VoIP contact center software, also called telemarketing phone runs on the pc of the agents making them enable to make and receive calls. These telemarketing phones are pieces of software running on the pcs but controlled by the solution providers over the internet. Telemarketing phone on pc uses internet to access any resources sitting on the solution provider’s premise. These resources could be the leads that are being called or the telecom infrastructure required to terminate calls. VoIP contact center solutions are mostly used for telemarketing calls and hence given the name telemarketing phone. Telemarketers can be sitting anywhere in the world just with their pcs and internet connection. Telemarketing phone does the dialing and gives the connected calls to the agent. On their pcs, they might see few other components of VoIP call center solutions like a CRM pop up or a survey form that they fill while on calls with customers. These telemarketing phones have all the advanced features like presence, call rescheduling, transfer and conference to and among other agents from the same campaign. The distributed architecture allows these agents from same campaign to work from home and still be a part of a virtual call center and enajoy the benefits of on premise working with a group of agents from same campaigns. They can use telemarketing dialer to communicate with other agents via chat, phone, transfer, conference etc. The call center supervisor can also use telemarketing phone to Bargain to different agents.
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VoIP Tricks and Advantages
The really nice thing about VoIP is that it is a service that you can take with you when you travel. For example, most hotels now have high-speed Internet service, and if you take your VoIP phone with you, you can plug in at the hotel and continue to make and receive calls at your regular phone number as if you had never left home. Keep in mind that if the hotel offers ONLY a wireless Internet connection, as many of them do as your only option, this presents another problem and you will need additional hardware to convert that wireless signal into an RJ45 jack that you can plug your VoIP DTA box into.
I know of one business person who does not leave home without his VoIP phone, it is always one of the first things that gets packed. So when he gets to his hotel in Chicago or New York or Denver or even Germany or Hong Kong, he plugs in his VoIP phone and is back to work. While it may seem strange to have a VoIP phone plugged into your Hong Kong hotel room, and have people call you on it by dialing an Orlando phone number (if you live in Orlando), that is how VoIP works and it really is nice.
Another thing you can do is say you have relatives in Europe or the UK that you like to talk to but it is prohibitively expensive to call overseas very often. To solve this problem, what you should do is get a VoIP phone for you, and have them get a VoIP phone from the same provider. Now even though they are living in London or Munich, they will have a Detroit or Houston phone number. They can call you and talk as long as you want, or you can call them on their assigned phone number (which might appear to be Detroit or Denver) and talk as long as you want. The only thing they need is that high-speed Internet connection, and of course an electrical adapter to accommodate the different voltages overseas.
In summary, VoIP service is a great communications tool for both home and business use. It's recommended that if you're seriously considering VoIP service for your calling needs, be sure to compare the features and functions of several service providers before signing up. Comparison shopping will save you time and headaches in the long run and ensure you are purchasing the best VoIP service for YOUR needs.
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192-168-2-1 Wireless Router IP Address - What is It?
By Terry Oracle
What is an IP Address?
Every device that is connected to a network, including the Internet, has an Internet Protocol (IP) address. The Internet Protocol defines a standard digital method that is used by computer devices to communicate with each other. These devices communicate by delivering and receiving datagrams, called data packets, from the source device to the destination device and vice versa over a network. Each device has a unique IP address that allows devices to find each other on a network and to exchange data packets.
Networks can be created using telephone lines, cell phones, cable TV, Ethernet cables, and with wireless routers. Routers are used to assign temporary IP addresses to devices connected to the local area network the router controls and to "route" data packets around a network to the correct devices. Some routers have extra features such as encryption of data packets, data packet error correction, and wireless access.
Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) defines 32-bit IP addresses is made up by of a group of four numbers ranging from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255. This equates to about 4 billion IP addresses. A 128-bit version of the Internet Protocol called IPv6 has been developed that will allow for many more addresses if IP addresses run out with IPv4.
How to use a Wireless Router IP Address
All wireless routers have one Internet Protocol (IP) address that is used as the address for the local area network (LAN) and one that is used for an external wide area network (WAN) connection such as the Internet. Internal (LAN) IP addresses are normally pre-set to the router manufacturer's factory default IP address. When you enter the router's IP address into your web browser as a http request (for example http://192.168.1.245 for a Linksys router), the browser will send a request to your router to open the router's default administration page so you can access the router's settings.
How to find your Wireless Router IP Address
The first place to check is in the wireless router's user manual. If you don't have a user manual or can't find it, you can try visiting the manufacturer's website and search for the default IP address there. Alternatively, connect your wireless router with its Ethernet cable to your computer and power up and start both devices. If you are running a Windows operating system such as Windows XP or Vista, bring up the Command Prompt window (Start->All Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt) and type the word "ipconfig" without the quotes at the prompt and press enter. You should see a list of IP addresses and the one that is listed next to the "Default Gateway" is the IP address of the wireless router you have connected to your computer. Next open your web browser and type in the http request using that same IP address and you should see the router's administration page where you can log in (the user manual will also have the default username and password for the router's administration page) to change the router's settings.
Wireless router manufacturer's can use different factory pre-set IP addresses for different model routers they manufacture. The factory pre-set IP address is usually stored in the firmware of the router. So if you can not get into your router's administration page you may need to try one of the other IP addresses the manufacturer uses with other models in case the firmware was upgraded after the publication date of the user manual. For a list of common IP addresses used by router Manufactures, visit the best wireless router website.
You can find more useful information about your wireless router IP address and Wireless Router Articles by visiting our resource web site at http://www.best-wireless-router.com/ - that explains the best wireless router technologies.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Oracle
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Options Continuation Programs Extend Life of IT Infrastructures
By Jane Fields
Choosing an IT infrastructure can be a stressful and time consuming process for businesses and individuals today. To further exacerbate the process, it is not unusual for a company to spend lengthy amounts of time researching, testing, and negotiating IT platforms and products, only to discover that the technology of choice has become out of date or otherwise unavailable. Then the entire process has to begin again or the business is forced to make a rash decision that may or may not work out as expected.
A typical IT product has a life cycle of as little as six months, possibly a year before it is removed from the shelves. This can cause both financial upset and certain amounts of stress when a business has made a significant investment only to discover that upgrades, accessories and additional hardware is now unavailable. Thankfully IT manufacturers are pairing up with reputable companies within the computer secondary market in an attempt address this issue. IBM, as an example, has chosen certain reputable resellers to work with in order to offer purchasers the option of extending a products lifecycle through their IBM Options Continuation Program (OCP).
Option continuation programs (OCP) allow resellers to purchase IT inventory that is discounted, refurbished, or otherwise discontinued. The items are purchased by the OPC partners in large quantities at severely reduced prices. This is advantageous for the manufacturers because they make room for cutting edge technology, and it is advantageous for small businesses and end users who would like to upgrade, accessorize and add to existing infrastructure.
Small, medium and large size companies are taking advantage of the computer secondary market in several ways. From the start of the process, they will be much more self assured when they are beginning the research and planning stage. Certain computer secondary market partners of the options continuation program will offer a vast and diverse inventory, a devoted customer service and sales force, around the clock eCommerce support and assistance to businesses individuals alike. The flexibility that is available to businesses and individuals, worldwide, to assist with planning, implementation, and upgrades is virtually immeasurable.
Prior to taking advantage of the IBM options continuation program (OCP), individuals and organizations may wonder what types of guarantees, warranties and services are offered by reselling partners. With a reputable OCP partner, however, this is a nonissue. Depending on the quality and offerings of the retailer a warranty as long as three months may be offered on new, used and refurbished IT equipment and accessories. As an added benefit, extended options, offers and upgrade capabilities can be offered with the same warranty periods, equalling as many as three months.
Reselling members of extended life programs offer a flexible, cost effective, long term solution to short IT product life cycles and constantly evolving technology. With the economy that is currently being faced by individuals, small businesses, and big industry, it is a safe bet that this service that will be taken advantage of more and more on a global scale.
For more information on new and refurbished computer products visit your IBM OCP reseller at itxchange.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Fields
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Using Two Monitors on One Computer
You might ask why anyone would use two monitors on one computer but there are reasons. Known as dual computer monitors, these have a number of benefits. One good reason for using two monitors is for anyone in the photography business. For example, individuals working on digital photos, trying to view, study, and arrange, using a second monitor is a great help.
With a dual computer screen, you can indeed double work and also desktop space. One of the most common pc screens is the LCD. These are aesthetically pleasing and they are very space sufficient. Therefore, one who does not have a lot desk area would benefit from the LCD monitor. Now, for people on a budget, a CRT monitor is also a good choice but larger.
When it comes to using a dual computer screen, again the best benefit is for anyone in photography or an individual who works with graphics and digital images. Some of the main benefits include:
Browsing a photo library, putting all pictures on one screen in thumbnail view and then looking at the pictures on a full screen on the second monitor whereby the picture could be focused and manipulated.
Editing photographs is also much easier by using dual computer monitors. For instance, one monitor can be used for browsing photographs on the internet or through some type of photo library and then with the second screen, photos can be edited using a special software program.
Even staying current with email is a benefit of having two screens on one computer. For home businesses or individuals in corporate America, receiving tons of emails is common. With two screens, someone could display all new emails coming in while the other can be used for other types of work.
The bottom line is that dual pc monitors have a number of advantages for home users or individuals in the marketplace. While the pc speed would not increase, productivity would since the person is better equipped to stay better organized and multi task in a way like never before. This direction has become so popular that it is becoming a normal part of buying a computer and screen.
Today, there are a number of pcs on the market that are engineered to support a dual computer screen without having to pay extra cash or time in getting hardware set up. Consequently, if you have a newer pc, you might already have the capacity to work on two monitors on one computer. To check, look at the back part of the pc where you would see two VGA connectors or DVI connectors, or in some cases, both.
If your computer is not engineered with a port for working on dual computer monitors, then you can go to a local pc or electronics store and purchase the needed hardware. For this, sometimes the hardware is something you could install yourself but often times a professional's help is needed.
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