Sunday, June 29, 2008
Low-Cost Internet Content Filtering
If you manage a small network at the office or even your home you want to protect employee's productivity and your child's nativity. There are many solutions that you can purchase from centralized appliances to software that installed on individual computers.
OpenDNS offers a free, easy-to-use solution. I have used OpenDNS at several locations for quick domain resolution for a couple of years. The advantages of OpenDNS over your ISP DNS servers is that on many occasions the DNS machine at your ISP is most likely a long-forgotten, over-worked box in the corner of the data center. This can slow your web surfing.
In addition to speed, OpenDNS can now also provide content filtering for your network. You go to the OpenDNS.org web site and register for an account. You can then setup your network and filtering options on the site. In addition to filtering, OpenDNS will also track web sites accessed from your network.
Once you have setup your network(s) on the web site you will need to make some changes to your network. The easiest place to make the change is in your DHCP server which will be in your router on small networks. Enter the DNS servers given to you by OpenDNS.
If you have a dynamic IP address, OpenDNS provides a small utility that you can install on a Windows or Mac computer so that OpenDNS can keep track of your changing IP address.
Understand that this is not bullet-proof fix for content-securing your network. A knowledge computer user will know a work-around if they are really intent on finding questionable content on the Internet.
OpenDNS offers a free, easy-to-use solution. I have used OpenDNS at several locations for quick domain resolution for a couple of years. The advantages of OpenDNS over your ISP DNS servers is that on many occasions the DNS machine at your ISP is most likely a long-forgotten, over-worked box in the corner of the data center. This can slow your web surfing.
In addition to speed, OpenDNS can now also provide content filtering for your network. You go to the OpenDNS.org web site and register for an account. You can then setup your network and filtering options on the site. In addition to filtering, OpenDNS will also track web sites accessed from your network.
Once you have setup your network(s) on the web site you will need to make some changes to your network. The easiest place to make the change is in your DHCP server which will be in your router on small networks. Enter the DNS servers given to you by OpenDNS.
If you have a dynamic IP address, OpenDNS provides a small utility that you can install on a Windows or Mac computer so that OpenDNS can keep track of your changing IP address.
Understand that this is not bullet-proof fix for content-securing your network. A knowledge computer user will know a work-around if they are really intent on finding questionable content on the Internet.
Labels: content filtering, network, OpenDNS
Thursday, January 10, 2008
2008 - Year of the Home Server?
I have seen the handwriting on the wall for the past year that this could be the year of the home server. At least many companies hope that it will be the year of the home server. Companies such as Microsoft have developed software and computer vendors such as HP have developed platforms. There are also many new Network Area Storage servers popping up from Galaxy, Netgear, Western Digital, HP, and Maxtor. I think that this trend is in sync with the wave of small computers coming along as well.
A home server and home NAS (Network Area Storage) server are nearly interchangeable terms. Unlike business, these devices will mainly just serve-up files. Business servers frequently serve files, but they may also handle email, web pages, and database hosting.
So do you need a home server? Over the years I have had a few different home servers that mainly served music and video files. I have used everything from Novell Suse Linux to Microsoft Windows Server 2003. At the moment we are between home servers, and the kids do complain about it missing. Even my Dad wanted to know why he could not find our NAS on the network at Christmas. You probably do not know that you need one until you have had one that is no longer available.
Another announcement that will propel this phenomenon is that HP will now offer network and Internet access on all of their high definition television sets as standard. This means you will be able to stream video and audio from your home server. Those that purchase another brand of television or already have a new television set you will be able to purchase a small add-on box from HP that works with nearly any type of television.
Fortunately and also unfortunately like all things tech - there are a wide range of choices in home servers. They run from $129 for plug-and-go boxes from Galaxy to the $745 HP MediaSmart. Like everything else. You get what you pay for in convenience and abilities.
A home server and home NAS (Network Area Storage) server are nearly interchangeable terms. Unlike business, these devices will mainly just serve-up files. Business servers frequently serve files, but they may also handle email, web pages, and database hosting.
So do you need a home server? Over the years I have had a few different home servers that mainly served music and video files. I have used everything from Novell Suse Linux to Microsoft Windows Server 2003. At the moment we are between home servers, and the kids do complain about it missing. Even my Dad wanted to know why he could not find our NAS on the network at Christmas. You probably do not know that you need one until you have had one that is no longer available.
Another announcement that will propel this phenomenon is that HP will now offer network and Internet access on all of their high definition television sets as standard. This means you will be able to stream video and audio from your home server. Those that purchase another brand of television or already have a new television set you will be able to purchase a small add-on box from HP that works with nearly any type of television.
Fortunately and also unfortunately like all things tech - there are a wide range of choices in home servers. They run from $129 for plug-and-go boxes from Galaxy to the $745 HP MediaSmart. Like everything else. You get what you pay for in convenience and abilities.
Labels: home server, Microsoft, network, notebook computer
Monday, November 26, 2007
A, B, G, and N In Your Wireless
If you have ever shopped for a wireless router then you may have noticed that there are different types of wireless protocols beyond just the manufacturers. We will run down the differences and help you make the right choice.
801.11 is the common thread among the four standards. They have been developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). I am glad that we have that out of the way.
The four different protocols are denoted by the letters A, B, G, and N tacked onto the end of 802.11.
A and B were the earliest standards released in 1999. They use separate frequency spectrums and modulation techniques. The "B" protocol allows up to 11 Mbit/s of throughput and the "A" allows up to 54 Mbit/s. The "A" protocol was not really adopted by the wireless device manufactures and "B" is quickly fading into history.
The "G" standard released in 2003 has become the de facto protocol that you will find on store shelves. The throughput speed is up to 54 Mbit/s, and the range is slightly farther than "A". This shares the same frequency spectrum with "B" so you will find most "G" wireless equipment to be backwards-compatible to the "B" protocol.
The "N" standard is the newest protocol on the block. The problem with this standard is that it really does not exist, yet. The wireless manufacturers are taking guesses as to what the final standard will be when it is completed in 2008 or 2009. You may find pre-N and draft-N models on your local store shelves. The throughput of this newest standard is reportedly up to 248 Mbit/s (That is 2.5 times faster than many of today's wired connections). The range is much greater than current standards with distances up to 70 meters.
So what should you purchase? For most that will surfing the web and reading email and only occasionally moving files the current "G" standard is more than sufficient. The "G" protocol routers can be purchased for as low as $35 at big-box retailers. If you will be moving large files in such as watching full-screen movies from an in-home or office file server then the $90+ might be justifiable for the "N" standard. Just remember that all of your equipment must be "N" standard or else the speed will fall back to the "G" standard. Most laptop makers are not taking the plunge to "N" yet so you likely have a "G" built-in wireless card. One more word of warning on using the "N" standard is to stay with one vendor such as Cisco or D-Link because there can be issues with cross-platform compatibility.
801.11 is the common thread among the four standards. They have been developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). I am glad that we have that out of the way.
The four different protocols are denoted by the letters A, B, G, and N tacked onto the end of 802.11.
A and B were the earliest standards released in 1999. They use separate frequency spectrums and modulation techniques. The "B" protocol allows up to 11 Mbit/s of throughput and the "A" allows up to 54 Mbit/s. The "A" protocol was not really adopted by the wireless device manufactures and "B" is quickly fading into history.
The "G" standard released in 2003 has become the de facto protocol that you will find on store shelves. The throughput speed is up to 54 Mbit/s, and the range is slightly farther than "A". This shares the same frequency spectrum with "B" so you will find most "G" wireless equipment to be backwards-compatible to the "B" protocol.
The "N" standard is the newest protocol on the block. The problem with this standard is that it really does not exist, yet. The wireless manufacturers are taking guesses as to what the final standard will be when it is completed in 2008 or 2009. You may find pre-N and draft-N models on your local store shelves. The throughput of this newest standard is reportedly up to 248 Mbit/s (That is 2.5 times faster than many of today's wired connections). The range is much greater than current standards with distances up to 70 meters.
So what should you purchase? For most that will surfing the web and reading email and only occasionally moving files the current "G" standard is more than sufficient. The "G" protocol routers can be purchased for as low as $35 at big-box retailers. If you will be moving large files in such as watching full-screen movies from an in-home or office file server then the $90+ might be justifiable for the "N" standard. Just remember that all of your equipment must be "N" standard or else the speed will fall back to the "G" standard. Most laptop makers are not taking the plunge to "N" yet so you likely have a "G" built-in wireless card. One more word of warning on using the "N" standard is to stay with one vendor such as Cisco or D-Link because there can be issues with cross-platform compatibility.
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