Tech on Tech

Microsoft drops bid for Yahoo

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Sun, 04 May 2008 05:20:00 +0000

Microsoft dropped its bid for Yahoo just after increasing its offer to $33 per share.

Don't count out Microsoft. Indeed, third time may be the charm for Microsoft if Yahoo's stock tanks.

Top 5 Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:40:00 +0000

Check out this article; I can't argue with #5.

Walt Mossberg: Laptop Buyer's Guide

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:19:00 +0000

Fresh off the presses, Walt Mossberg's Laptop Buyer's Guide.

Best CCNP Study Guide: Hop On Board This Train!

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:59:00 +0000

My last post on this subject was almost a year and a half ago. And, in that time, I have not found a better choice for Cisco instruction than Chris Bryant. In fact, things have only gotten better for those with aspirations of becoming certified networking professionals. Indeed, Chris Bryant has partnered with Train Signal to produce, in my opinion, the best Cisco training available today. Period.

The CCNP training, for example, consists of 3 separate courses: BSCI, BCMSN & ONT. Each course contains 2 DVDs, which provide you with both the theory and application of that theory. From the moment you play that first DVD, you are instantly engaged by Chris Bryant's warmth and "Southern Hospitality." The whiteboard lessons are clear, concise and to-the-point; printing them out makes for an excellent guide.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the training is the feeling that Chris Bryant is actually in the room with you at that very moment. During the lab sections of the video, where Chris Bryant connects into real switches to demonstrate the concepts he has just discussed, you can actually hear him typing away at the keyboard in the background. And, further emphasizing my point above that you feel as though Chris Bryant is there with you, he occasionally "fat fingers" a command and has to backspace - this is what happens in the real world and you are watching it live!

Whether you need to brush up your Cisco skills to study for certifications, or to help you get a better understanding of what you are doing at work day-to-day, Train Signal will get you to your destination.

DON'T UPGRADE TO LEOPARD!

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:39:00 +0000

I can't believe I am saying this, but, as an advisory to others, I feel I need to considering the pain I have endured (and am enduring) since I have done so. I am a HUGE Apple fan(atic), as anyone reading these posts knows. Indeed , I took Apple's delay of Leopard in stride because I thought it would only give them more time to make the product better. Sadly, I was wrong. It is unfortunate that such a wonderful product as the Mac OS had to take a backseat to the iPhone, but, to make matters worse, it seems the product was released much too soon.

To enumerate the problems I have experienced since upgrading to Leopard:

My Macbook freezes more than half the time after waking from sleep; all I see is that darned spinning beach ball and my keyboard is frozen. I can, interestingly, move my mouse cursor.
My battery life has gone from a solid 3+ hours to less than 1 hour.

These are the major problems and, from reading the posts online, it doesn't appear that I am alone.

I would appreciate any feedback here, since I am sure others are in the same boat. Unfortunately, it seems that this issue is related to Leopard and unless and until Apple gets things right here we are all going to suffer. So, we need to make sure our collective voices are heard.

Roboform for the iPhone and iTouch

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:15:00 +0000

I have talked quite often about 1Password and why it is much more than just a "RoboForm for the Mac." Indeed, if you have an iPhone and/or iTouch, you need 1Password. And, here is what you need to know.

MacBook Air: First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:40:00 +0000

Apple has introduced its thinnest laptop yet and Walt Mossberg had some first impressions.

Farewell Netscape

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:54:00 +0000

Anyone old enough to remember what it was like before the Internet certainly understands the significant role Netscape played in making the Internet what it is today. Consider this: today Microsoft IE has about 77% of the browser market; at its peak, Netscape had about 90%! And, let's not forget Netscape's impact on the stock market either - what an IPO!

But, alas, all good things come to an end. Let's remember the good times!

A moment of silence, please.

Mac Buying Guides

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:49:00 +0000

It's Christmas time! Yes, the obligatory iPods, iPhones and iTouches will be on many a Wish List. But, don't forget about the Mac. With Leopard just out of its cage, the Mac is firing on all cylinders. Hey, who doesn't love those commercials! For those of you still on the fence - you want to make the switch, but aren't quite ready - here is some information for you.

First, check out Walt Mossberg's Mac FAQ. If that doesn't get you running out to buy a Mac, take a look at this.

If you need an idea for a Stocking Stuffer, look no further than 1Password.

Cisco Tip: CatOS to IOS Configuration Conversion Tool

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Anyone who works with switches has, most likely, come across both the hybrid and native types. For those unfamiliar with these terms, native refers to a switch running only IOS. Hybrid, on the other hand, refers to a switch where the Supervisor runs CatOS and the MSFC runs IOS. When converting from hybrid to native, not only do you need to ensure the switch is running IOS software but you need to ensure the configuration is IOS-based as well. To that end, it helps to have a CatOS to IOS Configuration Conversion Tool.

NOTE: You will need a CCO account to download this tool.

1Password 2.5 Released

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:53:00 +0000

If you are a regular reader, you will know that my favorite Mac application (and my first must have app once I switched to the Mac from the PC) is 1Password. Yes, 1Password, as the name of the application was changed from 1Passwd with the release of 2.5.

Version 2.5, along with many great new additions, includes support for Leopard. In addition, soon-to-be-released is a new service called my1Password that helps you access your 1Password data anywhere!

It just keeps getting better and better!

Cisco Tip: do command

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:27:00 +0000

It's happened to all of us - we are in the middle of configuring our L3 switch or router and we can't continue until verifying some other information with a show command. In the past, we would CTRL-Z out of what we were doing, use our show command(s) and then go back into config mode. What a pain!

These days, assuming you are running a current IOS, you can merely use the do command from config mode (or any other submode) in order to run your show commands.

Here is an example from CCO.....

Router(config)# do show interfaces serial 3/0
Serial3/0 is up, line protocol is up
Hardware is M8T-RS232
MTU 1500 bytes, BW 1544 Kbit, DLY 20000 usec, rely 255/255, load 1/255
Encapsulation HDLC, loopback not set, keepalive set (10 sec)
Last input never, output 1d17h, output hang never
Last clearing of "show interface" counters never

Cisco Tip: Cisco Catalyst Switch Guide

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:42:00 +0000

If you don't already have a copy of the Cisco Catalyst Switch Guide saved to your desktop and/or flash drive, download a copy now!

Very handy!

NOTE: You will need a CCO account to download the guide.

Roboform for the Mac: 1Passwd (Revisited)

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:16:00 +0000

It seems to be the consensus that, on the Mac, 1Passwd is nonpareil. However, recently I received some comments on one of my posts about 1Passwd and how it compares to Robform. Therefore, I would like to bring to everyone's attention a wonderful application called AllBookmarks by the creators of 1Passwd. Using AllBookmarks , you can create drop-down menus in a similar manner as to Roboform; further, these menus work across multiple browsers so your access to your bookmarks is seamless. Alternatively, you can create 1Click Login bookmarks with 1Passwd, which create drop-down menus quite similar to those used in Roboform.

If this isn't convenient enough for you, a web version of 1Passwd is soon-to-be-released for the ultimate in portability.

With AllBookmarks, 1Click Login bookmarks and this new web version, 1Passwd is a Roboform for the Mac - and then some!

InformationWeek Recommends 1Passwd

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:16:00 +0000

As more and more people have been switching to Macs, I have not been surprised to see the number of people searching for roboform alternatives increase. Indeed, "roboform for Mac" searches are typically one of the first you see among Mac switchers. Fortunately, for me and many others, we have not had to search long or far since 1Passwd was there to meet all of our needs and then some. Thus, it was no surprise that Macworld was soon echoing the same positive feedback that I had been seeing for months all over the web. But, it was quite a surprise to see InformationWeek, an industry trade journal, chime in as well. Some apps you can't live without and, indeed, wish were built into the OS. 1Passwd, for sure, is one of those apps.

L2 Switch Pre/Post Migration Checkout Commands (CatOS/IOS)

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:56:00 +0000

Here are some commands to use on L2 switches (CatOS/IOS) during pre/post checkouts of your migrations. These commands are not listed in any particular order; indeed, all that matters is that they are all executed and that their output is logged.

CatOS
====
sho ver
sho mod
dir
dir disk0:
sho config
sho port stat
sho trunk
sho port channel
sho cam dy
sho port trap
sho vtp domain
sho vlan
sho interface

IOS
===
sho ver
sho run
sho ip int brief
sho int status
sho mac-address-table dy
sho mac-address-table aging
sho vtp stat
sho vlan brief
dir
sho tech

This list is just a suggestion and comments for addition (or subtraction!) are welcome.

iPhone and Latte: A Perfect Combination

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:36:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, you could walk by any of the thousands of Starbucks and see people typing away furiously at their MacBooks and MacBook Pros, many with iPhone in hand or on neck. It was a typical scene, no big deal. Last week, however, things changed in a big way when Apple and Starbucks struck a huge deal. Going forward, when you enter a Starbucks with your iPhone, iPod Touch or laptop, your device will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high speed Wi-Fi wireless network. Starbucks customers will be able to preview millions of songs for free, including a new "Now Playing" service that displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment.

Apple lowers iPhone price $200

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:18:00 +0000

Last Wednesday, Apple slashed the price of its 8-gig iPhone to $399 from $599, the price thousands rushed to pay in June. In addition, Apple announced that the 4-gig iPhone will be phased out. In July, I stated that we would know if the $599 spent for an iPhone was money well spent once the iPhone was activated. Well, it seems the initial activation kinks have been worked out; however, whether or not the $599 was money well spent - in light of this recent price cut from Apple - is something each person must decide for themselves.

Roboform for the Mac

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:09:00 +0000

Is there a Roboform for the Mac? Not yet, but plenty of people are searching for a Roboform for the Mac or something that will do a comparable job. In several earlier posts I have sung the praises of 1Passwd, a Mac password manager and form filler. When I switched from the PC to the Mac, the first search I did in Google was "Roboform for Mac." Fortunately for me, I came across 1Passwd and I couldn't imagine using my Mac without it! 1Passwd even allowed me to import all of my Roboform passcards - it doesn't get much better than that!

If you currently use Roboform on the PC and have switched to the Mac - no worries! 1Passwd is your solution.

iPhone Unlocked! Kudos to George Hotz

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:18:00 +0000

Kudos to George Hotz who, in case you haven't watched cable news the last couple of days, is the FIRST to unlock the iPhone and make it accessible to other GSM carriers. To me, what makes this story so interesting and compelling is not the unlocking of the iPhone itself, but, rather, George Hotz's truly admirable belief that information should be free.

I guess it's a good thing Tim Berners-Lee felt the same way as George!

Network Tip: Best Online Subnet Calculator - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 20:53:00 +0000

I am learning that, in technology, "best" is a most ephemeral adjective; more appropriate would be "best at the moment." And, indeed, "moment" can seemingly be of quite a short duration. Thus, it would be a disservice for me not to bring attention to another online subnet calculator I came across at, fittingly, subnet-calculator.com

Beyond the standard IP subnet calculator, subnet-calculator.com provides you with - are you sitting down? - a wildcard mask calculator and a CIDR calculator. Anyone who deals with access-lists and/or OSPF will relish having that wildcard mask calculator.

Yes, this is the best online subnet calculator I have come across - at the moment!

Tech on Tech Plusmo Widget

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:07:00 +0000

Anyone with a smartphone, and yes, even an iPhone, can now keep up with the latest on Tech on Tech. Indeed, someone was nice enough, I just discovered, to add this blog as a Plusmo Widget.

Just go to Plusmo and then Add a Widget; in the search bar enter "Tech on Tech"

Thank you!

Network Tip: Private Internet Addresses (RFC 1918)

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:40:00 +0000

If you have a home router, you probably are familiar with the 192.168.x.x network; this is one of the 3 reserved blocks of private addresses as specified under RFC 1918.

The reserved private address blocks are as follows:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (10/8 prefix)
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (172.16/12 prefix)
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (192.168/16 prefix)

Private addresses are non-routable (i.e. not used on the Internet) addresses.

Network Tip: Best Online Subnet Calculator

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:09:00 +0000

When working in networking, you will inevitably have to determine the addressing (or, often, re-addressing) of the devices with which you are working. While it is good to understand the basics of binary math, it is better to have handy a good (or, better, great) subnet calculator. Some time ago, I recommended the SolarWinds subnet calculator; now, I would like to recommend a web subnet calculator for those times when you don't have access to your SolarWinds calculator. If you head over to SubnetOnline, you will find a bevy of great resources, such as subnetting guides and, of course, subnetting calculators. SubnetOnline's subnet calculator is particularly helpful because it provides you with exactly the information you need when you enter in your host IP address: start and end host addresses, network and broadcast addresses, max. # of hosts and more!

If you need to subnet, bookmark this calculator; I have added it to my Links section as well.

1Passwd on the iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (rdauman) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:38:00 +0000

For those of you who use 1Passwd - and especially for those of you who don't - check out Dave Teare's (1Passwd co-author) interview on MacApper.

If you are an iPhone user you will want to read this!