Yeah, if we put it there..
http://www.google.com/virgle/index.html
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
How to tip at a restruant and a bar.
I have been eating out a lot lately and I have noticed service on a large range from down right undeserving and horrible to outstandingly amazing. This broad range of quality of service can be seen within the same restaurant too. The tip that we leave, is always determined in a whispered, frantic, discussion between me and my girlfriend at the table. So I've decided to come up with some kind of scoring system to easily judge how much of a tip the waitress or waiter deserves, not based off what percentage people think is enough. Now before you go and curse at your computer screen and say that I'm a tight-wad person, read this example of poor service.
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One evening me and my girlfriend went to a well known, very popular local seafood restaurant in our home town. She doesn't usually eat very much so we usually just share one order of whatever we feel like eating. She's full, I'm full, and we're happy and saved money. So this particular night we did our usual order of 2 drinks, and 1 meal. We get the bill and notice an added 18% gratuity to the bill. The waitress didn't do an outstanding job. She was kind of rude to me and smarted off in a jokingly way, but that doesn't mean I tolerate that kind of thing. She brought two plates and then the food on a third. We only needed two plates including the one with the food on it. So my girlfriend gave her one of the empty plates back, and then I gave my girlfriend the other empty plate. The waitress said "she doesn't want that, she just gave me hers." I wanted to tell her to shut up that I know what my girlfriend wants, but I bit my tongue because I was very hungry and didn't want her to shit in my tartar sauce I asked her to bring me.
The place wasn't very packed. Maybe 5 tables were sat and we got our food rather quickly... but undercooked. My girlfriend actually had an allergic reaction to the crawfish because it wasn't cooked enough. However, that was much later into the night that we noticed that. So we get our bill... and there is the 18% gratuity added to it. I thought to myself, "Did we cripple kitchen production? Did we have to get tables moved together? Did we have a party of 5 or more?" No. No we had one order of fried shrimp and crawfish on one plate for two people. The waitress was rude, unprofessional, and I always seem to get the same bitch every time I go there. I was very upset that this was automatically added to the bill. That restaurant will never see our business again.
To show the waitress, whom didn't seem to come back to the table after she ditched her free ride tip bill off to us, how much I was upset; I didn't pay it. I mean... I paid for the food, but I left exactly 18% less money than the total of the bill. I wonder if they will take her tip out of her tips. Yeah, because that made sense...
So the next time we went eat out was at one of the local truck-stop diners. I didn't leave a tip that time either, because the woman didn't even say anything when she walked up to the table. She just stared at us like we were gonna shoot her cat after we were done eating. She walked up to the table, and fucking stared at us. Plain and simple. I said "uh... she wants a dr. pepper with no ice, and i want a coke." She scribbled some shit on the paper and left. That right there is a damned insult. What the fuck are you doing waiting tables if you can't even say hello? To make a short story shorter... it took her 10 minutes to return with the drinks, and another 45 minutes to bring the food, which was hot, surprisingly enough. Her tip - $0.00. For not saying a fucking word, not coming check on us when I needed some more ketchup, coke, and dr. pepper, and plopping the plates down. How do you plop someone's plate down on the table? What the fuck is wrong with you? I'd hate to see how you put your kids to bed.
The scoring system: Restaurants
They'll start off with a 20% tip. That's very generous but let's take a look at the things that will fuck that all up.
Sitting at the table: Some do this when they take an order. You get, no tip. - And you better hope I don't have a straw yet, cuz I will shoot the paper of it at you when you walk away, bitch, don't invade my personal space.
Screwing up the drink order: To me, this is the most important part of a meal. I don't want to eat a steak, and then drink milk. So don't screw my drink order up. If you do, you're only getting 10%. You're not gonna get shit if you don't fix it.
Screwing up the food order: This includes not cooked all the way, wrong food, or cold food. If you do this, you get 5%. I go to specific restaurants for a specific food, not to try new things at your leisure.
Assuming you can keep the change: If the total is say, $34.75 and I give you 2 $20 bills. DO NOT assume you can keep the change. I will speak to the manager, and I will try to get your fired with some sad story of why I needed that money. I know its dishonest, but there is no blow lower. If you want a tip, do you job right with a smile on your face, be nice and don't fuck up, and you'll get tips. Stealing gets you in jail. Offer to bring my change back to me and I'll say you can have it, or I'll just leave it on the table with more money or whatever.
The Bars -
Tipping at a bar is simple. $1 for every beer you buy, and $2 for every mixed drink. Bartenders put up with a lot of shit. I didn't realize this until I actually started to date one. It is VERY rare that a bartender is rude, or untimely. It's a fast paced environment with rapid customer turn over rates. I WANT my bartender to be as fast as humanly possible and say as little as possible unless I ask a question about a drink or some shit. Bartenders have to hear sob stories, get hit on, have rude comments made toward them, and they are all done by drunken idiots. Most bars don't allow them to drink or even talk on the phone, they are there to be your alcohol slave.
Which brings me to an important cardinal rule for bars and restaurants.
Don't fuck with the people who handle your food/drinks.
They can and WILL fuck your shit up royally. I've seen it done over and over and it can get ugly. Just remember, you can't taste vinegar when you're already drunk, and saliva is tasteless on a burger. You've been warned.
---
One evening me and my girlfriend went to a well known, very popular local seafood restaurant in our home town. She doesn't usually eat very much so we usually just share one order of whatever we feel like eating. She's full, I'm full, and we're happy and saved money. So this particular night we did our usual order of 2 drinks, and 1 meal. We get the bill and notice an added 18% gratuity to the bill. The waitress didn't do an outstanding job. She was kind of rude to me and smarted off in a jokingly way, but that doesn't mean I tolerate that kind of thing. She brought two plates and then the food on a third. We only needed two plates including the one with the food on it. So my girlfriend gave her one of the empty plates back, and then I gave my girlfriend the other empty plate. The waitress said "she doesn't want that, she just gave me hers." I wanted to tell her to shut up that I know what my girlfriend wants, but I bit my tongue because I was very hungry and didn't want her to shit in my tartar sauce I asked her to bring me.
The place wasn't very packed. Maybe 5 tables were sat and we got our food rather quickly... but undercooked. My girlfriend actually had an allergic reaction to the crawfish because it wasn't cooked enough. However, that was much later into the night that we noticed that. So we get our bill... and there is the 18% gratuity added to it. I thought to myself, "Did we cripple kitchen production? Did we have to get tables moved together? Did we have a party of 5 or more?" No. No we had one order of fried shrimp and crawfish on one plate for two people. The waitress was rude, unprofessional, and I always seem to get the same bitch every time I go there. I was very upset that this was automatically added to the bill. That restaurant will never see our business again.
To show the waitress, whom didn't seem to come back to the table after she ditched her free ride tip bill off to us, how much I was upset; I didn't pay it. I mean... I paid for the food, but I left exactly 18% less money than the total of the bill. I wonder if they will take her tip out of her tips. Yeah, because that made sense...
So the next time we went eat out was at one of the local truck-stop diners. I didn't leave a tip that time either, because the woman didn't even say anything when she walked up to the table. She just stared at us like we were gonna shoot her cat after we were done eating. She walked up to the table, and fucking stared at us. Plain and simple. I said "uh... she wants a dr. pepper with no ice, and i want a coke." She scribbled some shit on the paper and left. That right there is a damned insult. What the fuck are you doing waiting tables if you can't even say hello? To make a short story shorter... it took her 10 minutes to return with the drinks, and another 45 minutes to bring the food, which was hot, surprisingly enough. Her tip - $0.00. For not saying a fucking word, not coming check on us when I needed some more ketchup, coke, and dr. pepper, and plopping the plates down. How do you plop someone's plate down on the table? What the fuck is wrong with you? I'd hate to see how you put your kids to bed.
The scoring system: Restaurants
They'll start off with a 20% tip. That's very generous but let's take a look at the things that will fuck that all up.
Sitting at the table: Some do this when they take an order. You get, no tip. - And you better hope I don't have a straw yet, cuz I will shoot the paper of it at you when you walk away, bitch, don't invade my personal space.
Screwing up the drink order: To me, this is the most important part of a meal. I don't want to eat a steak, and then drink milk. So don't screw my drink order up. If you do, you're only getting 10%. You're not gonna get shit if you don't fix it.
Screwing up the food order: This includes not cooked all the way, wrong food, or cold food. If you do this, you get 5%. I go to specific restaurants for a specific food, not to try new things at your leisure.
Assuming you can keep the change: If the total is say, $34.75 and I give you 2 $20 bills. DO NOT assume you can keep the change. I will speak to the manager, and I will try to get your fired with some sad story of why I needed that money. I know its dishonest, but there is no blow lower. If you want a tip, do you job right with a smile on your face, be nice and don't fuck up, and you'll get tips. Stealing gets you in jail. Offer to bring my change back to me and I'll say you can have it, or I'll just leave it on the table with more money or whatever.
The Bars -
Tipping at a bar is simple. $1 for every beer you buy, and $2 for every mixed drink. Bartenders put up with a lot of shit. I didn't realize this until I actually started to date one. It is VERY rare that a bartender is rude, or untimely. It's a fast paced environment with rapid customer turn over rates. I WANT my bartender to be as fast as humanly possible and say as little as possible unless I ask a question about a drink or some shit. Bartenders have to hear sob stories, get hit on, have rude comments made toward them, and they are all done by drunken idiots. Most bars don't allow them to drink or even talk on the phone, they are there to be your alcohol slave.
Which brings me to an important cardinal rule for bars and restaurants.
Don't fuck with the people who handle your food/drinks.
They can and WILL fuck your shit up royally. I've seen it done over and over and it can get ugly. Just remember, you can't taste vinegar when you're already drunk, and saliva is tasteless on a burger. You've been warned.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
When I was just a kid, maybe around 4 years old or so, I woke up on the night of December 24th to a noise I had never heard before in the middle of the night. The way my parents house is designed is that when I opened my bedroom door, you can see into an office that was part of the living room. But a semi-section of wall blocked view from the living room to my bedroom. In order to see in the living room you had to walk into the office a little bit, or travel back up the hallway toward the bathroom and enter the living room there...
So here I am, 6 years old, and I want to know what this noise was. So I got up and went investigate. Being a huge fan of police forces, military and James Bond... i was trained. I was like a shadow ninja so that whoever, or whatever, didn't hear me, or see me coming. I was used to slow crawling up to my cats and walking around as not to wake them. I was good at this shit.
When I got my full view of the living room my heart sunk. I saw my father there eating Santa's cookie, my mom was drinking some of the milk and then she screwed around with the fireguard on the fireplace as to make it look like a 350lb man could fit through that tiny hole. Dad then brought in a few more presents that look like Dillard's boxes wrapped in your local 99 cent store wrapping paper.
"What the..." is what I thought as I came to a crashing realization that Santa is not real. That bastard Santa wasn't the one who kept bringing me navy blue slacks, socks, ink pens, and pencil erasers on Christmas... it was my parents! I went back to my room and stayed awake all night running this over in my head. No Santa? No Reindeer? That means... no Eastern Bunny either. Which explains the huge amount of candy in the basket being everything my mom loves to pig out on. She still put out Easter baskets for me well into my 20's. She did this because, that's what she does. She has a hard time dealing with change, and loosing something. She was loosing me as the innocent kid she once had, and I've changed from what I used to be, into someone who is stronger than even myself had ever imagined I could be. All those years of my mom putting out the Easter basket for me, has led her to become what the doctor says is "borderline diabetic". Too many sweets will do this to you. It's wrong to steal candy from me, regardless of when I was a child or not... I'll hurt you.
I've strayed off course...
A lot of you don't mind getting socks and ugly navy blue slacks for Christmas. That's fine. Pens and Pencils make you tingle? Good. Just keep it to yourself. I was pissed off. I raised hell every year after that about getting slacks, socks or some other stupid non-toy item. Bring me a bike, a Nintendo, an RC Car for fucks-sake! I even threatened to my mom that I would skin Santa Clause alive. Yes, even after I knew that Santa was irreversibly my father. No, I would not have skinned my dad. Sicko.
One year, my mom left a sales receipt on the table after she got back from what she said was "Christmas Shopping". Yet again, clothes, clothes, socks, clothes.... PENCIL ERASERS!? What the hell have I done to make this woman think that I'm totally IN LOVE with pencil erasers? It was time for a full deployment of resources, a battalion of insults, and a swift execution plan.
I waited till my parents went to bed that Christmas Eve. I made sure I sneaked enough coca-cola to be WIRED awake by that time. Sure enough, I was. I had cat-like hearing in that old house, my footsteps were unheard even to the cats... walked right passed two of them. I crept across the living room at what seemed to be 1/2 the speed of molasses moving uphill on a cold day. And I planted my bomb. It was a bag. A duffel bag full of all the slacks, socks, erasers, paperclips, and uniball ink-pens were contained within. On the outside of the bag I left a "Return to Sender" address label I found on my dad's desk, and a small note that said "Dear Santa, you don't have to bring me this anymore. I'm sure that if I needed them that bad, my mom and dad would buy them for me throughout the rest of the year." I let out a very faint chuckle reading over the note before I bolted. I sneaked out the living room, careful not to step on the cats, and went into my room and laid next to the door with the door locked, and my ear under the door, next to the floor so I could hear.
Now the slick execution. I gave the wall, right next to the door, a quick hard jab. Enough to make the sound travel throughout the house, but not enough to cause alarm. It worked, my parents woke up and thought it was me, but they checked the living room to see the bag instead of heading directly to my room. My door was locked, so they couldn't just barge in. The knocked and called my name... but I didn't respond with anything but a fake snore. I climbed back into bed, and fell asleep. The next morning I awoke to a Nintendo 64, a brand new mountain bike, more lego's than I knew what to do with and a $100 gift certificate to Toys -R- Us from Sant.... MY DAD?!?! Wow... I must have struck a nerve, that never happened before. Christmas was mighty fine this year... mighty fine.
-----------------
So that is the story of when I found out Santa wasn't real, and what I did about it. Unfortunately the very next year I was back to my ugly floss and erasing expeditions.
So here I am, 6 years old, and I want to know what this noise was. So I got up and went investigate. Being a huge fan of police forces, military and James Bond... i was trained. I was like a shadow ninja so that whoever, or whatever, didn't hear me, or see me coming. I was used to slow crawling up to my cats and walking around as not to wake them. I was good at this shit.
When I got my full view of the living room my heart sunk. I saw my father there eating Santa's cookie, my mom was drinking some of the milk and then she screwed around with the fireguard on the fireplace as to make it look like a 350lb man could fit through that tiny hole. Dad then brought in a few more presents that look like Dillard's boxes wrapped in your local 99 cent store wrapping paper.
"What the..." is what I thought as I came to a crashing realization that Santa is not real. That bastard Santa wasn't the one who kept bringing me navy blue slacks, socks, ink pens, and pencil erasers on Christmas... it was my parents! I went back to my room and stayed awake all night running this over in my head. No Santa? No Reindeer? That means... no Eastern Bunny either. Which explains the huge amount of candy in the basket being everything my mom loves to pig out on. She still put out Easter baskets for me well into my 20's. She did this because, that's what she does. She has a hard time dealing with change, and loosing something. She was loosing me as the innocent kid she once had, and I've changed from what I used to be, into someone who is stronger than even myself had ever imagined I could be. All those years of my mom putting out the Easter basket for me, has led her to become what the doctor says is "borderline diabetic". Too many sweets will do this to you. It's wrong to steal candy from me, regardless of when I was a child or not... I'll hurt you.
I've strayed off course...
A lot of you don't mind getting socks and ugly navy blue slacks for Christmas. That's fine. Pens and Pencils make you tingle? Good. Just keep it to yourself. I was pissed off. I raised hell every year after that about getting slacks, socks or some other stupid non-toy item. Bring me a bike, a Nintendo, an RC Car for fucks-sake! I even threatened to my mom that I would skin Santa Clause alive. Yes, even after I knew that Santa was irreversibly my father. No, I would not have skinned my dad. Sicko.
One year, my mom left a sales receipt on the table after she got back from what she said was "Christmas Shopping". Yet again, clothes, clothes, socks, clothes.... PENCIL ERASERS!? What the hell have I done to make this woman think that I'm totally IN LOVE with pencil erasers? It was time for a full deployment of resources, a battalion of insults, and a swift execution plan.
I waited till my parents went to bed that Christmas Eve. I made sure I sneaked enough coca-cola to be WIRED awake by that time. Sure enough, I was. I had cat-like hearing in that old house, my footsteps were unheard even to the cats... walked right passed two of them. I crept across the living room at what seemed to be 1/2 the speed of molasses moving uphill on a cold day. And I planted my bomb. It was a bag. A duffel bag full of all the slacks, socks, erasers, paperclips, and uniball ink-pens were contained within. On the outside of the bag I left a "Return to Sender" address label I found on my dad's desk, and a small note that said "Dear Santa, you don't have to bring me this anymore. I'm sure that if I needed them that bad, my mom and dad would buy them for me throughout the rest of the year." I let out a very faint chuckle reading over the note before I bolted. I sneaked out the living room, careful not to step on the cats, and went into my room and laid next to the door with the door locked, and my ear under the door, next to the floor so I could hear.
Now the slick execution. I gave the wall, right next to the door, a quick hard jab. Enough to make the sound travel throughout the house, but not enough to cause alarm. It worked, my parents woke up and thought it was me, but they checked the living room to see the bag instead of heading directly to my room. My door was locked, so they couldn't just barge in. The knocked and called my name... but I didn't respond with anything but a fake snore. I climbed back into bed, and fell asleep. The next morning I awoke to a Nintendo 64, a brand new mountain bike, more lego's than I knew what to do with and a $100 gift certificate to Toys -R- Us from Sant.... MY DAD?!?! Wow... I must have struck a nerve, that never happened before. Christmas was mighty fine this year... mighty fine.
-----------------
So that is the story of when I found out Santa wasn't real, and what I did about it. Unfortunately the very next year I was back to my ugly floss and erasing expeditions.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Guide Review - Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 Ultraportable Laptop
3/3/08 – The Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 had a number of updated features over the previous P7000 series in a number of different ways. The most notable of these is the larger 12.1” LCD display that increases the overall size of the system. It is no longer a system that tends to be cramped for extended use. Of course, the extra space also means that it is larger and heavier than previous models.
One nice upgrade for the LifeBook P8010 is the use of the newer Intel Core 2 Duo SL7100 low voltage processor. This finally brings the P series to dual core processors across its whole product line. This gives it a significant boot in performance from the older system but it isn't as fast as many competiting ultraportables. The 1GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory also holds it back somewhat as most are moving to 2GB. Thankfully the system uses the less memory intensive Windows XP Professional operating system over Vista.
Storage space has been increased in the LifeBook P8010 to a respectable 120GB of storage space. This isn't as large as some on the market but provides a good middle ground between the performance of the system and storage space. As always, the LifeBook P series includes an optical drive that isn't as unique as it once was in the ultraportable market. The dual layer DVD burner allows it to record or playback CDs and DVDs.
Another puzzling design decision is the use of the date Type II PC Card slot over the much faster and more flexible ExpressCard designs. This apparently is more for compatibility with older expansion cards than future expansion. That is probably the best way to sum up the experience of the LifeBook P8010 as a system that tried to update but falls short by relying on the past.
One nice upgrade for the LifeBook P8010 is the use of the newer Intel Core 2 Duo SL7100 low voltage processor. This finally brings the P series to dual core processors across its whole product line. This gives it a significant boot in performance from the older system but it isn't as fast as many competiting ultraportables. The 1GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory also holds it back somewhat as most are moving to 2GB. Thankfully the system uses the less memory intensive Windows XP Professional operating system over Vista.
Storage space has been increased in the LifeBook P8010 to a respectable 120GB of storage space. This isn't as large as some on the market but provides a good middle ground between the performance of the system and storage space. As always, the LifeBook P series includes an optical drive that isn't as unique as it once was in the ultraportable market. The dual layer DVD burner allows it to record or playback CDs and DVDs.
Another puzzling design decision is the use of the date Type II PC Card slot over the much faster and more flexible ExpressCard designs. This apparently is more for compatibility with older expansion cards than future expansion. That is probably the best way to sum up the experience of the LifeBook P8010 as a system that tried to update but falls short by relying on the past.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Houma's Image in the Media
Why is it that every time Houma makes the news, we are made fun of? Anyone who is native to Houma knows that this place is not all idiots and morons. Granted, there are a lot of them, but no different from any other place in the country. This is a rant, buckle up.
The next time I see Houma on television depicting this place as a low-income, under-educated area, I'm going to start a class-action lawsuit against that person(s) who claimed the such. I am a very educated person graduating high school with a 3.4gpa missing honors by a tenth of a point. I don't have to resort to shrimping to make ends meet, I don't have to live in filth because it's all I can afford. I drive a BMW and a Mercedez-Benz. The icing on the cake is that there are thousands of people here more educated than I am that make a significantly larger amount of money than I do. More so than undereducated, its a lifestyle. One that most of this shit-hole country can't understand. Why does this country feel the need to make fun of every aspect of our lives? I am not a true cajun person, but I can speak whole-heartedly for those who are. I'm 100% German and I love this place. Anyone can love this place. No where will you find friendlier people, better food, and nicer environments.
You make fun of us because we eat Crawfish. Or as you call them, crawdads, mudbugs, crayfish. At least we cook the shit first you fish-egg eatting faggots. (I'm in no way against the gay population.)
I searched youtube.com and found this video that depicts images of despair and uneducated resisdents. NONE of which are from Houma. Look for yourself.
You can see the sameoleguy comments left on the video, if they haven't been erased.
I want to do something to get us heard, known and appreciated for what we mainly do for this country. Supply it's oil. Now it's your turn to rant. Cock that verbal pistal and let her rip.
The next time I see Houma on television depicting this place as a low-income, under-educated area, I'm going to start a class-action lawsuit against that person(s) who claimed the such. I am a very educated person graduating high school with a 3.4gpa missing honors by a tenth of a point. I don't have to resort to shrimping to make ends meet, I don't have to live in filth because it's all I can afford. I drive a BMW and a Mercedez-Benz. The icing on the cake is that there are thousands of people here more educated than I am that make a significantly larger amount of money than I do. More so than undereducated, its a lifestyle. One that most of this shit-hole country can't understand. Why does this country feel the need to make fun of every aspect of our lives? I am not a true cajun person, but I can speak whole-heartedly for those who are. I'm 100% German and I love this place. Anyone can love this place. No where will you find friendlier people, better food, and nicer environments.
You make fun of us because we eat Crawfish. Or as you call them, crawdads, mudbugs, crayfish. At least we cook the shit first you fish-egg eatting faggots. (I'm in no way against the gay population.)
I searched youtube.com and found this video that depicts images of despair and uneducated resisdents. NONE of which are from Houma. Look for yourself.
You can see the sameoleguy comments left on the video, if they haven't been erased.
I want to do something to get us heard, known and appreciated for what we mainly do for this country. Supply it's oil. Now it's your turn to rant. Cock that verbal pistal and let her rip.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Methods for networking two computers.
Methods for networking two computers.
The simplest kind of home network contains exactly two computers. You can use this kind of network to share files, a printer or another peripheral device, and even an Internet connection. To connect two computers for sharing these and other network resources, consider the options described below.
Connecting Two Computers Directly With Cable
The traditional method to network two computers involves making a dedicated link by plugging one cable into the two systems. Several alternatives exist for networking two computers in this manner:
* Ethernet crossover cable
* Null modem serial cable or parallel peripheral cable
* Special-purpose USB cables
Ethernet - Of the above choices, the Ethernet method is preferred as it supports a reliable, high-speed connection with minimal configuration required.
Additionally, Ethernet technology offers the most general-purpose solution, allowing networks with more than two computers to be built fairly easily later. If one of your computers possesses an Ethernet adapter but the other has USB, an Ethernet crossover cable can still be used by first plugging a USB-to-Ethernet converter unit into the computer's USB port.
Serial and parallel - This type of cabling, called Direct Cable Connection (DCC) when using Microsoft Windows, offers lower performance but offers the same basic functionality as Ethernet cables. You may prefer this option if you have such cables readily available and network speed is not a concern. Serial and parallel cables are never used to network more than two computers.
USB - Ordinary USB cables must not be used to connect two computers directly to each other. Attempting to do so can electrically damage the computers! However, special USB cables designed for direct connection exist that can be used safely. You may prefer this option over others if your computers lack functional Ethernet network adapters.
To make dedicated connections with Ethernet, USB, serial or parallel cables requires
1. each computer have a functioning network interface with an external jack for the cable, and
2. the network settings on each computer appropriately configured
One phone line or power cord cannot be used to directly connect two computers to each other for networking.
The simplest kind of home network contains exactly two computers. You can use this kind of network to share files, a printer or another peripheral device, and even an Internet connection. To connect two computers for sharing these and other network resources, consider the options described below.
Connecting Two Computers Directly With Cable
The traditional method to network two computers involves making a dedicated link by plugging one cable into the two systems. Several alternatives exist for networking two computers in this manner:
* Ethernet crossover cable
* Null modem serial cable or parallel peripheral cable
* Special-purpose USB cables
Ethernet - Of the above choices, the Ethernet method is preferred as it supports a reliable, high-speed connection with minimal configuration required.
Additionally, Ethernet technology offers the most general-purpose solution, allowing networks with more than two computers to be built fairly easily later. If one of your computers possesses an Ethernet adapter but the other has USB, an Ethernet crossover cable can still be used by first plugging a USB-to-Ethernet converter unit into the computer's USB port.
Serial and parallel - This type of cabling, called Direct Cable Connection (DCC) when using Microsoft Windows, offers lower performance but offers the same basic functionality as Ethernet cables. You may prefer this option if you have such cables readily available and network speed is not a concern. Serial and parallel cables are never used to network more than two computers.
USB - Ordinary USB cables must not be used to connect two computers directly to each other. Attempting to do so can electrically damage the computers! However, special USB cables designed for direct connection exist that can be used safely. You may prefer this option over others if your computers lack functional Ethernet network adapters.
To make dedicated connections with Ethernet, USB, serial or parallel cables requires
1. each computer have a functioning network interface with an external jack for the cable, and
2. the network settings on each computer appropriately configured
One phone line or power cord cannot be used to directly connect two computers to each other for networking.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
10 Tips for Wireless Home Network Security
Many folks setting up wireless home networks rush through the job to get their Internet connectivity working as quickly as possible. That's totally understandable. It's also quite risky as numerous security problems can result. Today's Wi-Fi networking products don't always help the situation as configuring their security features can be time-consuming and non-intuitive. The recommendations below summarize the steps you should take to improve the security of your home wireless network.
1. Change Default Administrator Passwords (and Usernames)
At the core of most Wi-Fi home networks is an access point or router. To set up these pieces of equipment, manufacturers provide Web pages that allow owners to enter their network address and account information. These Web tools are protected with a login screen (username and password) so that only the rightful owner can do this. However, for any given piece of equipment, the logins provided are simple and very well-known to hackers on the Internet. Change these settings immediately.
2. Turn on (Compatible) WPA / WEP Encryption
All Wi-Fi equipment supports some form of encryption. Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that they cannot be easily read by humans. Several encryption technologies exist for Wi-Fi today. Naturally you will want to pick the strongest form of encryption that works with your wireless network. However, the way these technologies work, all Wi-Fi devices on your network must share the identical encryption settings. Therefore you may need to find a "lowest common demoninator" setting.
3. Change the Default SSID
Access points and routers all use a network name called the SSID. Manufacturers normally ship their products with the same SSID set. For example, the SSID for Linksys devices is normally "linksys." True, knowing the SSID does not by itself allow your neighbors to break into your network, but it is a start. More importantly, when someone finds a default SSID, they see it is a poorly configured network and are much more likely to attack it. Change the default SSID immediately when configuring wireless security on your network.
4. Enable MAC Address Filtering
Each piece of Wi-Fi gear possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses of all devices that connect to them. Many such products offer the owner an option to key in the MAC addresses of their home equipment, that restricts the network to only allow connections from those devices. Do this, but also know that the feature is not so powerful as it may seem. Hackers and their software programs can fake MAC addresses easily.
5. Disable SSID Broadcast
In Wi-Fi networking, the wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where Wi-Fi clients may roam in and out of range. In the home, this roaming feature is unnecessary, and it increases the likelihood someone will try to log in to your home network. Fortunately, most Wi-Fi access points allow the SSID broadcast feature to be disabled by the network administrator.
6. Do Not Auto-Connect to Open Wi-Fi Networks
Connecting to an open Wi-Fi network such as a free wireless hotspot or your neighbor's router exposes your computer to security risks. Although not normally enabled, most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying you (the user). This setting should not be enabled except in temporary situations.
7. Assign Static IP Addresses to Devices
Most home networkers gravitate toward using dynamic IP addresses. DHCP technology is indeed easy to set up. Unfortunately, this convenience also works to the advantage of network attackers, who can easily obtain valid IP addresses from your network's DHCP pool. Turn off DHCP on the router or access point, set a fixed IP address range instead, then configure each connected device to match. Use a private IP address range (like 10.0.0.x) to prevent computers from being directly reached from the Internet.
8. Enable Firewalls On Each Computer and the Router
Modern network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router's firewall is turned on. For extra protection, consider installing and running personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router.
9. Position the Router or Access Point Safely
Wi-Fi signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of signal leakage outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches, the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. Wi-Fi signals often reach through neighboring homes and into streets, for example. When installing a wireless home network, the position of the access point or router determines its reach. Try to position these devices near the center of the home rather than near windows to minimize leakage.
10. Turn Off the Network During Extended Periods of Non-Use
The ultimate in wireless security measures, shutting down the network will most certainly prevent outside hackers from breaking in! While impractical to turn off and on the devices frequently, at least consider doing so during travel or extended periods offline. Computer disk drives have been known to suffer from power cycle wear-and-tear, but this is a secondary concern for broadband modems and routers.
1. Change Default Administrator Passwords (and Usernames)
At the core of most Wi-Fi home networks is an access point or router. To set up these pieces of equipment, manufacturers provide Web pages that allow owners to enter their network address and account information. These Web tools are protected with a login screen (username and password) so that only the rightful owner can do this. However, for any given piece of equipment, the logins provided are simple and very well-known to hackers on the Internet. Change these settings immediately.
2. Turn on (Compatible) WPA / WEP Encryption
All Wi-Fi equipment supports some form of encryption. Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that they cannot be easily read by humans. Several encryption technologies exist for Wi-Fi today. Naturally you will want to pick the strongest form of encryption that works with your wireless network. However, the way these technologies work, all Wi-Fi devices on your network must share the identical encryption settings. Therefore you may need to find a "lowest common demoninator" setting.
3. Change the Default SSID
Access points and routers all use a network name called the SSID. Manufacturers normally ship their products with the same SSID set. For example, the SSID for Linksys devices is normally "linksys." True, knowing the SSID does not by itself allow your neighbors to break into your network, but it is a start. More importantly, when someone finds a default SSID, they see it is a poorly configured network and are much more likely to attack it. Change the default SSID immediately when configuring wireless security on your network.
4. Enable MAC Address Filtering
Each piece of Wi-Fi gear possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses of all devices that connect to them. Many such products offer the owner an option to key in the MAC addresses of their home equipment, that restricts the network to only allow connections from those devices. Do this, but also know that the feature is not so powerful as it may seem. Hackers and their software programs can fake MAC addresses easily.
5. Disable SSID Broadcast
In Wi-Fi networking, the wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where Wi-Fi clients may roam in and out of range. In the home, this roaming feature is unnecessary, and it increases the likelihood someone will try to log in to your home network. Fortunately, most Wi-Fi access points allow the SSID broadcast feature to be disabled by the network administrator.
6. Do Not Auto-Connect to Open Wi-Fi Networks
Connecting to an open Wi-Fi network such as a free wireless hotspot or your neighbor's router exposes your computer to security risks. Although not normally enabled, most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying you (the user). This setting should not be enabled except in temporary situations.
7. Assign Static IP Addresses to Devices
Most home networkers gravitate toward using dynamic IP addresses. DHCP technology is indeed easy to set up. Unfortunately, this convenience also works to the advantage of network attackers, who can easily obtain valid IP addresses from your network's DHCP pool. Turn off DHCP on the router or access point, set a fixed IP address range instead, then configure each connected device to match. Use a private IP address range (like 10.0.0.x) to prevent computers from being directly reached from the Internet.
8. Enable Firewalls On Each Computer and the Router
Modern network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router's firewall is turned on. For extra protection, consider installing and running personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router.
9. Position the Router or Access Point Safely
Wi-Fi signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of signal leakage outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches, the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. Wi-Fi signals often reach through neighboring homes and into streets, for example. When installing a wireless home network, the position of the access point or router determines its reach. Try to position these devices near the center of the home rather than near windows to minimize leakage.
10. Turn Off the Network During Extended Periods of Non-Use
The ultimate in wireless security measures, shutting down the network will most certainly prevent outside hackers from breaking in! While impractical to turn off and on the devices frequently, at least consider doing so during travel or extended periods offline. Computer disk drives have been known to suffer from power cycle wear-and-tear, but this is a secondary concern for broadband modems and routers.
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