Visits since Feb 2008

WHAT'S NEW

March 2010: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and the popular "Hamachi" VPN

Until recently, VPNs were complex, cantankerous, and generally confusing to set up. But in late 2005 or early 2006, Internet users began to see references to a new, free set of VPN software for Windows that was remarkably easy to set up. It was code-named "Hamachi", and it could traverse the complexities of NAT routers and manage generation and configuration of complex encryption keys without even involving the user at all. Easy VPNs became available for Windows and LINUX computers. This month we explore Hamachi and show exactly how to obtain, configure, use, and troubleshoot it.

February 2010: Advanced Enterprise Network Architectures, Part 2 of 2

In this second part of our 3-part series on Wireless Enterprise Network Architectures, we look deeper into the popular ways of adding WiFi access. First, on the assumption that you already have a working wired infrastructure as described last month, we consider the simple addition of a "Wireless Access Point". However, we acknowledge that there are less expensive ways to add Wireless functions. We explore those with two more options, both based on the popular "WiFi Routers" that are available from vendors like Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, SnapGear, etc. People often ask us if it's OK to "daisy chain" two routers in series when they want to add WiFi. Here's your answer! (Next month, we'll go even deeper into advanced WiFi architectures, with an examination of "Wireless Ethernet Bridges".)

January 2010: Advanced Enterprise Network Architectures, Part 1 of 2

As the network in your home or business grows to "Enterprise" proportions, you will need to think about the overall architecture that will best serve your needs. You will be expanding your LAN to provide additional Ethernet connectors within your own private subnet, and that expansion will be based on Ethernet Hubs and Ethernet Switches, and it will gradually expand to take on a "tree" structure. Different rooms or departments within your enterprise network will be served with their own Ethernet Switches, each of which can be connected, like the branches of a tree, to "parent" nodes, with Ethernet cables that can be as long as 50 feet. At the "trunk" end of this branching tree structure, your NAT router will create the private subnet that will assign as many as 253 new, private IP addresses to all of your enterprise devices, and you will want to configure that "trunk end" equipment to facilitate network monitoring and troubleshooting. We've published 12 new, brief, highly focused video clips focusing on those details. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series, to be continued next month. Next month's offerings will expand on these January 2010 publications with a deeper treatment of WiFi equipment, multiple routers, multiple subnets, and two different implementations of  "Wireless Access Points".

December 2009: Setting Up a WiFi LAN the Easy Way, Part 2 of 2

Part two of our two-part series. Once your "wired" infrastructure is set up as described in last month's issue, you're ready to turn on the WiFi radios in the Wireless Access Point logic of your Wireless Residential Gateway equipment. You'll need to configure several details to get everything working correctly, at the best compatible speed, with minimal interference from your neighbors, and with enough security to keep out the bad guys. We've published six more video clips focusing on these details.

November 2009: Setting Up a WiFi LAN the Easy Way, Part 1 of 2

Setting up a new WiFi LAN requires installation of at least one new electronic box containing a WiFi Router and several other functions. You'll also need to choose an appropriate Internet Service Provider. In the first of this two-part series, we've published six brief, new, highly focused video clips showing how to build the "wired" infrastructure that you'll need before you can do anything without wires....

October 2009: Wireless Networking Fundamentals

Eight brief, new, highly focused video clips describing the fundamentals of "WiFi" wireless networks and the equipment that you'll need to obtain and configure in order to set up wireless computer networks at home or in your small office.

September 2009: Flight Simulation

A just-for-fun foray into the exciting world of computer-based, online combat flight simulation. We show how to purchase a new computer that will work very well for this popular hobby, and then we go on to show how we configured low-cost, readily available "joystick" and "joypad" hardware for use as virtual aircraft controls. Additional sections show movie clips from classic Windows flight sims, and how we downloaded, installed, configured, and mastered two new, free flight simulators for Windows.

August 2009: Switching from Windows to LINUX

How I converted a desktop PC workstation from Windows XP to PcLinuxOs, one of the most popular new LINUX distributions. 27 brief, highly focused video chapters show the exact steps, commencing with downloading the free PcLinuxOs installation software and burning it to a bootable CDROM, and continuing all the way to creation of a high performance multimedia/gaming LINUX workstation capable of running thousands of LINUX applications and even most graphically-intensive Windows games!

July 2009: Advanced Networking

14 new video clips describe exactly how we have evolved the small-office LAN at the AskMisterWizard.com headquarters, commencing with our very first Internet connection with just one laptop computer, and expanding in 14 video chapters to cover 10 computers, several different subnets, WiFi, a print server, a file server, and more!