Networking: IP subnetting made easy

If you work on a medium to a large size network, then you need to understand IP subnetting? IP subnetting lets you breakup a large network into smaller sub-networks. Personally I find this subject one of the more difficult parts of networking to understand, mostly because you don't use this knowledge very often.

If you want to understand this topic here is an an excerpt from a TechRepublic article on the subject: "IP subnetting is a fundamental subject that's critical for any IP network engineer to understand, yet students have traditionally had a difficult time grasping it. Over the years, I've watched students needlessly struggle through school and in practice when dealing with subnetting because it was never explained to them in an easy-to-understand way. I've helped countless individuals learn what subnetting is all about using my own graphical approach and calculator shortcuts, and I've put all that experience into this article."

Software: CCleaner

CCleaner is a free system optimization and privacy tool. This utility can remove unneeded files from your system thus freeing up hard disk space. It also can remove the URL history, cookies, and other types of privacy data from the top three main Web browsers (IE, Firefox and Opera).

Software: Glary Utilities (Free)

Glary Utilities offers several easy-to-use system tools and utilities to help fix, maintain and protect your computer.  When you open the application you will be presented with five basic tabs, each tab represents a category of tools:

• Clean Up & Repair
• Optimize & Improve
• Privacy & Security
• Files & Folders
• System Tools

The program is free for personal use.

Software: Google Earth 4.2 (Now You Can Explore the Sky)

Want to explore the known universe from your computer. With Google Earth 4.2, you can explore the earth or skies and see planets, stars, nebulas and galaxies. The new 'Sky' feature in Google Earth 4.2 includes images taken by the Hubble space telescope. Watch the video to learn more.

Software: Indentifing Your CPU and RAM

CPU-Z is one of the best utilities for finding out what type of CPU and RAM you have installed on your computer. What is even better is this program is freeware, and can be run on your computer without having to install it. Below is a list of the information that this program displays:

CPU

• Name and number.
• Core stepping and process.
• Package.
• Core voltage.
• Internal and external clocks, clock multiplier.
• Supported instructions sets.
• Cache information.

Mainboard

• Vendor, model and revision.
• BIOS model and date.
• Chipset (northbridge and southbridge) and sensor.
• Graphic interface.

Memory

• Frequency and timings.
• Module(s) specification using SPD (Serial Presence Detect) : vendor, serial number, timings table.

System

• Windows and DirectX version.

The Essential Guide To PC Memory

PC Magazine reports: "How much memory does Vista really need? What about Windows XP? And what the heck does DDR mean? How much money will a memory upgrade cost, and where do you buy it? We'll answer these questions and more, briefing you on the essentials of PC memory technology and saving you a great deal of money and hassle. Whether you're building a new system from scratch or upgrading, you'll find PC Magazine Labs–tested advice you won't get anywhere else."

If you're the type of person who likes to understand everything, and you don't feel that you understand the different types of RAM that are available. Then I would recommend reading this article.

If you just want to buy RAM and install it in your computer and you don't care to have a technical understanding of it. Then go to a site like Kingston they make it pretty easy to buy it.

To learn how to install the RAM in your computer, watch the following video.

Internet: Testing Your Bandwidth Speed

Not too long ago, the speed of your Internet connection was determined by the speed of your modem and your ISP's modem, plus quality of the line you're using to connect. With today's new high-speed broadband connections (such as: DSL, Cable, Fiber, etc.), the speed of your bandwidth connection is only limited to your budget and the availability of the service.

Although, you may wonder how you can make sure your broadband connection is as fast as your ISP claims it is? There are bandwidth testing site that you can use to test how fast Internet connection really is. These sites work by downloading and uploading a single file to and from your computer and measuring how long it takes.

Below is a brief list of these sites that offer these services.

• Speedtest.net
  
• Speakeasy

Just remember there are a lot of real-world factors that determine how fast (or how slow) your connection is to the Internet. For example:

• The type of connection you're using.
  
• How far you are from your ISP
• How far you are from the web site or host you're trying to reach.
• How fast the remote host can process your request.
• And the list of other factor can go on and on.

Windows Vista: Performance Updates

Microsoft has released two updates for Windows Vista that address performance and reliability issues. These updates include several enhancements and other fixes, below is a brief list of some of the updates:

• System and memory performance enhancements
• Fixes for video drivers
  
• Fixes for wake-from-hibernation problems
• Improved compatibility with printers
• Better HD DVD/Blu-ray playback
• Improvements in file transfers.

For a complete list of all the fixes and how to download the patches, see the Microsoft knowledge base articles: 938194, and 938979.

Microsoft 'Money Plus' Adds Financial Services

PC Magazine reports: "Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled the latest version of its money management software, dubbed Money Plus. The software giant is touting the offering's new 'Insights' function, which provides personal updates about users' bills, spending patterns and cash flow."

If you're a fan of Microsoft Money, you might want to check out this article about Microsoft 'Money Plus'. There are now four versions of Money Plus:

• Deluxe
• Premium
• Home and Business
• Essentials

Read the article to find out more.

Firefox: NoScript plug-in

Is seems like no browser is safe from security exploits these days, not even Firefox. Although, there's an extension that allows you to make the Firefox browser more secure, it's called 'No Script'.

The No Script extension works by preemptively blocking JavaScript, Java and other potentially dangerous content from untrusted sites that could contain malicious scripts. The biggest problem using this extension is training it, but once you do it works really well.

Hardware: 2-Port USB 2.0 Multi-Function Print/Storage Server

I rarely report on any types hardware in this blog. Although this was the most innovative product that I have read about in a long time.

Its called a USB Print/Storage server. Basically it allows you to share your USB devices (such as multi-function printers, and hard drives) over your LAN with multiple computers.

Read the product page for more information.

Software: Skype Update Adds Viral Videos

PC Magazine review the new version of Skype 3.5: "Online VoIP application Skype crept a bit farther into the social networking space with the release of Skype 3.5 for Windows, which adds videos from popular social-networking sites to the Skype experience. ... Previous versions let users talk via video. Now, Skype users can download videos from Metacafe and DailyMotion and add them to a user's 'mood'. Video can now be integrated into text chats as well."

I will have to try the new version to see if I like this new feature.

Software: Buying Options

Are you looking for great prices on your favorite software? Did you know that some companies offer different types of special discounts on their products depending where and how you buy the products. For example, if you work for a school, you could qualify for a educational discount on some products. Also, some medium to large size companies and governments offices can offer employee special discounts on certain types of software.

There are two rules that you should follow when buying heavily discounted software. Rule one, generally the better the price the more restrictions that govern it, make sure that you understand what you're buying before you buy it, it may not be what you expect. Rule two, there are a lot of businesses selling counterfeit media over the Internet, so be careful where you buy your software.

Below is a list of common types of discounts that are offered by several different software companies. Although not all software companies offer them or they may not apply to all products.

• Street Price: This is the price most people pay for a product from a retailer. It's generally 10-40% below the suggested retail price, but this all depends on where you buy the software. If you don't know where to start, check out the following companies:
  
• Amazon
• Newegg.com
• Upgrade Price: This is a discount offered by a company if you're upgrading to the latest version of the product from a previous version. (Note: generally evidence of a previous installation is required. Meaning that upgrade process will check your computer or the application media in order take advantage of the discounted product) Also, sometimes a competitive upgrade is offered if you own a competing product.
• OEM Pricing: Depending on the product, you can buy OEMs (which stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer) versions of software from business that build computers. Generally this software is sold at a substantial discount, but also comes with special restrictions (such as: it doesn't qualify to be upgraded to the next version).
  
• Education/Academic Discounts: This is the price that students and educators will pay for a full or stripped down version of a product. Depending on the product, the qualifications can be pretty liberal (make sure to check with the retailer or manufacture for the qualifying details) or restrictive (such as: the application can't be used for commercial purposes or it doesn't qualify to be upgraded to the next version). For example, Adobe offers educational versions of their higher-end products that are greatly discounted.
  
• Employee/Employer Discounts: This benefit can vary from employer to employer depending on the relationships that they have with the software developer. For example, Microsoft offers their Home Use Program to customers that have their Volume Licensing Software Assurance. Contact your employer to see if you qualify for this type of discount, and find out the cost and restrictions.

Warning: When buying any software, especially from sites that you never dealt with before or from auction sites (such as eBay) you need to be very careful of counterfeit software.

Security: Free Anti-Virus Scanners

Are you looking for a free anti-malware protection (such as: spyware, viruses, worms, trojan horses, botnets, etc.) for your computer? There are several options available for you to choose from, you need to find the one that works best for you.

There are generally two types of malware scanners available, one is called real-time and the other is called on-demand. You should always be using a real-time scanner that checks your system for malware. You should use on-demand scanners for systems that you need to disinfect that don't have a real-time scanner installed on them, or getting a second opinion to make sure your system is clean.

Free real-time malware scanners

Note: This software is free for non-commercial use. Also some of the programs below require registration to get the latest updates.

• Avast! - Home Edition
• AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
• AVG Anti-Spyware Free Edition
• AVG Anti-Rootkit Free
  

Free on-demand malware scanners

• BitDefender Free Edition
  
• Clam AntiVirus
• McAfee Stinger
• Trend Micro Sysclean (make sure to read the README.TXT file for update instructions)

Free online malware scanners

Note: All the sites listed below require Internet Explorer v6.0 or higher in order to use them:

• Trend Micro Housecall
  
• Symantec Security Check
  
• Panda ActiveScan
• eTrust Antivirus Web Scanner
• McAfee Free Scan
• Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner
  

Free online file malware scanners: If you receive a file that you think may contain malicious code, you can upload or send it to one of the following sites below to have it scanned.

• Kaspersky File Scanner
• Jotti's Malware Scanner

Windows Vista: Editing File Types

Ever since MS-DOS, all files generally have a 3-letter extension that tells the OS and your applications what type of data a file contains. For example, the .TXT extension generally means text, the .DOC extension is a Microsoft Word document, etc.

When you double-click on a file, Windows will launch the associated application for that file type. For example, if you double-click on a .TXT file Windows will open the Notepad application. Sometimes when you install a new application, it can make assumptions and assigns a particular file type to itself whether you wanted it or not.

In Windows Vista, if you want to change the associated application for a particular file type, you have one of two ways of accomplishing this:

Method #1:

• Right-click on a file type that you want to change (for example: .JPG, .MP3, etc), and then select Properties.
• In the General tab, press the Change... button.
• Select the program from the list to open the file, or press the Browse... button to select an application from your hard drive.
• Press the OK button when done.
  

Method #2:

• Open the Control Panel folder in the Classic View, and double-click the 'Default Programs'.
• Click the 'Associate a file type or protocol with a program' link.
• Double-click the extension you want to modify, or select the extension and press the 'Change Program...' button.
• Select the program from the list to open the file, or press the Browse... button to select an application from your hard drive.
• Press the Close button when done.

Software: Belarc Advisor (PC Audit)

The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser.

The Belarc Advisor report displays information about your computer's hardware: RAM, hard-disk, and processor speed and type. It also shows: motherboard and hard-disk manufacturer, multimedia devices, and more.

Notes: The license associated with this product allows for free personal use only. All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server.

Windows Vista: New Version of Movie Maker

The new version of Windows Movie Maker in Windows Vista has several improvements and enhancements that the previous version didn't have. Movie Maker includes all the basic feature that you would expect from any video editing program, but it also lets you combine still photos and audio (such as: music, narration, etc.). There are also a variety of transitions you can add to you videos (such as: fade in and out to black or white, zoom effects, and more).

Other enhancements are:

• You're no longer being limited 320x240 preview.
• Publish your videos directly to DVD using Windows DVD Maker.
• Movie Maker also supports the DVR-MS format that Media Center uses to record TV shows. You can edit and save the show in WMV format, so they're playable on other devices.

This program is intended for non-professional video editors, and its designed to be easy to use. Also, until you get use to the way the program works, it might seem a little difficult to understand. As you get more sophisticated in your editing, you might soon find yourself wanting a more sophisticated product.

Software: Free Acronis True Image (with a catch)

I just recently found that Seagate is giving away free OEM versions of Acronis True Image ($50 value) software. True Image is a the popular hard-drive cloning and backup utility for Windows

To use the software you need to have a Seagate or Maxtor hard drive attached to your system. To get the software all you need to do is download Seagate DiscWizard or Maxtor MaxBlast software from Seagate’s support site (free of charge). DiscWizard and MaxBlast are OEM versions of True Image application.

DiscWizard and MaxBlast software can clone an entire hard drive, create a backup image, and build boot media that you can use to restore your system in the event it becomes unbootable. The software can also format drives, create partitions, and erase all the data on the drive.

Note: I have not tested if the software will install on a computer that doesn't have a Seagate or Maxtor hard drive.

Democracy Player is now Miro

Did you know that 'Democracy Player' has changed its name and is now known as 'Miro'. Like iTunes, Miro lets you subscribe and download Audio or Video podcasts. It also supports full-screen mode, can play several popular video formats, and downloads files via BitTorrent.

Want to learn more about Miro, watch the following screencast.

Firefox 2.0.0.5 Update - Critical Flaws Fixed

Mozilla released another incremental security update today for the Firefox web browser. The new 2.0.0.5 version of the browser fixes several important security holes and bugs. You can download the new version of the browser from Mozilla's site or use the auto-update function built in the the program.

Some of the fixes in Firefox v2.0.0.5 include:

• Unauthorized access to wyciwyg:// documents.
• Privilege escalation using an event handler
• Frame spoofing while window is loading
• Problems with memory corruption related crashes.