The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is the core routing protocol of the Internet. It works by maintaining a table of IP networks or ‘prefixes’ which designate network reachability among autonomous systems (AS). It is described as a path vector protocol. BGP does not use traditional IGP metrics, but makes routing decisions based on path, network policies and/or rulesets.
Airborne Internet
•February 2, 2008 • Leave a CommentThe word on just about every Internet user’s lips these days is “broadband.” We have so much more data to send and download today, including audio files, video files and photos, that it’s clogging our wimpy modems. Many Internet users are switching to cable modems and digital subscriber lines (DSLs) to increase their bandwidth. There’s also a new type of service being developed that will take broadband into the air.
At least three companies are planning to provide high-speed wireless Internet connection by placing aircraft in fixed patterns over hundreds of cities. Angel Technologies is planning an airborne Internet network, called High Altitude Long Operation (HALO), which would use lightweight planes to circle overhead and provide data delivery faster than a T1 line for businesses. Consumers would get a connection comparable to DSL. Also, AeroVironment has teamed up with NASA on a solar-powered, unmanned plane that would work like the HALO network, and Sky Station International is planning a similar venture using blimps instead of planes
What is the Year 2038 problem?
•February 2, 2008 • Leave a CommentThe Year 2000 problem is understood by most people these days because of the large amount of media attention it received.
Most programs written in the C programming language are relatively immune to the Y2K problem, but suffer instead from the Year 2038 problem. This problem arises because most C programs use a library of routines called the standard time library . This library establishes a standard 4-byte format for the storage of time values, and also provides a number of functions for converting, displaying and calculating time values.
The standard 4-byte format assumes that the beginning of time is January 1, 1970, at 12:00:00 a.m. This value is 0. Any time/date value is expressed as the number of seconds following that zero value. So the value 919642718 is 919,642,718 seconds past 12:00:00 a.m. on January 1, 1970, which is Sunday, February 21, 1999, at 16:18:38 Pacific time (U.S.). This is a convenient format because if you subtract any two values, what you get is a number of seconds that is the time difference between them. Then you can use other functions in the library to determine how many minutes/hours/days/months/years have passed between the two times.
If you have read How Bits and Bytes Work, you know that a signed 4-byte integer has a maximum value of 2,147,483,647, and this is where the Year 2038 problem comes from. The maximum value of time before it rolls over to a negative (and invalid) value is 2,147,483,647, which translates into January 19, 2038. On this date, any C programs that use the standard time library will start to have problems with date calculations.
This problem is somewhat easier to fix than the Y2K problem on mainframes, fortunately. Well-written programs can simply be recompiled with a new version of the library that uses, for example, 8-byte values for the storage format. This is possible because the library encapsulates the whole time activity with its own time types and functions (unlike most mainframe programs, which did not standardize their date formats or calculations). So the Year 2038 problem should not be nearly as hard to fix as the Y2K problem was.
CrossOver Linux v6.1.0
•January 30, 2008 • Leave a CommentYour Windows Applications, Seamlessly Integrated On Linux
CrossOver Linux allows you to install many popular Windows productivity applications, plugins and games in Linux, without needing a Microsoft Operating System license. CrossOver includes an easy to use, single click interface, which makes installing a Windows application simple and fast. Once installed, your application integrate seamlessly with your Gnome or KDE environment. Just click and run your application, exactly as you would in Windows, but with the full freedom of Linux.
CrossOver Linux lets you use many Windows plugins directly from your Linux browser. Plugins work on any x86 based Linux distribution and will integrate with most browsers including Firefox 1.x, Netscape 6.x, Konqueror, Mozilla, and Opera. CrossOver also integrates with Gnome and KDE to let you transparently open any Word, Excel or PowerPoint file. But even better, you can open these attachment types directly from any mail client.
Supported Applications
CrossOver Linux is capable of running a range of Windows software, but CodeWeavers will support the following applications:
#Microsoft Office 2003, XP, 2000 and 97
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
# Microsoft Access (Microsoft Access supported in Office 2000 only)
# Microsoft Project
# Adobe Photoshop
# Microsoft Visio
# Lotus Notes 5.0 and 6.5.1
# Quicken
# FrameMaker
# Various Web Browser Plugins
- QuickTime
- Shockwave Director
- Windows Media Player 6.4
#and more…
15 Top Windows XP secrets
•January 28, 2008 • Leave a Comment1. Useful key shortcuts available:
- Windows key + D – shows the desktop
- Windows key + M – minimizes all open windows
- Windows key + Shift + M – maximizes all open windows
- Windows key + E – Runs Windows Explorer
- Windows key + R – shows the RUN dialog
- Windows key + F – shows Search window
- Windows key + Break – shows System Properties box
- Windows key + TAB – Go through taskbar applications
- Windows key + PAUSE Display the System Properties dialog box
- Windows key + U Open Utility Manager
- ALT + TAB – Cycle through opened applications
- Hold down CTRL while dragging an item to Copy it
- CTRL + ESC Display the Start menu
- ALT + ENTER View the properties for the selected item
- F4 key Display the Address bar list in My Computer or
- NUM LOCK + Asterisk (*) Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder
2. Lock Windows to protect computer
You can lock Windows to protect the computer when leaving the station easily by creating a shortcut with the path rundll32.exeuser32.dll, LockWorkStation. The Windows key + L is also a shortcut to this feature.
3. Edit sysoc.inf to list all software
To show all software that can be removed from your computer (including protected Windows services), you can manually edit (using notepad for example) the sysoc.inf file located in Windows\inf\. Just remove the word hide next to the software pack.
*Note* – use this at your own risk. Removing critical components of the system will make Windows instable.
4. Windows XP comes with IPv4 and IPv6
Windows XP comes both IPv4 and IPv6 support. To enable IPv6, you can install the protocols needed with the command “ipv6 install” in the command-prompt. Then type ipv6 /? to see the options. The installation will not remove the IPv4 protocols so your current configuration will still work.
5. Access Task Manager with shortcut
To access the Task Manager easier, you can make a shortcut that points to %windir%\system32\taskmgr.exe.
6. Stop treating ZIP files like Folders
If you don’t want your Windows XP to treat ZIP files like folders, you can disable this component by running regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll at the command prompt or Run dialog. If you start missing it, you can enable it by typing regsvr32 zipfldr.dll.
7. Run program as diffrent user
You can run a program as a different user. Right click an application and select Run As command.
8. Switch users leaving applications opened
You can switch users leaving the applications opened too (*NOTE* use this only when needed since it could lead to system instability).
Go to Task Manager – processes and end the process explorer.exe. This will end only your session and not all applications. Then go to Applications tab, click New task and type runas /user:domainname\username explorer.exe. A password prompt will appear to login to the desired username. The user’s session will start, with all your previously applications running.
I recommend to open first a command-line prompt and type runas /? to see all the options available.
9. Rename multiple files in Windows at once
Rename multiple files in Windows at once. Select them all, right click and select Rename. Enter the desired name. They will be renamed using what you specified, with a number in brackets to distinguish them.
10. Task kill feature in Windows
Windows has a task kill feature similar to Linux. Go to a command prompt and run the command tasklist to see running processes with PID numbers. Then type tskill
to end the specific task. This forces an instant closing of the task.
11. Edit features with GPEDIT.MSC
You can edit many features by running gpedit.msc. You can add log on/log off scripts here and many features.
12. Edit accounts in the command prompt
You can edit accounts by running “control userpasswords2″ at the command prompt.
13. Use systeminfo.exe to see System Information
You can use the systeminfo.exe command in the command prompt to see System Information, including all Windows updates and hotfixes.
14. Disable system services for maximum performance
There are system services that you can disable to free up the system’s load. To access the interface that permits you to make changes to system’s services, type services.msc and the command prompt.
This is a list of services that are *usually* useless and can be safely disabled.
Alerter
Application Layer Gateway Service,
Application Management
Automatic Updates
Background Intelligent Transfer
Clipbook
Distributed Link Tracking Client
Distributed Transaction Coordinater
Error Reporting Service
Fast User Switching Compatibility
IMAPI CD-Burning
Indexing Service
IPSEC Services
Messenger
Net Logon
Net Meeting
Remote Desktop Sharing
Network DDE
Network DDE DSDM
Portable Media Serial Number
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Secondary Logon
Smartcard
SSDP Discovery Service
Uninterruptible Power Supply
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Webclient
Wireless Zero Configuration
WMI Performance Adaptor
*NOTE*: Make sure you don’t need them since some applications you’re using could depend on them. If you make any application to fail by disabling any of the services, go back and enable it again.
15. Repair Windows XP by using the XP installation CD
If your system failes to start due to an error related to missing HAL.DLL, invalid Boot.ini or any other critical system boot files you can repair this by using the XP installation CD. Simply boot from your XP Setup CD and enter the Recovery Console. Then run “attrib -H -R -S” on the C:\Boot.ini file and delete it. Run “Bootcfg /Rebuild” and then Fixboot.
Knoppix – very usefull to backup system
•January 28, 2008 • Leave a Commentwhat is knoppix?
knoppix is a bootable Live System on CD/DVD, consisting of a representative collection of GNU/LINUX software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics, card, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices and other peripherals. KNOPPIX can be used as productive Linux system for the desktop, educational CD, rescue system, or adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demos. It is not necessary to install anything on a hard disk. Due to on-the-fly decompression, the CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed on it (over 8GB on the DVD “Maxi” edition).
you don’t have to install the system, but only burn it to a bootable CD/DVD and by just insert it on your CD/DVD drive, but before that, you must reboot your PC (like reboot using your boot disk/CD).
very usefull, just try it…whenever you’ve got problems
Take back 20% bandwidth that windows use
•January 28, 2008 • Leave a CommentHere’s how to get it back:
Click Start–>Run–>type “gpedit.msc” without the “
This opens the group policy editor. Then go to:
Local Computer Policy–> Computer Configuration–> Administrative Templates–> Network–> QOS Packet Scheduler–> Limit Reservable Bandwidth
Double click on Limit Reservable bandwidth. It will say it is not configured, but the truth is under the ‘Explain’ tab :
“By default, the Packet Scheduler limits the system to 20 percent of the bandwidth of a connection, but you can use this setting to override the default.”
So the trick is to ENABLE reservable bandwidth, then set it to ZERO.
This will allow the system to reserve nothing, rather than the default 20%.
Tested on XP Pro, and 2000. other OS not tested.
Packet Tracer 4.1: Network Simulation Software
•January 28, 2008 • Leave a Comment

Cisco Networking Academy is pleased to announce the new release of Packet Tracer, a Network Simulation Software. Packet Tracer 4.1 is the next major release of the interactive network simulation and learning tool for Cisco CCNA instructors and students. It allows users to create network topologies, configure devices, inject packets, and simulate a network with multiple visual representations. This release of Packet Tracer focuses on supporting more of the networking protocols taught in the CCNA curriculum.
About Packet Tracer
Packet Tracer is a self-paced, visual, interactive teaching and learning tool. It is designed to increase interaction between students and instructors, promote student learning, and enhance instructor presentations. This technology is a new and fun way to expand teaching and learning experiences beyond the limitations of a traditional lab environment. Packet Tracer helps resolve some common challenges that instructors face on a daily basis, while enabling us to explore new frontiers in networking education.
Download:


