Splash of Style...Macs, Photography, Design, and other Passions

Do I Love the iPhone?

So, I did pick up my new iPhone 3GS last weekend. Black, 32gb.

And I adore it! I love love love that I am able to have internet where ever I am. I loved the iPod Touch, but it was limited to only wifi, so I missed out on a lot. But the iPhone, oh I am in heaven!

I really love the camera, both still photographs and video are wonderful. And again, being able to upload or email immediately is so cool. (Can you guess this is my first Smart Phone? My husband has had a Blackberry for awhile, but this is MINE!)

The true test will be when we travel up north to New Hampshire or Maine. Don’t know how the AT&T service will fair in the boonies. I have a feeling I won’t be connecting on 3G, but it’ll be okay. My expectations are low, so I hope they will surprise me!

Disconnecting Windows in VMware Fusion

Since I am not running any anti-virus or anti-malware programs while using Windows XP in VMware Fusion, I don’t want Windows to connect to the Internet. It’s very easy to toggle my network connection in Fusion.

Click the little “double arrow” icon in the bottom toolbar in Fusion. Choose to Connect or Disconnect from the network. Very easy.

Dodge (Chrysler) Offers Wifi in Vehicles

While watching the football game yesterday afternoon, we noticed commercials for Dodge trucks with an option for wifi connectivity.

Hmm, what’s that about?

Googled and found that yes, indeed they added 3G wireless connection using Autonet Mobile to their vehicles.

Here is an older video I found on youtube from Chrysler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9n9nOJEA0

This made me immediately think about security. Could anyone else connect to the “hotspot” or did it offer password protection, or a firewall, etc. Did some more digging.

It costs $500 for the router (plus install fees) and the plans are $30 per month for 1gb of data transfer and $60 for 5gb. From what I read, it doesn’t appear to be that fast of a connection; you will not be streaming video or playing online games.

They will install the router in any vehicle, doesn’t have to be a Chrysler vehicle.

Oh and about my concerns about security, look at what I found on the FAQ page on Autonet’s web site:

Your Wi-Fi connection is secured with WEP encryption, MAC address restriction or WAN port restriction. Also supports VPN pass-through.

I can’t believe that there are still companies that think WEP and MAC address filtering are security enhancements. Well at least they support VPN. And maybe that is eventually how it’s going to be. Wifi will be open, and we each have our own secure VPN connection. I could live with that!

I sent an email to the sales staff at Autonet to ask if they will be offering WPA security instead of WEP, we’ll see if she answers.

It’s an interesting idea and I am sure eventually we will all have wireless in our cars, but for now, it’s too new (and costly) for me to even think about.

Change Linksys Router Wireless Security to WPA2

It appears that WPA (with TKIP) wireless security has been found to have a flaw.

After the dust settled and more information was shared, it was learned that the crack isn’t such a horrible risk, but that’s not to say that the flaw won’t escalate in the future. I changed my Linksys router wireless security settings to WPA2 and AES so I don’t have to worry about it.

EDIT (2008-11-22): The Security Now podcast has a show dedicated to this problem. It’s a very geeky episode, but very informative.

For more detailed information on configuring the security settings on a Linksys router, please view my older tutorial:
http://splashofstyle.com/archives/2007/04/13/configuring-linksys-router/

Navigate to router’s IP address

In your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc), click or type the link http://192.168.1.1/ to open your router’s set up interface. This particular address is for Linksys routers. If you have another brand, you will need to go to the manufacturer’s web site to find their URL or consult the user manual.

I should stress that, if possible, you should be connected to the router via wire (Ethernet cable). Yes, it’s possible to connect to the router using your wireless connection, but if something goes wrong, it’s likely that you will lose your wireless connection. Make sure you have an Ethernet cable ready and waiting just in case, because if you lose your wireless connection, you will not be able to get back into the router to fix the problem.

Read the Rest of the Article

No Internet Access w/ Linksys WRT54GS Router

What a day! It was a geeky day, and I’m glad that I figured out my problem (I think)

Last night, I went to bed before midnight, and the Internet (wifi) was working fine. This morning, it was extremely slow, and then non-existent. I phoned my husband who wakes up and leaves for work hours before me, and he said he was had the same problem when he tried to use the wireless connection this morning.

I tried unplugging both router (Linksys WRT54GS) and Comcast modem (the modem is on battery backup, so that was not very helpful) to restart, and I even bypassed the router, and connected directly to modem; it was the same…no connection.

I phoned Comcast, and she wouldn’t help unless my laptop was directly connected to the modem. Geez, what evah.

She told me how to reset the modem by hitting the small reset button at the back of the modem. Oh yeah, I forgot about that! I have to remember to use that button more often!

Anyway, after I restarted my laptop, voila, the internet was back….and the next part was kind of strange, but she said (paraphrasing) that my router might still be the problem, and that just because the connection worked now, it might not when I connect my router.

I disagreed and informed her that I didn’t think it had anything to do w/ the router, and I told her that I would be fine troubleshooting that on my own anyway.

And guess what, she jinxed me! Plugged in the router. What? No connection?! Oh no!

I tried everything! Unplugging router, restarting laptop, updating router firmware, resetting router to factory settings, etc. and nothing worked. I knew it couldn’t be wired cables, because I was connected to my Linksys router and could access the setup/admin through my browser, using both wired and wireless connections. And the cable running from the modem worked when plugged in directly to my laptop.

At this point, I started to blame Comcast, thinking it was some sort of conspiracy. Today, October 1st, was the first day that they began their new “bandwidth limit” so of course they messed up my router, right?

Anyway, I figured that I would just have to go out and purchase a new one. sigh. Came home w/ a new Linksys WRT54G2. Plugged that in, started it up, and nothing. No connection. What? Okay something must be wrong.

And then it dawned on me. Somewhere in my google travels today, trying to troubleshoot the problem, I read advice that each item needed to be restarted in a specific order. Modem first, router second, then computer.

Okay, let’s try one more time. I shut down the laptop, unplugged (electricity) the router, and then I reset the Comcast modem (with the little button on back). Right after that finished booting up, I plugged in the Linksys router. Then I restarted my laptop.

Oh joy!! I have internet. Both wired and wireless. Okay, so let’s find out if I can get my old router working instead. Yep, went through the whole process again, and yay, it worked.

I will return the new router, and keep my old one!

So, in summary, when troubleshooting your Comcast connection w/ a router, follow these steps:

1. Shut down computer
2. Unplug electric cord from the router
3. Hit small reset button on back of Comcast modem
4. After modem boots up, plug the router back into electricity
5. When router boots up, restart computer

DNS Poisoning & How To Protect Yourself

Now I am not one to panic about malware on the web. I have always prided myself on smart & safe browsing. But when I first heard about the new DNS Poisoning problem on the Nosillacast podcast a couple of weeks ago, it scared me. This could be a problem affecting everyone, no matter what safety precautions they take while surfing the Internet.

The subject is so complicated, and I won’t pretend to understand it fully, but I think I understand it enough to explain the situation to my family and friends, which is what I am trying to do with this blog article.

Are you vulnerable?

The Security Now podcast lists several links to sites that will “test” your site for the vulnerability:
http://www.grc.com/sn/notes-155.htm

I ran the test @ DoxPara and the following message appeared:
“Your ISP’s name server, xxxxx, has other protections above and beyond port randomization against the recently discovered DNS flaws. There is no reason to be concerned about the results seen below.”

I have heard that similar messages are appearing for other Comcast users. Since the information I am finding online concerning Comcast is vague and unclear, I am not 100% sure I trust Comcast to deal with this. So, I am taking matters into my own hands until I am sure.

I have read that other ISPs like Time Warner and AT&T have NOT patched, so there are still a lot of people out there that are in trouble!

Good News – Use Open DNS

The good news is, you can bypass your ISP’s DNS computers, and use another. Open DNS is a very secure and highly recommended DNS server that offers use of its servers for FREE! All you need to do is change a couple of settings in your router.

Not using a router? If your computer is attached directly to a high speed modem (ie DSL, Cable, satellite) then you are highly vulnerable to this flaw, as well as many other attacks.

Using a router keeps you safe behind a “hardware” firewall, and that firewall can thwart most attacks…so do yourself a favor and head to Staples, Walmart, Target, or Amazon and buy a Linksys, Netgear, or DLink router. It is an absolutely necessary tool in today’s times!

Change Your Router’s Settings

It is very easy to change your router settings to use Open DNS servers instead of your ISP’s.

Note: Don’t worry, you aren’t changing to a new Internet Service Provider, you will still be using the same ISP, it’s just the DNS computer information that you are changing.

There are detailed instructions on the Open DNS site, but I will walk through the instructions for changing a Linksys router.

First you need to access your router’s settings. Linksys router users can use this link: http://192.168.1.1/.

A password window will appear. The user name is “admin” and unless you previously changed the access password, the default password will be “admin”.

Important note: in the router settings, your password should be changed for extra security. To learn more about configuring your router for better security, please read my prior article.

Once you have logged into your router, you should be on the “Setup” page/tab.

Toward the bottom of the page, there is a setting called “Network Address
Server Settings (DHCP)”. Locate “Static DNS 1″ and “Static DNS 2″ and type in Open DNS’s server numbers, which are:

208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

NOTE: If you have current DNS settings, then write them down just in case you need to revert back.

Once the new DNS numbers have been entered, click the “Save Settings” button. And that is it!

Okay, next, a word or two about Open DNS. Besides free use of their DNS servers, they also offer all sorts of parental controls and other security. I haven’t really delved into their offerings, but from what I gather, it’s all free. How can all this be free? Well to offset their costs, they have advertising revenues. Keep in mind, that whenever you type in a wrong address into your browser, Open DNS will take you to a custom search page, usually with your corrected web site URL on top.

For instance, if you type “ebay” instead of “ebay.com”, your browser will take you to a search page for “ebay”. Some have complained that this isn’t fair, wah wah wah…but who cares. They have to make money somehow. I don’t mind that they make a little on searches.

To learn more about Open DNS and all their offerings, check out the Typical Mac User podcast for a special 3 part series on all the details.

Personal Computer Patches

Besides your ISP computers, personal home computers, as well as business computers also need to be patched.

As far as I can tell, Microsoft issued a security patch a week or two ago, so make sure you are 100% up to date with all your Vista or XP critical patches.

As for Mac users, there was a patch issued, but it looks like it doesn’t fix everything, so when I am out from behind my router, I think I am still vulnerable if I connect to an open wifi spot. I am still a bit foggy on that issue, so more research is needed.

More Questions

Since I am still learning about this vulnerability, I still have additional questions that I haven’t found answers to.

For example, are cell phones that connect to the Internet still vulnerable? What about if you use a VPN (virtual private network)? What about web based email like gmail?

There is also a problem with routers being vulnerable too, but the issue isn’t as dire, because they would only be attacking your small network. Initially, I think routers will be okay, and the bigger networks like ISPs will be attacked first. I would like to find out more about the router issues, and whether firmware patches will be issued.

Hopefully I can find the answers online soon.

Helpful sites if you want to learn more about the DNS Flaw:

• Bart Busschots blog
• Nosillacast Show #163
• Security Now Episode #155

Using BitPim to Access Data on LG VX6100 Cellphone

I have a few saved camera photos on my LG VX6100 and since Verizon Wireless restricts access, I needed to figure out how to access it myself.

I ordered a cheap USB data cable on Amazon.com and downloaded BitPim – the free open source software for Macs, Windows and Linux that allows access to the file data on closed/restricted cell phones.

I am a Mac User, but I suspect the experience is fairly similar for Windows users, although it states in the help files that Windows users need drivers.

After download, I installed and launched BitPim. I highly recommend reading through the help tutorial, it will save time on figuring out what to do.

I attached the LG VX6100 to my laptop, after BitPim launched and that could be the reason it didn’t work initially. I quit the app, and started again. It didn’t recognize my phone again at start up, but somehow once I set the preferences again, it did recognize the phone.

NOTE: If you just want to download your data, check the box next to “Block writing anything to the phone” – I unchecked this setting in order to upload ringtones.

Click the “Get data from phone” icon, and add a check next to the items to download.

I didn’t care about my contacts, call history, etc. All I wanted was my camera photos. I chose “wallpaper” and “ringtones” in the data download settings.

I checked the log, and my data was downloading. For some reason my ringtones didn’t download, but a few sounds did download; all my camera photos downloaded, along with the default phone graphics.

Adding a Ringtone to the LG VX6100

I wanted to test the ability to upload a new ringtone to the VX6100, so I found a cute little “Bewitched Nose Wiggle” sound on my hard drive.

On the main workspace, right-click on Ringers, and choose “Add to Ringers”, navigate to your sound file, and select it – BitPim converts to .mp3.

Once it was added to the ringers folder, I chose the “Send Data to Phone” icon, and carefully chose the “add” radio button with a check box next to ringtones. I did not want to choose “Replace All” as I didn’t want to risk losing all my beloved default ringtones, especially since it was unable to download them.

It worked! I have a new ringtone on my cell phone! COOL!

Adding New Images to LG VX6100

Since the ringtone was so easy to add, I thought it would be cool to add one of my logos as my phone wallpaper. On the main BitPim workspace, right-click on Images and choose “Add to Images”, navigate to the image file. Choose how you want to format the image; I selected wallpaper, and I adjusted the crop boundaries to fit fully around my image.

Using the same process as the ringtone upload, I clicked the icon for “Send Data to Phone” and again, I carefully chose the “add” radio button along with a check box next to images.

It worked and now I have my web site logo on my cell phone!

LAST NOTES: BitPim cautions unplugging the phone from your computer if data is busy uploading or downloading. Be very careful with this. I don’t know if I was correct, but I quit the app before unplugging. This is not official software, so it could damage your phone irreparably, so proceed at your own risk!

Verizon Wireless, LG VX6100, & LG VX8300

Since March, I was eligible to upgrade my Verizon Wireless cell phone (LG VX6100), under the New Every Two promotion. I briefly researched online, and when I went to the store, I decided to upgrade to the LG VX8300. This required me to sign a new 2 year contract.

Likable LG VX8300

I was happy with the LG VX8300; the display is bright and colorful, and I liked that there was a microSD slot. Basically, it was an updated version of my previous phone.

The LG VX8300 Negatives

There were a few things that annoyed me. The menu (Verizon Wireless standard menu system) is not as intuitive as the default LG menu system in my LG VX6100. The phone’s available ringtones are horrid. I missed my old ringtones, and I hate the selection that Verizon Wireless offers on their pay site.

I use the speakerphone 90% of the time, and although the speakers sounded quite good, the way I hold my phone, I felt like I was blocking the two little side speakers with my fingers.

The biggest negative was that I had to sign a new two year Verizon Wireless contract. Since the iPhone announcement months ago, I had a nagging feeling that should remain “contract-free” – so I could be free to change providers at any time if something new and cool was announced.

So, I returned the cell phone on Friday, and reverted to my old LG VX6100 phone. I feel relieved that I am contract-free once again.

I ordered a new battery for the LG VX6100 from AccessoryGeeks.com, and since I already had a USB data cable, I will connect to the hard drive to mess with my saved photos & ringtones. (More on this in a new article) – I think this phone will be good for at least another year, and by then who knows what cool products will be available.

Configuring a Linksys Router

(updated 2008-11-9)

My friend Jenn is having a tough time properly configuring her Linksys wireless router, so I told her I would write a tutorial. (waving to Jenn!) Hopefully this will help her, and anyone else in need. I suggest printing this tutorial to follow along easier.

First off, let me state that I am not a security expert, so please take everything in this tutorial with a grain of salt. My router is a Linksys WRT54G wireless router, and I am using Comcast for broadband internet access. If someone is using DSL or a different router model, then settings might be slightly different.

For lots more information on wireless security, I recommend the podcast “Security Now” with Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte. Along with the audio podcast, there are also text transcripts for each show. For specific wifi discussion, locate podcasts from 2005 – episodes 10 through 13.

Let’s get started

Read the Rest of the Article

Wireless Internet Access Through Floors and Walls

Recently, I asked my mom if she would like to try sharing the high-speed cable Internet that my sister has upstairs in her bedroom.

At first, I was considering running Ethernet outside the upstairs window & into the window in her office downstairs. Gosh that would require a lot of wiring, but initially I didn’t think wireless access would be possible.

I started researching, and learned that wireless-G access is much better reaching through walls and floors than wireless-B.

So I figured I would give it a shot; if the signal was too low, I could always consider adding a repeater to strengthen the signal.

Since I loved my new Linksys WRT54GS, I started looking at the sales flyers. I found the WRT54G (v5) at Staples for $50.

Note: I really don’t think the speed booster router was necessary. I did purchase the speed booster version for our home, but only because it had a better price at that time, and I liked the reviews better than the plain G. But basically, I am pretty sure that both routers are exactly the same, except one has the speed booster.

Along with the router, I needed a wireless adapter hardware for her desktop. I admit I am hardware challenged, so I really didn’t want to install a PCI wireless adapter. I opted for the WUSB54G (v4) USB network adapter from Linksys, but I bought the Linksys PCI adapter just in case the USB adapter didn’t work well. (Each were $50.) The reviews on the USB adapter were very mixed, in fact reviews were not so good for any USB network adapter.

To save time, I configured the router at my house with WPA2 Personal security (with a strong password,) Universal Plug ‘N Play disabled, firewall enabled, and a new administration password. Then I brought it over to my Mom’s.

Once it was plugged into my sister’s system upstairs, I plugged the USB network adapter into my Mom’s system. Hmm, it wasn’t working, so let’s read the directions. Uh oh, do not plug in the adapter until the software from the CD is installed. Gee, I guess I should have read the instructions first.

So, I uninstalled the driver Windows XP installed, and unplugged the adapter. After installing the drivers on the CD, I plugged in the network adapter again. In my opinion, the interface is a little awkward and unintuitive. When the network was found, a dialog box appeared with password text box. It took two tries, but I did finally connect.

Initially, the signal fluctuated from 60% to 70%, so we experimented with placement of the USB adapter and router (upstairs). Eventually, the signal strength moved to 80%.

When I have more time, I might go over there and experiment a little more. After reading the User Guide online, it appears I can forgo the Linksys connection monitor, and use Win XP’s monitor instead. It might be easier to do that. One night my Mom noticed another signal (40%) on the list of available networks, and I want to ensure that she cannot accidentally connect to any other open networks in the area. I know XP can be configured to not add every network to your list of preferred connections.

Bottom line, my mom loves the speed, and my Dad is even thrilled to be going online. It was a good upgrade for them and I recommend both the Linksys WRT54G router and WUSB54G USB Network Adapter.

• Home
• Contact debbie T

The Archive

• Art and Graphics
  • Aperture 2
  • Digital Photography
  • Flickr
  • iPhoto
  • Photoshop
  • Picasa 2
• Books
• Computers
  • Printers
• Content Management
  • Expression Engine
  • Textpattern
  • WordPress
• Internet
  • Firefox Browser
  • Opera Browser
  • Thunderbird Email
  • Twitter
• iTunes & iPhone
• Linux Corner
• Mac Corner
  • Mac Software
    • Mac Snow Leopard
  • Windows on the Mac
• Podcasting
• Ramblings
• Web Development
  • Apache
  • CSS
  • Web Design
  • XHTML
• Wireless
• SOS-Flickr

My Links

• My Flickr
• My Zooomr
• Delicious Links
• Debbie T Designs
• Twitter
• My ipernity
• debbieTumbler
• debbieT Jaiku
• My Diggs

Favorite Links

• Amazon
• B&H Photo
• Mac Rumors
• MacRumors Digital Photography

More Favs

• NosillaCast
• Bart B
• FM Reviews
• Tech Guy Labs
• Mac DevCenter
• The Mac Attack
• TiKouka
• BirdPhotographers
• TWiP
• Version Tracker
• AppleNova Forums
• The MacCast
• Icon Buffet
• TWiT TV
• Mac ReviewCast
• Mac RoundTable

Subscribe

• - RSS 2.0
• 
• 
• 
• 
•