I have a friend who’s home public IP is DHCP, and they have an IP-enabled thermostat for their house. I set up a free DNS “A” record from DynDNS.com, so they could access the thermostat remotely without having to remember the IP address. The URL is something simple like http://myhome-freedns.com. Since the public IP is dynamic, I set up a service on their home PC that automatically updates that free DNS “A” record to reflect the new public IP (whenever it changes). This is called Dynamic DNS (DDNS). The problem with all of this is that the home PC must be turned on whenever the DNS “A” record needs to be updated. At this point, I figured I would leverage his Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router to handle the DDNS updates.

Upon logging into the router, I discovered the DDNS service was no where to be found! Soon enough I figured out that the firmware had to be updated, which introduces the DDNS service. Downloading the firmware was simple enough, and the upgrade *should* have been straight-forward too – log into the router, go to the corresponding page for firmware updates, browse to where the file is saved, and update.

Unfortunately it wasn’t that easy. I was getting the error of “”Upgrade action is not finish. Upgrade file pattern error.” If the grammatical error was not bad enough, not being able to upgrade the firmware easily became frustrating! A simple Google keyword search resulted in a Linksys forum page with the same issue. It appears that the naming convention that Linksys gives their firmware files is not compatible with their own products! Simply renaming the file from “BEW1.52,blah blah.bin” to “code.bin” allowed the router to read the file and update the firmware successfully. No numbers, no mid-way periods, no commas – just “code.bin”.

After the update, DDNS was available on the router, and is now successfully updating the DNS “A” record as needed, without the use of a PC-based service.

It’s no surprise that more and more people are using their cell phones, even when out on a date. Even if it’s just to check for a text message, or if it’s web enabled, check your Facebook account, etc. These days, the limits are endless. It’s funny though how when there is an uncomfortable moment of silence, the default choice is to break out the cell phone! I’m guilty of it too, but it’s hard to imagine how we all got by just a few short years ago. I suppose we all tried a little bit more to make conversation. The best is if you need an exit strategy, you can have a phony call come in to get you free.

It’s been the talk of the country for a while now. How safe is your I.T. job? Will it be outsourced to India? Yes, I call them out specifically, because that’s where the jobs are going.

After reading this article on Yahoo!, some key points really spoke to me:

•  ”An average salary for a software developer in the U.S. is $75,000 and it’s $8,000 in India,” says Mary Jo Morris, president of World Sourcing Services for Computer Sciences Corp.
• $20 billion in the stimulus package is directed at health information technology and the building of an infrastructure to promote the electronic exchange of health records.
• The stimulus act also includes another $6 billion to improve broadband Internet access in the U.S.
• Obama initially proposed a $3,000 tax credit this year and next for every net new job created.

I’ve always argued that an in-house presence is always necessary for company’s that have large infrastructures. The term “in-house” can even stretch as far as US-based consulting firms. However, modern technology allows virtually all (networked) computer equipment to be remotely managed. The only issue that will always remain is, for example, when someone needs something physically done on-site. If this is the case, many higher level I.T. jobs can be shipped overseas, and basic desktop support guys may grow to be in higher demand state-side.

The challenge that CTO’s and CIO’s have now is making their case to their superiors why it’s important to keep their top-level guys in-house, and not just see the dollars-to-dollars “benefit” of having their network managed by an outsourced crew half way around the world.

If anyone is lucky enough to still be working on Cisco PIX’s, then you are probably aware of one of the worst Cisco GUI’s known to man – the PIX Device Manager (aka PDM). Recently, I tried connecting to a PIX 501 through the PDM. The initial log-in screens appeared, but would get stuck at this screen:

The window would completely hang up. My initial thought was since this PIX is physically located far, far away (in Europe, over a slower DSL line), perhaps the PDM is having trouble loading the data. The next step was to connect to a server where the firewall is located, and try the PDM from there. Unfortunately, I had the same trouble.

I had remembered that a while back, on another PIX, I had to remove the “pdm location” entries from the config. I tried that next, and tried the PDM from both locations (remote and local) – same outcome.

Lastly, I turned to good ‘ol Google, and came across a Cisco Wiki article about the problem. Turns out that the culprit is the version of Java being used. Yes my friends, the PDM uses Java. Useful because Java is non-operating system dependent, but a pain because the PDM has since been phased out and only works with older versions of Java. I removed the latest version of Java (from the remote server), downloaded and installed version 1.4.1, and successfully logged into the PDM!

Eventually this PIX will be replaced with an ASA 5505, which introduces a nice CLI and the successor to the PDM, the ASDM.

Recently I went was sent by my employer to a training class to start on the Cisco career path towards getting my CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional) certification. I chose on taking the training offered by Global Knowledge for the Cisco IINS. Taking this class also came with a TWO FREE VOUCHERS to take the IINS 649-554 certification exam. What that means is you can take the test for free two times (if you should fail the first time through). But wait, there’s more! If you fail twice, you can then retake the class for free! Definitely worth the price of admission. The class is one week long, all day – which most Global Knowledge classes (and similar institutions) are. After taking this class and passing the exam, I received my CCNA Security certification.

The other benefit of this certification is that it renews the length of how long your previous certification is good for. Each Cisco certification is good for three years (most of them), so the CCNA certification that I received in June 2007 has been upgraded to the CCNA/S – good through the end of 2011. When the expiration time draws closer, you need to re-certify or move up the certification scale. According to Cisco, this keeps your knowledge sharp of your certification. I agree with this completely. The technology is always changing, and if you aren’t forced to re-certify, Cisco isn’t aware you know the latest stuff.

Certifications don’t always guarantee a pay raise at your current job, or necessarily land you a job, but it definitely looks great on your resume and shows you are serious about your career. In this economy, who couldn’t use the help with their resume to make it stand out from the rest?

Just last week, I received from work the new Blackberry Curve 8900. I was originally using the 8130 Pearl, but with the possibility of traveling to our international offices, and the increasing need for speed and performance from our mobile devices, the upgrade was welcomed with open arms. The only gotcha really is that the 8900 is exclusive to T-Mobile. Mobile coverage isn’t as good as Verizon, but that’s part of the deal if you want this phone.

First, I must say, this phone is night-and-day compared to the Pearl. This phone is really the best of both worlds between the Pearl’s size and the Bold’s (or 8800) performance. It’s dead in the middle of the two.




Some of the highlights of the 8900 are:

• Wireless
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• GPS
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Micro SD slot
• 2.4 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches, 3.9 oz
• 480 x 360 pixel display, 2.4 inch screen
• 512mhz processor, 128mb built-in memory
• Advanced track-ball

The phone has a super-sturdy design, fits well in your hand and pocket, and is downright fast. It’s only about a half inch wider than the Pearl, and slightly thinner than the Pearl as well. Only downside so far? No 3G support. I read the reasoning is because it wouldn’t fit in this particular casing of the phone shell.

If you are in the market for a new Blackberry or smartphone, and have the means to change to T-Mobile, I highly suggest going for it. With a 2yr contract agreement, the cost of the phone is $199. Due out to the general public early February 2009.