If you don't know what a RSS feed is, you should. (I'll wait while you follow the link and read up on it.)
Okay, so now you know what RSS means, but why is it such a big deal? For me, RSS is rapidly becoming the tool that I use to keep up on all the latest information. Whether it is news, new products, weather, or tips on how to save money, RSS feeds are what I read. By subscribing (at no cost) to RSS feeds, I am able to load up a single page in my browser and view new content from a multitude of websites. This is an incredible timesaver as I no longer have to actually go out and visit each website every day. I don't have to bookmark all of those sites, nor do I have to sit through a bunch of graphic-intensive ads as each website loads into my browser.
As I wander through the Internet each day, I invariably stumble across content that I like and may want to read more about in the future. When this happens, I look for a feed that I can subscribe to. If you are a Firefox or Safari user, the existence of a feed will be highlighted for you in the address bar of your browser. If not, just scan the page for words "subscribe", "rss", or "feed". You can also look for a little orange icon somewhere that is the accepted symbol for RSS feed.
Once you choose to subscribe to a feed, then you will need an application known as a "feed reader" or "aggregator". You can find lots of them out there, but I would recommend Google Reader as a good place to start. It's easy to use and accessible from whatever computer you happen to be on.
As you start collecting a few feeds, you will invariably come across one that has "high traffic". This means that they post new content many times throughout the day. This can be overwhelming if you have many feeds to browse or if you haven't checked your feeds for a few days.
I have recently ran across a tool that helps with this problem. It is called aideRSS. This is a great tool and even comes with a nice training video that shows you how to use their site. By using this tool, you will be able to add a filtered feed to your reader instead of the original one that you were interested in. This allows you to only spend time reading content that aideRSS has noted as popular.
The main drawback of this approach is that you won't be the "first" to read the new content and/or comment on it. If that is important to you, then you should retain the original feed subscription. For me, personally, I am content with a delay before I see the content when it means that I'm going to be viewing content that the community has already voted as popular.
Take a few moments, check out aideRSS, and let me know how it goes.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Switching Cell Phone Providers, pt 5 (Customer Service)
The last aspect of this whole evaluation I wanted to look at was their customer service. I have heard raves about Tmobile's customer service. I have called them a total of two times so far. They are certainly the friendliest company that I have dealt with. I was very impressed.
My second call to Customer service was to actually port my Cingular number over to my Tmobile account. After getting through the ARU, I spoke to the initial operator who validated my info and then transferred me to a more technical staff member for the number porting. He walked me through each and every step and about how long it would take. My expectations are well set (should be all done by tomorrow) and I'm ready to go.
At this point, I would have to concur with others that I've read from and talked to. Tmobile's customer service really is great!
My second call to Customer service was to actually port my Cingular number over to my Tmobile account. After getting through the ARU, I spoke to the initial operator who validated my info and then transferred me to a more technical staff member for the number porting. He walked me through each and every step and about how long it would take. My expectations are well set (should be all done by tomorrow) and I'm ready to go.
At this point, I would have to concur with others that I've read from and talked to. Tmobile's customer service really is great!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Switching Cell Phone Providers, pt 4 (Website)
Next test, the website. I wanted to see how easy it was to navigate and manage my account. The other thing that I really needed to know was how I could manage my 5 numbers.
Anyway, since I am using a non-"faves" enabled phone, I wanted to see if I could manage my list of 5 numbers through the website. Sure enough, I can and did. That question answered.
The other thing that I liked about the website is that it shows you how many minutes you've consumed for the month. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to give detailed information on call data. Perhaps, it will after a monthly statement is generated.
Part 3, Plan | Part 5, Customer Service
Anyway, since I am using a non-"faves" enabled phone, I wanted to see if I could manage my list of 5 numbers through the website. Sure enough, I can and did. That question answered.
The other thing that I liked about the website is that it shows you how many minutes you've consumed for the month. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to give detailed information on call data. Perhaps, it will after a monthly statement is generated.
Part 3, Plan | Part 5, Customer Service
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Switching Cell Phone Providers, pt 3 (Plan)
Before I started searching for a plan, I needed to know what type of usage I would need. I was abler to pull my last 6 months of usage records from my current Cingular account. A quick analysis showed that I used about 400 minutes a month and sent/received 110 SMS messages. Turns out I was buying a lot more then I was using.
I got signed up on the base "myFaves" plan with Tmobile. This plan offers unlimited (again, within context) calling to 5 numbers. For all other numbers, 300 minutes.
I now have a Tmobile plan with a temporary number. At least, that is what they called it. I had told them when signing up that I would either cancel the plan or roll my existing Cingular number over. I got the phone home and immediately removed the SIM card and plugged it into my existing phone. Ah, the beauty of GSM... I already own a SLVR which I really like. The free phone that came with the plan was a nice, pink Miami Ink RAZR. Needless to say, that's just not my style.
Anyway, 5 minutes after I got home, my existing SLVR was up and running on Tmobile's network. By the way, the perfect way to evaluate two services is to actually use the exact same device. The Mythbusters would be proud of me. I immediately phoned a friend and walked through the house to see what the service was like. First impression was good. I definitely have some dead spots in the house on Cingular's network. Now, does this alone mean that Tmobile is better then Cingular? Not really, it just means that there is likely a Tmobile tower closer to my house then a Cingular tower.
Over the next week, I continued to check the bars on my phone (which isn't foolproof) and called friends and family from different locations. Overall, in my area, I got just as good, if not better, service with Tmobile then with Cingular. That aspect of my evaluation is looking good.
Part 2, Coverage | Part 4, Website
I got signed up on the base "myFaves" plan with Tmobile. This plan offers unlimited (again, within context) calling to 5 numbers. For all other numbers, 300 minutes.
I now have a Tmobile plan with a temporary number. At least, that is what they called it. I had told them when signing up that I would either cancel the plan or roll my existing Cingular number over. I got the phone home and immediately removed the SIM card and plugged it into my existing phone. Ah, the beauty of GSM... I already own a SLVR which I really like. The free phone that came with the plan was a nice, pink Miami Ink RAZR. Needless to say, that's just not my style.
Anyway, 5 minutes after I got home, my existing SLVR was up and running on Tmobile's network. By the way, the perfect way to evaluate two services is to actually use the exact same device. The Mythbusters would be proud of me. I immediately phoned a friend and walked through the house to see what the service was like. First impression was good. I definitely have some dead spots in the house on Cingular's network. Now, does this alone mean that Tmobile is better then Cingular? Not really, it just means that there is likely a Tmobile tower closer to my house then a Cingular tower.
Over the next week, I continued to check the bars on my phone (which isn't foolproof) and called friends and family from different locations. Overall, in my area, I got just as good, if not better, service with Tmobile then with Cingular. That aspect of my evaluation is looking good.
Part 2, Coverage | Part 4, Website
Saturday, August 11, 2007
4 Things To Think About If You Must Use WEP
Okay, if you've read my previous posts, know how to use WPA to secure your wireless network. For some, this will not be an option. If you absolutely must use WEP, let me give you a few things to keep in mind.
#1) Use the longest password possible. At least 128 bit. This won't buy you much security, but it will mean that someone looking to crack your password will have to sniff more traffic. This means they have to be connected for a longer period of time before being able to discover your password.
#2) Disconnect the devices connected to your wireless network when they aren't in use. If you have a computer that you leave on all the time, it is constantly "checking in" with your access point. This conversational traffic is exactly what a malicious person needs in order to collect the right information to crack your password. If you are like me, you don't like powering down your equipment every day. In this case, just access your wireless configuration on your laptop and disable the connection. When you are ready to use it again, just enable it. Easy.
#3) Use a firewall. If you don't know what this is or how to configure it, don't worry. There are lots of resources available on the 'net. I may also do a basic writeup on it if there is interest. Basically, you want to keep your wireless network separate from the rest of your home network that has your other computers on it. If someone were to access your wireless network, you don't want them getting to your internal resources.
#4) Be smart about the type of data that you transfer over your wireless network. Assume that some stranger is going to get a copy of it and ask yourself if it is something that needs to be more private. Is it something that you would write on a postcard and send through the post office? If so, it's probably okay for use on your wireless network.
#1) Use the longest password possible. At least 128 bit. This won't buy you much security, but it will mean that someone looking to crack your password will have to sniff more traffic. This means they have to be connected for a longer period of time before being able to discover your password.
#2) Disconnect the devices connected to your wireless network when they aren't in use. If you have a computer that you leave on all the time, it is constantly "checking in" with your access point. This conversational traffic is exactly what a malicious person needs in order to collect the right information to crack your password. If you are like me, you don't like powering down your equipment every day. In this case, just access your wireless configuration on your laptop and disable the connection. When you are ready to use it again, just enable it. Easy.
#3) Use a firewall. If you don't know what this is or how to configure it, don't worry. There are lots of resources available on the 'net. I may also do a basic writeup on it if there is interest. Basically, you want to keep your wireless network separate from the rest of your home network that has your other computers on it. If someone were to access your wireless network, you don't want them getting to your internal resources.
#4) Be smart about the type of data that you transfer over your wireless network. Assume that some stranger is going to get a copy of it and ask yourself if it is something that needs to be more private. Is it something that you would write on a postcard and send through the post office? If so, it's probably okay for use on your wireless network.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Use WPA instead of WEP, pt 2
Lesson #2) Fine. I'll use the instruction manual. What should I be looking to do? Great! Look for instructions on how to connect to the administration function of the device you are setting up. This will usually be accessible on a private address in the 192.168. range. This means that you plug it in and then use your browser to access a special address that is given to you in the instruction manual. Once you have accessed this function, you should be looking for a security section. This will give you options on what kind of wireless security you want. At the time of this writing, most devices give you three options: open, WEP, and WPA. You want to choose WPA. (Specifically, referring to Pre-Shared Key or "Personal". The Enterprise level is not within the scope of this blog.)
The setup of WPA is really not any more difficult then WEP. Which is what makes it frustrating for me to see people still using WEP. There are probably a handful of situations in which folks may still want to use WEP. Most of these being to support older equipment that was purchased before the WPA protocol was developed. We will cover approaches to using WEP safely later.
Lesson #3) Choose a good password. Good passwords are difficult for humans. They are hard to remember, hard to come up with, hard to type. This is unfortunate and typically leads most people to choosing bad passwords. Bad passwords are short and easy to remember. They are things that can be found in dictionaries or on your myspace page (birthday, dog's name, friend's name, etc). When thinking about a good password for your wireless network, you have one thing going for you; you just don't have to type it very often, if ever. Most modern devices allow you to enter the password one time and it will retain it.
When choosing a password, you want to make it as long as possible and as random as possible. WPA allows for a password of up to 64 hexidecimal characters. I know what you're thinking, how am I going to type in a 64 character password? Don't worry, I will walk you through the approach that I use in a bit. You won't have to type a thing. The point here is that you want the longest password possible. It doesn't make any difference on your day-to-day computer use, but it does increase the time needed for a malicious person to gain access to your network.
Now, to get a random password, you need a thing called a "password generator". With OS X, you can create one using the Keychain application. If you are a Firefox user, there is an excellent extension available called SecurePassword. If neither of these are an option for you, there are a few of them available on the web. My favorite website for this is GRC. GRC's password generator will build the perfect password for WPA merely by accessing the link above. They provide a 64 character hexidecimal password along with a 63 character alpha-numeric one. Either one will work for WPA, so let's choose the alpha-numeric one since it is more human-friendly. When I accessed the site, this is the password that I received:
lKAg0kImzxZ3HdDrlojUaUCXfInGNBXbMai4V7Afz2uh9nMNiByqaCfD3KMXqlD
Don't let this scare you. Just highlight it and copy it into your computer's buffer (ctrl+c or Cmd+c). Open up a text editor and paste (ctrl+v or Cmd+v) it into the text editor. Do a quick File|Save and you've got your password (and you didn't have to type a thing). Now, back to the wireless device we were configuring... You've selected WPA and are prompted to enter the password or the "pre shared key". Just switch back to your text editor, copy your random password, and paste it into the password field. Now, look for the save button and you are done with your access point configuration! Once you hit save, your device will probably restart and anyone currently connected to it will be dropped. They will also not be able to re-connect without your new random password.
Lesson #4) Configure only the computers that you want on your wireless network. Your next challenge is how to get that new password to your laptop so that it can access your wireless network. There are, of course, a number of ways in which to do this. The one that I propose is called the sneakernet. Put on your tin foil hat with me and find a blank disk or USB thumb drive. This password isn't something that you want to leave on your computer, transfer to your friend via email, or post on a website. Ever. You must maintain strict control over this password. Find a disk... floppy, CD, DVD, ZIP, whatever. My preference is CD these days. You want something that will be accessible to most types of computers. Remember that file you created with your text editor? Move it to the disk.
Now, take the disk and insert it into the laptop you want to access your wireless network. Open up the text file, highlight the password, and copy it into your buffer. Now, open up your computers wireless configuration and find your network in the list. Hopefully, it will say "secured" or something to that effect. When you select it, it will prompt for a password. No problem! You just paste the new password into the both fields and you're done. If done correctly, your laptop is now authenticated to your wireless network and you are all set. Just take out the disk and repeat the procedure on any other computers that you want to have connected to your wireless network. Friend of yours is visiting and wants to get their email? Hand them the disk. Just make sure you get it back. :)
The setup of WPA is really not any more difficult then WEP. Which is what makes it frustrating for me to see people still using WEP. There are probably a handful of situations in which folks may still want to use WEP. Most of these being to support older equipment that was purchased before the WPA protocol was developed. We will cover approaches to using WEP safely later.
Lesson #3) Choose a good password. Good passwords are difficult for humans. They are hard to remember, hard to come up with, hard to type. This is unfortunate and typically leads most people to choosing bad passwords. Bad passwords are short and easy to remember. They are things that can be found in dictionaries or on your myspace page (birthday, dog's name, friend's name, etc). When thinking about a good password for your wireless network, you have one thing going for you; you just don't have to type it very often, if ever. Most modern devices allow you to enter the password one time and it will retain it.
When choosing a password, you want to make it as long as possible and as random as possible. WPA allows for a password of up to 64 hexidecimal characters. I know what you're thinking, how am I going to type in a 64 character password? Don't worry, I will walk you through the approach that I use in a bit. You won't have to type a thing. The point here is that you want the longest password possible. It doesn't make any difference on your day-to-day computer use, but it does increase the time needed for a malicious person to gain access to your network.
Now, to get a random password, you need a thing called a "password generator". With OS X, you can create one using the Keychain application. If you are a Firefox user, there is an excellent extension available called SecurePassword. If neither of these are an option for you, there are a few of them available on the web. My favorite website for this is GRC. GRC's password generator will build the perfect password for WPA merely by accessing the link above. They provide a 64 character hexidecimal password along with a 63 character alpha-numeric one. Either one will work for WPA, so let's choose the alpha-numeric one since it is more human-friendly. When I accessed the site, this is the password that I received:
lKAg0kImzxZ3HdDrlojUaUCXfInGNBXbMai4V7Afz2uh9nMNiByqaCfD3KMXqlD
Don't let this scare you. Just highlight it and copy it into your computer's buffer (ctrl+c or Cmd+c). Open up a text editor and paste (ctrl+v or Cmd+v) it into the text editor. Do a quick File|Save and you've got your password (and you didn't have to type a thing). Now, back to the wireless device we were configuring... You've selected WPA and are prompted to enter the password or the "pre shared key". Just switch back to your text editor, copy your random password, and paste it into the password field. Now, look for the save button and you are done with your access point configuration! Once you hit save, your device will probably restart and anyone currently connected to it will be dropped. They will also not be able to re-connect without your new random password.
Lesson #4) Configure only the computers that you want on your wireless network. Your next challenge is how to get that new password to your laptop so that it can access your wireless network. There are, of course, a number of ways in which to do this. The one that I propose is called the sneakernet. Put on your tin foil hat with me and find a blank disk or USB thumb drive. This password isn't something that you want to leave on your computer, transfer to your friend via email, or post on a website. Ever. You must maintain strict control over this password. Find a disk... floppy, CD, DVD, ZIP, whatever. My preference is CD these days. You want something that will be accessible to most types of computers. Remember that file you created with your text editor? Move it to the disk.
Now, take the disk and insert it into the laptop you want to access your wireless network. Open up the text file, highlight the password, and copy it into your buffer. Now, open up your computers wireless configuration and find your network in the list. Hopefully, it will say "secured" or something to that effect. When you select it, it will prompt for a password. No problem! You just paste the new password into the both fields and you're done. If done correctly, your laptop is now authenticated to your wireless network and you are all set. Just take out the disk and repeat the procedure on any other computers that you want to have connected to your wireless network. Friend of yours is visiting and wants to get their email? Hand them the disk. Just make sure you get it back. :)
Friday, July 27, 2007
Use WPA instead of WEP
Okay, folks, it is time once again to review the state of today's wireless 802.11 (also known by the marketing term, WiFi) security. This has been documented time and time again, but it has recently became clear to me that it apparently isn't sinking in. One of my goals with this blog is to try and educate friends and family, so I thought I would write something up that is in plain English and implore you to think about your wireless situation at home.
I was recently on vacation in a small town in Idaho when I fired up my laptop and found no fewer then six wireless networks within range. A couple of things surprised me about this. The first being that there were six(!) networks in my immediate vicinity in a town with a population of 4,000. I am not used to seeing this kind of coverage in the smaller mountain towns that I've visited. The second, and probably more, surprising aspect of this was that all of them were secured! That's right, none of them were set to allow open access, nor did they have the all-too-familiar network name "linksys" or "default".
Unfortunately, they had all used WEP as the means for securing their network. This is horribly insecure and merely serves as a means to keep the honest people honest. Perhaps, that is all the owners were after, but I would like to encourage you to go a step farther in securing your own home network. It's really not that hard and will take 10-15 minutes, tops. If you haven't already, please read my post regarding the dangers of using WEP.
If you are still reading, then perhaps I've convinced you to convert your network from WEP or open to WPA. If that is the case, read on...
Lesson #1) Do not buy an access point (also known as "router", "wireless hub", or just plain "wireless"), take it home, plug it in, and just start using it. This is what we would call the "default" or open access. It comes with an instruction manual for a reason. Use it! :)
Next Lessons...
I was recently on vacation in a small town in Idaho when I fired up my laptop and found no fewer then six wireless networks within range. A couple of things surprised me about this. The first being that there were six(!) networks in my immediate vicinity in a town with a population of 4,000. I am not used to seeing this kind of coverage in the smaller mountain towns that I've visited. The second, and probably more, surprising aspect of this was that all of them were secured! That's right, none of them were set to allow open access, nor did they have the all-too-familiar network name "linksys" or "default".
Unfortunately, they had all used WEP as the means for securing their network. This is horribly insecure and merely serves as a means to keep the honest people honest. Perhaps, that is all the owners were after, but I would like to encourage you to go a step farther in securing your own home network. It's really not that hard and will take 10-15 minutes, tops. If you haven't already, please read my post regarding the dangers of using WEP.
If you are still reading, then perhaps I've convinced you to convert your network from WEP or open to WPA. If that is the case, read on...
Lesson #1) Do not buy an access point (also known as "router", "wireless hub", or just plain "wireless"), take it home, plug it in, and just start using it. This is what we would call the "default" or open access. It comes with an instruction manual for a reason. Use it! :)
Next Lessons...
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