Tech on Tech

25 More Tech Tips and Tricks by David Pogue

2011-06-04T18:23:00.002-04:00

David Pogue is at it again and we would be remiss not to listen.

Enjoy!

Easy Steps to Improve Your PC's Performance

2010-03-13T15:14:00.000-05:00

This article is from AOL and does recommend some AOL products; however, the majority of the content is informative - and easily overlooked!

Easy Steps to Improve Your PC's Performance

OWASP Top 10 - #1 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS)

2009-10-18T19:00:00.001-04:00

In another post, I said I would talk about the OWASP Top 10, which is a list of the 10 most dangerous current Web application security flaws. This list, interestingly, is built into both the PCI DSS standard as well as Shared Assessments.

#1 on the OWASP Top 10 is Cross Site Scripting (XSS), which, per OWASP is:

whenever an application takes user supplied data and sends it to a web
browser without first validating or encoding that content. XSS allows
attackers to execute script in the victim's browser which can hijack
user sessions, deface web sites, possibly introduce worms, etc.

For more information on XSS, check out this nice FAQ.

In the next post we will cover #2 on the Top 10.

DID YOU KNOW? Shared Assessments' Application Vulnerability Assessment actually contains 11 attributes. Can you name #11?

Cisco Tip: ip default-gateway

2009-10-17T19:17:00.001-04:00

The ip default-gateway command is used when you need to configure a default router and IP routing is either disabled or not available (on the 2960, for example).

Aside from looking through the configuration (show run | inc default-gateway), how can you check to see that your default router has indeed been configured?

Use the show ip redirects command to see your just configured default router. Give it a try!

What is the best method for baselining your control environment?

2009-10-17T15:27:00.001-04:00

CobiT combined with ITIL and ISO27001/2? CobiT in combination with another standard?

What are your thoughts?

Using 1Password & RoboForm can keep you safe.....cont'd

2009-10-17T09:38:00.001-04:00

If you need further convincing about the importance of good password management, check out this recent article.

After reading this article and the Newsweek article mentioned here, it is no small wonder that 1Password is the solution to this over 30-year-old problem.

Securing your password.....and your wallet! (Using 1Password & RoboForm can keep you safe)

2009-10-16T09:13:00.001-04:00

What do you think of when you think of security? Still thinking, right? Exactly. No surprise, then, that functionality and utility have taken the front seat when it comes to application development. Today, however, with the rampant spread of cross site scripting and sql injection attacks, not to mention the already inescapable viruses and malware that live and breathe on anything running Windows, things are starting to change.

One of the most important facets of security is your password - the key to the castle. Newsweek just came out with a great article on building a better password. But, for my money - and that's what we are really trying to protect a lot of the time when we are online - there is no better solution than 1Password. For those of you still in the unfortunate position of having to use a PC (and that is how I look at it), you can turn to a good solution like RoboForm. But, for those in the know, we use a RoboForm for the Mac, if you will.

I have written about 1Password before, so will let you read my other posts to find out about it. My point in this post is that if you want to be secure online you need to have good (at a minimum) password management. By this, I am talking about a password that is not easily going to be hacked by a brute-force attack - something not easily guessed. With 1Password, you get all of this. And, further, 1Password automatically fills all of your forms for you.

I will be writing more about security soon, but you can find out more about how to secure your Mac now with 1Password here.

Locking Down Your Switch.....Cont'd

2009-09-18T00:36:00.001-04:00

I have been talking here and here of the importance of locking down your switch (indeed your network in general) and why this is so important. It seems to me that the most basic controls are often the most overlooked. It is not surprising that most best practices call for basic network physical security and, on the same note, it is not surprising that basic security is often overlooked.

Looking through PCI DSS, for example, you will see a requirement both for WAFs (Web Application Firewalls), which operate at Layer 7, and for restricting physcial access at OSI Layer 1. Indeed, it doesn't make sense to put 3 deadbolts on the front door if the back door or a window is still open.

Shared Assessments is a member-driven industry standard used to "inject standardization, consistency, speed, efficiency and cost savings into the service provider assessment process." This standard also requires that physical ports be locked down (disabled) as referenced in:

I.3 Secure System Hardening Standards: Unnecessary physical access ports disabled or removed.

On another note (and I will discuss in another post), it is interesting to note that both PCI DSS and Shared Assessments include OWASP Top 10 as requirements.

Cybersecurity Act of 2009

2009-09-13T18:20:00.001-04:00

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 is something to keep your eye on.

Here 's what you need to know.

MasterCard's Security Changes and its impact on PCI Compliance

2009-09-13T15:58:00.001-04:00

Over the past few months, MasterCard has made some major security changes that, seemingly, will impact PCI compliance now and in the future for quite a number of businesses.

First, MasterCard advised all Level 2 merchants (those processing between 1 - 6 million payments cards annually) that Self-Assessment questionnaires would no longer be sufficient for compliance; thus, Level 2 merchants would now be required to have a third-party perform an on-site assessment. This new change "can cost $10,000 - $30,000 per year for a merchant already PCI-compliant and more for a retailer meeting the standard for the first time."

Not too surprisingly, merchants are looking for alternative payment methods (i.e. PayPal) in order to reduce the number of card transactions.

MasterCard, with their second big security change, has decided to disallow merchants' use of RKI (remote key injection) services to install new encryption keys on POS systems. This new rule by MasterCard jeopardizes the on-going Triple DES compliance efforts for all POS terminals: merchants have until July 2010 to upgrade their POS terminals from DES to Triple DES. If this upgrade now has to be done manually, as opposed to automatically with RKI, it could make meeting the July 2010 deadline quite difficult for businesses with a large number of POS terminals.

More on Locking Down Your Switch.....

2009-09-13T15:10:00.001-04:00

In my last post I talked about the importance of locking down (disabling) physical access on your network switches to only those with authorized access. I discussed how, along with being a best practice, it is also a requirement of such standards as PCI DSS and ISACA.

Let's add another standard to that list today and that's NERC. Indeed, NERC CIP 007-1: R2 states that "The Responsible Entity shall establish and document a process to ensure that only those ports and services required for normal and emergency operations are enabled."

More to come.....

Lock Down Your Switch, or Else!

2009-09-12T14:33:00.001-04:00

Locking down your switch is one of the most important steps to do (for the network engineer) or verify (for the IT auditor). Indeed, restricting physical access to your network to only those authorized is paramount. Further, it is a requirement of PCI DSS (9.1.2. Restrict physical access to publicly accessible network jacks) and ISACA (P8 Security Assessment—Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Analysis - 6.1 Rogue Access Jacks)

Looking at this from both an operational and assurance mindset, it is equally important to ensure physical access control. But, as I am sure you are aware, importance is relative. How often is PCI DSS 9.1.2 given a checkmark for compliance on either your Self-Assessment Questionnaire or on-site assessment?

From an audit, and even an engineering perspective, it is really a best practice to lock down your switches and disable any ports not in use, especially those going to areas where people may have easy, unattended access to the network.

Of course, for those in site support who may have to set up new user connections, it is quite cumbersome if the ports they need to plug their patch cables into are disabled. Indeed, instead of patching their cable and being on their merry way they now need to create that dreaded change request!

When you are on the operational side - and are feeling the pain - it is hard to see the merit of going through these processes. But, when you realize that there is a reason why the change request asks for business impact and, in many cases, will need business approval you start to see a pattern. The work we do is not in a vacuum - it supports the business. To that end, we need to be cognizant of what we are doing and what the risks are to the business.

So, the next time you need to patch in a new user and the port is disabled. Don't get mad (and, please, don't get even!) - just be glad that someone out there is doing what he/she can to keep your business secure. Now it is your turn.

SAS 70 vs. ISAE 3402

2009-09-11T23:41:00.001-04:00

This article from PWC touches on some of the key differences. One of note is that service organization management are now required to provide a formal assertion acknowledging responsibility for their controls.

More to come.....

More thoughts on PCI DSS

2009-09-11T23:35:00.001-04:00

Network Solutions, whose recent security breach exposed almost 600,000 cardholders, said "We store credit card data in an encrypted manner, and we are PCI (Payment Card Industry)-compliant." Here again is another example of the mindset to which I referred in my last post: PCI compliance does not equal security.

If PCI compliance doesn't equal security, does it equal culpability? Indeed, Heartland's CEO blamed the PCI QSA for the breach. Interestingly, Nevada in June passed a law that mandated PCI compliance for businesses that accept payment cards and provides that compliance will shield such businesses from liability for damages from a security breach.

As the breaches continue, let's recall Visa's statement after Heartland:

PCI DSS remains an effective security tool when implemented properly - and remains the best defense against the loss of sensitive data. No compromised entity to date has been found to be in compliance with PCI DSS at the time of the breach. [emphasis added]

Good to know.

Thoughts on PCI DSS

2009-09-11T00:36:00.002-04:00

Of the Ten Common Myths of PCI DSS, Myth 4 is surely the one most in need of debunking. Indeed, PCI compliance in and of itself will not make you secure. If an organization is to ensure compliance AND security, there must be a "continuous process of audit and remediation."

As one who has worked in change control, I can appreciate the fact that quite a number of PCI requirements pertain to this area.

Perhaps the most important command you can use on a router is "wri mem" - to save any changes you have made. It is nice to see the importance of this concept (saving your work) memorialized in PCI DSS:

PCI DSS Requirements
1.2.2 Secure and synchronize router configuration files.

Testing Procedures
Verify that router configuration files are secure and synchronized—for example, running configuration files (used for normal running of the routers) and start-up configuration files (used when machines are re-booted), have the same, secure configurations.

How to Audit your Network - FOR FREE!

2009-08-08T15:52:00.002-04:00

Quality expert Philip Crosby talked of the price of nonconformance and its related expenses. Too, he talked of the price of conformance and the savings that would result from such conformance. But how do you achieve these savings and to what are you conforming?

Well, when it comes to your data network, you need to make sure it is secure and configured per corporate and any other applicable standards (e.g. HIPAA, SOX, PCI, etc.).

How do I know if my network is secure? How do I know if it is standards compliant? Good questions!

Before you can begin to correct and, subsequently, prevent problems in your network you need to detect them. One such detection tool is Nipper. Nipper is an open source tool that allows you to perform security audits of your network from the command line. Nipper works on multiple platforms (Windows, Mac) as well as reads configuration files from a variety of different vendors (Cisco, Juniper, Nokia, etc.)

Nipper's HTML reports are excellent (note: you can customize Nipper and have it output to other formats such as CSV if you prefer) and they make spotting problems in your network easy and understandable.

Anyone looking to audit their own network (or someone else's) can't go wrong with Nipper.

Through the Looking Glass: How to Brush Up on BGP

2009-01-26T15:25:00.001-05:00

As someone who himself is looking for employment, I can't stress the importance of keeping your skill set sharp. Of course, unless you are working for a Tier-1 service provider, it may not be possible to keep skills such as BGP as sharp as they need to be for today's job market.

Fortunately, as is usually the case, there is a solution in looking-glass and route servers.

Just do a search for "looking-glass server" and you will come across sites such as traceroute.org, which will provide you with a list of servers to which you can connect.

For example, choosing the route server CerfNet Route Server (AS1838) will open a Terminal session on a Mac (on a PC, however, it will open whatever telnet program you are using). Once you click on the link to open the route server, Terminal (or your telnet program) will open with the following prompt:

route-server>

From this prompt, you can now begin to look at the BGP configuration of this device:

route-server>sho ip bgp summ
BGP router identifier 12.129.193.235, local AS number 1838
BGP table version is 1, main routing table version 1

Neighbor        V    AS MsgRcvd MsgSent   TblVer InQ OutQ Up/Down State/PfxRcd
12.129.192.1    4 17233       0       0        0    0    0 never    Active
12.129.192.2    4 17233       0       0        0    0    0 never    Active
134.24.13.2     4 64512 1287988 1287776        1    0    0 11w1d           0
134.24.13.3     4 64512 1287990 1287784        1    0    0 16w4d           0
route-server>

You can try different commands, either from the route servers or the looking glass servers and KEEP YOUR BGP SKILLS SHARP!

How to Backup and Restore your Mac

2009-01-11T00:40:00.001-05:00

For many people, having a hard disk failure on their Mac is tantamount to Armageddon; indeed, should such a tragedy occur without the protection of backup it would truly be the End of Days!

I have spoken in the past about routine backups and you should, at minimum, back up your data monthly regardless of whether your own a Mac or PC.

If you are looking for a good backup solution for your Mac, I strongly recommend the LaCie Rugged drives. The LaCie drives are small, portable, external drives, which, as their name implies, can withstand some wear and tear and moving around. The LaCie drives are Time Machine compatible and support multiple interfaces (USB 2.0, FireWire) as well as speeds up to 500GB.

While I would recommend using Time Machine for your backups, I will make mention that the software that comes with the LaCie drives, SilverKeeper, works pretty well. Of course, for those looking for alternatives to Time Machine and who may want a more robust backup solution than SilverKeeper, you can't go wrong with SuperDuper!

I know Time Capsule is a popular option for many; however, it would not easily fit into my current environment so I have not had the opportunity to test it out and provide any feedback. Of course, I would like to do so at some point. (Apple, are you listening?)

My best recommendation to you is to do your monthly (at least) backups with an external drive (such as the LaCie) using Time Machine (again, since I have not used Time Capsule I can't comment one way or the other about it). But, before you even do your first backup, the FIRST thing you need to do is make your external drive BOOTABLE by installing the Mac OS X installation DVD onto the drive.

When you are setting up the drive in Disk Utility, you need to make sure that you format the drive as "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" Make sure you choose the option with "Journaled." Also, you need to make sure you go into "Options" and choose GUID Partition scheme.

Once the drive is formatted and partitioned, you can verify the drive is bootable by restarting your Mac and then holding down the Option key as it boots. What this will do is present you with two (2) boot options, one being your current hard disk and the other being your external disk. Choose the external disk for your test.

You should now be prompted to choose a language, as this is the Mac OS X installation DVD. From here, you can now restore from a previous backup, such as a Time Machine backup stored on your external drive.

Depending on how often you do your backups, the amount of data you lose will be minimized proportionally. Of course, you may be that lucky person who does monthly backups and has their Mac crash the day after having done a backup, thus losing not even a day's worth of data. Or, you could be the one who does weekly backups and has their Mac crash the day before their next backup, thus losing 6 days of data! From what I have read about Time Capsule it does appear to be the "perfect" solution - after one really long, monstrous backup, your Mac is incrementally backed up every time it is on, wirelessly, seamlessly - without thinking about it! In practice, however, Time Capsule is not just a backup device it is a full-fledged wireless router and needs to be the PRIMARY wireless device in your environment for backups to work effectively. Further, while it does have 10/100/1000 ports to connect your LAN devices, it only has 3. You need to have 4 ports. If I get the chance to try Time Capsule I will write more.

Good luck with your backups!

Apple pulls antivirus advice from its Web site

2008-12-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

After much brouhaha, Apple has pulled the 2007 81-word document which advised:

"Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus-writing process more difficult,"

Apple, in the same document, recommended antivirus programs from McAfee, Symantec and Intego.

According to an Apple spokesman, "The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box,"

What is the best Smartphone?

2008-12-03T10:38:00.001-05:00

What is the best smartphone? I am probably one of the only people, if not the only one, in NYC who doesn't own a smartphone. Still, when conformity finally sinks in I want to ensure I make the best decision. To wit, what is the best smartphone?

Is it any of these major players?

iPhone (do I even need to say 3G?)
BlackBerry Storm (or, perhaps, the Pearl, Curve or Bold?)
Treo (yes, they are still around!)
HTC G1 (AKA, the Google phone)
Nokia E71
AT&T Tilt
Samsung Omnia

What is the best smartphone?
Did I miss any?
Should I even bother with a smartphone?

What do you think?

RoboForm for Mac and iPhone

2008-11-25T15:32:00.001-05:00

Along with the quite popular 3G iPhones, Apple's newly designed Macbooks are making quick exits off store shelves. As many of these purchases will be by "first-timers," it is a good time to re-visit 1Password.

1Password is a "RoboForm for the Mac and the iPhone." Indeed, it is a password-manager (and lots more!), which can be used on both the Mac and the iPhone (and iTouch, even). If you are familiar with RoboForm on the PC, you will know that it is a program you really can't live without once you have started to use it. Similarly, once you have used 1Password for the Mac or the iPhone you will see that 1Password is really more than just a "RoboForm for the Mac" or a "RoboForm for the iPhone." Instead, it is truly a unique program that has no peer either in Mac OS or Windows.

You can download 1Password for FREE to see if this is something you might like - what have you got to lose?

Still not sure? Check out the short 3-minute movie to see 1Password in action!

Microsoft drops bid for Yahoo

2008-05-04T01:20:00.001-04:00

Microsoft dropped its bid for Yahoo just after increasing its offer to $33 per share.

Don't count out Microsoft. Indeed, third time may be the charm for Microsoft if Yahoo's stock tanks.

Top 5 Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy

2008-04-12T09:40:00.001-04:00

Check out this article; I can't argue with #5.

Walt Mossberg: Laptop Buyer's Guide

2008-04-11T08:19:00.001-04:00

Fresh off the presses, Walt Mossberg's Laptop Buyer's Guide.

Best CCNP Study Guide: Hop On Board This Train!

2008-04-04T10:59:00.001-04:00

My last post on this subject was almost a year and a half ago. And, in that time, I have not found a better choice for Cisco instruction than Chris Bryant. In fact, things have only gotten better for those with aspirations of becoming certified networking professionals. Indeed, Chris Bryant has partnered with Train Signal to produce, in my opinion, the best Cisco training available today. Period.

The CCNP training, for example, consists of 3 separate courses: BSCI, BCMSN & ONT. Each course contains 2 DVDs, which provide you with both the theory and application of that theory. From the moment you play that first DVD, you are instantly engaged by Chris Bryant's warmth and "Southern Hospitality." The whiteboard lessons are clear, concise and to-the-point; printing them out makes for an excellent guide.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the training is the feeling that Chris Bryant is actually in the room with you at that very moment. During the lab sections of the video, where Chris Bryant connects into real switches to demonstrate the concepts he has just discussed, you can actually hear him typing away at the keyboard in the background. And, further emphasizing my point above that you feel as though Chris Bryant is there with you, he occasionally "fat fingers" a command and has to backspace - this is what happens in the real world and you are watching it live!

Whether you need to brush up your Cisco skills to study for certifications, or to help you get a better understanding of what you are doing at work day-to-day, Train Signal will get you to your destination.

DON'T UPGRADE TO LEOPARD!

2008-03-02T23:39:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I am saying this, but, as an advisory to others, I feel I need to considering the pain I have endured (and am enduring) since I have done so. I am a HUGE Apple fan(atic), as anyone reading these posts knows. Indeed , I took Apple's delay of Leopard in stride because I thought it would only give them more time to make the product better. Sadly, I was wrong. It is unfortunate that such a wonderful product as the Mac OS had to take a backseat to the iPhone, but, to make matters worse, it seems the product was released much too soon.

To enumerate the problems I have experienced since upgrading to Leopard:

My Macbook freezes more than half the time after waking from sleep; all I see is that darned spinning beach ball and my keyboard is frozen. I can, interestingly, move my mouse cursor.
My battery life has gone from a solid 3+ hours to less than 1 hour.

These are the major problems and, from reading the posts online, it doesn't appear that I am alone.

I would appreciate any feedback here, since I am sure others are in the same boat. Unfortunately, it seems that this issue is related to Leopard and unless and until Apple gets things right here we are all going to suffer. So, we need to make sure our collective voices are heard.

Roboform for the iPhone and iTouch

2008-02-08T10:15:00.003-05:00

I have talked quite often about 1Password and why it is much more than just a "RoboForm for the Mac." Indeed, if you have an iPhone and/or iTouch, you need 1Password. And, here is what you need to know.

MacBook Air: First Impressions

2008-01-18T10:40:00.001-05:00

Apple has introduced its thinnest laptop yet and Walt Mossberg had some first impressions.

Farewell Netscape

2008-01-01T00:54:00.001-05:00

Anyone old enough to remember what it was like before the Internet certainly understands the significant role Netscape played in making the Internet what it is today. Consider this: today Microsoft IE has about 77% of the browser market; at its peak, Netscape had about 90%! And, let's not forget Netscape's impact on the stock market either - what an IPO!

But, alas, all good things come to an end. Let's remember the good times!

A moment of silence, please.

Mac Buying Guides

2007-12-06T18:49:00.001-05:00

It's Christmas time! Yes, the obligatory iPods, iPhones and iTouches will be on many a Wish List. But, don't forget about the Mac. With Leopard just out of its cage, the Mac is firing on all cylinders. Hey, who doesn't love those commercials! For those of you still on the fence - you want to make the switch, but aren't quite ready - here is some information for you.

First, check out Walt Mossberg's Mac FAQ. If that doesn't get you running out to buy a Mac, take a look at this.

If you need an idea for a Stocking Stuffer, look no further than 1Password.

Cisco Tip: CatOS to IOS Configuration Conversion Tool

2007-11-01T19:00:00.001-04:00

Anyone who works with switches has, most likely, come across both the hybrid and native types. For those unfamiliar with these terms, native refers to a switch running only IOS. Hybrid, on the other hand, refers to a switch where the Supervisor runs CatOS and the MSFC runs IOS. When converting from hybrid to native, not only do you need to ensure the switch is running IOS software but you need to ensure the configuration is IOS-based as well. To that end, it helps to have a CatOS to IOS Configuration Conversion Tool.

NOTE: You will need a CCO account to download this tool.

1Password 2.5 Released

2007-10-31T16:53:00.001-04:00

If you are a regular reader, you will know that my favorite Mac application (and my first must have app once I switched to the Mac from the PC) is 1Password. Yes, 1Password, as the name of the application was changed from 1Passwd with the release of 2.5.

Version 2.5, along with many great new additions, includes support for Leopard. In addition, soon-to-be-released is a new service called my1Password that helps you access your 1Password data anywhere!

It just keeps getting better and better!

Cisco Tip: do command

2007-10-26T10:27:00.001-04:00

It's happened to all of us - we are in the middle of configuring our L3 switch or router and we can't continue until verifying some other information with a show command. In the past, we would CTRL-Z out of what we were doing, use our show command(s) and then go back into config mode. What a pain!

These days, assuming you are running a current IOS, you can merely use the do command from config mode (or any other submode) in order to run your show commands.

Here is an example from CCO.....

Router(config)# do show interfaces serial 3/0
Serial3/0 is up, line protocol is up
Hardware is M8T-RS232
MTU 1500 bytes, BW 1544 Kbit, DLY 20000 usec, rely 255/255, load 1/255
Encapsulation HDLC, loopback not set, keepalive set (10 sec)
Last input never, output 1d17h, output hang never
Last clearing of "show interface" counters never

Cisco Tip: Cisco Catalyst Switch Guide

2007-10-16T14:42:00.001-04:00

If you don't already have a copy of the Cisco Catalyst Switch Guide saved to your desktop and/or flash drive, download a copy now!

Very handy!

NOTE: You will need a CCO account to download the guide.

Roboform for the Mac: 1Passwd (Revisited)

2007-09-21T11:16:00.002-04:00

It seems to be the consensus that, on the Mac, 1Password is nonpareil. However, recently I received some comments on one of my posts about 1Password and how it compares to Robform. Therefore, I would like to bring to everyone's attention a wonderful application called AllBookmarks by the creators of 1Password. Using AllBookmarks , you can create drop-down menus in a similar manner as to Roboform; further, these menus work across multiple browsers so your access to your bookmarks is seamless. Alternatively, you can create 1Click Login bookmarks with 1Password, which create drop-down menus quite similar to those used in Roboform.

If this isn't convenient enough for you, a web version of 1Password is soon-to-be-released for the ultimate in portability.

With AllBookmarks, 1Click Login bookmarks and this new web version, 1Password is a Roboform for the Mac - and then some!

InformationWeek Recommends 1Passwd

2007-09-13T20:16:00.001-04:00

As more and more people have been switching to Macs, I have not been surprised to see the number of people searching for roboform alternatives increase. Indeed, "roboform for Mac" searches are typically one of the first you see among Mac switchers. Fortunately, for me and many others, we have not had to search long or far since 1Passwd was there to meet all of our needs and then some. Thus, it was no surprise that Macworld was soon echoing the same positive feedback that I had been seeing for months all over the web. But, it was quite a surprise to see InformationWeek, an industry trade journal, chime in as well. Some apps you can't live without and, indeed, wish were built into the OS. 1Passwd, for sure, is one of those apps.

L2 Switch Pre/Post Migration Checkout Commands (CatOS/IOS)

2007-09-11T18:56:00.001-04:00

Here are some commands to use on L2 switches (CatOS/IOS) during pre/post checkouts of your migrations. These commands are not listed in any particular order; indeed, all that matters is that they are all executed and that their output is logged.

CatOS
====
sho ver
sho mod
dir
dir disk0:
sho config
sho port stat
sho trunk
sho port channel
sho cam dy
sho port trap
sho vtp domain
sho vlan
sho interface

IOS
===
sho ver
sho run
sho ip int brief
sho int status
sho mac-address-table dy
sho mac-address-table aging
sho vtp stat
sho vlan brief
dir
sho tech

This list is just a suggestion and comments for addition (or subtraction!) are welcome.

iPhone and Latte: A Perfect Combination

2007-09-08T11:36:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, you could walk by any of the thousands of Starbucks and see people typing away furiously at their MacBooks and MacBook Pros, many with iPhone in hand or on neck. It was a typical scene, no big deal. Last week, however, things changed in a big way when Apple and Starbucks struck a huge deal. Going forward, when you enter a Starbucks with your iPhone, iPod Touch or laptop, your device will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high speed Wi-Fi wireless network. Starbucks customers will be able to preview millions of songs for free, including a new "Now Playing" service that displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment.

Apple lowers iPhone price $200

2007-09-08T11:18:00.001-04:00

Last Wednesday, Apple slashed the price of its 8-gig iPhone to $399 from $599, the price thousands rushed to pay in June. In addition, Apple announced that the 4-gig iPhone will be phased out. In July, I stated that we would know if the $599 spent for an iPhone was money well spent once the iPhone was activated. Well, it seems the initial activation kinks have been worked out; however, whether or not the $599 was money well spent - in light of this recent price cut from Apple - is something each person must decide for themselves.

Roboform for the Mac

2007-09-06T20:09:00.002-04:00

Is there a Roboform for the Mac? Not yet, but plenty of people are searching for a Roboform for the Mac or something that will do a comparable job. In several earlier posts I have sung the praises of 1Password, a Mac password manager and form filler. When I switched from the PC to the Mac, the first search I did in Google was "Roboform for Mac." Fortunately for me, I came across 1Password and I couldn't imagine using my Mac without it! 1Password even allowed me to import all of my Roboform passcards - it doesn't get much better than that!

If you currently use Roboform on the PC and have switched to the Mac - no worries! 1Password is your solution.

iPhone Unlocked! Kudos to George Hotz

2007-08-26T00:18:00.001-04:00

Kudos to George Hotz who, in case you haven't watched cable news the last couple of days, is the FIRST to unlock the iPhone and make it accessible to other GSM carriers. To me, what makes this story so interesting and compelling is not the unlocking of the iPhone itself, but, rather, George Hotz's truly admirable belief that information should be free.

I guess it's a good thing Tim Berners-Lee felt the same way as George!

Network Tip: Best Online Subnet Calculator - Part II

2007-08-25T16:53:00.001-04:00

I am learning that, in technology, "best" is a most ephemeral adjective; more appropriate would be "best at the moment." And, indeed, "moment" can seemingly be of quite a short duration. Thus, it would be a disservice for me not to bring attention to another online subnet calculator I came across at, fittingly, subnet-calculator.com

Beyond the standard IP subnet calculator, subnet-calculator.com provides you with - are you sitting down? - a wildcard mask calculator and a CIDR calculator. Anyone who deals with access-lists and/or OSPF will relish having that wildcard mask calculator.

Yes, this is the best online subnet calculator I have come across - at the moment!

Tech on Tech Plusmo Widget

2007-08-22T19:07:00.001-04:00

Anyone with a smartphone, and yes, even an iPhone, can now keep up with the latest on Tech on Tech. Indeed, someone was nice enough, I just discovered, to add this blog as a Plusmo Widget.

Just go to Plusmo and then Add a Widget; in the search bar enter "Tech on Tech"

Thank you!

Network Tip: Private Internet Addresses (RFC 1918)

2007-08-18T16:40:00.001-04:00

If you have a home router, you probably are familiar with the 192.168.x.x network; this is one of the 3 reserved blocks of private addresses as specified under RFC 1918.

The reserved private address blocks are as follows:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (10/8 prefix)
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (172.16/12 prefix)
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (192.168/16 prefix)

Private addresses are non-routable (i.e. not used on the Internet) addresses.

Network Tip: Best Online Subnet Calculator

2007-08-15T18:09:00.001-04:00

When working in networking, you will inevitably have to determine the addressing (or, often, re-addressing) of the devices with which you are working. While it is good to understand the basics of binary math, it is better to have handy a good (or, better, great) subnet calculator. Some time ago, I recommended the SolarWinds subnet calculator; now, I would like to recommend a web subnet calculator for those times when you don't have access to your SolarWinds calculator. If you head over to SubnetOnline, you will find a bevy of great resources, such as subnetting guides and, of course, subnetting calculators. SubnetOnline's subnet calculator is particularly helpful because it provides you with exactly the information you need when you enter in your host IP address: start and end host addresses, network and broadcast addresses, max. # of hosts and more!

If you need to subnet, bookmark this calculator; I have added it to my Links section as well.

1Passwd on the iPhone

2007-07-31T18:38:00.001-04:00

For those of you who use 1Passwd - and especially for those of you who don't - check out Dave Teare's (1Passwd co-author) interview on MacApper.

If you are an iPhone user you will want to read this!

Cisco Tip: Setting Switch Port to Auto/Auto

2007-07-31T16:40:00.001-04:00

If you want to change a hard-coded switch port back to its default setting of auto/auto (speed/duplex), set the port speed to auto. On a CatOS switch, duplex can either be coded as full or half, not auto.

Also, on 10/100-Mbps Fast Ethernet ports, you cannot change the duplex mode manually if the port speed is set to auto.

Cisco Tip: Clearing Switch Port Names

2007-07-31T16:32:00.001-04:00

One of the most important points to remember when configuring switch ports is to configure port names. To do so, you use the set port name mod/port [port_name] command.

If your intention is to clear the port name, for example if you are disabling the port, you would still use the set port name command. However, the point to remember is that you would not enter anything after the mod/port.

Also, please remember when configuring your port names that they must be fewer than 21 characters.

Cisco Tip: disable command

2007-07-29T01:13:00.001-04:00

I think it would be fair to say that just about everyone working with Cisco routers and switches is familiar with the enable command; indeed, you can't configure anything without being in privileged mode. But, did you know there is also a disable command? While you may never have a need to use it, it is good to know it exists and what it does.

If you are in enable (privileged) mode on a switch, entering the disable command will put you back in normal mode:

Console> (enable) disable
Console>

If you enter the disable command on a router, it will exit you from privileged EXEC mode and return you to user EXEC mode, or to a lower privilege level:

Router# disable
Router>

TAKE NOTE: the prompt changes on both the router and switch when you enter and exit enable mode.

Mac Tip: Who is Darwin?

2007-07-22T01:18:00.001-04:00

Not who, what. Darwin is the BSD environment that sits underneath the Mac OS. And, amazingly, all of that power and beauty is at your grasp with the Terminal application.

To get your party started, go to /Applications/Utilities and launch Terminal.

To get you started, type uptime at the command prompt; the command, I believe, is self-explanatory.

If not, try using the man command (e.g. man uptime)

Text Editor for Cisco Config Files

2007-07-20T11:32:00.001-04:00

If you configure a lot of routers and switches, you know that your saving grace is the "copy and paste." Indeed, without the good old CTRL-C and CTRL-V it would take hours, if not days, to configure all the lines of code on some of the devices I have come across - and I am talking just the ACLs!

While straight copying and pasting, for the most part, works on routers and switches, you always want to make sure you don't have any blanks in the text you are pasting. To achieve that, you need a good text editor. Or, you can go one step further and get a great one like NoteTab Pro!

NoteTab Pro has so many features that for me to try and enumerate them would do a huge disservice. Instead, I will tell you about some of my favorites. First, NoteTab Pro is a tabbed text editor, which means you can open as many config files as the memory in your system will allow. In addition, when you call up the "find" window to search for text, you are able to switch among the different tabs and perform your "find" in each one of them.

Of course, as with many good text editors, you have line numbers. Also, any time you make a change to one of your open tabs, a little disk icon appears on the tab letting you know that that tab needs to be saved.

Going back to my point about removing blanks in your copying and pasting, NoteTab Pro allows you both to trim out the blanks and, my favorite feature in the last couple of weeks, eliminate spaces between text!

As you can see, I can't say enough about NoteTab Pro. I use it daily in my work and couldn't get by without it!

The Tech Center

2007-07-20T09:58:00.001-04:00

These days, it is hard enough to keep up with what day it is, let alone what is happening in the world of tech. So, I was quite happy to learn about The Tech Center.

Very well written and informative. Ever heard of Memjet? If not, head on over to The Tech Center.

Cisco Tip: Mismatch - password unchanged

2007-07-18T18:58:00.001-04:00

For those of you working with 6500 switches, the message Mismatch - password unchanged may not be unfamiliar to you. Indeed, when you employ the set password and set enablepass commands to change the login and privileged level passwords, respectively, you are prompted to enter the old password and then the new password twice. The passwords you enter, however, are not displayed back to the screen; hence, the reason for entering the new password twice (for verification).

The message Mismatch - password unchanged is an indication that there is a mismatch somewhere.

When changing your password - especially your enable password - make sure you type very slowly so that the old password you enter matches what is configured on your switch. Also, make sure you type in both new passwords exactly the same way.

A little patience here can save a lot of headaches later - believe me!

Tech Gadget Blog

2007-07-14T16:17:00.001-04:00

If you want to keep up with the latest in cell phones, PDAs and smartphones, you should check out Tech Gadget Blog. You get easy-to-read Technical Details for many of today's popular devices.

Check it out!

iPhone: Buyer's Remorse - Not!

2007-07-14T00:45:00.001-04:00

After seeing the iPhone's debut on June 29, it was hard, initially, to believe that the device itself would live up to all of the hype. Or, to believe that all of the build-up for the iPhone since January was nothing more than hyperbole. A survey of 200 iPhone users, however, says otherwise.

35% of those surveyed paid an average of $167 to break their existing wireless contracts in order to sign up with AT&T. Further, 90% of those surveyed are "extremely" or "very" satisfied with their phone.

So far so good Apple!

Can the Helio Ocean Turn the Tide on the iPhone?

2007-07-09T18:44:00.001-04:00

I have been pondering over whether or not to renew my cell phone contract for some time. Admittedly, the release of the iPhone was one reason I had delayed doing so; however, as I have explained in previous posts, I had no intention of purchasing one once I learned Apple had committed solely to AT&T. While the ubiquity of the Blackberry is at a bothersome level (when you have to walk behind people every day who can't look up for one minute, you will know what I mean!), to RIM's credit, all of the major carriers sell their devices (though perhaps not the same models).

There are a handful of competitors to the iPhone, but one - the Helio Ocean - is a truly stylish, sleek and unique device. Helio is a joint venture between SK Telecom (a Korean cell phone maker) and Earthlink. Helio provides both the phone and the service (they use Sprint's 3G EV-DO network).

The Helio Ocean has a lot of great features, many of which are NOT in the iPhone. But, what stands it apart from its competitors is its dual-sliding keyboard. When you hold the phone vertically, you make use of its numeric keypad for phone calls. However, when you hold the phone horizontally, you now have a full QWERTY keyboard for e-mail and instant messaging.

I have read there are less than 100,000 Helio subscribers. So, it seems to me this is truly a word-of-mouth issue. Indeed, anyone taking a look at this phone, especially compared to the iPhone, is going to see how much more they are getting. And for HALF the price!

Best Screen Cleaner for your Mac

2007-07-08T12:18:00.001-04:00

These days, we spend countless hours in front of screens - right or wrong - so, they might as well be clean! The best product I have come across for my Mac (also works on LCDs) is OmniCleanz from Radtech. If you are a reader of my blog, you will know that I am a HUGE FAN of Radtech's products and, indeed, wrote a post about their great bluetooth mouse, the BT500, back in March.

If you care anything about your Mac, you will want to head over to Radtech right now and pick up one of their excellent ScreenSavrz along, of course, with a bottle of OmniCleanz!

The June 2007 issue of Macworld has a nice article about cleaning your Mac screen and they recommend OmniCleanz as well as give kudos to its excellent polishing cloth.

Great Blog Metrics for your Blog

2007-07-07T20:38:00.001-04:00

If you have a blog or a thinking about starting a blog, you will most certainly want to know who's been visiting your blog and for how long - what they call metrics. Back in March, I wrote a post about a great product for your blog called Performancing Metrics. As this product is of such tremendous value, and has improved substantially since my post, I thought a second post was in order.

All it takes is a couple of lines of code on your blog and - shazam! - you will have a wealth of information about your visitors at your fingertips: IP addresses, browser type, OS, URL, page title, time and date and a whole boat load of other goodies.

Check it out!

iPhone: Ed Baig's iPhone Review and Follow-Up

2007-07-05T16:16:00.001-04:00

The iPhone has been out almost a week and has received pretty good reviews across the board. Ed Baig of USA Today, who gave one of those positive reviews, has written a nice article touching on some of the "issues on the table" still to be addressed for the iPhone.

Cisco Tip: What's My IP Address?

2007-07-05T15:58:00.001-04:00

It is always helpful to know the IP addresses in use on your routers and L3 devices. A quick way to see all of the configured IP addresses is with the command show ip interface brief.

1Passwd 2.4.7 Released (Leopard Support)

2007-07-05T15:50:00.001-04:00

If you didn't already have plenty of reasons to upgrade to Leopard when it comes out in October, here's one more: 1Passwd support. Indeed, version 2.4.7 of this great product supports Mac OS 10.5.

iPhone: Hype or Hyperbole?

2007-07-01T16:14:00.001-04:00

Whether you believe the iPhone is hype or hyperbole, Apple has been steaming this pot for the past 6 months in anticipation of June 29. Apple provided the iPhone to only 4 technology columnists for review:

Walt Mossberg - The Wall Street Journal
David Pogue - The New York Times
Edward Baig - USA Today
Steven Levy - Newsweek

Now, however, the real reviews begin, as the iPhone is in the hands of the general public. Once users get their iPhones activated, and there have been reports of issues with this, we will know whether $599 was money well spent.

I spent a good deal of time watching the coverage of the iPhone on TV and it amazed me to see people dropping, in most cases, $1200 on 2 iPhones and then walking out of the store with arms raised like Joe Montana after The Catch.

Regarding iPhone TV coverage, kudos to CNBC's On The Money and, especially, Melissa Francis. Not only did OTM provide the first LIVE iPhone review (with Ed Baig of USA Today), but they were on the scene during the launch in Chicago. Indeed, smart to broadcast from Chicago (CST) and allow regular OTM viewers to watch the iPhone launch live. No wonder they are tops at what they do.

"Work Faster" with 1Passwd

2007-06-29T23:54:00.001-04:00

The August edition of Macworld provides you with Software Treats, 63 "Great Mac Programs." 1Passwd is one of these 63 "Great Mac Programs" and is given a four and a half mouse rating!

iPhone: David Pogue's iPhone Review

2007-06-29T23:38:00.001-04:00

As most of you are still probably waiting on line and are in need of some good reading material, I highly recommend David Pogue's review of the iPhone. David Pogue makes a very compelling point in his review about AT&T:

The bigger problem is the AT&T network. In a Consumer Reports study, AT&T’s signal ranked either last or second to last in 19 out of 20 major cities. My tests in five states bear this out. If Verizon’s slogan is, “Can you hear me now?” AT&T’s should be, “I’m losing you.”

This is the very reason why I have no plans on purchasing an iPhone, as I explained in a recent post.

For additional reading material (since you will be on line for quite some time, no doubt), you must check out David Pogue's "Often-Asked iPhone Questions."

iPhone: Walt Mossberg's iPhone Review

2007-06-27T23:28:00.001-04:00

In case you didn't hear, Walt Mossberg gave the iPhone a good review.

Ed Baig of USA Today also had some nice words to say about Apple's newest gizmo.

I had my say last week.

Gotta love the hype!

iPhone: Taking a Byte Out of Apple?

2007-06-20T18:59:00.001-04:00

The iPhone will be available for purchase on June 29. Get in line now at your local Apple or At&T store, or have apple.com bookmarked; if not, be prepared to do without, as the iPhone may be sold out. While you won't find me in any of those lines next Friday, as I don't have any plans to purchase an iPhone (more on that later), you may still find me at apple.com: reading about all of Leopard's great new features!

Apple delayed the release of Leopard by 4 months so they could ensure a smooth and successful release of the iPhone. Given Apple's track record with the Mac OS, a smooth and successful release is expected with Leopard as well.

The iPod's halo effect has been great for the Mac and, no doubt, so will the iPhone's. For Mac users, though, watching new users come over to the wonderful world of Aqua or make the switch away from Windows is getting to be old hat. It's kinda like "I told you so."

As for the iPhone: the jury's still out. I might be the only one NOT buying one, but I think the network your calls go through should actually count for something when you are making a long-term commitment.

Line forms to the left.

1Passwd Supports Safari 3.0

2007-06-13T18:04:00.001-04:00

I originally intended this post to be about 1Passwd's latest release, 2.4.5 (2.4.6 was released today!), and its support for yet another browser, Netscape Navigator 9. However, Agile Web Solutions has proven once again why their product, 1Passwd, is a must-have application for the Mac, as they have, almost overnight, added support for Safari 3.0! Don't you love it when something great just keeps getting better.....and better.....and better.....you get the point!

What is ARIN?

2007-06-06T18:24:00.001-04:00

ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers) is one of five (5) Regional Internet Registries in the world; the other four (4) RIRs are:

AfriNIC (African Network Information Center)

APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre)

LACNIC (Latin American and Caribbean IP Address Regional Registry)

RIPE NCC (RIPE Network Coordination Centre)

ARIN's WHOIS service is a great way to find contact and registration information for resources registered with ARIN.

BEST Spam Program for the Mac

2007-06-02T15:02:00.001-04:00

If you own a Mac, and if you have spam, then you need SpamSieve.

SpamSieve is Macworld's recommended Spam product - they call it "the gold standard of spam utilities."

David Pogue of the NY Times has also given SpamSieve a great review and it is what he uses on his Mac.

GREAT New Video for GREAT Mac App!

2007-05-26T17:15:00.001-04:00

If you have a Mac, you need 1Passwd.

Check out the GREAT new video here!

Cisco Tip: How to Erase Cisco Router and Switch Configurations

2007-05-17T18:34:00.001-04:00

If you need to erase your switch and/or router configurations, here is what you need to do in enable mode:

Switch

---------

clear config all

Router

---------

erase nvram:

NOTE: erase nvram: has replaced the write erase command.

How Do I Find My IP Address? - Part II

2007-05-06T11:22:00.001-04:00

Another way to check your IP address is to go to the DynDNS Current IP Check page.

1Passwd: Basic Authentication Support

2007-05-06T01:04:00.001-04:00

A new version of 1Passwd was just released that allows for Basic Authentication support. 1Passwd is the first Mac Password manager to offer support for Basic Authentication windows. It is no wonder why Macworld called 1Passwd "Hot Stuff" in their April 2007 issue.

ATTENTION ROBOFORM USERS: 1Passwd is the application you need when you make your move to the Mac.

Cisco Tip: Port Capabilities

2007-05-01T18:36:00.001-04:00

A great command to have in your Cisco arsenal is show port capabilities. With this command, you will learn not only about the speed and duplex of your switch ports, but also whether portfast is enabled on them or if you have any SPAN ports. Need to know the trunk encapsulation on your switch ports? This command can give you that information and more!

Cisco Tip: HSRP MAC Address

2007-04-26T18:53:00.001-04:00

If you use HSRP in your network, you are probably familiar with the concept of a virtual IP address. But, did you know that HSRP also uses a virtual MAC address? Yes, indeed. Each HSRP group (standby group) has a MAC address in the following format: 00-00-0c-07-ac-xx (xx represents the standby group in hexadecimal).

If you have a standby group of 8, for example, your virtual MAC address would be 00-00-0c-07-ac-08. Likewise, if you have a standby group of 16, your virtual MAC address would be 00-00-0c-07-ac-10.

For more information on HSRP, check out RFC 2281!

Cisco Tip: Checking Port Status (CatOS vs. IOS)

2007-04-23T19:32:00.001-04:00

If you spend a lot of time working with L2 (Layer 2) switches, perhaps the best command to know - and the one you will probably use the most - is show port status. The show port status command displays port status information (obviously!).

If you work with IOS-based switches, you know that the show port status command does not work. Indeed, IOS-based switches do not have ports, but rather interfaces. So, the command you will want to use on IOS-based switches is show interface status.

More to come on the differences between CatOS and IOS!

How Do I Find My IP Address?

2007-04-20T20:13:00.001-04:00

Your IP address is your address (location) on the Internet. Depending on your particular Internet setup, your IP address (IP is an acronym for Internet Protocol) may be static (doesn't change) or dynamic (changes each time you log on). Regardless of which type of IP address you may have, you should know how to find out what it is. Here is how......

Go to IP Chicken (there is a link in the sidebar - look for the chicken!), which displays your outside IP address.

NOTE: If you have a router, and I hope you do after reading my Top 5 Things To Do After You Buy A PC post, then you need to be aware that you will not see your home network's private (inside) IP addresses at IP Chicken.

To find out your IP address, which is usually dynamically assigned and also usually a private address, such as 192.168.1.x, do the following:

On a PC

----------

Go to Start...Run

Type "cmd"

At the cursor prompt, type "ipconfig" and you will see your IP address. If you should happen to see more than one IP address, you will, most likely, want the IP address associated with the Ethernet interface.

On a Mac

------------

Go to Applications...Utilities

Click on "Terminal"

At the cursor prompt, type the following:

ipconfig getifaddr en0 (for an ethernet connection)

ipconfig getifaddr en1 (for a wireless connection)

Now you know your IP address. Congratulations!

1Passwd 2.3.11 Released

2007-04-20T19:02:00.001-04:00

A minor update of 1Passwd was just released en route to version 2.4, which will include HTTP Basic Authentication and "a few other treats."

Cisco Tip: SPAN Destination port is Up/Down

2007-04-17T18:27:00.001-04:00

If you configure SPAN on your switch and notice that your destination port is in an "up/down" state - DON'T PANIC!

This is normal!

You should expect to see your destination port in a down (monitoring) state, so that it is known that this port is to be used for monitoring, not production.

Cisco Tip: Identifying your UDI

2007-04-15T15:20:00.001-04:00

Most Cisco devices leave the factory with an assigned UDI, a Unique Device Identifier. The UDI is printed on a label that is affixed to your Cisco hardware, but it is also stored on the hardware electronically.

The Unique Device Identifier (UDI) consists of 3 components:

Serial Number
Product Identifier (Part Number)
Version Identifier

You can determine your hardware's UDI with the show inventory command.

Apple delays Leopard until October

2007-04-15T15:02:00.001-04:00

Apple, in its push to get out the iphone, has delayed Leopard until October.

Apple says it will be worth the wait. I believe them!

Cisco Tip: Encrypting Passwords

2007-04-10T19:22:00.001-04:00

Worried about someone looking over your shoulder while you view your router configuration? Well, then, perhaps you should encrypt the passwords in your configuration so that they are not visible when viewed on screen or when printed out. To encrypt your passwords, use the global command service password-encryption.

The service password-encryption command uses a Vigenere cipher, which is a weak form of encryption.

If you need to decipher your encrypted passwords, check out Get Pass.

For a stronger level of security, you can use the enable secret command, which uses the MD5 algorithm.

Note: Get Pass will not work on enable secret passwords, only Type 7 passwords.

Cisco Tip: Configuring SPAN on 2950 switches

2007-04-10T18:36:00.001-04:00

If you plan on enabling the Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) feature in your network, there is an important point you should keep in mind if you use 2950 switches: 2950s can't monitor VLANs.

If you are using 2950s, you will have to configure source and destination ports with the monitor session command, as follows:

(config)#monitor session 1 source interface fastethernet 0/1

(config)#monitor session 1 destination interface fastethernet 0/24

Get Firefox!

2007-04-08T16:17:00.001-04:00

This blog is best viewed using Firefox and, if you aren't already using it, I would strongly suggest you download it here.

Cisco Tip: Password required, but none set

2007-04-08T11:03:00.001-04:00

How many of you have seen these dreaded words?

Password required, but none set

If you have a console connection, you are in good shape. If not, here is what you should have done and what you need to do going forward: PUT A PASSWORD ON YOUR VTY LINES!

Router(config)#line vty 0 4
Router(config-line)#login
% Login disabled on line 1, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 2, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 3, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 4, until 'password' is set
% Login disabled on line 5, until 'password' is set
Router(config-line)#password 1Passwd

Next time, I will tell you what you need to do if you want to encrypt your passwords so they are not visible in your configuration.

Windows TIp: What's in your Startup?

2007-04-08T10:12:00.001-04:00

The surest way to free up memory for your PC is to remove whatever is truly unnecessary from your Startup Configuration. No matter how much RAM you have in your PC, you can burn up a great deal of it before you even start to use it if you have a lot of programs and services loading into memory.

Take a look at how much Physical Memory you have.....

Right click on the Taskbar

Select Task Manager

Choose the Performance tab

Look at the Available memory in the Physical Memory box

If the Available memory is below 300K, your PC is probably running pretty slow. But, you can do something about this!

To understand what services you should keep or get rid of, you should start with the Black Viper. No, not the snake, but the single best resource on the web for understanding all of the Windows services running on your PC. This is the place to start to understand what is running on your PC.

Once you know what to keep and what to lose, you will need a handy, easy way to do this. Of course, there is always msconfig. However, I prefer WinPatrol, as it automatically notifies you when a program tries to add itself to your Startup Configuration and gives you the chance to permit or deny this.

With Black Viper and WinPatrol, you should be well on your way to more free memory and happier times!

Cisco Tip: whichboot command

2007-04-04T20:03:00.001-04:00

A quick way to see which file was used to boot your switch is with the whichboot command.

RoboForm for the Mac

2007-04-02T19:24:00.002-04:00

Yes, this is a repeat post. But, there are so many people searching for a "RoboForm-like" product on the Mac that I felt another post was required to "set the record straight."

If you are searching for a Mac version of RoboForm, your search ends here: 1Password

1Password works with multiple browsers (Safari, Firefox, Camino and more) and allows you to import all of your RoboForm passcards. If you are a current PC/RoboForm user looking to switch to the Mac, look no further than 1Password.

Windows Updates

2007-04-02T19:09:00.001-04:00

If you recently bought a new PC, and you followed my Top 5 Things To Do After You Buy A PC, there is still more work to be done! Remember, you bought a PC, not a Mac! :) But, don't despair; instead, make sure you have Automatic Updates turned on. In order to ensure your PC is protected, you need to keep it patched with the latest software updates from Microsoft. With Automatic Updates, you can be sure your PC will be up-to-date at all times.

Cisco Tip: Saving Configuration Changes (CatOS vs IOS)

2007-04-01T11:42:00.001-04:00

If you are going to be spending a lot of time working with routers and switches, probably the most important thing you need to know is - HOW TO SAVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

Let's take a look at how you save your work on routers (and/or switches running IOS) and switches (CatOS):

IOS

----

If make a change on a router or a switch running IOS, you need to enter the copy run start or write memory command in order for the configuration to be saved to NVRAM.

CatOS

--------

If you make a change on a switch running CatOS, however, it is immediately written to NVRAM.

This is an important distinction and one about which you should be aware when working with these devices.

Top 5 Things To Do After You Buy A PC

2007-03-30T14:48:00.000-04:00

If you just bought a PC (is it too late to convince you to buy a Mac?), you want to enjoy your new purchase - especially if your PC is connected to the Internet. To that end, here is what you should do - in order - as soon as you get your computer home.

NOTE: #1 should be done BEFORE you connect to the Internet.

1. BUY A ROUTER.

When you connect to the Internet, your PC is accessible to anyone and everyone. A router puts up a wall between you and the rest of the world, letting in and out only what you tell it. If you have a router, you can always add a software firewall (such as ZoneAlarm), but turning on Windows Firewall (if you have XP) is probably more than enough for most people. BOTTOM LINE: Don't even think about connecting to the Internet without a router!!!

2. INSTALL ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE.

I recommend AVG, which is a FREE download from Grisoft. Yes, I like it because it is free, but I use it because it works as well, or better, than Norton (it is less of a CPU hog than Norton). AVG scans my e-mail and updates its virus database almost daily.

3. INSTALL ANTI-SPYWARE SOFTWARE.

Spyware and malware can be just as bad, if not worse, than viruses. Indeed, the need for anti-spyware software is crucial to the health of your PC. Thus, I recommend running multiple spyware software, as you will have a greater chance at a spyware-free computer than if only running one. I recommend Webroot's Spy Sweeper, which costs $29.95 and gets your PC as close to spyware free as it's going to be. I would also recommend running Microsoft's FREE Windows Defender.

NOTE: I would not advise running multiple Anti-virus software, as I suggest here with Anti-spyware software, as Anti-virus software tend to conflict with each other and you may run into issues.

4. DOWNLOAD FIREFOX.

If you have a PC than, by default, you have the Internet Explorer (IE) browser. However, this does not mean that IE has to be your default browser. Indeed, while you will still need IE for a number of web sites, including banking and financial sites, it is not your best option if security is important to you. (Also, they are a bit behind the times as well - IE only just added tabbed browsing. I mean, come on!)

Firefox is more secure than IE and is amazingly customizable with hundreds of extensions, or add-ons.

5. BACKUP MONTHLY.

When you start using your PC, no doubt you will be creating documents, writing e-mails, downloading music, videos, etc. If any of what you save to your PC means anything to you, you will begin a monthly (at minimum) backup routine. There are a lot of good options out there for your backups, but my recommendation would be Maxtor's OneTouch II - it really is one touch and you're done!

Please feel free to write in with any questions you may have about your new PC.

Cisco Tip: MAC Addresses (CatOS vs IOS)

2007-03-29T14:56:00.001-04:00

When working with switches, it always helps to know what is connected to them. Switches work at the Data Link (MAC) Layer of the OSI Model (Layer 2) and any device that is connected to a switch has its own unique Layer 2 (MAC) address. The command you enter to view a switch's MAC address is determined by what type of software (CatOS or IOS) the switch is running. Let's take a look at each command:

CatOS

=====

show cam dynamic

IOS

===

show mac-address-table dynamic

Stay tuned for more command differences between CatOS and IOS!

Cisco Tip of the Day

2007-03-26T19:38:00.001-04:00

I will be doing this weekly starting this week. However, if there is an interest in keeping this daily please let me know.

Metrics for your Blog and Web Site

2007-03-26T19:17:00.001-04:00

If you want unprecedented detail about every visitor to your web site or blog, you need Performancing Metrics.

Performancing Metrics is FREE to all users with sites that average less than 1000 page views per day. You also have the option to upgrade to their premium service for $14.99/year, a very reasonable price considering the extra features.

Cisco Tip of the Day: Terminal Length

2007-03-24T19:42:00.001-04:00

Let's take a look at terminal length. By default, it is 24 lines on routers and switches. This is fine in most cases. However, if you have a router or switch with a huge configuration and you want to log this to a file, you may not want to have to press the space bar every 24 lines - for the rest of your life! (or so it seems!)

The solution is to change the terminal length to 0. When you are finished, you can always change it back to the default 24. Or, you can just logout of the router or switch and the next time you login the terminal length will be the default of 24. Here is what you need to do on a router and a switch:

Router

terminal length 0

terminal length 24 (to set back to default)

Switch

set length 0

set length 24 (to set back to default)

Hope this helped. More to come!

GREAT Mac Utility: Onyx

2007-03-24T19:06:00.001-04:00

Onyx is a free Mac System Maintenance utility that allows you to tweak (if you have used Tweak UI, you will love this!) hidden parameters of the Dock, Finder, Dashboard, Safari and more. If you want to change the default screen capture format from PNG, this is the application you need. However, the coolest feature is the man page search on the "Unix Utilities" tab: you can enter in any Unix command and you are provided the man page. Even better, should you want to keep this man page for reference, a "Create PDF" button is provided which does just that - it creates a PDF file of the man page displayed on your screen. How cool is that!

Cisco Tip of the Day: CatOS vs. IOS

2007-03-23T09:41:00.001-04:00

For those of you confused between CatOS (set-based) software and IOS (native) software, let's look at how a Layer 2 VLAN is configured each way:

CatOS
set vlan 5

IOS
#configure terminal
(config)#vlan 5
(config-vlan)#exit

I will have a new Cisco Tip of the Day tomorrow and I will have more examples of CatOS vs. IOS

Suggestions are welcome!

1Passwd Demo Video

2007-03-21T18:39:00.001-04:00

If you are a RoboForm user and are currently looking for a similar product on the Mac, check out this video!

Safari Browser Extensions

2007-03-18T17:13:00.001-04:00

If you use Safari as your default browser, you will definitely want to check out these extensions:

1. Saft is a free extension for Safari ($12.00 for the registered version - well worth it!) that adds features such as crash protection and "draggable tabs." Saft is a necessary addition to Safari.

2. SafariStand is another free extension that gives Safari the ability to save groups of tabs to a "Bookmark Shelf." Also, it allows you to search through thousands of bookmarks in a breeze with its Stand Bar. SafariStand was given an excellent review in Macworld and is a must-have addition to Safari.

PuTTY - Free Telnet/SSH Client

2007-03-18T11:53:00.001-04:00

Some times the best things in life really are free. In the case of a telnet/ssh client, you can't ask for more than PuTTY gives you. If you need to access multiple devices, you can set up different profiles for each and there is plenty you can customize. To think this is a free product just boggles the mind.

FYI, PuTTY is #1 on Packet Magazine's "Top 5 Freeware Tools for Cisco Network Administrators."

You might recall I discussed #2 about a month ago.