We may have finally reached the final chapter in the Linksys Compact Wireless router (WRT54GC) saga. The replacement arrived today. I started first by upgrading the firmware with Firefox. It went through without a hitch. So far, I like it, but what I’ve read about poor range looks to be true. That said, it may not be the fairest comparison when matched with my DI-624, in whose review on CNet was noted for long range. ...
So, the WRT54GC router arrived on Monday. Seeing as it was my birthday, it was like a gift to myself. I immediately started playing with it, turning on WPA2 and putting in a password from Steve Gibson’s excellent WPA password generator. Being the obsessive compulsive software upgrader that I am, I decided to flash its firmware. Keep in mind that I’ve flashed many network devices including an original Airport Base Station, a Linksys BEFSR41, a D-Link DI 624, a D-Link DI-524, a Motorola WA840G, a D-Link DWL-G810, and a couple other routers. I can’t list the others because usually I was upgrading the firmware of some stranger’s unprotected router over the wireless connection. Yes, I am a daredevil. ...
This is going to sound like a terrible plug. I know it. I’ve been having some issues with my D-Link DI-624 router. In particular, now that I’m using WPA, my Powerbook will suddenly lose connectivity even though the signal is full. It’s frustrating. Disconnecting and reconnecting restores connectivity for varying amounts of time. I’ve always had good experiences with Linksys routers. However, because of that record, they tend to cost more than the competition. The WRT54G has been hovering steadily at $40, while the WRT54GS is sticking at $60. I was beginning to give the WRT54G some serious thought (particularly because of the ability to use alternative firmware). However, that ability has been lost in the latest revision of the product. ...
I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I’m glad that I’ll be able to celebrate that with my family today. I hope all of you are in good health and have much to celebrate. Don’t forget to save room for some pie!
Ever since Woot sent me a Motorola WA840G by mistake, it’s been augmenting my parent’s wired network as a wireless access point. It’s been working great for their needs (connecting my old Pismo via its Airport card). When I got home today for a Thanksgiving stay, I decided I’d update the firmware on all their network devices. The old Linksys router’s firmware hasn’t been updated in quite a while. That’s fine because the thing is rock solid. The Motorola access point had a new version with many new features, so I updated it. ...
John Gruber recently wrote about why going to a single computer (a Powerbook) is going to work for him in Full Metal Jacket. Naturally, his new philosophy reflects his personal needs. He does take a look at the opposite viewpoint using a single example (Jonathan Rentzsch), but his needs are overly specialized and overly rare. There are many more reasons one would want two machines. Tether To start, the big assumption for this article is that the user wants or needs a laptop. The reasons are fairly unimportant. I personally started with a laptop because I wanted mobility. ...
It’s no surprise that Digg became a target for spam, but would you believe that del.icio.us is now a target? Check this guy out. Don’t click his link. It leads to a dummy Blogspot page containing nothing but an ad for Google’s Firefox toolbar extension. Blogspot is fast becoming a playground for spammers. Google needs to get a tighter grip on that. At any rate, the guy labeled that single link with every technology buzzword out there in order to pollute del.icio.us. It’s amazing the stupid lengths these jackasses will go to. ...
In case you didn’t read the link in the supplemental, for a picture of your coffee pot doing something unusual (I opted to fill it with Halloween candy) you get a Senseo machine (currently valued at $49.99). Ok, so you need to pay $15 for shipping and handling, but that’s still huge savings. Anyway, I submitted my photo and it was accepted this morning. It won’t ship for 4-6 weeks due to high demand (geez, free $50 device, who thought that’d be popular?). I can’t wait so my lazy ass can have coffee every morning. ...
I’m sure you’ve all read about SmashMyiPod.com. I thought it was infantile in concept before I read the website. You can imagine my shock when I read his classy responses over on Cult of Mac. I hear ipod video screens cause impotence and hair loss. Then I made a stupid mistake and went to the site where I got to read the following. I hear iPods cause cancer and genetic mutations in fetuses. ...
There have been times that I wanted to remote control someone’s Mac. In particular, a friend of my brother that went to my school used to need the occasional help. VNC was a huge help in those situations. Unfortunately, getting the VNC server configured was a hassle, required third party software, and ended up taking more time than the actual troubleshooting. That’s why I was thrilled to find out that there is now a VNC built into Mac OS X. I know it’s in Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4), but I’m not sure about earlier versions. You’ll need to poke holes in your firewall if you’re using a router or a software firewall that isn’t the one built into Mac OS X. ...