Bit-Shift.Net

I was reading Fox news this evening and saw an article about a recent volcano eruption in Chile. This immediately caught my attention because my girlfriend, Natalia, is from Chile and still has family there. I have to admit that my geographic knowledge of Chile is still lacking so I wanted to know how close the volcano had erupted from the town Natalia is from. This prompted me to load up Google Earth and navigate to the place of the eruption.

Relieved the eruption was at least 2 monitor screens away (probably a few hundred miles at that scale) I decided to check out the worlds largest swimming pool, also in Chile. No matter how many times I see the pictures, I still can't get over how massive that body of water is (on a side note, I'm planning on visiting that location this December, WooHoo!).

Since I had Google Earth loaded, I went wandering around the globe and ended up in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I visited my parents house (still under construction from the fire), a large park near my parents house, downtown and finally my house. I noted that the date of the imagery was July 12, which happened to be a Thursday. That got me thinking, where was I?

At the time I was still working at Corillian Corporation on the corporate security team. So I scooted over to that location. Since it was July, I would have been riding my motorcycle. Would I be able to see it from this high up I wondered. Compared to most vehicles, my bike is small and I wondered if I'd be able to find it in the parking lot.

Didn't take much searching, my bright red bike was very visible from that high up, and parked right where I thought it would be. In the front parking lot second spot from the right, where the CEO usually parked his 7 series BMW (much to his chagrin I'm told).

Every once in a while I would notice certain web sites taking a long time to load. I had blamed it on network congestion and my

less than optimal Internet connection. But a short while ago I upgraded my Internet connection to Verizon's FIOS. Having previously had FIOS I knew I shouldn't have any more issues with network congestion.

After the upgrade I set about doing the usual network performance tests. Once satisfied I was getting the bandwidth I had purchased I set about my normal routine. But even with the upgraded Internet connection I was still noticing some lagginess on certain web sites. It was tolerable so I didn't pay much attention to it.

A few days ago, LifeHacker blog, ran an article about a new feature in Windows Vista called Auto-Tuning. The idea behind this feature is that in the days of old, modems and network equipment could only handle receiving a certain amount of data before they became overwhelmed, this is referred to as the receive window. Newer networking equipment is able to handle receiving considerable larger amounts of information without becoming overwhelmed.

According to the Windows Core Networking blog, the Auto-Tuning feature takes certain conditions into account like bandwidth, network delay and application delay and automatically adjusts this window to maximize performance. The problem lies in that older firewalls & routers can't properly handle the automatic resizing of the receiving window and cause considerable slow downs or application crashes.

To correct the problem, there are a number of steps you can take:

If your connection from a Vista machine appears slow or hung, here are some steps to isolate the cause:

• First, make sure that your firewall and router can support window scaling. Some devices from Linksys, Cisco, NetApp, SonicWall, Netgear, Checkpoint, D-Link were reported as having problems with window scaling. (Some of the incompatible devices are given here. You can check with the manufacturer or run the connectivity diagnostic suite (especially, TCP High Performance Test) provided by Microsoft to determine your gateway device’s compliance.
• Second, check with the manufacturer if a firmware update has been issued for your device that can fix the problem. Replace the problematic device or update the firmware as suggested by the manufacturer. If the router cannot be replaced or if it the device is remote (e.g., a firewall of your ISP or corporation)
• Third, If the problem still persists, you can restrict autotuning by running “netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=restricted” from the command prompt. We have found that restricted mode will often allow some of the benefits of autotuning with a number of problematic devices.
• Lastly, if all else fails, in order to disable this feature, run "netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled".
• (In order to re-enable autotuning, run “netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal”.)

You'll have to run the "netsh" commands from a command prompt with elevated privileges. To do so, open the start menu and type "cmd" into the search bar. Then right-click on the cmd program and select Run as Administrator.

About two months ago, my girlfriend Natalia surprised me with an early valentines Day gift. She had been poking and prodding my brain trying to find out what the perfect gift would be. One day we were having seemingly unrelated conversation about my Golden Retriever, Houston, who died of cancer at the young age of 5, while I was away at college. Not putting two and two together I didn't realize that the light bulb had just clicked on.

On February 1st, which was a Friday, I sat at home waiting for Natalia. She had phoned earlier that day saying she found my present and would be giving it to me that evening. As I anxiously waited her arrival I got another phone call from her, this one summoning me to the animal shelter about a mile away. At that point, the light came on for me too.

When I arrived, she walked out to greet me and gave me a big hug. I followed her inside and there I laid eyes on the most adorable puppy. The volunteer informed us he was a mix of German Sheppard and Labrador. He was part of a litter of 10 which was recently rescued from a house; no one could find the mother. Later that evening, after much searching and thought we settled on the name Rex. And looking back, the name fits him very well. On Rex's first vet visit, the veterinarian informed us that Sheppard's are very intelligent albeit slightly neurotic dogs and Labradors are very personable and loving dogs. A great combination I thought.

Fast forward two months and Rex has become an integral part of our family. On weekends Rex gets plenty of exercise wrestling with Natalia's grandfathers 7 month old basset/coon hound and during the week he tears up and down the stairs in my 3-story townhouse. He has been a lot of fun so far (except maybe those first few weeks spent potty training) and I look forward to many more years with him at our side (and possibly a few other pets as space permits).

It seems every where you turn these days you are encouraged to click. "Click here to apply", "click through to save", "click on the monkey to win an iPod". Since its introduction, the computer mouse has been firmly entrenched in our minds. The mouse has even become a metaphor for the incredibly simple, "setting up the firewall was as easy as point and click."

While this may not even occur to members of the younger generation, I grew up with the tried and true CLI (that's command line interface for you youngin's out there). The only impedance to progress what how fast you could type and how fast the computer could process input. It was natural, efficient. Although with applications like computer games and web browsers, the mouse is indispensable. But some days despite all the utility it provides, some days I don't want to be bothered with pointing and clicking.

For those that feel the same, the IE team has posted on their blog a list of keyboard shortcuts for navigating around in IE6 and IE7. The post lists shortcuts for all the common navigation tasks like going back a page, scrolling, stopping the current request and closing the window. The post also lists a few power user tips, like focusing on the navigation bar and opening the right-click 'context' menu. A handy reference to have around when your feeling not so handy.

A short while ago I was debating on whether to purchase a HP MediaSmart Server running Windows Home Server or build a new workstation for doing development at home. I chose to build a new workstation and I'm glad I did. Microsoft announced recently that they have reproduced a defect in Windows Home Server where using certain programs to access media stored on your server may result in unrecoverable file corruption.

From the KB article:

When certain programs are used to edit or transfer files that are stored on a Windows Home Server-based computer that has more than one hard drive, the files may become corrupted. Microsoft is aware of only a very small percentage of users who have confirmed instances of this issue and believes that most users are unlikely to be affected. Microsoft has established that this issue may occur when one of the following programs is used to edit, transfer, and save files to the home server:

•	Windows Vista Photo Gallery
•	Windows Live Photo Gallery
•	Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
•	Microsoft Office OneNote 2003
•	Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
•	Microsoft Money 2007
•	SyncToy 2.0 Beta
•	Intuit QuickBooks
•	uTorrent

Apparently this flaw only affects people who have more than one drive in their media server, which includes any self-respecting geek. The problem lies in the way that Windows Home Server handles transfering and balancing files across multiple drives. Microsoft reports that a fix is in development and will is planned for release in July 2008. Until then, all you media server guys just sit tight and use Windows Explorer or XCopy to move files to and fro.

This past April I took the plunge that so many young people anticipate, dread and dream about all at the same time. I bought a house. It's a 3 story town house with a single car garage. Not the Taj Mahal by any stretch but my car and bike fit in the garage, I have a place to sit while I eat my meals and I'm totally in love with my next door neighbor (yes she knows and the feelings are mutual). And, the house came pre-wired with CAT5E. Most rooms have two ports, while the others only have one. In total, there are 11 ports throughout the house.

When I first moved in and saw a patch panel in the closest in one of the master bedrooms, the computer geek in my instantly though, "I need a wiring closet!". Unfortunately when you buy a house, you also have to furnish a house. When I moved in I had a bed and dresser to my name (I moved all my worldly possession in under 3 hours and most of that was driving).  But the idea never wandered far from my mind and a few weeks ago I finally got all the necessary hardware together.

For handling all the network connections I chose the Netgear GS116 desktop gigabit switch. It was fairly inexpensive after rebates from Netgear and Paypal, had enough ports to handle the job and had the mounting holes I needed to secure it to the metal plate that covers the patch panel. The router, a D-Link DIR-625,  I have had for almost a year. I bought this router after my Linksys died and my friend Greg gave it a fairly glowing review and I must say I'm 100% satisfied with it.

Up till I finished the install, my wiring closet would probably garner a top ten spot in a worst installation contest. I had the cover of the patch panel off and power cords and CAT5 running up to a shelf where my wireless router sat routing my packets, blissfully unaware of the squalor conditions in which it lived. Every time I walked into my office, I saw the eye sore that was my network installation which motivated me all the more to finish the installation.

Now being an engineer, I couldn't just throw everything together with chewing gum and bailing wire, I needed a plan or a template rather. My plan was to mount the switch and router to the metal plate that covers the patch panel and run the CAT5 wires through the plate to the patch panel. The next major hurdle was how could I layout where everything would be mounted and where the wires would be run in a fashion so that everything would look great and I would drill 50 holes unnecessarily trying to get everything lined up. Back in high school, I took a class on drafting using AutoCAD and thinking back, that seemed like the best option for creating my template as it would allow me to draw with the precision I needed when laying out where all the holes would be drilled.

After about a month of tweaking the templates so that everything lined up just how I wanted it I was ready to drill the holes and mount the hardware. To make sure that all the CAT5 cable lined up in an aesthetically pleasing way, I used zip ties to secure the wires, which meant I had a lot of holes to drill. After drilling, I used a metal file to ground down the rough spots and got the plate ready to install the grommets that will protect all the wiring from sharp edges.

As I suspected, the hardware mounted right up with a minimal amount of coercion. The next time consuming chore was crimping all the CAT5. I had the 11 ports from the switch to the patch panel, a cable connecting the switch to the router and then a final cable connecting the router to the world. Amazingly enough, I only had to re-do one cable. With all the wires run and the hardware mounted, I re-attached the plate to the patch panel and proceeded to surf. I have yet to run any bandwidth tests as I only have one gigabit enabled computer.

So there you have it. I have gigabit running through my home which will come in very handy when I build my home theater PC or buy an Xbox 360, which ever I decide to do. And as an added bonus, since I run a home based business, I can write the switch off as a business expense.

Thanksgiving day, November 22nd this year meant a lot of things to a lot of different people. For some it was a time of joyous celebration, for others a time to reflect on their fortunes and misfortunes. I did a little of both. I've been very fortunate thus far in my life and have plenty to be thankful for. I have a loving family, a good job which allows me to pursue many of my interests, a group of great friends and an amazing woman I started dating a little while ago. I spent thanksgiving with my parents and sisters this year at my parents cramped, 1 bedroom apartment. Seven people in a barely 700 square foot apartment and a mother who loves to cook made for a lot of dancing around the kitchen and shuffling items around to make room for everyone.

But it also serves as a reminder that one year ago, on November 27th 2006 my parents house burned down with them narrowly escaping with barely the clothes on their backs. I can still recall that late night phone call from my frantic mother and it still sends chills down my spine. Over the past year the shock of the event has faded and been replaced by a feverish anxiousness to return home. The reconstruction of the house is finally near completion and while displaced, my parents have resumed their normal routine.

Since the house was almost completely destroyed, my mom (who had been wanting a new kitchen) took this opportunity to expand a little bit. In the new house, the kitchen/dining room area had it's back wall pushed an additional ten feet into the back yard, nearly doubling the size of the kitchen. Also, a walk-in pantry and half bath was added off the kitchen into what used to be the first bay in a two car garage. Off the back of the house a deck was built with a gas line run out to fuel the large natural gas grill my dad recently purchased. If I had to choose a phrase to sum up the results of this rebuild/remodel it would be "storage space". The kitchen and pantry have enough storage space to rival some homes I've been in that are twice the size.

These two pictures show the same area of the house, just from opposite vantage points. The first is of the kitchen the day of the fire, taken from the garage. The other was taken about a month ago, from the dining area looking out into the pantry (where the first picture was taken).  

This has been a very eventful year to say the least. In addition to losing my parents house, I bought a house, started an internet marketing business and started a new job. All things considered, I'm thankful for a great many people and things this holiday season.

A Department of Defense program, 'America Supports You', explains a quick way to tell the troops overseas that you appreciate the sacrafice they are making this holiday season. From the DoD website:

The program, which already has received nearly 4,000 messages, officially kicks off at 6 a.m. EST Nov. 17 and concludes at midnight PST Nov. 22. Between those times, people wishing to express gratitude to the troops for their service can text a brief message to 89279. Each text message sent will receive a response from an active-duty servicemember in return.
Major mobile wireless providers, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile, will provide access to the Giving Thanks text messaging program.

Take a moment over the next day and send a quick note of appreciation those people serving our country who cannot be home with their loved ones.

With the exception of a stint in Klamath Falls,Oregon (which I don't recommend) I've lived in Portland all my life. This city is known by many names, both officially and unofficially. The city of Roses and Sillicon Forest to name a few. Now you can add to that list of alias' "2nd friendlist city towards bicycles in the world". The titleis a bit long, but not a bad thing to put on a resume. Portland was just named the second friendlist city towards bicyclists in the world by Virgin Vacations. With a bicycle network that has grown to 260 miles, and an additional 38 miles of bicycle lanes planned, Portland offers cyclists a great way to explore the city and excercise at the same time. And for those that venture a little farther than planned Portland has a bicycle friendly mass transit system that leaves nary a corner of the city unreachable.

And for future thought, I heard a rumor that Rolling Stone magaine has voted Portland the 2nd best city to live in in the year 2050. Huh, we must be doing something almost right.