5 steps to high-speed Ethernet

If you're considering the move to 40/100gigabit Ethernet, here are five things to keep in mind:

1. Check the cables. Both 40- and 100-gigabit Ethernet use different fiber and copper cabling and transceivers than previous versions. Simply attaching higher-speed devices to an existing cabling plant won't work. On the plus side, moving away from link aggregation toward single higher-speed links may actually reduce cabling requirements.

2. Verify device distances. In general, higher-speed Ethernet works over the same distances as previous generations, such as the 100-meter limit across short-reach fiber optics. But as with any deployment of new equipment, it's wise to test whether the new devices will operate without CRC errors across their intended distances.

3. Check network management and security device speeds. Network monitoring and security devices that worked just fine at gigabit or 10-gigabit speeds may have trouble keeping up at 40- or 100-gigabit rates. Check with vendors (and conduct your own tests, if necessary) to determine the highest supported lossless rate for traffic monitoring and traffic capture.

4. Be prepared to drink from a fire hose. At 40- and 100-gigabit rates, monitoring equipment must be prepared to capture and analyze staggering amounts of data. For instance, a stream of 1,518-byte frames at 100Gbps line rate will require nearly 750GB of storage per minute. Make sure monitor ports in switches, along with any attached analyzers, can keep up with much higher traffic rates.

5. Plan a parallel deployment. The simplest way to get started with higher-speed technologies is a parallel rollout alongside existing network operations. If everything works well, a transition to the new links should be smooth.

How to Set Up Windows & Linux Operating Systems on a Computer

The Windows operating system, developed and released by Microsoft, is one of the most popular operating systems currently on the market. However, some individuals may wish to install and run the Linux operating system as an open-source alternative to their default Windows installation. Learn how to setup both Windows and Linux on the same computer to get the best of both worlds.

Difficulty:

 

Moderate

Instructions

1. Prepare Your Windows PC for the Linux Set Up Process

   • 1
     Verify that your computer hardware is capable of running both Windows and Linux. Click the "Start" button in the lower left-hand corner of your Windows 98/XP screen and select "Run." Type "msinfo32." If you are running Windows Vista, type "msinfo32" in the search box in the Start menu. A window will appear displaying your system hardware statistics. Ubuntu Linux, one of the more popular versions of the Linux OS, has very specific system hardware requirements. Your computer must possess a 700 MHz processor or faster (ideally, 1.2 GHz or more). You should also have 384 megabytes of RAM, 8 gigabytes of free hard drive space, a graphics card and an active Internet connection.
   • 2
     Setup your Windows operating system to prepare for the installation of the Linux OS on the same computer. Click the "Start" button and select "Windows Updates" to download all relevant updates and security patches for your Windows operating system.
   • 3
     Backup all of your computer data. Setting up an operating system such as Linux on a Windows PC is very system-intensive. Backing up your files can help prevent data loss should your system crash during the installation process.

   Set Up Linux on Windows Using Virtual PC

   • 1
     Download the Microsoft Virtual PC software by downloading a free copy from the Microsoft website (see Resources section).
   • 2
     The Virtual PC Console is the first screen you will see after installing the virtualization software.

     Double-click the installation file and follow the automated on-screen prompts to install Virtual PC on your computer. Once it is installed, you will see the Virtual PC Console.
   • 3
     Click "New" in the right-hand menu of the Virtual PC Console.
   • 4
     Follow the on-screen prompts to set up a new virtual machine. Name it "Ubuntu Linux."
   • 5
     Select "Other" in the drop-down menu when Virtual PC asks what type of operating system you are planning to install.
   • 6
     Click "Finish."
   • 7
     Click the "Unbuntu Linux" machine in the Virtual PC Console. Place your Ubuntu installation disk in your computer's CD-ROM drive. Click "Start" in the Console. The Virtual PC Console will immediately begin reading the installation CD and treating your virtual machine like a native partition on your hard drive. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the Linux operating system on your Windows PC.
   • 8
     Wait for Linux to boot up within the Virtual PC Console. You have successfully set up Windows and Linux on the same computer. Because you are using virtualization software, you are able to run both operating systems simultaneously

Using Proxy Connections

What is a proxy?

A proxy is a connection to another computer or server which will let you access services through it.

It is easy to explain using an analogy, is like controlling a robot to do something for you.

Proxy has become very famous on internet connections. This because it gives user privacy when navigating in the internet. For instance, if you are navigating through a proxy connection and one site gets "your" IP address, it will get the Server's IP address rather than yours.

How to use a proxy connection?

There are 3 ways you can use proxy connections:

• Making a connection through a specialized web page.
• Setting a proxy connection in your browser manually.
• Using specialized software.

Most people use the first and third option because they think it is difficult to do it manually but in fact it can be the easiest way. I will show you how to do it in the next sections.

Using Proxies

Manual Settings

Setting a proxy connection in your browser manually
Web Browsers have had the option of using proxy connections for a long time and with the appearance of Add-ons and extensions, configuring these types of connections have become very easy.

First we need to get the Proxy Address and Port.
To do this we need to search for Proxy Lists.

Google Proxy List, you will find thousands of Web pages giving you free proxy addresses. For instance, you can goHERE.
And copy a Proxy Address and Port.
For example, Address: 210.253.208.91 Port: 80 (This is a server from Japan).

If you want to configure a proxy connection the old way you need to open your web browser properties, I will use Internet Explorer because it shares proxy options with Google Chrome. In fact you won't be able to configure a proxy in Chrome without the help of an extension.(See my Chrome Extensions Article)

1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Go to Tools/Internet Options/ then Select the Connection Tab and Click on Lan Settings
3. Type your proxy server address and port.

*Optional: You can check the "Bypass proxy server for local addresses." This is to stop using the proxy connection to connect to computers in your local network.

Alternative you can use an add-on and extension to switch between your connection or other proxies.

In Chrome:

1. Install Proxy Switchy! Extension
2. Right click the Proxy Switchy! World Icon and select Options. Type the proxy address and port and save the connection as a profile.
3. Left Click the Proxy Switchy! World Icon and select the profile to start using that proxy connection. You can switch back clicking on "Direct Connection".

You can do the same thing in Firefox with an Add-on called "FoxyProxy".
An advantage of using manual configurations is that you can select an specific country proxy server to surf the internet.

You will probably realized that you can set other settings when you configure a proxy connection. You can research for these more advanced parameters.

Making a proxy connection through a specialized web page

Making a manual configuration can have great advantages specially if you are trying to get around some firewall that is blocking your connection.
Some people don't want to waist any time configuring, and want to have another option.
There are many sites that offer this service. Some of this sites use a VPN connection which has a similar function to proxy connections but work in a different way, they are safer too.

Here is an example of a site that lets you surf through a proxy:
Zend2

When you enter this site you will only have to type the internet address you want to access through a proxy server an click Go!
There are plenty of these sites, most of them are free and probably give you the option to have better features with the cost of a fee.
A disadvantage of using this option is that you will be tied to a specific country proxy server.

Using specialized software.
You can research for this type of software. Personally, I think this software is for more advanced users, it will let you do everything as the other two options and more. Most of these types of software have a limited free use, or come with restrictions unless you pay for them.

For a regular user, the other two options will be enough. Still, if you are interested in trying one, here are some options:
Proxy Way
Wingate Proxy Server

Some people utilize Proxies for security reasons, other to bypass firewalls and country restrictions. I suggest you use Proxy Connections in a good way that does not violate any law.

The disadvantages of using a proxy is that the connection speed will probably be very slow.
Now you can surf the internet safer.

How to Create a Linux Dual Boot System

Not everyone who installs Linux is going to want to use it as a sole operating system. Many people install Linux as part of a dual boot system. If you're new to using a PC, it can be a bit challenging to create a dual boot system for Linux, but it is not impossible. The benefit is that you can use either of your installed operating systems and choose between the two at each system restart.

Moderately Challenging
Instructions

Things You'll Need
Linux (any version, the newer the better)
Necessary hardware requirements for each operating system
Microsoft Windows (95, 98, Me, 2000, NT, XP, Vista)

1- Set you computer to install from the optical drive. Both Windows and Linux can be installed using an optical drive (most often a DVD drive). This is typically done using the "F8" key on your keyboard while your computer boots up.

2- Install Windows as you normally would onto your hard drive. Follow all of the prompts necessary to complete installation.

3- Place the Linux installation DVD into your optical drive once the Windows installation has completed.

4- Restart your computer. You should keep the optical drive as the primary boot device during Linux installation.

5- Follow the Linux installation prompts as you did for Windows, making sure to leave the Linux defaults for creating a second partition.

6- Find the /boot sector in Linux using the "dd" command from the shell. This information needs to be copied and pasted into a file and named something like "BootLinux.lnx."

7- Restart Windows and access the "msconfig" application from the "Start -> Run" section of the Start Menu.

8- Add the command line that enables the Linux boot file you created into the BOOT.INI file. It should look something like this: "C:\BOOTLINUX.LNX="Linux Operating System."

9- Restart your computer and wait for the command prompt to appear asking which operating system you wish to boot. It should list both Microsoft Windows and Linux.