Learn, network, and enjoy the festivities at the 2006 Congress in our nation's capital—Washington, DC

The AORN Congress is a must-attend education conference and trade show for anyone who wishes to excel as a perioperative RN. Attendees will be able to network with perioperative nurses from the United States and abroad and exchange ideas related to practice issues and strategies. Congress offers sessions and events tailored to staff nurses, managers, nurses in ambulatory settings, nursing students, and faculty members.

Staff nurses, this is the only event with education sessions and exhibits devoted to all aspects of perioperative nursing. Choose from sessions providing the latest on surgical procedures in a variety of clinical practice settings, and discuss practice issues with others who, like you, encounter these issues daily.

Managers, attend exclusive networking events with 2,500 of your peers and industry professionals to improve the delivery of perioperative care. Many education sessions have been specifically designed for perioperative managers and leaders. A half-day session on creative leadership will be offered twice.

Ethernet Cables suit patch and network installations

Available in PVC and PUR in lengths to 100 m, electrical patch cables are offered in straight-through and cross-over designs for connecting active elements in control panels. Electrical network installation cables, available in same length range, are designed for use outside control panels. Fiber optic patch and network installation cables feature PVC jackets and are available as multimode cables in 50 and 62.5 [micro]m core diameters. Optic patch cables come in lengths from 1-3 m.


RICHMOND, VA (November 28, 2005) - Over 80% of the problems associated with the deployment of industrial Ethernet networks are in the physical layer. Specifically they are mechanical connectivity issues. The majority of these issues are within the cabling systems, which generally represent from 50-70% of the total network costs. In many cases, the type of cables required must be application-specific to meet the demands of the industrial Ethernet network environment.

Responding to this issue, Weidmuller has developed a full range of electrical and fiber optic Industrial Ethernet Cables for both patch and network installation- as critical components in their full range of Reliable Ethernet Solutions. In addition to providing a complete offering of standardized industrial Ethernet cables, Weidmuller can provide custom cables for customers with specific application requirements. Their expertise allows Weidmuller to guide customers in selecting the right Ethernet cables for their network.

Yale School of Medicine helps establish neuroscience network

Yale School of Medicine, USA, is participating in a new collaboration with the National Institutes of Health to establish a comprehensive web-based Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF).

It is understood that the purpose of the NIF is to help guide neuroscience researchers to relevant information stored anywhere on the Internet. The NIF will be built by a consortium of universities including the California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, George Mason University, University of California at San Diego and Yale.

Total NIH funding for the NIF is USD500,000 for the first 15 months and USD1m for the next year. The Yale component is USD125,000 and USD250,000.

everything you'll ever need to know: a former principal, superintendent and education professor with decades of experience under his belt offers a co

As a professor in the administrative services credential program at California State University, Stanislaus, I helped scores of teachers become principals. I also was a teacher, principal, director of research and superintendent (Hillsborough City, 1967-1972, and Lincoln Unified, 1972-1990). The following gems from this experience can help guide our school leadership.

1. Be a servant leader. As the principal, your responsibility is to provide leadership, organization and management to enable all staff members to function at their best level. Your raison d'etre is to provide service to others.

2. Listen! Listen! Listen! Give your full attention to the questions, testimony, dreams, ambitions, expectations and comments of all school stakeholders. Learn to be an active listener. Listening advances learning.

3. Visualize your ideal school culture and work toward it. Keep your actions, modeling and reinforcing focused on moving your culture from where it is to where you want to be. Focus your efforts on the vital elements of your desired culture: respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for your actions. Focus on academic growth, punctuality, completing homework, professional confidentiality, collaboration and collegiality. Align awards/recognition with desired culture. Celebrate the achievements of staff --both certificated and classified--our partners committed to serving students.

MIC set to guide Korea's u-city mania

Last month Korea's Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC), together with the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, announced that they will jointly coordinate and regulate the burgeoning growth of u-city (ubiquitous city) projects in the country.

"At present there are no guidelines," said an MIC source. "We are at the beginning stage. We want to set requirements and standardize the technologies. We plan to have a standardized u-city model and to set up the legal base" The MIC's u-city initiative is being implemented under the auspices of its broadband convergence network (BcN) division.

The u-city concept will feature widespread use of RFID and ubiquitous sensor networks. MIC minister Chin Daeje suggested last year that the RFID business alone might in the future become as large as the mobile phone business.

A rush of announcements relating to u-city projects have been made recently. Last month KT Corp and the Korea National Housing Corp contracted to jointly construct a "u-city" in Unjeon, near the border with North Korea, by 2009. KT will install the latest wireless and FTTH infrastructure.

On the case: catastrophic nurse case manager Liz Zemke has an intimate understanding of what her patients need—she's been there herself. After losing

On a day that seemed like any other day, registered nurse Liz Zemke headed off to see patients at a rural California health clinic. A busy woman juggling a career and family, she was probably pondering the day's minutiae--reports to file, phone calls to return, dinner to make, dry cleaning to drop off, birthday cards to send.

But it wasn't a day like any other day. Around a blind curve on the mountain highway, a stranger's car careened into the wrong lane, headed straight for her. Life as she knew it was about to change forever.

The crash was head-on. Zemke suffered head trauma and severe damage to her right leg and ankle--her foot was nearly severed. She endured nearly two years of rehabilitation and painful surgeries. In the end, surgeons were able to rebuild her leg and knee, but the foot was beyond hope. Her choices were grim: Learn to live with the pain, doctors said, or amputate below the knee.

As wrenching as the decision was, Zemke chose amputation. Unable to walk out to her mailbox without pain, she knew, logically, that a prosthetic limb would help her regain the mobility she'd lost.

Samtec publishes new Automotive Interconnect Solutions Guide

Samteca[currency](TM)s Automotive interconnect capabilities include Rugged, Power, Cable Plugs and Receptacles, Discrete Wire Systems, Micro and Standard Board-to-Board Interconnects, Micro Card Interfaces, I/O Interfaces, RF Connectors and Cables, and Flex Circuits. Samtec is also in the industry leader in Signal Integrity services and Application Specific interconnects.

Samtec is ISO/TS 16949 certified and is fully integrated with multiple automated US and Asian manufacturing facilities, in-house tooling capabilities, and electroplating operations. With in-house Signal Integrity design and analysis and prototyping for quick sample turnaround, Samtec is the ideal supplier for many automotive connector applications.

Samtec has been ranked number one in overall customer service for ten consecutive years in the Bishop & Associates Survey of the Electronics Industry, and they are ranked first in product quality, on-time delivery, turn-around time on new products, and technical support and expertise.

UWB: it's here, and headed for home networks

After years of literally unbelievable hype, ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology made its commercial debut. The technology still doesn't make seeing through walls a snap, as its promoters predicted a few years ago, but it does make it possible to send tens or hundreds of megabits of data per second a tens of meters.

That makes it a good candidate to help out around the house and office, wirelessly connecting all kinds of equipment that formerly would have called for cables. And however it evolves, service providers looking at the possibilities of providing home networking services will have to pay attention.

UWB technology, as its name implies, sends low-power signals spread across large portions of spectrum, usually GHz rather than a few MHz as in conventional wireless technologies. The physics of such an approach means that different transmissions even in the same spectrum tend not to interfere with one another, and that they can carry huge amounts of data but not very far, according to Martin Reynolds, a Gartner analyst.

The signals' ability to pass with ease through, but also reflect from, quite solid objects was also supposed to lead to through-wall imaging equipment that would be a godsend to police and the military--but hasn't yet, Reynolds says.

Home networking

As you move from your bedroom to the kitchen or the living room in the morning, radio frequency ID sensors start a chain reaction that gets gadgets in your home to start working. The lights and the air conditioning come on as you enter a room, and your radio or TV is automatically turned on to your favorite channel or station. By the time you reach the kitchen, the electric kettle has already boiled the water for your coffee, and your fridge has alerted the supermarket that you'll need more milk tomorrow.

The future of the home is in the network and it is a Holy Grail that companies ranging from Cisco to Intel to Sony are pursuing. But if any country has a shot at leading the way, it is Korea.

Home networking is one of the nine key new technologies that Korea has earmarked. On the ground floor of the Ministry of Information and Communication's headquarters building in downtown Seoul is a "Ubiquitous Dream" exhibition hall that features a fully functioning and dazzling home network.

Home networks combine telecommunications, broadcasting, construction, appliances and software solutions together to link everything in a home and connect it with the rest of the world.

Sensors and chips embedded in devices around the home sense, process and exchange information to create the ultimate in convenience. "We are connecting everything around us," says Hyun Park, vice president of LG Electronics. "The goal is convenience as well as automated security features. Home networks help save money, manage energy and keep our home safe."

LG, a big manufacturer of home appliances, consumer electronics and communications products like cellular handsets, is a trail blazer in home networks. It is the first company in the world to commercialize products such as the Internet-enabled refrigerator, which can be connected through broadband and also acts as a home server or main gateway to the home network.

LG's $5,000 Internet fridge comes equipped with a 15-inch display, which can be used to watch TV, surf the net, download email, play music through its MP3 function or listen to satellite radio. It has video messaging built in and can keep track of the family schedule. You can record a video message for family members through a built-in camera and save several hours of messages on the fridge's storage--its hard drive. The appliance also keeps track of the amount of food inside the fridge, as well as key information such as "use by" dates for perishable products.

Digital Rights Are Key to Intel's Digital Home Vision

For the digital home to work, Intel's Whiteside says the consumer must have enough rights to acquire and use digital media content. Like other Intel Corp. executives, Don Whiteside is enthusiastic about pursuing the company's vision of the digital home.

"The essence of the digital home is flexibility and portability of content," said Whiteside. "This means that any content can be played on any machine, whether it's a PC, TV or [mobile] phone."

But Whiteside isn't focusing on Intel's Viiv technology to make this happen. That's because Whiteside, Intel's vice president of technology and policy standards, isn't a technologist. He works with national regulators and policy-makers on issues of digital copyrights.

To achieve "flexibility and portability," Whiteside believes the consumer must have enough rights to acquire and use digital media content.

Network Magic

Network Magic, from Pure Networks, manages and repairs home networks. It runs on each system in the network and displays a visual map of the network configuration. Many common problems can be fixed simply by clicking the Repair button. The product handles initial network setup, configuring file and printer sharing, and notification of unexpected visitors to the network. You can also use it to notify other users of new files available for sharing, or to monitor their network usage.

Symmetricom Introduces Next Generation Clock for the Network Edge; TimeProvider targets small office and access node requirements

the world's leading supplier of network synchronization and timing solutions, today announced the introduction of its TimeProvider(TM) synchronization and timing system, the first in a new class of telecommunications equipment. The TimeProvider is engineered to bring carrier-class network synchronization to offices and nodes located at the network edge, improving overall network efficiency and quality of service.

Networks are evolving from the purely circuit-switched (TDM) architectures to hybrid circuit/packet switched. Traditionally it was believed the points of demarcation between TDM and newer packet-switched portions of the network would be close to the network core, but actual deployment is happening much closer to the edge. These transition points are prone to higher error rates and potential failure, pushing synchronization requirements out to end offices, wireline and wireless access nodes and customer locations. This trend has been accelerated by the proliferation of high-speed data, broadband multimedia, fiber-to-the-home, and wireless 3G services, driving the need for high quality synchronization beyond the network core.

The TimeProvider meets network standards and performance parameters of a core office synchronization system in a compact and cost-effective package. It tracks and qualifies incoming timing references, filters jitter and wander, and distributes precise synchronization and timing signals. Through integration and state-of-the-art signal processing, TimeProvider achieves the level of miniaturization and cost reduction required for network edge deployments.

Canon Introduces New imageCLASS MF7280 Digital Imaging Solution for Small Businesses and Office Workgroups

New imageCLASS MF7280 Brings An Economical High-Performance Workflow Solution To Small and Home Offices

Canon U.S.A., Inc., the nation's market share brand leader in black-and-white and color laser printer/copier solutions(1), today introduced its latest digital office solution, the imageCLASS MF7280. The imageCLASS MF7280 provides 'big office' workflow capabilities at a 'small office' price tag, enhancing the productivity of burgeoning workgroups and busy office environments.

The imageCLASS MF7280 performs printing and copying of letter-sized output at 20 pages-per-minute with full duplexing capabilities for copying, printing, sending and faxing. The imageCLASS MF7280 is designed for work environments where smaller machines can't quite keep up and large office equipment is not yet needed. The imageCLASS MF7280 provides a perfect workgroup solution with 11"x17" paper support, copy and fax capabilities, and network functionality for printing, universal sending and PC faxing.

"The new imageCLASS MF7280 copier offers significant productivity advantages to general office and small business users who want greater network performance from their multifunction device," said Tod Pike, senior vice president, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "To better meet the growing business needs of today's workgroups, the imageCLASS MF7280 device incorporates many of Canon's award-winning imageRUNNER digital imaging technology to provide greater document handling capabilities and functionality for today's small office environments."

PACS: small, medium or large: regardless of size, every hospital that has installed PACS technology can demonstrate benefits. Organizations that gaine

Sharing high-resolution diagnostic images across a network and being able to access those images from remote locations is a goal of most hospitals these days.

For large healthcare organizations, the new generation of PAC S (picture archiving and communications systems) allows multiple facilities--even if they use different hospital information systems--to have ready access to all needed images. On the other hand, small hospitals, especially those located in rural areas, will require fewer visits from radiologists affiliated with larger institutions when using automated systems, and the systems can shave expenses associated with film processing and storage. Across the board, the benefits to be derived mostly stem from the organizations' specific goals in implementing PACS technology.

In the case of Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa, the cost savings is estimated to be about $65,000 a year, says Troy Schoon, director of radiology. Yet for Schoon, going live with a PACS from Jacksonville, Fla.-based StorCOMM Inc. represented the culmination of a long-term planning effort.

2005 Custom Home Pacesetter Awards

On the next 13 pages you'll meet some of the best practitioners in the custom building business: the winners of the 2005 Pacesetter Awards. Co-sponsored by CUSTOM HOME and the NAHB Custom Home Builders Committee, the Pacesetter Awards program honors custom builders who not only excel in the business of custom home building, but also bring new ideas, more effective procedures, and higher standards to their businesses. The winners were chosen by the magazine's editors for their demonstrated excellence in one of six categories critical to success in custom building: marketing, management, customer service, design, production, and innovation. We are proud to share their stories with you and to add these builders to our custom home building hall of fame.

Future-proof your network

If you've ever done a tricky remodeling project at home, you might be familiar with the urge to just level the place and start over. But on your corporate network, no one wants to have to explain the need for a forklift upgrade where large parts of the infrastructure must be overhauled. How can you maximize the longevity of your IT investments in a world of ever-changing protocols and constantly evolving security dangers? Beyond thinking carefully about scalability and capacity, here's a look at some key tasks for your future-proofing to-do list. Keep these considerations in mind as you evaluate and purchase new gear.

1. Stick to modular equipment, centralized management.

To avoid rip-out upgrades later, follow this advice whether you're planning your wireless or wired LAN. On the wireless side, this usually means buying a centralized wireless LAN (WLAN) switch that will let you upgrade access points easily "Stand-alone fat [access points] exclusive architectures are out, but some companies are deploying a mix of thin and thick," for example, using thick access points to support branch-office locations, says Ellen Daley, principal analyst at Forrester Research. On the wired side, this means selecting equipment that is as modular as possible in the wiring closets and the core data center. Even then, consider keeping about 20% of the expansion room open.

User friendly: a high-tech home without a high-tech feel - Estate of the Art

Ask a focus group of wealthy, middle-aged, suburban women to create a wish list for the perfect home, and you're sure to get some interesting ideas. That's what the editors of BUILDER, our sister publication at Hanley-Wood, LLC, did to develop the plan of its 2003 show home, HomeDestinations, at Southern Highlands on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Designed by Scheurer Architects of Newport Beach, Calif., and built by Las Vegas-based Christopher Homes, the 10,000-square-foot villa is the vanguard in luxury home design. And nowhere is that more evident than in the electronics threaded throughout the residence.

"State of the art" is how Greg Simmons, vice president and co-owner of Eagle Sentry, Las Vegas, describes the vast but largely concealed electronics array. "The system gives very good but simple control of all the low-voltage systems in the house," he says. "We can turn on the fireplaces from any touchpanel, turn on the audio/video system, control HVAC and lighting.... And from the same panels, homeowners have full control of security--both perimeter and surveillance.'"

Eagle Sentry designs and installs the full gamut of residential electronic subsystems from central vacuum systems to automated home theaters. Despite the show home nature of the project, Eagle Sentry's assignment for HomeDestinations wasn't unlike a typical job for the high-end installation company. Upscale homeowners want all the cool, trick features provided by technology but they don't want to see that it's there.

Small Business 101; Financial Planning

If you are thinking about starting your own business, you probably have tons of questions about where to start. Get advice from Small Business 101 to learn more about the basics of entrepreneurship.

Scott Parsons is the director of the financial services division for the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. He also serves as the executive director of the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority.

Scott has over 18 years of commercial lending experience. He has worked with Bank of America and its Virginia predecessors working as a credit analyst, a commercial account manager, and later as a manager of a central credit underwriting center in the commercial card division. Most of his experience has been in assisting small businesses with their financial needs.

Setting Up a Wireless Office Network

You've spent a fortune building up your office network, and already it's nearly obsolete: To stay productive, all your employees have to be at their desks all the time. Meanwhile, sales leads and urgent e-mails go unanswered whenever your staff members meet in conference rooms or step away from their workstations. Enough! Here's how you can cut the cords with a wireless office network.

1. Choose your weapon.

Wireless networks are no longer just science projects. If you don't mind tinkering, it may be worth your while to become an early adopter of Bluetooth. The standard will make serial port sync cables a thing of the past, because any Bluetooth device within 30 feet of your PC can automatically bond with and relate its travels to home base. Alternatively an 802.11b setup, also called Wi-Fi, will eliminate the associated stringy blue cables hanging from the office ceiling.

Keep in mind that neither system is as affordably priced as the broadband router and Ethernet hub flavor du jour. You'll pay quite a premium to cut the cord. But you'll also save a relative fortune in cabling fees, because expanding the office will no longer involve threading the walls with wire.

ADS Launches USB to Ethernet Starter Kit for Home/Small Office Users; Latest Addition to Popular USB Product Line Simplifies Network Building

ADS Technologies Inc., a leading provider of USB upgrade solutions, Wednesday announced the release of USB to Ethernet Starter Kit, a networking solution that allows users to set up a true 10BaseT network for the home or small office with plug and play convenience.

The USB to Ethernet Starter Kit allows users to share Internet access, files and peripherals instantly without requiring them to open their computers to install networking interface cards (NIC).

The USB to Ethernet Starter Kit includes: five-port ethernet hub, two ethernet adapters, A/C power supply, 10BaseT cables, driver disk and Midpoint Companion Lite software, which allows users to share a modem for Internet access. This feature eliminates the need for additional routers or hardware and also includes a natural firewall, adding protection against outside intrusion.

"USB technology has made home and small office networking more accessible to the average consumer," said Mike McCoy, president of ADS Technologies. "Users do not have to have extensive networking knowledge or experience to reap the benefits of file, Internet and peripheral sharing.

Brother Introduces New Performance and Workgroup Flatbed Laser Multi-Function Center Devices; New Brother MFC Products Target Wide Range of Home, Smal

Brother International Corporation today introduces three new 5-in-1 flatbed laser Multi-Function Center(R) (MFC) models - the new MFC-8440, MFC-8840D and MFC-8840DN. Common to each model is a high-speed SuperG3 33.6K bps plain paper fax, an HQ1200 (up to 2400x 600 dpi) laser printer with up to 21ppm print speeds, a flatbed digital copier (up to 21cpm), PC Fax capability, and color scanner with high-quality resolution up to 9600x9600dpi(1). The MFC-8840D and MFC-8840DN models also include paper-saving duplex (two-sided) printing, with the latter adding network-ready connectivity for workgroups. The MFC-8440 (449.99(2)) and MFC-8840D ($549.99(2)) are slated for availability in late April 2004, and MFC-8840DN ($649.99(2)) is expected to be available in May 2004.

"The multi-function product category has come a very long way in a fairly short time with more and more businesses and individuals understanding its value and benefits," says Don Cummins, Vice President of Marketing at Brother. "What these customers have come to understand is that products like those we're now introducing offer the same professional quality that they expect from multiple 'single-function' devices. They are also much more robust, offering a long, dependable life, and considerable savings in terms of space and costs."

A variety of features beyond the basic functions have contributed to an increased attractiveness of MFC products to businesses and consumers. The new Brother line of MFCs includes flatbed scanning areas that accommodate single-sheets or bound documents up to legal size. They also have faster print speeds of up to 21ppm, a large 32MB base memory capacity, and an expandable printer memory of up to 160MB(5). A 5-line back-lit LCD display makes for easy setup and operation -- all of which to makes the new Brother MFCs valuable office equipment. Cummins adds, "Features such as duplex printing and internal network cards are important added features that separate the MFC-8840D and MFC-8840DN from the competition."

ELI simplifies small office security

An enterprising start-up has hatched a plan to make wireless LAN security both simple and strong for small-business users, teleworkers and consumers.

The plan, from Electronic Lifestyle Integrator (ELI), marries an appliance that has an integrated set of network functions with a hosted security update service.

Users select one of several classes of security then the appliance downloads the settings and configures itself to support that choice. ELI's servers automatically update the appliance's built-in anti-virus, content-filtering and anti-spam applications several times a day

The Mount Laurel, N.J., vendor was co-founded by CEO Susan Lutz and CTO Robert Smith, who have sustained the fledgling company without any venture backing. Lutz co-founded secureIT, which focused on IT security solutions and was acquired by VeriSign, for which Lutz worked for five years. She also serves as CEO for Etsec, a company that focuses on enterprise security services and strategy. Smith remains CEO and CTO of Secure Networking Company a managed security services firm in Europe. He also worked for VeriSign as a product manager.

The initial model of the device, called Eli, has a DSL modem. The company says it will soon ship a cable modem version, and is designing a model that will have a PCM-CIA slot that can accept a cellular adapter card to connect with wireless data services. Each also has a four-port Ethernet switch, an 802.11b/g WLAN access point and USB port.

Printers: Small Office, Shoestring Budget

Having a thriving small business is nothing to complain about, but rapid growth brings with it some pretty hefty demands on office infrastructure. Mike Scully should know. As the business director for MR Architecture, a small New York design firm, he has seen his company grow from 6 to 16 employees over the past year, and IT resources are stretched thin. "Now we've got to add new computers and new printers," he says, "but who's got the time, or the money, to install and administer them?"

To help small businesses like Mike's, we resolved to find out how much printer power today's dollar could buy. So we asked vendors to send us their least expensive small-business printers. For this story, PC Magazine Labs tested eight monochrome lasers that sell for $300 or less and five color lasers for $750 or less. Thrifty buyers will also appreciate the four $500 multifunction models we tested, which also handle fax, scanning, and copying.

What about $50 ink jet models, you might ask? After all, the laser printers we tested aren't quite as cheap as the average ink jet. There's definitely a place for ink. Despite the almost scarily high cost of replacing ink cartridges, a laser printer probably doesn't make sense for everyday home use. And multifunction ink jet printers, which can print terrific color photos, sell for as little as $80. "Home users want color photo printing," says Jennifer Thorwart, an analyst with research firm IDC who closely follows the laser market. "Although the price of color lasers has come down into the $500 to $600 range, you can't expect home users to pay that."

For anyone running a home office or small business, however, a $200 monochrome or $500 multifunction laser is nearly irresistible. And sub-$750 color lasers are a godsend to small graphics houses—or home users who want to print like small graphics houses. As prices have dropped, color lasers have experienced a particularly sharp rise in popularity. They now account for 12 percent of the U.S. laser printer market, and sales are expected to increase at a rate of 20 percent a year beginning in 2004, according to IDC. "Most of this is being driven by the sub-$1,000 color laser segment," says Thorwart.

Naturally, you'll have to make a few sacrifices with the low-cost models. Of the 17 printers we reviewed, not one includes a stacker or a sorter for managing your output. Only three offer duplexers for automatically printing pages on two sides. And only one model, the $750 Oki C5100n, has a network card.

Digital Rights Are Key to Intel's Digital Home Vision

For the digital home to work, Intel's Whiteside says the consumer must have enough rights to acquire and use digital media content. Like other Intel Corp. executives, Don Whiteside is enthusiastic about pursuing the company's vision of the digital home.

"The essence of the digital home is flexibility and portability of content," said Whiteside. "This means that any content can be played on any machine, whether it's a PC, TV or [mobile] phone."

But Whiteside isn't focusing on Intel's Viiv technology to make this happen. That's because Whiteside, Intel's vice president of technology and policy standards, isn't a technologist. He works with national regulators and policy-makers on issues of digital copyrights.

To achieve "flexibility and portability," Whiteside believes the consumer must have enough rights to acquire and use digital media content.

The problem is that the ability for consumers to use digital content freely on multiple devices is at odds with the need for content creators to prevent pirating. This has created disagreements between the entertainment industry, cable providers and consumer electronics interests.

"We fought tooth and nail with the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] on the cable plug-and-play agreement," said Whiteside, referring to the 2003 FCC decision that allowed digital TVs to receive cable signals without the need for a set-top box. The decision still required set-top boxes for content on demand. At that time, the entertainment industry wanted tighter control over how consumers could access digital content.

Whiteside thinks that in order for the digital home concept to work, consumers can't be too restricted in the use of digital content.

"In this country we have the concept of fair use. We own a private copy," said Whiteside. "You have to let consumers do some copying for their own use."

At the same time, copyright owners need a fair compensation mechanism for the use of their digital media content. Whiteside believes that such balance of interests can be achieved by having consumers pay upfront for the number of copies they want, similar to the way businesses buy software licenses.

"You could buy a version that lets you make one personal copy," Whiteside said. "Another would let you make five copies."

Whiteside was critical of levies on the sale of playback devices such as DVD players, digital content, and blank CD and DVD media. Some countries use levies as a means of compensating copyright holders. Whiteside believes that levies raise the cost of products for all consumers regardless of how individuals are using the products.

"If you buy a CD in Canada, 65 percent of the retail price is a levy."

Rights owners don't like levies because they don't fairly distribute proceeds to the copyright holders, Whiteside said.

"Business models are being disrupted," he said.

Under copy licensing systems, consumers pay only for what they use, and content creators are paid for what the consumer buys, without the tax-collecting body getting in between.

Service Providers and Bandwidth

With the digital home's potential to create new types of digital entertainment services, Whiteside thinks the model of cable TV needs to change. Technology is needed to bring in significantly more bandwidth, but Whiteside believes that consumers need control over the use of their bandwidth, which they currently don't get from cable companies.

"Consumers should be able to portion out their bandwidth. They should be able to say, 'I want 25 percent for a media server, 25 percent for security services,'" said Whiteside. "Right now the service provider decides what the bandwidth is used for."

As the digital home expands from a single digital TV to a network of entertainment devices, the home will need a network. One way this could happen is for cable companies to expand the wire that comes into the home so that it doesn't stop at the wall. Whiteside believes that it is in the interest of the cable industry to do so.

"Service providers want to control the home network," said Whiteside. But such control many not be in the best interests of consumers.

"The consumer should own the product, not the service provider.

"In the past Ma Bell owned everything," said Whiteside, referring to telephone service. "It brought in content on its wires. If you wanted a phone in every room, Ma Bell was the only provider. Look at all the options we have in buying a phone now."

Whiteside also believes that cable companies want to be the entities that install the home network.

"Consumers will set up their own networking," said Whiteside, just as consumers hire their own contractors to install other home furnishings.

Another challenge is the issue of which consumer devices will be allowed to display which content. Currently, set-top boxes are designed to restrict the viewing of content to permitted TV sets under permitted circumstances. Whiteside said that entertainment devices in the digital home should be all-purpose players, able to handle any media. The differences would be in form factor and in primary focus of the device. Just as digital music can now be played on a 5.1 surround sound audio system and an iPod, movies should be able to be viewed on a big-screen TV, a PC and a mobile phone.

Network Magic

Network Magic, from Pure Networks, manages and repairs home networks. It runs on each system in the network and displays a visual map of the network configuration. Many common problems can be fixed simply by clicking the Repair button. The product handles initial network setup, configuring file and printer sharing, and notification of unexpected visitors to the network. You can also use it to notify other users of new files available for sharing, or to monitor their network usage.

Building A Home Network: Wires Rule

Wireless networking is the current hot topic. It's no surprise, because Wi-Fi promises wonderful benefits. Be connected anywhere! No pesky wires needed! It's certainly useful when you have a mobile PC, and are moving from meeting to meeting, or wanting to grab a latte' at your local Starbucks.

Wireless, however, is not problem-free. First, there's the whole poorly-understood security issue. Put up an unsecured access point in your home, and suddenly the entire neighborhood is sharing your cable modem connection. Or, as Dave Salvator discovered recently, you can encounter some interesting conflicts with your neighbors. But to me, the most pressing matter is one of performance.

Now, this isn't really a diatribe against wireless. I think the various flavors of 802.11 certainly have their place. But in my own case, wireless networking is a less-than-perfect solution. First, I move a lot of big files and directories around, because of the kind of work I do. Just moving the standard benchmarks around my network takes a good ten minutes over 100 mb/sec Ethernet.

Wireless Performance Problems Then there's my house. The way my house is laid out turns out to be something of a nightmare for wireless.

The problem is that my office, which is where the cable modem connection lives, is in the daylight basement. An 802.11b or 802.11a router or access point located there is actually invisible to any wirelessly enabled system in my upstairs bedroom. I could place a bunch of repeaters around the house, I suppose, but that gets expensive and still wouldn't solve my performance problem. So my solution was to wire the house.

As it turned out, wiring up the house was an opportunistic event, brought about by bugs. I'm not talking software bugs, but literal ones: termites had invaded the front wood siding. I was forced to replace the front siding – which meant the entire front wall of the house was removed temporarily. That offered a golden opportunity to wire the rest of the house.

In fact, I'd had a crude 100mb/sec network in my basement office for years, but it mostly consisted of CAT5e wiring strung along the baseboards. In fact, that's still the case down there, because of the flexibility it offers me, particularly when testing products. On the other hand, my wife's office was adjacent to mine, and she was quite clear about the whole issue of wiring her office: no visible wires.

Additionally, I have two daughters with bedrooms upstairs. Eventually, they'll have PCs in their rooms, and I wanted to make sure that they had easy connectivity to the Internet. At some point, as they approached the dreaded teenage years, they'd also need their own phones. My wife expressed a desire to occasionally work in the dining room as well, through her company-provided DSL link. Finally, I wanted a clean way to manage all that wiring.

In the end, the parameters looked like this: CAT5e connections to each of the kids room, the dining room and the office POTS (plain old telephone service) dial-tone to those locations Some type of wire/cable management system Easy connections to multiple Internet connections (one cable modem and one private DSL connection) Co-ax cable support for video (satellite or cable TV)

The key to all this was the independent contractor who was replacing the siding on my house. Cameron was just the right guy -- one of the most flexible and knowledgeable contractors I'd ever met. He was pretty familiar with the issues of wiring a house, having done quite a few, and came up with some great ideas.

The first one was the use of a pre-built wiring bundle, designed specifically for home use. The wiring bundle consists of a phone, fiber, dual coax cable (RG6, offering 2.2GHz bandwidth) and Cat5e Ethernet in a single bundle wrapped with orange insulation. It's made by General Cable and goes under the HomeLinx brand. At roughly $1 - $1.50 per foot, it seems expensive, until you realize you're getting five different cables in one bundled price. We needed about 200 feet for our project.

The next piece of the puzzle was the cable management system. Leviton makes a line of cable management products for wired home applications. We chose the Leviton SMC-280 Structured Media Center as the main management box. In addition to having multiple punch-outs for cable runs, a number of mounting holes are drilled into the back of the box, which allow you to either mount Leviton patch panels or other gear.

Leviton makes a host of accessories for the box, and sorting through the various patch panels would have been tedious at best. The good news is that Leviton has some pre-built modules, making the choices much easier. We chose their Advanced Small Office Unit (part number A7603-ASO), which sports a pair of combination CAT5e voice/data modules, a POTS distribution panel and a six-way coax video splitter.

Overcoming Small Business Networks Sales Objections

Do you need help overcoming sales objections?



Do you sell computer networks, or other IT-related products and services to small businesses?



This article provides tips and hints so you can be overcoming the most common sales objections heard when selling networks to small business prospects, customers, and clients.



The problem generally begins when you start talking about a network upgrade. Around the time, many small business prospects, customers and clients will dwell on cost.



These small business prospects, customers and clients often neglect to consider the soft costs of not properly investing in a network… such as lost employee productivity when imprudent corners are cut, downtime when fault-tolerance is an afterthought, and service costs from computer consultants when difficult-to-support or "dead-end" solutions are selected primarily because of their low price tag.



No matter how thorough your initial consultation, IT audit, site survey and network design reports, some unforeseen client objections may pop up just before you get the client's authorization to proceed (generally a signed contract and retainer or deposit check).



Why Overcoming Sales Objections is SO Crucial



Because one relatively minor concern might threaten to derail the entire sale, you need to gain the critical business development skills for overcoming sales objections, with some of the biggest small business network deal-closing obstacles.



Empowered with these strategies for overcoming sales objections, you'll be much less apt to get emotional, defensive or just plain annoyed. You can then stay focused on keeping your eye on the ball and figuring out the best way to solve the prospect's or future client's problems …and of course, close the sale. Remember, your company isn't in business to solve prospects' problems; only those of paying clients.



Overcoming Sales Objections: Apathy



I hope you get a good night's sleep before this sales objection rears its ugly head. You need a powerful force to overcome apathy.



If small business decision-makers have an apathetic outlook toward the prospect of implementing a network, your decision-makers might take weeks, months, or perhaps even years before feeling a sense of urgency about your proposed network project.



However, once you discover the roots of this apathy, you'll be better able to push (or at least nudge) the approval process along.



Here's a typical example you'll find in the field: The small business owner sees no problem with their existing peer-to-peer network. One or two seemingly innocuous foul-ups, however, can cause the small business owner to see the "light".



With a Microsoft Windows peer-to-peer network, for example, the "server" seems perfectly reliable until the person working on the PC functioning as the server inadvertently hits the reset button with his or her knee.



If you need to be overcoming more of the common sales objections, you must be very adept and recounting these kinds of cautionary tales with the right timing, delivery and empathy.



Using Network Reliability to Overcoming Sales Objections



PC/LAN network reliability can also get called into question when the user of the peer-to-peer server inadvertently performs an unannounced, unscheduled shutdown and restart because a software setup program prompted a reboot.



With peer-to-peer networks, protecting data is usually also an afterthought. If the peer-to-peer server isn't protected with fault tolerant hard drives, a reliable tape backup drive, a server-class UPS, and updated antivirus software, a peer-to-peer server becomes an accident waiting to happen.



So while any of these factors can turn apathy into your opportunity, sometimes a little divine intervention steps in to help you in overcoming sales objections.



One day a lightning storm and blackout pushes your client's "server" over the edge. When power's restored, the server cannot even boot up to its welcome or logon screen. So now, the small business owner is scrambling with the internal guru at 2 a.m. trying to restore the company's corrupted contact management database, which contains 25,000 records and three years of data.

Cabling your home for computer network - still a requirement?

With proliferation of wireless networking and communication equipment it is oh-so-tempting to cut the cord and save a significant sum of money in the process. But is everything that a regular computer networking user needs can be done using just wireless network? Let’s take a look at some pros and contras:



1. One important advantage of having a cabled network is the available bandwidth or simply speed. At the present point in time the speed of connection via a simple and inexpensive CAT5E cable can be 1000Mbit/sec, whereas the best that IEEE802.11g (one of the many flavors of Wi-Fi) can offer is only 54Mbit/sec. It may not seem so significant if you think you are only browsing Internet, and the DSL speed available to you is 1.5Mbit/sec. However, if you need to print via your network connection on a remote printer, you should realize that the print jobs, depending on the amount of graphic data in them, can easily reach dozens and even hundreds megabytes. Since 1Byte=8bit one 100MByte print job will take 15 seconds (and in reality this time can be much longer) to transmit via a Wi-Fi wireless connection, and this time shrinks to mere 1 sec or less on wired 1000MBit/s Ethernet connection. Same principal applies to transferring files, backing up files on other computers in the network etc.

2. It is not possible today and with all probability will not be possible in the future to transmit power needed for your networking device via the wireless link. Unless, of course, you would be willing to be subjected to very high levels of microwave radiation. Thus a device that was marketed to you as “un-tethered” will in fact be very much tethered via the power cord or will have to be re-charged every so often. The power requirements are increasingly important for devices that are expected to be always online, such as phone sets. Therefore it is best to have it connected via a cable that can deliver both power and the communication signal at the same time.

3. Wireless communications are very much proprietary and require whole gamut of conversion equipment to transmit multi-media signals. The same CAT5E cable can without any modification support phone, computer network, balanced line level audio signal, baseband video signal as well as host of other, more specialized, control applications’ signals. With inexpensive adapters called “baluns” the same cable can carry significant number of channels of broadband television or carry a baseband video, such as security camera output, through great distances. All of those applications, except the computer network of course, will require specialized expensive conversion equipment if they needed to be transmitted via a Wi-Fi link.

4. The cost benefit of not running wires around the house is not as simple as issue as it seems. Having installed a wireless network at home you have only eliminated the need to wire for a single application – computer network. A modern home, however, requires all kinds of wiring to run even without regard to computers. The power and phones are obvious examples, as well as thermostats and security systems. Pre-wired speakers are common and most homes today have intercom systems as a desirable option, and those also require extensive wiring. It is very likely that the same contractor running the intercom or security cables is qualified to run computer cables – CAT5E or better. If you are building a home, you should definitely check if computer cabling option is available in your new home, and our advice is to go ahead and purchase it before the walls close. It is going to be a pretty involved and expensive procedure to install the cables later. As an added cost benefit of a wired computer network you will find that all modern computers ship with wired Ethernet network interface card included, and the latest models ship with 1000MBit/sec cards that are essentially free for the computer’s owner.



There are multiple sources of information available on proper planning and design of a residential cabling for voice, data, audio, video and other applications. One of the best sources is the TIA/EIA-570B standard, most resent release of which has been published in 2004. The standard outlines recommended types of the cables, principals of cable distribution in a single- and multi-dwelling units as well as recommended amount of cables to be installed based on the size of the house.



In conclusion, cutting the wire seems like a step forward, some sort of liberation of computer from the bonds of the infrastructure. I would caution the reader, however, to take a more balanced and informed approach before joining the wireless revolution. There are still (and will remain in foreseen future) sound reasons to include properly designed cabling system into the list of your dream home options.



Cabling your home for computer network - still a requirement?



With proliferation of wireless networking and communication equipment it is oh-so-tempting to cut the cord and save a significant sum of money in the process. But is everything that a regular computer networking user needs can be done using just wireless network? Let’s take a look at some pros and contras:



1. One important advantage of having a cabled network is the available bandwidth or simply speed. At the present point in time the speed of connection via a simple and inexpensive CAT5E cable can be 1000Mbit/sec, whereas the best that IEEE802.11g (one of the many flavors of Wi-Fi) can offer is only 54Mbit/sec. It may not seem so significant if you think you are only browsing Internet, and the DSL speed available to you is 1.5Mbit/sec. However, if you need to print via your network connection on a remote printer, you should realize that the print jobs, depending on the amount of graphic data in them, can easily reach dozens and even hundreds megabytes. Since 1Byte=8bit one 100MByte print job will take 15 seconds (and in reality this time can be much longer) to transmit via a Wi-Fi wireless connection, and this time shrinks to mere 1 sec or less on wired 1000MBit/s Ethernet connection. Same principal applies to transferring files, backing up files on other computers in the network etc.

2. It is not possible today and with all probability will not be possible in the future to transmit power needed for your networking device via the wireless link. Unless, of course, you would be willing to be subjected to very high levels of microwave radiation. Thus a device that was marketed to you as “un-tethered” will in fact be very much tethered via the power cord or will have to be re-charged every so often. The power requirements are increasingly important for devices that are expected to be always online, such as phone sets. Therefore it is best to have it connected via a cable that can deliver both power and the communication signal at the same time.

3. Wireless communications are very much proprietary and require whole gamut of conversion equipment to transmit multi-media signals. The same CAT5E cable can without any modification support phone, computer network, balanced line level audio signal, baseband video signal as well as host of other, more specialized, control applications’ signals. With inexpensive adapters called “baluns” the same cable can carry significant number of channels of broadband television or carry a baseband video, such as security camera output, through great distances. All of those applications, except the computer network of course, will require specialized expensive conversion equipment if they needed to be transmitted via a Wi-Fi link.

4. The cost benefit of not running wires around the house is not as simple as issue as it seems. Having installed a wireless network at home you have only eliminated the need to wire for a single application – computer network. A modern home, however, requires all kinds of wiring to run even without regard to computers. The power and phones are obvious examples, as well as thermostats and security systems. Pre-wired speakers are common and most homes today have intercom systems as a desirable option, and those also require extensive wiring. It is very likely that the same contractor running the intercom or security cables is qualified to run computer cables – CAT5E or better. If you are building a home, you should definitely check if computer cabling option is available in your new home, and our advice is to go ahead and purchase it before the walls close. It is going to be a pretty involved and expensive procedure to install the cables later. As an added cost benefit of a wired computer network you will find that all modern computers ship with wired Ethernet network interface card included, and the latest models ship with 1000MBit/sec cards that are essentially free for the computer’s owner.

Crime Fighting Computer Systems and Databases

As crime globalizes, so does crime fighting. Mobsters, serial killers, and terrorists cross state lines and borders effortlessly, making use of the latest advances in mass media, public transportation, telecommunications, and computer networks. The police - there are 16,000 law enforcement agencies in the Unites States alone - is never very far behind.



Quotes from the official Web pages of some of these databases:



National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC)



Its mission is to combine investigative and operational support functions, research, and training in order to provide assistance, without charge, to federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies investigating unusual or repetitive violent crimes. The NCAVC also provides support through expertise and consultation in non-violent matters such as national security, corruption, and white-collar crime investigations.



It comprises the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center (CASMIRC), and Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP).



VICAP is a nationwide data information center designed to collect, collate, and analyze crimes of violence - specifically murder. It collates and analyzes the significant characteristics of all murders, and other violent offenses.



Homicide Investigation Tracking System (HITS)



A program within the Washington state's Attorney General's Office that tracks and investigates homicides and rapes.



Violent Crime Linkage System (ViCLAS)



Canada-wide computer system that assists specially trained investigators to identify serial crimes and criminals by focusing on the linkages that exist among crimes by the same offender. This system was developed by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in the early 1990s.



UTAP, stands for The Utah Criminal Tracking and Analysis Project



Gathers experts from forensic science, crime scene analysis, psychiatry and other fields to screen unsolved cases for local law enforcement agencies.



International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) - Interpol's DNA Gateway



Provides for the transfer of profile data between two or more countries and for the comparison of profiles that conform to Interpol standards in a centralized database. Investigators can access the database via their Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) using Interpol's secure global police communications system, I-24/7.



Interpol's I-24/7



Global communication system to connect its member countries and provide them with user-friendly access to police information. Using this system, Interpol National Central Bureaus (NCBs) can search and cross-check data in a matter of seconds, with direct and immediate access to databases containing critical information (ASF Nominal database of international criminals, electronic notices, stolen motor vehicles, stolen/lost/counterfeit travel and ID documents, stolen works of art, payment cards, fingerprints and photographs, a terrorism watch list, a DNA database, disaster victim identification, international weapons tracking and trafficking in human beings-related information, etc).



Interpol Fingerprints



Provides information on the development and implementation of fingerprinting systems for the general public and international law enforcement entities.



Europol (European Union's criminal intelligence agency) Computer System (TECS)



Member States can directly input data into the information system in compliance with their national procedures, and Europol can directly input data supplied by non EU Member States and third bodies. Also provides analyses and indexing services.



As crime globalizes, so does crime fighting. Mobsters, serial killers, and terrorists cross state lines and borders effortlessly, making use of the latest advances in mass media, public transportation, telecommunications, and computer networks. The police - there are 16,000 law enforcement agencies in the Unites States alone - is never very far behind.



Quotes from the official Web pages of some of these databases:



National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC)



Its mission is to combine investigative and operational support functions, research, and training in order to provide assistance, without charge, to federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies investigating unusual or repetitive violent crimes. The NCAVC also provides support through expertise and consultation in non-violent matters such as national security, corruption, and white-collar crime investigations.



It comprises the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center (CASMIRC), and Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP).



VICAP is a nationwide data information center designed to collect, collate, and analyze crimes of violence - specifically murder. It collates and analyzes the significant characteristics of all murders, and other violent offenses.



Homicide Investigation Tracking System (HITS)



A program within the Washington state's Attorney General's Office that tracks and investigates homicides and rapes.



Violent Crime Linkage System (ViCLAS)



Canada-wide computer system that assists specially trained investigators to identify serial crimes and criminals by focusing on the linkages that exist among crimes by the same offender. This system was developed by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) in the early 1990s.



UTAP, stands for The Utah Criminal Tracking and Analysis Project



Gathers experts from forensic science, crime scene analysis, psychiatry and other fields to screen unsolved cases for local law enforcement agencies.

Setting Up and Securing Your Wireless Network

There are more and more individuals opting to work from home than ever before. The advantages to this are many including avoiding the morning and evening rush hours, being able to spend time with your kids and significant other, and doing everything on your own time. Though the pitfalls are many, the one that I will be focusing on in this article is that of setting up a secure wireless network for your home based business. Right now somewhere out there, there is someone with a receiver waiting to pick up on an unsuspecting person’s wireless local area network. Their hope is to garner some sensitive information that may lead to identity theft, and stolen proprietary business information.



Most businesses owners are not technically inclined, though they may be power users, in general security settings is not one of the first things they want to mess around with in their day to day operations. This makes most wireless LANs a great target for information predators.



Here are some general guidelines to follow in setting up your wireless network. Though it may vary from vendor to vendor, the gist is more or less the same:



1. Setup the wireless access/router point via a wired client.

2. Always change the factory setting password to something difficult for someone to guess.

3. Enable 128-bit Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) encryption on both your access point and network card. From time to time change the WEP key entries. If your hardware does not support a minimal of 128 bit WEP encryption, then it may be time to replace this dinosaur. WEP is only a minimal security precaution, which is better than none at all.

4. Alter the factory default SSID on the access/router point to a convoluted difficult to guess string. Initiate your computer to connect to this configured SSID by default.

5. Setup your access point not to broadcast the SSID if available.

6. Block off anonymous internet requests and pings.

7. P2P Connections should be disabled.

8. Enable MAC filtering.

9. Enable firewall on the network router/access point with demilitarized zone function disabled. Enable client firewalls for each computer in the network.

10. Update router and access point firmware as updates become available.

11. Make sure the physical router is hidden so that a random person can’t reset the settings.

12. Position the physical router near the middle of the establishment as opposed to near windows to prevent others outside from receiving the signals.



These and other settings will collectively help prevent any unwanted intrusions on your private data.



There are more and more individuals opting to work from home than ever before. The advantages to this are many including avoiding the morning and evening rush hours, being able to spend time with your kids and significant other, and doing everything on your own time. Though the pitfalls are many, the one that I will be focusing on in this article is that of setting up a secure wireless network for your home based business. Right now somewhere out there, there is someone with a receiver waiting to pick up on an unsuspecting person’s wireless local area network. Their hope is to garner some sensitive information that may lead to identity theft, and stolen proprietary business information.



Most businesses owners are not technically inclined, though they may be power users, in general security settings is not one of the first things they want to mess around with in their day to day operations. This makes most wireless LANs a great target for information predators.



Here are some general guidelines to follow in setting up your wireless network. Though it may vary from vendor to vendor, the gist is more or less the same:



1. Setup the wireless access/router point via a wired client.

2. Always change the factory setting password to something difficult for someone to guess.

3. Enable 128-bit Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) encryption on both your access point and network card. From time to time change the WEP key entries. If your hardware does not support a minimal of 128 bit WEP encryption, then it may be time to replace this dinosaur. WEP is only a minimal security precaution, which is better than none at all.

4. Alter the factory default SSID on the access/router point to a convoluted difficult to guess string. Initiate your computer to connect to this configured SSID by default.

5. Setup your access point not to broadcast the SSID if available.

6. Block off anonymous internet requests and pings.

7. P2P Connections should be disabled.

8. Enable MAC filtering.

9. Enable firewall on the network router/access point with demilitarized zone function disabled. Enable client firewalls for each computer in the network.

10. Update router and access point firmware as updates become available.

11. Make sure the physical router is hidden so that a random person can’t reset the settings.

12. Position the physical router near the middle of the establishment as opposed to near windows to prevent others outside from receiving the signals.

Computer Consulting Profit Secrets

Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Are you having trouble growing your computer consulting company's profits?



If so, then you must learn how to focus on your computer consulting firm's profit and bottom line.



In this article, we'll look at 7 profit secrets and strategies you can use in your computer consulting business, to ensure that you are able to balance your clients' small business IT needs against your own computer consulting company's profitability challenges.



Origins of the Problem



While focusing on your computer consulting profits may sound simple enough at first glance, this business-focused discipline often eludes many a computer consulting firm.



This usually happens because many computer consulting business owners fall in love the technology gadgetry, and get seduced by seemingly attractive reseller channel programs, at the expense of their business' profit.



At the end of the day however, your computer consulting company is a business… not a charity and not a hobby. And your computer consulting company must be run like a business.



Profit Secret #1: Show motivation with your small business computer consulting clients.

To avoid being labeled as just another clueless geek, you need to position your computer consulting services to be more in line with those of a virtual CIO for hire. So always be on the look out for new ways to enhance your clients' businesses… not just fix broken desktops and servers.



Profit Secret #2: Be dedicated to the task and relentless in your pursuit to improve the status quo.

Because it takes a lot of work to land the best computer consulting clients, you need to focus on lifetime customer value… not just one-shot-deal sales. So always remember that your proposed or recently implemented computer consulting technology solution isn't a one-shot deal. This kind of long-term vision and planning requires tremendous staying power and perseverance… which often escapes many computer consulting business owners.



Profit Secret #3: Don't be afraid to be creative with your client engagements.

Small business technology solutions often need to stay within relatively modest budgets. And your computer consulting solutions must work without the need for in-house IT staff. To satisfy these challenges, don't be afraid to think outside of the box when appropriate.



Profit Secret #4: Evaluate how your clients' systems, both paper- and computer-based, function today.

As part of your virtual CIO role, look at how these existing clients systems are meeting or not meeting present and future needs. Most of this work will be done during IT audits… another key computer consulting profit secret that can really help to separate you from the pack of mediocrity.



Profit Secret #5: Put yourself in your clients' shoes and think about what THEIR clients need from them.

Yes, as a computer consulting business owner, you need to have good people skills and a certain degree of empathy for your clients' business problems. But an even more advanced computer consulting business owner doesn't just stop at understanding their clients' business problems. The virtual CIO really digs in and learns about their clients' customers' business problems… one layer down on the value chain.



Profit Secret #6: Keep up with advances and new versions.

As virtual CIO for your computer consulting clients, your clients depend on your firm to advise them on what tools can better help their businesses grow. So while you can't allow this R&D and training to consume and devour all of your scarce weekly schedule, you do need to stay a few steps ahead of your clients' IT needs at all times.



Profit Secret #7: Summarize and share that information with your clients.

The essence of your R&D and training should focus on one major objective: will this new platform or tool add value to your computer consulting clients' existing or future installations? And how you can best summarize this information, in layperson language that non-technical clients can understand?



The Bottom Line

Your computer consulting firm's needs to be your client's virtual IT department can often be at odds with your computer consulting firm's need to be profitable. A big part of this problem happens because computer consulting business owners fall in love with technology, at the expense of their marketing and sales activities.

Six Largest Mistakes Made when Hiring a Cabling Contractor

Cabling of data and voice systems is often ignored by many companies until the last minute just before relocation or new building takes place. Many information systems professionals view it as a low priority or something that just takes away from their budget for real network components such as servers or software. However having a state of the art easy to manage cabling system is just as important as good reliable servers on a network. Cabling is the backbone of any computer network; it ties all the components of the network together therefore it should receive as much careful consideration as any other network component.



Mistake number one – Blindly choosing the lowest bidder



This is the most common mistake made when installing voice and data network cabling. Often the lowest bidder is the contractor who is the smallest, has the least experience or the one that made a mistake on their bid. Prior to making this decision you should know your contractor. Find out how long they have been in business, visit some of the large installations they have done and by all means go visit their offices and warehouse. A site visit to their office will tell you most of what you need to know about an organization. Make sure your contractor has completed jobs of similar scope and size.



Mistake number two – Choosing the manufactures product that will be installed



Many companies have tried to standardize on a particular manufacture of cabling system. Some of the larger manufactures are Belden, Comscope, Ortronics, AMP and Leviton. You can’t go wrong with any of these big names. However IT managers and corporate executives get hung up on trying to standardize because they believe it will make things easier for the IT staff. The reality of the situation is that if you choose any of the larger names the only components that might not be interchangeable are the faceplates. Of course there are performance criteria as well and they all claim to be the best. Do your own research and choose a manufacture that you feel has a strong company that will be there to stand behind their product should you even need to make a warranty claim



Mistake number three – Paying too much for the latest cabling technologies



The fact is that today’s network components and network components of the future cannot exceed the specifications of Cat 5E and Cat 6 cabling components. Combine this with the fact that the average company moves every 3 to 4 years. You will find it hard to benefit from future proofing a building you don’t occupy. Look at you current infrastructure, what equipment or applications do you plan to add or upgrade? Is Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet an option for you in the near future?



Mistake number four – Not using universal wiring



The EIA/TIA and BICSI both recommend a universal wiring platform for your Communications Infrastructure. In the old days the average install would consist of a single voice grade cable for the phone system and a single data grade cable (Cat 3, Cat5, Cat5E or Cat 6) for their computers. This of course dedicates the usability of these cables to one system type. This is further exacerbated by the termination method used. Voice cables were traditionally terminated on 66 style blocks (66m1-50), which are not user friendly and require a special tool and cross connect wire to make changes. Telephony companies have made a killing for years just performing MAC work (Moves, Adds and Changes) because a customer was unable or unwilling to brave the telephone closet and perform the MAC work themselves.



The practice of using a true universal wiring platform is now the standard for all reputable cabling contractors. A Universal Wiring Platform is made up of all data grade components that are downward compatible for all voice applications. A common installation would consist of 3 Category 5E or Category 6 cables all terminated on a 110 type Patch Panel. At the wall plate all cable would be terminated on the matching grade of 8 position modular jack (incorrectly know as an RJ-45). This design not only allows for maximum flexibility were the customer could have 3 computers or 3 phones or 2 computer and 1 phone or any configuration that works for their application. The point is that now the customer is in complete control of their cabling infrastructure and does not need to pay a contractor to come out every time they move an office. In the long run this will also save you money on the overall cabling system as it will shift and flex to meet your needs without having to bring in your cabling contractor. Remember, having the contractor in after construction has completed will involve them pulling out ceiling tiles and standing on desks while you are trying to do business. The elimination of the disruption alone makes it worth while.



Mistake number five – No CAD pre installation and post installation CAD drawings.



Most customers really have no idea what their cabling platform will look like when they sign the paperwork. They rely on their contractor to “just do the right thing”. Do not make this mistake, if you don’t understand how your infrastructure will work or what it should look like, don’t sign. Your contractor should have the ability to take your building blue print and overlay his cabling plan on top of your electrical plans. This will give you a visual representation of what you are paying for and allow you to ask questions. Likewise, after the job is complete you should receive what is called an “As Built Drawing” showing all of your communications outlets with a standards based numbering system. Some contractor will even provide a scale elevation plan showing were your patch panels are and how much room you have left in each rack for growth and or other equipment. This should be provided to you both hard copy and in AutoCAD format for your architect to incorporate into your final building As Builts.

How To Secure Your Wireless Network

People have more flexible time due to wireless network. Thanks to the invention of wireless. People can now work from home while taking care of their kids or doing house works. No more stress from traffic jam anymore. Is this great?



Well, there is something you should realize. Working from home while using a wireless local area network (WLAN) may lead to theft of sensitive information and hacker or virus infiltration unless proper measures are taken. As WLANs send information over radio waves, someone with a receiver in your area could be picking up the transmission, thus gaining access to your computer. They could load viruses on to your laptop which could be transferred to the company's network when you go back to work.



Believe it or not! Up to 75 per cent of WLAN users do not have standard security features installed, while 20 per cent are left completely open as default configurations are not secured, but made for the users to have their network up and running ASAP. It is recommended that wireless router/access point setup be always done though a wired client.



You can setup your security by follow these steps:



1. Change default administrative password on wireless router/access point to a secured password.



2. Enable at least 128-bit WEP encryption on both card and access point. Change your WEP keys periodically. If equipment does not support at least 128-bit WEP encryption, consider replacing it. Although there are security issues with WEP, it represents minimum level of security, and it should be enabled.



3. Change the default SSID on your router/access point to a hard to guess name. Setup your computer device to connect to this SSID by default.



4. Setup router/access point not to broadcast the SSID. The same SSID needs to be setup on the client side manually. This feature may not be available on all equipment.



5. Block anonymous Internet requests or pings. On each computer having wireless network card, network connection properties should be configured to allow connection to Access Point Networks Only. Computer to Computer (peer to peer) Connection should not be allowed.



Enable MAC filtering. Deny association to wireless network for unspecified MAC addresses. Mac or Physical addresses are available through your computer device network connection setup and they are physically written on network cards. When adding new wireless cards / computer to the network, their MAC addresses should be registered with the router /access point. Network router should have firewall features enabled and demilitarized zone (DMZ) feature disabled.



All computers should have a properly configured personal firewall in addition to a hardware firewall. You should also update router/access point firmware when new versions become available. Locating router/access point away from strangers is also helpful so they cannot reset the router/access point to default settings. You can even try to locate router/access point in the middle of the building rather than near windows to limit signal coverage outside the building.



There is no guarantee of a full protection of your wireless network, but following these suggested tips can definitely lessen your risk of exposing to attackers aiming at insecure networks.



People have more flexible time due to wireless network. Thanks to the invention of wireless. People can now work from home while taking care of their kids or doing house works. No more stress from traffic jam anymore. Is this great?

It's 12 Noon, Do You Know Who's Using Your Network?

The idea of reading email while lounging by the pool, text or instant messaging while doing the laundry, or lounging in the Jacuzzi listening to your MP3 collection is appealing to us all.



Unfortunately, many, or even most, wireless units don't come with security features already functioning. This may not seem like a big issue to someone who is simply setting up a home network, but there are a number of potential problems you should consider.



The most serious problem is the increase in identity theft. If your network is unsecured, the personal data on your wireless electronic equipment is also unsecured. The order you just placed for a book at Amazon may have given your contact and payment information to an unscrupulous hacker!



Nearly every town in which "WiFi" is common will have "War Drivers" and "War Chalkers" at work. These are people who walk or drive around town with wireless equipment, searching for unsecured networks. The "Chalkers" then live up their name, marking curbs and other public items with chalk so that others can more easily find and exploit your network.



Not all "War Drivers" are hackers, of course. Many just want to use your network for free, but the risk is high if you don't learn how to protect yourself. You can usually find quite a bit of free information as to how to secure your network at the website of your router's manufacturer, or by doing a search in a search engine for a phrase like "secure home wireless."



Beyond the truly malicious, there are also your neighbors who may find your network by accident and enjoy nosing into your activities and using your Internet access at will, slowing down your network speed in the process.



Even many businesses use cheap, home-use quality equipment for their company networks. With the poor security often found on small business networks, anyone with a basic knowledge of wireless can access sensitive company and customer data.



If you are unable to secure your network yourself, there are many service companies who will do it for you. A search of your local yellow pages or an inquiry at your neighborhood computer store should yield professional help and get your private data private again



The idea of reading email while lounging by the pool, text or instant messaging while doing the laundry, or lounging in the Jacuzzi listening to your MP3 collection is appealing to us all.



Unfortunately, many, or even most, wireless units don't come with security features already functioning. This may not seem like a big issue to someone who is simply setting up a home network, but there are a number of potential problems you should consider.



The most serious problem is the increase in identity theft. If your network is unsecured, the personal data on your wireless electronic equipment is also unsecured. The order you just placed for a book at Amazon may have given your contact and payment information to an unscrupulous hacker!



Nearly every town in which "WiFi" is common will have "War Drivers" and "War Chalkers" at work. These are people who walk or drive around town with wireless equipment, searching for unsecured networks. The "Chalkers" then live up their name, marking curbs and other public items with chalk so that others can more easily find and exploit your network.



Not all "War Drivers" are hackers, of course. Many just want to use your network for free, but the risk is high if you don't learn how to protect yourself. You can usually find quite a bit of free information as to how to secure your network at the website of your router's manufacturer, or by doing a search in a search engine for a phrase like "secure home wireless."

Peltier Associates Breaking and Fixing Wireless Security

To the information security professional wireless networking may be thought of as a four letter word to be avoided at all costs. Regardless of the security implication wireless networking can provide cost efficiency, and because of that wireless technologies are here to stay. While many in the profession believe that wireless networks can be easily compromised, this class will show how the appropriate wireless architecture with the proper security controls can make your wireless network as secure as any other remote access point into your network.



In this three day, wireless security workshop, we will examine the cutting edge of wireless technologies. The purpose of the course is to give you a full understanding of what wireless (802.11) networks are, how they work, how people find them and exploit them, and how they can be secured. This hands-on course is based on real world examples, solutions, and deployments. In this course we will actually set up and use wireless networks, determine the tools to uncover wireless networks, and also look at how to defeat the attempts to secure wireless networks.



Course Completion

Upon the completion of our CISM course, students will have:



Constructed a wireless network architecture

Install and configure 802.1x authentication using Microsoft Windows IAS and Server 2000

Install a wireless access point

Distinguish between 802.11x standards

Defeat Wired Equivalent Privacy

Key Take Aways:



An understanding of wireless networks

A CD of common tools and documentation

An ability to search the internet for updates and more information on wireless networks

Detail of Course Content The following topics will be covered:



Wireless History

Radio Frequency (RF) Fundamentals

WLAN Infrastructure

802.11 Network Architecture

802.1X Authentication

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)/(LEAP)/(PEAP)

Detection Platforms

WLAN Discovery Tools

Kismet

Wireless Sniffers

Conventional Detection

Antennas

Exploiting WLANs

Securing WLANs

Other Wireless Options

Legal Issues including GLBA and ISO-17799

Future

Router - Denial Of Service Attacks

Routers are not perfect. For that matter, nothing is. So if somebody wants to give a router more than it can handle there is a way to do this. We're going to take a look at what are called denial of service attacks.



A router can only handle so much information coming into it at one time. Every machine has its limits and routers are no exceptions. Well, when the nasty trend of denial of service attacks started early this century, routers were unprepared for them. As they began to understand what was happening they began to compensate for the problem. But there was still a way around it. To understand this we first have to understand what a denial of service attack is.



A denial of service attack is just as it sounds. It is when someone prevents the router or routers from servicing the network. The question is, how do they do this? As previously stated, a router can only handle so much information coming into it to be routed at a time. If too much information starts coming in then the router gets overloaded and can't forward the information fast enough. Ultimately, what happens is this slows the network down to the point where nobody can access it. In a denial of service attack, which is a deliberate attempt to cause this problem, a person will send an enormous amount of information from one computer to the router at one time. Eventually this will effectively shut down the network. The reason is because of the trickle down effect. Once the main routers start to get overloaded they start to send messages to the rest of the network that the connection is full. These messages start to cascade through the entire network until all the pathways in the network are full and nobody can communicate with any server on the network.



When companies and web sites began to understand what was happening then started to put safeguards in place. They would put checks in the router software to see if a large amount of information was coming from one IP address. If so, then it simply discarded the information and didn't attempt to pass it on. It seemed that the problem was solved. Not so.



Hackers began to figure out that if they send this enormous amount of information from multiple computers or IP addresses, the routers would have no way of knowing that a denial of service attack was in progress because it would see all this information coming in from multiple locations. Ultimately again, the network would effectively be shut down.

Reasons to Start a Wireless Network

As far as I'm concerned, wireless networks would have to rank as one of the best inventions in history. They really are the best thing since sliced bread. I mean, really, bread is easy enough to cut yourself, but have you ever tried to wire up a network? Its a lot of hard yakka as many would say.



WiFi is the wireless way to handle networking. It is also known as 802.11 networking and wireless networking. The big advantage of WiFi is its simplicity. You can connect computers anywhere in your home or office without the need for wires. The computers connect to the network using radio signals, and computers can be up to 100 feet or so apart. So, in the spirit of spreading the word, I'm going to give you some great reasons why you need a wireless network.



Sharing Internet Access.



Wireless networking gives you a cheap and easy way to share one Internet connection between multiple computers, eliminating the need for more than one modem. You can even add new computers to your network simply by plugging in a wireless card and switching them on -- they get an Internet connection straightaway! There aren't many wired networks that can say that.



Sharing Files and Printers.



A wireless network gives you access to your files wherever you are in your home, and makes it easy to synchronise the data on a laptop with a home computer. It is much easier to send files between computers with a wireless network than it is to send them by email, or even by burning them to a CD.



Plus, with the printer connected, you can also write things wherever you want, press print, and go and collect them from a printer connected to another computer -- printers that are plugged into one of the computers on the network are shared between all the computers automatically.



Always On Connection



A big factor in the spread of broadband was that it let Internet connections be always-on, without needing to dial in. Well, wireless networking lets network connections be always-on, meaning that any of your computers can connect to the Internet whenever you want! You can take laptops from room to room, and it doesn't matter -- they'll always have access. Plus, there's not even any need to set up a username and password system, as wireless networks work without logging in. It's just so convenient!



No More Wires.



This, of course, is the biggest reason why you should switch your network over to wireless. Wires are inconvenient, expensive, ugly and dangerous -- you'll be delighted to see the back of them.



The average Ethernet wire doesn't cost that much per metre, but once you've bought enough metres to do whatever you need to do, well, it tends to add up quickly. Not only that, but if you want to run your wire between rooms or floors, you have to knock holes in the walls -- which might not even be allowed if you're renting. I know plenty of people in rented apartments who had to keep their network confined to one room until they went wireless. With wireless networking, well, you can even take your computer outside, if you want to!



No more wires also means no more spaghetti all over the floor and in the corners. Not only does this improve the safety of your home, as it's all too easy to trip over exposed wires, but it also means that you don't have to go to all the trouble of packing all the wires up and re-connecting them at the other end when you move. It also means that you don't have to examine every wire for damage if your Internet connection breaks down.



Play LAN and Internet Games.



You might have seen an option in your favourite game to play over a LAN. Well, wireless networks are LANs, which means that your whole family can play that game together -- without needing the computers to be anywhere near each other. It's far more fun to play against real people you know than to play against random people over the Internet, not to mention that the game will work much faster. You could even invite your friends to bring their computers and join in -- a 'LAN party'!



An added benefit is that wireless equipment lets you easily connect any games consoles you or your kids might have to the Internet, and start playing online. It's far easier to play online with a wirelessly connected Xbox or PlayStation 2 than to have to connect it to your modem every time.



Convinced Yet?



If you're excited, then that's great -- keep reading these articles for advice on how to set everything up. If you don't think it's for you yet, well, don't give up on it -- I'm sure you'll come round when you realise just how easy and cheap wireless really is.



As far as I'm concerned, wireless networks would have to rank as one of the best inventions in history. They really are the best thing since sliced bread. I mean, really, bread is easy enough to cut yourself, but have you ever tried to wire up a network? Its a lot of hard yakka as many would say.



WiFi is the wireless way to handle networking. It is also known as 802.11 networking and wireless networking. The big advantage of WiFi is its simplicity. You can connect computers anywhere in your home or office without the need for wires. The computers connect to the network using radio signals, and computers can be up to 100 feet or so apart. So, in the spirit of spreading the word, I'm going to give you some great reasons why you need a wireless network.



Sharing Internet Access.



Wireless networking gives you a cheap and easy way to share one Internet connection between multiple computers, eliminating the need for more than one modem. You can even add new computers to your network simply by plugging in a wireless card and switching them on -- they get an Internet connection straightaway! There aren't many wired networks that can say that.



Sharing Files and Printers.



A wireless network gives you access to your files wherever you are in your home, and makes it easy to synchronise the data on a laptop with a home computer. It is much easier to send files between computers with a wireless network than it is to send them by email, or even by burning them to a CD.



Plus, with the printer connected, you can also write things wherever you want, press print, and go and collect them from a printer connected to another computer -- printers that are plugged into one of the computers on the network are shared between all the computers automatically.



Always On Connection



A big factor in the spread of broadband was that it let Internet connections be always-on, without needing to dial in. Well, wireless networking lets network connections be always-on, meaning that any of your computers can connect to the Internet whenever you want! You can take laptops from room to room, and it doesn't matter -- they'll always have access. Plus, there's not even any need to set up a username and password system, as wireless networks work without logging in. It's just so convenient!



No More Wires.



This, of course, is the biggest reason why you should switch your network over to wireless. Wires are inconvenient, expensive, ugly and dangerous -- you'll be delighted to see the back of them.



The average Ethernet wire doesn't cost that much per metre, but once you've bought enough metres to do whatever you need to do, well, it tends to add up quickly. Not only that, but if you want to run your wire between rooms or floors, you have to knock holes in the walls -- which might not even be allowed if you're renting. I know plenty of people in rented apartments who had to keep their network confined to one room until they went wireless. With wireless networking, well, you can even take your computer outside, if you want to!



No more wires also means no more spaghetti all over the floor and in the corners. Not only does this improve the safety of your home, as it's all too easy to trip over exposed wires, but it also means that you don't have to go to all the trouble of packing all the wires up and re-connecting them at the other end when you move. It also means that you don't have to examine every wire for damage if your Internet connection breaks down.



Play LAN and Internet Games.



You might have seen an option in your favourite game to play over a LAN. Well, wireless networks are LANs, which means that your whole family can play that game together -- without needing the computers to be anywhere near each other. It's far more fun to play against real people you know than to play against random people over the Internet, not to mention that the game will work much faster. You could even invite your friends to bring their computers and join in -- a 'LAN party'!



An added benefit is that wireless equipment lets you easily connect any games consoles you or your kids might have to the Internet, and start playing online. It's far easier to play online with a wirelessly connected Xbox or PlayStation 2 than to have to connect it to your modem every time.