IT Wisdom:
"One of the greatest things about having a computer job is; someone pays you to
obtain enough experience to find a better one." --Douglas Chick
Feature
Article
TheNetworkAdministrator.com去中国
Douglas Chick
It took me
some time to realize that all my complaining about the outsourcing of American
jobs was a waste of time. I was never angry at China or India; I was frustrated
with my own people. My position has not changed, but I have accepted that the
world has, and the United States is apart of the Global market that will never
go back to the way it was.
Facts about Facebook: Social Networking 101
Douglas Chick
MongoDB is the new MySQL
Joseph Ritchey
Watched out MySQL. MongoDB is here and it is after your blogs. If you have not
heard of it yet MongoDB is is an open source, scalable,
high-performance, schema-free, document-oriented database. What MongoDB is
designed for is problems without heavy transactional
requirements that aren't easily solved by traditional RDBMSs, including problems
that require databases to span many servers. What
this means is MongoDB does not have a table structure like MySQL. You do not
have to design your database schema before
Cyber World War 3
Douglas Chick
Einstein said: “I
do not know with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will
be fought with sticks and stones.”
The State Department says that their network is attacked 50,000 times a day;
which is probably 40,000 times less than the rest of our networks. Cyber World
War 3 began the day the Internet was extended to the rest of the world. The
Department of Defense, or ARPANET, Advanced Research Projects Agency Network,
created the Internet based on designs by Lawrence Roberts, of the Lincoln
Laboratory, to use for advanced communications during war time. Somewhere
shortly after and I’m guessing; war didn’t come around fast enough and this
network was released as the Internet—and it was on.
Top Tools for Virus Removal
Douglas Chick
As a network administrator, helpdesk tech, or other computer
professional, you don't remove that many viruses. Most company
networks are secure enough that viruses are not really an issue. The
issue is when friends, family and people from work get viruses in
their home computers. There are so many request for virus removal
that it is easy to be desensitized. I am as guilty as anyone when
someone asks for help and I tell them they should take their
computer to the Geek Squad, or Nerd Herd. There are literally
thousands of viruses, and unless you are a professional virus expert
it is impossible to keep up with all the removals. So, listed below
are some popular virus removal tools and programs.
IT Wisdom:
If I lose the familiarity of an operating system because the newest version
changed its graphical interface, then I may as well learn a new operation system
that isn't so easily infatuated by viruses. --Douglas Chick
Mean Computer Users
Douglas Chick
I think working in an IT department can be
compared to working in a hospital emergency room; people come see
you when they are pain and angry, they want to fix it immediately,
they don’t care about the others that you are helping, and they are
rude. In an emergency room you can at least understand many people
are in a crisis medical emergency; so why are computer users this
way?
IT Wisdom:
Reboot solves more issues
than whiskey. --Douglas Chick
Social Networking Pandemic
Douglas Chick Social Networking sites are like
STDs, or STDs are like Social Networking sites. Once you agree to accept someone
into your site, you also accept everyone that person has ever been with, I mean
accepted. There is: FaceBook, MySpace, YouTube, Linkedin, , Bego, Classmates,
Badoo, Fixster, Flckr, Friendster, Fubar, Habbo, Tagged, Windows Live Spaces,
BlackPlanet, and WhitePlanet, oh. I said Facebook already. And don’t forget
Twitter! These are just a few examples out of hundreds.
I.T
Department Weighed Down
Douglas Chick
There is a definite danger in being too
proficient in your job, overlooking the obvious; updates, security patches,
extended education, and that is you may never get a full staff again. There are
several options in preventing this, and I am not endorsing any of them, I’m just
saying…
IT Wisdom:
Rebooting a problem computer
may fix it, rebooting a problem computer user may cost you your freedom.
--Douglas Chick
No More American Jobs... Douglas Chick
I do not
know how anyone could be surprised by this sudden recession/depression. Computer
people began losing our jobs in the 2000 great overseas job migration. Certainly
when millions of jobs are sent from one country to another, the economic
ramifications are guaranteed. Greed and corruption has done to the United States
what our enemies could have only dreamed. Who did this to America, and why? I
think the question of "Who did this, and Why?" can be easily answered by
following the money trail, and the easy of regulations that were implemented to
protect us. ...but they failed.
How To Install VMware Server 2 On An Ubuntu 8.04 Desktop
Author:
Falko Timme
This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on how to install
VMware Server 2
on an Ubuntu 8.04 desktop system. With VMware Server you can create and run
guest operating systems ("virtual machines") such as Linux, Windows, FreeBSD,
etc. under a host operating system. This has the benefit that you can run
multiple operating systems on the same hardware which saves a lot of money, and
you can move virtual machines from one VMware Server to the next one (or to a
system that has the VMware Player which is also free).
A
Computer Specialist or Generalist Douglas Chick
There was a time in the I.T field when
specializing in one area was ideal. For example an e-mail administrator only had
to manage his or her mail server all day, and a router administrator only looked
after the router, and SQL admin only worked on SQL. That was then…
IT Wisdom:
A serious career in IT is one with a bachelor’s degree in
computers and a minor in psychology. --Douglas Chick
TOP 10 Geek Gifts
It is not always easy to find a holiday gift for the
technologically gifted person in your life. Mostly I mean me.
So this year, TheNetworkAdministrator.com has put together the Top 10 Geek Gifts for the geek
in your life.
The
Human I.T Network
Douglas Chick
One of the key tools for an I.T professional during the arduous process of
looking for a job is other I.T people. In this financial and political climate
of layoffs and overseas outsourcing, computer people are going to have to stick
together, period. The I.T manager hiring today, may be the I.T manager
looking for a job tomorrow.
OS Review: Ubuntu Linux 8.04 Hardy Heron Will Nett Ok, so anyone who knows me knows that I already head a secret society in
Linux... well actually not, but I'm a big fan of it anyways, and use it in
my everyday computers. Having returned from a six week stay in Italy and
England, I with baited breath downloaded the latest release of Ubuntu
(Version 8.04) and after four failed attempts finally got an error free
copy. Apparently, I wasn't the only one hitting their servers for the
download a few thousand others were hitting the servers pretty hard. I
headed off in my venture for an install-fest...
Linux adaptation problem: Will Nett
I've been reading of the many
lamentations of writers touting the lack of Linux adaptation on the desktop.
Most of it I view as whining, but
still I'll entertain your arguments...
Top 10 Count
Down
Saving Money in a Recession
Douglas Chick
Top 10 Count Down on how to save money during hard economic times.
10 Great Snake-Oil Gadgets Will Nett
So,
I'm surfing Digg and woe and behold a link for another top ten list called the
10 Great Snake-Oil Gsadgets (with pics), and after perusing the list... well, I
had to call BS flag. Who makes the top ten list? Which panel judges these lists?
Who submits these items for consideration?
Top 10 tips for technology recruiters from a
geek's perspective!
Will Nett
Ok, so I've been interviewed this month several times for
various positions. This prompted me to come up with my top ten clues for
recruiters (internally & externally) to effectively hire geeks.
A Day In the Life of a Network
Architect By an Evil Network Architect Here is a comprehensive description of the
average day of a networker…well, you know.
The Secret Life of E-mail
Dean Chafee Here
is a comprehensive list of the exhausting travels of an email message.
Disappointed in SuSE William M. Nett Open SuSE 10.1 was a bust as is their commercial package, SuSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop, or SLED as its more commonly known. Granted the introduction of a
supported Citrix client in SLED is welcomed...
How To
Fix Your Memory for Passwords Dean Chafee
One
of the biggest problems that Network Administrators face, is dealing with user
passwords. Actually, getting users to use a complex password, rotate it on a
regular basis, and remember their passwords. The challenge is that in order to
conform to network security policies in most companies with any sizeable
network, password usage rules must be enforced on users. Rules like:
Repairing Your Computer with Magic?
Douglas Chick
In my career as a network administrator, I have
noticed some most peculiar behavior from people when I comes to fixing
their computer. Some will open and close the printer tray 3 times before
printing.
Windows Vista Douglas Chick Windows Vista
is taking longer to come out than Lance Bass from Insync. And I think
the delay is a good thing...I mean for Windows Vista.
Hiding Your Files Made Easy
Joseph Ritchey
What if you have important, or personal files that need to be
protected? Would you hide them , encrypt them, or just stash them under
your bed?
Without
Internet Neutrality
Douglas Chick Cable and Phone Companies are asking Congress for a
piece of the Internet Video / Phone action. And Congress has passed a bill
for just that.
An
Interview with Linus Torvalds
by William Nett So what's
going on with Linux and Linus these days? There are a lot of people who
are asking, with yet another delay of Microsoft's Vista. Linux could
emerge a victor in this voracious vindication for valor with the votive
that there is value in the virtues of running Linux.
Adware
/ Spyware Extortion by Douglas Chick
There are innumerable reports of Adware and Spyware removal programs suddenly
appearing on someone’s computer and asking for a fee to remove the viruses it
has suddenly discovered.
Click HERE to download Video
Limewire Hackers
by Douglas Chick Limewire may
be a convenient tool for
downloading shared music and files, but it can also reveal
your personal files. In the attached video, Network Administrator Joe Ritchey,
showed Fox
News reporter David Martin how Limewire users make themselves vulnerable to
hackers.
Wireless Hacking
--War Driving
by
Douglas Chick
Wireless
hacking, or "Wardriving" is when someone from outside your home accesses your
wireless network. The dangers of having a non-secure wireless access-point are:
Spammers and send junk mail from your home, hackers and criminals can hack
remote locations that are tracked back to your home...
Convergence by William Nett
There’s been a lot of buzz going on lately about the bold step that Apple has
taken by utilizing X86 Architecture for its computer systems. There is even a
new plug-in that allows users to install Windows XP, Linux, and even flat out
Solaris Unix on their hardware!
The Next Big Thing: Just-In-Time Data
Warehouses By Greg Bromage
It’s
rare when the IT industry lags behind the other, more traditional business
models. But one such case has occurred, and it provides an opportunity for
business to save millions of dollars of needed expense.
High Jacking Long Distance By Dell Crill
Tele-Systems Engineer
CRC IT Consulting Services
Today
hacking into a main frame computer, stealing an identity or spamming email
accounts is an everyday practice for most computer savvy criminals. There is
another breed of hackers out there that do nothing but break into Telecom
systems and hijack Long Distance dial tones.
Press Release: Hacking the IT Cube:
The Information Technology Survival Guide.
Hacking
The IT Cube is a book with a unique insight into the world of information
technologies. It mixes humor with everyday real world experience that all other
computer books desperately need.
Certification Smart?
William Nett This
article by William Nett, a network administrator in South Florida, compares the
network certification differences between network operating systems based from
his everyday experience.
Help Desk Management Software
Douglas Chick Frequently I receive e-mail from overwhelmed IT people that complain they spend
too much time putting out fires and have no time to perform their normal duties.
Some of these are a result of being understaffed, but in most cases it is
because the computer users are managing your time.
6 Sounds Made by a Crashing Hard drive Question?:
My hard drive is experiencing some strange noises, and I am unsure if the drive
is failing. How can I determine if the noises are due to a failing hard drive?
Click Here to listen to 6 sound waves made by six different crashed hard drives.
HASH, is not just for smokin' Internet Security
Joseph Ritchey
A
hash function H is a transformation that takes a variable-size input m and
returns a fixed-size string, which is called the hash value h (that is, h = H(m)).
Port Knocking
Joseph Ritchey Back in the 20's there were Speak Easy's setup all over the US. People would go
their to drink and dance, but mostly drink (due to prohibition). Lots of these
clubs would have a large burly looking guy guard the door.
Router Security Tips Douglas Chick
Reminded
by the latest Cisco security alert, many network managers do not realize that
their routers can be the jump point to attack. Router operating systems are just
as vulnerable to hacker mischief as network operating systems.
Security Boss Douglas Chick
Network
security has become top priority for the tireless network administrator.
Blocking the path of a potential virus or hacker can be the difference between
working late for free, and going home. (Many computer people are paid by
salary.)
Why do people make viruses?
Douglas Chick It is interesting, with all the training and knowledge necessary in becoming an
IT professional, the number one question I receive is; "Why do people make
viruses?" This always makes me wonder if FBI profilers are ever asked; "Why does
my computer have so many pop-up ads?"
Techno-Wizard or Geek Douglas Chick Computer people are unique in that they have their own peculiarities, unlike
others that work in technological fields, like engineers, or physics, they're
just crazy. Computer people have an odd passion for computer hardware and
software. Being passionate towards software is particularly peculiar because
there is nothing tangible about software. (That is above the quantum level.)
Off Shore Outsourcing, Riding a Wave of Question Dell Crill
Recently, I read an article about a company called SeaCode Inc. that put a bad
taste in my mouth. It made me realize that without much effort you can just
about sell any idea or gimmick these days. The firms vision is to provide off
shore outsourced software design and development services for US based fortune
1000 companies.
Guide to networking certifications Here
is a comprehensive list the most common network certifications for network
professionals; including Cisco, Nortel, CompTIA, Enterasys, and ISC2. I withheld
Microsoft's network certifications for another article.
Advanced Google Searching
(Google Hacking) Douglas Chick
Google
is a powerful search engine that hackers often use it to find passwords, and
confidential or sensitive documents that companies do not realize are even
available to the public. Most computer people use Google, but do not know how to
use all of its search parameters. The term "google hacking" is a method used by
unscrupulous people to not only uncovers sensitive data, but also to expose web
server vulnerabilities. Here I list several Google search parameters and
examples.
End-User Soup Douglas Chick
In
the past, I've been pretty hard on end-users in some of my articles and I'm
not sure all of them deserve to be bunched in together. This is why in my
infinite wisdom I have taken it upon myself to create end-user categories.
Starting with some of the smarter ones and working our way down to...well,
lets just say those that are little computer challenged.
Interview: Chris Pirillo Tech TV, Lockergnome.com
Chris
Pirillo, a former TechTV personality and creator of LockerGnome.com took the
time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us.
Computer Terms and Comprehension Douglas Chick
The most difficult part of any computer support position is the misusage of
computer terms as used by the computer professional and computer user. Listed
here are computer terms and their corresponding meanings.
Requiem for a Crashed Hard Drive Douglas Chick There
is no drug or single event in the world that can make a computer person focus
more clearly than when a server crashes. The mere act of a crashing hard drive,
database or server component can temporarily raise one’s IQ as much as 50
points.
Top
10 things to know about network administration
Tom Lancaster
If
you're just getting started in the networking field, you've got a lot to learn,
and with the rate of changes in networking technology, you can expect to always
have a lot to learn, but here are ten essential topics that you should
concentrate on (and if you are not just getting started, here are some things to
review)
Cisco Router Tips Top 10 'show' Commands Tom Lancaster
One
of the most important abilities a network administrator can have is the
know-how to get information out of his network devices so he can find out
what's going on with the network. In most networks, the staple of
information gathering has been the "show" commands. Here are my top ten
commands to know and love:
Top Network Administrator Tools Here
are some of the top networking tools for sniffing out, scanning, and finding
hidden processes, as well as rootkits for 2005 as listed by
TheNetworkAdministrator.com.
Steel Bolt Hacking, Ranks #7 Top Ten Best Sellers List
--Douglas Chick I
am proud to report that my book,
Steel Bolt Hacking, was rank #7 on Amazon.com Best Sellers List on
September 16th, 2004. It has since dropped out of the top ten but...
Interview
Interview with Rob Malda Creator of Slashdot Most
computer people already know what Slashdot.org is, but many do not know the man
behind it. Rob Malda is the man that founded Slashdot.org and is still around
today to help maintain it. Slashdot was founded in 1997 and like the name
implies, Slashdot started as a Linux form and has evolved into one of the
largest tech news sites on the Internet. Rob took some time from his still busy
schedule to answer a few questions for TheNetworkAdministrator.com
I do not
know how anyone could be surprised by this sudden recession/depression. Computer
people began losing our jobs in the 2000 great overseas job migration. Certainly
when millions of jobs are sent from one country to another, the economic
ramifications are guaranteed. Greed and corruption has done to the United States
what our enemies could have only dreamed. Who did this to America, and why? I
think the question of "Who did this, and Why?" can be easily answered by
following the money trail, and the easy of regulations that were implemented to
protect us. ...but they failed.
Author:
Falko Timme 
A
Computer Specialist or Generalist
The
Human I.T Network
Ok, so anyone who knows me knows that I already head a secret society in
Linux... well actually not, but I'm a big fan of it anyways, and use it in
my everyday computers. Having returned from a six week stay in Italy and
England, I with baited breath downloaded the latest release of Ubuntu
(Version 8.04) and after four failed attempts finally got an error free
copy. Apparently, I wasn't the only one hitting their servers for the
download a few thousand others were hitting the servers pretty hard. I
headed off in my venture for an install-fest...
Linux adaptation problem:
Top 10 Count
Down
10 Great Snake-Oil Gadgets
Top 10 tips for technology recruiters from a
geek's perspective!
The Secret Life of E-mail
Disappointed in SuSE
Windows Vista 
Hiding Your Files Made Easy
Without
Internet Neutrality
An
Interview with Linus Torvalds
Limewire Hackers
Wireless Hacking
--War Driving
Convergence
The Next Big Thing: Just-In-Time Data
Warehouses
High Jacking Long Distance
Press Release: Hacking the IT Cube:
Certification Smart?
Frequently I receive e-mail from overwhelmed IT people that complain they spend
too much time putting out fires and have no time to perform their normal duties.
Some of these are a result of being understaffed, but in most cases it is
because the computer users are managing your time.
Question?:
My hard drive is experiencing some strange noises, and I am unsure if the drive
is failing. How can I determine if the noises are due to a failing hard drive?
Click Here to listen to 6 sound waves made by six different crashed hard drives.
HASH, is not just for 
Port Knocking
Router Security Tips
Why do people make viruses?
Techno-Wizard or Geek
Off Shore Outsourcing, Riding a Wave of Question
Here
is a comprehensive list the most common network certifications for network
professionals; including Cisco, Nortel, CompTIA, Enterasys, and ISC2. I withheld
Microsoft's network certifications for another article.
End-User Soup
Interview: Chris Pirillo
Computer Terms and Comprehension 
Top Network Administrator Tools
Steel Bolt Hacking, Ranks #7 Top Ten Best Sellers List
--Douglas Chick
Interview
