Netgear have a new website up with replacement power supplies, rack kits, disk trays and even screws available to order online at http://accessories.buynetgear.com.au/do/index. (Also linked from the Aussie support section on the Netgear website).
Handy to keep in mind if you ever blow a power pack or need a replacement part for your Netgear product.
After a great deal of pondering I’ve decided to change the OzTechnologies trading name to OzCableguy.com effective from 1/7/09.
The main reason behind the change is I feel that the OzTechnologies name is too generic with over 30 other Australian business with similar names including a couple of direct competitors, so I’m often asked about pickups at our shops in other cities. (We only have the one office in Brisbane that ships Australia wide).
I also find a lot of people don’t realise that the two websites are related.
The OzCableguy name on the other hand is unique, has been around for a lot longer and is much better recognised.
The existing OzTechnologies online shopping website will continue to function for a while yet but eventually will change to redirect to the new location at http://shop.ozcableguy.com.
All other details including our ABN, address and telephone numbers remain unchanged.
djh kindly sent me the following guide to upgrading firmware on a Draytek router using the tftp method on MacOS X or UNIX. For other (Windows based) methods using the Router Tools CD, FTP, TFTP or the Web GUI see http://www.draytek.com/user/SupportFAQDetail.php?ID=103. The Web GUI will also work on other non-Windows operating systems but if you’ve got a Draytek with corrupt firmware (also known as “bricked” status) where the GUI isn’t available, obviously that won’t be an option. See also this Draytek debricking guide prior to running one of the alternate firmware upgrade methods if you’re having trouble getting it to upload.
Updating Draytek firmare using the MacOS X or UNIX command line and TFTP
————————————————————————Draytek modems have several methods available to update their firmware.You can use the Firmware Upgrade Utility under Windows, load it from the
web interface via HTTP, FTP the file to the modem or use the TFTP (Trivial
File Transfer Protocol) service built into the box.
If your modem has been bricked you can’t use FTP or HTTP. If you don’t want
to use Windows or go through the web interface, then this TFTP method is a
viable alternative. Note that unlike a lot of other boxes using TFTP to
load firmware, the Draytek is acting as a TFTP server, the UNIX/MacOS box
as a client and you PUT the file onto the modem. It is normally the other
way around, but that needs some extra setup steps that are conveniently
avoided with this method.
The Steps
———
Firstly you need to obtain the right firmware from the Draytek support
site; you need to know the modem model and the type of WAN interface. For
our Vigor2820Vn using “ADSL over POTS” with “Annexe A” as written on the
packaging label, we needed to download the firmware file
“Vigor2820+V3.3.0.1+AnnexA+211011.zip”.
Once you have downloaded the file you change to the same directory (eg:
/tmp) or folder (eg: Desktop) with the ‘cd’ command and then unpack the
ZIP archive.
On a Mac you can do this in a Terminal application window (to be found in
Applications/Utilities). We’ll use the % prompt for MacOS specific command
lines, the # prompt for UNIX specific command lines and $ where the command
will work on either system. The bits you need to type are in bold.
% cd Desktop
or # cd /tmp
$ ls
Vigor2820+V3.3.0.1+AnnexA+211011.zip
$ unzip Vigor2820+V3.3.0.1+AnnexA+211011.zip
Archive: Vigor2820+V3.3.0.1+AnnexA+211011.zip
inflating: v2820_v03301_211011_A.all�
inflating: v2820_v03301_211011_A.rst
$ ls
Vigor2820+V3.3.0.1+AnnexA+211011.zip
v2820_v03301_211011_A.all
v2820_v03301_211011_A.rst
$
The firmware comes in two pieces. Use the .rst version of the file if you
want to change the modem settings back to factory defaults, use the .all
file to keep the current settings (.all may not be a good option if the
modem is bricked).
Secondly you need an ethernet interface on your Mac or UNIX box set to
the subnet 192.168.1.0 (eg: with IP address 192.168.1.2) so that you can
talk to the modem at its default IP address of 192.168.1.1.
Under MacOS X you do this using ‘Network’ which is found in ‘System
Preferences’. Choose to configure TCP/IP data ‘Manually’, set the IP
Address field to 192.168.1.2 and the Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.0. The
Router field doesn’t need to be set, but you could use 192.168.1.1.
Nothing is required in the DNS or Search Domains fields.
To set an IP address on a UNIX box use ..
# ifconfig re0 inet 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0
where you substitute the name of the interface you are using for “re0″.
Plug an ethernet lead into your UNIX box and into a LAN port on the modem,
we used LAN port 1 on our Vigor2820Vn.
If the modem is up and running (and not bricked), you should now be able
to ping it ..
$ ping 192.168.1.1
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=255 time=0.309 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=255 time=0.421 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=255 time=0.409 ms
^C
—-192.168.1.1 PING Statistics—-
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.309/0.380/0.421/0.050 ms
$
If your modem is really bricked then the ping will only work when the
modem is actually in TFTP upload mode as below. You can ignore this step,
it just demonstrates that the ethernet cable is working.
Now we can upload the firmware. With the modem powered off, press and
hold the factory reset button, then power up the modem. Continue to hold
the button down until ’some’ of the lights flash together. On the Vigor2820Vn
’some’ is the left column of three. On the 2800 and 2910 the left two LEDs
flash.
Release the button and on your UNIX/MacOS box type the following commands
(note that the modem only stays in TFTP mode for a short time, you can
actually type right up to the end of the put command and just press return
when the left-hand modem lights start flashing).
$ tftp 192.168.1.1
tftp> binary
tftp> put v2820_v03301_211011_A.rst
Sent 4973144 bytes in 13.1 seconds
tftp> quit
$
There will be a pause after the ‘put’ command, but your modem ethernet port
light should be flashing madly. The transfer is done when you get the
“Sent” message. Quit the TFTP client and perhaps your Terminal session,
there’s nothing more to see.
What happens next isn’t really documented but we presume that the modem has
to unpack the firmware and load it into flash. On our 2820Vn the column of
3 lights continued to flash, but gradually slowed down, speeded up, then
slowed again. Eventually after a minute or two the modem rebooted in the
normal fashion. Just be patient.
Job done.
djh
18/05/09
I received the following information from McAfee regarding 3G modem support on the SG565 and the new SG560U model. This information should shortly make it into a knowledge base article on the McAfee website.
There are two parts to supporting 3G devices:
- the hardware USB dongle you plug in
- the carrier you activate it on
Hardware we know works with SG USB enabled devices, 4.0.2 firmware:
Devices that we *think* should work.
Most carriers will just work. So the list below is by no means exclusive – these are just ones that we know definitely work.
USA
Australia
Singapore
Brazil
This week we finally see the logo change from Snapgear to McAfee following McAfee’s acquisition of Secure Computing late last year. Support contacts and hardware product specifications remain unchanged apart from a new model called the SG310 to replace the popular SG300 but there are some new product codes and changes amongst the extended warranty & support + content filtering subscription options.
Possibly the biggest news is a massive price drop in both the SG580 & SG720 models and a new model called the SG560U coming out in the next few weeks with a USB port reported to have the same capabilities as the USB ports on the SG565. This will include support for many USB ADSL modems, hard drives, printers and now also with 3G modem support (although a list of supported modems is yet to be published).
Update: Correction on the SG560U USB port. Apparently it will only do web caching (for the Squid Proxy) and 3G. No Printer and Hard Drive file sharing.
Support & warranty options: Each router comes with 12 months support and advanced replacement warranty included. This can be extended with the purchase of “1yr Gold Software Support & RMA Hardware Support extension” renewable up to 5 years. For pricing and ordering, type the router name into the search box at OzTechnologies.
Web Filtering Subscription: 12 month web filtering subscriptions (Webwasher) are available for each product. Click here for more information or punch the router name into the search box at OzTechnologies for pricing.
TrustedSource subscription: Enhanced security. Click here for more information or type the router name into the search box at OzTechnologies for pricing or to order.
McAfee UTM Firewall Control Center (Ughh… American spelling): Central management for multiple routers. Licenses are available for 25, 250, 750 or unlimited appliances with optional annual support renewals termed “1yr Gold Software Support extension”.
Click here for more information (PDF).
Click here for pricing from OzTechnologies.
Replacement Power Supplies are also available. Click here for pricing from OzTechnologies.
Click here for McAfee’s product range overview (PDF) with some great feature comparison tables to make product selection easier.
Click here for the OzCableguy review summaries.
Note: I have updated the product images on the websites to show the new McAfee badged versions but most products purchased at the moment will still be wearing the old Snapgear logos.
As part of the takeover of Linksys by Cisco way back in 2003 there’s recently been some changes to the Linksys product range. These include a brand new website for the Linksys consumer class products (now under the banner “Linksys by Cisco”) while the Business class products have now moved over to the Cisco website under the Cisco name.
So we now have three distinct divisions:
1. Linksys by Cisco consumer products. Found at http://www.linksysbycisco.com/ANZ/en/home, or at my online shop at http://www.shop.ozcableguy.com/brand.asp?Brand=Linksys
or with pictures at http://shop.ozcableguy.com/search.asp?Brand=Linksys.
2. Cisco Small Business and Small Business Pro products. This group includes the old Linksys business class products which will still show the Linksys logo on the product and packaging for some time yet, and many may never change. These products can now be found at http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/products/index.html, or under the Cisco brand name at my online shop.
No images – http://shop.ozcableguy.com/brand.asp?Brand=Cisco.
With images – http://shop.ozcableguy.com/search.asp?Brand=Cisco
3. Cisco Classic products. These are the existing Cisco products found under the five categories of “Network Systems”, “Collaboration, Voice and Video”, “Security”, “Data Center” and “Mobility / Wireless” at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/index.html.
At this stage I only list most Linksys by Cisco, Cisco Small business and Small Business Pro products at shop.ozcableguy.com and in the OzCableguy Router Reviews. I may be able to source some of the Cisco Classic products on request but without extensive knowledge of the 40 odd thousand products they have I will need a part No to have any hope of finding it. 
For pre & post sales contact details for Cisco and Linksys see http://shop.ozcableguy.com/faqs.asp#manufacturer
Netgear have a recycling program where you can send in any brand of old product free of charge to be recycled when you purchase a new Netgear product. Details at http://www.netgear.net.au/recycle/
Procedure wise just pack up the old unit, fill out the form which generates a reply-paid label then drop it in the post.
On receipt, Thiess Services (the recycling company) will separate out the heavy and ferrous metals and plastics to be melted down and made into new stuff. Brilliant!
Thumbs up to Netgear!
 |
Great to see the 7402NX win the Best Buy awards amongst 12 routers in October issue of PC User Mag. Well done Billion!
Click here to check out my 7402NX review. |
I decided to put together a new FAQ covering Routers and Cable ISPs. Most of the information was already on the website but scattered around and I thought it was time to group it all into one page.
I also wanted to draw attention to the two different types of cable modems now being issued by ISPs.
One type of Cable modem, usually wireless, is already a router. However, I get lots of enquiries from people wanting features that these don’t provide such as better wireless capabilities, better security features or better configuration options for more advanced applications.
The other type of Cable modem is a plain (bridged) modem that can’t share the Internet by itself. These are the ones you want if you want to plug them into other Routers.
The next issue was how to find compatible routers to suit Cable modems. (I don’t know how many times people have purchased ADSL modem-routers from me with the expectation they would work on Cable, even though I have suitability warnings on every router & modem on the OzTechnologies website).
I also wanted to point out that Cable modems can only be sourced from the Cable ISPs and aren’t available for general retail in Australia.
And finally the trick to getting it all going is to turn the power off to the modem for a few seconds and not just via the standby button on the top of the modem.
Hopefully it saves a few headaches and frisbeed routers.
Click here to check it out.
It could happen to anyone and it happened to me.
A couple of weeks ago my little internal server PC refused to boot up. I had all of our office PCs backing up to its hard drive as well as some other important data so I took the hard drive out and put it in my workstation to retrieve the data off it and then my workstation wouldn’t boot up either. Hmmm…
It turns out both PCs (both connected to the same surge board incidentally) had blown motherboards. Not quite a total disaster and after just a day of mucking about later we were up and running again. Thankfully nothing was lost apart from a day’s work.
But it could have been much, much worse…
I started thinking about house fires and burglaries where the PCs might be lost forever. Insurance would cover the hardware but some of that data would be irreplaceable and could even mean the end of my business, so I needed a better backup solution for starters.
What I was doing was a good starting point where I have all the important data from all the office workstations backing up to a spare hard drive in a PC, but I needed to go one step further and have that copied to a 3rd source and that’s the beauty of the NAS (network attached storage) devices that many manufacturers now have on the market. These are basically enclosures with hard drives inside (hard drives are usually not included. Check manufacturer specifications for details and supported hard drives) that you can connect to a PC network. They show up on the network in “My Network Places” the same as a PC does so you can drag & drop files across or use a scheduled backup application like ezbackitup or windows backup. (I like ezbackitup because it only backs up files that have changed since last time, doesn’t compress and retains the same directory structure so it’s easy to find and retrieve single files).
A small NAS enclosure can be hidden or placed anywhere you like to make it an unlikely target for thieves and at the same time be easy to grab and chuck under your arm if you need to vacate the premises in a hurry. They start small & cheap to suit home and small business owners right up to rack mountable units with RAID and other options.
Click here to check out available NAS devices from my online shop.
The next problem was to deal with why those motherboards blew in the first place. We get quite a few surges in my house that we’ve never been able to get to the bottom of. (They tend to happen early in the mornings when everything’s turned off and no one’s even out of bed. Electricians are mystified). Since the surge protection board didn’t save them in this case the obvious solution was an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
A UPS is basically a battery pack plugged into a power point to keep the battery charged, while any PCs or other devices plugged into it run off the battery power. If the power fails the PC keeps running for however long the battery can last and then will automatically shut the PC down safely before the battery is depleted. (There’s a serial or USB cable between the UPS & PC and software to facilitate this process). How long the battery lasts is dependant on the size of the battery and what you’ve got plugged into it. The cheaper ones tend to give a “clean” power supply to your PC and just enough battery power to automatically shut the PC down safely in the event of power failure.
I chose a Powerware 5110-1000A (currently selling for $237.60 at my online shop) which should give me 10 – 20 mins of power for my PC and 2 monitors in the event of a blackout but I’ve configured the software to shut me down after 5 minutes just to be on the safe side (which is generally heaps of time to make it outside to flick the circuit breaker back on anyway). It passed the first test with flying colours so was money well spent.
Choosing the right UPS for your situation can be confusing but Powerware have a great UPS Selector on their website to take out the guesswork. Click here to check it out.
Click here to check out the range and prices of UPSs from my online shop. I like Belkin and Powerware brands because they back their products up with connected equipment warranties and I get favourable feedback from my customers about them.
A couple of quirks worth mentioning with the installation of my shiny new Powerware 5110-1000A: The manual mentions removing the front cover to connect the battery lead prior to plugging it in. My cover was connected by a couple of screws which weren’t mentioned in the manual and my battery lead was already connected when I did get the cover off. A bit of unnecessary confusion there…
The other issue not explained was before installing the shutdown & monitoring software you need to install the UPS drivers. Without doing that first it won’t be able to detect the UPS so it can do its thing. I assumed the driver installation would be part of the same application but that wasn’t the case. It has to be done manually first.
All in all a valuable lesson learned from something that could happen to anyone any time. I strongly advise not to delay putting off doing something about this stuff.
Sort it out today!