MojoLists

With the overwhelming success of USB technology as the preferred interface, comes the challenge of organizing all of the cabling from desktop peripherals. Users with multiple USB peripherals find the clutter of cables unsightly and inconvenient to their workspace. With many different USB connections for mobile devices, such as cellphones, cameras, MP3 players and PDAs, it becomes increasingly difficult to use them on the go.

To overcome these challenges a new method for connecting peripherals has come to fruition. A method, which offers the same benefits of a physical USB connection without the need for unsightly cables, a technology known as certified wireless USB. Using an ultra-wideband radio frequency ranging from 3.1 – 10.6 GHz, 127 devices can connect to a single computer up to 10 meters away without a hub. Connections made less than 3 meters away from the host can benefit from speeds typically USB 2.0, while connections from 3 to 10 meters will operate at 110 Mbps. Devices that support dual role or direct connections with each other can also operate with wireless USB technology.
Read the rest of the article HERE.

Tiered pricing for internet access based on your bandwidth usage is right around the corner for many, already in place for some, and bringing big changes for everyone. Time Warner is the largest ISP I have heard of going this route so far but more will follow soon.

If you are currently or have been planning on streaming video from online sources such as Netflix or Hulu.com, you better think again. The pricing I have seen from Time Warner has 40Gb of downloads costing $40 - $50 per month. That sounds like a lot of bandwidth but if you stream video you are going to blast past your limit in the first week of  the month.

I always said streaming video wasn't going to take off for years to come and this is one good reason why. The kind of bandwidth required means your ISP is going to need to make some dramatic changes. As pricing goes up, streaming is quickly going to return to the back of the bus.

If you are using the DirecTV On Demand service, as I am, you will have a problem under this new pricing. I for one will be unhappy, but that is pretty much my normal state. I am not using Tine Warner but AT&T will likely follow suit if Time Warner is successful in putting this new pricing in place.

If you are currently experiencing a change to pay per byte internet access speak loud and clear when you dump your ISP. Time Warner is in the awkward position of losing cable customers and watching its bandwidth use climb but is that really my problem? I dumped Time Warner years ago because of terrible customer service, outrageous prices and the final nail, they could never get me a reliable internet connection. Make a stand for progress and fair business practices and find another ISP.

I have written several article on the WRT160Nv2 wireless router from Linksys. The problem appears to be much more widespread that anyone imagined and Linksys has yet to admit there is a problem.

I don't get a whole lot of traffic to this blog but my user base has increased by thousands over the last two weeks, all because of people looking for a solution to the DNS bug in this router. The Linksys forums are swarming with upset customers and a total lack of caring on the part of Linksys.

Linksys was kind enough to send me a new router when I bricked the first one trying to downgrade the firmware. The new one arrived with the old firmware and it is running like a champ now. I appreciate Linksys doing a fast swap for me but it still cost me $20 for shipping it to them and I was without wireless for a week. That is a major inconvenience not to mention that the additional cost could have gone to a better router if I had known of the problems with the WRT160Nv2.

I am not giving up on Linksys, their customer support took great care of me. I will have to rethink the relationship if I don't see a fix from them soon however. Running the older version 8 firmware means I am open to a DNS security vulnerability. I don't like that, hell, who would. If you are in the market for a wireless router, especially a Linksys router, I wouldn't buy this one.

Original Article: Linksys WRT160N DNS Issue Needs a Fix

I received my new, probably refurbished actually, Linksys WRT160Nv2 router two days ago. Linksys had a fast turnaround time and to my surprise, it came loaded with firmware 2.0.0.2 version 8. I connected and configured the router without much fuss and I am happy to say it works!

Linksys has yet to fix or even acknowledge the problem with the build 11 firmware. It seems they are unable to reproduce the problem so it simply does not exist. I can confirm that the DNS problem has been fixed with my current build 8 firmware and even though I am the one who flubbed up the downgrade on the original router, Linksys handled the problem and has me back as a satisfied customer.

Linksys, yes, I am talking to you. Fix the firmware for us so we can have the up to date security we need without losing our ability to use an internet browser.

Original Article: Linksys WRT160N DNS Issue Needs a Fix

Blu-Ray firmware updates are a regular part of life with a Blu-Ray player. Unlike DVD players, where firmware updates were a very rare occurrence, Blu-Ray players require constant updating in order to play the latest movies and the Java based extras they hold. Firmware also updates the audio and video capabilities of the player.

For some of us, the process is as simple as plugging a CAT 5 cable into the back of the player and letting the unit update itself. Others may have to turn their player on, prolonging the already long wait to see the movie menu start. The last way to update the firmware requires the user to either wait for the update in the mail or download it and burn it to a CD. Prior to setting u0p my wireless Ethernet bridge, I was the burn and update kind of guy.

Failure to update the firmware can cause movies to be unplayable or cause all kinds of unforeseen problems. Manufacturers commonly add features which keep the players somewhat future proof. It also allows them to bring a bug filled wreck of a product to market and fix it as they go along. I have not heard of any players that were bug free and just to make you scratch your head, the firmware updates often introduce additional bugs that have to fixed by later upgrades.

The firmware upgrade system isn't clean or even easy in many cases but it does allow Blu-Ray to continue to grow towards being a mature technology. Updates are a fact of life if you have a player and should be done on a regular basis to ensure your player continues to work properly. I don't see an end to the update cycle but hopefully, they will become far less frequent in the future.

I have purchased several computers since Windows Vista first came out, I just made sure they had XP on them or I installed it when the computer arrived. Last week I got a new (Refurbished) Dell Studio desktop with Vista 64 bit. The thought of 6 Gigs of RAM got me all geeky and the fact that I could bump it to 8 Gigs just made it better.

The Quad core processor and the 64 bit Dell meant, even if I didn't like it, the computer isn't backward compatible with XP because much of the hardware has no XP driver available. Being a geek I bought into the Vista hating crowd even though I had never taken a serious look at it. I have set up several Vista computers for friends and relatives and I was always surprised by the lack of follow up support they needed. The computer challenged seemed to get along great with Vista.

After getting it out of the box and starting it up it took about 30 seconds to figure out the navigation. It took another 20 minutes for me to understand why my technophobic friends didn't have a problem with Vista. It doesn't let them get into things that will screw up the system. That was not a good thing for me however, I am driven to crack the registry, disarm every little bit of power sapping programming, and must bend a computer to my will. I am lord and master of my system and I hate vista... wait, I don't hate it at all, in fact I am quickly learning to love it.

Once I did a little research and figured out how to unlock the OS, I quickly set out to modify as much as possible and in doing so came to the realization that I really didn't need to change that much. Vista works pretty well right out of the box and removing bloat ware was my only real concern.

I was a little disappointed with the speed of the system, it wasn't able to break down the genetic code of my dogs very quickly or even design a new robot assistant. What it can do, and it does it so well, is run multiple programs that use a lot of resources individually. To fully test the system I ripped a DVD, while streaming HD video from my DVR, loaded my 100gigs of MP3 music into iTunes along with my 80 gigs of movies, all while surfing the web and watching cats eat spaghetti on YouTube.

Now I feel the power at my fingertips and I am happy, ecstatic even. Vista works, it works with all of my programs, it works with all of my hardware, it plays nice with all of my XP machines, and it does it quickly.

I am sure I will find something I hate about it, I always do, but so far I am only seeing good. If you have been sitting on the fence about Windows Vista, it is time to dive in and give it a chance, you won't be sorry.

Linksys needs to fix the DNS problem on their WRT160Nv2 router and they need to do it now. I haven't used this blog to gripe much,  the fact is I have been very lucky and my equipment functions with little or no problem. Now I have a big problem and a major gripe with Linksys, a company whose products I have used for years without a hitch.

I decided to step up to a wireless N router about 6 months ago even though all of my wireless apps are b and g. The router was an amazing upgrade to the system. It extended the range and speed on all of my laptops and other devises. I could even stream HD effortlessly from the DirecTV DVR on the other side of the house. I was one happy camper. Then I got the news that there was a DNS security risk associated with the routers firmware. I was running 2.0.0.2, build 8. Being the security nut that I am I immediately updated my firmware to 2.0.0.2, build 11. This turned out to be a huge mistake.

Web pages started throwing 404 errors, I had to refresh pages over and over before they would come up. I hated it, it was a serious time suck for me as I spend most of my time working on the internet and God help me if I wanted to order something online or pay a bill. the 404 errors made it almost impossible to make it through a multi-page process.

I quickly jumped online and researched the problem to find this is a well documented issue in the Linksys forum. One of the threads I found had 17 pages of complaints and thankfully a fix. Unfortunately when I attempted to downgrade my firmware to the version I had previously, it failed and the router did nothing but flash at me, nearly lifeless and unable to reset itself to the factory defaults.

After 90 minutes of attempting to revive the WRT160Nv2, I gave in and contacted tech support. Of course they ignored the fact that I had attempted everything and made me do it all again before starting the RMA process. The router was dead and Linksys is replacing it. After receiving all the information and filling out the forms, mailing it back to them, at my expense I now await my replacement which will undoubtedly have the new firmware version and most likely the same problem that everyone else is having with this build.

The issue with the Linksys WRT160Nv2 firmware has been around since October and Linksys has failed to acknowledge the problem and worse, fix it. Linksys, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars with you between my home and my business. If this is not fixed, you can kiss my future business goodbye. I understand that shit happens and errors take place, I accept and am happy to work with any vendor while they correct the problem. You won't even admit there is a problem even though there are hundreds of documented cases on your own website. This is an issue and you need to fix it.

If you have the WRT160Nv2 router and are experiencing the DNS problem, here is a fix. I bricked my router attempting it but many have downgraded their firmware successfully. I intend to try again if my new unit has the problem. Good luck!

*** UPDATE! ***  Linksys does not have a fix yet but they did take care of me by replacing the router I killed with a new one. Read more here.