Jamie's Random Musings on Video IM
Having spent a good part of the last year struggling with a variety of video chat and IM programs, I have decided to write a few things down and see what other people have to say about them.
Tuesday 5 August 2008, 8:48 AM
Renewed Adventures with Vista
Microsoft says "Get the facts. Please give Vista another try". I have said before, and I genuinely mean it, I would like for Vista to work properly. It has been a few months since I last gave up on Vista on my Lifebook S6510 laptop. Hopefully Microsoft has made some more fixes and improvements in that time, so I suppose it is time to give it another shot.
I have loaded a disk from scratch with the "Vista Recovery DVD" that came with my laptop. That presumably got it back to the state it was in when it was new. Then I let Windows Update install everything it wanted to, including both required and optional updates. Toward the end of the "update/reboot" cycle, it installed the update which is supposed to be the "preparation" for Vista SP1, but it never offered to install SP1 itself. Once that was all done, I downloaded the updated drivers from the Fujitsu support web site - audio, video, fingerprint reader, media slot, shock sensor and a BIOS update.
After all of that, I went back to Windows Update, and it still didn't offer to install SP1. Hmmm. I remember reading the list of "problem software" which would prevent SP1 from being automatically installed, and the Fujitsu shock sensor was on that list. Shortly after that list was published, Fujitsu came out with an update to the shock sensor utility, but honestly when I installed that update I didn't see any change, and the utility still identifies itself as "2.0L10", no indication that it has been updated.
So, I uninstalled the shock sensor utility, rebooted, and went back to Windows Update again. Hooray! It wants to install SP1! That is downloading and installing now (I am writing this on the S2110). Maybe this really will be better. The last time I had Vista loaded I "forced" SP1 to install by downloading the full package and installing it. I suppose it is possible that there really is a problem with the Fujitsu Shock Sensor utility and Vista SP1, and that was the cause of some of the problems I had then. We shall see. Fingers crossed.
jw 5/8/2008
Monday 4 August 2008, 1:13 PM
Wireless-N Networking and Linux
After installing a new Netgear Wireless-N Dual Band Router (review), I was anxious to test Linux with it. So far the results are... well... mixed.
First, the baseline. I am doing this testing on my primary laptop, a Fujitsu Lifebook S6510, with a built-in Intel 4965AGN wireless adapter. I have the router set up with both Wireless-G and Wireless-N networks, each with a different SSID. With Windows XP Professional, it detects both, connects to the Wireless-N network with no problem using WPA2 security, and gives speeds ranging from 300 Mb/sec to 108 Mb/sec. All very nice.
With Ubuntu (and Kubuntu) it shows both networks in the Network Manager list, and it connects to the Wireless-N using WPA2 with no problem. However, it only reports a speed of 54 Mb/sec. I don't know if this means it really will not connect at a higher speed, or if the Linux driver simply doesn't know how to report anything higher than that.
With Mandriva, the Wireless-N SSID did not show up in the network list, so I was not able to test it.
With openSuSE I had basically the same result as with Ubuntu.
I will do some more testing this evening, to see if Ubuntu is really getting connection faster than 54 Mb/sec, and with a couple of other Linux versions.
jw 4/8/2008
Monday 4 August 2008, 9:24 AM
Netgear WNDR3300 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router
Having been inspired by the Dialog Box video about Dual Band Wireless-N, and encouraged by David Long's comments on both the Intel 4965 Wireless Adapter and Netgear Routers, I decided to give it a shot. This will not be anything like a comprehensive "review", as I don't use things like the Setup Wizard or "Push 'N' Connect", but I would like to at least report some initial results and comparison with my previous router, a Linksys WRT350N.
First, the Netgear WNDR3300 is very flashy - literally! It has lots of good status LEDs on the front edge, which let you know what is happening with the Internet connection, the wired ethernet ports, and the 2.4GHz and 5 GHz wireless bands. In addition it has a large blue plastic "blob" on the side with a gaggle of LED's blinking under it (no explanation that I could find of what the significance of these is). All in all it makes for quite a nice light show - as long as you, or your guests, don't have to try to sleep in the same room with it!
Setup was dead easy, at least as far as I do it. As I said, I don't use the "Setup Wizard" CD, After connecting an RJ-45 cable from my laptop to the router, I logged in to the router administration page, and within 2 minutes I had it set the way I wanted it - 2.4GHz+5GHz, Wireless-G and -N networks with different SSID's, WPA2 security. I ran into one thing which confirmed a suspicion that I had about the Linksys router. When I had first set up my wireless networking, I let Windows generate a WPA key for it. The key it produced was 64 hex digits, but the Linksys router setup would only accept 63 characters. In the Netgear setup, it says that the key can be up to 63 alphanumeric characters, or up to 64 hex digits, and sure enough it accepted the original key. All of the devices that I connect also happily accepted the 64-digit key, so I suppose this is some sort of bug or limitation in the Linksys router.
Once the router was configured, I started switching over my various wireless devices. First, of course, was my primary laptop, the Lifebook S6510 with a built-in Intel 4965AGN wireless adapter. Windows 'View Available Wireless Networks" showed both the -G and -N SSID's; I selected the -G, entered the key, and it connected at 54 MB/s. Good. The 2.4GHz LED was blinking on the router. Disconnect, select the -N network, enter the key, and it connected - at 270 MB/s! Wow! I have never gotten more than 130 MB/s connecting to the Linksys router! The 5GHz LED was blinking on the router, so as usual the information from David Long was correct. A few minutes of experimentation showed that the Wireless-N connection speed varied from 300 MB/s (yes, really) to about 108 MB/s.
The big difference between the -G and -N networks was the range through my house. As I have said before, Swiss houses are generally difficult for wireless networks. They are built with lots of brick, concrete and steel reinforcing bars in all of the floors and walls, inside and out. The router is installed in the top floor of my house, which is one large open room. As long as I stayed there, the -G and -N signals were equal strength. As soon as I went down one floor, to the bedroom level, the -G network (2.4GHz) signal strength was noticeably higher than the -N network (5GHz), but both were still usable, and of course the -N was still faster. When I went down one more floor, to the living/dining/kitchen area, the -N signal was so weak that the laptop couldn't stay connected to it, but the -G network was still usable, and still reported 54 MB/s speed.
The quality of the Wireless-G coverage in the ground floor actually surprised me, because it was at least as good as I had been getting with the Linksys WRT350N router. The Linksys router has three very impressive-looking antennae sticking out of it, whereas the Netgear has no visible antennae! Once again, David Long's comments about the Netgear's 8 internal antennae being better than 3 proves to be correct.
Next up was my partner's desktop computer, which has a Linksys WMP300N Wireless-N PCI Adapter. Hmmm. It only sees the Wireless-G network, no sign of the -N network in 'View Available Wireless Networks". Check the driver to be sure it is up to date (it is). Reboot, Refresh, Re-check. No joy, no Wireless-N. Strange. I don't know if the signal is just too weak for the Linksys adapter to pick it up (I hope not, since it has a huge antenna, and my laptop picked it up when I was standing right next to her computer), or if there is some sort of difference in the Linksys and Netgear Wireless-N implementation. But at least the Wireless-G connected with no problems, and is stable at 54 MB/s.
The Pinnacle (Roku) SoundBridge Internet Radio, detected and connected to the Wireless-G network with no trouble. Well, as long as you consider entering 64 hex digits via the remote control to be "no trouble". By the way, this unit only does WPA security, not WPA2, so obviously the Netgear router is accepting both.
Finally, my neighbor, who shares my internet connection, has a Linksys WMP54GX400 wireless adapter. Signal strength was good, he was able to connect to the Wireless-G network with no problem, and it is stable at 54 MB/s.
The only thing I haven't tried yet is my older laptop, with an Atheros wireless interface. I'll take that home tonight and try it, but I don't expect any problem with it.
In summary, I am very pleased with the Netgear WNDR3300. It was easy to install, even without using their "Installation Wizard CD", easy to connect, even without using other Netgear interfaces with "Push 'N' Connect", and it covers my rather difficult house quite well. The speed is good to excellent, and it works with all of the other devices that I have around the house. Best of all, it cost 169 Swiss Francs (about £80 or $160), which is 100 francs less than the Linksys WRT350N!
jw 4/8/2008
Friday 1 August 2008, 1:21 PM
A Week Working With Linux
After a short vacation during which I made a traveling test with Linux, which was very successful, I decided to continue the test by using it as much as possible for my work this week. As I have mentioned previously, I have my primary laptop set up to multi-boot Windows XP Professional, Ubuntu or Mandriva, so it is just as easy for me to boot Linux as Windows at any time. I was very curious as to how many times during the week I would "have to" boot Windows.
What I have found, in a nutshell, is that I have to run Windows in order to use the Sierra Wireless AirCard for HSPA cellular access, and that's just about it. I use my laptop at home, either wireless or wired to a Linksys router, in the office, connected to the company wired network, and on the bus and train as I commute, with cellular access. So two out of three times I have been able to run Linux.
When I am at home, I need internet access (duh), email (Thunderbird, the same as I use when on Windows), web surfing (Firefox, the same as I use when on Windows), Gizmo5 (the same as I use when on Windows), digital photo management, and a few other utilities.
When I am at work, I need the Citrix VPN client (the same as I use on Windows), XTerm and/or other remote terminal access to our internal company hosts, OpenOffice (which I use on the same documents that I work on with MS Office on Windows), email and web surfing, and a few other utilities.
During my commute, I need HSPA cellular access, so I have to boot up Windows for that part of my day. It would be nice if I could get the Sierra Wireless card working on Linux, of course, so that is on my priority list now.
Of course, I have made some choices which make this a bit easier for me. I have used Firefox and Thunderbird on Windows for a long time, originally because I simply wanted something other than the MS equivalents (you still couldn't pay me enough to use Outlook!). Now I use them on Linux as well, not necessarily because I think they are better than any of the "standard" Linux equivalents, but it makes moving back and forth a lot easier. But the important point is, the choices are there, the functionality exists and is at least as good as what you are accustomed to on Windows (including OpenOffice vs. MS Office).
So, think about it. What do you use your PC for, at home, at work or when traveling? What kind of things do you need to do on a regular basis? Could you do it with Linux? I'd love to hear in comments about other things that do and don't work, or exist, on Linux.
Thursday 31 July 2008, 8:38 AM
Skype Pursuing "Unarticulated Needs"
I just came across this blog post from Skype CEO Josh Silverman. Basically, it says what has been obvious from Skype's behavior for a long time - they know what is best for you, whether you know it or not, and if you would just think a little harder, you'd see how right they are.
However, what I found more interesting was the comments made on the blog post - "Please Help, Skype has taken money from my bank account", "Why is it so difficult to contact Skype Support", "I agree it is difficult to contact Skype Support", and so on.
As I have said many times before, Skype 'Support" is non-existent. This is becoming more obvious all the time, as desperate Skype users are posting pleas for help to the Skype Journal (aka the Skype Cheerleading Squad), to other user forums, to various blogs, and just about anywhere else you (or they) can imagine.
If you want to risk your business on a product which has no customer support, go with Skype. If you want to risk your money with a company that openly says they will take a MINIMUM of four days to respond to any inquiry and has a company policy of "take the money first, and ignore the questions later", go with Skype. If you are going to take a trip, and want to risk setting everything up so you can communicate with friends and family back home, only to arrive at your destination and find that it doesn't work, and there is no technical support, go with Skype. If you want to chat using a product which promotes itself as "secure", but then won't give a simple answer when asked if there is a back door for monitoring, and they are passing out the keys to that door, go with Skype.
If any or all of these possibilities disturb you, look carefully at the alternatives to Skype.
jw 31/7/2008
Previous
