Category — networking

The 1&1 Exchange server has been down for over 24hrs now. I wish I realized it before I reflashed my AT&T TIlt with a new rom as I can’t restore my PIM database and contacts. I guess next time I am gonna delve into dashwire and have another way of restoring my contacts whenever this happens. I am sure it will happen again. I contacted 1&1 support about this issue and they told me the following:

“Below is the work around if you are using a desktop
with windows OS.

1. In the command line of your desktop, please run
this command
ipconfig /flushdns
also make sure you have administrative right to
that PC. Also,
temporarily deactivate spyware.
2. then add the 74.208.4.72 exchange.1and1.com
to the host
file.
You can locate the file thru the example below.
eg. C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc then look for the hosts file

Open the host file using a notepad and then add the line

74.208.4.72 exchange.1and1.com“

Now I was unable to try this option because its really for Microsoft Outlook users and I don’t use Microsoft Outlook on my computer to sync with Exchange I only use it on my Pocket PC. Will be good to know it this trick works for some people. Hopefully the server will be back soon.

I thought 1&1 was much more reliable than this.

UPDATE: The server apparently came back online on Sunday around later afternoon. Well, at least it came back.

Lifehacker Gina Trapani wrote a nice article accumulating the top 10 Wi-Fi tips that can increase your signal range and make your wireless network secure. Tips include things like better router placement, extending your signal by using a repeater or a bridge, using  Wireshark to sniff your wireless network packets passing through, enabling WPA Encryption to make your network much more secure than using WEP, enabling MAC address filtering to restrict your wireless network even more, stop SSID (Network Name) broadcasting, using NetStumbler to detect other wireless networks with information about how secure they are and also for war-driving purposes, using portable routers share a wired connection in hotel rooms for instance, a nice youtube video showing how to use tinfoil to increase your signal range, and of course using DD-WRT Firmware to enhance your routers usability and adding more features making your $50 router into a $600 one. It also includes instructions on how to flash the firmware to your router.

A new Firefox add on has sprang up called RetailMeNot which basically observes when you are on a shopping website like amazon.com and automatically displays available discounts for it. I have been using it for a while and it seems really cool. I have yet to actually buy anything using on the coupons but still it is a really nifty extension to have in Firefox. Originally posted on Lifehacker by Adam Pash

I originally came across this through Pocketpcthoughts.com mentioned by Paul Martin that you can easily configure your Windows Mobile 6 device into a Wifi Router hence using your carrier’s internet wireless connection from lets say your laptop. The updated thread is here of course from XDA Developers with complete instructions on how to accomplish this. The “cab” file to enable this can be directly downloaded from the creator Jongma’s site. Looks like a really great piece of software to make your windows mobile device even more lovelier than it already is. Harnessing the power of technology always brings me joy.

Sling has annonced a couple of products during CES 2008 which include the SlingCatcher, SlingPlayer 2.0 with Clip+Sling, and Sling Cable modem as pointed by Ryan Block over at Engadget. I am really interested in the new version of the SlingPlayer Software which provides a 60min cache feature which will really make it easy to forward and rewind which seems to be a drawback when using the current software.