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Broadband: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated?
- 10/2/09 10:18 AM
Just Search 'Hack Linux Servers' and scroll down
by studmoose - 10/4/09 8:04 AM In reply to: Unix hacking: 2 by Porch-a-GeeseJust search on various hacks to unix and linux servers. There are about as many tips and books on these as there are for Windows. Since Windows is the more used, general purpose operating system - there are more hackers for that system.
That's one reason why Lotus Notes doesn't get hacked as much as Outlook. Not many casual users use Notes and it's not as common - therefore, not as many nerds sitting at home trying to hack into it.
Regarding the vendor, I'm not going to open myself up to a libel on that one and drag in others. But they are a BIG Unix vendor. Nice try though.
I mentioned the z platform, because 1) when speaking about it, it's generally called that.; 2) there is also z/VM, not just z/OS. Search on that one too, you'll find you are wrong again.
If these two platforms were so safe, there wouldn't be so many hacks into them. It's just that there isn't as many as Windows.
Server vendor
by Porch-a-Geese - 10/4/09 12:19 PM In reply to: Just Search 'Hack Linux Servers' and scroll down by studmooseAgain, what was the test given for security?
How is the setup?
What release? Is it patched? How are the services run?
You're leaving too much out.
Anyone can su into a Linux installation, provided that:
1) The system is setup insecurely.
2) Some permission such as sudo or a value of 0777/777 is enabled.
3) The password is poorly encrypted.
4) SSH is insecurely installed and setup, along with other security features haphazardly put together.
5) Security hasn't been tested.
Let's not forget physical access to the server. This is more important.
Insecure BIOS, unencrypted partitions, etc.
From honey-pots to virtualization, there are many ways of fooling hackers; but, it goes back to the first step: Any system not secured is a security risk, even the z/Series.
First mile problem
by msgale - 10/3/09 7:29 PM In reply to: Give me a break, if you use Windows, you will have trouble. by Porch-a-GeeseUnless you have a specific software or hardware problem, I believe that eh problem is a "first mile problem". Everyone talks about the last mile, the connection from your home to you ISP. Timing studies I have run have shown me that in many cases the problem is in the first mile, the connection from the desired site to the Internet backbone. As an example I now have Comcast Cable 22 mbps download (30 mbps with power boot). I live in Bucks County PA. Download from NYC = 31.68 Mbps. Download speed from Alaska = 3.816 Mbps. Download from Santa Cruz CA = 16.75 Mbps. Download from Stanford University = 11.68 Mbps. Download from Hawaii = 8.094 Mbps. The point I am trying to make is the variable in not my connection to my ISP, but the connect from the foreign host to my ISP. PS there is nothing fundamentally PCs or any current Microsoft operating systems. I am familiar with various versions of UNIX and several main frame operating systems.
Very true,,,
by JCitizen - 10/4/09 1:16 PM In reply to: First mile problem by msgaleand in my case, the ISP modem was busted, and in other cases the final loop modem was misbehaving. I've seen many scenarios where it was something my ISP, AT&T, or SBC was doing, or going, wrong.
Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated?
by Fatboy71 - 10/2/09 11:49 PM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Re the activity light on modem nearly always on.
If your modem has a wireless feature, it could be (if you do not have your wireless connection secure) that someone nearby is using your wireless connection. Unless it has been suggested, it might be an idea to switch off the wireless on your modem and see if the activity light still remains mostly on.
Verizon FiOS System Delays
by studmoose - 10/3/09 9:33 AM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've been experiencing the same type of degradations over the past 6 months with the Verizon FiOS network in New Jersey. One of the big drivers for me to switch over to them was their speed, versus Comcast's Internet offering.
When I first switched over 2 years ago, Comcast could not touch it, almost doubling their network speed. Since then, Comcast has made great improvements to their network, and it seems that as more and more people switch over to FiOS, Verizon's network is beginning to lag too. Perhaps Comcast is fater here because some of their customers went over to FiOS and freed up demand on their network?
To give some numbers, last year I compared my system to my brother-in-law's Comcast connection. He lives two miles away from me, next to a South Jersey Comcast Central Office. I live about 12 from my FiOS CO. My FiOS was 15 megabits/second while his Comcast's connection was 6-7. Three months ago, when running Speedtest, we both were coming in consistantly at 12-13 megabits per second - a virtual tie. Now, when I run these tests throughout the day and this number ranges from 4.5-10 megabits for me and almost 15 for him. Comcast is now way superior to FiOS.
I've run multiple system scans and performance tests on my machines to fully optimize them, there is no malware or bot code on any of them.
I have to say this though, when I had Comcast, I would have around 5-6 days per year of complete internet outages and additional sporadic network outages. When you call, there has to be reports from 6 people in your neighborhood before they would consider it an important outage, sending someone out the same day. If no one else calls, you have to wait 3-4 days before you would get support. That sucked! One time, I was working from home for the week, took a hit on Monday and was told I would get help on Thursday afternoon. I went door-to-door asking neighbors to call it in. Still the repair wasn't done until Thursday. I had to take off from work using a couple of my comp days.
With FiOS, I had my first outage in two years yesterday, lasting 45 minutes. That's a BIG difference in quality of service. So I will tollerate slightly slower speeds for stability, but at this rate of network degradation - I'm not sure how much longer I can do that!
Cable Myths, activity light, and slow connection
by mwindeler - 10/3/09 10:58 AM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
CNET, by responding the way they did in their email, is perpetuating a myth. Cable is not subjct to any more "saturation" than DSL. a common FUD (fear,uncertainty,doubt) tactic of the phone company is to say that cable customers "share" their bandwidth with their neighborhood and if all their neighbors were to go online, then you would experience slow speeds. FAct is that all ISPs, telco and cable, oversubscribe their bandwidth - cable companies do it closer to the neighborhood while telco's do it at their DSLAM. Oversubscription is a fact in all networks. What you want to ensure is that your company has a fair oversubscription rate, and in today's world, unless you are up in the mountains or out in the middle of no where, you'll be ok.
Best start for a slow cable connection is to simply unplug the cable line and power line from modem for one minute. If that doesn't clear the slowness, do a speedtest, www.speakeasy.net/speedtest is a good one. If the speed is right, the problem is probably in your PC. If the speedtest reveals a slow connection or an unstable or fluctuating connection, then call cable company.
If you have a wireless router, make sure your connection isn't open - one of your neighbors could be connecting to you and draining your bandwidth.
DSL Vs. Cable
by EricEF - 10/5/09 11:45 AM In reply to: Cable Myths, activity light, and slow connection by mwindelerYou are wrong. DSL is direct and Cable is shared bandwidth. Don't take my word on it, take Cisco Systems' word. I believe they have the technical expertise on these issues. It is NOT a myth!
The following is an excerpt from their help page with a product they own called "network magic":
"Cable connections offer a range of speeds, and their top-end potential speed is usually faster than that offered by many DSL broadband packages. "Potential" speed in this case is just that: since cable broadband connections share bandwidth with other neighbors using the same cable broadband, your actual speed can vary quite a bit depending on which of your neighbors are online and what they're doing. To continue the pipe analogy, your pipe to the Internet is shared with your neighbors, so if many of them are busy surfing the Web, they're filling up your shared pipe, potentially leaving you with less room to fill the pipe on your own -- i.e. less bandwidth for you. Cable broadband connections usually have no guaranteed lower limit (they won't promise that your speed won't drop below some threshold).
A DSL broadband connection to the Internet is a pipe of a fixed size directly to the Internet, not shared with anyone else. DSL broadband connections also offer a range of speeds, but the speeds they generally offer are fixed and mostly guaranteed because you're not sharing any bandwidth with your neighbors. As noted above, cable connections are usually potentially faster than DSL connections, but they're also potentially slower at times."*
*http://www1.purenetworks.com/product/speed-test/moreinfo.php
Always a lot of traffic - perfectly normal
by euspos - 10/3/09 2:25 PM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Have the same issue as you - activity light on the "cable side" of the modem is blinking more or less all the time.
If you are concerned, with your computers off, instead inspect the ligths at your firewall/router (since I assume that no one these days are connected directly to a cable modem). You will likely still see the activity light on the modem blinking. Hence, traffic/pingin from the outside.
how old is your cable modem?
by casz_m - 10/3/09 3:52 PM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We had a motorola cable modem from 2000. Our internet provider had been upgrading access in the area but we were not seeing any changes. The cable company suggested upgrading the modem and when we did, it tripled our speed.
Could this be it?
by mike92105 - 10/3/09 8:29 PM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you once had a Motorola 5100 and then went to a 5101 or 5120 the lights work just the opposite. On these modems the light goes off when information is being sent or received.
Ya'll are making this too complicated
by andrewnc21 - 10/4/09 11:13 AM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am an experienced cable tech. Your ISP offers the BEST support to help you narrow down what the problem is. Contact your Broadband tech support and they can tell you, immediately, if there is a problem with the signal levels. They can also tell you your what your speeds look like (ACCURATELY). If needed, they can dispatch a PROFESSIONAL to troubleshoot and make any necessary repairs no charge (Unless you screwed it up). Once a professional has verified all is good on the cable side, then you can start eliminating other possibilities. Not saying this is you, but I hate when customers fault the ISP when their PCs are crap. On the other hand, there may actually be a cable issue and the customer goes for weeks, even months before they tell us about it and expect a credit. LOL! Hope this helps.
-Andrew-
(NT) True, the KISS principal should always be adhered to!...(nt)
by JCitizen - 10/4/09 1:55 PM In reply to: Ya'll are making this too complicated by andrewnc21Very possible!!
by chlpatent - 10/4/09 3:05 PM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had a similar problem with my provider, COX cable in Fairfax County, VA. Sometimes I would have no WAN signal at all, it was an intermittent problem. First they told me over the phone after "checking their circuits" and seeing a lot of dropped carrier and modem resets, to get a new cable modem, I did - still had the problem. Then they sent a tech out, he left me a new test modem which they monitored - still had the problem. So, then they sent out a crew, dug up the yard and put in a new, waterproof cable line - that worked fine for about 1 year. Then problem recurred - lost WAN intermittently, slow access, etc. This time, during the discussion, the COX techs told me they had just upgraded the switch I was on - I suggested either there is somebody with heavy volume hogging the switch - it would bog down or drop me everyday around the same time of day - or they must have a bad circuit on their switch, to which they said, maybe we do - so I asked them to remedy the situation or I'd drop their service - but they never fixed it, so I cancelled the HS Internet and got a dedicated DSL service which although in theory was slower than cable, in reality, because it was a dedicated DSL, I had better throughput overall. Now that FiOS has come to my neighborhood, I have dropped all COX cable service and discontinued the DSL. So far, so good - reliable, better through-put and with bundle deal, cheaper overall. Some people in some areas report problems with FiOS, but I have no complaints- yet. BTW, I have an MS in Computers and Electrical Engineering and a law degree. Be skeptical of what your provder tells you - insist they fix it, it's what you pay for, and if they can't fix it and you have an alternative, cancel them!
check your power cord, Surge protectors don't last forever.
by lnagl-cnet - 10/4/09 4:50 PM In reply to: Broadband: Is my cable connection becoming saturated? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My internet connection was dropping intermittently and speed was erratic. Tried everything, but finally resorted to calling my ISP, who told me to do it all over again before letting a technician come out to check.
Turns out that the modem was fine, but the transformer on the power cord failed and when I tried a new one, it wasn't the right size and it was underpowered.
He went out to the truck and brought in a new cord and everything is fine now.
Lucy
Even though I had it plugged into a surge protector, it still blew out. Surge protectors don't last forever.
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