January 6, 2010
A CCNA or CCNP candidate who wants to be totally prepared for their exams is going to put together a home lab to practice on. With used Cisco routers and switches more affordable and plentiful then ever before, there’s really no excuse to not have one!
With the many different models available, there is some understandable confusion among future CCNAs and CCNPs about which routers to buy and which ones to avoid. You can take almost any set of Cisco routers and put together a home lab; part of the learning process is taking what equipment you have available and putting together your own lab! For those of you preparing to start your home lab or add to your existing one, this article will list the routers I use in my Cisco pods. You certainly don’t have to have all this equipment, but this will give you some good ideas on how to get started.
The most versatile router you can get for your CCNA / CCNP home lab is a 2520. These routers come with four serial ports, one ethernet port, and one BRI interface for ISDN practice. This mix of interfaces means you can actually use it as a frame relay switch while using the ethernet and BRI ports for routing. (There is no problem with using a lab router as both your frame relay switch and a practice router; for a frame relay switch sample configuration, visit my website!)
My pods consist of five routers and two switches, and three of the five routers are 2520s, due to their versatility. A recent ebay search showed these routers selling for $99 – $125, an outstanding value for the practice you’re going to get.
I also use 2501s in my home labs. These have fewer interfaces, but the combination of two serial interfaces and one ethernet interface allows you to get plenty of practice.
A combination that works very well is using three 2520s; one as my dedicated frame relay switch, one as R1, and another as R2. Add a 2501 as R3, and you can have a frame cloud connecting R1, R2, and R3, a direct serial connection between R1 and R3, an Ethernet segment that includes all three routers, and an ISDN connection between R1 and R2 if you have an ISDN simulator. That combination will allow you to get a tremendous amount of practice for the exams, and you can always sell it when you’re done!
2501s are very affordable, with many in the $50 range on ebay. It’s quite possible to get three 2520s and one 2501 for less than $500 total, and you can get most of that money back if you choose to sell it when you’re done.
With four routers to work with, you’re probably going to get tired of moving that console cable around. An access server (actually a Cisco router, not the white boxes we tend to think of when we hear “server”) will help you out with that. An access server allows you to set up a connection with each of your other routers via an octal cable, which prevents you from moving that console cable around continually. For an example of an access server configuration, just visit my website and look in the “Free Training” section.
Access server prices vary quite a bit; don’t panic if you do an ebay search and see them costing thousands of dollars. You do NOT need an expensive access server for your CCNA / CCNP home lab. 2511s are great routers to get for your access server.
One question I get often from CCNA / CCNP candidates is “What routers should I buy that I can still use when I’m ready to study for the CCNP?” The CCIE lab changes regularly and sometimes drastically when it comes to the equipment you’ll need. During my CCIE lab studies, I found that renting time from online rack rental providers was actually the best way to go. Don’t hesitate when putting your CCNA / CCNP home lab together, wondering what will be acceptable for the CCIE lab a year or so from now. None of us know what’s going to be on that equipment list, so get the CCNA and CCNP first – by building your own Cisco home lab!
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. Video courses and training, binary and subnetting help, and corporate training are also available. Pass the CCNA exam and CCNP exams with Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933!
For a copy of his FREE ebooks, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, just visit the website to get them!
May 21, 2009
What is a blu-ray disc or BD?
Blu-ray Disc (BD) is next-generation optical disc which is considered as the successor of currently used DVDs. BD is developed by a group of international electronics manufacturers under the name of “Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA)”. BDA includes – Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson and many more.
A BD has a whopping five times the storage capacity of a DVD. So it can hold a data of 25GB. It can be single sided or double sided; a double sided disc can contain 50GB of data. BDs primary use is related to hi-definition movies but it is equally useful for data storage. BD is very similar to a traditional DVD disc in look and feel.
Difference from DVDs and CDs
BD’s absolutely of same size. So a player which plays BDs will also play DVDs and CDs. The main difference is use of blue ray laser instead of red ray laser, as in DVDs and CDs. Now a question can arise “what is the benefit of using blue ray laser?” The benefit of using blue laser is its shorter wavelength which is 405nm than a red laser having wavelength of 650nm. So it provides a greater precision than red laser, the higher the precision the smaller will be each storage sector on the disc. This helps BD to store more data in same size.
Industry Support
According to BDA, the association holding the research, 170 media companies, movie and game production houses and computer peripheral manufactures are currently supporting this new technology. Many electronic majors already announced their BD players and other are soon going to announce their players. Currently the price tag is put at $1000 to $1800; this price tag will soon come down.
Applications of BD
Data Storage – With a storage capacity of 50GB, mass storage is certainly a fascinating property of BDs.
High Definition TV and Video – With audience through out world are switching on HDTV (High Definition TV), recording and video will be much easier using BDs.
High Definition Camcorder Archiving – Home videos will soon be able to record High Definition video with use of BDs.
Archiving – Mass storage of data, music and images will be no problem with 50 GB space on one disc.
Features of BD
Except some features like backward compatibility with DVDs and CDs, 50 GB storage and use of blue laser, there are many unique features which are included in BD.
1. Strong copyright protection mechanism – Unlike CDs and DVDs, industry is trying to make BDs piracy free. For this a mandatory copy protection mechanism is employed.
2. Long life – the industry is keen to keep BD format relevant for at least 10 to 15 years. They will try to put all the modifications before making it popular.
3. Cost – BDA is claiming the cost of writing and cost of disc will be very close to DVDs, in spite the fact of higher storage. So, the outcome cost per GB will be very low.
4. Anti scratch – hard coated BD needs no cartridge and it is robust against scratches and fingerprints.
Conclusion
With a great industry support, Blu-ray Disc will soon become popular due to lots of features it has. BDs for computers are under development while BDs for videos already entered the market. I welcome this new technology and wish it a great future.
Manu Dutt Tripathi is a computer professional from India. http://manudutt.wikispaces.com
May 7, 2009
Colocation Hosting
Colocation hosting is a recent buzzword in technological breakthroughs. Colocation is best defined as the process of locating of equipment in another location. On the contrary the client in alternative locations defines Colocation hosting as the location of personal servers – usually the Colocation is of high-end data center. This data center is invariably a packaged composition and this process of Colocation hosting includes the likes of – a high speed internet connection, space, highest level of security, regulated air temperature and professionally managed server solutions to name a few. Colocation. The Colocation service providers could come in different hues which could extend from space service providers who rent space in the data centers and are companies in their own right, the data center owners or even those who are Colocation resellers and not even located on site.
The Colocation Hosting Option
Colocation hosting of services by self may not be the simplest of procedures but they are invariably accompanied by innumerable advantages. The Colocation hosting service providers would enable the client to benefit from the data center’s security, network and environment at all times. This Colocation of hosting services is done at the state of art high-end data centers and need to focus on numerous factors if they are to be a success story. The start up operations would depend on the number of servers that need to be collocated, the bandwidth service providers, the business strategy being adopted and the location of data center of choice – these and more would determine the start up costs of the project.
Service Profiling
A visit to a few data centers could be very informative – a commonality factor which is visible in all data centers is what is known as the ‘rack’ and this rack is important for the Colocation service hosting provider charges a monthly rental for the rack space used. The servers in data centers are stored in cabinets, which in turn are stored on racks. The Colocation hosting follows a few protocols which are fundamental to the Colocation hosting services and need to well comprehended by all Colocation hosting services user at best – the upkeep and maintenance of the servers is the sole responsibility of the user and not the Colocation hosting services provider and the cost of the high speed internet is borne by the user and not the service provider.
Evaluation Protocol
The choice of an ideal data center is not by cost – rather it is by the quality of the data center. The data center of choice needs to adhere to a set protocol which will include – high end security, fast internet connectivity, environment, power backup and fire protection measures to name a few. The Colocation hosting service providers selection then is more than merely selecting a high end data center – it is rather a combination of numerous factors the most important – other than the selection of a data center – being flexibility and control which is best exhibited by the freedom to select the software and the hardware configuration of choice.
View David’s website and get more Information on Colocation Hosting by accessing colocationamerica.com
May 3, 2009
The first question you need to ask yourself is why you need a computer and for what purpose you will use it:
* Surfing the Internet
* Sending and receiving e-mail
* Word Processing
* Spreadsheet and Money management
* Listening and recording music
* Storing and manipulating images
* Playing games
When you are certain that you really need a computer then you need to consider what computer to purchase.
The most common type of computer is the PC. Fewer and fewer people these days use Macintoshes and while Apple still makes them they are used primarily for graphics work at the high end multimedia level.
For home or office use you may be far better purchasing a desktop PC with pre-installed software. And PC prices are on the way down.
Of course notebook computers are really great if you want to take advantage of the portability that they offer, although you really need to weigh this against the cost — as laptops are still much more expensive than your average PC with the same functionality.
You need to determine what capabilities you want your computer to have – the size of the hard drive, the memory and the types of cards – video and audio – that it comes with.
For a standard home or basic office use you should be adequately served by 256Mb of RAM memory with a 80Gb hard drive for storage.
Two other things to consider are that you will need a monitor and software.
For a monitor, try for a 17 inch so that you don’t have to squint to see what is on your screen. Flat panel displays are great for saving space too and the clarity of the displays now are quite impressive.
Most computers will come installed with software. Find what software the PC will come with and work out if this is all you need.
Basic word processing, spreadsheet and email/organizer software is adequate for most people and the ability to access the internet will require a modem installed as well.
If you are worried about learning to use your computer, don’t be. There are tutorials within Windows XP to help get you started, and “wizards” are easy to use, step by step programs built into Windows that will help you learn a lot too.
Plus, once you get hooked up and online with your own computer, you will have access to millions of sites ready and willing to help you learn all about your new desktop PC, the software you have, and even learn how to do things you never imagined!
Check out more of our articles on the parts of a computer to help you understand what computer components you need and what you don’t before you buy! http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/computer-components.html
Guy Ames has been working on and learning about computers for over 10 years, get starter tips on buying a computer or building your own desktop PC including step-by-step tutorials at http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/
May 1, 2009
The Blackberry 8320 is a member of the Curve series by Blackberry known for their beautiful bodies with curvy edges. True to its name the Blackberry 8320 has every feature that you look for in a Blackberry PDA mobile phone in addition to the pretty case. With a 2 MP camera with full camera features, a fabulous media player and full QWERTY keyboard the phone is rich in features too. A must for the Blackberry fans!
Features
1. Design
Weighing 110gms this sleek phone comes with a glossy metallic body. The screen is a comfortable 2.5 inches with support for 65k colors. The handset comes with a trackball for navigation and is placed below the screen. The QWERTY keypad has comfortably placed keys for convenient text input. The keypad can also be locked to protect against accidental inputs.
2. Camera
The 2 MP camera comes with all the standard camera features that you can look for along with dedicated camera keys. The camera is supported by an inbuilt flash to enable bright pictures even in dull surroundings. Zoom into your target with the large screen that acts as a view finder to get picture perfect images even from a distance. The camera can be used to capture images and record videos.
3. Email
Blackberry phones stand unrivaled among other PDA mobile phones when it comes to email. The Blackberry 8320 supports almost every available email protocol and comes with built in attachment viewer and editor. Another rare feature of the Storm is the ability to open and edit attachments. The email capability is no doubt the forte of Blackberry phones. The phone also comes with an instant messaging service that lets you keep in touch with friends and family at all times.
4. Media Player
A very powerful media player comes bundled with this all powerful phone in common with many PDA mobile phones. The player can play music of almost every format like MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA & WMA ProPlus formats. Create your own playlists and manage music easily with the Roxio Media Manager. Enjoy DVD quality movies on the phone with the high resolution screen and the high quality video player which supports a variety of formats like MPEG4, H263, H264 or WMV.
5. Extras
The Blackberry 8320 also features a host of other PDA mobile phone features like;
a) Organizer: The phone features a handy organizer complete with a local calendar.
b) Internet access: Never stay out of touch with the latest news or events with the high speed 3G HSDPA internet and the HTML browser. The phone also supports GPRS and EDGE.
c) Connectivity: Both Bluetooth and USB connectivity is provided for connecting to compatible devices.
d) GPS: An excellent GPS ensures you always find your way around supported by Blackberry Maps.
e) Downloadable Games: Download and install games in your mobile with this feature.
f) RIM wireless modem.
g) 64 MB built in memory plus MicroSD Card support.
April 17, 2009
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused great havoc to the nation, leaving almost 2,000 people dead and 705 people missing. Aware of the severe damage the hurricane has done to people and property, a surge of people, volunteers, and businesses came together to help its victims. One of the many businesses that extended support to Hurricane Katrina victims was Intelius, a leading information commerce company founded and led by Naveen Jain. Hurricane Katrina was said to be one of the five deadliest hurricanes in United States history. Hurricane Katrina affected areas including Cuba, Bahamas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Florida, Florida Panhandle, Louisiana, and most of eastern North America. New Orleans, Louisiana was the most affected area, with 80% of the city flooded. The hurricane was also said to be the costliest hurricane in the history of the nation, causing $81.2 billion in damage. As a result of the catastrophe, a large number of businesses have reached out to Hurricane Katrina victims. Wal-Mart Stores for example contributed $17 million; United Health Group Inc., pledged $10 million; and General Electric Co., donated $10 million in medical devices and $6 million in cash. Aside from the hundreds of millions in cash donations, other businesses have sought other ways to help the victims. Intelius for example, worked with a matching service, Homes for Katrina, in conducting authorized criminal searches to make sure that people who offered to open their homes as well as the refugees taken in, were safe from sex offenders and other criminals. Intelius was founded by Naveen Jain in 2003 based on his vision of providing customers with intelligently integrated information important in decision-making. Naveen Jain has not only led the firm into the success it is experiencing today, but also, he made sure he created a culture of giving in the company.
April 10, 2009
A creative approach to wireless mobile computing increases revenues and productivity
Until recently, restaurant and hospitality owners were wary of adopting wireless POS systems for their establishments. Issues such a cost, ease of use and a general uncertainty about new technology caused them to take pause. Nowadays, however, with the popularity of PDA’s, Blackberries, cell phones and the like, mobile technology and wireless mobile computing has become main stream, and hospitality providers are taking a second look.
In a high cost and competitive market, it’s no wonder that those in the hospitality industry want technology to help them increase revenues. But how can a wireless POS device help them achieve this?
Wireless mobile computing can help in many ways. One such instance is by eliminating the need for staff to line up at a specific POS terminal to place orders. By utilizing mobile technology, serving staff are more productive since time spent during the order taking process is decreased. Wireless mobile computing also allows serving staff to place orders instantly, and then go directly to the next table, thereby increasing table turns. And because serving staff are more productive, significant savings can be seen through decreased labor costs.
Another drawback to stationary POS terminals is that serving staff usually place a number of orders at once to the kitchen, overwhelming kitchen staff. Placing orders tableside eliminates this problem, as orders are more evenly spaced. Plus, when orders are placed tableside, order taking is more accurate and less food is wasted. This directly translates into decreased food costs. Also, serving staff can spend more time with customers, which significantly increases up-sell opportunities.
Utilizing wireless mobile computing in a hospitality environment also allows restaurateurs to approach staffing in a more cost effective and efficient way. Instead of scheduling a large number of serving staff who are responsible for all the order taking and food delivery, a wireless POS solution allows restaurant owners the opportunity to hire just a few skilled staff, give them larger sections, and make their primary focus greeting customers, taking orders and up selling. Non-serving staff can then be hired (at significant payroll savings) to dispatch food and clean sections. When serving staff are able to remain on the floor, the result is superior customer service and again increased sales through up selling and faster table turns.
Now, Volanté POS Systems of Toronto, Canada has come along and revolutionized the wireless POS industry in a creative and innovative way. By using PC notebooks (not much bigger then a handheld) the entire POS software is loaded on the unit and it runs as a terminal with peer to peer, data synching etc. PDA’s don’t work in this manner- they require writing to the unit (in other words, new code, separate product) plus they’re not robust enough for Food and beverage. Volanté has evolved its software into the peer to peer architecture, and now POS software can be loaded onto a small wireless notebook with amazing results. The technology is revolutionary – nobody else can do what Volanté is doing.
This approach can work exceptionally well in venues that aren’t traditional table side establishments, such as stadiums, trade shows, casinos, arenas, race tracks and outdoor sales areas (such as rooftop patios for instance) where conventional POS terminals aren’t practical nor feasible.
Wireless mobile computing from Volanté offers even more important and innovative features. For instance, the menus on the notebook or handhelds are the exact same menus as on the traditional register. The databases are in sync with one another. You don’t have to program them separately; they’re an extension of the host computer. This approach is less expensive because it doesn’t require separate servers for handhelds and traditional registers. And because Volanté POS software is written in pure Java, its real time as well.
For more information on how wireless POS technology and wireless mobile computing from Volanté can help your business increase profits and productivity, email them at sales@volantesystems.com, or visit their website at http://www.volantesystems.com.
Wireless POS solutions truly allow Hospitality leaders to enter the 21st century, while also giving them an extra edge in a fiercely competitive industry.
March 27, 2009
The properties of the elements exhibit trends and these trends can be predicted with the help of the periodic table. They can also be explained and understood by analyzing the electron configurations of the elements. This is because, elements tend to gain or lose valence electrons to achieve the stable octet formation.
The properties of the elements exhibit trends and these trends can be predicted with the help of the periodic table. They can also be explained and understood by analyzing the electron configurations of the elements. This is because, elements tend to gain or lose valence electrons to achieve the stable octet formation.
In addition to this activity, there are two other important trends. First, electrons are added, one at a time, moving from left to right across a period. And, as this happens, the electrons of the outermost shell experience increasingly strong nuclear attraction. As a result, the electrons become closer to the nucleus and more tightly bound. The second trend is the moving down a column in the periodic table, where the outermost electrons become less tightly bound to the nucleus. And these trends explain the periodicity observed in the elemental properties of atomic radius, ionization energy, electron affinity, and electronegativity.
But, before going into that we need to know a bit more about the above mentioned terms:
Atomic Radius
The atomic radius of an element is half of the distance between the centers of two atoms of an element that are in contact with each other. Generally, the atomic radius decreases across a period, from left to right and increases down a given group. Therefore, the atoms with the largest atomic radii are located in Group I and at the lower half of groups.
Ionization Energy
Ionization energy or ionization potential is the energy required to completely remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion. And, the closer and more tightly an electron is bound to the nucleus, the more difficult it is to remove and the higher its ionization energy. Ionization energy is also required to remove a second valence electron from the univalent ion to form the divalent ion, and so on.
Electron Affinity
Electron affinity is the energy change that occurs when an electron is added to a gaseous atom. It reflects the ability of an atom to accept an electron. And the atoms with stronger effective nuclear charge have a greater electron affinity. Therefore, some generalizations can be made about the electron affinities of certain groups in the periodic table. The alkaline earths have low electron affinity values. This is because they have filled sub shells. But, the halogens have high electron affinities because of the addition of an electron to an atom results in a completely filled shell. Noble gases have zero electron affinities, since each atom possesses a stable octet and will not accept an electron readily.
Electro negativity
An atom with higher electro negativity has a great capacity for attracting bonding electrons. Therefore, electro negativity is a measure of the attraction of an atom for the electrons in a chemical bond. It’s related to ionization energy. So, electrons with low ionization energies have low electro negativities because their nuclei do not exert a strong attractive force on electrons. And, elements with high ionization energies have high electro negativities. This is because of the strong pull exerted on electrons by the nucleus.
Therefore, electro negativity is dependant on the atomic number. As the atomic number increases, the electro negativity decreases, as a result of increased distance between the valence electron and nucleus. An example of an electropositive element, i.e. one with low electro negativity, is cesium. And an example of a highly electronegative element is fluorine.
Dr.George Grant is an experienced researcher in Bio-chemistry. He has done extensive researches and experiments in the field. He is a visiting faculty for some of the most reputed Science colleges. For more information on Chemistry Tools and Definitions, Please Visit- http://www.chemicool.com
February 15, 2009
See full details about Samsung LCD TVs at Ratings 32 Samsung Lcd Hdtv
(Get 45%-75%
Discount from Direct Amazon LCD TV Wholesaler! Click Link!)
So to be able to win the battle they came up with marketing strategies to sell their products; this includes free gifts for every purchase of their products. A tiny amount of light is able to leak through which is why LCD TVs are not able to reproduce as good of a black level as Plasma TVs, so see more on Samsung 67 Samsung Lcd Tv. With the recent advancements in flat screen television technology there have been some cool new features that can enhance your home entertainment experience. LCD televisions are for the purpose of relaxing a user and hence both of these machines are not prone for comparison. See more about Samsung LA32A650A1R. LCD TV battle thanks to their PC inputs and memory sticks that allow you to use the LCD TV screen as a computer monitor.
To start with you are going to need to know the amount that you can afford to spend because there are numerous different types of models out there with functions that are similar that also vary in their prices. Read on more about Samsung 67 Samsung Lcd Tv, or explore more about Samsung LA32A650A1R. Check the viewing angels according to the seating arrangement in your room.
The images formed are more sharp and detailed in case of Plasma TV. If you are looking for a high class yet cheap LCD TV you must make a complete and comprehensive survey of the market, so get more info on Samsung 67 Samsung Lcd Tv. For choosing the best deal many websites are available for the customers through which they can ask for these amazing services. See more details on Samsung 67 Samsung Lcd Tv below. A tiny amount of light is able to leak through which is why LCD TVs are not able to reproduce as good of a black level as Plasma TVs. Much like the conventional approach to driving a car and our understanding of how the Internal Combustion Engine works (or not depending on your point of view) very few people understand entirely what happens behind the screen of a TV or do they? The word television is derived from a mixed usage of Greek and Latin roots meaning in literary terms “far sight” and being derived from the Greek term “tele” meaning “far” and the Latin “vision” meaning “sight” or “to view in the first person”. See more about Samsung LA32A650A1R from the link above!
At the same time it is worth taking note that it is these same differences that give each of these display technologies its strengths and weaknesses and that therefore render one more suitable than the other in certain circumstances. 5 million units during the quarter. Hope you got all details on Samsung 67 Samsung Lcd Tv.
February 4, 2009
We live in a fast paced society which seems to be becoming more hectic by the day. Every day we run into people who lose control and flip out. We, ourselves, do it on occasion. There’s no way to change the world around us so we have to try to control our inner world. We have to take care of our own mind, body and soul.
Here’s a few very simple things that can make a big difference:
-take a walk every day-
-limit caffeine and alcohol intake-
-instead of watching television, read a book-
-at dinner time, turn off the TV, radio, and phone-
-when it’s sunny out, get outside as much as possible-
-avoid negative people as much as possible without being rude-
-try different things once in a while(stay out of ruts)-
It’s not difficult to do these things but most of us won’t unless reminded of them. So, put these tips on a little note somewhere visible and add a couple of your own ideas and keep adding to the list. It’s been said and proven that you get more results when you put your goals in writing.
Try this for a month and see what happens.
http://conquer-stress.info/stress/
About the Author
John Hilbert has an informational website at: http://conquer-stress.info/stress/
