Author: Steve Novoselac

Director of Digital Technology @TrekBikes, Father, Musician, Cyclist, Homebrewer

Categories
Geeky/Programming

Linksys WRV54G Wireless VPN Router

For xmas, I got a Linksys WRV54G Wireless VPN Router. I set it up and it worked good, wireless worked, wired work, etc. You are supposed to be able to use it as a VPN endpoint, so I decided to try it.

First thing I did, was upgrade the firmware. I was running 2.10. I downloaded the latest version (2.37) and upgraded it. Once I logged back in, I saw new options for VPN Clients, etc, so I figured I was going in the right direction. I could still get on the net, so hopefully it worked. Then I tried to VPN in to my connection from an outside connection, using the Linksys QuickConnect Client. No Luck. I figured what the hey, I have some setting wrong. Then I tried to VPN out to a remote location (which worked before the firmware upgrade) using a Cisco VPN Client. No Luck. WTF? So after a few hours of fiddling with settings and it still not working, I put firmware 2.10 back on. Lo and behold I could VPN Out again, but something else broke. My website I run wasnt working (port forwarding in the router). Darn it!!! So I upgrade firmware to 2.25 – nothing. My last resort. Firmware 2.36. Once I loaded that, I could get on the net, I could VPN to the remote location, and my website worked. Ok, one last thing to test, VPN in to my connection from a remote location. I added a VPN user and the router prompted me to change my internal network to 10.x.x.x network instead of 192.168.1.x network. I figured something must be working. I had to change the static ip of my server to the 10.x.x that i got, and then I could connect to everything internall. I connected to a remote connection, and tried VPN in to my apt. Wow, it actually worked. I could map a drive to my server.

After searching numerous KB’s and website, here is what I have seen.

1) People dont understand the differnce between VPN’ing out, and VPN’ing in. Routers have VPN Passthrough on them so you can VPN out. VPN Passthrough is like one setting to open many ports for you, just so VPN works.

2) VPN Endpoint on this router is configured by default, you just need right firmware and to add a user. You DO NOT need to set up VPN Tunnels! The page in the Admin area for VPN Tunnel and VPN passthrough is misleading. They shouldn’t be on the same page!! If you are going to set up a tunnel, the other end of the tunnel needs to know about you, and you will be connected 24/7. It isn’t like connecting with a VPN client and disconnecting!!

I hope someone out there who is having problems with their WRV54G reads this. Before I got it to work, I figured it was a piece of junk. Now it works great. You just need to have patience. If anyone needs help, just let me know and I can give advice on how to get it rolling.

Categories
Life

Snow

Finally, snow was dumped down in St. Cloud. Now all the people who have been complaining about not having any snow turn into the people who complain that there is too much. Personally I think it was cool because I could whip donuts in my truck! w00t!

Categories
Geeky/Programming

FM Transmitter – MP3 Player

I have Rio Nitrus (1.5 GB) and I have been using it a lot lately. I just purchased a FM Transmitter from Best Buy so I can use it in my vehicle. It is pretty cool, but doesn’t work as good as I would expect. You tune your radio to 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, or 88.7 and then set the switch on the transmitter to match. In Saint Cloud, 88.1 is KVSC, so that setting doesn’t work at all. 88.3 also picks up some of KVSC, so that is out too 88.5 and 88.7 work, but crackly. Sometime it works ok, but sometimes it doesn’t. I guess it works good enough to listen to songs. I might need to make a mount for it and the player, so I can get it in a good position and it will stay clear.

Categories
Geeky/Programming

Microsoft Voice Command 1.5 Released

Yesterday, I installed Microsoft Voice Command 1.5 (5 Day Trial). This is some cool software. I loaded it on my Audiovox 6601, and started using it.

“What is my battery level?” I say, and it responds: “The battery level is 79%”
“What is my signal stength?” I say, and it responds: “The signal strength is 100%”

You can open applications, call people, view contact, start media playing, etc, etc. My only wish is that it would do more! This is the future of computing, in my opinion. If you have a pocket PC or a Windows Mobile device, you should check it out.

Microsoft Voice Command 1.5 Released

Categories
Geeky/Programming

.NET – Changing Screen Resolution

Last night I was working a project, and a feature was requested to have the program change the screen resolution to 1024×768, and then back to what the user had before they started the program. I figured, hey, .NET, it should be easy, right? First rule of computers…nothing can every be easy.

First order of business. Get the screen size of the screen before changing it, so I know what to change it back to.


&nbsp iOrigialScreenWidth = Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Width()
&nbsp iOrigialScreenHeight = Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Height()

Well you think you would be able to set those values as well as get them? Come on, that would be to easy.

The only way I could figure out how to change it was to revisit the good ol’ API. I found a class that someone has wrapped around the API calls to change the resolution, so I referenced that in my project, and was ready to go. At the top of the code “Imports Resolution” – Resolution was the name of the class.


&nbsp ‘ change to 1024×768 so the program fills screen
&nbsp Dim ChangeRes As CResolution
&nbsp ChangeRes = New Resolution.CResolution(1024, 768)

and to change it back again, on close of the program:

&nbsp ‘ change to original resolution
&nbsp Dim ChangeRes As CResolution
&nbsp ChangeRes = New Resolution.CResolution(iOrigialScreenWidth , iOrigialScreenHeight)

Well, anyway, here is the API Class (in C#). You would need to reference the Assembly in your project.

Source Code

So, the moral of the story, instead of using 6 lines of code to change the resolution back and forth, it takes 6 lines and referencing the API. Fun!

Categories
Life

Happy Odd Day

Today is 01-03-05. The first series of odd numbers.
The next series won’t happen again until 2007

🙂

Categories
Life

Lenny Briscoe…

Jerry Orbach has died from prostate cancer. He was the star of Law and Order, as Det. Lenny Briscoe. Sad day.

‘Law and Order’ Actor Jerry Orbach Dead at 69

Categories
Life

Vacation

Im off for the next 2 weeks….Glad to just take a break!

Categories
Geeky/Programming

MSN Desktop Search

My thoughts on the MSN Desktop Search.

When the Google desktop search came out, I installed it, and let it index my machine. I use Google for my web searching, so when I saw that it integrated with those results I thought it was cool.

The MSN Desktop search has other things though that make me use it now instead of the Google desktop search.

1) Deskbar – as you type, results show up – this is cool

2) Integrated in “Explorer” and Outlook – easy to find

3) Seems faster

4) More options

the couple things that stink are

1) MSN Web Search results aren’t as good as Google’s in my opinion. It would be nice to be able to specify what web search to use.

2) MSN Search should replace the Start->Search functionality in XP if you install it. The XP Search is worthless.

Overall, I would rather run a Microsoft Product (running google desktop search is like putting Chevy parts in a Ford)

MSN Desktop Search Beta

Categories
Product Reviews

Clearwire

Wow, today I had the chance to test out Clearwire Wireless Internet. It is like a cable modem or dsl but wireless. You get a thin modem, with a power supply and Ethernet cable. You plug in and you get an ip. Easy as 1-2-3. 1.5 MB download too. I could see myself getting one for like my truck or something. It is only 39.99 for the big package, 17.99 for the small package. If I wasn’t locked in a year contract I’d probably get it. The only thing I see is that it blocks port 80, like all ISP’s, so you can’t run a website on port 80.

Something to look into for sure.

Clearwire