Has been a very productive morning already.  Got linux running on my Linksys WRT54GS router (which previously had some horrible excuse for a firmware running on it).  Everything seems to be a lot zippier now and the GUI system for admin is much nicer and expansive.

Read about DD-WRT here

I was having problems with my connection randomly dying a couple times a day, forcing me to power cycle my cable mode / router.  So this was something that had to be done.  If you have one of these routers (they are indeed quite popular), I would recommend undergoing this process as it seems you can get a lot more for your money in this device.

The router also has this problem with P2P apps or any software that generates a lot of connections.. any way here are some commands to execute in Telnet to fix this kind of problem:

The following instructions are for DD-WRT only

• Do not use the web interface method as it cuts off part of the commands.
• Enable SSH (Admin, Services) as we are going to use the NVRAM method @ http://wrt-wiki.bsr-clan.de/index.php?title=Startup_Scripts#NVRAM_Method
• Login to the router with an SSH client (root/your password).
• Put the following commands into the SSH client.

~ # nvram set rc_startup=”
> echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts
> echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/icmp_ignore_bogus_error_responses
> echo ‘600 1800 120 60 120 120 10 60 30 120′ > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_conntrack_tcp_timeouts
> “
~ # nvram commit
~ # reboot

Make sure your “Maximum Ports” is set to 4096 on the Management page of your Admin GUI

Footnote:  rockin’ out to Alabama 3 this morning per Dan’s recommendation.  Pretty rockin tunes!

A couple entries ago I wrote about the Internet gambling bill making it’s way through Congress. Well I’m sure many of you also know about the Net Neutrality bill, which serves to bring priority on the net to that content which is considered on a “different tier”. Well anyways, the bill is apparently being served up by Ted Stevens and The Daily Show decided to attack the issue. Hilarity ensues after the jump.

(more…)

Having a little trouble sleeping tonight. Probably can be attributed to too much caffeine in the late hours. Since I’m not catching any z’s right now I figured I’d jump on here and write a quick little blurb about something in the news that is kinda irritating.

Now I’m not one to really pay too much attention to politics. I used to be very interested in the topic, but lately I’ve just become apathetic. However, yesterday I receved an email through the Poker Player’s Alliance about this bill that Congress is looking to put through. Essentially the intention of the bill is to create a law prohibiting all U.S. financial institutions from transferring funds to online gambling sites and to put pressure on Internet service providers to block the sites and applications individuals use to play online poker.

It’s being reported that this is part of an “American Values Agenda” that is being prioritized in Congress. However if people playing in poker tournaments online is a big moral dilemma, why does this same bill leave the barn door wide open for legal horse racing and Internet lotteries?

It seems to me that if, like other evolutions in the technology world, governing bodies would choose to embrace those evolutions rather than fighting them, the end results would prove to be more beneficial for all involved. As far as I’m concerned it’s similar to the same idea as the RIAA or MPAA’s learning to provide their product through new channels rather than prohibiting those innovations threatening their market share.

This quote from the Poker Players Alliance illustrates this thought process:

“The United States should follow the lead of the United Kingdom by regulating and taxing online poker, not banning it. An economic analysis just released by our organization shows that U.S. regulation of online poker has the potential to raise more than $3.3 billion in annual revenue for the federal government, in addition to another $1 billion for state coffers. We hope that this analysis will give a fresh perspective for U.S. Senators about the benefits of regulation.”

Now I’m not a high stakes gambler or anything, but I will say that I enjoy the ability I have to hop on an online poker room, when I feel the urge, and splash around a few chips. I enjoy the game of poker because it is a game that while yes, it has an element of luck involved, it also requires a thought process and analytical approach that I find to be relaxing and a nice break from my work. Besides, I will never balk at the opportunity to make a few extra bucks every now and then. It’s too bad that the government feels that they need to get involved with this.

If you’re interested in reading more, I recommend this article from CardPlayer.com

Well I was pleased to hear the headline when I was doing a little morning news briefing today. Google is going to open a Research Center in Ann Arbor, which is where University of Michigan (Larry Page’s alma mater) is located. Michigan is really in need of a boost in the tech industry and I couldn’t think of a company better than Google to lead the way.

Hopefully, what you will see, is the foundation for an amazing infrastructure, one which will prove to be beneficial for other leading edge technology companies to join the Michigan market.

This quote from the article in the Detroit Free Press sums up why this is so exciting:

If Michigan is to shed its Rust Belt image and avoid becoming an industrial backwater in the new global economy, it’s clear that the state must diversify and emphasize the strength of its research universities in producing scientists and engineers.

Oh and as a footnote, everybody says the founders of Google are from Stanford, which is true because they both received their Masters degrees there. But do not forget that one of the founders graduated from East Lansing (Michigan) High School and both of his parents are professors at Michigan State University (my alma mater) =)