Passed the Cisco BGP test!
Okay, so I'm two weeks late on posting this but it's still exciting! I'm actively working towards the CCIP so I wanted to take this test before June so I can stick to my "study and pass a test within a reasonable timeframe" schedule. It's pretty difficult and I actually failed it on the first try (with a 750 out of a 755 passing score. Argh!). This time around I passed with a more respectable 912.
Without divulging too much, you should definitely know all of the testing objectives cold. They can be found here. Pay particular attention to the differences between IBGP and EBGP and all of the features each offers. I used the "Internet Routing Architectures" book by Sam Halabi and it was excellent. Even if you're not taking the BGP test, it would be a good idea to have that book on hand as a reference. Read it twice and the test should be a piece of cake.
How to connect to the IPv6 Internet
Wrote up a new article on how to connect your home router to the IPv6 Internet. Have fun visiting all 10 IPv6-enabled websites ; ) Check it out here - article.
How to block the obnoxious Apple January Software nag screen in iTunes 7.6
Looks like Apple is turning into the IRS. Now they're nickel and dimeing you after your purchase. As if their users don't pay enough for pretty hardware that does the same thing as a beige box PC... Ok, seriously Apple, why the need to annoy the shit out of your users by nagging them to buy software for the iPod touch that comes free with the iPhone? OK, I'm done complaining (for now).
I'm usually hesitant to upgrade the software on my iPods since they rarely add new features and are more commonly used to clamp down on users (see the iPhone bricking debacle) or refresh DRM but I thought the 1.1.4 update might be worth it. So lo and behold, I plug my 16 Gig iPod touch in, hit the upgrade software button and let it do it's thing. Afterwards I expect to just have to resync all my content back to it but what am I greeted with? A nag screen telling me to buy a bunch of crap software I don't even want. I gave myself a day to cool off before figuring out how to block this since the only options are to "Take me to the iTunes store" or "Remind me later". So much for choice when it comes to Apple, huh?
Here's a quick and dirty way to block this annoyance. Be warned though, that it will likely block some or all of your access to the iTunes store, but you don't really buy crippled music anyways, do you?
Pop open a terminal and type "sudo vi /etc/hosts" (without the quotes) and hit enter. You should see two to four lines with 127.0.0.1 and possibly ::1 and fe80::1 if you're using IPv6. Type GG to go to the end of the file and insert the following:
127.0.0.1 ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net
Hit ZZ to save the file and exit. Now type "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache" to flush your DNS cache. This effectively prevents your computer from using the iTunes store, which is precisely what happens when you plug your iPod Touch into your docking cable (By the way, thanks for including an actual dock with the IPT Apple. Real elegance there...) and it loads a web page inside iTunes that nags you to buy the January software. You'll get an error message about the network connection to the iTunes store being refused but you only have to hit OK to be dropped back to the iPod management screen.
Obviously all Apple has to do to disable this is to change the hostname you connect to but they wouldn't really do that to further annoy you, would they?
It does appear that when you do actually buy the software, a file called nikita_receipt.plist is placed in /private/var/mobile/applications. I'll be looking for a way to add the necessary data to that file. For now I'm not sure since all plist files seem to be just a binary blob instead of the XML format they used to be in versions of OS X past.
Installing Dynamips and Dynagen on Ubuntu 7.10
I've been using Dynamips and Dynagen for a little while to practice for some Cisco tests and have to admit, they really help you get configuring routers in a flash. I decided to write up an article in case you're looking for a quick and easy way to do some Cisco labs.
The only downside is that you don't get exposure to real hardware but considering most network engineers are nowhere close to the equipment they're working most of the time, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Check out the article here.
CCNP Progress: Passed the CIT! I’m a new CCNP!
W00-h00! Finally passed the last test. I took it a few months ago and failed pretty badly. This time around I continually reviewed my material to make sure I knew it cold. I'm glad I'm through with this certification. I may move towards the design track. But first, a much needed break.
The Home Network of 2012
" The home network of 2012 is delivered and controlled by the service providers, says Motorola’s Jed Johnson." Sound funny to you too? Apparently, quite a bit of this is already in the works, according to this article. It's a vision of what home networks will be like according to three industry prognosticators. Considering that most people with less than 1 Mbit DSL are content to browse web sites and check email, I find it hard to believe that we'll have IP-enabled thermostats in 2012. Also, the DRM scheme in the article would never work because people are finally realizing that DRM is a nuisance, not a feature. Favorite quote: "While much of the population is enjoying services piped over 100 Mbps-plus broadband connections, slower 512K-1 Mbps broadband is available to everyone under nationwide subsidized programs." They obviously aren't talking about broadband in the U.S.
Hella-speed
Wow, did a speed check on my Internet connection at www.speedtest.net and got some surprising results:
