Technology catch-all thread

[StrangeSox]

Stepson of Stuxnet stalked Kaspersky for months, tapped Iran nuke talks

 

Some of the malware's stealth capabilities were unlike anything Kaspersky researchers had ever seen, and in many respects, the malware was more advanced than the malicious programs developed by the NSA-tied Equation Group that Kaspersky just exposed. More intriguing still, Kaspersky antivirus products showed the same malware has infected one or more venues that hosted recent diplomatic negotiations the US and five other countries have convened with Iran over its nuclear program. Also puzzling: among the other 100 or fewer estimated victims were parties involved in events remembering the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp.

 

Because the rest of the data remained intact on the PC and its security patches were fully up to date, researchers suspect the employee received a highly targeted spear phishing e-mail that led to a website containing a zero-day exploit. Kaspersky investigators said the unpatched vulnerability of the PC may be CVE-2014-4148, which attackers had been exploiting in the wild in the weeks or months prior to Microsoft patching it in October. The flaw resided in the TrueType font parsing engine of Windows and made it possible to execute malicious code using a booby-trapped Office document. It is eerily similar to CVE-2011-3402, another TrueType Windows vulnerability Kaspersky has confirmed was used to infect targets of the 2011 version of Duqu.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

So the internet in our house kind of sucks. We also have to use a booster because the router is in the corner of the basement. Apparently out router is rated at G300. Not even N-technology. So I decided to throw money at the situation.

 

I just bought a TP-Link AC1750 Archer C7 router, and then 3 16dBi antennas to replace the stock antennas. Anyone have any thoughts, worries, experiences with what I'm doing? It seems the main problem in our house is range. I've read that using a booster can cut your speed in half, so I'm hoping that those high powered antennas will help. My only worry is that I THINK the 3 external antennas on the router are on the 5 Ghz band, which can't even be used on a lot of devices in our house. The 2.4 Ghz band antennas are internal. HOWEVER, the antennas I bought are rated for 2.4 Ghz, so I'm wondering if the 5 Ghz signal from my router is connected to the antenna, thus swapping antennas would change the band, or does the 5 Ghz signal come from inside the device and changing the antenna won't change the frequency? I'm guessing it's the later, but the 3 antennas were only $12 anyway, so I'll just keep them anyway for future devices I have that can actually utilize the 5 Ghz band.

[Heads22]

Is it fast enough for porn? If so, it's fast enough.

[Y2HH]

So the internet in our house kind of sucks. We also have to use a booster because the router is in the corner of the basement. Apparently out router is rated at G300. Not even N-technology. So I decided to throw money at the situation.

 

I just bought a TP-Link AC1750 Archer C7 router, and then 3 16dBi antennas to replace the stock antennas. Anyone have any thoughts, worries, experiences with what I'm doing? It seems the main problem in our house is range. I've read that using a booster can cut your speed in half, so I'm hoping that those high powered antennas will help. My only worry is that I THINK the 3 external antennas on the router are on the 5 Ghz band, which can't even be used on a lot of devices in our house. The 2.4 Ghz band antennas are internal. HOWEVER, the antennas I bought are rated for 2.4 Ghz, so I'm wondering if the 5 Ghz signal from my router is connected to the antenna, thus swapping antennas would change the band, or does the 5 Ghz signal come from inside the device and changing the antenna won't change the frequency? I'm guessing it's the later, but the 3 antennas were only $12 anyway, so I'll just keep them anyway for future devices I have that can actually utilize the 5 Ghz band.

 

There are a few things you can do to improve signal quality in your home.

 

1) Placement of the router itself. If at all possible, a central location where all rooms are of equal distance from the router is optimal. Keep the router away from metal (if you know a wall is full of water pipes, move it away from that wall a bit.)

 

2) Name both the 5ghz and 2ghz SSID's the exact same name. IE: Don't name one Chiliheads 2ghz, and the other Chiliheads 5ghz. Devices that can connect to the faster 5ghz band will do so, but if that signal is unable to penetrate the walls or degrades, it will drop down to the 2ghz band of the same name, automatically.

 

3) For the 2ghz band, the channel you broadcast the signal is important, as some of the frequencies are saturated. For 2ghz broadcast, channels 1, 6 and 11 are the only channels that don't overlap, so they're usually optimal, however, I'd avoid channel 6 since it's the default and most people use it...so go with 1 or 11.

 

4) For the 5ghz band keep in mind with the higher frequency, while faster, it does not penetrate walls well. Depending on your building, you will have to experiment to find the proper (most unused channel) in your area.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Y2HH

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

There are a few things you can do to improve signal quality in your home.

 

1) Placement of the router itself. If at all possible, a central location where all rooms are of equal distance from the router is optimal. Keep the router away from metal (if you know a wall is full of water pipes, move it away from that wall a bit.)

 

2) Name both the 5ghz and 2ghz SSID's the exact same name. IE: Don't name one Chiliheads 2ghz, and the other Chiliheads 5ghz. Devices that can connect to the faster 5ghz band will do so, but if that signal is unable to penetrate the walls or degrades, it will drop down to the 2ghz band of the same name, automatically.

 

3) For the 2ghz band, the channel you broadcast the signal is important, as some of the frequencies are saturated. For 2ghz broadcast, channels 1, 6 and 11 are the only channels that don't overlap, so they're usually optimal, however, I'd avoid channel 6 since it's the default and most people use it...so go with 1 or 11.

 

4) For the 5ghz band keep in mind with the higher frequency, while faster, it does not penetrate walls well. Depending on your building, you will have to experiment to find the proper (most unused channel) in your area.

 

1) Not possible.

2) Good tip

3) I've read a lot that Channel 1 is default, so if you think Channel 6 if default, then I'll go with 11.

4) Yeah, I've read that and that sucks, although I'm not sure I even own a single device that can connect on 5Ghz. My PS4 and LG G4 can not, and both my laptops are 6 years old.

[iamshack]

1) Not possible.

2) Good tip

3) I've read a lot that Channel 1 is default, so if you think Channel 6 if default, then I'll go with 11.

4) Yeah, I've read that and that sucks, although I'm not sure I even own a single device that can connect on 5Ghz. My PS4 and LG G4 can not, and both my laptops are 6 years old.

Why is relocating it not possible?

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Why is relocating it not possible?

 

Because that's where the computer and the giant computer desk with hutch is located, and also we have a gateway telephony modem that makes it more difficult to move as well. We *could* put the router on the other side of the basement, but then we'd have to run a cable across the hardwood somewhere. It's not worth the hassle.

[Big Hurtin]

There are a few things you can do to improve signal quality in your home.

 

1) Placement of the router itself. If at all possible, a central location where all rooms are of equal distance from the router is optimal. Keep the router away from metal (if you know a wall is full of water pipes, move it away from that wall a bit.)

 

2) Name both the 5ghz and 2ghz SSID's the exact same name. IE: Don't name one Chiliheads 2ghz, and the other Chiliheads 5ghz. Devices that can connect to the faster 5ghz band will do so, but if that signal is unable to penetrate the walls or degrades, it will drop down to the 2ghz band of the same name, automatically.

 

3) For the 2ghz band, the channel you broadcast the signal is important, as some of the frequencies are saturated. For 2ghz broadcast, channels 1, 6 and 11 are the only channels that don't overlap, so they're usually optimal, however, I'd avoid channel 6 since it's the default and most people use it...so go with 1 or 11.

 

4) For the 5ghz band keep in mind with the higher frequency, while faster, it does not penetrate walls well. Depending on your building, you will have to experiment to find the proper (most unused channel) in your area.

To expand on this, if you have a smartphone or tablet, there are good wifi analytic apps available. Wifi Analyzer is a good Android one, and it's free.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

To expand on this, if you have a smartphone or tablet, there are good wifi analytic apps available. Wifi Analyzer is a good Android one, and it's free.

 

Yeah, that's the app I used to determine the best location for our booster, which does a great job extending our signal, but at the cost of speed.

 

I also used the Ookla Speed Test to see what kinds of speeds I was getting with our current set up and with a Netgear AC1750 Nighthawk I bought last week just as a test. With our regular Linksys G-300 (Yes, G!!) I was getting 0.06 MB/S on my phone, and 0.3 MB/S on my PS4 in my room, which is located about 12 feet away from the router (up 1 floor, couple feet to the right). Even with the Nighthawk, I was only getting 2.1 MB/S on my PS4 and 1.1 MB/S on my phone. We are paying for 50 MB/S (but I assume that's only realistic on a hardwired connection).

 

EDIT: I should mention I am converting the mbps reading that the Ookla app gives in to MB/S, which is 1/8th the number. Routers are rated for mbps, even though internet companies sell it in MB/S. It's kind of tricky.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Chilihead90

[Jake]

Yeah, that's the app I used to determine the best location for our booster, which does a great job extending our signal, but at the cost of speed.

 

I also used the Ookla Speed Test to see what kinds of speeds I was getting with our current set up and with a Netgear AC1750 Nighthawk I bought last week just as a test. With our regular Linksys G-300 (Yes, G!!) I was getting 0.06 MB/S on my phone, and 0.3 MB/S on my PS4 in my room, which is located about 12 feet away from the router (up 1 floor, couple feet to the right). Even with the Nighthawk, I was only getting 2.1 MB/S on my PS4 and 1.1 MB/S on my phone. We are paying for 50 MB/S (but I assume that's only realistic on a hardwired connection).

 

EDIT: I should mention I am converting the mbps reading that the Ookla app gives in to MB/S, which is 1/8th the number. Routers are rated for mbps, even though internet companies sell it in MB/S. It's kind of tricky.

 

Every ISP I've ever patronized markets in Mbps, not MBps. For instance, TWC, my current provider...

 

[RockRaines]

Yep. I'm not even on that chart with 105 Mbps

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Every ISP I've ever patronized markets in Mbps, not MBps. For instance, TWC, my current provider...

 

 

Yeah, you know what, I just looked it up and Comcast apparently does list it in Mbps. I was reading an article that I thought was trying to say internet companies promote it in MB/S instead and for some reason I could visualize seeing a Comcast commercial with the speed listed as MB/S.

 

I misread what they were talking about.

[DrunkBomber]

I just moved a few weeks ago and I can say Im pleased with the internet speeds.

 

[chw42]

I just moved a few weeks ago and I can say Im pleased with the internet speeds.

 

 

 

[RockRaines]

You got Fiber or something?

[southsider2k5]

I got 126 and 24 at home.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

You guys jealous, or what?

 

[chw42]

You got Fiber or something?

AT&T Gigapower

 

I can thank Google for it though. AT&T would have never rolled it out if it wasn't for Google Fiber threatening them in Austin.

Edited July 10, 2015 by chw42

[Y2HH]

Yep. I'm not even on that chart with 105 Mbps

 

I had this speed via Comcast and actually dropped it down to 50 to save some money...there is just nothing I do that uses 105, let alone 50. Maybe in the future, but until it becomes necessary I'm not paying for it unless it comes with some bulls*** package they sell me.

[Y2HH]

 

 

You have to do a cross country test (1800 miles+), and NOT to an AT&T destination. It'll still be insanely fast, but it'll show you what you're actually getting vs what AT&T is giving themselves.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Just hooked the new router up, and changed both signals to Channel 11.

 

Ran a speed test on my computer and I'm getting about 8 Down and Up. Ping is 13 vs 20.

 

I should also mention these speeds are all over WiFi. On the computer that is hardwired, I was getting about 130 Down and 25 Up.

[RockRaines]

I had this speed via Comcast and actually dropped it down to 50 to save some money...there is just nothing I do that uses 105, let alone 50. Maybe in the future, but until it becomes necessary I'm not paying for it unless it comes with some bulls*** package they sell me.

Luckily my company pays for it since it's my home office. I'm about to go full business class

[bigruss]

My company today publically announced a security breach, luckily it was not anywhere close to Target bad (no social security or credit card data was breached).

 

There was a ton of stress/work around this, I would hate to be in a large scale breach like we've been seeing.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I swear, you'd think my house was coated with lead-paint. My Chromecast about 40 feet away from the router can't get a signal. Looks like I am going to have to hook up our booster again and take slower speeds to get full coverage in the house. Ugh. I hate to bottleneck this thing, but it seems I have no choice. My next investment may be in a Powerline Adapter for my PS4. They run about $40 on Amazon.

[RockRaines]

My company today publically announced a security breach, luckily it was not anywhere close to Target bad (no social security or credit card data was breached).

 

There was a ton of stress/work around this, I would hate to be in a large scale breach like we've been seeing.

Never a good thing but thats why people increasingly are securing external access with more and more layers. usually its an inside job though.