Sunday 11 November 2007

Talktalk with BT voyager 2091 Hacked modem

BT Voyager 2091 is the modem I bought while I was a customer with BT,
it s a good wireless modem with WEP encryption key, but BT decided to lock it so you can only use it with if your ISP is BT.
Yes you pay them to slave your modem to them. (SO YOU CAN NOT RECYCLE IT)

I moved to talktalk, and had to buy the standard modem with the package. In their online order form only the basic Modem were appearing, so I bought it and thought to hack later on the BT voyager to access again the net wirelessly in the house.

I managed to hack the modem by putting a new firmware that I found at the following address.
http://corz.org/comms/hardware/router/other.bt.voyager.routers.php?page=all

The results is the following:

the unlocked BT Voyager became Dynalink and I got my wireless back.
yoopi!!!

After googleling about the BT router I found out that its platform is based on the Broadcom 6348.

The platform of the Dynalink is based on a similar platform Broadcom 6345 hopefully the small difference would not affect too much my reborn unlocked router.
I have been surfing for now 3 hours with it (with 2 wired PCs on the network ) and it still seems all fine...

In case the links of the firmware download break, let me know so I email you the unlocked BT voyager 2091 firmware..

Saturday 27 October 2007

Hotmail Spam blocker going crazy against IP addresses

It seems that Hotmail spam filter is going mad, they decided to block email from IP addresses, it just happen for my company this week and we thought that we will have to invest to upgrade everything, as hotmail had block the IP of our server saying that Spam were going from this IP, this was a big chock for us!

Then this happen again with my voila.fr personal account, see message below.

After having created spam with their own system (hotmail) they are blocking server IPs which they think are copying them !!! (they want to keep their copyright... :)

I wouldn't like to be have an Hotmail account right now, receive no genuine email any more because the master called Ms decided to do so....

I just hope that they fix it soon before I loose my friends :)



Message received back from Hotmail server:
"
This is the SMTP Server program at host voila.fr.

I'm sorry to have to inform you that your message could not be
be delivered to one or more recipients. It's attached below.

For further assistance, please send mail to

If you do so, please include this problem report. You can
delete your own text from the attached returned message.

The SMTP Server program

: host mx2.hotmail.com[65.54.244.168] said: 550 SC-004
Mail rejected by Windows Live Hotmail for policy reasons. A block has been
placed against your IP address because we have received complaints
concerning mail coming from that IP address. If you are not an
email/network admin please contact your E-mail/Internet Service Provider
for help. Email/network admins, we recommend enrolling in our Junk E-Mail
Reporting Program (JMRP), a free program intended to help senders remove
unwanted recipients from their e-mail list: http://postmaster.live.com (in
reply to MAIL FROM command)
"

Saturday 20 October 2007

Remote desktop to windows XP

Hey!! I have just managed to run remote desktop from ubuntu 7.10 to windows XP through a VPN.

First I needed to install the following packages or plug-in to the network manager

  • "pptpd" and "pptp-linux", pptpd is the microsoft protocol for Point to point Tunneling protocol, this plug in to the network manager will allow to to set up the vpn client.
  • vpnc plug in to the network manager will allow to start the connection and the connection.



Fig: The network Manager with Vpn plug-in

This install can be done easily using the synaptic Package Manager

once install you can establish the vpn connection and it will be ready for the remote desktop. On the option choose RDP or RDPv5 also filling the IP address of your Windows XP box.

Fig: The Terminal Server Client
Fig: WIndows XP log in inside ubuntu 7.10

The only problem I got now is my slow and unreliable broadband connection.
I have a poor 500K/s with talk talk, I should go back to BT but the price is double.
I wish I were in Paris with a fibre to the home connection....

Extra note:
If you want to VNC to an old windows machine such as windows 2000, windows 95/98:
TightVNC as the server on window and the "Terminal Server Client" (using VNC for the protocol option) on the remote linux box works perfectly.

Tuesday 22 May 2007

A great PC without the M$ tax

I received my new MythTV PC from efficient PC UK.
It took a bit more time for them to send it out as they had to fixed the latest bugs, configuration of the new Ubuntu 7.04 and MythTV. But the results is good :
  • A SILENT desktop PC based on Asus barebone PC (borebone PC meaning that the motherboard + Case + power supply are all design as one bloc, making the PC more efficient in term of space, and noise) the most noisy part is the CD/DVD when working. A big change for my other PCs, no more factory noise fans to listen to, and I can now appreciate the music and videos thru the PC.
  • A low price option compare to the thousand pounds needed for a M$ equivalent system. This system gives you open office (.org) to do all office works, a lot of open source software which can be added easily through a Graphical interface no more command lines needed (Well, almost... except maybe for Nviada driver)
  • I can even use it to go to Second Life, as the desktop is ready for the open GL standard.
  • My most used software on the desktop are : Firefox, OpenOffice.org, SecondLife, Azarus (a bit torrent client), QuantaPlus (for web design) and more....
  • There is even a very nice software to create genealogy Trees .... and much more... Picasa to sort out your photos can also be installed.
  • oh I forgot... the replacement of itunes, or windows media player, without the intrusion, or the eye of the providing company. A great software for music, it's Amarok a really good example of the power of the IT community.
I think I almost free from M$, I wish my company desktop could follow the same path....

Thanks to the community, Ubuntu and efficient PC, to give us our freedom back.

Wednesday 9 May 2007

Googles really have senses...

Yes the Google team are not just surfing the net and playing, they answer to my problem very quickly with a pseudo-personalized email. I was quite impressed, I thought what their would never have time to take care of my problem since they must have thousands of request a day... but they did it very quickly.
In case that this happen to you and can't log in to Google Adsense when using your Google account after registering, you can try again again but check you use the user as name@gmail.com and not the name@googlemail.com. Small bug init? ...

So I will now reactivate my Ads and hope for some little cash... Well it's always good to hope...

Monday 7 May 2007

Google no senses...

I have tried to setup google Adsense with my google account, which worked almost straight away. But I can't log in to the Adsense account. I was supposed to log globally with the google account and then I would not need to log again with Adsense. Well it is what they say when you fill the form...
But when I try to log in with adsense is saying that it wants a different log/password than the google one, and I don't have one...

The option during the online application was whether to use google account or another way, I should have chosen the later.

I can remove the ads of the site from now until the problem is solved ...
Shame it was a good motivation to write good blog....

Tuesday 1 May 2007

Laptop with ubuntu, ready to go

An new era has started with ubuntu 7.04 arriving, dell is now shipping its computers with linux installed, but they are not the only one.

Already one small company started to take the risk to build great PC with Ubuntu. This company, "efficientPC" targeted at first the PVR market. They build several silent desktop with MythTV, and they used good technology too with Asus motherboard and Nvidia graphic card they created great PC, which can be used as PVR.

And the are now continuing they effort and releasing Asus Laptop with all the needed gadgets and tools for a starting price of £599 including VAT... I think that they came right in time as the new ubuntu 7.04 is now ready to compete against ....

hasta la vista....

more more info see their site at http://efficientpc.co.uk

Sunday 29 April 2007

Swicth to talktalk, Be patient....

My talk talk logs

Here few of my logs while switching with talktalk....
It is maybe cheaper than its competitors at 20 pounds for phone and broadband but you have to be really patient...

03/04/07

Expecting to get connected to the internet with talk talk. BT disconnected us late the night of the 02/04- 03/04

we already had 2 weeks of phone services with talktalk which was working fine. And we were wanting for the faster 40GB limit to arrive....

From this date we couldn't receive any call, the phone was not ringing any more.

We first call them (didn't note date and time) about the broadband but they said that it was still not activated, and they will do it in the next coming days.

We call them again (didn't note date and time) to report that the phone couldn't receive any call any more. they will fixed it in few days. I guessed that they needed to put the new adsl equipment then after that it would all work fine....

07/04/07


->We received SMS on F mobile saying that it was “fixed” we replied by “NOT FIXED” .

08/04/07 Easter

->We call them, the SMS didn't seem to work they thought it was fixed..

they said that “ they will credit us an amount in our bill”

between 08/04 11/04/07

->(f) call them after wait and then transfer to 2 broadband dept. the internet start working.

Also I tested the phone through the technical help desk to conclude that the line was too weak for us to receive call.

11/04/07

(f) call them from university phone.phone twice,

-> one time for 5 mins wait then ringing and nothing.

->another one waiting 20 mins then ringing then nothing...

12/04/07

->Receive SMS again (internet was working, could send call but couldn't receive and the line was very weak when calling) reply “NOT FIXED”

13/04/07

->(f) call them. they said “it should be fixed quickly and it is classify as urgent”



received SMS fixed. reply “NOT FIXED”

14/04/07

>Receive SMS again , reply “NOT FIXED”

->(f) called later, we tested different things with the phone (line is still weak need to be fixed) then I was waiting them to call me back on my mobile... still waiting

->(f) called later, wait 10 mins then ringing then nothing...

->(a) called later

Tested the phone and line.....

He'll check.. on Monday with BT

operator from Cape town ext 2713311

Low voltage BT need to increase voltage on exchange.

17/04/07

->8.30 am, (a) called girl to check & she should call back. She didn't call

->7.30 pm, (a) called again



19/04/07

->10.15 am

call to 080 0873527 option 5 5

5 mins in queue then ringing then blank or dead and the other side.

->10.20 am call again thru option 3 2.. and something

answered security then transfer to another team “broadband” I thought I was already there!

thru the other team, they ask me the same question. then they told me that “internet can not work until the line is fixed” I told then that is been 2 weeks that we have this problem! then ask them to put if they know when it would be fixed... they had to put me to another team..... wait again, security question AGAIN, the line went really weak with this Indian accent woman speaking very fast, couldn't hear much, she was telling me to call again in order to get better line... I had to end the call 10.49

->13.40 call again option 5 5

put password for (a) xxx

need to call 0870 0873527 with option 3 1 2 for update end of call 13.47

->13.47 call 0870 0873527 with option 3 1 2. “An engineer should contact us within 24 hrs on my mobile”. end of call 13.53 (not bad, answer straight away after selection)

20/04/07

->12.20 am suddenly internet start working no engineer called

->14.40 am internet stop working for no reason...still no news from talktalk engineers.(do they hired any?? Never see or talk to any engineer, only operator whose know the normal procedure thru thr phone.)

->14.44 am call 0870 0873527 with option 3 1 2.

got thru somebody she put me on hold.... hoops now somebody else answer asking again security bla bla bla ... put me on hold to see what going on. (do they know anything??)

15.05 be patient....

15.10 still nothing.

15.11. she s back, asking questions which i already answer many times before. I told her that we can call but not received calls and internet is not working.

15.13 put on hold again. she needs to do some checks???

15.18 waiting....15:20:06....15:24:01...more than 10 minutes.... and a total of... it will be 1 hour soon what i will be on the phone.... to achieve what??....15:28:11....

15:31:14...she is back. Engineer are changing the profile of the line... not sure it will help but lets hope.

15:34:08 back on hold again..

15:36:01 she needs to transfer to another team . security check again

15:39:36 transfer to another team... they start to p$ me off

15:40:52 back in a queue.... security again... broadband team. “2 days before to be fixed.” (yesterday was 24hours)

15:49:50 end of call duration 1.06 hours

21/04/07

->10.30 am received SMS saying that it is fixed. replied that it is NOT FIXED.

->11.?? am (a) called for around 1hour

->14.20 am received SMS saying that it is fixed. replied that it is NOT FIXED. (off course the SMS will be ignore like all the previous ones. If we call them tomorrow they will probably think that it is fixed...)



22:55:33 internet working.... for how long??


22/04/07

->10.00 am internet is not working (looking at the log of the modem it stopped at around 2.22 am)

->11:02:44 call 0870 0873527 with option 3 1 2.11:06:30 answered. nice guy(English accent ) reproted the fault again, he log us again for the engineers to look at it. He will try to give us forward call to mobile phone request done by email to talktalk!...as the system tells him not to....11:11:56 end of call



26/04/07

->16.45 talktalk called me on my mobile to ask me to disconnected all equipment so that engineers can do some test on the line. As I was away from the house, they ask me to disconnected it for tomorrow morning.

->19.00 the phone is working ringing. not internet. Looking at the log file of the router the internet went up and down many times during the day.

->22.30 internet working(for some time only)
27/04/07

->09.00 am f disconnected all equipment for talktalk to test the line... (although I don't believe they will manage to do it during the morning...)
29/04/07

->14.00 I noticed that the new internet speed of the modem is 8126/443 (Bandwidth Down/Up(kbps))

a big improvement from the talktalk start of around 6000/144

15:05:48 disconnected reconnected at Bandwidth Down/Up(kbps)2577/244

15:40:39 disconnected reconnected at Bandwidth Down/Up(kbps)8126/369


Conclusion

After 3 weeks of time wasting with talktalk we finally have our phone line working properly. As concern the broadband connection... still going on and off, and we start to be fed up calling them, so we order Virgin Media as they are coming in our area. Hopefully the quality of their broadband is better, also being a cable company, I hope that they will be hopefully adopting Fiber To The Home (FTTH) earlier than their competitors..... (and be able to surf like at 50Mega up and down like it is already happening in France.... keep dreaming... these british companies still have a long way to go...)

Tuesday 24 April 2007

At least a good MythTV PC

I found out a great supplier for ubuntu MythTV at http://efficientpc.co.uk, I have just order one of their PCs, the machine seems to have great specs as concerns MythTV, also it is a silent PC. No fan turning... The perfect PVR for me without having to the price tag of M$

As soon as I receive the beauty I'll write a quick review...