Someone asked me recently, if I were to expand an existing professional services business onto the internet, what marketing steps would I take first: set up a web site, a shopping cart, a newsletter, or a blog?
This is a very good question. Five years ago most Internet marketing specialists would have all responded in chorus, "A website, of course!" Then they would recommend their services to create an elaborate website with lots of bells and whistles.
I had an interesting email this week from a reader who asked me about website design fees. This is not my area of expertise. But this reader is a very smart guy. Why? Because he knows from my ezines, blogs and web site that I've been online for a few years and making a decent living from it.
He's a rabbi who has many years experience counseling people. He now has made a wise decision to start offering coaching services to people, and wants to leverage the internet to find clients, sell ebooks and other programs.
The First Step – Ask Questions
He has many questions about what to do first, where to invest his marketing dollars, and how to get set up so everything works seamlessly and automatically.
While I don't profess to have all the answers to his particular questions, I want to emphasize what's important here. He is asking questions!
Many people just go with their gut or common sense. It goes something like this:
"I need a way to find people online. Ergo, I need a web site. Who can do a web site for me, that doesn't cost too much? Oh, you can? Only $1000. Okay, that seems reasonable. Do it."
It's only later on down the road when they want to start an ezine, or a blog, or sell an ebook that they realize they need more than just a web site. That's when the web designer kicks in with hourly fees.
I've never heard a programmer say they can't do something. They always say they can easily set up autoresponders, gather email addresses, send out a newsletter, create a blog on your site, and even create a secure payment system for sales. I'm sorry, but here's the real news: programmers and web site designers can do all these tasks with your web site, but they will charge you for it, and it still won't do everything automatically. And you will be tied to their hourly fees (and schedule) forever.
Back to the question asked of me at the beginning of this article.
While my partner and I recommend an all-in-one solution and setting up all the elements together if your budget permits, there are a couple of ways to get started.
Unless you have a database of prospects, you will not sell your services or products. Therefore, we recommend getting started the right way by building your database — by offering an ezine or free content to attract people to your business. And, you need a place on the Internet where people can find you and subscribe to your content.
The first two pieces then, especially if you're just starting out and have a limited budget, are a blog and a shopping cart program with an autoresponder system.
Third Party Shopping Cart Systems
A third party shopping cart system is where you get an account hosted online by a company that specializes in providing automated database management, autoresponders, email broadcasting, online merchant credit card and payments, ad tracking, and affiliate programs.
When you start out, all you need to do is deliver your ezine and automated emails through autoresponders. You can get a basic level shopping cart account. As your business grows and you develop products, you can upgrade to get more features on your shopping cart, such as affiliate program management and digital delivery.
There are many online email broadcasting services to manage your newsletter. But be aware that an all-in-one solution such as a shopping cart program will save you time and money in the long run.
We strongly recommend starting off with a shopping cart program that can manage your database and newsletters under one roof. It is better to have all your automated marketing functions with one service provider, than to separate your database and newsletter out to another external email service provider.
http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/21398.html
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
How to Connect Multiple Computers to One Broadband Internet Connection
Broadband, or high-speed, Internet connection is what many users currently use in their home. Along with high-speed Internet, many users may also use a router to allow multiple computers to connect to the Internet. This post will describe how a router is used to connect multiple computers. To make it easier to understand, I will use where you live as a comparison to how your computer is connected to the Internet.
What is an IP Address?
IP addresses are a series of numbers in the form: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn, where nnn is a one to three digit number. An IP address is unique to an individual computer on a network, similar to how your home has a unique address. For an Internet connection, an IP address is supplied by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In some cases, your ISP may provide you with more than one IP address, which allows you to connect multiple computers. As you will see later, however, you can still connect multiple computers with a single IP address.
Connecting a Single Computer
Connecting a single computer to your high-speed Internet is very simple to do. Simply connect a network cable into your modem, and then into the network card in your computer. Your computer will then be assigned an IP address from your ISP. For example, if your ISP assigned you the IP address of 24.24.50.17, then your computer will have that IP address.
When you make a request to a server, such as for a Web page, the Web server knows which IP address made the request. The information is then sent through the Internet and back to your computer. This is similar to when someone sends you mail to your home. The address on the mail allows it to be delivered to your home and not somewhere else.
Connecting Multiple Computers
How can multiple computers connect if only one address is assigned? When you make a request for a Web page, how does it know which computer requested that page? Let's take our home analogy one step further. Let's say instead of living in a house, you live in an apartment. When someone sends you mail, they not only include your address but also an apartment number. This number is internal to your apartment building and every apartment has its own unique number. Similarly, multiple computers can connect to the Internet if they each had there own unique local IP address. This can be handled by a router.
A router is a piece of hardware that connects directly to the modem. Each computer is then connected to the router, instead of the modem. Now instead of your computer having the IP address supplied by your ISP, your router now is assigned that IP address. This is similar to your router acting as the apartment building.
The beauty of a router is that it can assign its own local IP addresses. When you connect a computer to the router it now receives one of the IP addresses assigned by your router, similar to how each apartment has it's own number. Now when you make a request for a Web page, the request is sent using the same ISP address, but this time it is assigned to the router. When the Web page is returned, the router receives the request, and sends it locally to the computer that requested the page.
The router also has its own local address that is similar to the local IP addresses of the computers. So now the router has two addresses assigned to it: an external one provided by your ISP, and a local one provided by it. This allows the router to connect to both the Internet and the local network.
Note: The 192.168.xxx.xxx address are special IP addresses reserved for Local Area Networks (LANs).
Managing a FTP or Web Server on Your Network
Let's take a look at this scenario. You have a router connecting multiple computers to the Internet. But now you want to create a FTP or Web server. No problem. You setup the necessary software on a computer on your network, told someone outside your network the local IP address of your FTP server and they try to connect. They then discover that they can't connect. Why? Its similar to someone mailing something to you by just specifying your apartment number and no address.
The IP address assigned to your computer is local to your network. You can connect to that computer from within your network, but not from the Internet. You will need to use your ISP-assigned IP address (the one assigned to your router) to have someone from the Internet connect to your FTP server. The problem is that your router is assigned that IP and not your computer, and since an IP address must be unique, how can two computers have the same IP? The answer: they can't, but they don't need to.
Routers have the ability to forward information on a port to a specific computer. A port is a numbered channel that data can be sent through on a network. You cannot physically see it as it is a virtual channel used extensively in networking for sending/receiving data. For FTP servers the default port is 21; however another port can be used.
Open your router setup and look for the port forwarding option. Specify the internal IP address of your FTP server and the port number and then save that information. Now when a user tries to access your FTP site, they must use the ISP IP address that is assigned to your router. The router will then notice that the data is being sent on port 21 and then forward it automatically to your FTP server. A Web server can be setup the same way, but its default port is usually 80.
Note: By default a router will dynamically assign IP addresses to the computers connected to it. This means that the first computer to connect to the router will get the first available IP address, and the next will get the second, and so on. If you manage an FTP server, it may be easier to assign a static IP address to the computers to ensure that the FTP server always has the same IP address.
This article described how to connect one or more computers to one Internet connection. It is important to remember the following:
1. If you have one computer connected directly to the modem, then that computer will be assigned the IP address from your ISP.
2. When using a router, the the router will be assigned the IP address from your ISP. Any computers connected to the router will be assigned a local address by the router.
3. A router will have the ISP IP address and a local IP address. This allows it to connect to both the Internet and your network.
4. When setting up a computer as a FTP, Web, or other server to communicate over the Internet, it is important to use the router's IP address to access your server. You will then need to forward the necessary port to your server.Blogger: Information On Internet Provider Articles and News - Create Post
For more information, please read the Technically Easy blog.
Paul Salmon has been involved with computers for 20 years and currently works as a technical systems analyst. He has been involved in many aspects of computers including hardware, software development and quality assurance. He currently maintains Technically Easy, a blog that provides information about various technologies in use today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Salmon
What is an IP Address?
IP addresses are a series of numbers in the form: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn, where nnn is a one to three digit number. An IP address is unique to an individual computer on a network, similar to how your home has a unique address. For an Internet connection, an IP address is supplied by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). In some cases, your ISP may provide you with more than one IP address, which allows you to connect multiple computers. As you will see later, however, you can still connect multiple computers with a single IP address.
Connecting a Single Computer
Connecting a single computer to your high-speed Internet is very simple to do. Simply connect a network cable into your modem, and then into the network card in your computer. Your computer will then be assigned an IP address from your ISP. For example, if your ISP assigned you the IP address of 24.24.50.17, then your computer will have that IP address.
When you make a request to a server, such as for a Web page, the Web server knows which IP address made the request. The information is then sent through the Internet and back to your computer. This is similar to when someone sends you mail to your home. The address on the mail allows it to be delivered to your home and not somewhere else.
Connecting Multiple Computers
How can multiple computers connect if only one address is assigned? When you make a request for a Web page, how does it know which computer requested that page? Let's take our home analogy one step further. Let's say instead of living in a house, you live in an apartment. When someone sends you mail, they not only include your address but also an apartment number. This number is internal to your apartment building and every apartment has its own unique number. Similarly, multiple computers can connect to the Internet if they each had there own unique local IP address. This can be handled by a router.
A router is a piece of hardware that connects directly to the modem. Each computer is then connected to the router, instead of the modem. Now instead of your computer having the IP address supplied by your ISP, your router now is assigned that IP address. This is similar to your router acting as the apartment building.
The beauty of a router is that it can assign its own local IP addresses. When you connect a computer to the router it now receives one of the IP addresses assigned by your router, similar to how each apartment has it's own number. Now when you make a request for a Web page, the request is sent using the same ISP address, but this time it is assigned to the router. When the Web page is returned, the router receives the request, and sends it locally to the computer that requested the page.
The router also has its own local address that is similar to the local IP addresses of the computers. So now the router has two addresses assigned to it: an external one provided by your ISP, and a local one provided by it. This allows the router to connect to both the Internet and the local network.
Note: The 192.168.xxx.xxx address are special IP addresses reserved for Local Area Networks (LANs).
Managing a FTP or Web Server on Your Network
Let's take a look at this scenario. You have a router connecting multiple computers to the Internet. But now you want to create a FTP or Web server. No problem. You setup the necessary software on a computer on your network, told someone outside your network the local IP address of your FTP server and they try to connect. They then discover that they can't connect. Why? Its similar to someone mailing something to you by just specifying your apartment number and no address.
The IP address assigned to your computer is local to your network. You can connect to that computer from within your network, but not from the Internet. You will need to use your ISP-assigned IP address (the one assigned to your router) to have someone from the Internet connect to your FTP server. The problem is that your router is assigned that IP and not your computer, and since an IP address must be unique, how can two computers have the same IP? The answer: they can't, but they don't need to.
Routers have the ability to forward information on a port to a specific computer. A port is a numbered channel that data can be sent through on a network. You cannot physically see it as it is a virtual channel used extensively in networking for sending/receiving data. For FTP servers the default port is 21; however another port can be used.
Open your router setup and look for the port forwarding option. Specify the internal IP address of your FTP server and the port number and then save that information. Now when a user tries to access your FTP site, they must use the ISP IP address that is assigned to your router. The router will then notice that the data is being sent on port 21 and then forward it automatically to your FTP server. A Web server can be setup the same way, but its default port is usually 80.
Note: By default a router will dynamically assign IP addresses to the computers connected to it. This means that the first computer to connect to the router will get the first available IP address, and the next will get the second, and so on. If you manage an FTP server, it may be easier to assign a static IP address to the computers to ensure that the FTP server always has the same IP address.
This article described how to connect one or more computers to one Internet connection. It is important to remember the following:
1. If you have one computer connected directly to the modem, then that computer will be assigned the IP address from your ISP.
2. When using a router, the the router will be assigned the IP address from your ISP. Any computers connected to the router will be assigned a local address by the router.
3. A router will have the ISP IP address and a local IP address. This allows it to connect to both the Internet and your network.
4. When setting up a computer as a FTP, Web, or other server to communicate over the Internet, it is important to use the router's IP address to access your server. You will then need to forward the necessary port to your server.Blogger: Information On Internet Provider Articles and News - Create Post
For more information, please read the Technically Easy blog.
Paul Salmon has been involved with computers for 20 years and currently works as a technical systems analyst. He has been involved in many aspects of computers including hardware, software development and quality assurance. He currently maintains Technically Easy, a blog that provides information about various technologies in use today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Salmon
Low Cost Web Hosting Providers
A web host is the server or computer where the websites store files, graphics and essential data. The web host provider acts as the site for a collection of web sites all over the world. All the web-hosting client does is upload the websites to the common web server. This web server is maintained by the Internet service provider, which ensures fast and constant access to the Internet. This World Wide Web, which is a collection of sites, can be accessed by anyone through the network.
There are many companies that provide web-hosting services. Many providers offer an extensive range of the virtual hosting plans to meet personal or professional needs of the client. Low cost web hosting service does not mean cheap hardware.
A professional web-hosting provider needs to be of a high quality with custom-built servers. This will ensure that the website is hosted on unswerving hardware which provides fast and optimal performance. The host should ensure that the servers are connected to multiple bandwidth providers. So even if one of the connections is down, the others will provide the necessary connection to the host?s website. This will ensure that the down time to the hosts website is minimal.
A web host has to ensure honest and truthful hosting service to all its customers. Good web hosts ensure that they do not oversell their bandwidth and clutter up the same server with a large number of accounts.
Low cost web hosting is a service provided by the web host for a specific fee and to the agency to host their website on the host?s server. It is advisable to ensure that the quality and performance of the host server should not be affected by the low price quoted and that there is no compromise on hardware quality.
Low Cost Web Hosting provides detailed information on Low Cost Web Hosting, Low Cost Web Hosting Services, Reliable Low Cost Web Hosting, Canadian Low Cost Web Hosting and more. Low Cost Web Hosting is affiliated with Discount Linux Web Hosting.
There are many companies that provide web-hosting services. Many providers offer an extensive range of the virtual hosting plans to meet personal or professional needs of the client. Low cost web hosting service does not mean cheap hardware.
A professional web-hosting provider needs to be of a high quality with custom-built servers. This will ensure that the website is hosted on unswerving hardware which provides fast and optimal performance. The host should ensure that the servers are connected to multiple bandwidth providers. So even if one of the connections is down, the others will provide the necessary connection to the host?s website. This will ensure that the down time to the hosts website is minimal.
A web host has to ensure honest and truthful hosting service to all its customers. Good web hosts ensure that they do not oversell their bandwidth and clutter up the same server with a large number of accounts.
Low cost web hosting is a service provided by the web host for a specific fee and to the agency to host their website on the host?s server. It is advisable to ensure that the quality and performance of the host server should not be affected by the low price quoted and that there is no compromise on hardware quality.
Low Cost Web Hosting provides detailed information on Low Cost Web Hosting, Low Cost Web Hosting Services, Reliable Low Cost Web Hosting, Canadian Low Cost Web Hosting and more. Low Cost Web Hosting is affiliated with Discount Linux Web Hosting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole
Internet Access Types
In this article you will learn that what are the major internet access types and how these internet access method works. Following is a brief overview of the major internet communication methods.
DSL
Digital Subscribers Lines is an advanced technology for bringing high speed internet connection to the home and corporate users. DSL doesn’t require the new wiring because it can be used on the regular telephone lines. With DSL you can use your internet connect and use telephone for making phone calls at the same time.
ADSL
ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscribers Lines) is a high speed internet connection that is used to send and receive data at very high speed over the conventional telephone lines. ADSL supports data rate of 1.5 MBPS to 9 MBPS when receiving data (downstream) and 16 to 440 KBPS when sending data over internet (upstream)
Cable Net
Cable modems are copper wire are used to high speed access to the internet. Coaxial cable is used by the TV provides much greater bandwidth than the regular telephone lines. Cable modem provides the broadband internet access. Cable modem is a network bridge that conforms to IEEE 802.1D for Ethernet networking with some modifications. Some cable modem devices use Router to provide local area network with its own IP addressing. Some of the major manufacturers of the cable modem are Cisco, D-Link, Linksys, Motorola, Ericsson, Nortel Networks and 3Com.
Dial Up
Dial up communication is a type of internet access that works on the regular telephone lines. The computer is granted internet access by connecting the telephone line with the modem in the computer and configuring the computer with user name password and dial up numbers provided by the local ISP. Dial up service is least expensive but also provide the lowest internet speed. The dial up connection can be used with two types of modems internet modem and external modem.
GPRS
GPRS General Packet Radio Service is a series of functionalities that allow mobile data streaming and transfer to users of Global System. GPRS also called as 2.5 G. GPRS allows multiple users to share communication channel. GPRS facilitates the functionalities of web browsing, SMS, multimedia messages and real time email reception etc.
WiMAX
WiMAX stands for worldwide interoperability for Microwave access. WiMAX provides very high speed broadband internet connection to the home users, corporate users and the roaming users over wireless connection. WiMAX allows the data, voice and video communication at the same time. WiMAX connection can also be bridged and routed with the wired or wireless LAN. WiMAX provides data rate up to 70 mbps.
Satellite Internet access
Satellite Internet services are used in the locations where terrestrial internet access is not available. Satellite broadband is linked to the dish network subscriber service and provides data communication speed at the same rate of other broadband technologies. Two way satellite internet consists of two foot by three foot dish, two modems for uplink and downlink and coaxial cable between dish and modem.
B. Bashir manages this website Networking Tutorials and regularly writes articles on various topics such as Computer Networking, Network How Tos Wireless Networking, Computer Hardware, Certifications, How Tos, Switched Network and Computer tips.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bushra_Bashir
DSL
Digital Subscribers Lines is an advanced technology for bringing high speed internet connection to the home and corporate users. DSL doesn’t require the new wiring because it can be used on the regular telephone lines. With DSL you can use your internet connect and use telephone for making phone calls at the same time.
ADSL
ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscribers Lines) is a high speed internet connection that is used to send and receive data at very high speed over the conventional telephone lines. ADSL supports data rate of 1.5 MBPS to 9 MBPS when receiving data (downstream) and 16 to 440 KBPS when sending data over internet (upstream)
Cable Net
Cable modems are copper wire are used to high speed access to the internet. Coaxial cable is used by the TV provides much greater bandwidth than the regular telephone lines. Cable modem provides the broadband internet access. Cable modem is a network bridge that conforms to IEEE 802.1D for Ethernet networking with some modifications. Some cable modem devices use Router to provide local area network with its own IP addressing. Some of the major manufacturers of the cable modem are Cisco, D-Link, Linksys, Motorola, Ericsson, Nortel Networks and 3Com.
Dial Up
Dial up communication is a type of internet access that works on the regular telephone lines. The computer is granted internet access by connecting the telephone line with the modem in the computer and configuring the computer with user name password and dial up numbers provided by the local ISP. Dial up service is least expensive but also provide the lowest internet speed. The dial up connection can be used with two types of modems internet modem and external modem.
GPRS
GPRS General Packet Radio Service is a series of functionalities that allow mobile data streaming and transfer to users of Global System. GPRS also called as 2.5 G. GPRS allows multiple users to share communication channel. GPRS facilitates the functionalities of web browsing, SMS, multimedia messages and real time email reception etc.
WiMAX
WiMAX stands for worldwide interoperability for Microwave access. WiMAX provides very high speed broadband internet connection to the home users, corporate users and the roaming users over wireless connection. WiMAX allows the data, voice and video communication at the same time. WiMAX connection can also be bridged and routed with the wired or wireless LAN. WiMAX provides data rate up to 70 mbps.
Satellite Internet access
Satellite Internet services are used in the locations where terrestrial internet access is not available. Satellite broadband is linked to the dish network subscriber service and provides data communication speed at the same rate of other broadband technologies. Two way satellite internet consists of two foot by three foot dish, two modems for uplink and downlink and coaxial cable between dish and modem.
B. Bashir manages this website Networking Tutorials and regularly writes articles on various topics such as Computer Networking, Network How Tos Wireless Networking, Computer Hardware, Certifications, How Tos, Switched Network and Computer tips.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bushra_Bashir
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Taming Wireless Security Blues with Bluesocket
Last week, in the first part of our three part evaluation of Bluesocket's WG-1000 Wireless Gateway, we took a look at the difference between wireless and mobile security functions, as well as how to plug the unit into a LAN and configure role-based policies. This week we start by taking a look at how Bluesocket handles different VPNs.
How VPNs Help
Wireless APs can be seen and used by anyone within a few hundred feet and frames are vulnerable to eavesdropping, modification, and replay. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) features in 802.11 products offer weak protection against these vulnerabilities. Emerging standards like 802.1X and TKIP are fixing the worst WEP flaws, but many companies have already abandoned WEP in favor of VPN tunneling.
VPN tunnels are widely used for authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and anti-replay between offices or remote users on the public Internet. Companies that have already deployed VPN clients on user laptops can leverage that same software to protect traffic over wireless systems. VPNs can provide much stronger security than WEP and produce a more consistent environment for security policy enforcement. But combining VPN with wireless can be challenging.
For one thing, VPN software may already be present on remote user laptops, but what about corporate desktops? What about PDAs and Pocket PCs? What about visitors to a corporate WLAN or public hotspots? Ideally, you'd like to mandate a security policy—not software installation.
Bluesocket VPN SecretsBluesocket minimizes this by supporting many different VPN clients. The WG operates as both a PPTP and IPsec server. It supports IPsec ESP tunnel mode with Data Encryption Standard (DES), 3DES, and 128/192/256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption, SHA1 and MD5 message integrity, and Diffie-Hellman groups 1/2/5, with or without Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). The WG supports IKE authentication with preshared secrets or digital certificates, using Main Mode (IP IDs or X.500 DNs) or Aggressive Mode (User-FQDNs). Secrets can be defined for individual IPs or email addresses, or a group secret can be defined for a non-overlapping IP range (left). We successfully paired our WG with the following VPN clients:
* Microsoft PPTP clients on Windows 95/ME/XP/2K and Pocket PC 2002;
* Microsoft IPsec clients on Windows XP/2K (tested with fixed IP only);
* SafeNet SoftRemote Win32 OEMs from WatchGuard, NetScreen, and SonicWALL;
* SSH Communications Sentinel Win32 IPsec client; and
* Certicom movianVPN and Funk AdmitOne IPsec clients on PocketPC.
Bluesocket also supports CheckPoint and PGPNet (MacOS) clients. Bluesocket does not support L2TP or XAUTH. If you want legacy user authentication in your Bluesocket VPN, create a role that requires both IPsec and RADIUS/NTLM/LDAP authentication.
The VPN combinations we tested all worked well with preshared secrets and little or no debugging. We negotiated a variety of algorithms, including 128-bit AES with SSH and Funk clients. We found this interoperability quite remarkable—especially without ICSA certification. Nonetheless, every multi-vendor VPN presents challenges, and we were not surprised to encounter a few. For example:
( 1 ) We were unable to authenticate PPTP clients against our RADIUS database. This is a documented constraint: PPTP users must be in the WG's local database or an LDAP directory.
( 2 ) Using a PC with a static IP, we established an IPsec tunnel but did not see the connection on the GUI and were unable to authenticate the user. Apparently, the WG was silently dropping traffic because this PC was "unknown"—that is, not using DHCP or in the MAC list. The tunnel came up anyway because IPsec processing is performed before firewall rules are enforced.
( 3 ) To match movianVPN client features, we had to disable PFS in our WG VPN config. Because we were using one VPN config for all clients, we also disabled PFS in our SafeNet clients. To our surprise, SafeNet tunnels worked more reliably after making this change—with PFS enabled, Phase II re-keys had often failed.
( 4 ) Whenever a WG is rebooted, IPsec tunnels must be manually restarted by each user. Some IPsec implementations use "keep alives" to avoid this, but in Bluesocket's mix-and-match environment, one cannot rely on vendor extensions. PPTP clients do not have this problem—they detect TCP control connection failure automatically.
( 5 ) Using dynamic IPs with Windows XP/2K IPsec is awkward. Bluesocket does not support Microsoft's L2TP over transport-mode ESP for remote access. Microsoft's tunnel-Bluesocket Helper Toolmode ESP policies require static endpoint IPs. To update policies when dynamic IPs change, Bluesocket developed an XP/2K "helper tool" (left). This one-click tool makes the update much more palatable, but user initiation of a third-party executable is still not ideal. Companies that require only a predetermined set of NICs (MAC addresses) may find it easier to configure IPs assignments for XP/2K clients.
( 6 ) We were only able to use certificate authentication with Windows XP/2K clients. Bluesocket is still working on cert issues, including interoperability with other clients. While debugging our configuration with tech support, we learned that:
* The VPN entry accepting certs must be the first in the WG's table,
* there must be no local user or subnet VPN defined for client IPs using certs,
* certs cannot have been exported from SafeNet's Certificate Manager, and
* the WG accepts all certs issued by the configured CA. Clients using certs are identified by X.500 DN, but the WG cannot permit/deny individual DNs.
( 7 ) Due to limitations of our lab, we did not test the certificate enrollment feature. A client without a certificate can request one by selecting an option on the login page, logging in with a username, and installing the supplied personal certificate. To enable enrollment, the WG must have the CA's private key and the CA must have an online certificate server that lets the WG to request certificates on behalf of clients. This feature solves the chicken-and-egg problem where tunneling is required to gain protected network access, but the client does not yet possess the cert required to tunnel and cannot request a cert directly from the CA without network access.
Vluesocket VPN DebuggingVPN debugging would be much easier if the GUI included any VPN logging. On the Status/Active Connections page, the VPN associated with each connection is bold-faced when the tunnel is active. There is no other customer-visible VPN status or logging, although a debug log is available to channel partners through a hidden CLI (left). Bluesocket plans to enhance logging; IPsec would be the first thing we'd add. For now, VPN debugging must be accomplished using client-side logs, sniffers, and tech support.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/technology/2002/bluesocket4.html
How VPNs Help
Wireless APs can be seen and used by anyone within a few hundred feet and frames are vulnerable to eavesdropping, modification, and replay. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) features in 802.11 products offer weak protection against these vulnerabilities. Emerging standards like 802.1X and TKIP are fixing the worst WEP flaws, but many companies have already abandoned WEP in favor of VPN tunneling.
VPN tunnels are widely used for authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and anti-replay between offices or remote users on the public Internet. Companies that have already deployed VPN clients on user laptops can leverage that same software to protect traffic over wireless systems. VPNs can provide much stronger security than WEP and produce a more consistent environment for security policy enforcement. But combining VPN with wireless can be challenging.
For one thing, VPN software may already be present on remote user laptops, but what about corporate desktops? What about PDAs and Pocket PCs? What about visitors to a corporate WLAN or public hotspots? Ideally, you'd like to mandate a security policy—not software installation.
Bluesocket VPN SecretsBluesocket minimizes this by supporting many different VPN clients. The WG operates as both a PPTP and IPsec server. It supports IPsec ESP tunnel mode with Data Encryption Standard (DES), 3DES, and 128/192/256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption, SHA1 and MD5 message integrity, and Diffie-Hellman groups 1/2/5, with or without Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). The WG supports IKE authentication with preshared secrets or digital certificates, using Main Mode (IP IDs or X.500 DNs) or Aggressive Mode (User-FQDNs). Secrets can be defined for individual IPs or email addresses, or a group secret can be defined for a non-overlapping IP range (left). We successfully paired our WG with the following VPN clients:
* Microsoft PPTP clients on Windows 95/ME/XP/2K and Pocket PC 2002;
* Microsoft IPsec clients on Windows XP/2K (tested with fixed IP only);
* SafeNet SoftRemote Win32 OEMs from WatchGuard, NetScreen, and SonicWALL;
* SSH Communications Sentinel Win32 IPsec client; and
* Certicom movianVPN and Funk AdmitOne IPsec clients on PocketPC.
Bluesocket also supports CheckPoint and PGPNet (MacOS) clients. Bluesocket does not support L2TP or XAUTH. If you want legacy user authentication in your Bluesocket VPN, create a role that requires both IPsec and RADIUS/NTLM/LDAP authentication.
The VPN combinations we tested all worked well with preshared secrets and little or no debugging. We negotiated a variety of algorithms, including 128-bit AES with SSH and Funk clients. We found this interoperability quite remarkable—especially without ICSA certification. Nonetheless, every multi-vendor VPN presents challenges, and we were not surprised to encounter a few. For example:
( 1 ) We were unable to authenticate PPTP clients against our RADIUS database. This is a documented constraint: PPTP users must be in the WG's local database or an LDAP directory.
( 2 ) Using a PC with a static IP, we established an IPsec tunnel but did not see the connection on the GUI and were unable to authenticate the user. Apparently, the WG was silently dropping traffic because this PC was "unknown"—that is, not using DHCP or in the MAC list. The tunnel came up anyway because IPsec processing is performed before firewall rules are enforced.
( 3 ) To match movianVPN client features, we had to disable PFS in our WG VPN config. Because we were using one VPN config for all clients, we also disabled PFS in our SafeNet clients. To our surprise, SafeNet tunnels worked more reliably after making this change—with PFS enabled, Phase II re-keys had often failed.
( 4 ) Whenever a WG is rebooted, IPsec tunnels must be manually restarted by each user. Some IPsec implementations use "keep alives" to avoid this, but in Bluesocket's mix-and-match environment, one cannot rely on vendor extensions. PPTP clients do not have this problem—they detect TCP control connection failure automatically.
( 5 ) Using dynamic IPs with Windows XP/2K IPsec is awkward. Bluesocket does not support Microsoft's L2TP over transport-mode ESP for remote access. Microsoft's tunnel-Bluesocket Helper Toolmode ESP policies require static endpoint IPs. To update policies when dynamic IPs change, Bluesocket developed an XP/2K "helper tool" (left). This one-click tool makes the update much more palatable, but user initiation of a third-party executable is still not ideal. Companies that require only a predetermined set of NICs (MAC addresses) may find it easier to configure IPs assignments for XP/2K clients.
( 6 ) We were only able to use certificate authentication with Windows XP/2K clients. Bluesocket is still working on cert issues, including interoperability with other clients. While debugging our configuration with tech support, we learned that:
* The VPN entry accepting certs must be the first in the WG's table,
* there must be no local user or subnet VPN defined for client IPs using certs,
* certs cannot have been exported from SafeNet's Certificate Manager, and
* the WG accepts all certs issued by the configured CA. Clients using certs are identified by X.500 DN, but the WG cannot permit/deny individual DNs.
( 7 ) Due to limitations of our lab, we did not test the certificate enrollment feature. A client without a certificate can request one by selecting an option on the login page, logging in with a username, and installing the supplied personal certificate. To enable enrollment, the WG must have the CA's private key and the CA must have an online certificate server that lets the WG to request certificates on behalf of clients. This feature solves the chicken-and-egg problem where tunneling is required to gain protected network access, but the client does not yet possess the cert required to tunnel and cannot request a cert directly from the CA without network access.
Vluesocket VPN DebuggingVPN debugging would be much easier if the GUI included any VPN logging. On the Status/Active Connections page, the VPN associated with each connection is bold-faced when the tunnel is active. There is no other customer-visible VPN status or logging, although a debug log is available to channel partners through a hidden CLI (left). Bluesocket plans to enhance logging; IPsec would be the first thing we'd add. For now, VPN debugging must be accomplished using client-side logs, sniffers, and tech support.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/technology/2002/bluesocket4.html
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Milwaukee runs out of patience with wireless Internet provider
Milwaukee, Wis. - In the high-stakes game of citywide wireless Internet, do deep pockets trump local connections?
If the City of Milwaukee is any example, the answer might be yes. Earlier this year, Milwaukee was within 18 months of becoming the first completely wireless large city in the nation. City officials hoped to have some areas of the wireless fidelity or "Wi-Fi" system in operation in 2006, but now it looks as though wireless hot spots will have to suffice for a while longer.
City bureaucrats apparently have lost patience with Midwest Fiber Networks, the Milwaukee-based company they had selected - and reportedly contracted with - to build the citywide wireless Internet network.
The contract was not exclusive, however, and now the city has decided to entertain other options. Both alternatives, Earthlink and Cellnet Technology, are much larger Atlanta-based companies with more financial resources at their disposal.
Looking at the numbers, the suddenly open competition seems unfair.
Earthlink, one of the largest Internet Service Providers in the United States, has more than five million small business and consumer customers. It provides premium broadband access to more than 1.5 million of its subscribers, and reported sales of $1.3 billion and net income of $143 million in the most recent fiscal year. It also employs more than 1,700 people
Cellnet is a privately owned corporation with $150 million in sales and with interests beyond wireless networks. The company also sells automation solutions to gas, water, and electric utilities.
Cellnet already is providing Wi-Fi infrastructure in Madison, starting with the nine-square mile area around Capitol Square. Even with its size, however, it may be several years before Cellnet offers the majority of Madison residents Wi-Fi as an alternative to cable, DSL, and dial-up.
Meanwhile, Midwest Fiber may not be a Fortune 500 company, but it serves several of them - and area municipalities - with fiber optic and wireless data networks. The company is a woman-owned business that was founded four years ago by the owners of the Milwaukee-based Cablecom, a women-owned cable and fiber optic contractor. Combined, the two companies employ 70 people.
Earlier this year, Midwest Fiber had negotiated the right to lease space in Milwaukee's existing underground conduit system and install wireless antennas on streetlights or other city-owned facilities. It planned to invest between $20 million and $25 million in the project.
Based on a memorandum dated January 12, the company was to install equipment and get the system operating within an 18-month construction period, with a minimum of coverage of 90 percent of Milwaukee's geographic area. It was to first build a demonstration area within four months to test the system in an area bounded on the east by 10th Street, on the west by Highway 41, on the south by Canal Street, and on the north by Vliet Street.
The agreement also included provisions to address the so-called "digital divide" by providing some free zones or reduced rates for low-income residents.
Customers were to be charged about $20 a month for wireless service, not including additional costs to secure their wireless connections.
Financial snag?
Nobody has stated specifically why the project has hit a snag, but recent developments do not mean Midwest Fiber is out of the picture.
Perhaps the first red flag in the city's budding relationship with Midwest Fiber came earlier this year, when City Comptroller Wally Morics suggested that a larger company guarantee that the wireless system be completed if Midwest Fiber is unable to finish it.
Midwest Fiber signed a contract with the city on June 30, but the city has apparently declined to sign it, according to Alderman James Bohl, who feels that members of the Milwaukee Common Council are being left in the dark about the project's status.
Bohl said it was his understanding that Midwest Fiber had secured adequate credit to cover the $20 million capital cost, but it was the Department of Administration that made the decision to court other vendors.
"They are not sharing information with the council," Bohl said. "The fact that we're not kept informed is not Midwest Fiber's fault."
Sharon Robinson, director of the Department of Administration, could not be reached for comment. Among other responsibilities, the department is entrusted with information technology services and IT resource management.
Nike Ivancevic, a partner in Midwest Fiber, said the company has been waiting for the city to finalize the contract, and he said financing documentation has been submitted. He assumes the city has been negotiating with Earthlink "since day one," but asserted that Midwest Fiber is still the best choice.
"We feel we're the farthest ahead," Ivancevic said. "We know the city, we know the Department of Public Works, and we know Wisconsin Electric [We Energies]."
http://wistechnology.com/article.php?id=3321
If the City of Milwaukee is any example, the answer might be yes. Earlier this year, Milwaukee was within 18 months of becoming the first completely wireless large city in the nation. City officials hoped to have some areas of the wireless fidelity or "Wi-Fi" system in operation in 2006, but now it looks as though wireless hot spots will have to suffice for a while longer.
City bureaucrats apparently have lost patience with Midwest Fiber Networks, the Milwaukee-based company they had selected - and reportedly contracted with - to build the citywide wireless Internet network.
The contract was not exclusive, however, and now the city has decided to entertain other options. Both alternatives, Earthlink and Cellnet Technology, are much larger Atlanta-based companies with more financial resources at their disposal.
Looking at the numbers, the suddenly open competition seems unfair.
Earthlink, one of the largest Internet Service Providers in the United States, has more than five million small business and consumer customers. It provides premium broadband access to more than 1.5 million of its subscribers, and reported sales of $1.3 billion and net income of $143 million in the most recent fiscal year. It also employs more than 1,700 people
Cellnet is a privately owned corporation with $150 million in sales and with interests beyond wireless networks. The company also sells automation solutions to gas, water, and electric utilities.
Cellnet already is providing Wi-Fi infrastructure in Madison, starting with the nine-square mile area around Capitol Square. Even with its size, however, it may be several years before Cellnet offers the majority of Madison residents Wi-Fi as an alternative to cable, DSL, and dial-up.
Meanwhile, Midwest Fiber may not be a Fortune 500 company, but it serves several of them - and area municipalities - with fiber optic and wireless data networks. The company is a woman-owned business that was founded four years ago by the owners of the Milwaukee-based Cablecom, a women-owned cable and fiber optic contractor. Combined, the two companies employ 70 people.
Earlier this year, Midwest Fiber had negotiated the right to lease space in Milwaukee's existing underground conduit system and install wireless antennas on streetlights or other city-owned facilities. It planned to invest between $20 million and $25 million in the project.
Based on a memorandum dated January 12, the company was to install equipment and get the system operating within an 18-month construction period, with a minimum of coverage of 90 percent of Milwaukee's geographic area. It was to first build a demonstration area within four months to test the system in an area bounded on the east by 10th Street, on the west by Highway 41, on the south by Canal Street, and on the north by Vliet Street.
The agreement also included provisions to address the so-called "digital divide" by providing some free zones or reduced rates for low-income residents.
Customers were to be charged about $20 a month for wireless service, not including additional costs to secure their wireless connections.
Financial snag?
Nobody has stated specifically why the project has hit a snag, but recent developments do not mean Midwest Fiber is out of the picture.
Perhaps the first red flag in the city's budding relationship with Midwest Fiber came earlier this year, when City Comptroller Wally Morics suggested that a larger company guarantee that the wireless system be completed if Midwest Fiber is unable to finish it.
Midwest Fiber signed a contract with the city on June 30, but the city has apparently declined to sign it, according to Alderman James Bohl, who feels that members of the Milwaukee Common Council are being left in the dark about the project's status.
Bohl said it was his understanding that Midwest Fiber had secured adequate credit to cover the $20 million capital cost, but it was the Department of Administration that made the decision to court other vendors.
"They are not sharing information with the council," Bohl said. "The fact that we're not kept informed is not Midwest Fiber's fault."
Sharon Robinson, director of the Department of Administration, could not be reached for comment. Among other responsibilities, the department is entrusted with information technology services and IT resource management.
Nike Ivancevic, a partner in Midwest Fiber, said the company has been waiting for the city to finalize the contract, and he said financing documentation has been submitted. He assumes the city has been negotiating with Earthlink "since day one," but asserted that Midwest Fiber is still the best choice.
"We feel we're the farthest ahead," Ivancevic said. "We know the city, we know the Department of Public Works, and we know Wisconsin Electric [We Energies]."
http://wistechnology.com/article.php?id=3321
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
BSkyB swoops on internet provider
Satellite broadcaster BSkyB has begun its planned spending spree with the purchase of broadband internet provider Easynet for £211m
($373.1m).Earlier this month, BSkyB said it would embark on an acquisition drive after raising £1bn in a bonds issue.
The Easynet takeover will help BSkyB move towards broadcasting some of its programmes via the internet.
BSkyB said it would pay 175 pence in cash for each Easynet share, a 38% premium to Thursday's closing price.
The deal means BSkyB will be able to offer customers 'triple-play' services such as broadband, television and telephony.
The broadcaster will soon be pitching itself against its cable rivals NTL and Telewest, who have agreed to merge, as well as BT Group.
Evolving market
BSkyB will also be placing itself head-to-head with the likes of BT, AOL and Wanadoo in the rapidly expanding broadband market.
UK connections to broadband nearly doubled to 8.1 million in the year to 30 June.
Easynet has invested in putting equipment in BT local exchanges that allows it to offer a range of services to customers.
The provider is currently targeting access to 5.8 million homes and 850,000 businesses in the UK in many regions where NTL and Telewest already have customer strongholds.
"Today's offer reflects the exciting opportunities that now exist to combine quality entertainment with significant high-speed connections," said BSkyB's chief executive James Murdoch.
Mr Murdoch said the broadcaster would keep its options open on further acquisitions and remained open to new ways of accelerating or improving its strategy.
"We definitely think that in a marketplace changing as rapidly as this, we want to keep all our options open," he said.
BSkyB is 37%-owned by his father Rupert Murdoch's media empire News Corporation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4363036.stm
($373.1m).Earlier this month, BSkyB said it would embark on an acquisition drive after raising £1bn in a bonds issue.
The Easynet takeover will help BSkyB move towards broadcasting some of its programmes via the internet.
BSkyB said it would pay 175 pence in cash for each Easynet share, a 38% premium to Thursday's closing price.
The deal means BSkyB will be able to offer customers 'triple-play' services such as broadband, television and telephony.
The broadcaster will soon be pitching itself against its cable rivals NTL and Telewest, who have agreed to merge, as well as BT Group.
Evolving market
BSkyB will also be placing itself head-to-head with the likes of BT, AOL and Wanadoo in the rapidly expanding broadband market.
UK connections to broadband nearly doubled to 8.1 million in the year to 30 June.
Easynet has invested in putting equipment in BT local exchanges that allows it to offer a range of services to customers.
The provider is currently targeting access to 5.8 million homes and 850,000 businesses in the UK in many regions where NTL and Telewest already have customer strongholds.
"Today's offer reflects the exciting opportunities that now exist to combine quality entertainment with significant high-speed connections," said BSkyB's chief executive James Murdoch.
Mr Murdoch said the broadcaster would keep its options open on further acquisitions and remained open to new ways of accelerating or improving its strategy.
"We definitely think that in a marketplace changing as rapidly as this, we want to keep all our options open," he said.
BSkyB is 37%-owned by his father Rupert Murdoch's media empire News Corporation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4363036.stm
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