Over the past year we have been on a campaign to explain many internet buzzwords from the world wide web to deep web and dark net.

We see a lot of questions from the average internet user asking how they can be protected from the evils of the dark web that they keep hearing about in the media.

You often see questions on various online forums stating that if the dark web is synonymous with criminal activity and illegal black markets, why doesn’t the government just shut down the dark web. 

Why doesn’t the government just shut down the dark web?

If you fully understand the concepts you will see that shutting the dark web to combat criminal activity is an absurd idea based on false assumptions.

Many people make the assumption that all anonymous traffic is related to illegal activities. That's simply not true!

Take a moment to understand the dark web

The dark web is a complex communication system that exists to allow anonymous traffic. People living outside the U.S. don't always share our freedoms, like free speech. Dark nets are used to get information into and out of places where free speech can get you killed.

Onion Routing, the concept behind the dark web, was developed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab for anonymous communications. Tor (The Onion Router) is a nonprofit organization responsible for maintaining the software used in accessing the Tor networks.

The average internet user will never use Tor or visit an Onion site, but they are fearful of the media created boogie man that waits for them "on the dark web."  The media has made out the dark web to be some evil empire lurking in the darkness of the internet, waiting to reign fear and havoc on the innocent internet users just using the surface web in the light of day.

Shutting the dark web to combat black markets is an absurd idea

What would be the plan for the government to “take down” the dark web?  In some cases the countries where black markets exist are the same countries where people are using the dark web to get the word out about their governments. What would you suggest, we isolate the entire country from the internet?

While the government can't shut down the dark web, they do shut down black markets.  One of the first dark net black markets, Silk Road, was indeed shut down by the FBI and Europol. There are many law enforcement agencies working on shutting down black markets, but many illegal activities originate in countries where “the government” has no jurisdiction, or has no cooperation from the local governments.

How can I protect myself from the dark web?

Various commercials strike fear into the minds of the innocent internet users just using the surface web in the light of day telling them they need protection, some even suggesting that paying for a monitoring system would help them from the perils of the dark web.

I've used this quote and link in other answers, Roger Dingledine, an MIT-trained American computer scientist known for having co-founded the Tor Project aka “the dark web,” spoke at the Philly Tech Week 2017 and does acknowledge that “Just about any use of the “dark web” phrase is really just a marketing ploy by cybersecurity firms and other opportunists. They’re profiting on ignorance. It’s nonsense.”

Article from Philly Tech Week 2017: Stop talking about the dark web: Tor Project cofounder Roger Dingledine

Regarding all the services now cropping up to protect your information on the dark web, as Roger Dingledine states in the quote above, “They’re profiting on ignorance.”

Here's my rant on the subject of protection services from a few months ago: What frightens you more: the dark web or credit bureaus

Knowledge is power

Don't be afraid of the dark, in this case, the dark web. Knowledge replaces fear.

From the perspective of the average internet user wondering what they can do to protect themselves from the “dark web” keeping your personal information safe and secure doesn't change because of the dark web.

Changing passwords often, keeping different passwords for different services, logging off of systems and computers when finished, not using strangers computers for secure transactions, are all part of staying safe and secure while using the internet. All the common sense things don't change because of the dark web.

Learn how to travel the highway safely, whether we are talking motor vehicles or web browsers. Knowing where you are going before you stumble blindly into a new place will help keep you safe. That's up to you, don't always expect the government to protect you from your own stupidity.

The dark web is one segment of the internet, and like the internet itself, you will find good things there, as well as evil.

Learn more:

The difference between deep web and dark web in simple terms

Buzzwords from the world wide web to deep web and dark net

End Of The Silk Road: FBI Says It's Busted The Web's Biggest Anonymous Drug Black Market

 

 

Tags: 

• Word Wide Web
• internet
• myths
• dark web
• dark net

Over the past year we have been on a campaign to explain many internet buzzwords from the world wide web to deep web and dark net.

We see a lot of questions from the average internet user asking how they can be protected from the evils of the dark web that they keep hearing about in the media.

You often see questions on various online forums stating that if the dark web is synonymous with criminal activity and illegal black markets, why doesn’t the government just shut down the dark web. 

Why doesn’t the government just shut down the dark web?

If you fully understand the concepts you will see that shutting the dark web to combat criminal activity is an absurd idea based on false assumptions.

Many people make the assumption that all anonymous traffic is related to illegal activities. That's simply not true!

Take a moment to understand the dark web

The dark web is a complex communication system that exists to allow anonymous traffic. People living outside the U.S. don't always share our freedoms, like free speech. Dark nets are used to get information into and out of places where free speech can get you killed.

Onion Routing, the concept behind the dark web, was developed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab for anonymous communications. Tor (The Onion Router) is a nonprofit organization responsible for maintaining the software used in accessing the Tor networks.

The average internet user will never use Tor or visit an Onion site, but they are fearful of the media created boogie man that waits for them "on the dark web."  The media has made out the dark web to be some evil empire lurking in the darkness of the internet, waiting to reign fear and havoc on the innocent internet users just using the surface web in the light of day.

Shutting the dark web to combat black markets is an absurd idea

What would be the plan for the government to “take down” the dark web?  In some cases the countries where black markets exist are the same countries where people are using the dark web to get the word out about their governments. What would you suggest, we isolate the entire country from the internet?

While the government can't shut down the dark web, they do shut down black markets.  One of the first dark net black markets, Silk Road, was indeed shut down by the FBI and Europol. There are many law enforcement agencies working on shutting down black markets, but many illegal activities originate in countries where “the government” has no jurisdiction, or has no cooperation from the local governments.

How can I protect myself from the dark web?

Various commercials strike fear into the minds of the innocent internet users just using the surface web in the light of day telling them they need protection, some even suggesting that paying for a monitoring system would help them from the perils of the dark web.

I've used this quote and link in other answers, Roger Dingledine, an MIT-trained American computer scientist known for having co-founded the Tor Project aka “the dark web,” spoke at the Philly Tech Week 2017 and does acknowledge that “Just about any use of the “dark web” phrase is really just a marketing ploy by cybersecurity firms and other opportunists. They’re profiting on ignorance. It’s nonsense.”

Article from Philly Tech Week 2017: Stop talking about the dark web: Tor Project cofounder Roger Dingledine

Regarding all the services now cropping up to protect your information on the dark web, as Roger Dingledine states in the quote above, “They’re profiting on ignorance.”

Here's my rant on the subject of protection services from a few months ago: What frightens you more: the dark web or credit bureaus

Knowledge is power

Don't be afraid of the dark, in this case, the dark web. Knowledge replaces fear.

From the perspective of the average internet user wondering what they can do to protect themselves from the “dark web” keeping your personal information safe and secure doesn't change because of the dark web.

Changing passwords often, keeping different passwords for different services, logging off of systems and computers when finished, not using strangers computers for secure transactions, are all part of staying safe and secure while using the internet. All the common sense things don't change because of the dark web.

Learn how to travel the highway safely, whether we are talking motor vehicles or web browsers. Knowing where you are going before you stumble blindly into a new place will help keep you safe. That's up to you, don't always expect the government to protect you from your own stupidity.

The dark web is one segment of the internet, and like the internet itself, you will find good things there, as well as evil.

Learn more:

The difference between deep web and dark web in simple terms

Buzzwords from the world wide web to deep web and dark net

End Of The Silk Road: FBI Says It's Busted The Web's Biggest Anonymous Drug Black Market

 

 

Tags: 

• Word Wide Web
• internet
• myths
• dark web
• dark net

Many sources say the discoveries and inventions of Nikola Tesla and Galileo Ferraris regarding the invention of induction motor were made entirely independently of each other.

When George Westinghouse and his team of engineers were designing their AC power distribution system, Westinghouse saw the invention of induction motor as a critical part of his final design.

Westinghouse saw Tesla's ideas as something he could use in his quest to develop AC, and purchased Tesla's alternating current patents. Not taking any chances as to who did it first, Westinghouse also purchased a U.S. patent option on induction motors from Galileo Ferraris.

Galileo Ferraris (1847-1897) was an Italian physicist and electrical engineer known for introducing the concept of the rotating magnetic field, and the invention of the rotating magnetic field asynchronous motor. Ferraris was involved in early experiments in AC power distance transmission which occurred in Germany and Italy in the early 1880s.

Galileo Ferraris is little known in the United States, having spent his entire life in Italy, and never worked with industrial giants like Edison and Westinghouse.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian born inventor who grew up in an area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that is the modern-day country of Croatia. In 1884 Tesla moved to United States to work for Thomas Edison. In 1888 Tesla presented to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers his polyphase alternating current system in the report “A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers.”

Tesla is more well known in the United States, having spent most of his adult life in the US. Having worked for Edison and Westinghouse, Tesla has become a cult hero.

Who did it first?

Some sources name Galileo Ferraris as the inventor of induction motors based on his research of the rotary magnetic field started in 1885. In March 1888, Ferraris published his research in a paper to the Royal Academy of Sciences in Turin, Italy.

Some sources name Nikola Tesla as the inventor of induction motors based on his filling of US patent 381968, granted on May 1, 1888.

By virtue of the many Nikola Tesla fans that frequent various Cult of Tesla websites, they may say that Nikola Tesla should be considered more important than Galileo Ferraris, even though the claim to the invention of induction motor should be a shared honor.

Tags: 

• electricity
• Inventors
• inventions
• Nikola Tesla
• Galileo Ferraris

Many sources say the discoveries and inventions of Nikola Tesla and Galileo Ferraris regarding the invention of induction motor were made entirely independently of each other.

When George Westinghouse and his team of engineers were designing their AC power distribution system, Westinghouse saw the invention of induction motor as a critical part of his final design.

Westinghouse saw Tesla's ideas as something he could use in his quest to develop AC, and purchased Tesla's alternating current patents. Not taking any chances as to who did it first, Westinghouse also purchased a U.S. patent option on induction motors from Galileo Ferraris.

Galileo Ferraris (1847-1897) was an Italian physicist and electrical engineer known for introducing the concept of the rotating magnetic field, and the invention of the rotating magnetic field asynchronous motor. Ferraris was involved in early experiments in AC power distance transmission which occurred in Germany and Italy in the early 1880s.

Galileo Ferraris is little known in the United States, having spent his entire life in Italy, and never worked with industrial giants like Edison and Westinghouse.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian born inventor who grew up in an area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that is the modern-day country of Croatia. In 1884 Tesla moved to United States to work for Thomas Edison. In 1888 Tesla presented to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers his polyphase alternating current system in the report “A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers.”

Tesla is more well known in the United States, having spent most of his adult life in the US. Having worked for Edison and Westinghouse, Tesla has become a cult hero.

Who did it first?

Some sources name Galileo Ferraris as the inventor of induction motors based on his research of the rotary magnetic field started in 1885. In March 1888, Ferraris published his research in a paper to the Royal Academy of Sciences in Turin, Italy.

Some sources name Nikola Tesla as the inventor of induction motors based on his filling of US patent 381968, granted on May 1, 1888.

By virtue of the many Nikola Tesla fans that frequent various Cult of Tesla websites, they may say that Nikola Tesla should be considered more important than Galileo Ferraris, even though the claim to the invention of induction motor should be a shared honor.

Tags: 

• electricity
• Inventors
• inventions
• Nikola Tesla
• Galileo Ferraris

As we explore the mythical rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla the misinformation is not just confined to Tesla's relationship with Edison. We have seen numerous comments on the internet with phrases such as "Tesla got screwed by Westinghouse." It's really a shame the legacy of George Westinghouse is not only getting forgotten, but is being disrespected by clueless Nikola Tesla fanatics .

George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla both believed in the future of AC (alternating current) as the key to delivering electricity to our home.

George Westinghouse believed in Nikola Tesla, when Edison didn't.

Westinghouse was in a race to be the first company to commercially develop AC power, and George Westinghouse saw that Nikola Tesla's U.S. patents for his AC induction motor and related transformer design were the quickest way to make the final push to win the War of Currents. Westinghouse gave Tesla $60,000 in an initial lump sum for his ideas (that's worth roughly $1.4 million in today’s dollars.) Tesla was given a $2000 a month salary to work for Westinghouse, (the equivalent of $48,000 per month today.)

Many stories say that Tesla saved Westinghouse Electric, but that is only part of the story. Westinghouse paid Tesla a $216,000 lump sum for the right to use his AC patents, (worth roughly $5.4 in today’s dollars).

Tesla became a famous man because of his work with Westinghouse. When Tesla walked away from his partnership with Westinghouse, he had built up a nice nest egg. The relative value of money Tesla received from Westinghouse in the 1890s in current purchasing power is over several million dollars. Tesla used the money he made from Westinghouse to set up his own labs.

Nikola Tesla respected George Westinghouse

When George Westinghouse died in 1914, here are a few of the words from Tesla about Westinghouse as they appeared March 21, 1914 in Electrical world.

"His was a wonderful career filled with remarkable achievements. He gave to the world a number of valuable inventions and improvements, created new industries, advanced the mechanical and electrical arts and improved in many ways the conditions of modem life. He was a great pioneer and builder whose work was of far reaching effect on his time and whose name will live long in the memory of men."

Various accounts claim different reasons for the Westinghouse Corporation coming to Tesla's rescue later in his life. Tesla would move to the Hotel New Yorker in 1934, with the room paid for by the Westinghouse Corporation. One story is that Tesla was hit by a taxi on the streets of New York and injured, Westinghouse executives agreed to pay his room and board for the remainder of his life.

We can argue over the myths and legends surrounding the legendary lunatic Thomas Edison, but please don't disgrace George Westinghouse in the name of Nikola Tesla. The more I have studied Nikola Tesla, the more I have come to admire and respect George Westinghouse. He truly is the most forgotten geek.

Learn More:

Why is the world so damn obsessed with geek folk hero Nikola Tesla

Reflections on the most forgotten geek George Westinghouse

 

Tags: 

• George Westinghouse
• electricity
• inventions
• War of Currents
• Nikola Tesla

As we explore the mythical rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla the misinformation is not just confined to Tesla's relationship with Edison. We have seen numerous comments on the internet with phrases such as "Tesla got screwed by Westinghouse." It's really a shame the legacy of George Westinghouse is not only getting forgotten, but is being disrespected by clueless Nikola Tesla fanatics .

George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla both believed in the future of AC (alternating current) as the key to delivering electricity to our home.

George Westinghouse believed in Nikola Tesla, when Edison didn't.

Westinghouse was in a race to be the first company to commercially develop AC power, and George Westinghouse saw that Nikola Tesla's U.S. patents for his AC induction motor and related transformer design were the quickest way to make the final push to win the War of Currents. Westinghouse gave Tesla $60,000 in an initial lump sum for his ideas (that's worth roughly $1.4 million in today’s dollars.) Tesla was given a $2000 a month salary to work for Westinghouse, (the equivalent of $48,000 per month today.)

Many stories say that Tesla saved Westinghouse Electric, but that is only part of the story. Westinghouse paid Tesla a $216,000 lump sum for the right to use his AC patents, (worth roughly $5.4 in today’s dollars).

Tesla became a famous man because of his work with Westinghouse. When Tesla walked away from his partnership with Westinghouse, he had built up a nice nest egg. The relative value of money Tesla received from Westinghouse in the 1890s in current purchasing power is over several million dollars. Tesla used the money he made from Westinghouse to set up his own labs.

Nikola Tesla respected George Westinghouse

When George Westinghouse died in 1914, here are a few of the words from Tesla about Westinghouse as they appeared March 21, 1914 in Electrical world.

"His was a wonderful career filled with remarkable achievements. He gave to the world a number of valuable inventions and improvements, created new industries, advanced the mechanical and electrical arts and improved in many ways the conditions of modem life. He was a great pioneer and builder whose work was of far reaching effect on his time and whose name will live long in the memory of men."

Various accounts claim different reasons for the Westinghouse Corporation coming to Tesla's rescue later in his life. Tesla would move to the Hotel New Yorker in 1934, with the room paid for by the Westinghouse Corporation. One story is that Tesla was hit by a taxi on the streets of New York and injured, Westinghouse executives agreed to pay his room and board for the remainder of his life.

We can argue over the myths and legends surrounding the legendary lunatic Thomas Edison, but please don't disgrace George Westinghouse in the name of Nikola Tesla. The more I have studied Nikola Tesla, the more I have come to admire and respect George Westinghouse. He truly is the most forgotten geek.

Learn More:

Why is the world so damn obsessed with geek folk hero Nikola Tesla

Reflections on the most forgotten geek George Westinghouse

 

Tags: 

• George Westinghouse
• electricity
• inventions
• War of Currents
• Nikola Tesla

This timeline illustrating the evolution of the use of electricity clearly illustrates that the development of AC power was the work of many people long before the "War of Currents" between Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison.

1600 William Gilbert first scientists to document the concept of electricity in his book “De Magnete.”

1675 Robert William Boyle published "Experiments and Notes about the Mechanical Origine or Production of Electricity."

1799 Alessandro Volta invented the first battery known as the Voltaic Pile.

1821 Michael Faraday demonstrated the first simple electric motor.

1832 Hippolyte Pixii builds an early form of alternating current electrical generator based on Faraday's work.

1855 James Clerk Maxwell introduced his mathematical conceptualization of electromagnetic phenomena to the Cambridge Philosophical Society.

1878 Pavel Yablochkov introduced his lighting system to the world installing 64 of his arc lights along a half mile length of streets.

1878 The ZBD Transformer, created by Károly Zipernowsky, Ottó Bláthy, and Miksa Déri of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, used in both experimental, and commercial systems.

1881 Power transformer developed by Lucien Gaulard and John Dixon Gibbs demonstrated in London.

1882 Thomas Edison launched the modern electric utility industry with the creation of the Pearl Street station in lower Manhattan using DC (Direct Current).

1886 Westinghouse Electric Company was started, Westinghouse purchased the American rights to Gaulard and Gibbs patents for AC current transformers.

1886 William Stanley created the first full feature AC power distribution system using transformers in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a project funded by Westinghouse.

1888 Nikola Tesla presents to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers his polyphase alternating current system in the report “A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers.”

1888 George Westinghouse hires Nikola Tesla as a consultant at the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company's Pittsburgh labs. Westinghouse purchases patent options on induction motors from both Nikola Tesla and Galileo Ferraris.

1893 Westinghouse Electric under bid Edison General Electric to get the contract to light the World's Columbian Exposition. Westinghouse exhibit at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago introduces world to AC power distribution.

Learn more about the many inventors and engineers that could be added to this timeline from the other pages in In this section of the GeekHistory almanac as we explore the history of electricity in homes from the discovery of electricity through the War of Currents.

Graphic: Long before television Michael Faraday nineteenth century scientist and electricity pioneer took science to the people as illustrated here delivering the British Royal Institution's Christmas Lecture for Juveniles during the Institution's Christmas break in 1856.

Tags: 

• Timeline
• Geeks History Lists
• electricity
• War of Currents

This timeline illustrating the evolution of the use of electricity clearly illustrates that the development of AC power was the work of many people long before the "War of Currents" between Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison.

1600 William Gilbert first scientists to document the concept of electricity in his book “De Magnete.”

1675 Robert William Boyle published "Experiments and Notes about the Mechanical Origine or Production of Electricity."

1799 Alessandro Volta invented the first battery known as the Voltaic Pile.

1821 Michael Faraday demonstrated the first simple electric motor.

1832 Hippolyte Pixii builds an early form of alternating current electrical generator based on Faraday's work.

1855 James Clerk Maxwell introduced his mathematical conceptualization of electromagnetic phenomena to the Cambridge Philosophical Society.

1878 Pavel Yablochkov introduced his lighting system to the world installing 64 of his arc lights along a half mile length of streets.

1878 The ZBD Transformer, created by Károly Zipernowsky, Ottó Bláthy, and Miksa Déri of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, used in both experimental, and commercial systems.

1881 Power transformer developed by Lucien Gaulard and John Dixon Gibbs demonstrated in London.

1882 Thomas Edison launched the modern electric utility industry with the creation of the Pearl Street station in lower Manhattan using DC (Direct Current).

1886 Westinghouse Electric Company was started, Westinghouse purchased the American rights to Gaulard and Gibbs patents for AC current transformers.

1886 William Stanley created the first full feature AC power distribution system using transformers in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, a project funded by Westinghouse.

1888 Nikola Tesla presents to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers his polyphase alternating current system in the report “A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers.”

1888 George Westinghouse hires Nikola Tesla as a consultant at the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company's Pittsburgh labs. Westinghouse purchases patent options on induction motors from both Nikola Tesla and Galileo Ferraris.

1893 Westinghouse Electric under bid Edison General Electric to get the contract to light the World's Columbian Exposition. Westinghouse exhibit at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago introduces world to AC power distribution.

Learn more about the many inventors and engineers that could be added to this timeline from the other pages in In this section of the GeekHistory almanac as we explore the history of electricity in homes from the discovery of electricity through the War of Currents.

Graphic: Long before television Michael Faraday nineteenth century scientist and electricity pioneer took science to the people as illustrated here delivering the British Royal Institution's Christmas Lecture for Juveniles during the Institution's Christmas break in 1856.

Tags: 

• Timeline
• Geeks History Lists
• electricity
• War of Currents

When I explain technology concepts I strive for using simple terms. I saw the question asked, "Can you explain deep web and dark web to me like I am a five year old?"

I just shook my head as I read many of the answers, I know a five year old is not going to understand them. I make those comments sincerely, with the first hand experience of spending time with my five year old grand daughter on a regular basis.

Most answers started out explaining that the surface web was the part of the internet indexed by Google. My granddaughter is pretty smart, but she no concept of what "indexed by Google" means. So here is my attempt to explain deep web and dark web to a five year old.

As I tell this story I can actually picture taking my grand daughter to the downtown area of the city where I work. First we would go to the library. I would show her around the library. Look at the people reading books, working on the computers. Isn't that cool, all the people moving around the library, learning new things! For our story we can call the public library the surface web.

Right next door to the library is an office building, let's go in there and look around. In the lobby of the building there is a common area where we can walk around freely and access various bits of information. On the wall there is a sign that tells me the names of all the people who have offices in the building on the floors above the lobby. We can see who these people are, but we really can't just walk around their offices to see what they do. In order to look inside these offices we need a reason to get into these rooms. These offices might be doctors treating people, or people talking about different business things that aren't things that are shared with the public. For our story we can call this office building the deep web.

Across the street from the office building is a large building with no name on it, so I am not sure what is inside the building. There isn't a lobby we can look around in to see who works there. From watching the people going into the building it looks like they have a special badge to get inside of the building, so it's not something we can go inside of to look around. For our story we can call this mysterious building the dark web.

I am sure there would be some question as to why the mysterious building did not want people to know what they are doing inside. I could expand the analogy further to explain the difference between public spaces like your school or library and private spaces like your home.

Learn more:

Dig deeper and learn more. The dark web need not mean some mysterious place of evil, it is simply a term describing an area of controlled access rather than free and open access.

Guru42 explores: Dark Net? Deep Web? What can I find there?

Guru42 explains: Beware of credit bureaus offering free dark web scans

Tags: 

• geek speak made simple
• Word Wide Web
• internet
• dark web
• Dark Net

When I explain technology concepts I strive for using simple terms. I saw the question asked, "Can you explain deep web and dark web to me like I am a five year old?"

I just shook my head as I read many of the answers, I know a five year old is not going to understand them. I make those comments sincerely, with the first hand experience of spending time with my five year old grand daughter on a regular basis.

Most answers started out explaining that the surface web was the part of the internet indexed by Google. My granddaughter is pretty smart, but she no concept of what "indexed by Google" means. So here is my attempt to explain deep web and dark web to a five year old.

As I tell this story I can actually picture taking my grand daughter to the downtown area of the city where I work. First we would go to the library. I would show her around the library. Look at the people reading books, working on the computers. Isn't that cool, all the people moving around the library, learning new things! For our story we can call the public library the surface web.

Right next door to the library is an office building, let's go in there and look around. In the lobby of the building there is a common area where we can walk around freely and access various bits of information. On the wall there is a sign that tells me the names of all the people who have offices in the building on the floors above the lobby. We can see who these people are, but we really can't just walk around their offices to see what they do. In order to look inside these offices we need a reason to get into these rooms. These offices might be doctors treating people, or people talking about different business things that aren't things that are shared with the public. For our story we can call this office building the deep web.

Across the street from the office building is a large building with no name on it, so I am not sure what is inside the building. There isn't a lobby we can look around in to see who works there. From watching the people going into the building it looks like they have a special badge to get inside of the building, so it's not something we can go inside of to look around. For our story we can call this mysterious building the dark web.

I am sure there would be some question as to why the mysterious building did not want people to know what they are doing inside. I could expand the analogy further to explain the difference between public spaces like your school or library and private spaces like your home.

Learn more:

Dig deeper and learn more. The dark web need not mean some mysterious place of evil, it is simply a term describing an area of controlled access rather than free and open access.

Guru42 explores: Dark Net? Deep Web? What can I find there?

Guru42 explains: Beware of credit bureaus offering free dark web scans

Tags: 

• geek speak made simple
• Word Wide Web
• internet
• dark web
• Dark Net

A television commercial offers to find if your personal information is on the dark web.

The first time I saw that Experian commercial, I immediately said, "Well that's really stupid!" (Maybe I added a few colorful adjectives as well to my shouted out remarks.)

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Experian is preying on the fear of the dark web to sell their services. Let's just assume for the sake of this question that everything that is sold on the "dark web" is less than legal. (That's what Experian is implying.) Why would Experian have any special access to less than legal information, more so than anyone else? Does that make sense?

If Experian did have some sophisticated way of searching the dark web and finding less than legal databases of information, wouldn't they have a legal obligation to report their findings to the police or other government agencies, rather than offering this information as a service?

What information?

For the sake of this question, let's address the basic question of "what is the danger if your information is on the dark web?”

We all should be worried about all of our information on the deep web, just above "the evils" of the dark web.

Do a search on your name, does it bother you that your current address, age, employer, and contact information is so readily available on the public web? Does it bother you that there are so many websites on the internet, that are offering to sell you information about people?

If a hacker had downloaded an entire database of information illegally, why would they have the contents stored where someone could access it? (As Experian is implying.) Unless you are someone rich and famous where one single bit of information could be used to blackmail an individual, if a hacker steals a database, they are going to sell the entire database.

And you would trust Experian?

It is pretty ironic that Experian, the company who had their servers hacked exposing the personal data of 15 million T-Mobile customers wants to help me find identity thieves on the dark web.

Lessons from the Experian hack: Lessons from the Experian hack

Experian Faces Class Action Over T-Mobile Data Breach: Experian Faces Class Action Over T-Mobile Data Breach - Cohen & Malad, LLP

Experian wants you to be afraid, very afraid of the dark. In exchange for their services, they are asking you to sell your soul to them. In order for you to have Experian check the darkness in your name, you are agreeing to Experian's terms of service:

"... Experian's terms of service and found a densely written, nearly 17,600-word document — a contract the length of a novella.

Not surprisingly, this is where you'll find an arbitration clause preventing you from suing the company — an increasingly common aspect of consumer contracts nowadays. That's the least of your worries, though.

It turns out running a free dark-Web email scan opens you up to "advertisements or offers for available credit cards, loan options, financial products or services, or credit-related products or services and other offers to customers."

Reference: Credit agency Experian says it can protect you from the 'dark Web' — sort of

Are You Afraid of Credit Bureaus?

Their commercial infuriates me. It preys upon fear and ignorance. I am much more afraid of what damage a credit bureau could do to my life than any information you could find about me on the dark web.

Let me conclude this answer with another question. What frightens you more, the thought of finding your information on the dark web or credit bureaus like Experian having the right to sell your information as they do?

In case you are curious:

Wondering about the dark web and the forbidden fruit of the internet

Buzzwords from the world wide web to deep web and dark net

 

Tags: 

• Word Wide Web
• internet
• myths
• dark web
• dark net

A television commercial offers to find if your personal information is on the dark web.

The first time I saw that Experian commercial, I immediately said, "Well that's really stupid!" (Maybe I added a few colorful adjectives as well to my shouted out remarks.)

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Experian is preying on the fear of the dark web to sell their services. Let's just assume for the sake of this question that everything that is sold on the "dark web" is less than legal. (That's what Experian is implying.) Why would Experian have any special access to less than legal information, more so than anyone else? Does that make sense?

If Experian did have some sophisticated way of searching the dark web and finding less than legal databases of information, wouldn't they have a legal obligation to report their findings to the police or other government agencies, rather than offering this information as a service?

What information?

For the sake of this question, let's address the basic question of "what is the danger if your information is on the dark web?”

We all should be worried about all of our information on the deep web, just above "the evils" of the dark web.

Do a search on your name, does it bother you that your current address, age, employer, and contact information is so readily available on the public web? Does it bother you that there are so many websites on the internet, that are offering to sell you information about people?

If a hacker had downloaded an entire database of information illegally, why would they have the contents stored where someone could access it? (As Experian is implying.) Unless you are someone rich and famous where one single bit of information could be used to blackmail an individual, if a hacker steals a database, they are going to sell the entire database.

And you would trust Experian?

It is pretty ironic that Experian, the company who had their servers hacked exposing the personal data of 15 million T-Mobile customers wants to help me find identity thieves on the dark web.

Lessons from the Experian hack: Lessons from the Experian hack

Experian Faces Class Action Over T-Mobile Data Breach: Experian Faces Class Action Over T-Mobile Data Breach - Cohen & Malad, LLP

Experian wants you to be afraid, very afraid of the dark. In exchange for their services, they are asking you to sell your soul to them. In order for you to have Experian check the darkness in your name, you are agreeing to Experian's terms of service:

"... Experian's terms of service and found a densely written, nearly 17,600-word document — a contract the length of a novella.

Not surprisingly, this is where you'll find an arbitration clause preventing you from suing the company — an increasingly common aspect of consumer contracts nowadays. That's the least of your worries, though.

It turns out running a free dark-Web email scan opens you up to "advertisements or offers for available credit cards, loan options, financial products or services, or credit-related products or services and other offers to customers."

Reference: Credit agency Experian says it can protect you from the 'dark Web' — sort of

Are You Afraid of Credit Bureaus?

Their commercial infuriates me. It preys upon fear and ignorance. I am much more afraid of what damage a credit bureau could do to my life than any information you could find about me on the dark web.

Let me conclude this answer with another question. What frightens you more, the thought of finding your information on the dark web or credit bureaus like Experian having the right to sell your information as they do?

In case you are curious:

Wondering about the dark web and the forbidden fruit of the internet

Buzzwords from the world wide web to deep web and dark net

 

Tags: 

• Word Wide Web
• internet
• myths
• dark web
• dark net

I was asked the question, "Is OpenNIC a reliable DNS service?" As a systems administrator on a private network, being able to create and customize a DNS server adds some management features that would not apply to the average home based web surfer.

This question was asked with the reason for using OpenNIC is to add an extra layer of privacy to your web browsing. The belief, or perhaps paranoia, is that DNS servers are able to log your requests, and by doing so they have a record of sites you have visited. The question is asked in the context that your DNS provided by your ISP is a source to track where you have been on the internet, and by using an alternative DNS service that eliminates that extra potential layer of tracking, thereby creating more privacy.

If you want to start playing around with alternative DNS solutions you need to understand the risks as well as the benefits.

First let's take a quick look at the definition of DNS (Domain Naming Service)

• DNS is a distributed database of Domain Names and their corresponding IP Addresses.
• DNS makes it possible to attach hard to remember IP addresses to easy to remember domain names
• DNS translates between meaningful host names and IP addresses. It is a hierarchical naming system used to give each server on the Internet a unique name.
• DNS keeps a complete listing of all FQDNs (Fully qualified domain names) and their associated IP address.
  

What is OpenNIC?

OpenNIC, an open source DNS provider, an organization of hobbyists who run an alternative DNS network.

Is OpenNIC a reliable DNS service?

A quick look at some data found in the links below tell me that OpenNIC, an open source DNS provider, does not appear to be as efficient as other DNS providers.

Comparing the performance of popular public DNS providers -|- Recommended Public DNS Servers

Based on the data in those two articles, and my personal experiences with open source, I would ask, why bother to use OpenNIC?

I have volunteered my time and have been an advocate of open source solutions for more than 20 years. I am happy to use and test open source solutions if I see a benefit in using them. If I felt the need to pursue an alternative DNS solution I would do more research, but based on what I see here, I just don't see a compelling reason to jump on the OpenNIC bandwagon.


The importance of DNS

As an IT professional I have often used the analogy that talking to business managers about maintaining a computer network is like talking about the plumbing. Many cost cutting managers see technology infrastructure as an expense to be reduced, rather than a resource to be managed. The need to replace the pipes is not something that gets discussed. That is, until the morning when there is no water coming from the pipes, and no one can flush the toilets, then it becomes mission critical.

Computer network services such as DNS are like the plumbing below the surface, as long as it is running and everything is working, no one gives it much thought. That is until you type in the name of a website into your browser, and you get the message: dns_unresolved_hostname The requested site could not be found in DNS.

This article puts DNS into perspective: Plan to transition Internet management sparks censorship fears

Quoting from that article:  *"The importance of DNS cannot be overstated. It is the Internet’s phonebook, connecting bizarre-looking IP addresses to the domain names with which all Internet users are familiar. When someone types **Google* (http://google.com)* into their browser, their request goes through a DNS server, which understands that the user is looking for one of Google‘s many servers, including 195.122.30.25. If that routing information were compromised or corrupted, whether intentionally or accidentally, it could severely disrupt the basic flow of traffic over the Web."*

Digging deeper with DNS

Sounds simple on the surface, but when you look at DNS as a tool to deceive and mis-direct people, it gets a little deeper.

Over the years I've written quite a bit about internet laws and proposed legislation. In 2011 the world was up in arms about PIPA (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act.) The well meaning and good intentions of the US Congress was to shut down rogue websites and reduce the sale of counterfeit goods.

One of the provisions of the proposed law PIPA was allowing the government to remove rogue websites from the Domain Name System (DNS). Of course the internet purists were screaming about too much government control of the internet. (Ironically these same groups are now screaming for more government control of the internet with net neutrality regulations.)

Digging through some old notes I found this article explaining PIPA:  DNS filtering: absolutely the wrong way to defend copyrights

I have digressed a bit from the context of the original question, but I wanted to try to explain why the question might matter to someone beyond the simple answer, and why changing your DNS server is not something to be taken lightly.
 

Tags: 

• DNS
• computer networking
• TCP/IP protocol suite

I was asked the question, "Is OpenNIC a reliable DNS service?" As a systems administrator on a private network, being able to create and customize a DNS server adds some management features that would not apply to the average home based web surfer.

This question was asked with the reason for using OpenNIC is to add an extra layer of privacy to your web browsing. The belief, or perhaps paranoia, is that DNS servers are able to log your requests, and by doing so they have a record of sites you have visited. The question is asked in the context that your DNS provided by your ISP is a source to track where you have been on the internet, and by using an alternative DNS service that eliminates that extra potential layer of tracking, thereby creating more privacy.

If you want to start playing around with alternative DNS solutions you need to understand the risks as well as the benefits.

First let's take a quick look at the definition of DNS (Domain Naming Service)

• DNS is a distributed database of Domain Names and their corresponding IP Addresses.
• DNS makes it possible to attach hard to remember IP addresses to easy to remember domain names
• DNS translates between meaningful host names and IP addresses. It is a hierarchical naming system used to give each server on the Internet a unique name.
• DNS keeps a complete listing of all FQDNs (Fully qualified domain names) and their associated IP address.
  

What is OpenNIC?

OpenNIC, an open source DNS provider, an organization of hobbyists who run an alternative DNS network.

Is OpenNIC a reliable DNS service?

A quick look at some data found in the links below tell me that OpenNIC, an open source DNS provider, does not appear to be as efficient as other DNS providers.

Comparing the performance of popular public DNS providers -|- Recommended Public DNS Servers

Based on the data in those two articles, and my personal experiences with open source, I would ask, why bother to use OpenNIC?

I have volunteered my time and have been an advocate of open source solutions for more than 20 years. I am happy to use and test open source solutions if I see a benefit in using them. If I felt the need to pursue an alternative DNS solution I would do more research, but based on what I see here, I just don't see a compelling reason to jump on the OpenNIC bandwagon.


The importance of DNS

As an IT professional I have often used the analogy that talking to business managers about maintaining a computer network is like talking about the plumbing. Many cost cutting managers see technology infrastructure as an expense to be reduced, rather than a resource to be managed. The need to replace the pipes is not something that gets discussed. That is, until the morning when there is no water coming from the pipes, and no one can flush the toilets, then it becomes mission critical.

Computer network services such as DNS are like the plumbing below the surface, as long as it is running and everything is working, no one gives it much thought. That is until you type in the name of a website into your browser, and you get the message: dns_unresolved_hostname The requested site could not be found in DNS.

This article puts DNS into perspective: Plan to transition Internet management sparks censorship fears

Quoting from that article:  *"The importance of DNS cannot be overstated. It is the Internet’s phonebook, connecting bizarre-looking IP addresses to the domain names with which all Internet users are familiar. When someone types **Google* (http://google.com)* into their browser, their request goes through a DNS server, which understands that the user is looking for one of Google‘s many servers, including 195.122.30.25. If that routing information were compromised or corrupted, whether intentionally or accidentally, it could severely disrupt the basic flow of traffic over the Web."*

Digging deeper with DNS

Sounds simple on the surface, but when you look at DNS as a tool to deceive and mis-direct people, it gets a little deeper.

Over the years I've written quite a bit about internet laws and proposed legislation. In 2011 the world was up in arms about PIPA (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act.) The well meaning and good intentions of the US Congress was to shut down rogue websites and reduce the sale of counterfeit goods.

One of the provisions of the proposed law PIPA was allowing the government to remove rogue websites from the Domain Name System (DNS). Of course the internet purists were screaming about too much government control of the internet. (Ironically these same groups are now screaming for more government control of the internet with net neutrality regulations.)

Digging through some old notes I found this article explaining PIPA:  DNS filtering: absolutely the wrong way to defend copyrights

I have digressed a bit from the context of the original question, but I wanted to try to explain why the question might matter to someone beyond the simple answer, and why changing your DNS server is not something to be taken lightly.
 

Tags: 

• DNS
• computer networking
• TCP/IP protocol suite

Setting up your home network can get confusing as street slang dominates many forums and internet discussions.  Just about any plastic box with wires coming out of it is often called a modem or a router, in reality it may be neither.

Here at the Guru42 Universe we will do out best to sort through all the geek speak.  It is important to have a basic understanding of all the buzzwords when you are setting up your home computer network.  Depending on your Internet Service Provider and the service you are buying, the device they supply will vary and what you need to connect is not a one size fits all answer.

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may provide you with a "residential gateway" that allows you to connect to the internet. You then purchase an internet appliance that is often called a "wireless router" to attach it.  People get confused because many small technology appliances made for home use are actually several devices in one.  One of my pet peeves on is when people use the term "wireless router" to describe a variety of devices. Typically what most people call a wireless router is a combination of a router, a wireless access point, and a network switch.

Do I need a modem to access the Internet?

A modem is a MOdulator-DEModulator, as in a modulator which creates an analog signal such as the type needed in POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), and a demodulator which converts the modulated carrier back to something that can be used in a digital circuit. Most modern communications use digital lines so the need to convert (MOdulate-DEModulate) is no longer necessary.

Often the word modem is used as a generic word for any device that connects your home network to an internet service providers network. Typically in modern home computing when someone uses the term modem they are talking about a  "residential gateway" provided to them by their ISP.

What confuses matters even more is that the device supplied by the ISP could be a multi-function technology appliance that contains a router, an Ethernet switch, and a WAP (wireless access point), and possibly other functions related to a home networks such as a firewall.

What is a wireless access point?

A Wireless Access Point (WAP) is a networking hardware device which, as the name describes, gives you wireless access to your LAN (local area network).  You have a wired connection, an ethernet 8P8C (8 position 8 contact) modular connectors port in your wall, that is wired access. You want to convert that to a wireless access point.

A Wireless Access Point has nothing to do with routing or switching.In a very small home network the WAP could be part of one appliance that has multiple features.  What many people call a router in their home may actually be a router, and a switch, and a wireless access point.

The terms "wireless access point" and "Wi-Fi" are not synonyms.

In online forums people often use the terms  "wireless access point"  and "Wi-Fi" to mean a hotspot, as in any type of public internet access.

A Wireless Access Point (WAP) is a device that offers, as the name suggests, wireless access to a wireless local area network (WLAN).  While cell phone technology is often discussed as a form of wireless networking, it is not the same as the wireless local area network (WLAN) technology discussed here.   In computer networking you would use the term Wireless Access Point (WAP) to identify the device being used, and the term Wi-Fi to identify the specific technology. rather than Wi-Fi access point.

Specifically the term "Wi-Fi" is a trademark of a trade association known as the Wi-Fi Alliance. The marketing company Interbrand, known for creating brand names, was hired to create a brand name to market the new technology, and the name Wi-Fi was chosen. The term "Wi-Fi" with the dash, is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

From a technical perspective WLAN technology is defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE 802 refers to a family of IEEE standards dealing with networks carrying variable size packets, which makes it different from cell phone based networks,  802.11 is a subset of the family specific to WLAN technology. Victor "Vic" Hayes was the first chair of the IEEE 802.11 group which finalized the wireless standard in 1997.

How are wireless access points used?

In the business world Wireless Access Points (WAP) are fairly common. On a business network your desktop computers (workstations) are connected via wire, but you probably have several WAPs (Wireless Access Points) for your laptop users.

If you are a visitor to a business network you may notice WAPs set up for office staff as well as visitors. This is becoming very common. You see this in government locations, perhaps even where you get your car serviced you can take your notebook into a lounge where you can use a "guest network" to connect to the internet.

Let's say you have a large home, and it is wired for data, as in it has ethernet ports through out your home. You want to convert that to a wireless access point. It has nothing to do with routing or switching. In wireless communications the "media" is a type of radio wave that communicates from your wireless adapter to the Wireless Access Point.

If your home office is in the basement, and that is the location of your current connection device (router, switch, wireless access point) where everything plugs in.  On the second floor of your house you have an ethernet port in your bedroom, but you want to use a tablet to surf the web, or perhaps use some internet appliance with your bedroom television.  The signal from the wireless access point in your basement is too weak.  You don't need to purchase another device that is a router and switch and WAP, all you need is the WAP (wireless access point).  So you simply buy a device that is ONLY a WAP, and plug it into your ethernet connection.

What is a wireless adapter?

Comparing a wireless network to a wired one, in a wired network your computer workstation has a NIC (Network Interface Card) which in a typical Ethernet network has an 8P8C (Eight Position, Eight Contact) modular jack on it where the network cable plugs into your computer.  From your computer the other end of the network cable plugs into some other type of device such as a switch or router, where traffic on your network is managed and distributed. On a wireless network the wireless adapter takes the place of the NIC.

How do I use ad hoc on a wireless network?

Ad hoc networks refer to networks created for a particular purpose. They are often created on-the-fly and for one-time or temporary use. If you don’t have a crossover cable to connect two notebooks or netbooks you can use their wireless capabilities to exchange files between without the need for any other than the computer itself. Instead of configuring your wireless adapter to connect to a wireless access point or router, you configure your wireless adapter to connect to another computer.

In the wireless world an ad hoc network is the equivalent of a peer to peer network.  In very small home networks, you may have two or three computers where you share resources between them, and to do so you set up a "peer to peer" network. Much like peer to peer networks in the wired world, ad hoc networks have management and security issues beyond that of the typical infrastructure network.

If your computer never leaves your house, having it set up to share files with another computer in your home may not be an issue you have to worry about.  On the other hand, if you travel with your computer, having ad hoc set up on your portable computer could create issues. Wireless devices in ad hoc mode offer minimal security against unwanted incoming connections, and there is a large security risk in using an ad hoc connection to an unknown computer, as you are exposing your computer to file sharing with strangers.

In some cases computers in public are purposely set up to look for and connect to other computers in ad hoc mode in order to steal information from them.  When using your computer in public hotspots you typically will be looking for a Wireless Network Connection, and ignore an attempt to connect with a strange computer using an ad hoc connection.

Learn more

If you are not sure what is the best technology choice for you, and you need some ideas, or if you want to keep up to date on hot topics in technology, check out the Guru 42 small business and technology blog  where we share our views and comments on the technology news of the day.

 

Tags: 

• computer networking
• wireless
• WiFi

Setting up your home network can get confusing as street slang dominates many forums and internet discussions.  Just about any plastic box with wires coming out of it is often called a modem or a router, in reality it may be neither.

Here at the Guru42 Universe we will do out best to sort through all the geek speak.  It is important to have a basic understanding of all the buzzwords when you are setting up your home computer network.  Depending on your Internet Service Provider and the service you are buying, the device they supply will vary and what you need to connect is not a one size fits all answer.

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may provide you with a "residential gateway" that allows you to connect to the internet. You then purchase an internet appliance that is often called a "wireless router" to attach it.  People get confused because many small technology appliances made for home use are actually several devices in one.  One of my pet peeves on is when people use the term "wireless router" to describe a variety of devices. Typically what most people call a wireless router is a combination of a router, a wireless access point, and a network switch.

Do I need a modem to access the Internet?

A modem is a MOdulator-DEModulator, as in a modulator which creates an analog signal such as the type needed in POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), and a demodulator which converts the modulated carrier back to something that can be used in a digital circuit. Most modern communications use digital lines so the need to convert (MOdulate-DEModulate) is no longer necessary.

Often the word modem is used as a generic word for any device that connects your home network to an internet service providers network. Typically in modern home computing when someone uses the term modem they are talking about a  "residential gateway" provided to them by their ISP.

What confuses matters even more is that the device supplied by the ISP could be a multi-function technology appliance that contains a router, an Ethernet switch, and a WAP (wireless access point), and possibly other functions related to a home networks such as a firewall.

What is a wireless access point?

A Wireless Access Point (WAP) is a networking hardware device which, as the name describes, gives you wireless access to your LAN (local area network).  You have a wired connection, an ethernet 8P8C (8 position 8 contact) modular connectors port in your wall, that is wired access. You want to convert that to a wireless access point.

A Wireless Access Point has nothing to do with routing or switching.In a very small home network the WAP could be part of one appliance that has multiple features.  What many people call a router in their home may actually be a router, and a switch, and a wireless access point.

The terms "wireless access point" and "Wi-Fi" are not synonyms.

In online forums people often use the terms  "wireless access point"  and "Wi-Fi" to mean a hotspot, as in any type of public internet access.

A Wireless Access Point (WAP) is a device that offers, as the name suggests, wireless access to a wireless local area network (WLAN).  While cell phone technology is often discussed as a form of wireless networking, it is not the same as the wireless local area network (WLAN) technology discussed here.   In computer networking you would use the term Wireless Access Point (WAP) to identify the device being used, and the term Wi-Fi to identify the specific technology. rather than Wi-Fi access point.

Specifically the term "Wi-Fi" is a trademark of a trade association known as the Wi-Fi Alliance. The marketing company Interbrand, known for creating brand names, was hired to create a brand name to market the new technology, and the name Wi-Fi was chosen. The term "Wi-Fi" with the dash, is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

From a technical perspective WLAN technology is defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE 802 refers to a family of IEEE standards dealing with networks carrying variable size packets, which makes it different from cell phone based networks,  802.11 is a subset of the family specific to WLAN technology. Victor "Vic" Hayes was the first chair of the IEEE 802.11 group which finalized the wireless standard in 1997.

How are wireless access points used?

In the business world Wireless Access Points (WAP) are fairly common. On a business network your desktop computers (workstations) are connected via wire, but you probably have several WAPs (Wireless Access Points) for your laptop users.

If you are a visitor to a business network you may notice WAPs set up for office staff as well as visitors. This is becoming very common. You see this in government locations, perhaps even where you get your car serviced you can take your notebook into a lounge where you can use a "guest network" to connect to the internet.

Let's say you have a large home, and it is wired for data, as in it has ethernet ports through out your home. You want to convert that to a wireless access point. It has nothing to do with routing or switching. In wireless communications the "media" is a type of radio wave that communicates from your wireless adapter to the Wireless Access Point.

If your home office is in the basement, and that is the location of your current connection device (router, switch, wireless access point) where everything plugs in.  On the second floor of your house you have an ethernet port in your bedroom, but you want to use a tablet to surf the web, or perhaps use some internet appliance with your bedroom television.  The signal from the wireless access point in your basement is too weak.  You don't need to purchase another device that is a router and switch and WAP, all you need is the WAP (wireless access point).  So you simply buy a device that is ONLY a WAP, and plug it into your ethernet connection.

What is a wireless adapter?

Comparing a wireless network to a wired one, in a wired network your computer workstation has a NIC (Network Interface Card) which in a typical Ethernet network has an 8P8C (Eight Position, Eight Contact) modular jack on it where the network cable plugs into your computer.  From your computer the other end of the network cable plugs into some other type of device such as a switch or router, where traffic on your network is managed and distributed. On a wireless network the wireless adapter takes the place of the NIC.

How do I use ad hoc on a wireless network?

Ad hoc networks refer to networks created for a particular purpose. They are often created on-the-fly and for one-time or temporary use. If you don’t have a crossover cable to connect two notebooks or netbooks you can use their wireless capabilities to exchange files between without the need for any other than the computer itself. Instead of configuring your wireless adapter to connect to a wireless access point or router, you configure your wireless adapter to connect to another computer.

In the wireless world an ad hoc network is the equivalent of a peer to peer network.  In very small home networks, you may have two or three computers where you share resources between them, and to do so you set up a "peer to peer" network. Much like peer to peer networks in the wired world, ad hoc networks have management and security issues beyond that of the typical infrastructure network.

If your computer never leaves your house, having it set up to share files with another computer in your home may not be an issue you have to worry about.  On the other hand, if you travel with your computer, having ad hoc set up on your portable computer could create issues. Wireless devices in ad hoc mode offer minimal security against unwanted incoming connections, and there is a large security risk in using an ad hoc connection to an unknown computer, as you are exposing your computer to file sharing with strangers.

In some cases computers in public are purposely set up to look for and connect to other computers in ad hoc mode in order to steal information from them.  When using your computer in public hotspots you typically will be looking for a Wireless Network Connection, and ignore an attempt to connect with a strange computer using an ad hoc connection.

Learn more

If you are not sure what is the best technology choice for you, and you need some ideas, or if you want to keep up to date on hot topics in technology, check out the Guru 42 small business and technology blog  where we share our views and comments on the technology news of the day.

 

Tags: 

• computer networking
• wireless
• WiFi

The creation of the protocol suite TCP/IP as the basic set of rules for computers to communicate was one of the last major phases in the development of this global network we now call the Internet.

The internet was not something born of a single idea, but rather a gradual evolution, and the work of many people over many years.

The idea started with a vision to create a decentralized computer network, whereby every computer was connected to each other, but if one member of the systems was hit, the others would remain unaffected.

From the initial idea of a decentralized computer network came the concept of packet switching. During the 1960s Paul Baran developed the concept of packet switching networks while conducting research at the historic RAND organization.

What is a Protocol?

Once the concept of packet switching was developed the next stage in the evolution was to create a language that would be understood by all computer systems.

The network concept of protocols would establish a standard set of rules that would enable different types of computers, with different hardware and software platforms, to communicate in spite of their differences. Protocols describe both the format that a message must take as well as the way in which messages are exchanged between computers.

During the 1970s Bob Kahn and Vinton Cerf would collaborate as key members of a team to create TCP/IP, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), the building blocks of the modern internet.

In 1972, Robert E. Kahn joined the DARPA Information Processing Technology Office, where he worked on both satellite packet networks and ground-based radio packet networks, and recognized the value of being able to communicate across both. In the spring of 1973, Vinton Cerf, the developer of the existing ARPANET Network Control Program (NCP) protocol, joined Kahn to work on open-architecture interconnection models with the goal of designing the next protocol generation for the ARPANET.

What is an RFC?

The concept of Request for Comments (RFC) documents was started by Steve Crocker in 1969 to help record unofficial notes on the development of ARPANET. RFCs have since become official documents of Internet specifications.

In computer network engineering, a Request for Comments (RFC) is a formal document published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the global community of computer network researchers, to establish Internet standards.

TCP/IP RFC History

The creation of TCP/IP as the basic set of rules for computers to communicate was one of the last major phases in the development of this global network we now call the Internet. Many additional members of the TCP/IP family of protocols continue to be developed, expanding of the basic principals established by Bob Kahn and Vinton Cerf back in the 1970s.

In 1981 the TCP/IP standards were published as RFCs 791, 792 and 793 and adopted for use. On January 1, 1983, TCP/IP protocols became the only approved protocol on the ARPANET, the predecessor to today's internet.

Links to learn more:

Check out our site Geek History where we discuss the evolution of the ARPANET and TCP/IP

Why was the internet created: 1957 Sputnik launches ARPA
http://geekhistory.com/content/why-was-internet-created-1957-sputnik-launches-arpa

When was internet invented: J.C.R. Licklider guides 1960s ARPA Vision
http://geekhistory.com/content/when-was-internet-invented-jcr-licklider-guides-1960s-arpa-vision

In the 1960s Paul Baran developed packet switching
http://geekhistory.com/content/1960s-paul-baran-developed-packet-switching

The 1980s internet protocols become universal language of computers
http://geekhistory.com/content/1980s-internet-protocols-become-universal-language-computers
 

 

Tags: 

• TCP/IP protocol suite
• Internet protocol
• networking
• computer networking
• TCP/IP

The creation of the protocol suite TCP/IP as the basic set of rules for computers to communicate was one of the last major phases in the development of this global network we now call the Internet.

The internet was not something born of a single idea, but rather a gradual evolution, and the work of many people over many years.

The idea started with a vision to create a decentralized computer network, whereby every computer was connected to each other, but if one member of the systems was hit, the others would remain unaffected.

From the initial idea of a decentralized computer network came the concept of packet switching. During the 1960s Paul Baran developed the concept of packet switching networks while conducting research at the historic RAND organization.

What is a Protocol?

Once the concept of packet switching was developed the next stage in the evolution was to create a language that would be understood by all computer systems.

The network concept of protocols would establish a standard set of rules that would enable different types of computers, with different hardware and software platforms, to communicate in spite of their differences. Protocols describe both the format that a message must take as well as the way in which messages are exchanged between computers.

During the 1970s Bob Kahn and Vinton Cerf would collaborate as key members of a team to create TCP/IP, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), the building blocks of the modern internet.

In 1972, Robert E. Kahn joined the DARPA Information Processing Technology Office, where he worked on both satellite packet networks and ground-based radio packet networks, and recognized the value of being able to communicate across both. In the spring of 1973, Vinton Cerf, the developer of the existing ARPANET Network Control Program (NCP) protocol, joined Kahn to work on open-architecture interconnection models with the goal of designing the next protocol generation for the ARPANET.

What is an RFC?

The concept of Request for Comments (RFC) documents was started by Steve Crocker in 1969 to help record unofficial notes on the development of ARPANET. RFCs have since become official documents of Internet specifications.

In computer network engineering, a Request for Comments (RFC) is a formal document published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), and the global community of computer network researchers, to establish Internet standards.

TCP/IP RFC History

The creation of TCP/IP as the basic set of rules for computers to communicate was one of the last major phases in the development of this global network we now call the Internet. Many additional members of the TCP/IP family of protocols continue to be developed, expanding of the basic principals established by Bob Kahn and Vinton Cerf back in the 1970s.

In 1981 the TCP/IP standards were published as RFCs 791, 792 and 793 and adopted for use. On January 1, 1983, TCP/IP protocols became the only approved protocol on the ARPANET, the predecessor to today's internet.

Links to learn more:

Check out our site Geek History where we discuss the evolution of the ARPANET and TCP/IP

Why was the internet created: 1957 Sputnik launches ARPA
http://geekhistory.com/content/why-was-internet-created-1957-sputnik-launches-arpa

When was internet invented: J.C.R. Licklider guides 1960s ARPA Vision
http://geekhistory.com/content/when-was-internet-invented-jcr-licklider-guides-1960s-arpa-vision

In the 1960s Paul Baran developed packet switching
http://geekhistory.com/content/1960s-paul-baran-developed-packet-switching

The 1980s internet protocols become universal language of computers
http://geekhistory.com/content/1980s-internet-protocols-become-universal-language-computers
 

 

Tags: 

• TCP/IP protocol suite
• Internet protocol
• networking
• computer networking
• TCP/IP

A Wall Street Journal article proclaims, "Westinghouse, Once an Industrial Powerhouse, Is on Brink of Sale."

The article talks about the current Westinghouse Electric Co, "a faded industrial giant that once helped electrify the world," as if the company being sold was the same company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It's not, it is one last remnant of the original Westinghouse Electric that still bears the Westinghouse name.

The empire created by George Westinghouse, and the variety of products that carried the Westinghouse name have been split up over various companies over the years through a variety of mergers and acquisitions. The Westinghouse Electric mentioned in the article is the US based nuclear power company formed in 1998 from the nuclear power division of the original Westinghouse Electric Corporation.  The company retained the Westinghouse name even though it was acquired by Toshiba in 2005.  The Westinghouse nuclear power company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2017 and is being purchased by the company Brookfield Business Partners.

The current American mass media CBS Corporation, focused on commercial broadcasting, inherited much of the original Westinghouse Electric Company. When CBS Corporation was acquired by Viacom in 1999 that technically marked the end of the original Westinghouse Corporation. In 2005 CBS and Viacom split up, and the CBS Corporation lives on.

We will be watching to see if a new nuclear company creayed from the assets of the current Westinghouse Electric still carries the name Westinghouse. At one time the two major companies that dominated our world of electricity and electric appliances were Westinghouse and General Electric, which can be traced to Thomas Edison.

Interesting, the brand name of "Westinghouse" is still owned by the CBS Corporation. (Westinghouse heritage)

The names of Westinghouse Electric and General Electric are slowing fading away in corporate America, but the legacy of the great inventor and industrialist George Westinghouse lives on at GeekHistory.
 

A photo of  Westinghouse generators at Edward Dean Adams Power Plant in Niagara Fall, the first large-scale, alternating current electric generating plant in the world, built in 1895, reminds us of the legacy of Westinghouse.

Tags: 

• Westinghouse
• business
• Industrialist
• electricity

A Wall Street Journal article proclaims, "Westinghouse, Once an Industrial Powerhouse, Is on Brink of Sale."

The article talks about the current Westinghouse Electric Co, "a faded industrial giant that once helped electrify the world," as if the company being sold was the same company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It's not, it is one last remnant of the original Westinghouse Electric that still bears the Westinghouse name.

The empire created by George Westinghouse, and the variety of products that carried the Westinghouse name have been split up over various companies over the years through a variety of mergers and acquisitions. The Westinghouse Electric mentioned in the article is the US based nuclear power company formed in 1998 from the nuclear power division of the original Westinghouse Electric Corporation.  The company retained the Westinghouse name even though it was acquired by Toshiba in 2005.  The Westinghouse nuclear power company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2017 and is being purchased by the company Brookfield Business Partners.

The current American mass media CBS Corporation, focused on commercial broadcasting, inherited much of the original Westinghouse Electric Company. When CBS Corporation was acquired by Viacom in 1999 that technically marked the end of the original Westinghouse Corporation. In 2005 CBS and Viacom split up, and the CBS Corporation lives on.

We will be watching to see if a new nuclear company creayed from the assets of the current Westinghouse Electric still carries the name Westinghouse. At one time the two major companies that dominated our world of electricity and electric appliances were Westinghouse and General Electric, which can be traced to Thomas Edison.

Interesting, the brand name of "Westinghouse" is still owned by the CBS Corporation. (Westinghouse heritage)

The names of Westinghouse Electric and General Electric are slowing fading away in corporate America, but the legacy of the great inventor and industrialist George Westinghouse lives on at GeekHistory.
 

A photo of  Westinghouse generators at Edward Dean Adams Power Plant in Niagara Fall, the first large-scale, alternating current electric generating plant in the world, built in 1895, reminds us of the legacy of Westinghouse.

Tags: 

• Westinghouse
• business
• Industrialist
• electricity