How to access content blocked on your network

February 7, 2018March 26, 2018 admin

As the recent crisis in Sri Lanka revealed, a country or authority can block any content at will. Even if censorship does not exist in your country, there might come a time when the courts or legal authority authorize the blocking of a site or online service for commercial or copyright issues. Fortunately, there are a few ways that we can get around blocks of that nature:

VPN

The most common and obvious solution is to get a VPN service that connects you to the network in another country. There are hundreds of VPN services and applications that allow you to connect to their nodes in various countries. The paid services are better as some of the free VPN hosts are possible scams and security concerns.

Proxy

A cheaper, and less obvious method is to use one of the many web traffic proxies online. A proxy uses a computer in another location to fetch your web requests. The only issue is that proxy services will not allow you to use other services like streaming, and downloads. You can also set up your own proxy server, but you will need to pay for a virtual private server online.

DNS

Another common issue is that networks block traffic to certain domains by hijacking DNS requests. Getting around this is a little harder because it involves one of two options: 1) set up and run your own DNS server, or 2) set manual entries for the sites that you want to access in your host’s file.

Amazon’s future drone network

August 6, 2017August 28, 2017 admin

It has been several years since we first saw the Amazon drone video. Thanks to regulatory issues and safety testing, it might still be a few years before drone package delivery is an option for most people. However, there are also some hurdles that Amazon and others will need to deal with before it is practical to use drones for deliveries. We now see a clearer picture of how Amazon expects to deal with those issues with some recent patent filings.

The biggest hurdle when using drones is a limit to the maximum distance between the point where the drone launches and the destination. Regulators will require line of sight from the launch and destination points. Such short distances will require a very expensive network of launch sites, especially in urban areas.

According to recent patents filings by Amazon, they have several possible solutions to these problems.

The first is a “beehive” like structure that will act a multi-level fulfillment center in populated areas. Drones will come and go from this structure. Amazon’s fulfillment warehouses are huge and require large amounts of land. With the “beehive” Amazon can build them vertically, and they will require a very small footprint.

Another option is a series of mobile delivery systems which will launch, service, and even repair drones. The patent filing includes an image that looks like a shipping container with an opening on the top. The second container contains replacement batteries for the drones. Amazon proposed a similar idea, with the exception that the entire operation was on an airship.

Amazon looks set for future where most deliveries will be by drones.

Feature requirements for an enterprise wireless network

January 27, 2017May 9, 2017 admin

Article written by MobaProject

Wireless network access has gone from a convenience to an absolute necessity in the enterprise. Previously, companies set up wireless access around meeting rooms and open work areas. Now, employees expect complete coverage of offices and campuses. Unlike homes, enterprise wireless system selection is based on several features. Here are the most important:

Management

Enterprise wireless networks can range from 10 to as many as 100 access points. Managing anything over a few devices individually is impossible. This is why higher end wireless networking equipment comes with wireless controllers. Each controller manages several if not all of the access points. A single change at the controller is propagated to all the access points in the system.

Handoff

Handoff is the term used to describe a client moving from one wireless access point to another. The client device decides which access point to which it connects. This selection is based on signal strength (or lack thereof). The wireless controller manages this handoff by preventing clients from connecting to access points with low signal strength. This keeps a user constantly connected even as they move across a building.

Network isolation

For the sake of security, network isolation prevents two devices connected to the same network from communicating with each other. Proper wireless systems block this interaction only allow communication with the router or gateway. This usage is ideal for guest networks where outsiders connect to a corporate network.