TECH HARDWARE: BroadbandAccess service

Monday, December 17, 2007

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Dear Verizon Wireless Customer,

Thank you for contacting our Verizon Wireless website. We are sorry to learn that you are having difficulty with your BroadbandAccess service. We are happy to assist you with your question.

We apologize your BroadbandAccess connection is disconnecting and you are unable to pull up an IP address and you have spotty DNS resolution. We are currently not aware of any outages and you should be able to connect to the Internet. We have provided a guide to inputting the DNS on your computer.

Configuring Domain Name Server (DNS) addresses

Please be aware manually programming Domain Name Server (DNS) addresses is not a permanent solution to the issue you are experiencing. If this resolves the issue, please contact our Wireless Technical Support department at 1-800-922-0204 to escalate this issue so we can have a permanent solution.

Windows XP
1. Disconnect from the Internet.
2. Close any open applications.
3. From the Windows desktop, select Start > Programs (All Programs) > Accessories > Communications > Network Connections.
4. Right-click the appropriate network connection (e.g. NationalAccess / BroadbandAccess).
5. Click Properties.
6. Click the Networking tab.
7. Ensure that Type of dial-up server I am calling is set to PPP: Windows 95/98/NT4/2000, Internet.
8. Ensure that Internet Protocol TCP/IP is checked, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) then click Properties.
9. Ensure that Obtain an IP address automatically is selected.
10. Ensure that Use the following DNS server addresses is selected, enter the following DNS servers then click OK.
Preferred DNS : 66.174.95.44
Alternate DNS : 66.174.95.43
11. Click OK .
12. Close the Network and Dial-up Connections window.

Windows Vista
1. Disconnect from the Internet.
2. Close any open applications.
3. From the Windows desktop, click Start > Connect to.
4. Right-click the appropriate network connection (e.g. NationalAccess / BroadbandAccess).
5. Click Properties.
6. Click the Networking tab.
7. Ensure that Internet Protocol TCP/IPv4 is checked, select Internet Protocol TCP/IPv4 then click Properties.
8. Ensure that Use the following DNS server addresses is selected, enter the following DNS servers then click OK.
Preferred DNS : 66.174.95.44
Alternate DNS ; 66.174.95.43
9. Click OK .
10. Close the Connect to a network window.

If your connection is constantly dropping, then the first item to check is your signal strength indicator. Please make sure that you are receiving 2 bars or more of signal. If you are receiving less than 2 bars, then you may experience problems with the connection dropping due to a weak signal.

If you are getting a strong signal, but the connection is still dropping then there may be a network issue in your area; however, we need to ask you to perform some preliminary troubleshooting steps. This will not guarantee a consistent Internet connection but it should allow your connection to perform to its’ full potential.

The following factors can affect your connection:

* Structural Restrictions – For example, the inside of a building can limit the signal received from the tower. If you move near a window, you have a good chance of increasing your signal; however, this would depend on how many miles you are located from the nearest wireless tower.

* Network Service issues – You might be on the fringe of the network and this might cause you to lose connection. Please visit the link below to view the broadband coverage for your location.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST

* You may be using an old version of the VZAccess Manager. Please visit the link below, if your current version of VZAccess Manager is lower than the one listed on the site then uninstall VZAccess Manager and replace it with the one offered on the website.

http://vzam.net/

You can verify you current version by following the steps below.

1. Launch VZAccess manager
2. Click on Help on top bar
3. Select About VZAccess.
4. This shows the VZAccess Manager Software version.

In order to insure the most up to date coverage area for your PC card, we recommend that you update your PC cards Preferred Roaming List (PRL) once per month. Please follow the steps below to run the VZAccess Manager Activation wizard on your computer to update your PC card’s PRL.

1. Launch VZ Access Manger
2. Select “Options”
3. Select “Activation”
4. Click “OK” when “Activation Successful” Message appears

* Your connection might have become corrupted. Please follow the steps below to delete and recreate the connection.
. Go to the Network connections on your Computer.
. Delete the Broadband/NationalAccess Connection.
. Safely eject the PC card.
. Restart your Computer.
1. Within the VZ Access Manager, select “Options”
2. Select “Run Wizard”
3. Select “Next”
4. Select “Detect WWAN device only”
5. Select “Next”
6. Select “Next”
7. Select “PC Card”
8. Select “Next”
9. Select “Next”
10. Once device is detected select “Yes”
11. Select “Next”
12. Enter the 10-digit cell number if not auto populated 13. Select “Next”
14. Select “Do not make copies of any of my dial-up accounts”
15. Select “Next”
16. Select “Next”
17. Select “Run VZ Access at startup if you want the software to load every time you start your PC, otherwise leave unchecked.
18. Select “Finish”

* Also, Venturi may be the cause of the problems you are experiencing. Venturi is compression software that installs along with VZ Access Manager. It is designed to improve the apparent speed of the connection using compression and normally works fine on most PCs but can have adverse affects under certain conditions.

Please follow the steps below to disable Venturi compression via the VZAccess Manager interface.

1. From the Windows desktop, locate and double-click on the VZAccess Manager icon 2. From the top menu, select “Tools”, then “Preferences…”
3. Click on the Venturi tab
4. Uncheck “Compress and accelerate WWAN connections” to disable Venturi compression 5. Click “OK”

If the performance improves after disabling Venturi, please follow the steps below to uninstall this program.
1. On your PC click “Start”
2. Click on “Control Panel” icon
3. Click on “Add and Remove Programs”
4. Locate Venturi and select “Change/Remove”
5. Follow Prompts to finish uninstall

If you are still unable to stay connected to the Internet, please contact the Wireless Data Technical Support department at your convenience. Our representatives are available 6 AM to 11 PM Central Standard Time, 7 days a week and may be reached by dialing: 1-800-922-0204 and selecting option number 3.

Speaking with you in person is the only way to ensure that we have investigated all possible factors that may contribute to the behavior you have described. Our support technicians will obtain the necessary information and then escalate to our next tier of technical support to ensure a timely resolution.

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Verizon Wireless.

Sincerely,

Olukemi
Verizon Wireless
Data Technical Support

If you have received this e-mail in error or are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately by replying to this e-mail and deleting it and all copies and backups thereof. If you are the intended recipient and are a Verizon Wireless customer, this response is subject to the terms of your Customer Agreement.

Original Message Follows:
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I have spent the better part of two days playing with it. It is disconnecting for no apparent reason. Failing to pull an ip address. And, spotty dns resolution. Is it me or is there a general problem with the service?

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TECH SOFTWARE:Toucan to sync, backup and secure files on your device

Monday, December 17, 2007

http://portableapps.com/news/2007-11-21_-_toucan_1.2

Toucan 1.2 Released
Submitted by Steve Lamerton on November 21, 2007 – 6:18pm.

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Toucan 1.2 has been released. Toucan is a tool for advanced users that allows you to sync, backup and secure files on your device. This new release includes a number of small improvements as well as AES encryption (read on for important details on decrypting existing encrypted files). It’s packaged in PortableApps.com Format for easy use from any portable device and integration with the PortableApps.com Suite. And it’s open source and completely free.

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And, free!

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LINKEDIN: never ever use your current employer’s email in LinkedIn

Sunday, December 16, 2007

FROM A LINKEDIN CONTACT ABOUT “LIVELINESS”

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I decided to perform a small test of my own today… by simply sending out recommendation requests to those people I have actually worked with (as opposed to all the recruiters that are in my network). I’ll et you know the final results… but I’m already getting replies from people who have taken over colleagues email addresses at companies asking me who I am!!! Not a real good sign.

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Amazing what you find out when you look!

Here’s another reason why you should never ever use your current employer’s email in LinkedIn.

I rant about this all the time. Not your current employers! Not your ISP! Not gmail, yahoo, or whatever! It has to be from your own domain name.

Like “reinke.cc”!

No excuses. No reason not to. You’re supposed to be a pro, professional, it can be done for well under $100 bucks a year. It’s probably in the 60$/year range. That’s a little more than a dollar a week.

There’s no excuse for it.

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LINKEDIN: “Ron Paul” is also on LinkedIn

Sunday, December 16, 2007

FROM AN MLPF EMAIL

>Re: Hilary For President
>Posted by: “Verdegem, Luc”
>Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:58 pm (PST)
>Sorry for this question,
>I was just wondering why there are not more “smart” politicians that use

Interesting.

“Ron Paul” is also on LinkedIn. I’m one of “his” loons. But, I would know more think of doing the old Star Trek Vulcan Mind Meld with that pseudo person

(I have to update my taxonomy of “Trolls you find on LinkedIn” with a new one “political alter egos”! — POLITICIANS. Sort of the opposite of ABILLGATES that high value target. This is imho a low value target.)

LINKEDIN: Updated taxonomy of LinkedIn “identities”
https://reinkefaceslife.com/2007/11/29/linkedin-updated-taxonomy-of-linkedin-identities
http://tinyurl.com/25b5mw

Those have to be a violation of the LinkedIn TOS, contrary to the spirit of LinkedIn, and injecting your politics into an inappropriate venue. IMHO.

I can’t see any upside to doing this. What’s next? Linking to your favorite cartoon character.

(Shaking my virtual, not virtuous, head in amazement.)

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TECH SOFTWARE: INTERRUPTON to measure how distracted you are?

Saturday, December 15, 2007

http://www.workingcogs.com/interruptron/

Interruptron

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In the attention economy, what matters is your attention. Modern life is plagued with interruptions, some self-imposed (do you have a popup that lets you know when new mail arrives?), some not (phone ringing, people knocking on your door). The axiom is simple: your productivity is inversely proportional to the number of interruptions per hour. There exist psychological research that proves that doing two tasks -A,B- in an alternating sequence -ABABAB- is a lot harder than doing them on batches -AAABBB-. This is called task switch cost. Some research on economics proves that the same concept –switching tasks often is bad for productivity- is true organizations.

This is so simple it’s staggering. We thought: well, we don’t know how often we are interrupted, but we should! That’s how the interruptron was born.

The modern knowledge worker has a very short average time between interruptions. Some estimates are as low as 10 minutes. We need to be aware of when we have been interrupted and try to stretch time between interruptions as much as possible. Also, it’s important to be aware of when we are floating into ‘unproductive time’ and have some method to nag us back to work. This is the goal of the interruptron. Run it always, and you’ll have a good gasp of where your time goes.

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It’s impossible to get any serious thinking done in the office with all the noise and interruptions. This will just help you quantify it. Now if it could just get you into the “zone”.

Donation ware, so how big a risk can it be?

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LINKEDIN: LinkedIn is dysfunctional

Saturday, December 15, 2007

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Please note: You are now required to enter an email address to send invitations from this page because several recipients of your invitations indicated they don’t know you. This safeguard is in place to prevent users from receiving unwanted invitations from people they don’t know. Customer Service can remove the restriction at anytime once you indicate that you understand this policy.

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I don’t know what they are talking about. I don’t invite ever since Linkedin instituted their dumb “5 I don’t knows and your suspended”. I only accept invites.

The funnier think is that I am not, nor have I ever been, what they hate … an “open” networker.

?

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LINKEDIN: in LinkedIn you need to connect to a few “mega connectors” to be “findable”

Saturday, December 15, 2007

FROM AN EMAIL EXCHANGE WITH A LINKEDIN CONTACT

>and LinkedIn stays on my personal e-mail which is second priority. I’m cleaning e-mail today .

Well, just as long as you remember, that one’s first duty, the 2008 Prime Directive, is to find your “next” job! Too many times, as you’ve probably heard me blog, I hear my turkeys tell me that “they were too busy with work to … …”. With unfortunate results. Both in family life and earning power.

>I agree with your blog comments. I think one interesting question is how “linked” are we through affiliations.

I think that “affiliations” can lead to “linking”.

> I would not hesitate to recommend you or introduce you, based upon my view of your work on XXXXXXXXXX and your writings I’ve seen.

Thanks for the kind words. If one can’t be “good”, be “persistent”? :-)

>I wouldn’t offer the same to someone just because they XXXXXXXXXXX.

No, but I bet you might be inclined to take a Lucht-style networking meeting with them. See that is the theory of the “granfalloon” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granfalloon where one can parlay an “imaginary connection” into a chance to create a weak link. Which then, over time, you can build to a strong one. I used that extensively first in my career, and later in selling.

>interesting that in at least four – I was linked to these people through you – two or three separations.

Well, in LinkedIn you need to connect to a few “paul revere” types or some of the “mega connectors” to be “findable”

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LINKEDIN: “canned invites” should just be automatically ignores

Friday, December 14, 2007

EMAIL ABOUT USING LINKEDIN’S IDKs

>Re: “Running out of invitations…”
>Posted by: “Mario P. Lopez”
>Thu Dec 6, 2007 7:41 pm (PST)
>Should we give the IDK “prize” to canned invitations, forget about it
>(and maybe avoid potential problems) and mind our own networking business?

While I am always up for a good “tar’n’feathering”, I’d suggest that “canned invites” should just be automatically ignores. I’d suggest that IDKing them might “freeze” a newbie who might not know any better. Since it will take a lot of work to determine exactly what is on the other end of the invite, and even more work if it is a newbie, I vote to just archive it.

I do, however, support identifying the spammers who should know better (i.e., the Blue Chip) and collectively determining to punish them for their annoying behavior.

When everyone was citing the Blue Chip spam, I thought that would be a good use of IDK.

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LINKEDIN: Found some one who dropped me. And, I’ve asked why!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Found some one who dropped me. And, I’ve asked why!

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TECH SOFTWARE: TIMEASSIST is better than the egg timer I have on my desk

Friday, December 14, 2007

http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=11163.msg87431#msg87431

Timer Assist

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I work at a hospital and have to chart the patient’s vitals every 15 minutes after surgery. This has to be done at 15 past the hour, 30 minutes past the hour 45 minutes past the hour and on the hour.

I need a timer that will sound a user chosen wav file (some sounds can be irritating to recouping patients so one that is tolerable has to be used) on the 15’s, display a user defined message that will only go away after acknowledgment and continue counting happily away without user intervention. That is it will alarm at the next 15 even if the message is not acknowledged.

Most timers will not auto continue after sounding.

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Donation ware — how can you go wrong?

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