12 May 2026 | Linux, Networking, Programming, TekTalk, Video |
When you hear the word “linux”, you probably think of nerds hidden away in a cramped office, managing all the servers that make our high-tech modern world actually go.
You probably also associate “linux” with “security”.
Unfortunately, recent events have shown that the truth is a bit more… holey. Like, Swiss cheese holey.
From Copy Fail to cPanel to Dirty Frag, the linux server community has been utterly hammered by nasty exploits in the past weeks.
We’ll tell you what happened, what it means, and how to protect yourself and your gizmos!
(more…)
21 April 2026 | How Does it Work?, Networking |
Recently, the IETF revealed a new proposal for how the internet works: IPv8
But hang on, you say, didn’t they introduce IPv6 to fix the limited number of IP addresses?
Why yes, they did… 20 years ago!
Unfortunately, IPv6 is overly complicated, and requires updating hardware and software. Thus, even today, it still hasn’t widely replaced IPv4.
Enter IPv8!!
(more…)
17 February 2026 | Computers, How to, Networking |
If you’re running VirtualBox on Windows, you may have seen this fun problem: 40 “VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapters” listed next to your normal network connection in Device Manager and network Settings.
What’s worse, when you try to delete them, it works… until a few minutes – or maybe a reboot – later, et voila! They’ve gone forth and multiplied.
You delete, they spawn again… The minute you disable them, your Windows networking works again, until… MORE of them appear!
What gives? How do you fix this seriously annoying issue?
(more…)
10 February 2026 | Computers, Gizmos, How to, Networking |
These days, browsing the internet is relatively secure.
After all, web sites all use encrypted HTTPS. So we’re good, right?
Eh, no.
What you don’t know CAN hurt you. And what you don’t know is that by default, your DNS is not secure!
What’s that and why does it matter?
(more…)
11 November 2025 | AI, Networking, Video |
In the glorious new world of AI Everything™️, we need more processing power than ever.
That means more data centers, bigger data centers, and more electricity than you can imagine.
Naturally, this all costs money – but not to worry! We’ll just invent new economics to fund it all.
We’ll also just ignore the effects that giant data centers are having on the real people who live in real neighborhoods next door…
In fact, the insanity at work these days in the AI and data center industries is so overwhelming, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s just the script from a bad Sci-Fi movie…
But no, it’s real. And it’s NUTS.
(more…)
2 August 2025 | Computers, Gizmos, How to, Networking |
These days, “censorship” runs rampant – even in supposedly free countries.
We’re not allowed to read the news we want because ‘that web site’ is run by the enemy, dontcha know…
And even if Country X is in fact my enemy, the idea that I’d want to read their news just to understand how they think and act, well… that’s just strictly forbidden!
So, to access sites that have been blacklisted, most people resort to a VPN.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easier, free way? Well, there is – at least in many cases!
(more…)
22 July 2025 | How to, Networking, Video, Wireless Wonderland |
WiFi may be convenient, but it’s infamous for its often poor connection quality.
Stuttering voice and video chats, slow download speeds, and so on…
While not as handy as WiFi, a wired Ethernet connection is always fast, reliable, and rock solid.
But how to get Ethernet on your phone or tablet?
It’s easier than you think.
(more…)
1 July 2025 | How Does it Work?, Networking |
I hate to sound like an old man, but the internet is changing.
Yep, boy howdy! They sure don’t make ’em like they used to!
But seriously, it IS changing. Gone are the days of YouTube as a Job. Ads on a web site? Yeah, that doesn’t really work any more. And “search results”? What are those??
And you might say: “Well, sure! AI is killing everything.” And you’re not wrong… But I think there’s more to it than that.
Just as the world is shifting from unipolar to multipolar, technology and media and everything else is changing along with it.
(more…)
29 November 2024 | Do-It-Yourself, How to, Networking, Video, Wireless Wonderland |
It’s time to upgrade your Ethernet! New multigig Ethernet switches that run at 2.5 Gbps are now much cheaper to buy. So the only question left is: Will your Ethernet cables actually work at multigig speeds? Well, theoretically, if they’re at least Cat 5e, they SHOULD be fine… But alas, not all cables are created equal. Worse yet, popular flat Ethernet cables are super-handy, but some of them look and feel pretty darn cheap. So which ones will ACTUALLY work?? Let’s find out…
(more…)
12 November 2024 | Do-It-Yourself, How to, Linux, Networking |
With fiber internet, ultra-high download speeds are pushing the envelope in terms of home routers.
While 1 Gbps Ethernet used to be enough, many ISPs are offering 2Gbps speeds – and up!
Unfortunately, your standard home router these days usually only offers a single 2.5 Gbps multigig Ethernet port – and sometimes NO 2.5 GbE ports at all.
So what do you do if you need multiple 2.5 gig Ethernet ports?
Why, you roll your own router, of course! It’s a lot easier than it seems…
(more…)
When you hear the word “linux”, you probably think of nerds hidden away in a cramped office, managing all the servers that make our high-tech modern world actually go.
Recent Comments