I recently found out that MRTG doesn't need to be running on the system in question in order to get network stats from it. I managed to get SNMP set up with the sveasoft firmware on my Linksys WRT54G router and now have full network stats, polled by my server every 5 minutes and graphed




Current real world stats for my RCN cable connection are 3.3 megabits down, 790 kilobits up, which is not too shabby considering I also get a static IP for $10 more a month and my cable/phone/internet bill from them doesn't even break $100 a month. I have yet to manage to peg my downstream limiter, but I've hit the upstream limit and left a nice flatline on the graph during some testing. Not many sources out there that can feed a constant 3+ megabit dowstream for quick testing.

Also thanks to a WEIRD list posting, I discovered BartPE which has already saved me once at work, oddly enough it was to fix the mess that Norton Ghost caused just by trying to run in preparation for ghosting another computer. Basically its a windows boot CD with full GUI and some useful tools for repairing windows boxes.

A quick hardware review, I decided to blow some christmas money and part of my first paycheck on a Treo 650 communicator. I can now check my IMAP mail boxes from anywhere with sprint PCS coverage, and share my net connection from that phone via Bluetooth thanks to a little hack and the knowledge of Sprint's dialing procedures, though since I can check mail on the phone, I find that I don't often need the rest of the computer when I'm not near a hotspot or network jack.

Current Music: Avenue Q - The internet is for porn
Current Project: Network Engineering

I got a very nice present from my Grandfather this christmas, an old freezer compressor which I am going to use as my compressor at the apartment, as posted previously, the $100 campbell hausfeld is a bit noisy to use in the later hours or when you want peace and quiet. The current stage is a testing rig, which needs to be manually started and stopped using the plug, safety is maintained by a spring-loaded blow valve that the campbell hausfeld compressor came with, and the one issue with this compressor is that it needs to start at 0 psi, otherwise it won't turn over. For now I am using the spare port on the large set of gauges strapped to the side to allow me to vent the lines and start the compressor even with a partially filled air tank. Ideally I would need a one way valve to feed the tank, and some sort of bleed valve to vent the lines to the compressor whenever the compressor stops. Not sure how easy it is to come by such a device, would guess some sort of 110v solenoid valve which closes when power is applied and opens when it is shut off would work.



Current Music: My failing UPS's battery alarm.
Current Project: HVAC Technology

With work taking up most of my days now, the server upgrades have been going a little slower than they would have otherwise but I am now to the point of having shut down or disconnected serval and ocelot and moved everything over to bengal officially. Some things are still broken, including:
-my php in the main homepage doesn't work anymore
-dropbox and the rest of the fileserver stuff is still all over the place and not migrated fully
-not all the important stuff is on the RAID

Upgrades

However FC3 was very nice in that it recognized serval's old array right upon booting and synced up without any work on my part, just had to mount /dev/md1-4 in the fstab and I was back up and running, much faster and eaiser than expected. Also the new versions of spamassassin are very nice, only a couple days training and its already almost up to par with the old system and can get rid of spam as well as the best enterprise level stuff, and its free.

Thanks to getting the server case and power supply for xmas, the total cost of this server, including the boot drive (not the RAID drives, had those already) is only about $250, and would have been about $450 had I needed to buy the case myself. Add the cost of all the fancy softare, a total of $0 and you get a server for $450 that can handle anything myself, friends and family can throw at it.

I'm starting to really like working downtown when they send me there, thornes market beats the pants off any food court that I've ever seen, now I just need to get sprint to give me a decent deal on a treo 650 so I can get online from the T on the ride in.

Current Music: Magnatune Ambient
Current Project: Server

Well I managed to get a job already, and in a couple weeks it will hopefully turn from a contract to a full time job, so far the actual work that I've done is very similar to the tech support stuff I did with TechCavalry, however its all corporate (so no more showing up at trailer parks to fix a problem and get bitched out over our phone people not telling him about a $5/hour rate increase, or having to drive into the bowels of springfield and pray the customer isn't there so I can hop back in my car and flee for my life.

First day went well though I have to fix my sleep schedule, had a 10:00 appointment today which I was awake enough for but made the mistake of not taking a lunch break and heading back to the office...was very hungry and tired by the time I got home and dozed for almost 2 hours...have to be in downtown boston at 9am sharp tomorrow so I get to test out public transit at rush hour...probably park at riverside and take the D line in rather than catch the commuter rail way early to way too tight (you'd think the timings would be better considering most people start work at 9am) hopefully won't have too many downtown appointments, though it should make getting real food for lunch easier once I start getting paychecks that is.


Current Music: Magnatune Ambient
Current Project: Gainfully employed