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In: Computer, Security
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No, this post is not about schools or universities. This is about SSL/TLS security. In order to secure an internet connection, SSL/TLS can be used. There are many ways to secure a network connection with SSL/TLS. You have ciphers and algorithms for connection setup and key exchange, ciphers for data stream encryption, hashing algorithms and most of those come in variants with different key lengths. So we talk about a Cipher Suites. A single cipher suite for example looks like this: “TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA_P256”. Then there is history and backwards compatibility. Computers gets faster, resulting in secure encryption becoming insecure over time. So some encryption becomes obsolete butRead More →

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In: Amateur Radio, Computer
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Never trust IT. Why, well just read (carefully) any software vendors disclaimer. Image Daimler would have you sign such a disclaimer when you are handed the keys of your new car. So when operating a remote amateur radio station (400 km away), you have to assume that something can or will fail, especially since you are radiating HF energy. In my case, due to a PC lock up, the 13,8V power supply and my IC-7300 transceiver were forced to remain switched on for 14 days (times 24 hours). Luckily the IC-7300 has a screen saver… So what’s your plan B when your PC or networkRead More →

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Back in 1993 you had to compile the Linux kernel from source and modules were not invented yet. But we had this amazing kernel configure script to set things up. If somebody claims to be in the networking business for a long time, ask him which number comes to mind when you say 3Com (correct answer: 3c509, wrong answer: Is that a Telko?). Getting your 3Com adapter to work with Linux was easy. But then came this wireless stuff…closed source drivers…reverse engineering…NDIS Wrapper… Unfortunately now, many many years later, this “wireless stuff” is still a big source of problems on linux. Power save mode killingRead More →

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In: Amateur Radio, Computer
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Note: This post applies to RS-BA1 version 1.93. In version 1.94 (introduced on 30 aug 2017) the typos are corrected, the drop-down menu at the top is removed and a number of wizards are added to assist with configuration. The Icom RS-BA1 software is being discussed a lot. Some claim that it is totally crap. Others happily use it. I’ve tested the software with my IC-7300 and concluded that it works fine. Actually it works so much better than I expected. Even more, I can remote control my TS-2000 with it as well. So why these diverse opinions? My guess is that there is little knowledgeRead More →