TP-Link TL-MR3020 3G Wireless N Router
TP-Link just announced a new product in their stable of connectivity devices called the TL-MR3020 Portable 3G/3.75G Wireless N Router.
This little gadget will allow you to plug your USB 3G modem into and it in turn lets multiple Wi-Fi devices to share that connection!
Sure, there are other devices out there that do the same thing, but this one has some distinctive features, such as a firewall with port forwarding & port triggering, UPnP, Parental Controls, Access Schedules, MAC address filtering and a 3G/WAN failover function!
With one of these and your 3G USB modem, your iPad, Android tablet, X-Box, notebook computer and any other Wi-Fi device can be connected to the internet wherever you are! This could be the perfect camping or tailgating companion. It could make for backup connectivity for your business as well.
These are priced at under 40 dollars and they are compatible with over 120 UMTS/HSPA/EVDO 3G USB modems. If you need more information or want to get one, give us a call at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Diamond VStream WPCTV1080H
The question of the day was from a client who asked, “How can I display what I see on my notebook to my big screen TV, without physically connecting it?”.
Obviously, connecting the notebook to your LCD TV is probably the easiest thing in the world, using an HDMI, DVI or even VGA cable, however, it is inconvenient, especially if you are using the notebook for a presentation and the TV is on the other end of the room.
Fortunately, there are a number of devices on the market that allow you to easily stream your video and audio to external displays, wirelessly.
One is the Diamond Multimedia Wireless Converter (WPCTV1080H), that connects to your display with an HDMI cable, and to your notebook with a little USB dongle.
Now your external display becomes an extension of your notebook! You can watch everything from Netflix to YouTube to your security cameras in full 1080p resolution. The computer can be up to about 30 ft away from the display device.
Slick, eh? Only about 120 dollars, or less. We have them if you need one. They even include the HDMI cable.
| Homeland Secure IT, LLC | 104 Mauldin Rd, STE EGreenville, SC 29605Phone (864) 990-4748www.HomelandSecureIT.com |
Press Release
| Contact: John M. HoytPhone: (864)990-4748 x 201Email: johnh@homelandsecureit.com | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE12 PM EDT November 1, 2011 |
Homeland SECURE IT Achieves Select Certification from Cisco
Greenville, SC, November 1, 2011: Homeland Secure IT announced today that it has achieved Select Certification from Cisco. The Select Certification recognizes Cisco® resale channel partners that focus on meeting the technology and service needs of small businesses.
Cisco’s portfolio of both Small Business and Small Business Professional Series products directly complement and enhance Homeland Secure IT’s Systems Design, Sales, Installation and Support of end-to-end communications and physical networks.
Cisco Select Certified
“The Cisco Select Certification was created in response to customer demand for channel partners capable of designing and implementing Cisco solutions purpose-built for small businesses,” said Andrew Sage, vice president of Worldwide Small Business Sales at Cisco. “With the Select Certification, Homeland Secure IT has made an investment in obtaining the training, skills and knowledge necessary to play a pivotal role in meeting this growing demand.”
To earn Select Certification, Homeland Secure IT fulfilled the training and exam requirements for the Cisco Small Business Specialization. Homeland Secure IT also met the personnel, training and post-sales support requirements set forth by Cisco.
The Cisco Resale Channel Program provides a framework for channel partners to build the sales, technical and Cisco Lifecycle Services skills required to deliver Cisco solutions to end customers. Through the program’s specializations and certifications, Cisco recognizes a channel partner’s expertise in deploying solutions based on Cisco advanced technologies and services. Using a third-party audit process, the program validates channel partner qualifications such as technology skills, business best practices, customer satisfaction, and presales and post-sales support capabilities — critical factors for customers choosing a trusted channel partner.
About Homeland Secure IT
Homeland Secure IT is headquartered in Greenville, SC, and serves Greenville and the Upstate of South Carolina. Our goal is to deliver seamless design, implementation, and support to customers requiring both simple and sophisticated communications solutions.
- Unified Communications (VoIP)
- Wireless (WLAN)
- Video Surveillance
- Storage Solutions (NAS, SAN)
- Backup and Disaster Recovery
- Security (Firewall, A/V)
- Switching
For more information about this topic or to schedule meeting with our design and engineering team, please call 864-990-4748 or visit our website at http://www.HomelandSecureIT.com
We don't just sell D-Link products, we know how to make them work within your environment!
Everyone is familiar with Cisco products, but not everyone may realize there are alternatives which can affect your bottom line drastically while providing an identical feature set and experience.
D-Link is a leader in the field and their products can often times go head-to-head with Cisco.
D-Link offers:
- Wireless network equipment, like access points, managed wireless switches for large scale deployments, and cloud managed systems. D-Link offers a solution for your small office or your large university campus and everything in between. Need wireless roaming of VoIP systems or to connect buildings and networks together wirelessly? They’ve got that covered.
- SAN – Network storage systems that can use your existing LAN infrastructure and compete nicely with NAS (Network Attached Storage). These work with VMWare and other virtual environments, as well as with applications like ProTools!
- Firewalls and routers, for the small or medium business to the large enterprise.
- Switches, from a single inexpensive switch to managed to stackable for your enterprise that can have a master replaced without taking the entire stack down. 10/100, gigabit, even 10GBE.
Last week I was discussing RIAA letters to people who had supposedly downloaded music illegally and it turned out it was neighbors using their wifi connection.
I wonder if anyone was paying attention? If you did not secure your wireless access point after that, then maybe THIS will encourage you to do so…
A dispute with neighbors turned ugly back in 2009, and one man used the wireless access point of one neighbor to make it appear as if they were downloading child porn and more. The article says the man hacked into the access point, but chances are good, at least at first, he did not have to do any “hacking” at all.
Read more here:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/07/13/wifi.hacking.neighbor.sentenced.wired/index.html?hpt=te_bn15
Secure those APs kiddies! If you are running a business, you should be even more concerned. Want to add a little extra protection? Remove the broadcast of SSID, sure it will not matter to someone who is intent on getting in, but it does at least make it a little less visible to the casual observer.
Should you require help in the Greenville / Upstate SC area, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
Take Basic Connectivity to a New Level
The Cisco® RV 120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall combines highly secure connectivity – to the Internet as well as from other locations and remote workers – with a high-speed, 802.11n wireless access point, a 4-port switch, an intuitive, browser-based device manager, and support for the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility, all at a very affordable price. Its combination of high performance, business-class features and top-quality user experience takes basic connectivity to a new level.
Cisco RV 120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall
Product Overview
• High-speed, standards-based 802.11n wireless connectivity to help employees stay productive while away from their desks
• Integrated 4-port 10/100 switch with quality of service (QoS) support for enhanced voice, video and data traffic
• Support for separate “virtual” networks enables you to control access to sensitive information and to set up highly secure wireless guest access
• IP Security (IPsec) VPN support with hardware acceleration to deliver highly secure, high-performance connections to multiple locations and traveling employees
• Support for static routing, Routing Information Protocol (RIP) versions 1 and 2, and inter-VLAN routing to enable flexible connection sharing
• Proven stateful packet inspection (SPI) firewall, plus advanced wireless security to help keep business assets safe
• Simplified configuration through an intuitive, browser-based device manager
• Support for the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility
Figure 2. Back Panel of the Cisco RV 120W
Figure 3. Typical Configuration
Table 1. Product Specifications
Wireless LAN Specifications
Table 2. Wireless LAN Specifications
Table 3. Table 3 System Specifications
Table 4. Configuration Requirements
| Feature | Description |
| Network adapter | PC with network adapter and Ethernet cable |
| Web-based configuration | Web browser |
The time has come to replace that old analog phone system in your small business and upgrade to VoIP (Voice over IP) technology! The prices have never been better.
One interesting option is the Cisco Small Business Unified Communications 300 series. A few features include:
The UC320 system’s specific features:
If this sounds of interest to your Greenville / Upcountry business, please give Homeland Secure IT a call at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We are a Cisco Small Business Select Partner offering sales, support and consultation!
Those of you who are using a notebook computer or mobile device such as an iPad, iPhone, Android or Android tablet and connecting to those public free wifi access hotspots may want to just ditch the WiFi after what I heard about today…
In spite of what I said about safe browsing from public wi-fi hotspots using a VPN a while back, it sounds like a “proof of concept” is about to be published which states that the mere action of connecting to a public WiFi hotspot, then establishing the VPN can potentially give away the VPN credentials. This could potentially happen whether it is an open (unsecured) access point, or a rogue (man-in-the-middle) AP.
If this is true, which we should know in a few weeks, then it sounds to me like ditching WiFi all together is not a bad idea if your data is valuable. 3g and 4g connectivity through your wireless provider may well be the best bet.
Obviously, this is not platform specific (Mac would be just as vulnerable as a Windows PC), and it is not a bug in the operating systems or VPN software.
I will be posting more information should it be proven to be a legitimate threat. Until then, stay safe….
Secure your Wi-Fi Connection with a VPN
WSPA’s Amy Wood (@TVAmy) had a great segment on last night (2011-02-07) in which she had Doug Cone (@nullvariable) a local web/graphics “devsigner” discussing the dangers of using public Wi-Fi. You can find that story here.
He demonstrated a tool which allows even the most novice of “hackers” to see a list of others who are using any given open wireless access point. He did this at a coffee shop and then went around and scared the bejeebus out of people by showing them how much information was at his fingertips.
In a discussion on Facebook the other day with Doug and Russell Tripp (@RussellTripp), I suggested that those two get together and product a video showing the same information in depth and then explaining how to protect yourself from this all-too-real security threat. I believe they may be doing that as a follow-up to the WSPA story and will post that information here as a reply when that becomes a reality.
In the mean time, I thought I give some info about one tool that is both readily available and super-affordable that you can use to secure your connection when using a public Wi-Fi hotspot. That tool is a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. Yes, the same VPN technology that has been around for a very long time and used in businesses and larger corporations, and it is so easy, a caveman could do it. (I’m sure a lawsuit is forthcoming for my use of that slogan)
A VPN connection established to your home will allow you to connect to the open wireless network of your choice, build a “tunnel” to your home connection, and then send all traffic through the wireless network through the encrypted tunnel, providing a very secure transport.
All that is needed is a VPN capable router or firewall at your home. But wait, you say you can’t afford a Cisco ASA 5505 (or WatchGuard or SonicWALL security appliance). That’s okay, you don’t need one.
You may already have a compatible home router that can be setup with the free DD-WRT (the website http://www.dd-wrt.com has a list of compatible routers) which provides VPN capability to your 40 dollar Linksys or similar device!
The setup is pretty straight-forward once the device end is ready. Connecting takes only seconds.
The VPN is not just for Microsoft Windows, but also Apple Mac OSX, iPad, linux, freebsd, solaris, etc. Most smartphones including Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Blackberry should have the ability to utilize your VPN too.
If you don’t have a compatible router, you could optionally use OpenVPN on your PC, and last but not least, you could use the OpenVPN HOSTED service. The hosted solution comes with a price tag, but for many it may be worth it to protect their privacy.
If you are fortunate enough to work for a company with a VPN already in place, you could probably use that as an option, assuming the IT policy permits you to do so.
Should you require assistance in Greenville or the Upstate for your personal or business VPN needs, we are partners with Cisco, WatchGuard, SonicWALL, ZyXEL and have a solution that is right for you. Call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.
Homeland Secure IT Alert
Homeland Secure IT Alert for Saturday, October 30, 2010
FireSheep add-on for Firefox browser is proof-of-concept why you should NOT use public / unencrypted Wi-Fi to access without extreme caution.
Last week, a tool was released that makes it possible for anyone to easily hijack your web sessions from within a browser view. When I say anyone, that means anyone. It has always been possible to do this, but this tool is so easy to use, a child could do it, or is that a caveman could do it? Either way, once the browser extension is installed, the hacker can see a list of everyone using the public unencrypted Wi-Fi network he/she is on and what sites they are on.
The person can see in a browser sidebar WHO is logged into Facebook, Google, Twiter, Dropbox, WordPress, Evernote, Amazon, Flickr, etc, and then they simply click on your session to be logged in as you. Yes, they become YOU… It works because it hijacks your cookie which is sent in the clear.
So think twice before you log into some site via public enencrypted Wi-Fi!!!
What can you do about this? Good quesiton.
Option 1: Avoid public unencrypted Wi-Fi, defeating the purpose of having easy access, but offering you the highest level of protection.
Option 2: Only use sites that offer SSL/Secure logons – Actually this is sketchy because to sign into the “secure” section of most sites, the session info is still sent in the clear, so be careful.
Option 3: Use a VPN back to a gateway at your office. This insures all your traffic is encrypted.
Option 4: Try information that is available here: Force TLS
It doesn’t matter whether you are using Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, Linux, etc, this is not a *bug*, it is the nature of the beast.
Be careful out there…. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.
Homeland Secure IT Alert
