I recently purchased a NAS solution (Network Attached Storage) from Buffalo in order to backup my mp3 collection on my iPod and the photos on my laptop hard drive and access them from any device in my flat. The actual model I went for is the HS-D300GL , mainly for its DLNA support.
The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) have set out some guidelines in order to help guarantee that connectivity between devices will work out of the box, irrespective of manufacturer. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to extend to Microsoft's XBox 360, when I tried to access the data on the Linkstation from the XBox 360 dashboard the device is not visible.
Fortunately all is not lost, with the help of an excellent website Linkstationwiki.net I upgraded the firmware to a custom OpenLink version which enables a telnet connection to the Linkstation and upgraded the linux kernel with the help of this guide. The final piece of the puzzle comes courtesy of TwonkyVision, and their TwonkyMedia software which can spoof the Linkstation as a Windows Media Centre PC and make it visible to the XBox 360. TwonkyMedia is one of the few pieces of software available over the Internet that I've actually paid for so it must be pretty good, compatibility issues due to Microsoft updating the XBox 360 Dashboard are swiftly resolved and €30 seems like a bargain.
I have to say that setting up the Linkstation out of the box took about 5minutes, and upgrading the firmware was also pretty straight forward with DHCP address allocation turned on. I now have a solution where I can access any shared data from any DLNA device in my flat as well as the XBox 360.
Sunday 14 January 2007
Windows Networking & MTU Packet Size
I was recently recommended a piece of software called TCP Optimiser to, as you might expect, optimise your Windows registry settings for the Internet. This is all well and good and may have had some positive effect on my system but it brought back the ghost of a problem I had previously solved. Email unable to send, certain websites, including posting onto Blogger not working and no apparent cause.
Turns out your MTU packet size can actually make a big difference, I'm not sure if this is an issue with Tiscali, my ISP, or my D-Link DSL-604+ wireless router but it has now been replicated in both my new flat and my old student digs. The fix is simple enough, just requiring a reboot, and is nicely described here it just seems strange that default Windows settings don't work properly...
Turns out your MTU packet size can actually make a big difference, I'm not sure if this is an issue with Tiscali, my ISP, or my D-Link DSL-604+ wireless router but it has now been replicated in both my new flat and my old student digs. The fix is simple enough, just requiring a reboot, and is nicely described here it just seems strange that default Windows settings don't work properly...
Tuesday 9 January 2007
Why blog?
I have read a variety of articles on the BBC News Technology section about blogging and bloggers, I always wondered if it would be worthwhile getting involved and I guess I am conducting this site as a mini-experiment in order to publicise some of my experiences. Hopefully the wonders of Google indexing will push this content out to interested viewers.
As a little taster I'd like to talk about my last holiday, to the Dominican Republic. I spent a week in the resort of Punta Cana, now as I understand it Punta Cana is actually a region in the east of the DR as well as the name of a town in that region. The local currency in the DR is the Peso although everyone is happy to deal in US Dollars. We stayed in the Punta Cana Grand Hotel, which offers all inclusive facilities built onto the beach, although some of the food was distinctly average I think the Hotel was good value considering the quantities of rum consumed over the week we were there.
My advice for tourists visiting the area, ensure you have a supply of US Dollars, you have to purchase an "entry card" to pass through the airport for $10 and everyone from the men meeting you from baggage claim onwards will expect a tip, even if only $1. Secondly I would recommend taking part in excursions outside the hotel, although these will cost extra you can haggle the price down, and they provide a great opportunity to see the inner part of the area with some magnificent scenery. We went quad biking for $65 each and spent three or four hours riding around fields, villages and even along the beach next to the ocean. I would also recommend visiting the nightclub Mangu, your concierge will be able to arrange a taxi to take you there and there are always plenty waiting outside to take the tourists home. Be aware that the drinks can be quite expensive but good music and a decent crowd make it a much better night out than the generic hotel disco.
Last tip: take some bug spray!
As a little taster I'd like to talk about my last holiday, to the Dominican Republic. I spent a week in the resort of Punta Cana, now as I understand it Punta Cana is actually a region in the east of the DR as well as the name of a town in that region. The local currency in the DR is the Peso although everyone is happy to deal in US Dollars. We stayed in the Punta Cana Grand Hotel, which offers all inclusive facilities built onto the beach, although some of the food was distinctly average I think the Hotel was good value considering the quantities of rum consumed over the week we were there.
My advice for tourists visiting the area, ensure you have a supply of US Dollars, you have to purchase an "entry card" to pass through the airport for $10 and everyone from the men meeting you from baggage claim onwards will expect a tip, even if only $1. Secondly I would recommend taking part in excursions outside the hotel, although these will cost extra you can haggle the price down, and they provide a great opportunity to see the inner part of the area with some magnificent scenery. We went quad biking for $65 each and spent three or four hours riding around fields, villages and even along the beach next to the ocean. I would also recommend visiting the nightclub Mangu, your concierge will be able to arrange a taxi to take you there and there are always plenty waiting outside to take the tourists home. Be aware that the drinks can be quite expensive but good music and a decent crowd make it a much better night out than the generic hotel disco.
Last tip: take some bug spray!
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