Using the Apple iPad/iPhone Configuration Utility for VPN

For my VPN profile I will call it “com.tobiasvpn.profile”.

Select the “VPN” section and click “Configure” to configure our settings.

Here I’ll setup the specifics for my VPN connection.

“Connection Name”     Tobias’ Home VPN
“Connection Type”    L2TP
“Server”        myhouse.fatofthelan.com
“Account”        admin
“User Authentication”    Password
“Shared Secret”        mysooooperpassword
“Send All Traffic”    Checked

Now I have a very basic configuration that will automatically configure the VPN client on my iPhone to connect back to my house. Next I have to get it to my iPhone. The easiest way for me to get it on my iPhone is to email the profile to myself so I can install it. To do this click the “Share” button and you’ll be presented with the option to sign the profile before sending it. I just accepted the default option to “Sign Configuration Profile” and click “Share”. This should open up a new email message and attach the profile file to it, ready to email to myself. Send the email and look for it in your email on your iPhone.

When I check my email on my iPhone I see the profile as an attachment, I touch to begin the install of my newly created profile.

Now I’m taken to the “Install Profile” screen where I touch “Install”.

I get a notification that the profile is unverified and do I want to continue. Touch “Install Now”. Note you will be prompted for your PIN number if enabled.

Next I’m asked for the password for my account name. I enter it and touch “Next”.

And finally it’s finished installing.

Now to test it out. I touch “Settings” and see that there is a new menu item, “VPN”.

I touch the “VPN” switch to begin connecting.

It connects! You should see a little blue icon on the menu bar showing that it is connected.
From here I can get in to anything on my home network just like I was there.

Windows Live Writer Unable To Upload Posts To Google Blogger

Windows Live Writer really is a boon to a blogger. It gives a blogger the freedom to write a post without even connecting to the internet or logging in your Blog. Well, for those who don’t know what Windows Live Writer is, Live Writer is a free tool from Microsoft which comes bundled up with Windows Live Essentials. You can download all the tools or just the Writer.
Now back to the topic. After creating this blog(which is on Google Blogger), I wrote a post on Open ID using Windows Live Writer(WLW), then I hit the Publish Button, it started to upload the post, but after some time it gave an error message of timed out or sometimes an unexpected error. The Post contained many pictures. I searched the web for the solution of this problem and found out that it was a common problem suffered by many bloggers who use Google Blogger with WLW.

The Solution:

Later I found out that the error was because WLW tried to upload the images/pictures to a Windows Live Writer(which didn't exist)  album on my Picasa Web Album account. As you already be knowing, Google Blogger stores Blog’s images in Picasa Web Album of user. So solution to this widely spread problem is just an Album Name. All you have to do is create an Album named ‘Windows Live Writer’ in your Picasa Web Album(Note that you should be logged in with same Google account which you use to log in to Google Blogger).
You can now Publish Posts written using Windows Live Writer. And don’t misspell the albums name- ‘Windows Live Writer’ .

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Basics

 

Routing involves two basic activities: determination of optimal routing paths and the transport of information groups (typically called packets) through an internetwork. The transport of packets through an internetwork is relatively straightforward. Path determination, on the other hand, can be very complex. One protocol that addresses the task of path determination in today’s networks is the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

• It is a Exterior gateway protocol (EGP) used to connect b/w AS defined in RFC 1711
• BGP is a
  • Advanced distance vector routing protocol.
  • Path vector routing protocol.
  • Policy based routing protocol.
  • Inter domain routing protocol. (IDRP)
• It is a Classless routing protocol, hence supports VLSM, CIDR.
• Latest version of BGP is BGP 4.0
• BGP exchanges routing information by forming a unicast neighbor relationship with other devices running BGP. This connection is formed using the TCP protocol on port 179.
• BGP describes path by using Attributes which is similar to Metrics.
• BGP routes exchange network reach ability info called Path Vectors, made up of path attributes.
• BGP peers initially exchange their entire routing table and then only periodic updates as changes in the routing table.
• Timers
  • Route exchange Internal Peer: 5 seconds
  • Route exchange External Peer: 30 seconds
  • Keepalive: 60 seconds
  • Holdtime: 180 seconds
• BGP keeps a version of the routing table and it should be identical for all its peers. The version number changes whenever BGP updates its routing table due to some routing information changes. So if the version increases often there is a flapping issue.
• Two types of BGP
  • EBGP: Communication b/w two Autonomous system
  • IBGP: Communication b/w the same Autonomous system (Gotcha: BGP neighbors in the same autonomous system SHOULD be fully meshed)
• AD for BGP:
  • External BGP :20
  • Internal BGP: 200
• When to use BGP
  • Dual or Multi-homed
  • Providing partial or full internet routing to a downstream router
  • Anytime the AS path information is required