Networking on the Go – Creating a trusted wireless network in a sea of untrusted wireless
by firestorm_v1 on Aug.18, 2018, under Hardware, Networking, Security
In this article, I’ll be going over my setup for being able to join my camper’s wireless network to a host wireless network (RV park wifi, state park wifi, etc..) with the purpose of maintaining security and convenience between switching wireless networks. Even though you’re on-the-go, you shouldn’t sacrifice security for convenience of park wifi, and at the same time, changing the wireless configuration on a slew of devices is inconvenient at best and maddening at worst. First I’ll cover why you want to consider this method versus other methods, then I’ll itemize a product list, then finally we’ll jump right into configuration. When we’re done, you’ll have your trusted wireless network all set up and ready for your devices.
Part 1 of 2 – How to lock down your Facebook account
by firestorm_v1 on Mar.30, 2018, under Miscellaneous
You don’t have to be an elite hacker to keep your personal data personal and in this first part of the two part series discussing Facebook and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, we’ll walk through securing your browser and Facebook all while discovering what exactly Facebook’s been hoarding about us. In the second part of this series, we’ll go over how advertising turned from that annoying clip on TV and Radio to one of the most sinister methods of “Big Data” Matrix-esque surveillance to date.
Editorial – The FNG goes to DEFCON 25
by firestorm_v1 on Oct.08, 2017, under Editorial/Opinion, Hacking in the News, Miscellaneous, Site News
Good fortune has smiled upon me. My company offered to send me to DEFCON 25, flight and hotel paid. In this article, I’ll talk about DEFCON 25, the sights, the sounds, and my experiences of a hardware geek gone to the world-renowned hacker mecca. If you have ever wanted to go to DEFCON but aren’t quite sure what to expect, I have provided a summary of the trip as well as an important “FNG TIPS” list of things you want to be aware of before you leave.
Overhauling the Battery Backup in an HP DL380
by firestorm_v1 on Jun.20, 2017, under Hardware, How-To's
Everyone knows that in most if not all devices, batteries are considered a wear item, an item that’s designed to be replaced at certain intervals of a machine’s lifetime. (Ok, unless you’re Samsung… or Apple… or any one of a bunch of stupid laptop vendors) Enterprise level servers are no exception. What is outrageous though is these consumables are usually stupidly expensive and can be repaired for much less than the replacement part. In this case (and this post), I saved myself about $63 by building my own replacement battery pack for my HP SmartArray P400 raid card.
How to build a [better] Minecraft Server
by firestorm_v1 on Mar.10, 2013, under How-To's, Linux, Toys and Games
Quite some time ago, I posted an article on how to build a basic Minecraft Server which served to get you up and off the ground with multiplayer gameplay. It’s been two years since that article was posted and there have been so many advances in the Minecraft Server realm from administration changes (now you have a fancy GUI) to core game changes that allow for the modification for just about everything gameplay related. Popular alternative servers (Bukkit, Tekkit, Feed The Beast, etc..) allow for mods to be used which can drastically expand your Minecraft experience. This howto will detail the process going from a basic Debian server installation to a fully fledged vanilla Minecraft server with a browseable map. Read on for the full article, it’s pretty long but we have a lot to cover. (continue reading…)