Web Host Migration
Well, I've been debating about doing it for a while (well, plucking up courage more like) as my old web host was probably good when I first signed up with them, but doesn't appear to have updated anything since then and the site was running on old version of PHP, amongst other things. I could have moved on to another server running a more recent version of PHP, but that was still going to be a full migration, so I figured I might as well look around to see what else is on offer. The end result is I'm now with a new host, and if you're reading this, then the migration has been successful (although not painless).
Anti-virus/malware/spyware apps - are they any use?
After being away working for a couple of months, I'm finally back. However, it's taken me the best part of a week to get my main desktop PC up to date. Every application seems to want to install an update or security patch, and then reboot. Plus it seems a number of updates from Microsoft couldn't be installed first time round, so it took several goes with Windows Update to get that up to date.
What's more, my usual anti-virus program fired off a warning about a couple of files being potential trojans. Now, the two files in question have been on my PC for about 4 years, so I'm not clear why they are suddenly a risk. Perhaps if there was some other evidence of infection, I could understand that these files had been altered, but there wasn't. So, I fired up an anti-malware tool (which was installed after getting infected about 6 months ago - so clearly my AV/AM tools weren't doing their job), which of course needed updating and another reboot. This identified several different threats - one appeared to be the remains of an earlier malware infection, and again, a couple of files (not the same at the anti virus app) were identified as being trojans. I've also run an anti spyware app, which, you guessed it, picked up some other stuff, but not what the anti-virus or anti-malware apps identified.
Now, I know I've got some files on my machine which are packaged using technologies which these programs can't decompress and look inside, so they tend to flag them as warnings, but what's suddenly changed to make files I've used before (many years before) harmful now, but OK last week? And why do they all produce different results? And finally, why is it nearly impossible to find any information about the identified threats? (One app links to a generic virus search page, and the names of the viruses/trojans/etc seem to be unique to each vendor.)
I'm beginning to wonder whether these programs are actually any use, or whether they randomly pick some things to flag up as threats just to make you think they're doing their job and scare you into persisting with them or even shelling out cash on the next upgrade or wizz-bang feature. Right now, I don't trust them, and that's bad for both me and them.
PS OK, I wouldn't actually run my Windows machine without some kind of AV software running, and I don't recommend you do either. And don't give me the usual line about Linux - I run Linux too, but need to run Windows for some stuff. And as/when Linux develops the same market share as Windows, we'll suddenly find the malware creators start targetting Linux, regardless of how fancy and secure the Linux architecture is.
Comment Spam
Unfortunately, there's been a lot of comment spam recently, so as a temporary measure, I'm moderating comments on all older posts. It's not an ideal solution, but the best I can do quickly. Once Sail Hebrides' Hebridean Maritime Festival (more to follow...) is out of the way, I'll find a more permanent, user friendly solution.
Update: I've changed the moderation plugin (from NP_CommentControl to NP_Moderate, in case you were interested) so now you should be notified that any comments submitted will be queued for moderation, rather than just appearing to vanish into the nothingness.
Stornoway Broadband Problem
I thought it was just me, but I've discovered there are a number of people and businesses having problems with their BT-based broadband service in Stornoway. The symptoms are slow IP throughput, as measure via "speed tests" such as BT's (http://www.speedtester.bt.com/) and Think Broadband's (http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html).
Most common speed-related broadband issues are due the broadband connection itself being slow, caused by interference or a fault in either the copper line between the house and the BT exchange, or within the internal house wiring. However, the symptoms experienced by those suffering the problem are that the broadband connection speed (DSL sync rate) is good, but they simply aren't able to use that speed. In my own case, my line is synchronizing at roughly 5000 kbps, but I'm only able to download at between 5 and 250 kbps - with about 20 kbps being the average. Whilst it is unrealistic to expect to achieve the full 5000 kbps download rate (due to various overheads in the network protocols used), at quiet times of day I would expect to get at least 3500 kbps - not 20 kbps (which is slower than dial-up)! Strangely enough, upstream speeds seem to be unaffected.
The problem affects users of different ISPs, and given my background in broadband DSL networking (I used to work for Freeserve, Wanadoo and Orange with overall responsibility for the design and strategy of their broadband service), this clearly points to the problem being with BT, rather than with the ISPs or affected users. Whilst a number of us have escalated the problem to our ISPs, getting further information can be difficult, as the flow of information from customer to ISP to BT and back again doesn't always work well, especially with multiple department involved in BT and probably the ISPs too. However, I have seen one report that BT claim a capacity issue in the Stornoway exchange and/or BT backhaul network (which connects the exchange to the rest of the BT network), although I'm skeptical as a capacity issue would more likely have come on progressively, rather than abruptly two weeks ago. My suspicions are that it's a fault, either in the exchange, the backhaul network, or the BRAS (large router which is key to the DSL service), but I guess we'll just have to wait and see if BT can identify, and hopefully fix, the fault. It also appears that BT haven't logged this in their systems which would notify any ISPs trying to log the similar faults that it's a known issue - which suggests to me that BT haven't really identified the issue and/or aren't taking it seriously.
The issue has been ongoing for two weeks now, which is disgusting. Broadband is a key service to many people and businesses on the islands, and this continued poor service is making me feel like BT are treating us islanders are 3rd class citizens. (Not to mention the poor availability of BT's service in some outlying areas up here.)
Feel free to post comments if you're experiencing the same problem in Stornoway, or even elsewhere on the Western Isles. The more people we know with the problem, the more chance of applying pressure to get the problem resolved and the service restored. I'd also suggest you get on to your ISP and get them to run the various diagnostic tests they have available and then log the fault with BT for further investigation.
Update (10/07/2009 18:00): After chasing up Orange Customer Services for an update with the call I logged on Wednesday, BT came back with "no fault found" (no surprise there then). Orange CS insisted on doing a factory reset to the Livebox and then asked me to run another BT speed test. This time downstream IP throughput was at 3500 kbps, which is what it should be. Orange CS were happy, as they think they fixed the problem, but there is no way on earth factory resetting the Livebox helped - for a start, it was brand new and never used before Wednesday as it was a spare I had an used to ensure my original Livebox wasn't the problem. I've also heard from Alex at ReefNet that his line looks like it's behaving again, so it appears BT might have fixed the issue sometime earlier today. Fingers crossed!
Welcome to the Isle of Lewis
Well, at long last we've arrived and are back online. For those of you who don't know, Jenny accepted a job offer up in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, so I quit my job at Orange, and a couple of weeks ago we packed up everything, had it loaded into the back of a lorry, and drove up overnight to arrive on Lewis a couple of weeks back. We're mostly unpacked, Jenny's started and is enjoying her new job, and I've finally got broadband back up and running. I'm sure there's loads of stuff still to do, but we're mostly there.
I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do. I suspect the job opportunities in the Western Isles are rather more limited than they were back in Yorkshire, but there's a few possibilities around, including a complete change of career. I'm off to see the job centre tomorrow, so I'll see what they have to suggest.
Right, that's it for now. Guess I better go look for work...
Planned Downtime
My hosting provider is planning on moving their data centre at the end of the week, so I've been advised that there may be a period of unavailability from Friday March 28 for up to 48 hours, although hopefully (fingers crossed!) it will be less. This will affect my blog, and my own photo albums - basically everything on www.jacurutu.org.uk.
Not that I'm paranoid or anything, but I'm off to back everything up before they move it...
Rant - Crap WiFi
On a vaguely technical note, rather than a pure rant, I wonder whether the weather is partly to blame (alongside all those business users)? It's somewhat misty outside - in fact, it looks like there's no world beyond the fence running alongside the track. As far as I recall, the connection is provided via satellite, with GSM data backup. That was certainly the case when GNER launched the service - maybe with the proliferation of 3G and HSDPA, they've switched to that instead?
Oh well. Fingers crossed this posts OK and doesn't timeout...
Cawood Swing Bridge Reopen
Good news - driving back from York tonight, all the signs for Cawood bridge being closed have vanished, so we headed over through Stillingfleet from Escrick to find the B1222 and Cawood swing bridge are open again. No more trips via Selby to get to York (well, until next time...). The B1222 through Naburn has also been open for a few days now. Fingers crossed someone has told Arriva, and that a number 42 bus turns up to take Jenny to work tomorrow!
On a related note, I'm considering setting up something to keep people posted about whether Cawood swing bridge is passable. The only down side is finding out where to get a definitive answer on when it's going to be closed and re-opened (or when river traffic is passing through it). If anyone know where to get this information, or anyone is interested in me posting info about the bridge being open or not, please post comments here - thanks!
More Technorati tag problems...
Late Christmas Presents
Mares Avanti Quattro Power x2!
First up we have some new fins. My old Mares Avanti Tre fins are feeling a bit tired, and they've never had the power my old jet fins had (and that I had to stop using as people complained they banned by the rules of octopush). So, when Gareth Ayres (from NEM-OC) offered me a pair of Technisub Stratos FPs for £35, I thought I'd give them a go. They definitely have a big power advantage over the Avanti Tres, but unfortunately they just don't fit my feet well, and even with socks I get blisters on the top of my 3rd and 4th toes, and on the outside of my right big toe and on the right side of my left foot. It started feeling like it was taking me much time to patch my feet up as I was getting time in the water during training sessions. Given that the Avanti Tres never gave me blisters, I figure that Mares' Avanti Quattro Powers should fit just as well, whilst being equally (or more) powerful than the Tres. At which point I discovered, just like the old Alas, they're no longer made. One of the guys in the York Uni Octopush Club has a new pair, which he informed me he'd got from a place in France. A quick search on Google turned up a place in the US selling them at a reasonable price, but shipping was extortionate - and shipping two pairs (Ali wanted some as well) didn't bring the costs down. After much trawling of French online dive shops, I finally found somewhere that sold them and had both mine and Ali's sizes in stock. However, they didn't seem to deliver outside France. Many discussions about friends in France led nowhere, and in the end I dropped La Palanquée New's an email asking if we could order them for delivery to the UK. A very rapid response came back explaining how to do this via the site (which took a bit of thinking seeing as it was in French - but I worked it out in the end), and, having ordered them on Christmas Eve, they arrived this morning! The only slight downside is that the Quattros are a size smaller than my Tres - but as I've had to use fin retainers to stop the Tres occasionally coming off my feet, I don't think this should be a problem.
When I've had a chance to try them, I'll post more details. I suspect they'll be quite similar to the Stratos fins - great for straight line speed, but not so good for manoeuvrability, so I'll probably still use the Tres when that's more important (like at the Nautilus competition this Saturday). And yes, I'm well aware of the discussions on Underwater Hockey World about fins (here, here, here and here) in the equipment forum, but I'm afraid I'm sticking with what I know, and can't justify the cost of fancy fibre fins (I'm having enough problems justifying the cost of the Quattros!).
The Dune Encyclopedia
So, on to my other present: The Dune Encyclopedia (Wikipedia entry, Amazon). I'm a big fan of Frank Herbert's Dune novels, and a friend of mine owns a copy. At the time I graduated and was looking to set up my first ISP account (way back in 1997 - with Demon), I had to pick a username. Everything else I tried had been taken, so I resulted to skimming through the encyclopaedia until I found something that I liked and was still available - and that was Jacurutu. The name's stuck ever since (hence jacurutu.org.uk). I've been keeping my eye out for a copy for a long while, and even once got Amazon to check round second hand book stores to see if they could find a copy (yes, way back when before Amazon become just another marketplace, and they had a service to find out of print books). They did track a copy down, but it was £65! That kind of put me off looking again, but out of interest I checked it out on Amazon again last week, and found a copy for a much more reasonable £10.25 (inc delivery - from gracehorne). Condition isn't perfect, but quite frankly it's better than most of the books on my bookshelf once I've read them a couple of times, and I didn't buy it as a collectors item, but to read and for reference (even if it's authority is now questionable).
In case you're interested what the encyclopaedia has to say about Jacurutu, here's the start of the entry (sorry - it's taken on my N73 camera phone, so the quality isn't great):
And the final present? It's snowing!
