Ways You Can Hide Your Public IP Address

When connecting to the Internet, your home computer (or network router) is assigned a public IP address. As you visit Web sites or other Internet servers, that public IP address is transmitted and recorded in log files kept on those servers. Access logs leave behind a trail of your Internet activity. If it were possible to somehow hide your public IP address, its Internet activity would become much more difficult to trace.
Unfortunately, it is not technically possible to always hide the public IP address of a home network. An IP address enables devices to locate and communicate with each other on the Internet. Completely hiding the IP address of a device would render it invisible but also unusable online.

On the other hand, it is possible to hide public IP addressees from most Internet servers in most situations. This method involves an Internet service called an anonymous proxy server.

Using an Anonymous Proxy Server

An anonymous proxy server ("proxy") is a special type of server that acts as an intermediary between a home network and the rest of the Internet. An anonymous proxy server makes requests for Internet information on your behalf, using its own IP address instead of yours. Your computer only accesses Web sites indirectly, through the proxy server. This way, Web sites will see the proxy's IP address, not your home IP address.
Using an anonymous proxy server requires a simple configuration of the Web browser (or other Internet client software that supports proxies). Proxies are identified by a combination of URL and TCP port number.
Numerous free anonymous proxy servers exist on the Internet, open for anyone to use. These servers may have bandwidth traffic limits, may suffer from reliability or speed problems, or might permanently disappear from the Internet without notice.

Such servers are most useful for temporary or experimental purposes.

Anonymous proxy services that charge fees in return for better quality of service also exist. These services are designed for regular use by households.

Related Tools for Hiding IP Addresses

Several related software tools (both free and paid versions) support anonymous proxies. The Firefox extension called switchproxy, for example, supports defining a pool of proxy servers in the Web browser and automatically switching between them at regular time intervals. In general, these tools help you both find proxies and also simplify the process of configuring and using them.
The ability to hide an IP address increases your privacy on the Internet. Other approaches to improving Internet privacy also exist and complement each other. Managing Web browser cookies, using encryption when sending personal information, running a firewall and other techniques all contribute toward a greater feeling of safety and security when going online.

Network Firewalls

A network firewall protects a computer network from unauthorized access. Network firewalls may be hardware devices, software programs, or a combination of the two.Network firewalls guard an internal computer network (home, school, business intranet) against malicious access from the outside. Network firewalls may also be configured to limit access to the outside from internal users.

Network Firewalls and Broadband Routers

Many home network router products include built-in firewall support. The administrative interface of these routers include configuration options for the firewall. Router firewalls can be turned off (disabled), or they can be set to filter certain types of network traffic through so-called firewall rules.

Network Firewalls and Proxy Servers

Another common form of network firewall is a proxy server.

Proxy servers act as an intermediary between internal computers and external networks by receiving and selectively blocking data packets at the network boundary. These network firewalls also provide an extra measure of safety by hiding internal LAN addresses from the outside Internet. In a proxy server firewall environment, network requests from multiple clients appear to the outsider as all coming from the same proxy server address.
Also Known As: proxy, gateway

Laptop Maintenance Tips

Here are a few tips for ensure proper functioning and long Life for  your laptop .

>>Battery Life :  The life of your laptop battery is said to be 100 times u keep for your laptop for charging : so reduce the number of times you keep your laptop for charging i.e keep only for charge when your battery  goes down to 10 % & when u keep for charging  keep it to aleast it goes to 90 %
>> Heating : never keep your laptopn over the bed or on unvevn surfaces because the hot air from exhaust vent wont be put properly ,,,
>> Dust : Remove dust frequently from the laptop so it does not seep into the laptop

Big data

Big data is a broad term for data sets so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate. Challenges include analysis, capture, data curation, search, sharing, storage, transfer, visualization, and information privacy.

Encryption

n cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only authorized parties can read it.^[1] Encryption does not of itself prevent interception, but denies the message content to the interceptor.^[2]:374 In an encryption scheme, the intended communication information or message, referred to as plaintext, is encrypted using an encryption algorithm, generating ciphertext that can only be read if decrypted

Issue tracking system

An issue tracking system (also ITS, trouble ticket system, support ticket, request management or incident ticket system) is a computer software package that manages and maintains lists of issues, as needed by an organization. Issue tracking systems are commonly used in an organization's customer support call center to create, update, and resolve reported customer issues, or even issues reported by that organization's other employees. A support ticket should include vital information for the account involved and the issue encountered. An issue tracking system often also contains a knowledge base containing information on each customer, resolutions to common problems, and other such data.

                                                                                                        A ticket element, within an issue tracking system, is a running report on a particular problem, its status, and other relevant data. They are commonly created in a help desk or call center environment and almost always have a unique reference number, also known as a case, issue or call log number which is used to allow the user or help staff to quickly locate, add to or communicate the status of the user's issue or request.

WebSite ReView :: Google Gravity

Google Gravity Trick

Google has lots of cool entertaining stuff for its users and Google gravity trick is one of them. However Google gravity trick has many names, some call it Google gravity, Google zero gravity, Google no gravity, Google 0 gravity and lots of them. The point is all of these names are for the same trick. So don’t be confused with the title variations.

What is Google Gravity Trick?

It’s simple. Just go by its name. All the elements on Google search page possess gravity and hence fall down to the bottom of the screen. You can see it in the image below. Well, its not a rocket science. Its just a Java script that executes the effect. Some guys even use this trick to do pranks with their friends. If you are planning to do a prank with some “non-technical” person it’s the good thing to try.

http://antigravitygoogle.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bswdIKbQwzI

http://www.googlegravitytrick.com/

Firewall (computing)

In computing, a firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.^[1] A firewall typically establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another outside network, such as the Internet, that is assumed to not be secure or trusted

Web server

A web server is a computer system that processes requests via HTTP, the basic network protocol used to distribute information on the World Wide Web. The term can refer either to the entire system, or specifically to the software that accepts and supervises the HTTP request

Special, Public and Private IP Addresses

Private IP Addresses:
10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
These IP Addresses can only be used on private networks or LANs (Local Area Networks) without any special authorization. These IP are not routable on the Public internet.

Special IP Addresses:
127.0.0.1

Or any address that begins with 127 is considered a loop back address. The address is actually yourself or the computer that is making the request. It is also equivalent to being the 'local host'.
224.0.0.1 - 239.255.255.255

Is used for multicast and cannot be assigned to a computer.
240.0.0.0

And higher is used for experimental purposes only.
169.254.0.0-169.254.255.255

If the computer can't get an IP from the DHCP server, the Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) provides this address that will not conflict with routable addresses. Read further for more of an explanation.
Why do I get 169.254.x.x IP?
Symptom: The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved 169.254.0.0-169.254.255.255 for Automatic Private IP Addressing.
Resolutions:

1. Make sure you have a good connection.
2. Check the hardware and settings.
3. Make sure the DHCP is working.
4. For testing, you can assign static IP. If a static IP works, it is a possible DHCP issue. If a static IP doesn't work, check the hardware or connection.

Special IP Addresses:
All other IP addresses are public. These public IP's are also referred to as being legal, registered or legit IP addresses. These addresses are what is used on the public internet and are governed by a group called ARIN, the American Registry for Internet Numbers. To use a public IP address, you must either get them from your Internet provider, or you can buy them directly from ARIN, but you must justify their use in order to obtain them

WebSite ReVeiw :: PortCheckTool.com

http://www.portchecktool.com./

>>  Port Check and IP detection Tool

Port Check Tool.

 

--Your Current Public IP Address

-- Check your ports!
 Want to know if your server is running? Now you can ! Simply enter what port you want to verify into the empty box and click, "Check Your Port". A message will appear, notifying you if your port is blocked by a firewall or ISP.

Website Review :: Chasms.com

chasms.com

 The  website provides the Latest Screens shots & at times the Simulators for  various buttons  Internet , Electronic Gadgets (computer, tablet or cell phone) based applications on multiple platforms (E.g : Operating Systems) ..
Technically speaking Chasms.com   provides the Graphical user interface (GUI) for various devices

• Windows 〉
• Mac 〉
• Ubuntu 〉
• Tablets 〉
• Email 〉
• Browsers 〉
• Security 〉
• Networking 〉
• Smart Phones 〉
• Game Consoles 〉

What's the difference between simulation and emulation ?

Simulation

A simulation is a system that behaves similar to something else, but is implemented in an entirely different way. It provides the basic behaviour of a system, but may not necessarily adhere to all of the rules of the system being simulated. It is there to give you an idea about how something works.

Emulation

An emulation is a system that behaves exactly like something else, and adheres to all of the rules of the system being emulated. It is effectively a complete replication of another system, right down to being binary compatible with the emulated system's inputs and outputs, but operating in a different environment to the environment of the original emulated system. The rules are fixed, and cannot be changed, or the system fails.

Parallel Processing

What does it mean?

Parallel processing is a method of simultaneously breaking up and running program tasks on multiple microprocessors, thereby reducing processing time. Parallel processing may be accomplished via a computer with two or more processors or via a computer network.

Parallel processing is also called parallel computing.

What Is Sip ALG (Application Layer Gateway) Voip firewall

SIP ALG (Application Layer Gateway) is a security component, commonly found in a router or firewall device .

An ALG is created in the same way as a proxy policy and offers similar configuration options, SIP Application Layer Gateway (ALG) provides functionality to allow VoIP traffic to pass both from the private to public and public to private side of the firewall when using Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT), SIP ALG inspects and modifies SIP traffic to allow SIP traffic to pass through the firewall.
Many of today's commercial routers implement SIP ALG, coming with this feature enabled by default. 

Basics SIP ALG operations
1-Control SIP call activity,The call duration and inactivity media timeout features help you to conserve network resources and maximize throughput.
2-Protect the SIP proxy server from denial-of-service (DoS) flood attacks
3-Enable unknown messages to pass when the session is in Network Address Translation (NAT) mode and route mode.

 

An ALG may offer the following functions:

• allowing client applications to use dynamic ephemeral TCP/ UDP ports to communicate with the known ports used by the server applications, even though a firewall configuration may allow only a limited number of known ports. In the absence of an ALG, either the ports would get blocked or the network administrator would need to explicitly open up a large number of ports in the firewall — rendering the network vulnerable to attacks on those ports.
• converting the network layer address information found inside an application payload between the addresses acceptable by the hosts on either side of the firewall/NAT. This aspect introduces the term 'gateway' for an ALG.
• recognizing application-specific commands and offering granular security controls over them
• synchronizing between multiple streams/sessions of data between two hosts exchanging data. For example, an FTP application may use separate connections for passing control commands and for exchanging data between the client and a remote server. During large file transfers, the control connection may remain idle. An ALG can prevent the control connection getting timed out by network devices before the lengthy file transfer completes.^[2]

Deep packet inspection of all the packets handled by ALGs over a given network makes this functionality possible. An ALG understands the protocol used by the specific applications that it supports.
For instance, for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Back-to-Back User agent (B2BUA), an ALG can allow firewall traversal with SIP. If the firewall has its SIP traffic terminated on an ALG then the responsibility for permitting SIP sessions passes to the ALG instead of the firewall. An ALG can solve another major SIP headache: NAT traversal. Basically a NAT with a built-in ALG can rewrite information within the SIP messages and can hold address bindings until the session terminates.
An ALG is very similar to a proxy server, as it sits between the client and real server, facilitating the exchange. There seems to be an industry convention that an ALG does its job without the application being configured to use it, by intercepting the messages. A proxy, on the other hand, usually needs to be configured in the client application. The client is then explicitly aware of the proxy and connects to it, rather than the real server.

ALG service in Microsoft Windows

The Application Layer Gateway service in Microsoft Windows provides support for third-party plugins that allow network protocols to pass through the Windows Firewall and work behind it and Internet Connection Sharing. ALG plugins can open ports and change data that is embedded in packets, such as ports and IP addresses. Windows Server 2003 also includes an ALG FTP plugin. The ALG FTP plugin is designed to support active FTP sessions through the NAT engine in Windows. To do this, the ALG FTP plugin redirects all traffic that passes through the NAT and that is destined for port 21 (FTP control port) to a private listening port in the 3000–5000 range on the Microsoft loopback adapter. The ALG FTP plugin then monitors/updates traffic on the FTP control channel so that the FTP plugin can plumb port mappings through the NAT for the FTP data channels.
 

 

 

 

VOIP

Introduction

VOIP is an acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol, or in more common terms phone service over the Internet.
If you have a reasonable quality Internet connection you can get phone service delivered through your Internet connection instead of from your local phone company.

Why use VOIP?

There are two major reasons to use VOIP

• Lower Cost
• Increased functionality

Lower Cost

In general phone service via VOIP costs less than equivalent service from traditional sources. This is largely a function of traditional phone services either being monopolies or government entities. There are also some cost savings due to using a single network to carry voice and data. This is especially true when users have existing under-utilized network capacity that they can use for VOIP without any additional costs.

In the most extreme case, users see VOIP phone calls (even international) as FREE. While there is a cost for their Internet service, using VOIP over this service may not involve any extra charges, so the users view the calls as free. There are a number of services that have sprung up to facilitate this type of "free" VOIP call.

Increased Functionality

VOIP makes easy some things that are difficult to impossible with traditional phone networks.

• Incoming phone calls are automatically routed to your VOIP phone where ever you plug it into the network. Take your VOIP phone with you on a trip, and anywhere you connect it to the Internet, you can receive your incoming calls.
• Call center agents using VOIP phones can easily work from anywhere with a good Internet connection.

QoS (Quality of Service)

Definition: QoS (Quality of Service) refers to a broad collection of networking technologies and techniques. The goal of QoS is to provide guarantees on the ability of a network to deliver predictable results. Elements of network performance within the scope of QoS often include availability (uptime), bandwidth (throughput), latency (delay), and error rate.
QoS involves prioritization of network traffic. QoS can be targeted at a network interface, toward a given server or router's performance, or in terms of specific applications. A network monitoring system must typically be deployed as part of QoS, to insure that networks are performing at the desired level.


QoS is especially important for the new generation of Internet applications such as VoIP, video-on-demand and other consumer services.

Difference between PPPoE and bridge mode of ADSL Modem

There are two ways to configure an ADSL modem for broadband connection. One in PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet) and the another is Bridge mode.

PPPoE Mode

In this mode the modem works as router and the PPPoE session terminates on WAN port of router. The PPPoE client is in built in the modem and allocated by BRAS server gets assigned to WAN port of modem. The Internal network has to use the private IP and for Internet access NATing happens in modem. In PPPoE mode the modem is configured in such a way that the user id and password are stored inside the Modem. Internet connection will be established as you switch on the Modem.

Bridge Mode

In this mode the modem works as transparent Ethernet bridge and therefore you need to run the PPPoE client software ( for login authentication) on your PC/server. WIN XP systems have this feature inbuilt but for other operating systems you need to buy it from market. Some freeware like RASPPPoE, Enternet etc. are also available on the Internet.

Both the modes can be used as per the requirement and application. Here enumerating the main differences
PPPoE mode

1. User id and password stored inside the Modem.
2. Multiple PCs can be connected. For example most of the basic ADSL Modems having at least one ADSL port and one USB port. In PPPoE mode, can connect one PC to Ethernet port and one PC to USB port which enable simultaneous internet usage in both the PCs.
3. PPPoE mode is more secured.
4. For Torrents download, appropriate ports need to be forwarded.

Bridge Mode

1. In bridge mode user id and password to be entered in the dialer of computer.
2. Only single PC can be connected.
3. For torrents download port forwarding is not required.
4. Less secured because all the ports are open need good firewall to avoid virus infection.

/////////////////////////

A modem without a router provides the public IP address at the Internet feed port. If you put a router in, the public IP address is seen at the router Internet or WAN port. The router LAN port (or ports if it also has a network switch built in) has a private or nonrouteable IP address that is seen by the device hooked onto it. This is Network Access Translation or NAT.

In the normal mode a modem / router has the router active. It translates the public IP address via Network Access Translation (NAT) as routers are supposed to do and you do not see the public IP address.

In bridge mode, the public IP address is seen at the LAN port, not the private nonrouteable IP address. If you bridge the modem / router you have for all practical purposes disabled the router part of the modem / router. You then need a third party router. If you have a static IP address you will want to have the modem bridged and you will install your own router. This way the router will see the public IP address and route requests properly for things like web servers, FTP servers, VPN, etc. 

Hadoop

Hadoop is a free, Java-based programming framework that supports the processing of large data sets in a distributed computing environment. It is part of the Apache project sponsored by the Apache Software Foundation.Hadoop makes it possible to run applications on systems with thousands of nodes involving thousands of terabytes. Its distributed file system facilitates rapid data transfer rates among nodes and allows the system to continue operating uninterrupted in case of a node failure. This approach lowers the risk of catastrophic system failure, even if a significant number of nodes become inoperative.

Hadoop was inspired by Google's MapReduce, a software framework in which an application is broken down into numerous small parts. Any of these parts (also called fragments or blocks) can be run on any node in the cluster. Doug Cutting, Hadoop's creator, named the framework after his child's stuffed toy elephant. The current Apache Hadoop ecosystem consists of the Hadoop kernel, MapReduce, the Hadoop distributed file system (HDFS) and a number of related projects such as Apache Hive, HBase and Zookeeper.

The Hadoop framework is used by major players including Google, Yahoo and IBM, largely for applications involving search engines and advertising. The preferred operating systems are Windows and Linux but Hadoop can also work with BSD and OS X.

IP Address

What is an IP Address

IP (Internet Protocol) is the protocol for the way data is routed on the internet. An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique number given to each device on the internet. It is important for every computer, laptop, xBox, PlayStation, smartphone, IPod, or other device to have its own number so that information can be delivered to the correct location. Packets of data are passed around and routed to the correct IP address, similar to the way mail is processed by the postal service and delivered to your street address.

Below is an example of typing an IP address in to a web browser address bar.
Most devices on the internet use TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) to make sure your packets of data get to the correct location. Another type of protocol used on the internet is UDP (User Datagram Protocol) which is a faster way to transfer data, but packets may get lost on the way. UDP is used for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and streaming, like watching movies on Netflix, where occasional packet drop is not a big deal.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is the protocol that your router uses to assign IP addresses to devices on your office or home network (LAN or Local Area Network). This protocol assigns a unique address to each device so that no two devices share the same IP address.

What is my IP address?

An external IP address is the public address used by others on the internet to identify you. Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) allocates this number to your computer or network. If you are hosting a minecraft server that you want to point people to, they will need to know your external IP address to connect to you.
An internal IP address is a number that your router assigns to a specific device within your private network (LAN). Internal IP addresses are only used by your router and they have no meaning or utility outside of your router. Internal IP addresses that are assigned to devices on your network look like one of the following examples:

• 192.168.x.x
• 10.0.x.x
• or between 172.16.x.x and 172.31.x.x

You can access devices on your home or office network by typing the internal IP address of the specific device into your browser. For example, you can access your router from your computer by typing your router's internal IP address into your browser. From there you can login to your router with your username and password.

Static vs. Dynamic IP Address

Most internal IP addresses are set to a value in a particular range known as a dynamic IP address. These addresses are assigned by the router and can change from time to time which is why they are called dynamic. For example, a laptop using a dynamic IP address may have a different IP address after power is cycled to the laptop.
Some internal IP addresses are permenantly assigned, known as a static IP addresses. The internal IP address of your router is static. Some devices work better with a static IP address. For example, if you want to host an Xbox or PlayStation game online, you will need to assign a static internal IP address to your gaming console.
Xbox Live and PlayStation Network take care of external IP addresses for game hosting. It is up to you to forward a port on your router to point all traffic coming in on a certain port to the internal IP address of your gaming console. When you forward a port to a device on your internal network you should make that device's IP static, otherwise when you reboot the device you may get a different IP address.

What is Dynamic DNS?

Dynamic DNS (Domain Name System) is a service that you pay for that binds a domain name to a changing external IP address. For those of you that operate a minecraft server, you will want to use a Dynamic DNS service to bind the external IP address of your server to a domain name. That way your buddies can connect to you by typing in your easy to remember domain name instead of needing to know your current external IP address every time they want to connect

VPN >> Virtual Private Petwork

VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, allow users to securely access a private network and share data remotely through public networks. Much like a firewall protects your data on your computer, VPNs protect it online

VPN, or virtual private network, is a network that is constructed by using public wires — usually the Internet — to connect to a private network, such as a company's internal network.   There are a number of systems that enable you to create networks using the Internet as the medium for transporting data. These systems use encryption and other security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted.

FTP and TFTP :

FTP:

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to transfer computer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and uses separate control and data connections between the client and the server.

TFTP:

Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is a simple, lock-step, File Transfer Protocol which allows a client to get from or put a file onto a remote host. One of its primary uses is in the early stages of nodes booting from a local area network.



 

Differences Between FTP and TFTP :

 Both of these protocols can be used for transferring files across the Internet. The differences between the two protocols are explained below:

• FTP is a complete, session-oriented, general purpose file transfer protocol. TFTP is used as a bare-bones special purpose file transfer protocol.
• FTP can be used interactively. TFTP allows only unidirectional transfer of files.
• FTP depends on TCP, is connection oriented, and provides reliable control. TFTP depends on UDP, requires less overhead, and provides virtually no control.
• FTP provides user authentication. TFTP does not.
• FTP uses well-known TCP port numbers: 20 for data and 21 for connection dialog. TFTP uses UDP port number 69 for its file transfer activity.

 

Internet Protocol (IPv6) Overview

US

CA

UK

The Internet operates by transmitting data in small independent packets across networks based on an international communications protocol called the Internet Protocol.  IPv6 is the latest version of the Internet Protocol.
At Vonage, we began using IPv6 for http://www.vonage.com/ and soon, other Vonage products and websites will be available over IPv6. Supporting IPv6 is essential to the continued openness and growth of the Internet and to the products and services that we provide our customers. Here at Vonage, we do not need to do anything to prepare for this latest version of the Internet Protocol, but we will continue to work with network operators to support the transition.
IMPORTANT:  
Comcast is currently offering IPv6 on an opt-in basis to their customers and they are providing modems and routers that translate between IPv4 and IPv6. Our Vonage devices will continue to operate properly allowing customers to make and receive calls.
You may, however, receive calls from Comcast customers who have opted to use IPv6 and are encountering problems accessing vonage.com and their Online Account. These customers are using old and unpatched Windows XP/OSX or older operating systems.
If you receive a call from a customer with these problems, inform them that they can upgrade their Microsoft OS through http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2478747.

Details

What was used before IPv6?

The first widely used and standardized Internet Protocol was IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and it defined how the Internet and its connected devices operated and communicated with one another. When IPv4 became the Internet standard, the 4.2 billion possible IP addresses were never intended to house a global commercial Internet.  In fact, in 1981, there were only a limited number of computers that needed to connect to the Internet (mostly American government and research entities).  The  pool of IP addresses has been in use for the entire history of the commercial Internet, but recent technological developments have driven the available IP address pool close to depletion.  Just imagine that when the Internet was created, web-capable phones were far from being invented.
These days, in addition to every computer, nearly every cellular telephone and gaming console is connected to the Internet and this is without mention of the infrastructure hardware that required to make these devices work. As a result of this rapid growth the Number Resource Organization states that less than ten percent of them remained in the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) free pool as of the beginning of 2010. Through the use of tools like Network Address Translation (NAT), users have extended the life of IPv4, because NAT allows multiple devices to speak to the Internet through a single IP address, while the router in that particular household or business keeps track of which device(s) are receiving and sending information.

What is an IP Address?

As you can assume, IP stands for Internet Protocol and this is the methodology for communication between devices on the Internet.  The IP Address is a number that uniquely identifies a device on a computer network and every device that is connected to the Internet must have a unique address for transport protocols to move information around the Internet. The fact that the same 4.2 billion IP addresses originally devised are almost deplete indicates the need for more.

Why use IPv6?

The solution to IP address depletion is simple and that is to develop a more robust numbering system that will allow for far more IP addresses.
IPv6 (the newer Internet Protocol) holds 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 IP addresses. This exponentially larger pool of IP addresses is the key to the future growth of the Internet, and companies that use and distribute IP addresses will need to adapt their networks and systems to use IPv6. Without IPv6, the Internet's expansion and innovation could be limited, and the underlying infrastructure will become increasingly complex to manage. The additional costs from delaying deployment will make life harder for Internet operators, application developers, and end users everywhere.
Here is an example of an IPv6 address: 3ffe:1900:4545:3:200:f8ff:fe21:67cf
Eventually, all IPv4 addresses will be phased out. This is not anticipated to happen for a long time, not before the middle of 2012.

How do I know if my ISP supports IPv6?

IPv6-test.com is a free service that checks your IPv6 and IPv4 connectivity and speed, diagnoses connection problems, and discovers which address(es) you are currently using to browse the Internet.  It additionally shows your browser's protocol of choice when both v6 and v4 are available.

The Internet operates by transmitting data in small independent packets across networks based on an international communications protocol called the Internet Protocol.  IPv6 is the latest version of the Internet Protocol.
At Vonage, we began using IPv6 for http://www.vonage.com/ and soon, other Vonage products and websites will be available over IPv6. Supporting IPv6 is essential to the continued openness and growth of the Internet and to the products and services that we provide our customers. Here at Vonage, we do not need to do anything to prepare for this latest version of the Internet Protocol, but we will continue to work with network operators to support the transition.
IMPORTANT:  
Comcast is currently offering IPv6 on an opt-in basis to their customers and they are providing modems and routers that translate between IPv4 and IPv6. Our Vonage devices will continue to operate properly allowing customers to make and receive calls.
You may, however, receive calls from Comcast customers who have opted to use IPv6 and are encountering problems accessing vonage.com and their Online Account. These customers are using old and unpatched Windows XP/OSX or older operating systems.
If you receive a call from a customer with these problems, inform them that they can upgrade their Microsoft OS through http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2478747.

Details

What was used before IPv6?

The first widely used and standardized Internet Protocol was IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and it defined how the Internet and its connected devices operated and communicated with one another. When IPv4 became the Internet standard, the 4.2 billion possible IP addresses were never intended to house a global commercial Internet.  In fact, in 1981, there were only a limited number of computers that needed to connect to the Internet (mostly American government and research entities).  The  pool of IP addresses has been in use for the entire history of the commercial Internet, but recent technological developments have driven the available IP address pool close to depletion.  Just imagine that when the Internet was created, web-capable phones were far from being invented.
These days, in addition to every computer, nearly every cellular telephone and gaming console is connected to the Internet and this is without mention of the infrastructure hardware that required to make these devices work. As a result of this rapid growth the Number Resource Organization states that less than ten percent of them remained in the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) free pool as of the beginning of 2010. Through the use of tools like Network Address Translation (NAT), users have extended the life of IPv4, because NAT allows multiple devices to speak to the Internet through a single IP address, while the router in that particular household or business keeps track of which device(s) are receiving and sending information.

What is an IP Address?

As you can assume, IP stands for Internet Protocol and this is the methodology for communication between devices on the Internet.  The IP Address is a number that uniquely identifies a device on a computer network and every device that is connected to the Internet must have a unique address for transport protocols to move information around the Internet. The fact that the same 4.2 billion IP addresses originally devised are almost deplete indicates the need for more.

Why use IPv6?

The solution to IP address depletion is simple and that is to develop a more robust numbering system that will allow for far more IP addresses.
IPv6 (the newer Internet Protocol) holds 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 IP addresses. This exponentially larger pool of IP addresses is the key to the future growth of the Internet, and companies that use and distribute IP addresses will need to adapt their networks and systems to use IPv6. Without IPv6, the Internet's expansion and innovation could be limited, and the underlying infrastructure will become increasingly complex to manage. The additional costs from delaying deployment will make life harder for Internet operators, application developers, and end users everywhere.
Here is an example of an IPv6 address: 3ffe:1900:4545:3:200:f8ff:fe21:67cf
Eventually, all IPv4 addresses will be phased out. This is not anticipated to happen for a long time, not before the middle of 2012.

How do I know if my ISP supports IPv6?

IPv6-test.com is a free service that checks your IPv6 and IPv4 connectivity and speed, diagnoses connection problems, and discovers which address(es) you are currently using to browse the Internet.  It additionally shows your browser's protocol of choice when both v6 and v4 are available.

 Port Forwarding

Port forwarding enables the outside world to connect some type of server that is located behind a router/firewall. Web servers, FTP servers, mail servers, computers running online gaming, telnet, SSH, remote desktop, SQL, and MySQL are all examples where forwarding can be applied.

What is Port Forwarding?

If you have a router at home or your office and you want to access it remotely, you will need to forward ports in order for outside traffic to get into your network. Think of your router as being a huge electric fence or wall, with a few doors or openings. This electric fence, or wall serves as your barrier and security blanket from the scary outside Internet world. Your router comes pre-configured with a few of those doors (or ports) open to let you access the internet, but the others are closed tight. So, in order to run a mail server, game server, access your computer remotely, etc you will need to open an extra door or two in your router in order for the outside traffic to get inside. This is called Port Forwarding ...

Procedures 

Enable Port forwarding  from Router / Gateway to the

Voip Adapter or Streaming devices

To enable port forwarding from the Vonage adapter to existing equipment on the customer's network:

1. Confirm what port or ports(that is the no & type) to forward.   The port or ports to forward are determined by the product/service the customer wants to use behind the Vonage device. If the customer is unsure what port or ports to forward, refer to the Common Ports section of PortForward.com or refer the customer to the manufacturer of the product they using.
   
2. Instruct the customer to set a Static IP on their server/computer before enabling port forwarding.
   
   Instructions on how to set a Static IP is typically included in the user guide for the customer's equipment. You can also search for instructions on setting Static IP for various operating systems.
3. Instruct the customer to log into the 2 N/W device and enable port forwarding to the previously set Static IP on the necessary port or ports.

IPCONFIG

Overview

Describes how to use IPCONFIG, a Windows/DOS program used to obtain networking information and settings for the computer running the application.
It is not usable on MAC/OS systems. For information on how obtain network information and settings on the MAC operating system, see the OS - Mac Reference Guide.

Procedures 

1. To use IPCONFIG, click START, click RUN, then enter CMD or Command, then click OK. A command prompt opens.
2. Enter IPCONFIG. You will see something like this displayed:
   
    or
   
   Note: To run the IPCONFIG command on a Windows 98 machine, you must type Command at the run prompt and you will only see the IP address.
   
   Also, the Release and Renew functions do not work on this operating system.
     A window similar to the following is displayed:
   
   
   

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection or Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection
This heading will show what types of network work connections that are active on the computer and the state of that connection.

• Ethernet Adapter Wireless Network Connection indicates a wireless based network connection.
• Ethernet Adapter Local Area connection indicates an Ethernet based network connection.

Connection-specific DNS Suffix
The DNS name of the DNS server currently being used to resolve hostnames.
IP Address
The current IP address of the computer's network interface card.
Default Gateway
The Default Gateway is the IP address of the customer's router or ISP. Computers will send their internet request to the Default Gateway address listed in this field.
Subnet Mask
The Subnet Mask indicates the IP addresses that are within its network or are outside the network. To communicate with an IP outside of its network, the information is sent to the Default gateway so it can be sent to its destination.
Media State... Media disconnected
This message will only be displayed if the network interface is disconnected.

 Additional Information from IPCONFIG 

To get more detailed network information, along with the basic network information stated above, you can use ipconfig /all command.


Host name
This is the network name of the computer.
Physical Address (This is also the Ethernet Address or MAC Address
The Physical Address is the unique identifier for a computer on a network. This is the address that is used for communication on the LAN.

Note: If the ISP does MAC Address registration, use IPCONFIG to obtain the MAC Address of the computer so it can be cloned on the router.
DHCP Enabled
The Subnet Mask is used by the computer to ;indicate what IP addresses are within its network or are outside the network. To communicate with an IP outside of its network, the information is sent to the Default gateway so it can be sent to its destination.
DNS Servers
This message is only displayed if the network interface is disconnected.

 More Uses of IPCONFIG 

• Release the old IP Address:
  Enter ipconfig /release at the command prompt. You will then see all 0's where the IP address used to be. (The Release and Renew functions do not work on computers running Windows 98 and ME operating systems.)
  
  Note: This is only used when the customer is using a DHCP server to obtain their IP address. If the customer is using Static IP on their computer, then this will not work.
   
• Renew the IP address:
  
  Enter ipconfig /renew at the command prompt. This will force the computer to attempt to pull an IP address from the networking device it is currently connected to, either via Ethernet cable or wirelessly.
  
  Note: This is only used when the customer is using a DHCP server to obtain their IP address; if customer is using Static IP on their computer, then this will not work.

Mac OS X and OS 9 // Network and IP Settings

Mac OS X and OS 9 (Classic) Reference Guide

Network and IP Settings 

To access Network settings on OS X:

1. From the dock, click the System Preferences icon or from the Apple menu, click System Preferences, then click Network (small globe).

   System Preferences	Network Dialog Box

2. From the Show pull-down menu, select the interface connection, such as the Internal Modem or Built-in Ethernet card.
   
   • For dynamic or static connections, click the TCP/IP tab, then from the Configure pull-down menu, select the method you'd like to configure, such as Manually (static IP) or Using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
     
     
   • For an Ethernet card set to use DHCP, this is the screen which includes the computer's IP address, subnet mask and gateway (router):
     
     
   Note: The Ethernet Address is the MAC Address for the network card.
   
3. Press COMMAND+Q to exit System Preferences and save your changes.

To release/renew the IP address:

1. Access the network settings (as described above).
2. From the Configure pull-down menu, select a different protocol, then select Using DHCP again and click the Apply Now button. (This will attempt to renew the IP from the DHCP server.)
3. Press COMMAND+Q to exit System Preferences and save your changes.

To view PPPoE settings:

1. Access the network settings (as described above).
2. Select the PPPoE tab (instead of TCP/IP):

To disable PPPoE:

1. Access the network settings (as described above).
2. Click the PPOE tab.
3. Uncheck Connect using PPPoE and Show PPPoE status in the menu bar.
4. Press COMMAND+Q to exit System Preferences and save your changes.

 Line Quality Tools 

VisualRoute

VisualRoute is a ping/tracert program very similar to Ping Plotter except the trial version cannot run continuously.
To install VisualRoute:

1. Go to VisualRoute Download Page and click the Download link for VisualRoute Lite edition.
2. Click the download button for the Mac version and save to the computer
3. Double-click the vr.pkg file and follow prompts to install.
4. To open it go to the Hard Drive > Applications > VisualRoute > Double-click VisualRoute

To configure VisualRoute:

• Go to Options menu ? Preferences > change Pings per hop to 100 and Ping packet size to 1200 and click Close.

To run VisualRoute:

• Enter the address to ping in the white box and click the little arrow to the right of it. It will run for about 2 minutes (the longest possible for the trial version).

To save the VisualRoute results:

1. Go to Edit > HTML Report
2. In the window that pops up click Browse > change the name and save to Desktop.
3. Click OK when back at the first window.
4. Attach the file to an email to send back us.

Ping Grapher

Ping Grapher is a ping tool within VisualRoute that can run continuously and measures packet-loss and average latency.
To Run Ping Grapher:

1. Open VisualRoute per the instructions above.
2. Go to Tools > Ping Grapher.
3. Enter the host/IP to ping and set to every 1 second and click the little green arrow.
   Note: the host/IP must be one that's pingable or there will be no results to graph.
   

 Other Tools 

TFTP Tests

From OS X use the built-in Terminal program:

• Go to Applications > Utilities > Double-click Terminal
• Terminal is a little different than the DOS shell. You must first type
  tftp tftp.vonage.net then hit enter and type get test and press Enter again to see if the transfer is successful.
  

TraceRoute/Lookup

OS X has its own built-in TraceRoute and Lookup functions. Both are good ways to find out if an ISP is having DNS problems- such as with resolving secure.vonage.com:

 Helpful Tips and Mac Commands 

A keyboard shortcut is a way to invoke a function in Mac OS X by pressing a combination of keys on your keyboard. To use a Mac OS X keyboard shortcut, or key combination, you press a modifier key with a character key. For example, pressing the Command key and the "c" key at the same time copies whatever is currently selected (text, graphics, and so forth) into the Clipboard. Some of the more common keyboard shorcuts are outlined below. (More Mac OSX keyboard shortcuts.)
To obtain information about the OS version

• Go to Apple Menu > About this Mac

To force quit an application

• Press Command+Alt-Option+Esc and select what application you wish to force quit.

To capture a screen snapshot

• Click Command+Shift+3 to take a picture of the screen. (Alternatively, view this video.)

To right-click with only one mouse button

• Click and hold down the mouse button and the same menu will pop up as if you had right-clicked.

 OS 9 (Classic) Overview 

To access the Network Control Panel:

• Go to Apple Menu > Control Panels > Double-click TCP/IP. Here you can see the network settings on the computer:
  
  

To obtain the MAC address:

• Open the Network Control Panel > go to the Edit Menu > click User Mode.
• Change to Advanced and click OK.
  
  

TFTP Test

1. Download and install the appropriate TFTP client based on your OS version.
2. Under Options change the transfer setting from Binary to Text.
3. Setup the transfer as follows:
   1. Click the Receive Button.
   2. Address: TFTP.VONAGE.NET
   3. Password: (leave this blank)
   4. Click on File and ask for the test file. Set the file to save anywhere on your hard drive - (you can delete it after the test.)
   5. Click Start.
   6. You will get TRANSFER COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY if port 69 is accessible.

Line Quality

MacTCPWatcher is a basic ping/tracert tool for OS 7.1-9.

• Download and open MacTCPWatcher.
  

To trace:

• Click Trace and enter the URL/IP such as www.yahoo.com. It will trace three (3) times and show Min, Avg and Max latency to each hop:
  

To ping:
Click Ping and check Continuous; it will run until stopped:

Quality of Service

Run Quality of Service Tests

Run Quality of Service Tests

Quality of Service is a measurement of fluctuations in download and upload bandwidth over an extended time.
For example, running a speed test will give you a single result for upload and download. What a QOS test does is it continually tests the upload and download streams with a large amount of data to measure how consistent the speeds are.
If a connection is tested to have 2000kbps download and 500kbps upload, a QOS test will tell you how consistent that connection is while it is actively used, because if that 500kbps of upload bandwidth is dropping to 50-100kbps at random, we won't see that in a bandwidth test.
A low QOS result would indicate that the bandwidth is consistently below the highest speed test result for download and upload.
These results can be confusing because there is no magic QOS number. A result of 80% may not indicate a problem, and a result of 50% may not either (if the bandwidth is tested to be extremely high).
A QOS test should always be done in addition to bandwidth, ping, and trace route tests to get the full picture of the customer's internet connection.

To run a QOS test:

1. Make sure you are not talking on the Vonage line while having a customer run a QOS test. Its also important to make sure that the customer is hard-wired into their internet rather than connected wirelessly.
2. Use a site such as (link) http://myvoipspeed.visualware.com to run a QOS test. The customer would simply select the location closest to them on the map to begin the test.
   A site like MyVoipSpeed also provides other helpful network diagnostics, such as download and upload speed, jitter, and packet loss. But again, running a ping and trace route are still necessary since this test is not run against the media relay server.
   • Some results under Detailed Analysis may be helpful for certain issues, like Upstream Discards and Downstream Discards. Discards are packets that were lost due to jitter, such as packets that could not fit into the jitter buffer.
   • Discards are essentially lost packets, but the reason for them being lost is different. You can usually adjust the jitter buffer on a customer's device (make it larger) to accommodate packet discards. These detailed results also provide you with information such as which direction has packet loss, indicating that the loss is either from the customer (upstream) or from somewhere on the internet (downstream), which may be an ISP issue.

Ping Test

Run a Ping Test

Run a Ping Test on Windows OS

To run an advanced ping on a Windows XP Machine:

1. Click on START -> RUN...
2. Type "cmd" (For older windows versions, type in "command")
3. Type "ping -l 600 -n 100" followed by an address that is able to respond to pings
   • Examples: "ping -l 600 -n 100 62.54.44.34" or "ping -l 600 -n 100 64.54.44.34"
   • The option -l sets the buffer size in bytes for the ping command
   • The option -n sets the number of echo request to send
   

Above is an advanced ping to www.yahoo.com. In this example, all pings resulted in a successful reply. When troubleshooting dropped audio, you will be looking for a "Request Timed Out" in place of the reply. Sustained periods of timeouts, will result in sustained periods of audio dropout. Timing is important when troubleshooting dropped audio, so it is best to troubleshoot while the customer is experiencing this issue.

Run a Ping Test on Mac

1. Click on the Finder Application.
   
2. Locate the Network Utility. This program can usually be found by double clicking on Application -> Utilities -> Network Utility in the Finder Application NOTE: If the network Utility can not be found by this method, entering "Network Utility" in the search field of the finder will locate the program.
   
3. Click on the Ping button on the Network Utility. You will have to specify the Domain or IP address to ping. You can also specify the amount of pings that you would like to run or run a constant ping. The results will be returned in the text box.
   
   NOTE: The PING functionality in "Network Utility" will only check connections that are Ethernet based. If the connection is wireless based, this utility will not work

Run the Trace Route Command

1. The Tracert command can be used in Windows XP to diagnose latency and packet loss issues between a specific source (computer on customer local network) to a destination (outside web address, such as www.yahoo.com).
2. Tracert command identifies each router or subnet between a specific source and destination and displays any latency or packet loss issues that exist between each one of these routers and the source computer.
3. From the tracert results you should be able to determine if the latency and/or packet loss issues are occurring on:
   • Customers local network (Modems, Routers, Switches, Hubs)
   • Internet Service Providers Network
4. When troubleshooting audio issues, you should always trace route to the media relay IP address
   1. Open up a command prompt window.
      1. Click on the 'Start' button.
      2. Select the 'Run...' option.
      3. When prompted to open a program type cmd .
      4. Click on the OK button.
   2. On the command line type tracert Domain Name.
      Example: tracert 64.54.44.34

The following describes the test result:

1. Command Line:
   • tracert: executable command
   • 64.54.44.34: parameter to execute command upon
2. Tracert Results:
   • Column 1: Shows the numbers assigned to each hop returned from the trace.
   • Column 2, 3 and 4: Each column shows the results of the one ping that is run from the source computer to each hop returned from the trace. A total of 3 pings are run to each hop.
   • Column 5: Shows the details, such as IP Address and/or Domain Name, of each hop returned from the trace.
3. Example of Good Tracert Results with no latency or packet loss:

 

4 .   Example of Bad Tracert Results with high latency and packet loss: