Windows 2000 ICS, Part Deux
Site Article|July 30, 2001|11AM EST -
Alrighty, we have part 2 of Wiz's ICS guides for those of you who are interested in using Windows 2000's ICS. The first article was using a Dial-Up DSL line. This week, Wiz explains how to do it with a Bridged DSL or Cable modem. Read his article here.
On the grill
Site News|July 27, 2001|5PM EST -
We're heading into August, and I nominate it "Heatsink Month". I will be reviewing no less than five high performance heatsinks, beginning with the Vantec FCE-6254D next week. I'll have other stuff for sure, but this may be a good time to upgrade the cooling you have in this Summer heat.
In the meantime, in light of the SirCam incident, I posted a new poll for your voting needs. Get your votes in and let us know what we should do with these virus creators!
34 freaking SirCam emails...
Site News|July 26, 2001|10AM EST -
... in the 15 minutes I was spending updating the links and stories here. So, nobody seems to have learned from the ILoveYou virus. *sigh*
Dynatron Model-L Microfin Heatsink Review
Web Article|July 31, 2001|10AM EST -
Just got word from Ryemax, that the cool guys at have a heatsink ...
"Needless to say, when we opened up the generic white box the DC1206BM-L comes in, we weren't expecting to be surprised in the way we were. There in a little bit of bubble wrap was a rather unique aluminum heatsink, with a blue fan, and low and behold, a hard plastic cover protecting the base! Now, we've seen bits of thin plastic protecting thermal interface materials before, but this is the first heatsink I've seen with a hard shell over the base.
After struggling for a brief moment to remove the protective cover we were greeted by a perfectly face milled square of aluminum that was nice and smooth. It was at this point, while looking at the base of the heatsink that we noticed how the fins were made from a one-piece unit..."
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i815 B-Step Motherboard Roundup
Web Article|July 31, 2001|10AM EST -
I spotted over at a Tualatin . If you don't already know, the Tualatin is the codename for the new stepping and die shrink of the Pentium 3. .
Asus Does ALi Magik
Web Article|July 30, 2001|11AM EST -
Unlike other DDR motherboard solutions, the Asus A7A266 is capable of using SDRAM. This can be useful if you're still not ready for the DDR plunge. Over at , they take a .
The Marketing of Megahertz
Web Article|July 30, 2001|11AM EST -
Got word that has an article up on the megahertz marketing war. A for anyone wanting to know if MHz is king.
"There is a battle being fought at this very moment over the mighty megahertz measuring stick used by both Transmeta and Intel. Each company uses this one aspect of measuring a systems performance to help convey the performance of their products to the end consumers.
At face value this would seem to be an infallible method of comparison. Megahertz is a number (or more correctly a unit of measurement) so it either is, or isn't accurate. There is no need, nor is there room for interpretation - a processor either operates at a specific value of MHz or it does not. Right? Well not always..."
You can grab .
Pentium 3 1.2GHz 0.13 Tualatin
Web Article|July 30, 2001|11AM EST -
They got an article up at about the newest PIII. A lot of people have waited a long time for a die shrink from Intel, and it looks like it isn't enough. .
ICS in Windows 2000
Site Article|July 25, 2001|10AM EST -
This is the first of two ICS articles written by my good friend Wiz over at , who has allowed me to post these helpful guides here. They will be particularly useful for those wanting to share an Internet connection, without a router. Part one is today, and it's a setup guide to ICS in Windows 2000. Let's get started, shall we?
I'm sure most of you are aware of the "Code Red" worm. The potential systems affected are:
* Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with IIS 4.0 or IIS 5.0 enabled and Index Server 2.0 installed
* Windows 2000 with IIS 4.0 or IIS 5.0 enabled and Indexing services installed
* Cisco CallManager, Unity Server, uOne, ICS7750, Building Broadband Service Manager (Systems that run IIS)
* Unpatched Cisco 600 series DSL routers
Here is the advisory I received yesterday morning,
"Since around July 13, 2001, at least two variants of the self-propagating malicious code "Code Red" have been attacking hosts on the Internet (see CA-2001-19 "Code Red" Worm Exploiting Buffer Overflow In IIS Indexing Service DLL). Different organizations who have analyzed "Code Red" have reached different conclusions about the behavior of infected machines when their system clocks roll over to the next month. We believe the worm will begin propagating again on August 1, 2001 0:00 GMT, and there is evidence that tens of thousands of systems are already infected or vulnerable to re-infection at that time. Because the worm propagates very quickly, it is likely that nearly all vulnerable systems will be compromised by August 2, 2001.
The CERT/CC has received reports indicating that at least 280,000 hosts were compromised in the first wave. The "Code Red" worm is malicious self-propagating code that exploits Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS)-enabled systems susceptible to the vulnerability described in CA-2001-13 Buffer Overflow In IIS Indexing Service DLL. Its activity on a compromised machine is time senstive; different activity occurs based on the date (day of the month) of the system clock."
You can go to these sites for more information:
Virus FYI
Site News|July 24, 2001|10AM EST -
I hope all of you survived the W32/SirCam virus. You'd think that people would learn from the ILoveYou experience, but from what I've been reading, apparently not. If you haven't gotten it, either you've been lucky, smart or next on the list. If you're #3, make sure your personal firewall and virus definitions are up to date. If you've been infected, and you don't know what to do, take a look at .
Samsung SyncMaster 180T 18.1 inch LCD Display
Web Review|July 27, 2001|10AM EST -
That's right, takes a .... which is just about the same size as a 19" CRT display - but totally flat of course!
"My first impressions of the 180T as I was taking it out of the box was as close to awe as I have ever been for a display - it is just a massive display, and of course so very very flat. Since I normally work with a 19" ADI E66 display I figured the switch to an 18.1 LCD would be a bit of a downsize, but this wasn't the case. As many of you are already aware the actual screen real-estate on a CRT is usually a bit less than the 15, 17 or 19 inch unit of measure it is sold by.
In any case, with the 18.1" 180T side by side to my trusty old 19" ADI E66 it was easy to see that the screen size was essentially the same for both displays. That is not to say they are equal in any way though. While the screen size is on par, the 180T is a scant two inches or so thick. The ADI on the other hand is almost nearing two feet thick (okay, okay that's slightly exaggerated)."
Anyone looking for a flat screen monitor, .
BigFoot Computers Canada has the Delta 68cfm online
Web Shopping|July 27, 2001|9AM EST -
They have the excessively loud, but effective Delta 68cfm 80mm fans there. ship to the U.S., so if you're interested in cooling that case down, and scare your cats, head on over to
Platform Conference Coverage
Web Article|July 27, 2001|9AM EST -
They have a report over at , regarding the Platform Conference 2001. if you're curious about the state of affairs in the tech industry. .
No more RDRAM freebies from Intel
Web News|July 27, 2001|9AM EST -
That sucks. It will really suck for buyers if Intel doesn't lower it's prices accordingly for not including ram. Don't tell me the ram was free to begin with, as I'm sure the fee is hidden in there somewhere. .
TwinMOS 256MB PC2100 (PC2700) DDR Memory
Web Review|July 26, 2001|9AM EST -
The fellas at have a . They got benchmarks, overclocking action, and a showdown against Crucial DDR ram.
"At 133 MHz, the benchmark scores aren't great, however there is a noticeable gap between the TwinMOS and Crucial PC2100 sticks. With TwinMOS in the lead position for both the 133MHz and 146MHz tests it's easy to see where the rest of the benchmarks are going to lead. The TwinMOS memory simply leaves the Crucial in it's dust!"
Those of you going the DDR route, should .
Asus A7V266 Review at [H]
Web Review|July 26, 2001|9AM EST -
The KT266 chipset has been getting a beating on it's initial release, but now Asus is in the game. got one of these, and gives the with this potentially great motherboard. .
EagleB-0003 Aluminum Case
Web Review|July 26, 2001|9AM EST -
I said it once, I said it again, and I'll say it again All Aluminum cases rule! Unless it's actually made of tin foil. That'd suck. Anyhoo, takes a look at the EagleB-0003 ATX case.
This is better than history class...
Web Article|July 25, 2001|10AM EST -
Over the years, OS releases have come and gone. No doubt, many of you had at least 2 or 3 changes over the last 10 years. takes a trip down memory lane in their .
Athlon MP review
Web Review|July 25, 2001|10AM EST -
We got another Athlon MP review here at . We got some head to head action with the MP squaring off against the Pentium 4. .
Vantec CCK-6035D action
Web Review|July 24, 2001|10AM EST -
They got one of those awesome Vantec copper coolers at . A lot of websites have been giving this the thumbs up, but GideonX is a tough reviewer. .
3 cooler shootout? Bah. Let's have 15!
Web Article|July 25, 2001|10AM EST -
Alrighty, if you've wanted to see a whole lot of Intel and AMD HSFs, head on over to . They go through 15 coolers and the goes on for 19 pages. on a variety of CPUs, including a heavily overclocked CPU.
Budget 19" monitor review
Web Review|July 25, 2001|10AM EST -
What would you do with that 13" monochrome monitor if I said that you can get a 19" for about $200? I should also add that if you did have a 13" mono, you'll probably need to buy a new video card, and more likely, a new computer first :P
Anyhoo, has a look at the Visual Sensations VS-195i. Looks like a good monitor, but the $200 price tag looks better. .
GeForce 2 Ultra Review
Site Review|July 17, 2001|12PM EST -
Why would I review the GeForce 2 Ultra, while the GeForce 3 is out in mass production? Well, the GF3 is going for about 350$, and the Ultra is a lot cheaper, for comparable performance in todays games. That'll change in the coming months, but in the meantime, the GF2 based cards are a great deal. Let's get started with the benchmarks...
Windows 2000 setup guide
Site Article|July 12, 2001|5PM EST -
The first of many articles I plan to write on OS installation, tweaking, and troubleshooting. This is a quick guide in setting up a fresh install of Windows 2000 and should be helpful to newcomers to this superb operating system. Read it right here.
Windows 2000 Security exploits
Web News|July 24, 2001|10AM EST -
You know, I always thought one of the big selling points of Win2k was it's security. Oh well. I spotted some announcements over at , where Thomas also has the patches available for download.
Tom's Rant
Web Article|July 24, 2001|10AM EST -
It's summer time, and new and exciting content is hard to come by. Personally, I'd rather be outside checking out honeys, but if you prefer to stay indoors on your computer, surfing pr0n, then take a look at Tom's article over at about some of his upcoming stuff. . Sorry, no nekkid chicks here, so you'll have to take a break from your surfing to read it.
A 60mm fan review for you
Web Review|July 24, 2001|10AM EST -
The guys at have actually discovered a fan louder than the Delta! Well, I wouldn't get too excited about the added noice, but at 40cfm, it should be quite a performer. e.
Somebody stole my brain!
Web Article|July 24, 2001|10AM EST -
No doubt, if you run a website, you're probably somewhat concerned about intellectual theft on the Internet. has a up about how to keep this from happening, and if it does, what you can do about it. .
Interview with a Quake 3 mod developer
Web Article|July 24, 2001|10AM EST -
Outside the scope of Viper's Lair, but an interesting read for anyone who is a gamer. arQon is one of the top coders for a Quake 3 mod, named CPMA (Challenge Pro Mode Arena), and , Pro gamers, and id Software. Despite the Quake 3 slant, I found the article to be a good indication of how the gaming industry is in general, and if there were more people like arQon, there'd be less crap out there. .
ATI SMARTSHADER Technology Overview
Web Article|July 19, 2001|10AM EST -
looks at ATI's SMARTSHADER technology. It's a big feature in ATI's upcoming R200, as well as a probable feature in many new video cards that'll be out in the future. .
Changes in XP Product Activation
Web Article|July 18, 2001|10AM EST -
By now, most of you know about this anti-piracy feature. Put simply, it sucks. Microsoft, understandbly, wants to protect their intellectual property, but there's got to be a better way. .
Heard on the radio today that the judges are satisfied with Napster's blocking filter. They are going to get back online soon, but it'll be a little different than how it was before. Ok, a lot different. .
Wonder how to get IT certified?
Web Article|July 18, 2001|5PM EST -
Scott, over at , has an that I found interesting. It's about how to get IT certified, the advantages and ultimately, where it can get you. .
Intel i815E mobo review
Web Article|July 18, 2001|10AM EST -
For the anti-AMD, and anti-Pentium4, the boys at take a look at a . Yes, there are a ton of people still using this fine CPU. Works for Celerons as well.
IMHO, these guys at really know their stuff with Windows. Anyhow, enough with the sucking up and . Pretty detailed.
Sigh, whatever.....
Web Article|July 18, 2001|10AM EST -
There's a study that links video games to violent behaviour that I spotted on , that links to . Read on if you wish. Personally, I still don't buy that theory. If parents learn to lock their ammo and guns, and talk with their kids every once in awhile, stuff like this wouldn't happen. I mean, WTF is going on nowadays? When I was a kid, I'd wake up, go to school, and come home in time to watch Transformers and GI Joe. After that, I'd play with my friends, eat supper and either watch TV or play a bit of Nintendo. Either way, my mom was always around to get my ass in bed by 9:00PM. In between the motherly naggings, she'd ask me what I did in school and why do my grades suck. Hmm, seeing my daily schedule now, I noticed I don't seem to be doing a whole lot of homework. doh!
The articles continue with the recent addition of how to choose the right mouse for your needs. Read about the Mouse Wars here.