Tag Archives: Networking

Synology DiskStation DS223j 2-Bay NAS Review!

In this review, we are going to take a close look at the Synology DiskStation DS223j – its latest 2-bay NAS system, and find out how well it performs!

 

Synology J Series NAS Systems

The Synology J Series are its entry-level NAS systems – offering an affordable way to get networked storage for backup, or personal storage. They also have a more consumer look, with a white chassis.

The Synology J series comes in below the Value series, and lacks hot-swappable drives, and front USB ports. However, it has most of its key features, including support for the Btrfs file system.

Synology currently has two J series models – the 2-bay DS223j, and the single-bay DS120j.

 

Synology DiskStation DS223j Price

As its entry-level 2-bay NAS system, the Synology DiskStation DS223J comes at an affordable price point.

It has a suggested retail price of US$189.99 (diskless), but you can get some pretty good deals online, with or without bundled drives:

 

Synology DiskStation DS223j Specifications

Here are the key specifications of the Synology DiskStation DS223j 2-bay NAS system:

Specifications Synology DiskStation DS223j
CPU Realtek RTD1619B
4 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores @ 1.7 GHz
Hardware Encryption Engine
Memory 1 GB DDR4 (non-ECC)
Drive Bays 2
Drive Compatibility 3.5-inch SATA
2.5-inch SATA (with optional adaptor)
Hot Swappable No
Internal File System Btrfs / EXT4
NAS Features Power Recovery
Scheduled Power On/Off
Wake on LAN / WAN
Front Ports None
Rear Ports 1 x RJ-45 1GbE LAN port
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
Internal Fan Yes, 92 mm
Noise Level 18.2 dB(A)
Thermal Output 55.62 BTU/hour (active access)
13.64 BTU/hour (HDD hibernation)
Power Consumption 16.31 W (active access)
4 W (HDD hibernation)
Power Supply 60 W power adaptor
Power Input 100 V to 240 V DC power input
50/60 Hz, single phase
Operating Temperature 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Storage Temperature -20°C to 60°C (-5°F to 140°F)
Size 165 mm high
100 mm wide
225.5 mm deep
Weight 0.88 grams
Warranty 2 Year Hardware Warranty

 

Synology DiskStation DS223j Box Contents

The Synology DiskStation DS223j comes in a large cardboard box, with a label to let you know exactly what’s inside the box. On opening the box, you will find the following items:

  • Synology DiskStation DS223j NAS system
  • 3.5-inch drive bay bracket
  • Pack of 10 drive screws
  • Pack of 3 chassis screws
  • Pack of 3 bracket screws
  • 60 watt power adaptor
  • AC power cord
  • RJ-45 LAN cable
  • Quick installation guide

Recommended : 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) Hard Disk Drive Review!

Next Page > Synology DS223 Performance

 

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Synology DiskStation DS223j Performance

We tested three NAS systems, with these settings:

WD MyCloud EX4100

  • 4 x 6TB WD Red drives
  • RAID 1 with EXT4 file system

Synology DS223j

Synology DS214+

  • 2 x 4TB WD Red drives
  • RAID 1 with EXT4 file system

We then compared their read and write performance to a 1TB SDD, using a Gigabit LAN connection, and these two file sets:

  • Large File : Movie with a 9.3 GB file size
  • Small Files : 2193 photos with a 9.48 GB file size

Large File Read Speed

When it comes to transferring very large files like a movie, the Synology DS223j did very well, offering an average read speed of just over 100 MB/s!

Even the much older DS214+ model did very well, almost delivering 100 MB/s of throughput, and beating out 4-bay MyCloud EX4100 by 23%!

Recommended : 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) Hard Disk Drive Review!

Large File Write Speed

However, when it comes to writing files to the NAS, the number of bays, and the drive speeds are what counts.

The 4-bay MyCloud EX4100 is far ahead, because it’s able to write to two drives at the same time (in RAID 1).

The faster 4TB Synology Plus drives used in the DS223j allowed it to pull ahead of the DS214+ by 16%.

Small Files Read Speed

This is quite a surprising result. For some reason, the Synology DS214+ did very well in this test, beating even the 4-bay MyCloud EX4100 by almost 30%!

And the Synology DS223j, which is much faster in every way, delivered a much lower speed of just under 48 MB/s.

Small Files Write Speed

That’s completely flipped when it came to write speed – copying small files to the NAS systems.

Again, the 4-bay MyCloud EX4100 has the advantage here, because it can write to two drives at the same time.

But the Synology DS223j did very well here, coming within 23% of the MyCloud EX4100. This is likely due to its faster 4TB Synology Plus drives.

Next Page > Synology DS223j Verdict + Award

 

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Synology DiskStation DS223j Verdict + Award

The Synology DiskStation DS223j is a cheap but solid 2-bay NAS system. Its plastic chassis feels cheap, but it packs all of the key features most home users would need.

You get an affordable RAID 1 backup solution, with fast Gigabit LAN connectivity, and two USB 3.0 (rebranded as USB 3.2 Gen 1) ports at the back for when you need to copy files to or from a USB flash drive or portable HDD.

It also gives you access to the excellent Synology DiskStation Manager operating system, as well as hundreds of add-on packages which you can use to add capabilities to your NAS.

Synology updates its DiskStation Manager regularly, which is great, because it fixes bugs that may cause considerable grief. For example, when I started testing the DS223j, I encountered a problem accessing it on macOS with a VPN enabled.

No matter what I did, the Mac computer simply could not “see” or “locate” the DiskStation on the network. The only way was to disable the VPN. Fortunately, the problem “magically” went away a few updates later. *

Mac users will also be happy to know that it supports Time Machine backup. While it requires some simple setting up, it works perfectly… which is not something I can say about the MyCloud EX4100!

Prosumers might want to spend a bit extra to upgrade to the non-J version – the DiskStation DS223 from the Value series. Not only does it come with a front USB port (for more convenient use), it allows you to hot swap drives.

If any drive fails on the DS223j, you will need to power it down and open it up to swap out the drive. On the non-J version, you can simply slide out the old drive and replace it with a new one without even powering down the DS223 NAS. But of course – this is a nice feature that most home users probably won’t need.

Performance-wise – the DS223j runs on the same Realtek RTD1619B process as the non-J model. Its four Arm Cortex-A55 cores is more than fast enough for transferring files. Its CPU usage is usually less than 50%. Even when I ran data scrubbing, its CPU usage was around 15% on average.

And if you are wondering about whether you can live with just 1 GB of RAM on the DS223j, yes, you can. The RAM usage is usually less than 20% on our DS223j.

Generally, if you want something cheap and good from Synology, you can’t go wrong with the DiskStation DS223j. For these reasons, we think it deserves our Reviewer’s Choice Award!

* It would have lost the award if Synology did not manage to fix the accessibility problem for macOS.

 

Synology DiskStation DS223j : Where To Buy?

As its entry-level 2-bay NAS system, the Synology DiskStation DS223J comes at an affordable price point.

It has a suggested retail price of US$189.99 (diskless), but you can get some pretty good deals online, with or without bundled drives:

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) Hard Disk Drive Review!

In this review, we are going to take a close look at the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) hard disk drive, and find out how well it performs!

Updated @ 2023-11-09 : Updated with operating temperature results, and minor changes.
Originally posted @ 2023-10-05

 

Synology Plus Series (HAT3300) NAS Drives

The Synology Plus Series (HAT3300) hard disk drives are designed to populate their Network-Attach Storage (NAS)  systems for homes and small businesses.

These Synology Plus Series drives are designed for light-to-intermediate use. Based on the Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) technology, they are similar to the WD Red and Seagate Iron Wolf range of NAS drives, with a 1 million hour MTBF and 180 TB per year workload rating.

The main advantage of these drives is that their firmware can be automatically updated using the DiskStation Manager (DSM) in Synology NAS systems.

 

4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) Price

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) hard disk drive commands a slight premium over comparable drives like the 4TB WD Red (Price Check) and the 4TB Seagate IronWolf (Price Check).

Retailing at about $90 as of 3 October 2023, it works out to a cost of $22.50 per TB. Here are some online purchase options:

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) drive also comes bundled with certain Synology NAS systems.

Recommended : MSI Hit By $4 Million Ransomware Attack + Data Theft!

 

4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) Specifications

The Synology Plus series offers storage capacities of 4TB, 6TB, 8TB and 12TB. With the exception of the 12TB model, all drives in this family are air-filled, and have a 5,400 RPM spindle speed.

The baby of this family, which we are reviewing today, is the 4TB Synology Plus drive, which has a model number of HAT3300-4T. Here are its key specifications:

Specifications 4 TB Synology Plus
Model HAT3300-4T
Capacity 4 Terabytes
Form Factor 3.5-inch
Drive Design Air
Recording Technology Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR)
Interface SATA 6 Gb/s
Cache 256 MB
Rotational Speed 5,400 RPM
Max. Data Transfer Speed 202 MB/s
Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) 1,000,000 hours
Workload Rating 180 TB / year
Power Consumption Idle : 3.96 W
Random Read : 4.85 W
Random Write : 4.85 W
Operating Temperature 0°C to 65°C
32°F to 149°F
Non-Operating Temperature -40°C to 70°C
-40°F to 158°F
Operating Shock 80 Gs (2 ms duration)
Non-Operating Shock 300 Gs (2 ms duration)
Operating Vibration 10 Hz to 22 Hz: 0.25 Gs, Limited displacement
22 Hz to 350 Hz: 0.50 Gs
350 Hz to 500 Hz: 0.25 Gs
Non-Operating Vibration 5 Hz to 22 Hz: 3.0 Gs
22 Hz to 350 Hz: 3.0 Gs
350 Hz to 500 Hz: 3.0 Gs
Acoustics Idle : 23 dBA
Seek : 27 dBA
Size 20.20 mm high
101.85 mm wide
147 mm long
Weight 490 g
Warranty 3 Years

 

4TB Synology Plus HDD Unboxing + Hands-On

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) hard disk drive comes in a large cardboard box, with a window to let you peek inside.

On opening the box, you will see that the drive is well-protected. It’s sealed in an anti-static bag, placed within a plastic enclosure, and further protected from shock and vibration by two large foam inserts.

Recommended : MSI Users At Risk Of Rogue BIOS / Firmware Updates!

Next Page > 4TB Synology Plus Features + Temperature

 

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4TB Synology Plus HDD Key Features!

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) hard disk drive is designed for the light-to-intermediate usage requirements of personal and SMB (small and medium business) NAS systems. Here are its key features:

Manufactured By Seagate

Synology does not make this hard disk drive, which was manufactured by Seagate. Think of this as a Seagate IronWolf hard disk drive that was customised to Synology’s requirements, and with custom firmware for Synology.

Under The PCB

In the following video, we took a look under its PCB, and here was what we found:

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) comes with a large 256 MB SDRAM cache, courtesy of a Samsung K4B2G1646F memory chip. This is a DDR3-1866 SDRAM chip with 16 memory banks, and a peak transfer rate of about 466 MB/s.

It also uses a Seagate Dillon motor drive controller, which features ST Microelectronics’ proprietary Smooth Drive pseudo-sinusoidal digital drive technology. The drive controller itself has a thermal pad to help keep cool, by transferring heat to the drive chassis.

Finally, this NAS drive has two sensors on its PCB, which allow it to better detect shock and vibration events, and dynamically adjust the flying height of the read/write heads to avoid head crashes.

Recommended : Samsung Unveils 2023 QLED, OLED TVs + Monitors!

Always-On Operation

The 4TB Synology Plus is backed by a million hour MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) rating, and is rated for a workload of 180 TB per year.

That works out to 15 terabytes per month, and is about par for the course for consumer-grade NAS drives.

Easy Firmware Updates

Unlike third-party NAS drives from Western Digital or Seagate, you can easily update the firmware of the 4TB Synology Plus hard disk drive using DiskStation Manager (DSM) in Synology NAS systems.

This is a convenient feature for those who use Synology NAS systems – you won’t need to remove the drive, or use a separate computer, to update its firmware.

Low Power Consumption

Power consumption is pretty low, at just under 5 watts. Even if you run this drive 24/7, it will only consume 42.5 kW per year.

Real world usage will be significantly lower, since NAS systems are designed to power down drives during periods of inactivity.

 

4TB Synology Plus Operating Temperature

We monitored the surface temperature of the three hard disk drives while idle, and during their benchmarks. The following chart shows their operating temperature range, from idle to maximum load.

Please note that instead of giving you the absolute numbers, we are showing the temperature delta, which is the difference between the actual temperature and the ambient room temperature.

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) appears to run slightly hotter than the 4TB WD Red, but significantly cooler than the 6TB WD Red. This is good news, because it can get really hot inside the NAS enclosure!

Next Page > CrystalDiskMark Performance Results

 

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4TB Synology Plus CrystalDiskMark Performance Results

Let’s take a look at the 4TB Synology Plus hard disk drive’s sequential read and write performance, compared to the 4TB WD Red, and the 6TB WD Red drives.

Sequential Read Performance

With a queue depth of 1, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum sequential read speed of 215 MB/s.

This is about 6% over its rated transfer rate of 202 MB/s, and puts it 20% ahead of the 6TB WD Red drive, and 39% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

When queue depth increased to 8, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum sequential read speed of just under 217 MB/s.

This is about 7% over its rated transfer rate of 202 MB/s, and puts it 20% ahead of the 6TB WD Red drive, and 38% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

Sequential Write Performance

With a queue depth of 1, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum sequential write speed of 214 MB/s.

This is about 6% over its rated transfer rate of 202 MB/s, and puts it 29% ahead of the 6TB WD Red drive, and 42% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

When queue depth increased to 8, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum sequential write speed of just over 214 MB/s.

This is about 6% over its rated transfer rate of 202 MB/s, and puts it 24% ahead of the 6TB WD Red drive, and 42% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

Now, let’s take a look at the 4TB Synology Plus hard disk drive’s random read and write performance, compared to the 4TB WD Red, and the 6TB WD Red drives.

Random Read Performance

With a queue depth of 1, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum random read speed of 670 KB/s.

That puts it 6% ahead of the 6TB WD Red drive, and 15.5% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

When queue depth increased to 32, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum random read speed of 2.08 MB/s.

That puts it on par with the 6TB WD Red drive, and just 4% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

Random Write Performance

With a queue depth of 1, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum random write speed of 1.85 MB/s.

That puts it 23% behind the 6TB WD Red drive, but 44.5% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

When queue depth increased to 32, the 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) delivered a maximum random write speed of just over 1.8 MB/s.

That puts it 24% behind the 6TB WD Red drive, but 43% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

Next Page > ATTO Results, Conclusion, Where To Buy

 

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4TB Synology Plus ATTO Benchmark Performance Results

Let’s take a look at the 4TB Synology Plus hard disk drive’s peak read and write speeds, compared to the 4TB WD Red, and the 6TB WD Red drives.

Peak Read Performance

The ATTO Benchmark shows that the 4TB Synology Plus drive delivered a peak read speed of just under 205 MB/s, putting it 12% ahead of the 6TB WD Red, and 36% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

Peak Write Performance

The ATTO Benchmark shows that the 4TB Synology Plus drive delivered a peak write speed of just over 205 MB/s, putting it 25% ahead of the 6TB WD Red, and 48% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

Peak Read IOPS

The ATTO Benchmark shows that the 4TB Synology Plus drive delivered a peak read IOPS of just under 64.75K, putting it 50% ahead of the 6TB WD Red, and 65% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

Peak Write IOPS

The ATTO Benchmark shows that the 4TB Synology Plus drive delivered a peak write IOPS of just over 61.25K, putting it 46% ahead of the 6TB WD Red, and an incredible 81% ahead of the 4TB WD Red.

 

4 TB Synology Plus Review Conclusion

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) is, without doubt, a fast NAS hard disk drive. Our benchmark results show that it consistently outperforms the 4TB and 6TB Western Digital Red drives.

It may be sold at a slight price premium, but its better performance and the ability to conveniently upgrade its firmware (rare as that may be) directly using the DiskStation Manager (DSM) makes it a no-brainer choice for Synology NAS users.

If you are planning to use a Synology NAS system for your home or SMB use, you would be well-served to purchase the Synology Plus drive to populate it. We definitely think it deserves our Reviewer’s Choice Award!

 

4 TB Synology Plus : Where To Buy?

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) hard disk drive retails at about $89.90 as of 3 October 2023, it works out to a cost of $22.50 per TB. Here are some online purchase options:

The 4TB Synology Plus (HAT3300-4T) drive also comes bundled with certain Synology NAS systems.

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Sources : Maxis + U Mobile Decline 5G Network Stake!

Sources have confirmed that both Maxis and U Mobile do not plan to take up a stake in DNB – the government-owned 5G agency!

Here is what you need to know, and what it means for 5G adoption in Malaysia!

 

Sources : Maxis + U Mobile Decline 5G Network Stake!

Sources just confirmed to Reuters that both Maxis and U Mobile do not plan to take up a stake in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) – the government-owned 5G agency.

According to three people familiar with the matter, Maxis and U Mobile do not see any benefit in becoming a minority shareholder of DNB, but they will remain in talks to gain access to the DNB 5G network.

It is possible that Maxis and U Mobile made this decision to pressure the government into allowing a second 5G service to be setup.

One source said, “[The parties] will have to try and restructure the deal”.

But until one side acquiesces, the rollout of 5G for most consumers in Malaysia will be further delayed.

 

Maxis + U Mobile Is Out, Will Other Networks Buy 5G Stake In DNB?

Maxis, U Mobile, Celcom and DiGi had earlier proposed to take a majority stake in DNB, but that was rejected by the government.

So the four main mobile network operators are now lobbying for a second 5G network – the Dual Wholesale Network (DWN) model, instead of a single whole network controlled by DNB.

With Maxis and U Mobile out, the Malaysian government’s plan to sign agreements with the other mobile networks has been disrupted.

In fact, the deadline ends today (Wednesday, August 31, 2022) for the six mobile network operators in Malaysia to agree on whether to take a combined 70% stake in DNB.

Until now, only Telekom Malaysia and YES – the two smaller telcos – have signed up with DNB to provide 5G access, with TM still running tests, while YES offering very limited 5G coverage in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Canada Internet Outage Due To Software Update, Not China!

The country-wide mobile and Internet outage in Canada was due to a software update, not hacking by China!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : China Responsible For Mobile + Internet Outage In Canada!

Within hours of news breaking that Canada suffered a massive Internet outage, Vancouver Times posted a story claiming that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) identified China as the responsible party.

Vancouver Times also claimed that the RCMP will issue arrest warrants for the hackers responsible, who are connected to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Chinese state hackers are responsible for a massive internet outage that paralyzed large parts of Canada, according to the RCMP. The federal police agency is in the process of issuing arrest warrants for several people they believe are connected to the People’s Liberation Army.

The RCMP will be holding a press conference in the next few days to announce the arrest warrants, according to sources. Canadian intelligence agencies are reportedly receiving guidance from the CIA and the FBI.

On Friday a widespread network outage from Rogers left many Canadians without mobile and internet service. The outages caused significant problems for police, courthouses, passport offices and other facilities.

The outage also disrupted services across retailers, courthouses, airlines, train networks, credit card processors and police forces, pushing many to delay business transactions. Many people were seen at Starbucks, trying to use their internet service.

The mainstream media and big tech want to hide the truth. Beat them at their own game by sharing this article!

Read more : FBI + MI5 Issue Joint Warning On Chinese Spying!

 

Truth : Canada Internet Outage Due To Software Update, Not China!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by Vancouver Times to generate page views and money from gullible people.

Fact #1 : Vancouver Times Is A Fake News Website

Vancouver Times is a “content aggregator” (copy and paste) website that is known for creating fake news to generate more page views and money.

To look legitimate, they copy and paste news from legitimate news organisations. To drive traffic, they create fake news, sometimes masked as “satire”.

To give themselves a veneer of deniability, they label themselves as a “satire website” in their About Us section.

Vancouver Times is the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives.

Here are some of their fake news that we debunked :

Fact #2 : Outage Only Affected Rogers Communications

On Friday, July 8, 2022, Canada was hit by a massive mobile and Internet outage that hit businesses, banks, and even police emergency lines.

However, it only affected Rogers Communications, and did not affect rivals like BCE, Telus and Shaw Communications.

The outage was extensive because Rogers is Canada’s leading telecommunications provider, with about 11.3 million wireless subscribers, and 2.25 million retail Internet subscribers.

Read more : Shanghai Police Data On 1 Billion Chinese Citizens Leaked!

Fact #3 : RCMP Did Not Blame China For Mobile + Internet Outage

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police did not blame China for Rogers Communications’ mobile and Internet outage.

This was made up by Vancouver Times to trigger right-wing conspiracy theorists, to go viral and draw more page views.

Fact #4 : Rogers Did Not Blame China For Mobile + Internet Outage

Rogers Communications themselves did not blame China for their mobile and Internet outage.

Fact #5 : Canada Confirmed Outage Was Not A Cyberattack

While the reason behind the outage was still unknown, a spokesperson for Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed to CTV News that “the outage was not due to a cyberattack“.

Fact #6 : Rogers Confirmed Outage Due To Maintenance Update

On 11 July 2022, Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri apologised for the country-wide outage of its services.

He also said that the failure was due to “a maintenance update in our core network“. The maintenance work “caused some of our routers to malfunction early Friday morning“.

Fact #7 : Prior Rogers Outage Also Due To Software Update

This wasn’t the first time Rogers Communications’ network failed so drastically.

Just 15 months earlier – Rogers and its subsidiary, Fido, experienced a nationwide cellular service outage in April 2021.

That outage was ultimately traced to “a recent Ericsson software update” that “affected a piece of equipment in the central part” of their network, leading to “intermittent congestion impacting many customers across Canada“.

Fact #8 : It Would Have Been Considered An Act Of War

China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet network would have been considered an act of war, if it was proven.

The Canadian government would at least have issued a strong statement, if not cut diplomatic ties with China and/or enact sanctions against the Chinese government.

Fact #9 : No One Else Reported This Story

China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet infrastructure would have been major international news, reported across the globe.

Yet not only did no mainstream media cover this incredible story, it hasn’t even been reported in the usual conspiracy theory websites!

That’s because it was a fake story created by one publication – Vancouver Times, in their attempt to go viral again for more page views and ad money.

Fact #10 : There Is No Such Thing As A Publication Ban

Vancouver Times likes to use the “media blackout” claim, to explain why you can’t find any reputable media outlet reporting on China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet infrastructure.

That’s utter and complete bullshit. No one – not a judge, not even the Canadian government – can control the worldwide media, or prevent anyone from writing about such an incredible story.

You can also be sure that even if the mainstream media in the Canada refused to run the story, it would have been reported by foreign media outlets, websites and blogs.

Yet, not a single foreign media outlet or online website published their account of this incredible story? That’s because IT NEVER HAPPENED…

Read more : Did Ghislaine Maxwell Just Commit Suicide In Prison?!

Fact #11 : Mainstream Media + Big Tech Would Have Loved The Hype

Vancouver Times is gaslighting you about how mainstream media and Big Tech want to hide the “truth” about China attacking Canada’s infrastructure.

They would all loved such shocking news, because it would have driven tons of traffic and engagement to their websites / platforms.

In fact, that was precisely why Vancouver Times created the fake story – to drive traffic, for the ad money.

Everything that Vancouver Times publishes should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Please help us fight fake news websites like Vancouver Times – SHARE this fact check out, and SUPPORT our work!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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How Central Medicare Leveraged Ruckus For Digital Transformation!

Find out how Central Medicare leveraged Ruckus network technologies to digitally transform and rapidly expand their business!

 

Central Medicare Undergoes Digital Transformation + Rapid Expansion

Central Medicare Sdn. Bhd. (CMSB) is a nitrile glove manufacturer, that started with a single manufacturing facility with 6 production lines and an annual manufacturing capacity of 1.1 billion nitrile gloves in 2015.

Based in Teluk Intan, Perak, Central Medicare has been undergoing a massive expansion and digital transformation plan that started in 2019.

They expanded to 27 production lines delivering an annual capacity of 8 billion gloves in 2020, and 34 production lines with an annual capacity of 11.6 billion in 2021.

 

How Central Medicare Leveraged Ruckus For Digital Transformation!

Peter Cheong, the IT Assistant Manager of Central Medicare, recently shared how they leveraged Ruckus network technologies for digital transformation during their rapid expansion plans.

As Central Medicare added more production facilities, it was becoming complicated to manage the rapidly expanding digital network.

After a thorough evaluation process that included top brands like Cisco, Aruba and Juniper, the IT team decided to leverage Ruckus network technologies for their new digital network.

They started creating their new digital network in 2016, using Ruckus ICX7150 network switches, and Ruckus ZoneDirector 1200 with R500 and R600 series wireless APs.

Both Ruckus switches and wireless APs allowed them to link and manage their different facilities in a centralised, unified manner.

The Ruckus wireless APs also allowed them to create an isolated Wi-Fi network for their customers and suppliers to use, hardening their network security.

The team also liked how Ruckus’ centralised management interface is so user-friendly, making it easy to manage for people who are not IT-savvy.

On top of that, the Ruckus KnowledgeBase is so comprehensive and easy-to-use that they can self-manage their network, without requiring any technical assistance.

All those advantages allowed the IT team to remotely manage their network during the COVID-19 pandemic MCO lockdowns.

The reliability of Ruckus network also shone through during the pandemic – Peter stated that they have not experienced a single failure, since they implemented their Ruckus network 5 years ago.

Central Medicare plans to continue leveraging Ruckus network technologies as they continue to expand their business and production facilities in 2022.

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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CommScope-RUCKUS Showcase @ Bayview Georgetown!

Bayview Hotel Georgetown recently invited me for an exclusive look at their complete CommScope-RUCKUS network upgrade!

Find out what they did, and why they went with CommScope-RUCKUS!

 

CommScope-RUCKUS Showcase @ Bayview Georgetown!

Bayview Georgetown started work on a massive RM 1.7 million digitisation project in 2020, which took several months to complete.

A major part of that project involved the complete replacement of their existing network using CommScope-RUCKUS networking products from end-to-end.

The Bayview team was so happy with the upgrade that they invited me for an exclusive look at their brand new CommScope-RUCKUS network, which now offers guests fast and reliable Internet connectivity at their hotel.

Leslie Lim, the Regional Manager in charge of Information Technology at Bayview International Hotels & Resorts also explained how he designed the new network, and why he opted for CommScope-RUCKUS networking products from end-to-end.

 

Fast, Reliable Internet : A Major KSP At Bayview Hotel Georgetown

Bayview Hotel Georgetown is a 340-bed hotel in Georgetown, Penang. It is one of two hotels run by Bayview International Hotels & Resorts, the other being Bayview Beach Resort which is right by the Batu Ferringhi Beach.

While the Bayview Beach Resort is full of tourists, their Georgetown hotel caters more to business travellers who expect fast and reliable Internet connectivity.

That’s why Bayview Georgetown embarked on a major upgrade of their Internet connectivity in 2020, in partnership with Fortesys – the official distributor of RUCKUS networking products and solutions in Southeast Asia.

Ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospitality industry has become extremely competitive. Hotels like Bayview Georgetown will need to rely on the latest networking technologies to get ahead of the competition.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP Series IDPA : What’s New?

Dell Technologies just announced the 2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP Series appliances!

Here is what you need to know about the next-generation integrated data protection appliances!

 

2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP Series : What Is It?

The 2020 PowerProtect DP series is the next-generation family of integrated data protection appliances (IDPA) from Dell Technologies.

They offer a complete solution for backup, recovery, replication, deduplication, cloud readiness with disaster recovery, and long-term rotation to the public cloud!

The 2020 Dell EMC DataProtect DP series are all-in-one data protection solutions that offer :

  • Storage capacities from 8 terabytes to 1 petabyte
  • Greater efficiency, with up to 65:1 data reduction
  • Up to 38% faster backups, and up to 45% faster restores, compared to previous generation.
  • Instant access and restore of up to 50% greater IOPS, compared to previous generation.
  • Consumes up to 23% less power than the previous generation
  • Cloud long-term retention, and cloud DR-ready
  • VMware integration

The 2020 Dell EMC DataProtect DP series is also guaranteed under the Future-Proof Program, and is part of the Dell Technologies on Demand program.

 

2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP Series : Models + Key Specifications

The 2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP series consists of four models – DP4400, DP5900, DP8400 and DP8900. Here are their key specifications.

Specifications DP4400 DP5900 DP8400 DP8900
Physical Capacity 8 TB to 96 TB 96 TB to 288 TB 192 TB to 768 TB 576 TB to 1 PB
Physical Capacity
with Cloud Tier
Up to 288 TB Up to 864 TB Up to 2.3 PB Up to 3 PB
Logical Capacity Up to 4.8 PB Up to 18.7 PB Up to 49.9 PB Up to 65 PB
Logical Capacity
with Cloud Tier
Up to 14.4 PB Up to 56.1 PB Up to 149.7 PB Up to 195 PB
Max Throughput Up to 9 TB/hr Up to 33 TB/hr Up to 57 TB/hr Up to 94 TB/hr
Drive Type SAS 12 TB SAS 4 TB SAS 8 TB SAS 8 TB
Networking 8 x RJ45, or
8 x SFP
4 x 40 GbE uplinks
Each Quad SFP port can be split into 4 x 10 GbE
Max. Power 475 VA 2,830 VA 5,480 VA 7,250 VA
Thermal Rating 1,620 BTU/hr 9,300 BTU/hr 17,800 BTU/hr 23,400 BTU/hr

 

2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP Series : Availability

The 2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect series appliances – DP4400, DP5900, DP8400 and DP8900 – will be available globally in December 2020.

 

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Hitachi Vantara : 2020 HCI Portfolio Updates Revealed!

Hitachi Vantara just unveiled their 2020 HCI (Hyperconverged Infrastructure) portfolio, with updates to the Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP). Here are the details…

 

Hitachi Vantara : 2020 HCI Portfolio Updates

Hitachi Vantara today unveiled their 2020 HCI (Hyperconverged Infrastructure) portfolio, featuring updates to Hitachi UCP HC and Hitachi UCP RS.

  • Faster provisioning with new Hitachi UCP Advisor
  • Certified support for SAP HANA workloads
  • New Intel Cascade Lake Xenon Refresh processors for increased performance
  • Enhanced lifecycle management capabilities for non-disruptive upgrades

The updated 2020 Hitachi Vantara HCI solutions unify cloud infrastructure management with interoperability across their customer’s environments, whether they are using traditional storage, HCI-powered hybrid clouds or public clouds.

These new HCI offerings include a scalable and simplified foundation for hybrid clouds, allowing customers to rapidly scale-out, when increased datacenter resources are required.

Unified Cloud Management

Customers have the flexibility to build a cloud infrastructure with seamless workload and data mobility across on-premises and public cloud environments.

Hitachi UCP Advisor accelerates provisioning up to 80% faster compared to previous HCI management tools and reduces management complexity across the environment.

Scalable Performance

Greater performance, scale and density support IT departments’ ability to rapidly scale data center resources for business-critical applications and lower operational overhead for better TCO.

The updated HCI platforms provide certified support for SAP HANA workloads on HCI. Intel Cascade Lake Refresh Xeon processors increase performance for workload consolidation while avoiding resource contention issues.

Hitachi HCI solutions help reduce CapEx and OpEx overhead with advanced automation and data efficiency technologies.

Simplified Consumption

Everflex from Hitachi Vantara provides simple, elastic and comprehensive acquisition choices for the entire Hitachi Vantara portfolio, including the UCP Family, with consumption-based pricing models that align IT spend with business use and help lower costs by up to 20% with pay-as-you-go pricing.

Customers can also accelerate time to production with pre-validated and optimized bundles and starter packs, including solutions enabling remote work.

 

2020 Hitachi Vantara HCI Portfolio : Availability

The 2020 Hitachi Unified Compute Platform HC and Hitachi Unified Compute Platform RS are available from Hitachi Vantara and their global network of business partners, with immediate effect.

 

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WD NAS Can’t Be Seen In Windows? Here Are The Solutions!

You may be wondering why your WD NAS is no longer visible in Windows 10.

Where did it go? How do you get it back?

Find out why your WD NAS cannot no longer be seen in Windows, and what are the solutions!

 

WD NAS Can’t Be Seen In Windows : What Happened?

You may have been using your WD NAS for some time, but one day, its network share – the “drive” that you directly access – can no longer be seen in Windows 10.

The NAS links in Windows File Explorer will only lead you to the login page for the WD NAS management page, not the actual drive where you can directly read, copy, write or edit your files.

All these NAS issues are happening because Microsoft disabled the Network Browse function from Windows 10 v1709 onwards.

The problems started after Windows 10 Fall Creators Update 1709, which :

The Computer Browser service relies on the SMB 1.0 protocol to discover network devices and display them in the Windows Network Neighbourhood.

Disabling SMB 1.0 breaks the Computer Browser service, so it is automatically uninstalled and your NAS drives “disappear” from Network Neighbourhood.

Disabling guest access prevents guest or public access to your NAS drives, even to folders you specifically set to allow for public access. Hence, the Public folder they had access to earlier “disappears”.

 

Why Did Microsoft Disable Those Network Features?

The SMB1 network protocol was first implemented in Windows back in 1992, so it’s old… very old.

It’s so old that it lacks encryption. Everything transmitted via SMB1 can be captured and read, and even modified, by any attacker who gains access to the network.

Guest logins even on SMB2 do not support standard security features like signing and encryption. This makes them vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.

That’s why Microsoft (finally) disabled them both, starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update 1709.

 

WD NAS Can’t Be Seen In Windows : Before We Start…

Preliminary Step #1 : Update Your NAS

Before you do anything, you should log into your WD NAS management system and update its firmware, in case it’s not already set to automatically update.

Updating its firmware will ensure that your NAS supports at least SMB 2, if not SMB 3 as well.

WD NAS Windows URL macOS URL
My Cloud EX2100 http://wdmycloudex2100 http://wdmycloudex2100.local
My Cloud DL2100 http://wdmyclouddl2100 http://wdmyclouddl2100.local
My Cloud EX4100 http://wdmycloudex4100 http://wdmycloudex4100.local
My Cloud DL4100 http://wdmyclouddl4100 http://wdmyclouddl4100.local

Preliminary Step #2 : Use A Higher SMB Protocol

Then, enable the highest SMB protocol your WD NAS supports (Settings > Network). Set it to SMB 3 if possible.

This will ensure that both your WD NAS and your network support the most secure network protocol possible, for your security.

 

WD NAS Can’t Be Seen In Windows : The Solutions!

Best Solution : Map Your WD NAS By Device Name

The best way is to manually map your WD NAS by its device name. This lets you use the more secure SMB2 or SMB3 network protocols, with direct access to your files as usual.

  1. Determine your WD NAS network path, which is based on the device name.If you changed your WD NAS device name to TechARPCloud (for example), the network name will be \\TechARPCloudHere is a list of default network paths for different WD NAS :
WD NAS Default Network Path
My Cloud Home \\MYCLOUD-last 6 digits of serial number
Example : \\MYCLOUD-123456
My Cloud Home Duo
My Cloud \\WDMYCLOUD
My Cloud Mirror \\WDMYCLOUDMIRROR
My Cloud Mirror Gen 2
My Cloud EX2 \\WDMYCLOUDEX2
My Cloud EX2 Ultra \\MYCLOUDEX2ULTRA
My Cloud EX4 \\WDMYCLOUDEX4
My Cloud EX2100 \\WDMYCLOUDEX2100
My Cloud EX4100 \\WDMYCLOUDEX4100
My Cloud DL2100 \\WDMYCLOUDDL2100
My Cloud DL4100 \\WDMYCLOUDDL4100
My Cloud PR2100 \\MYCLOUDPR2100
My Cloud PR4100 \\MYCLOUDPR2100
  1. Open Windows File Explorer and click on Network on the left pane.
  2. Key in the network path of the WD NAS, which is based on its device name. Make sure you include \\ before the network path.

  1. You will be asked to key in a user name and password.
    This can be the administrator’s login, or the login of any registered user of your WD NAS.
    Remember – Windows 10 no longer allows guest logins or public access. So you will need to create a password-protected account even for guests to use.

  1. Once you successfully authenticate your user name and password, the network shares of your WD NAS will become visible in File Explorer under Network!You can stop here, but you will need to keep keying in the network path and login to access your NAS every time you boot into Windows.

  1. For more convenience, you can create a password-protected Private Share.Start by right-clicking on a network share from your WD NAS and select Map network drive…

  1. Select a drive letter for the network share.
    Check Reconnect at sign-in if you don’t want to automatically log into the drive.
    Then click Finish to map the drive.

That’s it! If you expand This PC in Windows File Explorer, you should now see that the WD NAS network drive has now been mapped by its device name!

 

Alternate Solution : Enable Network Discovery Without SMB1

This Windows 10 workaround can be used if your WD NAS supports SMB2 or SMB3 and you prefer not to map the network drives.

  1. Go to Windows Services.
  2. Start these two services :
    Function Discovery Provider Host
    Function Discovery Resource Publication
  3. Set the Startup type for both those services to Automatic (Delayed Start).
  4. Open Windows File Explorer and go to Network.
  5. When prompted, enable Network Discovery.

Your WD NAS shares should now be visible in Windows File Explorer.

 

Worst Case Solution : Enable Network Discovery Without SMB1

This should only be attempted if your WD NAS simply cannot support SMB2 or SMB3, and can only use SMB1.

  1. Go to Control Panel > Programs.
  2. Click on Turn Windows features on or off.
  3. Expand the SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support option.
  4. Check the SMB 1.0/CIFS Client option.
  5. Click the OK button.
  6. Restart Windows 10

After Windows 10 restarts, your WD NAS shares should now be visible in Windows File Explorer.

 

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HUAWEI 5G Aces GSMA NESAS Security Audit : The Impact?

In a bit of good news after months of bad news, HUAWEI announced that their 5G wireless and core network equipment passed the GSMA NESAS cybersecurity audit!

While that is great news for them, what exactly is the impact on the deployment of HUAWEI 5G equipment globally?

 

HUAWEI 5G Passes GSMA Network Security Assurance Audit!

In a bit of good news after months of bad news, HUAWEI announced that their 5G wireless and core network equipment passed the GSMA Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS) audit!

  • 5G RAN gNodeB
  • 5G Core UDG, UDM, UNC, UPCF
  • LTE eNodeB

Here is a summary of the twenty NESAS assessment categories and the compliance levels of the HUAWEI 5G equipment that were tested :

Prior to passing the GSMA NESAS audit, these HUAWEI 5G equipment also passed the 5G cybersecurity test by China’s IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group, using test specifications based on 3GPP International standards for 5G security assurance.

 

HUAWEI 5G Faces Political, Not Technical, Pressures

Passing the GSMA NESAS audit will help assuage the cybersecurity concerns of nations planning, or already implementing HUAWEI 5G network equipment.

However, HUAWEI faces political, not technical, pressures with their 5G network equipment.

The 100% compliance score in the NESAS audit will not change minds in the US, and their Five Eyes partners are unlikely to consider HUAWEI 5G equipment.

That said, passing this audit will nevertheless strengthen HUAWEI’s shield against claims that their 5G equipment pose much greater cybersecurity risks than competing platforms.

It will help them win additional contracts in smaller countries whose concerns are far less about cybersecurity and privacy, and more with costs.

 

GSMA Network Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS)

The GSMA Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS) audit is a standardised cybersecurity assessment mechanism, jointly defined by GSMA (GSM Association) and 3GPP, together with regulators, industry partners, major global operators, and vendors.

This is a voluntary program which network equipment vendors can subject their product development and lifecycle processes to a comprehensive and independent security audit.

The GSMA NESAS covers 20 assessment categories, defining security requirements with an assessment framework for 5G product development and product lifecycle processes. It also uses security test cases by 3GPP to assess the security of network equipment.

 

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Fortesys Now Authorised Distributor For Ruckus Networks In Malaysia!

CommScope just appointed Fortesys as the sole authorised distributor for its Ruckus range of networking products spanning all segments across Malaysia! Here are the full details!

 

Fortesys | Ruckus : A Quick Primer

Established in 2011, Fortesys Distribution Sdn Bhd is a leading end-to-end networking solutions provider in Malaysia. In addition to providing digital networking solutions, they also provide training programs as well.

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Ruckus is a world-renowned brand for wired and wireless networking equipment and software. Together with ARRIS, Ruckus is now now of CommScope – a major communications infrastructure company.

 

Fortesys Now Authorised Distributor For Ruckus Networks In Malaysia!

At a recent ceremony held at the Tropicana Golf Club, Petaling Jaya, Fortesys regional sales director Kevin Kuak (left in picture) shook hands with ARRIS Solutions Malaysia regional manager BK Choo representing the CommScope to finalise this partnership for Malaysia.

We sat down with both principals for a quick chat on this new partnership between Fortesys and CommScope.

According to Kuak, Fortesys would continue to deliver a wide range of advanced networking solutions for the Malaysian and regional markets.

“Our mission is to provide the most cost-effective and complete network solutions to meet all our customers’ business needs,” said Kuak, adding that Fortesys’ appointment as the authorised distributor for Ruckus was yet another milestone for the company.

“We are also fully committed to helping companies ‘future proof’ their businesses through state-of-the-art digital networking solutions, added Kuak.

Kuak also shared that Fortesys is today certified by many world class IT vendors, while providing high quality training for customers.

Meanwhile, Choo said that Ruckus had invented and patented various wireless voice, video, and data technologies, such as adaptive antenna arrays that extend signal range.

“Today, we are well known for our Wi-Fi branded products such as indoor and outdoor wireless access points and wireless controllers,” said Choo.

From a market segment perspective, this partnership bodes well for both parties as Ruckus has traditionally been strong in the hospitality and education segments, while Fortesys has various customers across GLCs (government-linked companies), banking and financial services and the public sector.

 

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HUAWEI Completes 800G Optical Transport Trial In Zhejiang!

HUAWEI announced today (4 March 2020) that they successfully completed the first live trial of their 800G optical transport network with China Mobile in Zhejiang.

This moves HUAWEI one step closer to the commercialisation of their 800G optical transport network solution, which will support 5G, big data and cloud computing in China.

 

HUAWEI Completes 800G Optical Transport Trial In Zhejiang!

The HUAWEI 800G optical transport solution promises to meet China Mobile (Zhejiang)’s large-capacity transmission requirements for tens of millions of users.

It achieves this by delivering up to 48 Terabits per second of bandwidth per-fibre – which is 6 times the capacity of traditional 100G networks, allowing it to support 1 million concurrent 4K video streams.

HUAWEI reported that the first live test of their 800G optical transport solution, using two data centres 80 kilometres apart, was successful.

Simon Lu, President of Huawei’s Transmission Network Domain, said, “We are delighted to have completed the first operator-based 800G trial with China Mobile (Zhejiang).

This is a milestone in the global commercial use of Huawei’s 800G solution. Huawei will continue investing in R&D to provide high-quality, reliable, and evolvable solutions while helping China Mobile (Zhejiang) achieve greater business success.”

 

HUAWEI 800G Optical Transport Trial : Why It Matters

The deployment of such 800G high-capacity transport solutions will greatly increase the capacity and efficiency of China Mobile (Zhejiang)’s optical networks.

This will be important in the next five years as new technologies like 5G, cloud computing, big data and AR/VR become more common, and require more bandwidth.

China Mobile (Zhejiang) states that they plan to strengthen its cooperation with HUAWEI to “build more efficient optical networks, and provide high-quality connection services“.

 

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Celcom + Maxis To Explore 5G Network Sharing!

Celcom and Maxis just signed an MOU to explore the possibility of sharing their 5G infrastructure to accelerate 5G rollout in Malaysia. Here are the details!

 

Celcom + Maxis To Explore 5G Network Sharing!

Celcom and Maxis today (25 November 2019) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore a potential partnership for the deployment of the next-generation 5G network infrastructure across Malaysia.

They will both look at the potential collaboration in the joint deployment of 5G infrastructure in selected areas in Malaysia. Maxis and Celcom will still maintain their own networks, and remain competitive in other areas.

This potential collaboration could help deliver significant cost savings to both telcos, and let them deliver a faster roll-out of 5G services.

Such a collaboration will also enable both telcos to explore possible business opportunities in key 5G strategic areas.

Signing on behalf of Celcom was Idham Nawawi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Muniff Kamaruddin, Chief Strategy and Value Creation Officer. Meanwhile, Maxis was represented by Gokhan Ogut, CEO and Morten Bangsgaard, Chief Technology & Information Officer.

 

Celcom On 5G Network Sharing MoU With Maxis

Idham Nawawi, Celcom CEO said, “We believe collaboration is the way forward for the industry and working with Maxis to explore a more coordinated 5G deployment in Malaysia is something we are excited about. 5G is the next evolution that will transform how people work, live and play. It will enable a more enhanced consumer experience as well as create new opportunities for consumers, students, governments and businesses alike. Our potential collaboration will pave the way for the delivery of a world-class 5G network, on top of our existing 4G and 3G/2G networks, to every Malaysian, realising a truly digital Malaysia in the IR4.0 era.”

 

Maxis On 5G Network Sharing MoU With Celcom

Gokhan Ogut, Maxis CEO said, “We welcome the idea of collaborating with Celcom for 5G network sharing. We are already sharing towers, fiber and working together on connectivity for rural areas and USP projects. This helps us save resources and accelerate rollout. With this 5G network sharing, it presents an opportunity for us to deliver more value to our customers. Such industry collaboration is important in supporting Malaysia’s ambition in driving the digital economy.”

 

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Dell Forecasts The Future of Connected Living In 2030!

Dell Technologies just shared with us the key findings from their research that explore the future of connected living by the year 2030!

Find out how emerging technologies will transform how our lives will change by the year 2030!

 

Dell On The Future of Connected Living In 2030!

Dell Technologies conducted their research in partnership with the Institute for the Future (IFTF) and Vanson Bourne, surveying 1,100 business leaders across ten countries in Asia Pacific and Japan.

Let’s take a look at their key findings, and find out why they believe the future is brimming with opportunity thanks to emerging technologies.

 

Technological Shifts Transforming The Future By 2030

IFTF and a forum of global experts forecast that emerging technologies like edge computing, 5G, AI, Extended Reality (XR) and IoT will create these five major shifts in society :

1. Networked Reality

Over the next decade, the line between the virtual and the real will vanish. Cyberspace will become an overlay on top of our existing reality as our digital environment extends beyond televisions, smartphones and other displays.

This transformation will be driven by the deployment of 5G networks that enable high bandwidth, low-latency connections for streaming, interactive services, and multi-user media content.

2. Connected Mobility and Networked Matter

The vehicles of tomorrow will essentially be mobile computers, with the transportation system resembling packet-switched networks that power the Internet.

We will trust them to take us where we need to go in the physical world as we interact in the virtual spaces available to us wherever we are.

3. From Digital Cities to Sentient Cities

More than half of the world’s population live in urban areas. This will increase to 68% over the next three decades, according to the United Nations.

This level of growth presents both huge challenges and great opportunities for businesses, governments and citizens.

Cities will quite literally come to life through their own networked infrastructure of smart objects, self-reporting systems and AI-powered analytics.

4. Agents and Algorithms

Our 2030 future will see everyone supported by a highly personalised “operating system for living” that is able to anticipate our needs and proactively support our day-to-day activities to free up time.

Such a Life Operating System (Life OS) will be context-aware, anticipating our needs and behaving proactively.

Instead of interacting with different apps today, the intelligent agent of the future will understand what you need and liaise with various web services, other bots and networked objects to get the job done.

5. Robot with Social Lives

Within 10 years, we will have personal robots that will become our partners in life – enhancing our skills and extending our abilities.

In some cases, they will replace us, but this can mean freeing us to do the things we are good at, and enjoy.

In most cases, they can become our collaborators, helping to crowdsource innovations and accelerate progress through robot social networks.

 

Preparing For The Future Of Connected Living By 2030

Anticipating Change

Many businesses in APJ are already preparing for these shifts, with business leaders expressing these perceptions :

  • 80% (82% in Malaysia) will restructure the way they spend their time by automating more tasks
  • 70% (83% in Malaysia) welcome people partnering with machines/robots to surpass our human limitations
  • More than half of businesses anticipate Networked Reality becoming commonplace
    – 63% (67% in Malaysia) say they welcome day-to-day immersion in virtual and augmented realities
    – 62% (63% in Malaysia) say they welcome people being fitted with brain computer interfaces

Navigating Challenges

These technological shifts are seismic in nature, leaving people and organisations grappling with change. Organisations that want to harness these emerging technologies will need to collect, process and make use of the data, while addressing public concerns about data privacy.

APJ business leaders are already anticipating some of these challenges :

  • 78% (88% in Malaysia) will be more concerned about their own privacy by 2030 than they are today
  • 74% (83% in Malaysia) consider data privacy to be a top societal-scale challenge that must be solved
  • 49% (56% in Malaysia) would welcome self-aware machines
  • 49% (43% in Malaysia) call for regulation and clarity on how AI is used
  • 84% (85% in Malaysia) believe that digital transformation should be more widespread throughout their organisation

 

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Maxis Showcases aquariaKLCC 5G AR Experience!

Maxis just showcased Malaysia’s first 5G augmented reality (AR) experience at aquariaKLCC!

Here is a primer on what the new AR experience at aquariaKLCC, and how Maxis 5G drives it!

 

The aquariaKLCC 5G AR Experience

Over the next few months, visitors to aquariaKLCC can take a virtual journey through the ocean floor for an immersive experience of both marine life and 5G technology.

This is the third 5G use case demo that Maxis has implemented. The first two 5G use case demos were conducted in Putrajaya in April 2019, and IDECS in Kuching in July 2019. The next two Maxis 5G test beds will be launched soon in Langkawi and Gamuda Cove.

The aquariaKLCC 5G augmented reality experience is part of the 5G Malaysia Demonstration Projects programme under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, which serves to facilitate, develop and foster 5G uses cases in a live but controlled environment.

 

Maxis 5G Partnership With HUAWEI

The Maxis 5G network is being developed in partnership with HUAWEI. In February 2019, Maxis and HUAWEI signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to cooperate on full-fledge 5G trials.

This will followed by a landmark agreement in October 2019 for the provisioning of the Maxis 5G network by HUAWEI.

 

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HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro : What Does This WiFi Router Offer?

The new HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro router promises to offer fast and reliable WiFi coverage both indoors and outdoors that is easily expandable.

Let’s check it out, and find out why WiFi Q2 Pro is a key component of the HUAWEI Smart Life ecosystem!

 

The HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro Router

HUAWEI has an expanding range of Smart Life devices, which are designed to offer a life of the future at home and at work.

All those capabilities are heavily dependent on those devices being connected to each other. Hence, the lynchpin of the Smart Life ecosystem is the new WiFi Q2 Pro router.

Easy Expansion Of WiFi Range

The HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro (MY | SG | UK) delivers fast and reliable WiFi connectivity even for the largest office or home, by supporting up to 15 satellite units.

These small satellite units allow you to greatly extend the reach of the WiFi Q2 Pro base unit, both indoors and outdoors. They support both Powerline and WiFi connectivity with the base station, making them virtually wireless!

Best of all, these satellite units are plug-and-play, requiring no extra configuration. They will automatically synchronise the WiFi name and password from the base unit!

200 Mbps From Both Base + Satellite!

The HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro (MY | SG | UK) delivers 200 Mbps broadband connectivity, like other WiFi-N routers. However, performance usually degrades when you switch to a satellite unit.

That’s not true for the WiFi Q2 Pro’s satellite units, which do not employ the same mesh technology by default, relying instead on faster Gigabit Powerline connectivity.

Specifications HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro A Brand Router N Brand Router
Network Speed
(Base Station)
204 Mbps 204 Mbps 204 Mbps
Network Speed
(Satellite)
201 Mbps 8 Mbps 10 Mbps
Game Delay
(Base Station)
35~50 ms 35~50 ms 35~35 ms
Game Delay
(Satellite)
35~50 ms 50~460 ms 50~460 ms

Seamless Roaming + Wired Connectivity

The HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro (MY | SG | UK) offers seamless roaming, with band steering capabilities. It will automatically switch you to a different satellite unit or WiFi band as you move around.

And if you need wired connectivity for your gaming computer, TV or NAS, you will be glad to know that every satellite unit has a Gigabit Ethernet port!

Self-Learning Network

According to HUAWEI, the WiFi Q2 Pro (MY | SG | UK) will learn and adapt to the changing Wi-Fi environment every day, and automatically optimise the Wi-Fi channel you’re using in real-time to avoid interference.

Finally, this router will remember your online surfing habits to improve its performance.

 

HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro Specifications

Specifications HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro
WiFi Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
2×2 MU-MIMO (1167 Mbps)
LAN Connectivity Base : 2 x Gigabit LAN ports
Satellite : 1 Gigabite LAN port
Backhaul Connectivity 1 Gbps G.hn PLC
Supports HUAWEI PLC Turbo technology
Button + Light H button for one-key / WPS pairing
Reset
button
State indicator light
Router Features 802.11v + 802.11s protocol
PPPoE / DHCP / Static IP Address
Wi-Fi Timer
Guest Wi-Fi
Device speed limiting
Mac Address Filter
Parental Control
VPN Pass-Through
Virtual Server
Security Features Anti-brute force algorithms
WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK encryption
Firewall, DMZ, PAP / CHAP
DoS Attack Protection
Voltage Range AC 100~240V
Power Consumption < 24 watts
Base Dimensions 112 mm x 73.3 mm x 183.5 mm
Satellite Dimensions 75 mm x 46.3 mm x 103 mm

 

HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro Price + Deals

The HUAWEI WiFi Q2 Pro is available with immediate effect, with this recommended retail price list :

  • WiFi Q2 Pro Kit (with Satellite) : RM 499 / ~US$119 / ~£94 / ~A$176 / ~S$164
  • WiFi Q2 Pro Satellite : RM 169 / ~US$39 / ~£32 / ~A$60 / ~S$55

But for a limited time, HUAWEI will bundle every purchase of the WiFi Q2 Pro kit (which already comes with a satellite unit), with a FREE WiFi Q2 Pro satellite worth RM 169!

Here are some online purchase links, with prices accurate as of 13 November 2019 :

 

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Dell EMC PowerProtect DD for Multi-Cloud Data Protection

At Dell Technologies Forum 2019, Dell Technologies announced their next-generation Data Domain protection storage appliances – the Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Appliance.

They also announced changes and improvements to Dell EMC Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect Software.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Appliances, as well as Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect software updates.

 

The Need For Dell EMC PowerProtect DD

As businesses become more data-driven, there is a corresponding increase in the amount of data they create and retain.

According to Dell EMC, organisations in Asia Pacific and Japan manage an average of 8.13 petabytes of data in 2018 – a 384% increase over 2016.

All that data is vulnerable, even if they are stored in the cloud. That’s where Dell EMC comes in with their PowerProtect DD Series Appliances.

They are designed to protect a business’ data storage, with the ability to quickly restore their systems in times of disruption to ensure business continuity.

 

Dell EMC PowerProtect DD for Multi-Cloud Data Protection

The new PowerProtect DD appliances are the latest addition to the Dell EMC PowerProtect portfolio. Designed to offer data protection for multi-cloud workloads, PowerProtect DD offers :

Faster Performance

The PowerProtect DD appliances offer up to 38% faster backups, and up to 36% faster restores.

They can provide instant access and instant restores of up to 60,000 IOPS for up to 64 virtual machines, with support for 25 GbE and 100 GbE network speeds.

Greater Efficiency

PowerProtect DD can provide up to 1.25 PB of usable capacity in a single rack, with hardware-assisted compression to increase logical capacity by up to 30%.

Its small footprint also saves power and cooling requirements by up to 35%, increasing ROI for organisations.

Scalability

PowerProtect DD is scalable, with grow-in-place capacity expansion from 1 terabyte all the way to 1.25 petabytes.

Data Protection For Multi-Cloud Workloads

PowerProtect DD supports multiple public clouds, and can natively tier deduplicated data. It can also scale across on-premise and hybrid cloud environments.

Single Pane of Glass Management

Its PowerProtect DD Management Center allows for the aggregated management for multiple systems. Customers can monitor the health and status of all their appliances on-premise and in the cloud, as well as manage capacity and replications.

 

Improved Cyber Recovery + PowerProtect Software

Dell EMC also announced improvements to Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect Software :

  • Cyber Recovery now supports workloads protected with PowerProtect Software and stored on the new PowerProtect DD Series Appliances
  • Cyber Recovery can now automate restores from a secure and isolated vault, giving customers an additional layer of data protection
  • PowerProtect Software adds more integrated with VMware vSphere, offering simplified data protection management and self-service recovery
  • PowerProtect Software also now supports Dell EMC Cloud Disaster Recovery, allowing the automated disaster recovery of VMware workloads in the public cloud

 

Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Availability

The three new PowerProtect DD Series Appliances – PowerProtect DD6900, PowerProtect DD9400 and PowerProtect DD9900 – will be available globally 30 September 2019 onwards through Dell Technologies channel partners

Dell EMC Data Domain Virtual Edition and Dell EMC Data Domain DD3300, now branded Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Virtual Edition and Dell EMC PowerProtect DD3300, are available now

Enhancements to Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect Software are available globally, with immediate effect.

 

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ADVA Ensemble Now Available On Dell EMC VEP!

Dell EMC just announced the availability of ADVA Ensemble on their Virtual Edge Platform (VEP), which adds more than 50 virtual network functions! Here are the full details!

 

ADVA Ensemble Now Available On Dell EMC VEP!

Dell EMC announced that they certified ADVA Ensemble, and will offer Ensemble on their VEP multi-function network device.

This gives Dell EMC VEP users a choice of more than 50 new virtual network functions like a virtual firewall, WAN optimisation, IoT, virtual test, voice, wireless and more!

These new capabilities by ADVA Ensemble will further elevate the universal customer premises equipment (uCPE) above and beyond the traditional and expensive fixed-function access hardware.

uCPE solutions like Dell EMC VEP use software-defined architecture, open networking and virtualisation to improve network access at a lower cost, and with much greater flexibility.

This allows servicer providers to leverage the benefits of the cloud, and accelerate their digital transformation, while taking advantage of new market opportunities more quickly.

 

ADVA Ensemble Connector on Dell EMC VEP

The Dell-ADVA agreement gives customer access to the ADVA Ensemble Harmony Ecosystem. This multi-vendor environment lets customers avoid vendor lock-in with access to a wider number of vendors and solutions.

With ADVA Ensemble Connector running on the Dell EMC VEP family, service providers and other enterprises will have the freedom to try out product offerings and create “try before you buy” programs.

ADVA Ensemble will be available on Dell EMC VEP worldwide by the end of June 2019.

 

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How 5G Will Change Our Lives + Future!

At Dell Technologies World 2019, Harvard professor Jonathan Zittrain moderated a high-powered panel that discussed how 5G will change our lives and future.

If you are interested in 5G technology, and its impact on our future, check out the full video of their discussion!

 

How 5G Will Change Our Lives + Future!

Despite a shaky start, thanks to the HUAWEI Trump ban, 5G is the future. A large part of Dell Technologies World 2019 was dedicated to the topic of 5G and its impact on consumers and businesses worldwide.

One of the key guru sessions that Dell sponsored was this discussion on how 5G will change our lives and future. Check it out!

This 5G guru session was moderated by Jonathan Zittrain, the George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School. He is also a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Joining him on this high-powered panel on 5G’s impact on our lives and future were :

  • Caroline Chan, Vice President of the Intel Data Center Group, and General Manager of the Intel Network Business Incubator Division
  • Eliza McNitt, writer and director, a 2018 Emmy Awards Finalist and winner of the VR Grand Prize at The Venice Film Festival.
  • John Ellis, Founder and Managing Director of Ellis & Associates. Formerly the global technologist and head of the Ford Developer Program, he is an author, futurist and expert on big data.

 

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Facebook Terragraph Hits 1.7 Gbps In First Asian Trial!

At Mobile World Congress 2018, Facebook announced that they will introduce their Terragraph millimetre-wave wireless technology in two cities – Budapest and Kuala Lumpur.

But guess what – Facebook and YTL Communications just launched Asia’s first large scale Terragraph trial in Penang! They also demonstrated transfer speeds of over 1.7 Gbps!

Here is our comprehensive look at the first large-scale Asian trial of Terragraph, and its first performance demonstration!

 

What Is Facebook Terragraph?

Terragraph is a 60 GHz, multi-node wireless system designed to deliver low-cost, high-speed internet connectivity to dense urban areas. Think of it as a cheap, wireless alternative to expensive fibre-optic broadband.

More importantly, it’s cheap to implement and is unobtrusive. Look at how the Terragraph nodes blend into  the landscape in the historic UNESCO Heritage Area in George Town, Penang.

For a more detailed look at the technology behind Terragraph, take a look at our special – Facebook Terragraph – Everything You Need To Know!

 

The Facebook Terragraph Trial In Penang

YTL Communications and Facebook officially trial launched Terragraph in Penang on 18 February 2019, with the Malaysian Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo in attendance.

This new wireless technology is particularly useful for a sensitive area like UNESCO heritage sites, like historic George Town with its invaluable collection of well-preserved pre-war buildings. The laying of fibre-optic cables would be prohibitively expensive or even impossible.

YTL Communications CEO Wing K. Lee and Deputy CEO Jacob Yeoh revealed to us that it only took their team a day to install the two dozen Terragraph nodes for the launch, and that about 60 of these nodes will be up by 1 March 2019.

That’s when the system goes online, and both tourists and residents in the area will have access to fast and FREE Public WiFi and Fixed Wireless Access for the next 6 months.

This 6-month long market pilot project represents a significant investment by YTL Communications and Facebook. By April 2019, they will install about 200 of these nodes across a quarter of George Town.

This large-scale trial will help them identify the problems this millimetre-wave wireless system may have in a tropical environment. Rain fade is especially a concern, and so is the high ambient temperature.

At the end of this trial, YTL Communications will seek approval from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for the licence to roll-out Terragraph commercially.

 

Facebook Terragraph Hits 1.7 Gbps!

At the end of the launch event, YTL Communications and Facebook demonstrated that it can deliver a download speed in excess of 1.3 Gbps, with an upload speed of over 1.7 Gbps. The ping time was a low 13 ms.

That is almost 45X faster than the future minimum broadband standard (as revealed by Malaysian Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo). In fact, at those speeds, you can download a 40 GB Blu-ray movie in just 4 minutes, or upload it in just over 3 minutes!

For a more detailed look at the technology behind Terragraph, take a look at our special – Facebook Terragraph – Everything You Need To Know!

 

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Facebook Terragraph – Everything You Need To Know!

Facebook first announced Terragraph in 2016, introducing it in downtown San Jose. They have now launched two worldwide trials – in Hungary and Malaysia, delivering low-cost gigabit broadband wirelessly.

Here is everything you need to know about the Terragraph wireless technology, and why it matters!

 

What Is Terragraph?

Terragraph is a millimetre-wave wireless technology that uses the 60 GHz spectrum to deliver low-cost, high-speed internet connectivity to dense urban areas. Think of it as a cheap, wireless alternative to expensive fibre-optic broadband.

Designed to provide high-speed street level coverage, every Terragraph node has a highly-directional phase array antenna that is steerable. The 60 GHz signal has a limited range, so the nodes are placed at 200 to 250 meter intervals.

Coupled with its steerable antennas, having multiple nodes in an area allow the network to route and steer around interference typically found in dense urban environments. It also has a mesh network design, which allows it to automatically deliver data using the most efficient route.

The Terragraph technology is attractive to city planners because the unique signal-absorbing nature of the 60 GHz band limits interference to other wireless systems. It is also cheap to implement because it uses off-the-shelf WiGig components, and the 60 GHz spectrum is unlicensed.

Another advantage is the unobtrusive nature of its nodes – they are small and can be installed on existing lighting and traffic light poles. This greatly eases installation, and lowers costs, while multiple nodes to be installed without affecting the landscape.

 

How Is Terragraph Superior?

Terragraph isn’t exactly a “superior” solution that will replace all other infrastructure. Instead, it’s designed to make it easier to deliver gigabit broadband in dense urban areas.

It is cheaper and offers more bandwidth than cellular data networks. And while optical fibre networks can be faster, they are more expensive and more difficult (and thus slower) to deploy.

 

Terragraph Core Benefits

Terragraph promises to deliver these core benefits over alternative network solutions :

Unlimited Spectrum – It uses the V-band spectrum at 60 GHz, which allows wireless transfers at multi-gigabit speeds.

Lower Cost – When combined with existing fibre infrastructure, it offers a lower-cost solution for Fixed Wireless Access.

Faster Time To Market – It is faster to deploy than any wired service, because it does not require securing costly Right of Way permissions.

Seamless Deployment – Unlike cell towers, Terragraph nodes are very small and discreet. They can be mounted onto existing street furniture and poles, or even buildings.

Ubiquitous Coverage – It can extend the existing fibre network wirelessly throughout a city, and uniformly deliver gigabit speeds in difficult-to-reach neighbourhoods.

 

How Fast Is Terragraph?

At the Penang trial launch, YTL Communications and Facebook demonstrated that it can deliver a download speed in excess of 1.3 Gbps, with an upload speed of over 1.7 Gbps. The ping time was a low 13 ms.

That is almost 45X faster than the future minimum broadband standard (as revealed by Malaysian Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo). In fact, at those speeds, you can download a 40 GB Blu-ray movie in just 4 minutes, or upload it in just over 3 minutes!

 

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Mbixions SD-WAN by VeloCloud Services Now Available In Malaysia!

The Mbixions SD-WAN service is now available in Malaysia! This VMware NSXSD-WAN by VeloCloud service is targeted at all enterprise segments and government sectors. Here are the full details!

 

Mbixions SD-WAN by VeloCloud Services Now Available In Malaysia!

The VMware NSX SD-WAN is a proven solution with customers large and small across the world and is uniquely ready to solve security, compliance, cloud, and cost challenges while reducing IT complexity. Mbixions, a Malaysia telco neutral Internet Service Provider (ISP), is now able to offer users here access to VMware NSXSD-WAN by VeloCloud.

The MBixions SD-WAN service combines the high bandwidth capacity and economics of commercially available broadband or LTE with rich enterprise-grade features of cloud delivered SD-WAN. This activates resilient and hardened enterprise grade connectivity that supports applications regardless of where they reside and irrespective of the infrastructure on which they run.

Mbixions SD-WAN simplifies network provisioning, management, maintenance and support, allowing businesses to ensure sales opportunities are not lost and business operations are not disrupted due to poor-quality internet access. Whether an organisation relies on dedicated internet access, broadband or LTE, Mbixions SD-WAN is an uncompromising promise that networking affairs can only be easier, and better.

Some of the key advantages of the solution include:

Network Security

Mbixions SD-WANcovers all bases by unifying secure connectivity and providing end-to-end encryption across the entire network, including the Internet in compliance with PCI DSS strict security standards.

Cost Reduction

Mbixions SD-WAN gives subscribers the ability to mix and match network links for optimal cost efficiency. Mbixion SD-WAN employs the Bring-Your-Own-Circuit concept, where subscribers can select different ISPs of their preference for broadband or 4G/LTE to substitute or complement the more expensive circuits.

Simplifying Branch Networking

Mbixions SD-WAN simplifies deployment of new branches for businesses through automated zero-touch provisioning, simplified configuration, orchestration and real-time centralised monitoring by Mbixions 24/7 Network Operation Center.

Application Performance Optimisation

Mbixions SD-WAN provides centralised control and visibility across a multitude of WAN links and service providers, optimising application performance on hybrid or Internet links via direct and secure access to enterprise and cloud-based applications.

Branch Agility

Mbixions SD-WAN eliminates geographic boundaries. NSX SD-WAN APIs enable integration into various management and reporting systems deployed by enterprises today.

 

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Dimension Data To Build Network For Chinese Conglomerate

29 March 2018 –  Dimension Data has been appointed to build a new network infrastructure to support a Chinese technology conglomerate. Under the agreement, Dimension Data will provide the client with a flexible data centre solution to alleviate their critical IT network issues and ensure quick system readiness under a stringent timeframe, which is an essential step to accommodate expansive data utilisation growth from the business.

 

Dimension Data To Build Network For Chinese Conglomerate

While the conglomerate is no stranger to the global technology and social network scene, Malaysia represents their latest international foray. They were seeking a trusted long-term partner with global presence to help grow their business locally, and to facilitate timely system readiness with strong technical support. Dimension Data was chosen due to existing relations in China, as well as its proven track record and domain expertise in Malaysia.

With its venture into Malaysia, the company was faced with building local market awareness, while addressing IT network performance under challenging timelines. In addition, regional expansion was business-critical to support growing demands from the global market.

To meet these requirements, Dimension Data proposed a new network infrastructure which included virtualised services in the data centre. With the agile and secured IT infrastructure in place, the conglomerate is now able to launch business services at a faster, smoother pace, while lowering the risks of hardware and system failures, thereby improving business users’ experience.

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Today, the client is able to meet the needs of various business pillars comprising of Internet-related services and technology products.  With the ability to seamlessly deliver scalable and secure data exchanges between the Business Units and the Global technology team, the conglomerate is now able to facilitate continuous enhancement to the quality, productivity and overall refinement of their services.

Following the deployment, the client has since been able to improve productivity in day-to-day operations and synchronise effectively between business units and global technology teams. This has improved their overall quality of performance and service, and reduced time taken to resolve IT issues.

“We are excited to be working with our client that is known for their commitment to continuous innovation and service excellence.  Our solutions approach and implementation methodology will enable them to scale in a swift and secure manner. We are fully committed as a trusted partner to provide them with more cutting-edge solutions to meet their evolving business needs,” said Henrick Choo, Managing Director, Dimension Data Malaysia.

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Byte Merge from The Tech ARP BIOS Guide

Byte Merge

Common Options : Enabled, Disabled

 

Quick Review of Byte Merge

The Byte Merge BIOS feature is similar to the PCI Dynamic Bursting feature.

When enabled, the PCI write buffer accumulates and merges 8-bit and 16-bit writes into 32-bit writes. This increases the efficiency of the PCI bus and improves its bandwidth.

When disabled, the PCI write buffer will not accumulate or merge 8-bit or 16-bit writes. It will just write them to the PCI bus as soon as the bus is free. As such, there may be a loss of PCI bus efficiency when 8-bit or 16-bit data is written to the PCI bus.

Therefore, it is recommended that you enable Byte Merge for better performance.

However, please note that Byte Merge may be incompatible with certain PCI network interface cards (also known as NICs). So, if your NIC won’t work properly, try disabling this feature.

 

Details of Byte Merge

The Byte Merge BIOS feature is similar to the PCI Dynamic Bursting feature.

If you have already read about the CPU to PCI Write Buffer feature, you should know that the chipset has an integrated PCI write buffer which allows the CPU to immediately write up to four words (or 64-bits) of PCI writes to it. This frees up the CPU to work on other tasks while the PCI write buffer writes them to the PCI bus.

Now, the CPU doesn’t always write 32-bit data to the PCI bus. 8-bit and 16-bit writes can also take place. But while the CPU may only write 8-bits of data to the PCI bus, it is still considered as a single PCI transaction. This makes it equivalent to a 16-bit or 32-bit write in terms of PCI bandwidth! This reduces the effective PCI bandwidth, especially if there are many 8-bit or 16-bit CPU-to-PCI writes.

To solve this problem, the write buffer can be programmed to accumulate and merge 8-bit and 16-bit writes into 32-bit writes. The buffer then writes the merged data to the PCI bus. As you can see, merging the smaller 8-bit or 16-bit writes into a few large 32-bit writes reduces the number of PCI transactions required. This increases the efficiency of the PCI bus and improves its bandwidth.

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This is where the Byte Merge BIOS feature comes in. It controls the byte merging capability of the PCI write buffer.

If it is enabled, every write transaction will go straight to the write buffer. They are accumulated until there is enough to be written to the PCI bus in a single burst. This improves the PCI bus’ performance.

If you disable byte merging, all writes will still go to the PCI write buffer (if the CPU to PCI Write Buffer feature has been enabled). But the buffer won’t accumulate and merge the data. The data is written to the PCI bus as soon as the bus becomes free. This reduces PCI bus efficiency, particularly when 8-bit or 16-bit data is written to the PCI bus.

Therefore, it is recommended that you enable Byte Merge for better performance.

However, please note that Byte Merge may be incompatible with certain PCI network interface cards (also known as NICs). Boar-Ral explains :-

I noticed that some PCI cards really despise Byte Merge, in particular the 3Com 3C905 series of NICs. While this may only apply to certain motherboards, in my case, the P3V4X; I feel that this is probably not the case and that it is a rather widespread problem.

Issues I have encountered with Byte Merge enabled, range from Windows 98 SE freezing at the boot screen to my NIC not functioning at all. This issue has been confirmed with others using the same NIC and is what alerted me to the issue in the first place.

Prozactive concurs :-

I wanted to confirm the observation posted by Boar-Ral concerning the “Byte Merge” BIOS setting. After enabling “Byte Merge” and making other recommended BIOS setting changes, I suddenly lost all network I/O from my system. And yes, I happen to be using a 3Com 3C905B-TX NIC (with an Asus A7V motherboard). After a great deal of trial and error troubleshooting, I found that disabling “Byte Merge” lets everything work again.

On the other hand, Cprall discovered that he was able to use the NIC in Windows 98 SE but not in Windows 2000. Check out what he has to say :-

I’ll even third this to say I was recently bitten by the same (A7V motherboard at BIOS 1009 and 3C905B-TX network card). I do have one slight addition to what was seen here. With Byte Merge enabled, I was able to access the network under Windows 98 SE, but not Windows 2000. With Byte Merge disabled, the network card works under both.

So, if your NIC (Network Interface Card) won’t work properly, try disabling Byte Merge. Otherwise, you should enable Byte Merge for better performance.

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The ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 WiFi Router Revealed!

We were recently invited to the launch of the ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 WiFi router. The Blue Cave is part of ASUS’ new line of lifestyle-focused WiFi routers, which include the ASUS Lyra WiFi mesh system. As such, it’s designed to not only work well, but look good. Let’s take a closer look!

 

The ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 WiFi Router Revealed!

The ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 is a dual-band WiFi router targeted at non-techies. Hence, the emphasis on its aesthetics and user-friendliness. The name Blue Cave, incidentally, comes from the blue circular hole in the middle.

We had an opportunity after the launch to get some hands-on time with the ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 WiFi router. Check it out!

Four Internal Antennas

Its design requires the use of four internal antennas, but that does not mean it is less powerful. According to ASUS, it delivers a peak throughput of 1240 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, which is 20% faster than competing AC2600 routers using external antennas.

ASUS AiProtection

ASUS AiProtection, powered by Trend Micro, is built into the ASUS Blue Cave AC2600 WiFi router. This protects all connected devices, including smart home (IoT) devices, from intrusion, infections and malicious websites.

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Smarter Homes with IFTTT

You can use the ASUS Blue Cave with other IFTTT-compatible devices and apps to create smart automated tasks.

PC-Free Control

You can control the router using a smartphone or tablet. The app will also keep you updated with notifications about network activity, security reports and more.

Family Overview

Parents can use the provided app to easily monitor and control every family member’s Internet and app usage.

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The ASUS Lyra WiFi Mesh System Revealed!

We were recently invited to the launch of the ASUS Lyra. Lyra is a brand-new WiFi mesh system that is designed to provide large homes and offices with corner-to-corner wireless coverage. Let’s take a look at what a WiFi mesh system like Lyra is all about, and how it helps to deliver such extensive WiFi coverage!

 

The ASUS Lyra WiFi Mesh System

The ASUS Lyra (Lowest Price) WiFi mesh system consists of three WiFi hubs that boasts tri-band 802.11ac capability, offering speeds of up to 2134 Mbps. Usually, one ASUS Lyra per floor is sufficient, so the basic kit allows you to provide “blanket coverage” for a four-storey home or office building.

Here is a closer look at one of the ASUS Lyra (Lowest Price) hubs. Up to five of these Lyra WiFi hubs may be combined to provide corner-to-corner coverage for multiple floors in the building.

Corner-to-Corner WiFi

The ASUS Lyra (Lowest Price) WiFi mesh system greatly extends the wireless coverage of your existing WiFi router, eliminating WiFi dead zones.

Single WiFi Network

The ASUS Lyra (Lowest Price) mesh system creates a single WiFi network with a single SSID, so coverage is seamless. Your devices connects automatically to the strongest signal, and intelligently switches between Lyra hubs, without the need to change SSID.

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Three Bands For Greater Capacity

The ASUS Lyra (Lowest Price) mesh network uses three separate frequency bands. Each Lyra hub uses one band to communicate with the other hubs, leaving the other two bands free to connect to your devices.

Four Smart Antennas

The Lyra’s stylish chassis conceals four smart antennas. Whenever a Lyra hub is added to the network, it assesses the signal strength and quality from each antenna, and selects the best two antennas to use. It also searches for, and connects to, another Lyra hub with the best connection.

ASUS AiProtection

ASUS AiProtection, powered by Trend Micro, is built into every ASUS Lyra (Lowest Price) hub. This protects all connected devices, including smart home (IoT) devices, from intrusion, infections and malicious websites.

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The ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Gaming Router Revealed!

We were recently invited to the launch of the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) gaming router. This is the improved, gaming-optimised version of the ASUS RT-AC5300 (Lowest Price), which is affectionately known as the “alien spider” router. They both look identical, but the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 gaming router boasts a number of improvements. Let’s take a look!

 

The ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Gaming Router Revealed!

The ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) is a tri-band gaming router that is based on the famous ASUS RT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) “alien spider” router. Let’s hear from ASUS what are the improvements in this Republic of Gamers (ROG) router!

We also had the opportunity to take a quick look at the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price), and compare it to the ASUS RT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) which looks almost identical. The key differentiating features externally – the ROG and ASUS logos, and the number of LAN ports – the ROG router has 8 LAN ports, while the ASUS router only has 4 LAN ports.

Here are the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) gaming router’s key features :

Optimised Gaming Ports

The ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) provides two gaming LAN ports that are optimized for gaming devices. All traffic on these ports is given top priority, so your gaming devices — or any other devices you want to connect to these ports — are always at the head of the internet queue!

Game Boost

ASUS Game Boost analyzes network traffic and prioritizes gaming packets, giving games a second level of acceleration for the best possible performance. Game Boost can be activated instantly with a single click on the Gaming Center dashboard, and it supports many consoles, including PS3, PS4, PS4 Pro, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Xbox One.

Gamers Private Network

The ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) has built-in support for the Gamers Private Network, powered by WTFast, which provides private, optimised internet connections to game servers, minimizing ping and latency to ensure smooth, lag-free gaming.

Fortified Network Security

To defend your network, the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) features Game IPS (Intrusion Prevention System), powered by Trend Micro. It protects your gaming network from external attacks and threats, neutralizing them before they can reach your network or devices. Even if your PC’s security software isn’t turned on — to get around blocked games, for example — Game IPS still protects your network from attacks and intrusions, giving you added peace of mind.

VPN Fusion

The VPN Fusion feature lets you run a VPN and an ordinary internet connection simultaneously! So even if other network users need to use a VPN, you can still enjoy maximum gaming speeds.

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Dedicated WiFi Gaming Band

With the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price), you can easily allocate one of the two 5 GHz bands to gaming devices, while other devices use the second 5 GHz band or the 2.4 GHz band.

RangeBoost

The RangeBoost feature is a powerful range-enhancing combination of hardware and software that increases coverage while also significantly improving long-range throughput!

Quad-Core Processor

The ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 (Lowest Price) is powered by a 1.8GHz 64-bit quad-core CPU that is more than powerful enough to handle anything you can throw at it, without skipping a beat.

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NetSpot PRO and Enterprise for Windows Released!

NetSpot just announced that NetSpot PRO and NetSpot Enterprise for Windows are now available! In addition, NetSpot made all purchases universal. You can activate NetSpot on both platforms (Mac or Windows) with the same code!

 

How Does NetSpot Work?

NetSpot is a professional app for wireless site surveys, WiFi analysis and troubleshooting. It is also available for FREE if you just want to do WiFi analysis to improve your home or office WiFi performance.

Best of all, you do not need special equipment to use it. All you need is an Apple MacBook running Mac OS X 10.10 or better, or a laptop running Windows 7 or better. The NetSpot app works with any 802.11 network, whether it’s the old 802.11b standard, or the latest 802.11ac standard.

Analyze your Wi-Fi Coverage

NetSpot is the easiest native wireless site survey software for Mac and Windows. You need just a few clicks to load your office plan or area map before starting a network site survey.

To begin, just point to where you are on the map and NetSpot starts measuring wireless signal right away. You can move around and collect Wi-Fi data of the entire area.

That’s it! Now you have all the needed info to analyze radio signal leakages, discover noise sources, map channel usage, locate effective access points, etc.

 

Visualize Your Wireless Network

Efficiency-wise, your Wi-Fi network needs hotspots placed correctly and wireless channels assigned properly.

The visual Wi-Fi map you get with NetSpot lets you see all dead zones without coverage and optimize hotspots’ placements. You can adjust channels’ load and decide how to use them better.

Wireless Network Planning

NetSpot is also an amazing wireless survey tool for Wi-Fi planning: load a map, collect some wireless site survey data, and build a comprehensive heatmap of your network.

Now viewing each channel separately is as easy as making a pie. Once you locate an empty channel with no wireless networks – it’s the optimal selection for a new Wi-Fi network. NetSpot also lets you easily select channels for new Wi-Fi hotspots with minimal signal-to-noise ratio.

Troubleshoot Wireless Networks

Thanks to new Troubleshooting visualizations, you can easily and quickly identify connectivity and wireless interference issues, find sources of excessive noise, resolve Wi-Fi configuration problems, and get automated professional advice on every issue visualized by NetSpot PRO.

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NetSpot PRO & Enterprise for Windows

NetSpot PRO and NetSpot Enterprise used to be available for Mac OS X, but both versions are now available for Windows as well. Here are the four versions that are currently available for both Mac OS and Windows :

NetSpot made all purchases universal. You can activate NetSpot on both platforms (Mac or Windows) with the same code!

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LAN Boot ROM – The BIOS Optimization Guide

LAN Boot ROM

Common Options : Enabled, Disabled

 

Quick Review of LAN Boot ROM

Newer motherboards has Gigabit LAN controllers that boast throughputs of up to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps). However, the newer Gigabit LAN controllers are only supported by newer operating systems. If you use older operating systems like MS-DOS or operating systems that do not have driver support , the Gigabit LAN controller will only operate in the 10/100 Mbps mode.

This is where the LAN Boot ROM BIOS option comes in.

When enabled, the motherboard will load the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM when it boots up. This allows the LAN controller to operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with operating systems that do not have proper driver support.

When disabled, the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM will not be loaded when the motherboard boots up. The LAN controller will only operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with proper driver support. Otherwise, it reverts to the 10/100 Mbps mode.

If you have multiple operating systems installed (and at least one do not have driver support for the LAN controller), enable this BIOS option to ensure the Gigabit LAN operates in its full 1000 Mbps mode in all operating systems.

If you are using only operating systems that have driver support for the Gigabit LAN controller, then you should disable the LAN Boot ROM BIOS option. This reduces the boot time (slightly) and frees up memory that would have been taken up by the boot ROM.

 

Details of LAN Boot ROM

Many motherboards have integrated LAN controllers with 1 or 2 LAN ports. Older motherboards come with 10/100 LAN controllers but newer motherboards has Gigabit LAN controllers that boast throughputs of up to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps). However, the newer Gigabit LAN controllers are only supported by newer operating systems, using either a native (built-in) driver or a driver provided by the Gigabit LAN controller’s manufacturer.

Older operating systems like MS-DOS or operating systems that do not have driver support will not be able to utilize the Gigabit LAN controller’s full capabilities. If you use such operating systems, the Gigabit LAN controller will only operate in the 10/100 Mbps mode. This is where the LAN Boot ROM BIOS option comes in.

When enabled, the motherboard will load the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM when it boots up. This allows the LAN controller to operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with operating systems that do not have proper driver support.

When disabled, the Gigabit LAN controller’s boot ROM will not be loaded when the motherboard boots up. The LAN controller will only operate at its full 1000 Mbps speed with proper driver support. Otherwise, it reverts to the 10/100 Mbps mode.

Note that even if the LAN controller’s boot ROM is loaded, the driver will take over when you boot into an operating system with proper driver support. So, if you have multiple operating systems installed (and at least one do not have driver support for the LAN controller), enable this BIOS option to ensure the Gigabit LAN operates in its full 1000 Mbps mode in all operating systems.

If you are using only operating systems that have driver support for the Gigabit LAN controller, then you should disable the LAN Boot ROM BIOS option. This reduces the boot time (slightly) and frees up memory that would have been taken up by the boot ROM. The LAN boot ROM only uses 16 KB to 256 KB of memory, but why waste it if you won’t use it?

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I/O Interface Security from The Tech ARP BIOS Guide

I/O Interface Security

Common Options : Locked, Unlocked

 

Quick Review of I/O Interface Security

The I/O Interface Security BIOS feature is mainly found in mobile PCs like laptops and netbooks. It gives you direct control over the availability of various interfaces in the computer.

The interfaces you can control with this BIOS feature include :

  • Audio Interface – when locked, it disables the onboard audio interface and prevents the use of microphones or earphones.
  • Modem Interface – enables or disables the onboard modem
  • LAN Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard LAN functionality
  • Wireless Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard WLAN functionality
  • SATA ODD – when locked, prevents data from being burned into CD/DVD (using a CD/DVD writer)
  • eSATA Port – when locked, prevents data from being copied out to an external eSATA hard disk drive or an external CD/DVD writer.
  • Express Card Interface – enables or disables the built-in Express Card interface
  • Card Reader Interface – enables or disables the built-in flash memory card reader
  • 1394 Interface – enables or disables the built-in IEEE1394a (Firewire) interface
  • USB Interface – enables or disables the built-in USB ports

To enable or disable those interfaces, you can select between the Locked or Unlocked options. By default, all available interfaces are unlocked. Of course, the BIOS must be secured using a password for the locks to work. Otherwise, anyone can simply unlock these interfaces using the same BIOS feature.

In addition, the I/O Interface Security BIOS feature can only lock onboard devices. It cannot lock external devices. In the case of a desktop PC, this BIOS feature cannot be used to lock extra interfaces provided by add-on cards.

 

Details of I/O Interface Security

The I/O Interface Security BIOS feature is mainly found in mobile PCs like laptops and netbooks. It gives you direct control over the availability of various interfaces in the computer. The interfaces you can control with this BIOS feature include :

  • Audio Interface – when locked, it disables the onboard audio interface and prevents the use of microphones or earphones.
  • Modem Interface – enables or disables the onboard modem
  • LAN Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard LAN functionality
  • Wireless Network Interface – enables or disables the onboard WLAN functionality
  • SATA ODD – when locked, prevents data from being burned into CD/DVD (using a CD/DVD writer)
  • eSATA Port – when locked, prevents data from being copied out to an external eSATA hard disk drive or an external CD/DVD writer.
  • Express Card Interface – enables or disables the built-in Express Card interface
  • Card Reader Interface – enables or disables the built-in flash memory card reader
  • 1394 Interface – enables or disables the built-in IEEE1394a (Firewire) interface
  • USB Interface – enables or disables the built-in USB ports

To enable or disable those interfaces, you can select between the Locked or Unlocked options. By default, all available interfaces are unlocked.

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The I/O Interface Security BIOS feature is useful in many ways. For example, the USB, SATA ODD, eSATA, Express Card and card reader interfaces can be locked to prevent users from copying out any data from the notebook. Companies that wish to prevent their employees from surfing the Internet can use this BIOS feature to lock the WLAN, LAN and modem interfaces.

Of course, the BIOS must be secured using a password for the locks to work. Otherwise, anyone can simply unlock these interfaces using the same BIOS feature.

In addition, the I/O Interface Security BIOS feature can only lock onboard devices. It cannot lock external devices. For example, if you do not lock the Express Card interface, it would be possible to insert a flash card reader into the Express Card slot and use it to copy out data even if you had already disabled the card reader interface.

In the case of a desktop PC, this BIOS feature cannot be used to lock extra interfaces provided by add-on cards. For example, locking the USB interface will not disable the USB ports provided by an add-on PCI USB card. It will only disable the motherboard’s built-in USB ports and headers.

For those who are wondering what SATA ODD means, ODD is short for Optical Disk Drive. It refers to any SATA optical disk drives that uses the ATAPI command set. This includes both read-only and writeable optical disk drives.

 

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If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!