Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Rural e-Center System Integration & Design(Caramoan)


Introductions:


So how this venture all started and moved to another place of interest; It was when I saw some of the blogged FAQ (Frequently asked question) about visiting Caramoan a "paradise" island .It was written there # 11 ) Availability Internet access or Wi-Fi in Caramoan -and the answer is none .The visitors need to travel for a couple of hours just to reach another place and possibly could get an internet access.Actually if you would technically observed the communications path profile from Caramoan to the nearest city where far distant linkages of 3 Km towers were setup apart seemed impossible to bridge BTS 3G-4G technology. Why? there could be a lot of investment that need to be spend just for a mobile operators to support reliable internet-4G /EDGE transceiver( oh ,very much expensive).On the other hand users on local covered areas would just suffer the poor quality of internet accessibility offered in one of the internet shop in the said place;yet we don't know in the next few years that could not be a problem anymore-what we are discussing is the techno at present.

But before the deployment of our satellite broadband internet access , we had conducted first our survey and the purpose was to find out what kind of internet service is being offered in the rural place of Caramoan . And to our surprise , internet access could go back just like an old years of running an 80x186 that needed a coffee or a little drinks for its booting time.Another sad stories are the service cost which requires a users to pay for SMS loading to activate GSM with GPRS system protocols to be used as an access to the world wide web (internet) and the other extra charge is the used of PC/s , so overall it is expensive and really a waste of time to get into internet access.

We felt a mixed of joy and sadness to that, why? in Manila youngster will not appreciate a low or an average web links and let them pay for such e-services otherwise they will be dissatisfied and have no interest at all. Because a typical urban cyber surfer wants an internet connections on the net as cheaper ,faster ,reliable and tremendous burst of bandwidth. And Caramoan had a disadvantages of getting good features of internet access ever since -we're so sad about that.The joyful things is that - another opportunity to have an e-Service and e Business as well.

And it was this summer 2010 vacation that I need to save the perfect time; so delay was not an option.e-Center deployment must be setup in a most minimal time to avoid expenses ,fatigue, tension . A lot of talks, a lot of negotiations for the local officials ,and interviews for the town folks ,folks' Ninjas( I've more of stories to tell about these folks' Ninjas in that place "Mga parataga!" a people who sometimes taking up an advantage or opportunity when you are in need of their services-to my dismay!) and to dealing with the space owners which of which hits a good deal for our e-Center deployment.I could enumerate all of those pressures: the dilemma , the cargo, the baggage ,the care for the fragile LCD ,the restructuring and panning of our satellite dish to fix things up and in order to get it done immediately; for I was then running out of time.Oh! I had a few more days to stay, so just one day left was over ;and yet almost 80% materialized-as I could foreseen it that time. I have instructed and leave my team some things to support them in managing and operating an e-Center-thanks for their cooperation(great visionary people).

So, before a morning broke out that dawn through rushed accomplishments ;I needed to packed up all my baggage and waited for a bus to pass by and then was on my way back home .The next day , as usual queued IT works again in the University; still am wishing well-oh!what an awesome experience and adventures!


Soon , I will be going back to Caramoan for some important business reasons;One is to talk with concern officials of the said town how an e-Center could enhance rural governance .The other one is to offer to the Caramoanons a particular benefits from having an e-Center and its at hand applications and the introduction to the future R&D applications of using Open Source technology.

.....Next SaƱgay or Siruma -There we come!

Methodology:

Detail(1):The location of Caramoan e-Center


Detail(2): Sabang fish port on our way to Caramoan


Detail(3):Our Baggage : Satellite dish,DTE,CPE and etc


Detail(4):Tie up with plastic straw and rope to tightened baggage


Detail(5): The crew pulling cargo


Detail(6)
: Inside the hectic deck-MB Harry Caramoan


Detail(7): On voyage a beautiful mountainous seashore as we passed by


Detail(8)My brother and I as we watched the mountain hills with cassava plants


Detail(9): On the top of the mansion the rising Dish(IPStar-Caramoan)


Detail(10) Still IPStar(Thai Com 4)


Detail(11): Caramoan e-Center Infra-renovations


Detail(11.1) Rural e-Center @ night web surfing


















Detail(12)
: Cliff of the hills and the plateau of highway


Detail(13): The long and winding road going back home(oh! finally)


Detail(14)The Technos that lies behind its beauty



Detail(15) Sabang Sea Port: On my final e-Center appointment


Detail(16) Turbulent rain along the journey to Caramoan port


Detail(17) A bad weather of good intentions-Caramoan e-Center


Detail(18) E^3 during Caramoan e-Center Lecture


Detail(19) Our minute slide shows


Detail(20) My brother is with me for an e-Center Electrical Engineering task


Detail(21) On our "Caramoan e-Center" presentations with the local official session(Hon: Mayor Constatino Cordial Jr.)


Remarks:
As the team promised ,we will reach out our concerns to Techno Barrios and share our expertise, capabilities and skills to eliminate gaps of digital divide to local folks (Caramoanons) or Bicolanos -it doesn't matter when and how but one thing is certain we are on our way to continue accomplishing legacy.

Conclusions:
Yes,a Rural System Integration & Designed is implemented in the place of Caramoan.

Acknowledgments:
To HIM who give us the determinations to the fruition of pursuing an e-Center.
To my Family of Progress Home Canaman and my two nephews: Crisdon and MacRon.
To the Family of Mr. Allan Parcedes (Technical Head) who had supported the Team to pursue e-Business and e-Service to Caramoanons.
To Corbito Family of Caramoan, Mam Dina and her family for the space provided to us which is accessible to town folks.
To the Open source Community for our innovations of rural MIS,SIS and IP Telephony servers setup deployment; thus benefits clients through h the reduced charge cost of technical services .
To the Caramoan Local Officials (Mayor Constantino Cordial Jr.) for the opportunity to share with us their thoughts and belief to achieved Rural Caramoan e-Center
To WIT Company for the trust and confident that make us as one of their business partner.
To the Filipinos of this archipelago who believe that changes could happen within themselves.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

EtherTech e-Server


Introductions:

Building an e-Center is almost the same standard as what the industry Data Center has and it could be a lot more difficult to concived in reality of applying the same cost. The overall requirement is to give the rural community a likewise technology of communications and developing so ,should not miss any system of technological services thus there are needs of hi-grade equipments: server, switch,router and a lot of stuffs to mentions. Another is the techno-people who would have an initiatives in building the complete infrastracture with some profits will turn into gratis . Despite the fact that the same technology,standard and efficiency are involved ,it is obvious that budget or financial resources are minimal or lesser on the implementations of an e-Center.So how could a developer of whomever would have a complimentaty commitment evitate such compromise?

In this blog titled "e-Server" , the EtherTech team overcome those problems and laid out a simple solutions: innovate design for compactness ,a two fold robustness for a system, offer skills & expertise for a minimal cost ,give innovations and design for free and donate a techno way of learning -it is almost a charity.



Specific Objectives:
To build a router
To build a bandwidth manager
To build a managed switch
To build a Firewall
To build a VoIP server

General Objectives:
To build all applications services just in a single box.
To build a Hi-grade server with a total cost of 6K pesos only !

Methodology:
Use an old or surplus HP Mini PC that will boot in a compact flash drive using CF to IDE adapter.
On a software sides: a Linux combinded distro's and compilers runnix,MonoWall,AstLinux,Freeswitch and pfSense.
Here are some challenges in achieving the uncost technology-The battle neck of this design.
Comparisson & Analysis
I)pfSense (FreeSwitch+ Firewall + Router)
II)IPCop(Asterisk + Router+Firewall)
III)Monowall(Generic FreePBX+ Firewall + Router)
IV)Astlinux + IP Tables + Firewall

Requirements:

Hardware(Specifications)
486 Mhz up to the latest CPU board
IDE slot
CF to IDE adapter
Compact Flash memmory card (=>6GB)

Software (Downloads)
psfense
M0n0wall
FreeSwitch
AstLinux


HOWTOS'
Assembly
Downloads
Installations
Configurations
Testing
Deployment
Evaluations
Mass productions


Detailed Tutorials:
Detail(1): Compact Flash to IDE adapter(supports UDMA)


Detail(2): Compact Flash to IDE adapter(PS connector)


Detail: Typical pfSense Boot Time


Detail: pfSense Main Menu


Detail: pfSense intitial installer menu


Detail: pfSense format menu


Detail: pfSesnse installer geometry select


Detail: pfSense installation -executing commands


Detail: Installer reboot menu


Detail: pf Sense Rebooting

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Making Hi-edge Router in the middle of nowhere.

Introductions:

What will you do when you are living in a coastal area where there is no road to travel and sailing by sea was been dangerous and you need your router to be replaced?Yes! a router machine that you need in the middle of nowhere, what you have got is a satellite internet access and 1 recordable CD only. Definitely we need a hi-grade router, that could functions a 24 by 7 usage and avoid some worries that it will get sucks during operations. So the objective first was to have a working router otherwise we need to repair it (LinksysWRTG54) but hey, the router was really been damaged because of too much current fluctuations that made its circuit to blew . For a practical reason and to anticipate stand-by operation, we need to immediately replace the Linksys router and that was a big questions then-How and When?

And here was the story begun,Menard my technical team mate who happen to be in the field buzzed me " Padi men bagsak si router ta" Brother,our router here is sucked , so its downtime period!Upon hearing the problem,I told him "Padi men,gibo kita router" "Padi men we will make a router instead " he then said "eu padi kaya lang papano?" "Yes , brother but how will we" and again my reply " Ok Padi men download ka ning stable release ning IP Cop tapos kua kang sarong computer saka extra LAN card" "Ok Padi men please download IP Cop stable /release version and a pieces of LAN cards through that we will make a router" and he said "OK.."so then the story continued by following the HowTo's of IP Cop and to make the long story short-we had recovered our down time as soonest possible.

Instead ,I would share to you how we tweaked it from PC to a router.



Requirements:
Hardware:
PII Hitachi (mini-Desktop)
Softwares:
1)IPCop version 1.4.20
2)Smooth wall

Methodology:
Use IPCop software to make a simple PC router this will enable all the capabilities of a NAT,Firewall and Bandwidth traffic managements inside an old almost junk PC.The project will demonstrate how a modified router will surpass the performance ofthe commercially available routers.

Here is te HowTo's
1) Add a PCI LAN Card into your PC

2)Download the IPCop here
http://www.ipcop.org/index-pn.php?name=News&file=article&sid=41

3) Configuring PC to be a router
a) DSL/MODEM (Red) configure WAN in DHCP mode.
*We choose this options for fast IP broadcast coming from the source

b) HUB1(Green) configure with a static IP and enable DHCP server
*The first hub/switch are able to broadcast range of IP's

c)HUB2 (Orange) configure with a static IP and enable DHCP server
*The second hub/switch are able to broadcast range of IP's

4) A PC router using NAT,Port forwarding and blocking sites


Detail(1): Oh! the router got sucks..


Detail(2):So let's get it on,hook the old one(PII 450Mhz)!


Detail(3)
Flop the case and add Ethernet Cards!


Detail(4)LAN for the Yellow and WAN for the Gray..


Detail(5)
On our hi-edge PC router completing test ah 1.2.3.4...!


Detail(6)Close the metal case, and proceed to operation...


Detail(7)The PC router in tandem with Netgear switch(The works of Old!)


Detail(8)
: Hi-edge PC router operations in the middle of nowhere!


Summary:


Conclusions:
We made a Hi-edge router in the middle of nowhere!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A simple FTP Server

Objectives:
1)To build a simple FTP server
2)To use old -junked PC into a file storage machine


Introductions:
Sometimes most old PC or servers are junked in the garage or even are scheduled for an inventory or dispatch.But,you can use it as an storage machine;instead of buying a quite expensive CD/DVD ROM or storage gadget.Another application this old machine can be useful is to link it in the local network and then you can upload /download data. I hope this tutorial will help a lot for this expected purpose.

I) Configure FTP Server
1) Click the start program
2) Goto and click control panel
3) Goto and click IIS(Internet Information Services) icon


4) Goto and click the IIS Sub-icon



5) Goto and click “properties” FTP icon directory


6) Goto and click security accounts
7) Goto and uncheck “ Allow anonymous connections then click “OK”


8) Goto and click FTP sub-icon directory then click “properties” menu


9) Goto and click “FTP site” tab

10) Give a name descriptions ( or say the IP address of a Server[PC])
11) It should look
as what was captured below


12) Goto and click “Security Accounts” tab then uncheck the “Allow Anonymous Connections”

13) Goto and click the “ “ Home Directory” tab then click “OK”
Note” (# 13)guide as to where the files of the FTP server will be stored in this case the path is C:/Initpub/ftproot -it is your preference


II) Access FTP Server

1)Open a Mozilla Internet browser
2)Goto Tools->Internet options->Network->settings then check the “Auto-detect Proxy setting.
Note' (#2) avoid from interfering the defined proxy of the administrator because some of the user uses proxy server and it will require a lot of configurations and permission if you set up FTP server and that it would pass to their proxy
.

3)Browse now the directory
4)Type ftp://ipaddress
5)User Name and Password will pop-up after browsing the FTP server this
will ensure authentications for access grant of the FTP server files.


6).The directory contents should be the files stored in your C:/inetpu/ftproot/

7) The file that are stored in the C:/Inetpub/ftproot/ are available for FTP downloading

7.a)FTP files viewed in the browser



7.b)File in FTP Server Directory



Note: Still need photos and is subjected for edition

Thanks!


E^3