Hamachi 2.0.1.66 (Windows, Freeware, 3.2MB) [alt DL] is a VPN service that easily sets up in 10 minutes, and enables secure remote access to your business network, anywhere there's an Internet connection. Change: contains a fix for the "Loss of Hamachi IP" issue. Useful for playing network games with your buddy, using the internet. IceRocket Tags: hamachi, vpn, remote access, windows freeware

PeerBlock 1.0+ r187 (Windows, Open Source, 1.86MB) lets you control who your computer "talks to" on the Internet.  By selecting appropriate lists of "known bad" computers, you can block communication with advertising or spyware oriented servers, computers monitoring your p2p activities, computers which have been "hacked", even entire countries!  They can't get in to your computer, and your computer won't try to send them anything either. Changes: Redirectable URLs - From here on in, all Interim Releases will bring you directly to the page for the latest Interim Release when a new version is detected.  Previously, we'd just take you to the Dev Blog and leave you on your own. List Manager UI Tweak - Changed the "Open List" button and the "Open..." right-click menu entry to be "View" instead, to match what we've got up in the top section. No Duplicate Lists - We now should be correctly handling list entries, so that you don't end up with duplicate lists.  This was mostly a problem if you added a list via checkbox and also via the dropdown list. Sorted Lists - Dynamic lists should now be sorted (by description) whenever opening/closing the List Manager. New Tray-menu Items - Added "Help" and "Support" entries to the right-click menu for the system-tray icon, taking you to our online User Manual and Forums sites, respectively. Updated Credits - Updated the credits to make sure everyone who's contributed to PeerBlock 1.0 received the credit they're due. Don't Install Manual - On new installations, the User Manual will no longer be installed locally to your machine.  If you're upgrading from a previous version, the manual files will be deleted. About Window Tweak - The "Launch Homepage" button on the "About" window now takes you to http://www.peerblock.com, instead of our old sites.google.com hosted page. Installer Tweaks - The installer now has a PeerBlock icon!  Also, removed the "License" shortcut from the Start Menu. PeerBlock is a fork of the PeerGuardian2 software. IceRocket Tags: peerblock, windows open source

Wireshark 1.2.0 (Windows, Open Source, 17.4MB) [alt DL] is the world's foremost network protocol analyzer, and is the de facto standard across many industries and educational institutions. Changes: Type-ahead search now works properly. Several bugs that affected capture from pipes have been fixed. Many Lua-related bugs have been fixed. Several memory leaks have been found and fixed. The "Follow TCP Stream" feature could show two streams at the same time The hex dump view has been narrowed. WPA and SSL decryption bugs have been fixed. Readability problems on 256-color displays on Windows have been fixed. IceRocket Tags: wireshark, network, protocol, analyzer, windows open source

Wireshark 1.0.7 (Windows, Open Source, 21.2MB) [alt DL] is the tool of choice for network troubleshooting, protocol development, and education worldwide. Implemented Fixes: The PROFINET dissector was vulnerable to a format string overflow. The LDAP dissector could crash on Windows. The Check Point High-Availability Protocol (CPHAP) dissector could crash. Wireshark could crash while loading a Tektronix .rf5 file. And other fixes and enhancements. IceRocket: wireshark network protocol analyzer troubleshoot, windows open source

If you have some D-Link products, such as routers or wireless adapters, you can get the latest (and even beta) firmware from this FTP:

      ftp://ftp.dlink.ru/pub/

The best source for firmware would probably still be the D-Link site of your area, but sometimes these sites are not very up-to-date with regards to firmware. My current favorite wireless router is the D-Link DIR-300 (has good stock firmware features, has a replaceable antenna, and small enough to place anywhere). You can get the latest stable, old, and beta firmware versions here:

      ftp://ftp.dlink.ru/pub/Router/DIR-300/Firmware/

This is a great source if you are currently having problems with your D-Link device. Sometimes, a simple firmware update could solve these problems.

IceRocket : adapter, d-link firmware document guide, router

TightVNC 1.3.10 (Windows, Open Source, 1.36MB) [alt DL] is a free remote control software package derived from the popular VNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer. Changes: Windows Server: Impersonating currently logged on user while processing file transfer requests. Disabling file transfers if current user is unknown or nobody is logged in. Windows Server: Fixed rendering problems when multiple CopyRects were combined with normal updates. That could caused distortions that never updated even with full-screen polling active. Windows Server: Added new "-silent" command-line option which modifies the behavior of -install, -reinstall and -remove options and makes them not show informational windows on successful execution. Note that -silent should precede other respective options in the command line. Windows Server: LastRect, XCursor and RichCursor pseudo-encodings were not properly enabled if they preceded true encodings in the SetEncodings protocol message. Windows Viewer: Fixed integer overflow vulnerabilities reported by Core Security Technologies. A specially modified VNC server could currupt the heap of the connected viewer causing its crash or malfunction. Windows Viewer: TightVNC Viewer version 1.3.9 saved only successful connections in the list of recently visited VNC servers. Now we save unsuccessful connections too so that users would not ever have to re-type server names after connection failures. Also, several other enhancements were made to the code which handles the list of recent connections. Windows Viewer: Fixed a bug with not loading passwords from saved .vnc files correctly if the first byte of their encrypted representation was zero. Windows Viewer: Fixed problems under Windows Vista where Windows taskbar could remain visible above the full-screen window. Windows Viewer: Fixed a problem with decoding JPEG rectangles wider than 2048 pixels. IceRocket: tightvnc remote control software, windows open source

Wireshark 1.0.6 (Windows, Open Source, 21.2MB) [alt DL] is a network protocol analyzer. It is the tool of choice for network troubleshooting, protocol development, and education worldwide. Fixes: On non-Windows systems, Wireshark could crash if the HOME environment variable contained sprintf-style string formatting characters. Wireshark could crash while reading a malformed NetScreen snoop file. Wireshark could crash while reading a Tektronix K12 text capture file. Crash when loading capture file and Preferences: NO Info column Some Lua scripts may lead to corruption via out of bounds stack Build with GLib 1.2 fails with error: 'G_MININT32' undeclared Wrong decoding IMSI with GSM MAP protocol Segmentation fault for "Follow TCP stream" SMPP optional parameter 'network_error_code' incorrectly decoded DHCPv6 dissector doesn't handle malformed FQDN WCCP overrides CFLOW as decoded protocol Improper decoding of MPLS echo reply IPv4 Interface and Label Stack Object ANSI MAP fix for TRN digits/SMS and OTA subdissection New Feature: The version of GNUTLS included with the Windows packages has been updated from 2.3.8 to 2.6.3. IceRocket: wireshark network protocol analyzer, windows open source

SmallNetBuilder built two DIY NAS systems using an MSI Wind PC and a VIA ARTiGO A2000 Barebone Storage Server. [article link]

      MSI Wind PC Specs:

Intel Atom 1.6 GHz processor MSI custom w/ Intel 945GC North Bridge, ICH7 South Bridge motherboard pqi 1 GB DDR2 533 SO-DIMM RAM Hitachi Deskstar HDS721680PLA380, 80GB 7200RPM 3.0 Gb/s SATA 8MB HDD Realtek 8111C (on board) Ethernet

      VIA ARTiGO A2000 Specs:

VIA 1.5GHz C7-D processor VIA custom w/ VIA VX800 Unified Digital Media IGP chipset motherboard Transcend 1 GB DDR2 667 SO-DIMM Hitachi Deskstar HDS721680PLA380, 80GB 7200RPM 3.0 Gb/s SATA 8MB HDD VIA VT6130 (on board) Ethernet

Both had the same operating system: Ubuntu Server 8.10 Operating system, + mdadm + Webmin, on 2 GB USB Flash drive.

      The two DIY NAS setups were compared to the following:

NETGEAR ReadyNAS Pro (Intel E2160 Dual-Core) Thecus M3800 Stream Box (AMD LX800 Geode) Cisco/Linksys Media Hub (Marvell 88F5182 "Orion" Soc)

(A How To guide for setting up a DIY NAS using Ubuntu Server can be found at SmallNetBuilder: Build Your Own Atom-based NAS - Part 2)

      On Performance:

"I don't think I'm going to declare a clear winner here between the VIA C7 and Intel Atom. It looks that they are pretty evenly matched for performance and generally in the same class as the Geode LX800." [SmallNetBuilder]

"So if you're looking for a low-cost way to build a dual-drive NAS, you can choose a motherboard using an Intel Atom, VIA C7 or AMD Geode CPU and be pretty certain of getting better than 2X the performance you can get from any (current) off-the-shelf NAS." [SmallNetBuilder]

      On Ease and Flexibility of Setup:

"... the MSI Wind PC is clearly a more cost effective way to build a two-drive NAS capable of producing write and read speeds in the 30 - 40 MB/s range than the ARTiGO A2000. As I write this, you can pick one up for around $140, while the going rate for the A2000 is $299. I think that for the extra $150 or so, I can live with having to kludge in the second drive." [SmallNetBuilder]

      SmallNetBuilder's Rule of Thumb for Classifying NASes:



        Marvell Orion based NASes will generally produce throughput in the mid-to-high teen MB/s

NASes using the VIA C7, Intel Atom or AMD Geode will provide read/write performance in the 30 - 40 MB/s range

When you move up to NASes based on Intel Celeron or Dual-Core or Freescale MPC854XE, you can see speeds of at least 50 MB/s and more like 70 MB/s.

If you are looking to put a NAS on your network, a cost-effective way would be to use a system with the Intel Atom, VIA C7, or AMD Geode. You could go the barebone route, such as what SmallNetworkBuilder did, or build it from scratch, letting you choose the components individually, and have the personlized look of your future DIY NAS.

IceRocket : diy nas, intel atom, via c7

OpenVPN 2.1 RC15 (Windows, Open Source, 1.8MB) [alt DL] is a full-featured SSL VPN solution which can accommodate a wide range of configurations, including remote access, site-to-site VPNs, WiFi security, and enterprise-scale remote access solutions with load balancing, failover, and fine-grained access-controls. IceRocket: openvpn ssl vpn, windows open source

The Level One N_One WBR-6000 (about US$50) is a wireless router that has the following features:

802.11b/g, 802.11n (draft) WEP (64/128bit) / WPA (TKIP, AES) / WPA2 (TKIP, AES) / WPS: PIN and PBC support 3 x 2dBi dipole antennas (fixed) 17dBm ~ 20dBm Transmit power 1 x 10/100 Mbps WAN 4 x 10/100 Mbps LAN Dimensions: 154(L) x 143(W) x 30(H) mm

X-bit Labs tested the WBR-6000, and compared it with a similarly priced wireless router from Edimax (BR6504N):

"The LevelOne WBR-6000 router is a good product in many respects, but its main advantage - the support for the new-generation wireless standard - is questionable. Perhaps this will be corrected in firmware updates, but right now this router is good at everything except for wireless networking." [ X-bit Labs | Level One N_One 11n Wireless Broadband Router Review ]

For wired connection, the WBR-6000 was much better than the Edimax BR6504N. For wireless, the Edimax was the superior product, with the WBR-6000 being rather unstable with its 802.11n connection.

IceRocket : draft n, level one wbr-6000, wireless router

HydraIRC 0.3.165 (Windows, Freeware, 1MB) [alt DL] is an IRC Client written in C++ using such modern tools as Visual Studio 7 and WTL/ATL for a super fast, streamlined and efficient program. Also available in Zip format. Change: Fixed remote DoS exploit in the parsing code for long irc:// urls when hydrairc's url handler is enabled. IceRocket: hydrairc irc client, windows freeware

HydraIRC 0.3.165 (Windows, Freeware, 1MB) [alt DL] is an IRC Client written in C++ using such modern tools as Visual Studio 7 and WTL/ATL for a super fast, streamlined and efficient program. Also available in Zip format. Change: Fixed remote DoS exploit in the parsing code for long irc:// urls when hydrairc's url handler is enabled. IceRocket: hydrairc irc client, windows freeware

The VIA Artigo A2000 (US$299) is a storage-oriented compact barebone PC which features low power consumption, low noise, and compact form factor.

      Features:

1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor VIA VX800 Unified Digital Media IGP chipset 1 x DDR2 SO-DIMM Socket (up to 2 GB) 2 x 3.5" SATA-II HDD support 1 x CompactFlash socket (supports DMA mode) bootable SSD 3 x USB 2.0 ports (1 on the front panel) 1 x Gigabit RJ-45 LAN port with LED Built-in high definition audio controller 1 x MIC/Line-in + 1 x Line-out audio ports 1 x VGA port 8 cm low-noise ball-bearing fan 100~240 V AC/DC adapter dimensions: 135 x 115 x 259 mm

The Artigo A2000 was tested to work with the following operating systems:

Windows XP Windows Vista Ubuntu 8.04 SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 with Service Pack 2

Just install some RAM, 1 or 2 SATA HDDs, connect it to your home network, and you will already have a compact, power-efficient home media storage mini-server.

IceRocket : a2000, artigo, barebone pc, mini server, via

The VIA Artigo A2000 (US$299) is a storage-oriented compact barebone PC which features low power consumption, low noise, and compact form factor.

      Features:

1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor VIA VX800 Unified Digital Media IGP chipset 1 x DDR2 SO-DIMM Socket (up to 2 GB) 2 x 3.5" SATA-II HDD support 1 x CompactFlash socket (supports DMA mode) bootable SSD 3 x USB 2.0 ports (1 on the front panel) 1 x Gigabit RJ-45 LAN port with LED Built-in high definition audio controller 1 x MIC/Line-in + 1 x Line-out audio ports 1 x VGA port 8 cm low-noise ball-bearing fan 100~240 V AC/DC adapter dimensions: 135 x 115 x 259 mm

The Artigo A2000 was tested to work with the following operating systems:

Windows XP Windows Vista Ubuntu 8.04 SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 with Service Pack 2

Just install some RAM, 1 or 2 SATA HDDs, connect it to your home network, and you will already have a compact, power-efficient home media storage mini-server.

IceRocket : a2000, artigo, barebone pc, mini server, via

Wireshark 1.0.5 (Windows, Open Source, 21.2MB) [alt DL] is a network protocol analyzer. It is the tool of choice for network troubleshooting, protocol development, and education worldwide. Bugs fixed: The SMTP dissector could consume excessive amounts of CPU and memory. The WLCCP dissector could go into an infinte loop. Missing CRLF during HTTP POST in the "packet details" window. Memory assertion in time_secs_to_str_buf() when compiled with GCC 4.2.3 Diameter dissector fails RFC 4005 compliance LDP vendor private TLV type is not correctly shown Compilation broke when compiling without zlib Miscellaneous Memory leaks Incorrect address structure assigned for find_conversation() in WSP Error parsing the BSSGP protocol Assertion thrown in fvalue_get_uinteger when decoding TIPC LUA script : Wireshark crashes after closing and opening again a window used by a listener.draw() function. IceRocket: wireshark network protocol analyzer, windows open source

Wireshark 1.0.5 (Windows, Open Source, 21.2MB) [alt DL] is a network protocol analyzer. It is the tool of choice for network troubleshooting, protocol development, and education worldwide. Bugs fixed: The SMTP dissector could consume excessive amounts of CPU and memory. The WLCCP dissector could go into an infinte loop. Missing CRLF during HTTP POST in the "packet details" window. Memory assertion in time_secs_to_str_buf() when compiled with GCC 4.2.3 Diameter dissector fails RFC 4005 compliance LDP vendor private TLV type is not correctly shown Compilation broke when compiling without zlib Miscellaneous Memory leaks Incorrect address structure assigned for find_conversation() in WSP Error parsing the BSSGP protocol Assertion thrown in fvalue_get_uinteger when decoding TIPC LUA script : Wireshark crashes after closing and opening again a window used by a listener.draw() function. IceRocket: wireshark network protocol analyzer, windows open source

RealVNC 4.1.3 (Windows, Freeware, 724KB) [alt DL] is remote control software which allows you to view and interact with one computer (the "server") using a simple program (the "viewer") on another computer anywhere on the Internet. The two computers don't even have to be the same type, so for example you can use VNC to view an office Linux machine on your Windows PC at home. Changes: Update to VNC Viewer only. Patches a possible security vulnerability only present in the listening viewer. VNC Server is not compromised. IceRocket: realvnc, virtual network computing, windows freeware

RealVNC 4.1.3 (Windows, Freeware, 724KB) [alt DL] is remote control software which allows you to view and interact with one computer (the "server") using a simple program (the "viewer") on another computer anywhere on the Internet. The two computers don't even have to be the same type, so for example you can use VNC to view an office Linux machine on your Windows PC at home. Changes: Update to VNC Viewer only. Patches a possible security vulnerability only present in the listening viewer. VNC Server is not compromised. IceRocket: realvnc, virtual network computing, windows freeware

Comodo Internet Security (32-bit) 3.5.57173.439 (Windows, Freeware, 27.3MB) [alt DL] is designed to be the that integrates Comodo Antivirus, Comodo Firewall and Comodo Defense+ in a seamless manner. We have also fixed many bugs in Comodo Firewall with this release. Comodo Firewall or Comodo Antivirus can be installed as standalone products by using the same setup. IceRocket: comodo internet security, antivirus, firewall, windows freeware

Comodo Internet Security (32-bit) 3.5.57173.439 (Windows, Freeware, 27.3MB) [alt DL] is designed to be the that integrates Comodo Antivirus, Comodo Firewall and Comodo Defense+ in a seamless manner. We have also fixed many bugs in Comodo Firewall with this release. Comodo Firewall or Comodo Antivirus can be installed as standalone products by using the same setup. IceRocket: comodo internet security, antivirus, firewall, windows freeware