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The LangaList
Standard Edition

2003-10-09

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware, 
Software, and Time Online

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1) Six, And Counting...

Almost exactly six years ago, the very first issue of the LangaList was published to a small--- OK, *tiny*--- number of subscribers. It was--- to put it mildly--- pretty lame. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/pre1999/10-18-97.htm . But please try not to laugh too hard.  8-) )

Back then, the newsletter was a minor sideline to my full-time work; it was a very short bulletin published in one format, once a week, more or less. Today, the newsletter has much more content and is published approximately twice a week in four editions (Standard; Plus! HTML, Plus! Text and Plus! Digest), comprising something like 1.2 million total outbound emails every month. And at the same time, the Langa.Com and BrowserTune/Hotspots websites, the private LangaList Plus! site, a download mirror at Freetune.com, and several ecommerce servers--- a total of six active websites--- also are busy pumping out a ton of pages. What was once a sideline has become a full-time job, and then some. <g>

It's been a heck of a ride; all the more so because the LangaList and Langa.Com are still basically a one-person operation. Thank goodness for caffeine!

Your fellow subscribers hail from all around the globe--- 80% of the world's nations are represented here! As you might expect for an English-language missive, readers where English is the native tongue (the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, New Zealand...) tend to make up the largest part of the subscriber base; but there's a significant number of readers in places where English is not the primary language. You may be surprised--- I sure was!--- to find that the same newsletter you read also goes out to people in places like Kyrgyzstan, Mali, the Udmurt Republic, and Kiribati. Heck, you even have fellow readers inside the Vatican. <g>

Many people have asked about how the List started: You can find a capsule history at http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/list_history.htm , if you're interested.

In any case, six years into this project, you're reading the results. I hope you're enjoying the newsletter as much as I enjoy bringing it to you!

There's lots more ahead, so stay tuned, and thanks for being a part of the LangaList community!

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2) Best-Ever FREE Office Suite Upgraded

We've discussed "Open Office" before; it's perhaps the best free office suite there is, duplicating all the essential functions (and many of the bells and whistles) of Microsoft Office, but totally for free. ( http://www.openoffice.org/product/ )

As before, the new version includes a full-blown word processor, spreadsheet, drawing package, presentation tool, and database, as well as the ability to import and export to many Microsoft Office file types. But the new 1.1 version of Open Office also includes the ability to export directly to PDF and Flash formats, interoperability with StarOffice, and lots more: See http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/features/1.1/index.html

Best of all, it's still entirely an Open Source project and product: There are no fees, no weird license restrictions, no product activation or mandatory registration, no "install on one PC only" limits: You can grab a copy, install it as often as you like on as many PCs as you like, and it still costs you absolutely nothing.

There are versions available for Windows (98/ME/NT/2000/XP), Linux (x86 & PowerPC), and Solaris Operating System (SPARC platform edition) in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese (simplified & traditional), Korean and Japanese.

Installation is simple, especially on Win98 and ME: Just click and follow the on-screen prompts. You can also install it that way on Win2K and XP, but because those are multiuser OSes--- even if there's only one user on the PC--- you'll get a better setup and may save a ton of space by using the multiuser install on those OSes. This involves just one extra step, and is fully explained in the "Quick-Start Guide, Windows in a Multiple User Environment" at  http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/instructions.html . Again, you don't have to install it that way on 2K and XP, but it's probably best if you do.

Note that Open Office is not a clone of Microsoft Office: While the core tasks are very similar (you can be basically productive in minutes), the look-and-feel is different. As you move to non-basic functions and operations, you may encounter a bit of a learning curve as you figure out where the menu items are and how various tasks might differ from what you're used to. But it's not that hard to get up to speed, and the Help system is pretty good.

I use Open Office on a number of my PCs here; and it's my primary Office environment on my laptop. When my remaining Microsoft Office setups become outdated, I'll think long and hard before spending hundreds of dollars to upgrade the Microsoft way. Open Office is *that* good. Simply outstanding!

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"Hi Fred, I'm very happy to have upgraded to the Plus edition of the LangaList.
In just the past couple of months, I've stored and used more
of your tips and tweaks than anything else I've ever found on the internet.
Thanks for the help! I look forward to your next newsletter,
and hope that you may dig out some tips for those of us
 with some hair left to pull!" ---Frank DC

Thanks, Frank!

The LangaList Plus! Edition is ad-free, spam-proof,
and contains even more content--- tips, tricks, advice, downloads....---
than the Standard Edition you're now reading--- for just 14 cents an issue!

Get all the details:

<a href=" http://www.langa.com/plus.htm ">Click!</a>

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3) "Throttling" Shared Connections...

Hello Mr. Langa, I've been receiving the Langalist standard edition for about 6 months now and I've found it very helpful. (I even bought a pair of Phonex powerline networking Neverwire14s [ http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20030108S0003 ] so I could easily extend my office network downstairs. They're working great!)

I have a question that I don't think is a very common one, as a Google search on the topic didn't turn up any useful information. However, I find it hard to believe that households where 2 or more computers share an internet connection haven't encountered the problem I'm having.

I have 3 computers in my house, all connected to the internet via a Linksys broadband router and DSL modem. My DSL bandwidth is on the low side (384kbps down, 128kbps up). My problem is that the sharing of the internet connection can really cause grief to certain types of users. For instance, someone playing a fast-paced online game can pretty much have their game stopped dead in its tracks by another computer user starting a large download from a site with a strong feed. In this case, we have one user who doesn't need a lot of bandwidth, but can only tolerate a very small amount of latency and packet loss (the gamer) and another user who wants a lot of bandwidth, but is latency and loss tolerant (the downloader).

Unfortunately, there is no way (that I could find) in which the downloader could limit his use of bandwidth so that a small amount could be "carved out" for the gamer.

I know that some peer-to-peer file sharing programs have configurable upload and download limits and, when properly configured, these limiters can indeed allow some "reserve" bandwidth for other users. However, my problem isn't with peer-to-peer file sharing programs, it's more general.

Someone clicking on a thumbnail image on a website to get a larger version can bring the gamer's game to a standstill.

Do you know of any software or hardware that I could use to limit the amount of shared bandwidth each computer is allowed to use in all (generic) cases? Thanks, Mike Rotzin

Well, yes, and I'll get to that in a moment. But let me tell you the bad news first: A finite pie can only be sliced so many ways; and with only 384/128 to play with, any sharing at all will probably cause some interference. Even at much higher connection speeds, it's not uncommon to see some latency and contention issues with games, some of which are designed to eat every bit of available bandwidth by default, even if not all that many bits actually need to be transferred. (It may be mostly just frame/point-of-view synch packets being sent, but the game may grab everything it can to make sure the packets get through *now.*)

So that's the place to start: Check to see if the game itself has user-definable bandwidth limits: Setting the game's bandwidth appetite to a lesser amount may help a lot. And, because the game may optimize itself for the lower setting, gameplay may still be fine. For example, some games will let you specify connection speed by general type: 56K modem, ISDN, DSL, LAN, etc. With some experimentation, you may find a lower setting that saves enough bandwidth so that others can use the connection without anyone slowing to a crawl.

You may also want to ensure that your network setup itself--- RWIN, MTU, TTL, etc--- is optimal for your line conditions: The tests and tips at http://www.broadbandreports.com can be very useful in this regard, helping you to get everything tuned and tweaked so you're not wasting any of the available bandwidth.

If you're still not getting the results you want, then add-on software may help. For example, "Sygate Office Network" (the "pro" version of the tool I mentioned previously in http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-10-02.htm#5 ) has a feature called "Dynamic Bandwidth Optimization" that's supposed to help ensure that "bandwidth hungry applications, such as large file transfers, do not impact/degrade your network performance." Other products offer similar options: http://langa.com/u/1o.htm

But please note that a 384/128 connection--- while perfectly OK--- isn't hugely capacious and will never feel like a private T3 line.<g> There are only so many bits you can get in the pipeline, and no amount of tweaks or add-on software will raise the fundamental line limits.

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4) ...And More Basic Sharing Options

Fred,  I had to write in and recommend two ICS (internet connection sharing) solutions that I don't hear much about but have used for years with very good results.

The first, which I currently use to connect my computer with my wife's, is Avirt SOHO ( http://www.avirt.com/products/soho.html ). It's a no-brainer to install, has automatic client configuration, automatic proxy detection, allows standard e-mail apps of the client machine(s), has a built in DHCP server, the ability to dial the hosts Internet connection from any client machine automatically, and a client/server firewall built in. It's pricier, about $60 ($10 less for NFP or educational use) for a 5-user license, but after trying every other ICS app out there (including MS's built-in and Sygate), and getting frustrated with the setup, configuration hassles, and non-functionality, I went for it! Been using it transparently in the background for 3-4- years now. Great ICS tool!

The second is a little (REALLY tiny!) ICS proxy from analogX ( http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/proxy.htm ) called — Proxy! It's free, effective, supports unlimited clients and offers good security. I used it for years before I switched to something a bit more robust. Only down sides to it are that, in terms of setting it up, it proclaims that it is "for power users," and it doesn't support Yahoo Messenger's file sharing, voice and video on the clients very well -- maybe not at all? (And Molly wouldn't like THAT very much!) ;-)

Thanks for another great read, Fred! ---Chuck in Taiwan

We've mentioned the AnalogX site and offerings before, but the Avirt site was totally new to me. Thanks, Chuck!

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5) XP Services

As more people start poking around inside XP, more and more are running up against unfamiliar "services" that are part of the OS:

Hi Fred, At last, I found some info directly from MS about the plethora of services! Until now, the only reference I had was Black Viper's site. Well, it's called "Glossary of Windows 2000 Services" and it is at [ http://langa.com/u/1m.htm ] They don't seem to have done the same for XP, but basically few things should change....MLL

Fred, Here's a site that is most useful if you're having troubles with Windows XP.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/index.htm  There's also a list of the services that can be disabled. It's very easy to search the site and the information is presented in such a way that nearly everyone can follow. Hope you can check it out. Louie Odneal

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6) Recommend This Newsletter And Win!

If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful information and you just may win one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.)

Check out the details at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck!

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7)  BootIt NG and DVDs

Many readers are doing far more with BootIT NG than I've ever tried--- and they're mostly loving it!

BootIT is a low-cost all-in-one alternative to tools like PartitionMagic and Drive Image or Ghost ( http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=bootit&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 ). It's somewhat harder to learn, but its capabilities are amazing:

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8) They Just Keep Coming And Coming...

Well over 3,000 of your fellow readers have "loaded the code." Have you? Check out http://www.langa.com/code.htm for the details.

Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal:

View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site
http://www.langa.com/randomlink.htm

Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At
http://www.langa.com/readersites.htm

Reference Portal
http://www.maxqnz.com/References.html

Petri's MCSEworld
http://www.petri.co.il/

Metroplex Drafting
http://www.metrocad.biz/

Donnie's Site
http://www.hometown.aol.com/packratds/

Retail Solutions
http://retailsolutionsllc.com/

MaxUsability
http://www.maxusability.com/links.htm

Wapiti Woodworks
http://woodworks.rivergold.net/

NY Knights of Columbus
http://www.koc2852.org/

KiddsPc.com
http://www.kiddspc.com/

NetConnect (Quebec)
http://www.geocities.com/netconnectca/

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9) Software Awards

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10) Just For Grins

A number of readers have suggested the "What's Your Pirate Name" page at http://www.fidius.org/quiz/pirate.php as a Just For Grins item.

You answer several questions and the site generates a pirate name for you--- mine was "Dirty Tom Rackham"--- and also provides a brief profile of your character. Mine was:

You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Very silly indeed--- but fun. Arrrr! 8-)

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11) Plus! Edition Highlights:

• Heads Up--- New Version Of Archives En Route
     (all the LangaLists ever published, right on your hard drive!)

• Beyond 128-Bit Safety
     (making online purchases fraud-proof)

• More On Converting Tapes And Records To CD
     (a fabulous tool at a great price)

The Plus! edition is only pennies per issue, and comes with a MONEY BACK
GUARANTEE from Fred. How can you lose? Check out the details:
http://www.langa.com/plus.htm

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(Want to give a gift subscription to the LangaList Plus edition?
Click <a href= " http://www.langa.com/plus_gift.htm ">here</a>)

See you next issue!

Arrrr!

Dirty Tom Rackham,
(a.k.a. Fred)
( Editor@Langa.Com )

Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!)

An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://www.langa.com.  (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site.

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Disclaimer: http://www.langa.com/legal.htm  In brief: All information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from your choosing to use any information presented here.

This newsletter is a service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2003 Fred Langa / Langa Consulting LLC. All worldwide rights reserved. LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156

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