What is the best wireless router for home use?

Well, one of the guys showed up to the last meeting with a very troubling situation. His wireless router at home died and he came to the meeting looking for help and consultation on what type of router to replace it with. One thing let to another and…well you know the rest.
Here’s a few snippets of the conversation…

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-My linksys finally shit the bed. I need a new one. Any recommendations?

-As a wireless geek I use enterprise wireless stuff behind a cheap firewall. If you want I can send you some really good but old Oronico/Proxim 2.4Ghz 802.11b/g access points I have just decommissioned. (I need to check my storage unit to see if I have the old power bricks, I was using a POE switch)

Additionally, as a word of warning, I was in brentwood two weekends ago at my Bro-In-Law’s house and he asked me for some advice on his new router, it was a dlink, not sure the model, that had B/GN and AN (2.4 and 5Ghz), 2 multi band antennas(for 2 spatial streams in each band), very nice… but when he set it up, he used the “wizzard” and it defaulted to no less than 6 very non-standard settings; 40 meg wide channels in B/G and A, auto switching between the 20 and 40 meg channels, auto switching of channels, it applied WPA2 with TKIP(WPA1 should go with TKIP, or WPA2 should go with AES-CCM), it encouraged him to set 2 different SSIDs and security settings to the 2.4Ghz and the 5Ghz radios, and it defaulted to a DHCP range of only 10 addresses (his family has just over that amount of devices, when my family visits, it more than doubles that)…

During the time I watched it in my analyzer, over the course of about 2 minutes, I saw it switch channels a few times, and expand and contract the channel width from 40Meg to 20 and back. That behavior is complete shit.

It was completely unusable. The most noticeable issue was with… wait for it… the iPad, with the draconian powersave algorithms that are used on the iPad it was most susceptible to the shortage of DHCP leases. Every time the screen darkened, it released its lease (it does this so it doesn’t have to respond to mandatory beacons), when it started up again with no lease available, it failed to get an address. this was not perceptible to the user, as it doesn’t even try (part of the power save issue) until it needs to do a network operation. So, randomly into the session, it display the “choose a network to join” as if you just roamed into the area of new networks, but really, it had already tried and failed, and was prompting you to pick a different one… she typically had to “try” to join their network 3 or 4 times before it would let her back on… until the next time the unit slept, repeat.

His wife had him on the doorstep on the way to the apple store to get an airport, It took me and him longer to remember/figure out his password than it took me to fix all the stupidity. after which it was rocking for him. He was able to stream video content uninterrupted from Netflix, which had never worked before, and Pandora audio through the iPad back up to the network and then down again to the airport express for analog delivery to the whole home audio system he uses… that’s 3 trips across the WiFi….

Lesson learned… beware the setup wizard!

-So did you configure the Dlink, or take it back ?

-Once properly configured it is rocking… just a warning about using the wizard.

-Roger that. My Cisco has dual radios too. I have all the video stuff
running on the 5meg, and the computers on 2meg. Don’t know how much it
actually helps.

-Holy shit that sounds involved. Not to mention I don’t even understand half of what your talking about. I appreciate to offer but I think I’ll just go to best buy and scoop up another linksys and run it till it dies. The current one lasted seven or eight years.

Sent from my iPhone

-You will be fine with that. Most of them are branded Cisco now. If you get
a dual radio model, let us know the model number and we can recommend some
settings.

-10 4

-73

-69

-No one saw that coming

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Long story short, he did get a new router, and it’s working fine. There’s actually some useful information in this rant, hope it helps you decide which router to buy when you are in a similar situation.

Until then,
Carry on!

Android subject to Near Field Communications Hack – Not Apple!

Many of you already know about the constant feud that goes on related to Android versus Apple hardware around here. While the conversation mostly centers around the ecosystem that Apple has developed, it sometimes strays into the nuances between the two companies as it relates to music management, engineering and physical design.

This installment includes another round of conversations from our last meeting, where we initially began discussions on the latest reports of Near Field Hacking on the victim, an Android based Nokia phone. See below…

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-Read this guys, look like Android went on vacation and left the house unlocked!

NFC Hacking report

Apple’s “closed” ecosystem allows complete security testing and control of publishers and api’s they use to provide the most secure environment to us kool-aid drinkers.

Android sucks, Apple does not,

-And its on now! Get him Warren!

Your turn Mac!

-In general, I give all of you my blessing to continue deluding yourselves about the greatness of your platform

In particular, I don’t have one of those model phones currently, nor does my android have NFC capabilities, so I am not vulnerable to that attack.

Further, I ALWAYS disable all communications options that I am not currently using any bluetooth, and consequently, it has never been enabled on this phone. I have WiFi configured at locations I frequent, but I keep it turned off if I am not doing specific large app updates, or specific LAN transfers. So, my likely hood of being vulnerable to this in the future is minimal.

Additionally, as soon as this guy published/demoed this attack, the responsible coders will be changing those default behaviors, so the next update for those devices they will be fixed, and if/when I get a phone with NFC this will be old news, no longer a vulnerability.

Lastly, I honestly don’t hate the iPhone/Pad/Pod platform, but do hate more than any other technology in the world: iTunes. As recently documented here, once again it completely and utterly defeated me when attempting to set up that give-away old iPhone, not that it is buggy or not working properly, just that it works exactly the way they want it to and those restrictions are unacceptable to me.

Until such time at the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad are completely decoupled from iTunes I will not have one, it this makes me the last person on earth without one, all other platforms have gone out of business and I am keeping all my notes and appointments in a paper day planner, then that is how it will be.

-Most of this is typically over my head but I always find this debate incredibly entertaining none the less!!!!!!

Warren served, Mac returned the ball, ball is now in Warrens court….

-I will let Mac debunk this one, I’m on vacation.

-I agree fully with this assessment, and give the it the coveted Edith golden stamp of approval.

-Edith, you’ve misplace the golden seal here. Mac’s statements didn’t deserve it, and aren’t accurate.

1. The platform is much better than android’s.
2. You doesn’t even have the phone in question?
3. Mac’s always disabling all communications on phones is irrelevant as most users wouldn’t go to this kind of extreme suspecting someone may hack them if they didn’t. Android has failed it’s users, opening them up to major security risk. Not Apple, Android…fail. Sure they will fix it on the next update.
4. iTunes not being able to sync video from one pc and audio from another is simply personal issue. One that the majority of people don’t have and wouldn’t be bothered by. I’ve never met anyone that’s had as much trouble with iTunes as you have. Which makes me think that you just go around looking for reasons to hate iTunes.
5. Rathe than continue to be the 1% that doesn’t like the way iTunes is coupled with iPads, iPhones, iPods etc, why don’t you go buy some Microsoft devices that do whatever it is you think they need to do. How exactly did you get knee deep in apple products with such a distaste for them.

ps, I don’t give a shit which products you use, or like, or don’t like…i Just enjoy the banter that ensues from me mentioning iTunes! lol I truly hope you find solace in your audio listening world.

as you were,
Warren

-Ahhhh, the eerie silence is broken…

I think you are addressing both Edith and I here, but I will go ahead and reply.

1. That the platform is better, is a matter of opinion, one that you share with a dwindling number of people, as samsung is currently shipping 100% more phones than apple each month, and that is only one of several companies making android. Here are my sources for the above statement:
Engadget report
Washington Post report

2. I don’t know if this one was for Edith or I, but the hack published on the link you posted was limited to a very few devices that have NFC capability, my phone does not.

3. I don’t think it is beyond reason for the ordinary user to turn off radios that they have no use for. My wife for one, on her own disabled WiFi on her original iphone after the 9th or 10th time that the pop-up asked her if she wanted to join a network… with unlimited 3G she found it annoying to be asked that over and over as we drove down the road. Anyone with a modicum of tech savvy knows to turn off things you dont need or use to conserve battery life.

As for a platform shipping with vulnerabilities and those vulnerabilities being fixed as they are discovered… Apple plays that game pretty well themselves, I seem to recall you commenting once regarding the total bandwidth usage and disk space that must be wasted by itunes coming out with a multi-hundred Meg update on a near weekly basis. As my kids don’t have admin rights on most of their machines, I basically have to do all the updates whenever I walk by and notice that update app poped-up, so I know that this behavior hasn’t changed much.

I do remember fake hacking with bluetooth, and sending a v-card to open bluetooth handsets “Virus Downloading 85%…”, then another one a minute later saying “Virus Download Complete, begin erasing phone…” it was kind of funny watching a complete stranger pulling the battery out of their phone. Since then, and in general, I keep unnecessary comms disabled.

4. This is true, this is my opinion and it is a personal use issue. For example, my most recent issue where i was trying to copy (using itunes) video from one PC and music from another to the same iPhone, and it was defeating me as I was using ipod instructions. you were the one who alerted me that iphones behave differently. So, why is is that the iphone can’t do this, but an ipod can??? because someone at apple decided for you what you will and what you will not be allowed to do. It is this level of restriction that turns me off of itunes/iphone/ipod/ipad. I don’t go looking for reasons to hate itunes, I am just lucky enough to have had to support apple long enough to know that it is not for me, and consequently never been dopey enough to drop real money, and more importantly be trapped into a 2 year contract, on an iphone where I would be forced to learn how to do things the apple way and probably after 2 years of pretending that i made a good decision to get an iphone I would have forgotten all that inconvenience.

I believe that Edith has enjoyed the same experiences I have, being help desk for his daughter’s iPod.

I think a lot of us were excited when apple announced the iPad, but then bemoaned their decision when it was discovered that it would run the iphone OS, rather that some variation of OSX. I believe that you were one of us who expressed this opinion. You have compromised your principals embracing the watered down platform. (on an unrelated note, considering how litigious apple is, it would be wholly appropriate if Cisco were to sue the crap out of them for copyright/trademark infringement for the use of iOS as the name of their iPxxxx OS)

5. On this subject, I think your numbers may be off just a wee bit, based on the articles I linked above, it is probably a bit higher than 1% who are looking for something other than apple’s “sit down, shut up, you can’t have it your way, this ain’t Burger king” attitude.

On this subject I have heard the three major three leading desktop OSs compared to air transportation.

Linux = first you build the plane, then you fly it where ever you want to go.
Microsoft = Southwest, no frills, no assigned seats, no meals, but pretty decent transportation for the money, gets you where you need to go.
Apple(desktop) = Delta, here is your assigned seat, sit in it, buckle your belt, we will let you know when it is time to get up.
I’ll add the next one…
Apple(iPhone/Pad/Pod): Con Air (1997; Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, et al…), you get the picture…

To continue with the aviation theme:
I have heard that no pilot ever completely trusts another pilot, and consequently few pilots like to sit in the back of the plane. I guess I am that way with technology, I don’t want to be told something can’t be done, when technologically it can, but the policy of the closed ecosystem is what is preventing it.

As for disliking the platform or the company, i don’t. I have had apple personal computers in my home continuously since 1992, I think that was MACOS 3 or 4, the OS was on a single floppy, I was lucky that I had an external floppy so I could save a file with out switching disks in and out. I was the first of us to attempt the switch to Apple as my primary business machine. My current business machine is a Mac, unfortunatly due to the lack of Visio or a viable/compatible substitue I am almost always booted into windows, A lot of my co-workers keep a VM humming along but I spend my life in visio don’t want the overhead associated with running 2 operating systems. I am about to do a refresh, into the MBP Retina but am waiting a few weeks to request the refresh so that all the ones in the pipeline have 10.8 pre-installed. With an Intel Core i7 and 16 Gig of memory I am contemplating giving the VM method another try.

Note to self: I will have to remember to install VLC and set it as default for all video and audio filetypes… I always hate the first time I double click a video or audio file on a new mac (or new OS load), iTunes opens and starts to import (make useless duplicate) the file into the itunes library and I am sitting there clicking Cancel, Cancel, Cancel…

As for buying a Microsoft tablet, that would be nice, as they at least haven’t umfuked up their tablets by having a watered down tablet OS, they function with the full desktop OS… but these come with some costs associated, primarily weight, secondarily $$$; those winders tablets cost so much, you would think that Apple was selling them. Isn’t that right Edith?

For my new tablet, I am going with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, at $279 it was a little more than I would have spent at my chickity china knock off shop for a 10.1″ device, but it is one of the few that have ABGN WiFi (specifically, A/5Ghz is very rare on tablets), and since I am in Fluke’s AirMapper(AirMagnet survey pro on android) beta testing program it will be a sweet gadget.

————————————————————————————–

More on this thread when it happens, for now we are letting Mach simmer and consider his next rant!

Until then,
Sq

Get yourself one of these ridiculously powerful magnets

We had a project going on where we need to mount some antenna to the top of a water tower, and penetration is not allowed. While researching options for mounting with magnets, I’ve ran across a very powerful magnet. This magnet I was just reviewing has some very extremely impressive specifications.

Dimensions: 4″ x 4″ x 2″ thick
Tolerances: ±0.004″ x ±0.004″ x ±0.004″
Material: NdFeB, Grade N52
Plating/Coating: Ni-Cu-Ni (Nickel)
Magnetization Direction: Thru Thickness
Weight: 138.8 oz. (3934 g)
Pull Force, Case 1: 1226.5 lbs
Pull Force, Case 2: 1226.5 lbs
Surface Field: 4933 Gauss
Max Operating Temp: 176ºF (80ºC)
Brmax: 14,800 Gauss
BHmax: 52 MGOe

A 4″ by 4″ by 2″ thick N50 neodymium magnet will only lead to death and sorrow.

I’ve previously used big magnets to mount to structures like water towers where penetration was frowned apron. For instance, in the municipality of small town Missouri there is a tripod antenna mounted to the top of a water tower. We used six 2″ by 2″ by 1″ thick N40 neodymium magnets. I took three sections of 2″ by 4″ by 3/4″ thick steel stock, drilled a 5/16″ hole and threaded it, and stuck two of the N40 magnets on it side by side.

My tower climbers/installers were skeptical when I told them to measure out where they wanted them on the tower and to place them very carefully preventing any fingers that they wanted to keep out from between the magnet and the steel dome of the water tank. I told them to take a section of 2′ by 4′ lumber and a big hammer to “skoot” the mounts small distances once they place them…

I packaged each of these 3 mounts in a 1′ by 1′ by 1′ cardboard box with a shit load of packing material. The climbers had trouble getting the boxes up the tower, they kept sticking to the ladder.

When they came down off the topside, they were not skeptical anymore. They told me after they had all 6 magnets in place, and the tripod bolted to it, they tried as hard as they could to budge it, but could not. They both pulled laterally at the top of the mount where they had the most leverage, and gave up when they were worried about breaking the tripod.

The municipality that owns the tower gave us permission to use the tower, but not to drill, weld, clamp, or epoxy anything to the tank.

What would almost certainly happen if you ordered the afore mentioned Giant N52 is that as soon as you unpacked it from that big crate it ships in you would be immediately impaled and/or crushed to death by anything ferrous based in the room in which you opened the crate.

1200lbs lifting force magnet


Be careful, big magnets like this one can hurt you! http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BZX0ZX0Y0-N52&cat=168

Good news from Wisconsin…if you’re a Republican?!

Like our last several post, here’s some back and forth from a conversation

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- Republican Gov. Scott Walker survives Recall Election.

This election has been touted as a test case for the national elections in Nov. This affirmation of tea party/conservatism in a swing state that went Obama in 2008 is a good sign for Nov.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57447954-503544/wisconsin-recall-walker-opens-slight-lead-as-votes-are-counted/

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/05/polls-close-in-wisconsin-voter-turnout-reported-heavy/

- My fear is that the republican half of this country is divided like crazy. Many dont care for Romney. And he is the only hope that we get a republican. And not a very good one. So if our republican votes are all over the place as opposed to getting behind one man. Then we get Obama again. Don’t get me wrong you should vote for who you believe in but that is exactly what will get us Obama again. I think the Republicans are all over place and not everyone cares for Romney. Hell they are still voting for Santorum in some places and he has dropped out. I hope like hell it does not happen but we have just as good a chance of getting Obama right now as we ever have.

Signed the admittedly politically ignorant.

-Romney is a gigantic piece of crap.
1. The guy banned an entire class of weapons… And continues to say it was the right thing to do, while claiming to support the 2nd (which he has also said is ‘outdated’).

He will sign an AWB if put on his desk…. Just like he said Bush should have done.

Any politician that does not trust me with a firearm, I don’t trust with my vote.

2. He was pro-choice before he was pro-life… A perfect example of him pandering to get elected, then changing position to try to win another election.

3. He CREATED the first US State sponsored HC program that included public mandates… Now because saying he is against it will help him try to get elected, he is against it? WTF?!?!? He has ZERO credibility on the subject. How can he bash a program that was designed off if his own program? He is claiming that both it and the 2nd issue should be States rights…. Ah no, the 2nd is in the Federal Constitution… I am not sure Romney has actually read much less understood the Bill of Rights.

In debates he is going to loose his ass when the HC system is mentioned. Obama will just mention that it is exactly like the one he signed.

4. Romney is loaded…. I don’t hold that against him, but the occupy people sure as hell will. Bain Capital will haunt him. This is the ONE area I actually like Romney, he has a history of taking organizations going to crap and making them work… Still, it will be seen as a him being a bully and laying off people.

The only reasons Romney *might* get my vote is because it looks like the only judges to retire from the Supreme Court are the liberals and it would be good to get another Conservative on the bench… Of course Reagan nominated Kennedy and that did not exactly work out and I don’t see Romney as one ounce conservative. He plays fast and loose with the Constitution.

The other reason is because he is not Obama.

But in many issues Romney’s position has flipped so many times it is impossible to know where he stands and he has shown he is no against changing his position to get elected.

In other words… He is a gigantic piece of crap.

-All of this is why I say we don’t have a replacement for Obama that everyone stands behind. We have four or five out there and there for we may be fucked.

-I’ll admit…. I don’t stand behind him. He is a fucktard. In many ways he is MORE liberal than Obama and the simple fact is that Romney has been WORSE for gun rights than Obama.

-He is not my pick. I haven’t liked him since I first saw him in one of the debates. He is a shyster used car sales man at best. My point is simply that we don’t have a single person that all agree on There for our votes will be split all over the board. Therefore we get the career campaigner again! We are basically fucked for another 4!

-Currently there is no other conservative running. So we will not be all over the place. The more likely scenario is a guy like me that will vote, but only for the House, Senate and local races and just skip voting for that jackass.

Obama may win because I can’t support that jackass… But I will not be voting FOR that jackass and then have him screw me over.

-We are fucked because BOTH parties want more control and the populace as a whole is full of idiots that want a free handout.
Give a child the choice of a health meal with vegetables or ice cream and they will choose ice cream. Voters are exactly like this. The Wisconsin election many people see as a ray of hope…. But France had a moment of fiduciary responsibility and just recently said, “Thats TOO HARD….” and elected a fucking socialist.

As long as the people on handouts get to vote… They will vote for bigger handouts. The only good thing is that Dems have notoriously had higher voters on the rolls… But they don’t bother to vote. Obama was an exception since the black turnout for 18- to 24-year-old voters was at 55 percent, an 8 percent increase from 2004 and Black voter’s were up 4.9%. In 2004, the gap between white and black turnout rates was nearly seven percentage points. It was less than one percentage point four years later. And Black, Hispanic and Asian voters made up nearly a quarter of the electorate, setting a record.

So the problem is that many people showed up just to “Vote for the black guy”. Yes, some people also showed up to “Vote against the black guy” but white voters actually DECREASED in 2008 by 1.1 percent.

Still, it does not really matter who is in office…. Each party just increases the strength and power of the Govt. The OWS people were pissed at the 1% of Americans that were millionaires… Yet they didn’t seem upset that a full 50% of the congress and senate were millionaires.

-I don’t like him either, but its official, he has the delagates, he will be the republician nominee.

If you have a job, the single most important issue for you should be the repeal of the hra, obama care, it sure is for me.

I’m going to vote romney for that reason, I learned my lesson in 91, 92, my vote for Perot was a vote for clinton. Abstaining is just as dumb.

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I’d love to hear your thoughts on this important presidential election coming up in 2012!

How to repair your air conditioner and save a few bucks.

While this post is only applicable to a small subset of scenarios, you may find a nugget of information in here that could save you several hundred dollars of repair cost.
As has been the case in the last several post, this communication began in our regularly scheduled weekly meeting, and carried over into the binary communications. The real value in this conversation comes from the later discussion about sizing of breakers for outdoor units, and how they are often undersized!

Subject line read “My Air just quit working!”
——————————–
-Guys, the air is still out, but I think it’s a problem with the thermostat. Moving the controls around doesn’t seem to affect the unit at all. Ideas?

-Check the wiring from the thermostat to the outdoor unit for breaks in continuity.

-alright, I’ll do that when I get home tonight. At least it’s only 82 degrees today!

-Thank you. Found a broken low voltage wire at the outside unit.

I owe you a beer or 6.

Thanks.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-So you don’t want to buy my old unit anymore! Damnit…

-Sorry many, KB pointed me in the right direction, I’m good now!

-Awesome you just needed nudge in the right direction

Sent from my iPhone

-YEP Thanks for the help you saved me a couple bucks on a Sunday.

Total cost to repair.

Non-Fused air conditioning disconnect $8
A/C capacitor $22
A/C switch $18

-You saved yourself around 290 bucks

Sent from my iPhone

-WOW You guys really make the big bucks, especially on weekends.

-It s a good thing Handy has taken a temporary hiatus from the list or he might break on off on you for so many emails related A/C.

-For fuck sake.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-Over the cliff ?

-Yea, that’s it Mr Over The Hill

-Another question. I was told by an electriction I should change my breaker to 45amp since my A/C unit says 45amps max. But then I was told by someone else the breaker should be 50% more than the A/C uni is that’s why I have a 60amp breaker.

So Which is it ???

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-Breaker capacity is married to wire gauge… Breaker must be less than the current rating of wire. or else an overload condition in load (in this case the AC) can demand too much power, since voltage is fixed, demand will result in pulling too much current, wires will over heat, burn up, and so will your house.

The rating on the unit is all you should need the to breaker and wire to be. although motors dynamically draw more current at start up, that capacitor (as in capacitor start) mitigates some of that spike, also breakers are heat devices themselves, so the short (millisecond) spike of current draw as the motor starts is “allowable” in the breaker as it will not build up enough heat to trip the breaker.

so, the installed system(wire and breaker) should not take into consideration the load, only the wire and the breaker. Like the outlets in your house, they are rated 15A, and you don’t cause any trouble plugging your 100mA cellphone charger in. Until such time as you put a new load out there and it is too much for the system and you have a major upgrade to do that mandates changing the wire and breaker.

Q1. have you fucked with it already? Like changing the breaker from something smaller to the 60 you currently have… but not changed the wires.

If you don’t think is has been redneck-tampered, leave it alone. If you want to check; since you stated that you have a 60A breaker on it you should also have AWG #4, if the wire is #5, you really need that smaller breaker, if its any smaller, then you need bigger wire, or more fire insurance.

-No the 60amp breaker is original unrednecked. The A/C unit on the other hand is only about 14 years old.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-And again. Thank you Mac. This was another one of your emails that I actually appreciate your detail.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Viewing Venus transit

June 5th of this year, Venus made it’s last transit of our lifetime (assuming you won’t live past 200). This event was viewed at our headquarters by using binoculars, reversed from normal viewing direction, and a piece of plain white paper. While this method has some drawbacks, the simplicity makes it a perfect solution for most folks. The advantage to using binoculars is that a large group of folks can view the transit at the same time, sharing the once in a lifetime experience with all present.
Here is a picture we took of the passing as it had just begun on June 5th of 2012.

The transit of Venus on June 5th, 2012

Why the iPad works poorly in enterprise environments

The Gartner Group says that “Without Proper Planning, Enterprises deploying iPads will need 300% more Wi-Fi.” Basically, due to the mobility and lower omit and receive power levels, the iPad is somewhat deaf. Due to the fact that there are no standards for implementing Wi-Fi in mobility devices, the problem is exasurbated. Best practice at this point is to use a 10mw single stream, single channel, radio performance as a baseline for designing wireless infrastructure.

Below you can read a little more of the back and forth on this topic during our last weekly meeting.

————————————————

-I’m not saying every android tablet won’t have these same issues, but this paper articulates many of the points why I professionally dislike iPad in the business place.

I guess right now due to the apple market share, all the issues I am seeing, I am labeling iPad…

-All this does is prove our point and prove that you need to prepare yourself. The ipad is here to stay. Doctors, lawyers, Every sales person on the planet almost, service technicians, students, engineers, constructions administrations, General contractors, sub contractors, the list goes on and on. People and industries everywhere love the form factor. Simplicity, and convenience that is the ipad. Basically what is happening is that the whole world wants to use them and the people like yourself who have to support them are being expected to make it work. The demand is so high you are just going to be expected to make it happen. Good luck and thank you in advance for making my pad work everywhere I go! Now get crackin you have work to do.

-This basically makes my point, that the device isn’t designed for the enterprise, due to its non standard (read draconian ) powersave features and non-standard drivers. This document is one of a few that we professionals are using to help IT people set expectations for non-IT people. Basically gives them power to tell the user to shove off, that iPads will not be supported in the enterprise at the performance level you have come to know and love.

So, you think a hospital that just installed 500 Access Points at $1500 apeaice list is going to re-design at an expected 1500 devices(thats not counting cable licensing and services)? I didn’t think so either, what’s going to happen is that there is going to be pushback from corporations that apple conform to standards… since this has been going on a while, it seems to have already started.

There is rumor that the latest iPad has the hardware capabilities to “play nice” in the corp environment, Apple just has to push the work/dont-work toggle to the device via crappy iTunes. You may have noticed that the new one is beefier, in the battery dept… well once they push out the fix, that battery should allow your “New iPad” to work about as long as an Android, to be specific, you will need a long extension cord to drag down the hall behind you.

What? you don’t have the new iPad? then don’t worry, apple will continue to support you in the way they always have… just head on into the Apple store with $650 bucks and replace your obsolete 14 month old device..

Figuratively, heading into the corral to be sheered…. Baaaaaaaahhhh

-You can double your ap population or add a big battery and increase
power out on TX, or add a nice external full wave antenna, or change
the laws of physics. But user demand won’t fix it

-I have no problem with the job security, but as Edith said, Users whining about the device performing poorly on the enterprise wireless BECAUSE IT WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY is not a reason to change the enterprise wireless.

-But it is going to happen. The users win. Steve Jobs wins!

-No, Apple is already moving to standards based Wireless and Wireless power management in the “New iPad”, yet to be activated in software. Owners of iPad 1 and 2 will be left out in the cold. Enterprise is not going to triple the required access devices to accommodate a BYOD when Apple is already moving in the right direction. After apple has a decent install base of The New iPad, they will push the update, everyone’s battery life will go to shit, and Apple regarding the iPad 1 and 2, will claim: “sorry, those devices are just not enterprise, bring your $650 on into an Apple store for our upgrade options, “The New iPad” or “The New iPad S”.

-So does this most recent “new ipad” or “ipad s” have this or are you referring to a yet to be released version? I want a new one and wondering if ok to get the third version out now or wait for the fourth version? Some thing in my gut tells me that they will keep the current size but may offer a slightly larger ipad soon. That is what I really want. Another two inches on the diagonal and it will be perfect.

-The 3rd version, the most recent one which is available now has the new bigger battery, and the new standards base WiFi chipset, it is still using a proprietary driver, and has certain important enterprise friendly feature turned off, like WMM. This is rectifiable in software, if/when they ever make the push.

in my recent post, when I talked abut going to the Apple store to get “the new ipad” or “the new ipad s”, I was referring to version three(which is out now) and version 4(not yet available) respectively.

Really, 2′ bigger? I would like to see a smaller sport coat pocket size… If they are going to make something bigger, they should start with that puny screen on the phone. I can’t see how you guys with man hands can use something that small, my wife and kids… maybe. I am thinking about getting that obnoxious Samsung Galexy Note (or something like it)for my next phone.

-Well I like my small phone. But would like my pad a little larger. I don’t have small hands but not the largest either. I must say that I don’t see how in the heck Squirrel uses it. He has the biggest fingers I have ever seen. He is always drawn to small objects. The micro heli for instance. The day I met him it was like zero degrees outside and he was trying to fly the smallest damn rc plane you ever saw. Ask him to show it to you some time. If I were a betting man Squirrel would like his iphone even smaller.

-I’m running Cisco centralized key management on my wireless voice vlan
for fast secure roaming on my enterprise wireless at my house.

——————————————

The thread ended there, but discussion continued into the next meeting where the findings of the Gartner report were further debated. More on that as it becomes available for release to the public.

Thanks for reading,
sq

Why would Apple change from 20 pin to 19 pin charging cable for the iPhone 5?

First off, the change to a 19 pin charging cable, if Apple does indeed make the change during release of the iPhone 5 would be a huge windfall of money. I suppose we can just stop there if we are looking for justification.
This conversation really got started a few weeks ago when some fellows at the local barber shop were discussing where to get a micro USB cable. The banter that ensued was entertaining to say the least. Some good points came out though. The way Apple controls the ecosystem is absolute! See below…
————————————————-
-Anybody have an extra micro usb cord/charger they don’t need that I can have?

-WOW and I thought I was a cheap ass when I just wanted to barrow a wrench. You don even want to barrow. You just want shit given to you.

-Edith. Go out and buy Jesus a cable. I think you can squeeze that on your bike with your baggy of ice and 2 beers.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-did you get a good phone, that needs one?

-Good phones don’t use micro usb

-I thought a cable guy might understand this, but:

Logic insists that if one end of a cable has 4 conductors, as does the other end, this is a well designed cable. Additionally, by being an industry standard, I carry one cable and a usb power source and can keep several devices charged.

On the other hand, a cable that has 4 conductors on one end and the other end has 30, well that’s just retarded.

-Damn

-And I thought that was called future proofing, so you would be able to overcome limitations of something is USB. Hence hdmi output, audio output, USB 3.0 and any other future product like thunderbolt. This prevents being locked in to limitations on a crappy platform.

-Susy you are forgetting that the device is capable of doing much more than charging and establishing a serial connection to a pc. Of course it has more than 4 conductors. USB, Firewire, audio, controls, etc etc etc.

I don’t blame you for being jealous…you probably only charge your phone with your cable so you’re getting a glimpse of what REAL technology can do here…take deep breath’s.

http://pinouts.ru/CellularPhones-A-N/iPhone_connector_pinout.shtml

Pin Signal Description
1 GND Ground (-), internally connected with Pin 2 on iPhone motherboard
2 GND Audio & Video ground (-), internally connected with Pin 1 on iPod motherboard
3 Right Line Out – R (+) (Audio output, right channel) . See also Apple iPhone headset connector pinout
4 Left Line Out – L(+) (Audio output, left channel)
5 Right In Line In – R (+)
6 Left In Line In – L (+)
8

9

10

11 GND If connected to GND the iPhone sends audio signals through pin 3-4, otherwise it uses onboard speaker.
12 Tx iPhone sending line, Serial TxD
13 Rx
iPhone receiving line, Serial RxD

14 RSVD Reserved
15 GND Ground (-), internally connected with pin 16 on iPhone motherboard
16 GND USB GND (-), internally connected with pin 15 on iPhone motherboard
17 RSVD Reserved
18 3.3V 3.3V Power (+) ?
19,20 +12V Firewire Power 12 VDC (+)
21 Accessory Indicator/Serial enable
Different resistances indicate accessory type:
1kOhm – docking station, beeps when connected
68kOhm – makes iPhone 3g send audio through line-out without any messages
500kOhm – related to serial communication / used to enable serial communications Used in Dension Ice Link Plus car interface
1MOhm – Belkin auto adaptor, iPod shuts down automatically when power disconnected Connecting pin 21 to ground with a 1MOhm resistor does stop the ipod when power (i.e. Firewire-12V) is cut. Looks to be that when this pin is grounded it closes a switch so that on loss of power the Ipod shuts off. Dock has the same Resistor.

22 TPA (-) FireWire Data TPA (-)
23 5 VDC (+) USB Power 5 VDC (+)
24 TPA (+) FireWire Data TPA (+)
25 Data (-) USB Data (-)
26 TPB (-) FireWire Data TPB (-)
27 Data (+)
USB Data (+)
Pins 25 and 27 may be used in different manner.

To charge an iPhone 3G / iPod Touch 2nd gen or Ipod Classic (6th Gen), usb data- (25) should be at 2.8v, usb data+(27) should be at 2.0v. This can be done with a few simple resistors: 33k to +5v (23) and 22k to gnd(16) to obtain 2v and 33k to +5v and 47k to gnd to obtain 2.8v. This is a notification to the iphone that it is connected to the external charger and may drain amps from the usb.

It’s also possible to charge the iPod’s or iPhone’s battery to make use the of internal +3.3v output (18) terminal to connect the USB Data + (27) thru a 47k ohms resistor and the USB Data- (25) thru a 47k resistor to the USB Power source +5v (23). This way the USB function is still useable for normal operations and makes it easier the fit in a plug. The resistors are not to critical 2x 150k’s still work.

28 TPB (+) FireWire Data TPB (+)
29,30 GND FireWire Ground (-)
Back side of dock connector;
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29
Pins 1,2 connected on motherboard.
Pins 15,16 connected on motherboard.
Pins 19,20 connected on motherboard.
Pins 29,30 connected on motherboard.

-Ouch!!!! That is gonna leave a mark!!!! Hahahaha

Sent from my iPhone

-I was at this site to determine that there were 30 (26 useless) pins

-That your response has so few characters says it all! Hahahaha

-Want some rant? Ok I will provide.

Lets see the apple iPod 30 pin connector has been available since October of 2001, so the is nearly 11 years on the single connector style. USB came out in 1996 with a type A and type B and then in 2000 mini-a and mini-b and in 2007 micro-a and micro-b. So there are typically only 3 cables needed for most USB mobile devices mini-b, micro-b, and a non-standard USB proprietary plug that apparently is used on some devices. If you using a printer you may need a USB A to B cable as well. In fact it is so bad that you can find USB 5 to 11 piece kits to handle all of the variations. Now there is USB 3.0 so we have a new USB 3.0 micro-b connector to add to our collection. This leads me to believe that having the one 30 pin cable is much better than the combination of cables 4 different cables over the same 11 year period. Plus there is the fact that USB is pretty much just data and power. The 30 pin connect has audio in, audio out, video out, svideo out, ,componet out, serial, FireWire, USB, power in, power out. Personally I do not see how you can justify your position of the cable being retarded, unless of course your referring to yourself being retarded. Just saying.

-Try a better site. Http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod_pinouts.shtml

Some pins serve multiple purposes.

-Now I don’t know what I need.

I found a plantronic Blue tooth headset and I want to charge it

Sent from my iPhone

-Jesus is confused on computer stuff again…thanks all

Sent from my iPhone 3GS

-Since there has been a request…

SO, the 30 pin cable has been available since 2001, and it has alot of features… how many do you use? My phone has a micro usb that I use to charge it (4 pins), that I use to connect it to the PC for occasional access as removable harddrive. It also has HDMI output capabilities, using the same micro usb port (same 4 pins, I don’t know how they do that.) using a cable adapter. Since I never use this feature, this adapter is in a drawer in my office.

on the subject of cable for removable harddrive, I don’t use this any more, since the android has an open/accessible file system, and I downloaded a very usable SMB client app, I can now move any file/files I want effortlessly via the WiFi adding media of my choice, or pulling off blocks of photos or whatever, without the need to interface via a hugely limiting software interface.

My point being that since 2001 every iphone/pod/pad user has been carrying around a 4x too big, 30 pin, 10x too fragile cable because apple decided to make it uber future proof and add every conceivable feature. While I carry around a “right sized” cable.

Adding to the above, with regard to the hugely limiting software interface. I continue to feel that a network capable device that is broken/turned off/disabled out of the box until you plug it into a PC running iTunes is unacceptible. That you can only add approved media via the broke dick interface provided by iTunes is unacceptable. That you can’t then (legally) get your content back off is unacceptable.

My most recent experience with the software package of the Dark Lord was just last night, My friend called on behalf of another friend. She has a work Mac Book Pro (Herein: MBP) and a new iPhone… the work MBP had a shared login, that is when the old employee moved on, she was handed the PC and the user/pass and has been using it that way for 6 months. She fell under the evil spell of the apple empire and bought an iPhone. She came home with her new brick and plugged it into the PC. iTunes started using the old employees creds, warned her that it was about to sync with his stuff, she didn’t want this and aborted. They called me to try to figure out how to take his account off the PC. I instructed them under the store menu to deauth this PC. it wants his user and pass which they don’t have. I talked them through creating another user on the PC, or about authorizing another account along side his within itunes, though this may have unpredictible results per syncing the phone and selecting which account. Both scenarios have drawbacks for her, one she has been using this login on the MBP for 6 months and kind of has things the way she wants them, having dual accounts within iTunes has obvious flaws… When the phone call ended she was going to ponder the options… oh yeah, her new iPhone was still a brick as it had not been successfully assimilated with the borg.

While this isn’t typical, this sort of thing is not unheard of, and for me as 99.99% of my experience is people getting into jams and calling me for help, this is all I ever see or hear of iTunes.

I guess for the time being, we can all agree to disagree. I will continue to refuse to participate in using a closed propitiatory system which is designed to simplify the flow of money from the users to the iTunes store, and continue to feel sorry for those of you who I used to feel had some technological savvy and wonder how it is you ended up buying into this “sit down, shut up, you can’t have it your way, you will like it our way” philosophy that is all things apple.

Fuck it, I am going home to format my MBP and re-install windows from scratch eliminating the HSF partitioning, bypassing bootcamp installing a nice big NTFS partition on the entire drive.

I will need a large windows logo sticker to put over the apple on the back of the screen, anyone have one of those laying around?

-Want some rant? Ok I will provide.

Lets see the apple iPod 30 pin connector has been available since October of 2001, so the is nearly 11 years on the single connector style. USB came out in 1996 with a type A and type B and then in 2000 mini-a and mini-b and in 2007 micro-a and micro-b. So there are typically only 3 cables needed for most USB mobile devices mini-b, micro-b, and a non-standard USB proprietary plug that apparently is used on some devices. If you using a printer you may need a USB A to B cable as well. In fact it is so bad that you can find USB 5 to 11 piece kits to handle all of the variations. Now there is USB 3.0 so we have a new USB 3.0 micro-b connector to add to our collection. This leads me to believe that having the one 30 pin cable is much better than the combination of cables 4 different cables over the same 11 year period. Plus there is the fact that USB is pretty much just data and power. The 30 pin connect has audio in, audio out, video out, svideo out, ,componet out, serial, FireWire, USB, power in, power out. Personally I do not see how you can justify your position of the cable being retarded, unless of course your referring to yourself being retarded. Just sayin.

-Damn

Sent from my iPhone

-I thought a cable guy might understand this, but:

Logic insists that if one end of a cable has 4 conductors, as does the other end, this is a well designed cable. Additionally, by being an industry standard, I carry one cable and a usb power source and can keep several devices charged.

On the other hand, a cable that has 4 conductors on one end and the other end has 30, well that’s just retarded.

-Good phones don’t use micro usb

-I use many of the 30 pins to view movies, listen to music, change tracks and volume etc…you don’t know what you’re missing cause you’ve never had them.

I too add and move files via smb or ftp or sftp or other via wifi

Every iphone since 2001 has been prepared for whatever the user wanted to plug into. Again, Android users don’t understand they are missing this, cause they never had it.

The “hugely limiting software interface” you refer to is the most prolific every created, and most stable environment ever created by any hardware/software manufacturer ever. It’s stable for 1 reason…you can’t jack with it. You can add any media you want, even if it’s ripped or stolen, Not sure where you get the idea you can’t…you can get the media off as well by burning it to disc tracks.

Stupid users as you described will fuck up anything given long enough. This scenario is in no way tied to or specific to apple or it’s products. In fact, by comparison of volume, Microsoft has Apple beat hands down percentage and gross volume wise I’m sure.

The technologically save people you refer to have figured out there is more to life than tweaking SMB config files on their fucking telephone. They just want it to make calls, take pictures and occasionally play a sone or watch a movie on a plane. Yes, the sit down shut up, you’ll have it our way is OHH So GOOOD! Shit just works.

Apparently even thru all this, you feel that the apple hardware is second to none in the laptop market…guess there’s still hope for you. Better beef up on your virus / malware protection cause you just took a stable working platform and turned into a gates virus infested pool.

-Everything you stated was valid until I got to your fifth paragraph, with regards to “…OHH So GOOOD! Shit just works.”. You do realize that translates to “I’m OK giving up freedoms for convenience” don’t you? Does that philosophy apply to all aspects of your life? How would you apply that to the 2nd amendment?

I am attaching a story posted by Edith recently, clearly you missed it the first time around. It is a fairy tale, a fable but it makes a point. it has a nice analogy comparing the seductiveness of socialism/communism to capturing and domesticating wild pigs by repeatedly feeding them in the forest, and slowly building a fence around them.

(on a technical note: If you can browse the file system of your device, and push a file of you choice to an SMB server, I would like to know the name of that app, for my wife’s and kid’s phones of course.)

-What in the hell are you talking about?

Translation is I’m giving up buttons switchs settings knobs group names domain ip UFO port upnp iserherpee and all that other shit cause I just need a phone that takes pics and plays all my stolen pirated content and anything I happen to buy from apple.

It’s a phone not my hobby.

Sent from my iPhone

-Amen

-Bring your own band-aid, put it over the incision from where your manhood used to be before you got an iphone.

-In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find
In the year 3535
Ain’t gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do, and say
Is in the pill you took today

In the year 4545
Ain’t gonna need your teeth, won’t need your eyes
You won’t find a thing to chew
Nobody’s gonna look at you

In the year 5555
Your arms are hanging limp at your sides
Your legs got nothing to do
Some machine is doing that for you

In the year 6565
Ain’t gonna need no husband, won’t need no wife
You’ll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube’ Whoooa

In the year 7510
If God’s a-comin’ he ought to make it by then
Maybe he’ll look around himself and say
Guess it’s time for the Judgement day

In the year 8510
God is gonna shake his mighty head then
He’ll either say I’m pleased where man has been
Or tear it down and start again

In the year 9595
I’m kinda wondering if man is gonna be alive
He’s taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain’t put back nothing

Now it’s been 10,000 years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what he never knew
Now man’s reign is through
But through eternal night
The twinkling of starlight
So very far away
Maybe it’s only yesterday

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may thrive
In the year 3535
Ain’t gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do or say
Is in the pill you took today ….(fading…)

-That looks like some shit Skyler would post

-Just take the Blue pill and continue your blissful ignorance of illusion.

-In your defense I do understand your frustration. Your whole career has been based on people needing you to fix their computer. So if the computer (or whatever tech device it may be) just works without failing or fucking up then that poses a long term problem for you. Totally understandable. It would just be nice if you simply say so. Maybe you can become a motorcycle mechanic or something. No better yet maybe you should be a professional rc heli pilot.

-My pill is black 64G to be exact!!!!

-Actually, I don’t fix computers or gadgets for money, usually just for friends and acquaintances.

Apple who has kicked off this real paradigm shift in mobile, connected anywhere computing has been a real boon to me. Additionally, the proliferation of the Apple iPad (which is inarguable the most hated by network professionals in the BYOD environment due to its closed system, non-standards based drivers and power management) threatens to have me drowning in work for the rest of my life and then some.

Really, after hundreds of hours of helicopter flightcrew time, 8 of which are combat hours, having been in a Chinook doing radar assisted Nap Of the Earth flight at night with the pilots and crew in NVG… RC is pretty much a joke. Again, the blue pill (<- this is a reference to the movie the Matrix), why would I want to pretend to do something that I have done?

-Yes. I’m holding it for your pickup at Walmart.

-My great LG does.

-How long do you plan on keeping a phone ?

-Yes, this reminds me of another Apple “experience”. We bought my daughter an iPod way back when. Another relative, knowing we were going to get her one, got some kind of deal it plugs into. I think it was speakers or something. It did not work. We didn’t think much about it, just returned it. Later, she wanted to be able to listen to it on her car radio. We got her an FM transmitter thingie a couple months later. I spent some time trying to get it to work for her, but could not. Took it back, went to another store, got a different brand, same outcome. Took it back to. It was several months later when she told me that other people that had them and had these types of devices that did work, the wound not work with hers. So this whole time, it was the iPod that was fucked, not the external devices. About two years later, I got a check in the mail from Apple (I think it was directly from them, don’t remember) for like $12. They said that I had purchased one of the ones that were fucked up and this was my compensation for being fucked. Evidently they knew they sent out a bunch of fucked up ones, but didn’t bother to do a recall, or notify anyone.

-Like Apple is the only company to have ever done such a thing. Had you returned it when you found the problem the first time they might have replaced it.

———————————————————-

The conversation died down after this last message from Edith. It will come up again, as engineers do tend to hold on to arguments as polarized as this one. Until then…

sq

Ever seen a Jesus action figure? Or Jesus light switch!?

Well you have now. AND, it has “gliding action”! You can pick this up in Houston Tx, next time you’re there.

Jesus Action figure

Jesus light switch cover

If you have odd Jesus items, send us pictures so we can add them to our collection.

Inverted Forks on a Harley – Are they needed?

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me this shot of his bike. After some banter from the others, the comment was made that the inverted forks are unique, but not needed.

Harley with inverted forks

——————————–
WTF was I thinking. Just got back from lunch. With the wind chill it feels like 120 degrees out!

Heat index, not windchill

It was a joke “little Edith”

Were you not able to find chrome fenders or seats ?

With an additional few hundred lbs of chrome removed and/or powder coated flat black that bike might start to look good.

I does need chrome brake calipers. Thinking about putting a set of apes on it.

Its bone stock except the seat and exhaust. I have added nothing.

You should show a tiny bit of respect. When is the last time you have seen inverted forks on a Harley? Answer: you haven’t. this is the first.

Harley with inverted fork

This Harley has a real inverted fork on it! LOL.

Somehow I knew that was coming

;)

You must be busy today!

I”m basically done, just policing this list for a few more minutes

If I wanted to start a fight, I might point out that my traditional oriented forks, with the benefit of modern technological advances in materials and design, probably apply less un-sprung weight to the front end of my bike than those shiny bastards do to yours.

That’s pretty damn good looking, I’m holding out for a touring model

It’s no fight. I can get more ladies on mine. I win.

Let’s remember what’s important here. I have the fastest bike.
As you were.

Yes, traditionally ladies do tend to go for form over function. I guess that is one reason why The US is now ranked 26th in math.

Why me

I’ll see your bike, and raise you a plane… That’s right, I can fly bitches!

True. You win. I had a 02’ GSXR 1000 before.

Jump out of your plane and prove it

Lets just remember what’s important here: I have the fastest bike that doesn’t feel like its going to fly apart over 30 mph.

Actually Edith’s bike will smoke yours. And mine doesn’t feel like its going to fall apart at any speed.

For once that was not a dig on Harley, have you ridden Ed’s bike? I wouldn’t be willing to ride it at over 40 mph. I had only given minimal thought to yours, but since it weighs three times as much as mine, has twice as much engine, is air cooled, has one or two less gears, is unfaired, and is traditionally geared for torque not HP… I was thinking that I probably have a higher top end, but only marginally.

This, on the other hand is a dig on Harley, or rather the small neighborhood Harley shop…


Just about a year ago, I brought my bike over to the bike shop in my neighborhood. Even though they are Harley centric, I figured they could mount and balance 2 tires, right? wrong! As far as I could tell they used the wrong size master link when putting my chain back on after remounting the rear tire, the pin/rivet was significantly smaller than the ID of the bushing. I had been noticing some weird wear on my chain, it turned out all the wear was in the master link, when the master was between the sprockets the chain was way too loose, if the chain was on the far/outside of one of the sprockets the travel was a little on the snug side. You can see in the pic below where the undersized pin warbled out the bushing (yellow arrow) on one side, and completely obliterated the bushing on the other (green arrow) causing the roller to completely fall free.

So, now $150 and a week on the stands later, I have a new shiny new chain on my cycle (see below) and a nearly new (about 3k miles) chain that I can’t use because what will be left after I grind out and dispose of the damaged links and the ones holding them, it will be 5 links too short for my bike. Woot! Go local business!

Anyone have something with a short swingarm that could use a 525 o-ring chain with about 105 links?

________________________________

That is all