Saturday, November 18, 2006

The cold hard truth about TCP/IP performance over the WAN

TCP is a transport technology that is commonly used for the electronic movement of data between servers and other devices. Many storage vendors are beginning to use the TCP transport for replicating data between storage devices. However they are finding out that TCP as a transport has some basic limitations that cause many applications to perform poorly, especially over distance. TCP/IP performs sufficiently over short-distance LAN environments; however it was not well designed for transmission over Wide Area Networks (WANs). This article explores the challenges of TCP performance over the WAN and ways to mitigate these performance challenges with new data center appliances.

TCP Challenges

Window Size Limitations

Window size is the amount of data that is allowed to be outstanding (in the air) at any given point-in-time by the transport software. The available window size on a given bandwidth pipe is the rate of the bandwidth times the round-trip delay or latency. Using a cross-country OC-3 link (approximately 60ms based on a total 6000-mile roundtrip) creates an available data window of 155 Mbps X 60ms = 1,163 Kbytes. A DS3 satellite connection (540ms roundtrip) creates an available data window of 45 Mbps X 540ms = 3,038 Kbytes.

When this is contrasted with standard and even enhanced versions of TCP, there is a very large gap between the available window and the window utilized. Most standard TCP implementations are limited to 65-Kbyte windows. There are a few enhanced TCP versions capable of using up to 512 Kbytes or larger windows. Either case means an incredibly large amount of "dead air" and very inefficient bandwidth utilization resulting in poor performance for applications that are typically mission-critical.

Slow Start by Design

TCP data transfers start slowly and ramp-up to their maximum transfer rate, resulting in poor performance for short sessions. Slow start is used to avoid congestion due to assumptions that large numbers of sessions will be competing for the bandwidth.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Inefficient Error Recovery

During error recovery, TCP causes the entire stream from any lost portion to be retransmitted in its entirety. High-bit-error rates or packet-loss scenarios will cause large amounts of bandwidth to be wasted in resending data that has already been successfully received, all with the long latency time of the path. Each retransmission is additionally subjected to the performance penalty issues of slow start, which was explained above.

Packet Loss is Disruptive

Packet loss describes an error condition in which data packets appear to be transmitted correctly at one end of a connection, but never arrive at the other end. This is mainly due to:

* Poor network conditions causing damage to packets in transit.

* The packet was deliberately dropped by a router and/or switch because of WAN congestion.

Packet loss can be disruptive to applications that must move data within windows of time. With more data that must be moved on a regular basis and the fact that backup windows are not growing to meet the data demands, packet loss can have a negative impact on meeting service-level agreements and production for many organizations.

The Figure shows a standard TCP stream of data running over an OC-12 (622Mbs).

Session Free-For-All is Not Free

Each TCP session is throttled and contends for network resources independently, which can cause over-subscription of resources relative to each individual session.

The net result of these issues is very poor bandwidth utilization. The typical bandwidth utilization for large data transfers over long-haul networks is usually less than 30%, and more often less than 10%. As fast as bandwidth costs are dropping, they are still not free.

How to Mitigate TCP/IP Performance Issues

Consider Using an IP Application Accelerator (Appliance)

Many new data center appliances are being used to optimize data delivery for IP applications. Some appliances mitigate performance issues by simply caching the data and/or compressing the data prior to transfer. Others have the ability to mitigate several TCP issues because of the superior architecture.

Whatever technology is used, it is important the appliances have the ability to mitigate latency issues, compress the data and shield the application from network disruptions. It is also important that these new data center appliances are transparent to operations and provide the same transparency to the IP application.

Transport Protocol Conversion

Some data center appliances provide alternative transport delivery mechanisms between appliances. In doing so, they re-ceive the optimized buffers from the local application and deliver them to the destination appliance for subsequent delivery to the remote application process. Alternative transport technologies are responsible for maintaining acknowledgements of data buffers and resending buffers when required. It is important to maintain a flow control mechanism on each connection, in order to optimize the performance of each connection to match the available bandwidth and network capacity.

Fiber Broadband of Champions

I am so ready for the 15 megabits per second (Mbps) of downloading goodness that Verizon's fiber to the premises (FTTP) service—also known as FiOS—will provide. Since I first learned of and wrote about FTTP, I've learned a lot more about the reality of fiber to my home. And in the spirit of good technologist citizenship, I will now share it with you. Consider this part two of my quest for fiber.

First of all, here's the good news: There is no bad news about fiber to the home. There are some surprises and a few things that might make you wonder if you're ready to make the commitment, but I'm even more convinced now that I should dump cable broadband in favor of fiber.

So why haven't I done it yet? Ah, well, life can be so complicated at times.

Initially, my inability to score 15-Mbps bliss wasn't my fault. I used the number Verizon provided me on almost half a dozen snail-mail mailings, and while the Verizon reps were friendly and helpful, every conversation ended the same way: "Yes, you should have it in your area. I will check with the technicians at your switching station and get back to you." That second call failed to materialize each time. I then had the good fortune to meet with Verizon's PR representatives at a recent PC Magazine Editors' Day. It was an eye-opening experience, and it did help me finally get a straight answer about the availability of fiber to my home. But I'm getting ahead of myself. In that meeting and then later in a very fruitful call with a Verizon sales associate, I learned some important and unexpected details about how FTTP really works.

When I wrote my first article, friends of mine argued with me that the fiber would, no matter what, end at the utility pole and the last 50 to 100 feet to my house would inevitably be good-old-fashioned copper. Not true. That wonderful, delicate high-speed pipe goes right to the side of your home. It also terminates in a box the likes of which I had never seen before.

One of the side effects of very new consumer technology is that things are not always as small or polished as they could be. Think back to the first VCRs and you get the general idea. The FTTP home termination box is the size of a small suitcase. It's actually called an optical terminal, and Verizon reps promise it will get smaller in the future. For now, the size is necessary for the light to transfer from fiber to the Category (Cat) 5 cable that will ultimately run into your home. The system is also powered (it still needs a separate backup battery inside the home) and supports up to four separate phone lines.

Unlike cable-based broadband, FTTP requires no "modem." Instead, a Cat 5e line comes out of the termination box, which sits on the outside of your home, and goes right into your router. This router can be wired or wireless, but if it's the latter, it needs to be 802.11g. This information came courtesy of the Verizon rep, who would explain only that the system is not "guaranteed" to work with 802.11b. I'm guessing Verizon prefers "g" because it doesn't want to deal with customers complaining that their "superfast" fiber seems awfully slow on the 802.11b wireless network.

The most shocking thing about all the formidable hardware Verizon needs to install is that it's free. They'll even throw in a wired router (they want around $65 for a wireless "g" router, which is still a pretty good deal). They're not even charging for installation. I asked the rep how long that deal would last, but she had no idea.

What Verizon is willing to do to get fiber into my home is a clear sign of just how desperate the telco is to gain a foothold in the broadband market. There are other signs, too. Verizon set up a Verizon FiOS Lounge experience center in a neighboring town where consumers can try surfing the Web and digesting broadband media on a number of FiOS-enabled setups. To get people to walk in, they blanketed surrounding towns with Avril Lavigne concert flyers: "Visit the Lounge and receive free tickets to an Avril Lavigne concert." Verizon ran similar promotions with the Back Street Boys. Obviously, Verizon executives believe, and I tend to agree, that those who experience 15-Mbps speeds (or higher) for themselves will be begging to be among the first to run FiOS in their homes.

Yet, even as Verizon pulls out all the stops in its FiOS campaign, it's still hedging its bets.

Squeezed in among the nonstop flow of FiOS pitches arriving on my doorstep was a flyer for $19.95 DSL. Sure, it's an introductory offer, but it still beats cable's introductory pricing by about ten bucks a month. I guess this is understandable. DSL and cable have populated the broadband competitive landscape for so long that Verizon cannot afford just to walk away. People are still choosing between the two, and most have no idea what fiber is. Even so, I think it's a mistake to cut DSL rates when Verizon still needs to educate consumers on and make a case for FTTP. The only good news is that more and more people are learning from other consumers that the DSL experience still doesn't match up to cable. So they'll wait for a better service before jumping ship solely for a cheaper temporary service.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Foundry to Expand High and Low Ends of Its Switch/Router Lineup

Foundry Networks Inc. this week will extend the high and low ends of the company's switch/router product line as it looks to satisfy customers trying to reduce the number of vendors they must deal with.

At the high end, Foundry will introduce a two-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet line card for its high-speed, chassis-based switches. At the low end, the San Jose, Calif., networking vendor will add a pair of stackable 10/100M-bps Ethernet switches providing 24- or 48-port densities. Both will debut at the ComNet exhibition in Washington.

The two-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet line card, which takes up a single slot in Foundry's NetIron, BigIron or FastIron chassis switches, doubles the port density of those switches at a 20 percent cost reduction over Foundry's one-port card.

It is intended for high-end networking users who are aggregating multiple Gigabit Ethernet connections—especially at educational and research facilities, where most 10 Gigabit Ethernet deployments exist today.

"We keep doing things like adding more cluster servers, doing backbone aggregation for 1 Gigabit [Ethernet] clients, and we're doing grid computing here," said Richard Nelson, director of computing at the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute, in Marina del Rey, Calif.

"I'm wary about putting a bunch of those 1 Gigabit clients into a 1 Gigabit backbone," said Nelson, who likes the space saving that the new card offers for routers.

The module uses Xenpak pluggable optical transceivers that allow users to mix the optics used for the ports. The transceivers, similar to GBICs (Gigabit Interface Converters), allow users to have both 10- and 40-kilometer optics in the same module.

The EdgeIron 10/100 stackables, which are Layer 2-only switches, backfill Foundry's line of switches at the low end. They are intended to attract Global 2000 customers, taking Foundry beyond its narrower focus on service providers, Layers 2 and 3 switching, and Layers 4 to 7 application switching.

Foundry's EdgeIron 2402CF provides 24 10/100 ports and a two-port Gigabit Ethernet uplink that supports Gigabit RJ-45 copper links and includes a mini-GBIC slot for optical links. The EdgeIron 4802CF provides 48 10/100 ports with similar Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.

Spyware and how to protect your computer from it

Spyware was in headlines for the first time in 1999 when a freeware game called “ Elf Bowling” circulated with spying software along with it. Since then spywares are creating a havoc in the computer world. Some of the downloadable software comes with a licensing agreement that a spyware program will be installed along with the requested software. But most of us do not go through the agreement properly.

Spyware exists as independent executable programs. These malicious software have the ability to monitor keystrokes, change the default home page on the Web browser, read cookies, scan files on the hard drive, install other spyware programs and even spy other applications, such as chat programs or word processors. The spywares continuously relay this information back to the person who is spying. He will either use it for advertising/marketing purposes or sell the information to another party.

Steps of protecting your computer against spywares Protecting against spywares is very essential to safeguard personal identity and other vital information. There are four essential steps that are essential to safeguard your computer against this malicious software.

Updating the operating system regularly

Installing an anti virus software and updating it regularly

Utilizing the firewall software

Utilizing the anti spyware software

Regularly updating of the operating system It is always essential to install all security related programs as soon as possible. One of the best ways to do it is by utilizing the automatic update option in the computer. But the problem with this is if the computer components are not genuine but pirated ones, then the automatic updating of the operating system may work. So one has to buy genuine parts and software and keep updating regularly

Installing anti virus software Anti virus software prevents viruses from getting attached to the programs in the computer and prevent them from corrupting the files. Many reliable anti virus software are available some of which are downloadable for free from the net. But one should regularly update the antivirus software to prevent danger from newer virus threats.

The Firewall utility Hackers use viruses and Trojan Horses to find unprotected computers and access them to delete information, steal personal information or corrupt the files. Firewall security prevents these hackers from doing these. Three types of firewall security are available

Hardware routers: for home networks connected to internet

Wireless routers: for wireless network

Software firewalls: for single computers

The Anti spyware software The antispyware software protects the computer from those spying the web browsing habits of the victim, will prevent unwanted pop up windows and prevent uninitiated changes in the computer settings.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Safety Tips for Common Power Tools

When using power tools, safety is the most important thing to consider. Using power tools correctly and safely will ensure the safety of you and anyone else around you. Different power tools gave different procedures to make sure that they are operating safely.

The router is a great tool for shaping wood quickly and cleanly. However, there are several things to keep in mind when using a router. Test out the router on a piece of scrap metal to make sure that it is of the proper depth. If the router is too deep or not deep enough, you will ruin the wood, and potentially harm yourself. Be sure to keep the bit away from the wood when you first start the router. When the router comes up to speed, firmly grip the handle and move the bit slowly and carefully into the object you are working on.

Reciprocating saws are used for cutting all kinds of materials, renovating and dismantling structures, and opening up walls. Naturally, this heavy-duty tool should be used with precaution. Holding the reciprocating saw with both hands when using it is a must. It is very powerful and has the ability to pull very hard on the user. The blades for this type of saw range from 6 inches to 12 inches. The blades can break, so have extras, and be careful with the blades when you are finished with the saw because the blades heat up tremendously while being used.

The power miter saw is also called a chop saw. It is used to make crisp, quick, and accurate cuts. It is often used on carpentry or picture framing. While in use, this saw should be raised off of the ground (this can be done with two-by-fours). It should be raised because the chips of wood that fall out of the machine can pile up and clog it if it is not elevated. Check the blade guard of the saw, and be sure to be cutting on a sturdy surface.

Finally, there are some general safety tips that can be applied to all power tools. Always wear goggles. This tip cannot be stressed enough. Eye injuries are very common when working with power tools, so always protect your eyes. Read all instructions thoroughly. All power tools have their little quirks. Read the instructions and learn the proper way to use the power tool. Follow warning labels. This may seem like a simple safety tip, but many people ignore warnings (for example: they stand on the very top of the ladder, and fall over). Finally, be very careful and eliminate distractions whenever possible. Following these few tips should help you be safer when using any kind of power tool.

Wireless Network Security in 6 Easy Steps

Connecting your home and office computers with a wireless network sure makes things convenient ...BUT the very feature that makes them so popular is also their biggest weakness! Anyone with the knowledge can intercept your signal and gain access to your network if it is not secure. The technicians at computerguyslive.com offer the following six easy steps to wireless security for your home or office.

1. Change the System ID: Devices come with a default system ID called the SSID (Service Set Identifier) or ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier). It is easy for a hacker to find out what the default identifier is for each manufacturer of wireless equipment so you need to change this to something else. Use something unique- not your name or something easily guessed.

2. Disable Identifier Broadcasting: Announcing that you have a wireless connection to the world is an invitation for hackers. You already know you have one so you don't need to broadcast it. Check the manual for your hardware and figure out how to disable broadcasting.

3. Enable WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy): WEP encrypts your data so that only the intended recipient is supposed to be able to read it. As with all security measures there are ways around it, but by using encryption you will keep the novice hackers out of your systems. It is best to use 128bit rather than 40bit encryption (it is exponentially harder to crack).

4. Restrict Unnecessary Traffic: Many wired and wireless routers have built-in firewalls. They are not the most technically advanced firewalls, but they help create one more line of defense. Read the manual for your hardware and learn how to configure your router to only allow incoming or outgoing traffic that you have approved.

5. Change the Default Administrator Password: This is just good practice for ALL hardware and software. The default passwords are easily obtained and because so many people don't bother to take the simple step of changing them they are usually what hackers try first. Make sure you change the default password on your wireless router / access point to something that is not easily guessed like your last name.

6. Patch and Protect Your PC's: As a last line of defense you should have personal firewall software such as Zone Alarm Pro and anti-virus software installed on your computer. As important as installing the anti-virus software, you must keep it up to date. New viruses are discovered daily and anti-virus software vendors generally release updates at least once a week. You also must keep up to date with patches for known security vulnerabilities. For Microsoft operating systems you can use Windows Update to try and help keep your computer current with patches.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

How to Connect to a Work Computer Remotely – and for free!

One of the most requested items I hear from small business folks is accessing their work computer from a remote location. They don’t want to pay the fees of services like GoToMyPC, Timbuktu, etc. They want a reliable and cost effective method to get to their data remotely. Most people assume that this type of thing is too complicated. I have news for you – you can do this. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and get ready to go remote.

Before we get started, let’s get some things straight. When I speak of a “host” computer, I am talking about the computer that you want to connect to from a remote location. When I speak of a “remote” computer, I am talking about the computer that you are using to connect to the “host.” I am also assuming that:

1.You have high speed internet access 2.Your host computer is running Windows XP Professional 3.You are using a Linksys router, though you can do this on other routers

Most small business setups have a very simple network design. Let me diagram a typical design for you: -->broadband internet line to office -->internet jack in office -->line from wall to dsl or cable modem -->line from modem to router-->lines to computers. The major player in this setup, for our purposes, is the router. The router routes traffic to various locations. We are going to use it to route our remote desktop traffic to our host computer.

Alright, take a deep breath and get ready to learn. The first step is to make sure your host (the office machine you will be connecting to) has a static ip (internet protocol) address. Most folks get really confused when techies like me start talking about ip addresses. Think of an ip address like a mailing address for a home. Each one is unique on a street. Well, each ip address in a given network must be unique or computers get really confused. Usually, a router takes care of assigning an ip address to each computer as it is booted up, or turned on. We need to make sure your ip address is static. What this means is that it will not change. If it did, we wouldn’t be able to find it. It would be like trying to find a house that changes locations. See what I mean? So, let’s find out your ip address. Click on “Start,” go to “Run,” and type “cmd.” Click “ok” and a black box will appear. Type “ipconfig.” Note the ip address listed here. It will most likely be a 192.168.1.x number, where x is a number 2-254.

Now, we want to assign our host computer with a static ip address. Click on “Start” in the lower left hand corner and then click on “Control Panel”. Again, this is on the “host” computer – the one you want to connect to. Now, click on “Network Connections.” You will see a “Local Area Connection.” Right click on this and select “Properties.” This will bring up a box. In this box is a white box that will include “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).” Click this to highlight and select “Properties.” This is where we will enter in a static ip address – you know, a 192.168.1.x number. Click on “Use the following address” and enter 192.168.1.180 in the ip address area. Now, go down to the gateway. The gateway is simply the router. Enter 192.168.1.1. Note: if your ip address happens to be something different, like 192.168.0.x, then you would enter 192.168.0.180 for your static ip address and 192.168.0.1 for your gateway.

Woodworking tools and their uses

A sculptor's wood carving tools can be explained and appreciated according to their types and functions. Labeled by the processes used in carving wood, tools are used to measure, cut, shape, and finish a raw material into a fine piece of artwork. This article is a brief introduction to these tools and what they're used for:

Measuring (Marking) Wood Carving Tools: Measuring wood carving tools assist with scaling sculptures to an appropriate size and are used at the beginning stage of development. Rulers, tape measures, and protractors are used to mark the increments of a shape's dimensions while perpendicular dimensions are achieved with straightedges, combination squares, or T-squares. If you need an absolute flat area, a plane gauge will help you achieve the perfectly leveled surface. After the proper measurements are put in place, you can use an awl or marking gauge to indent (mark with a slight poke) those measurements for the next stage of development.

Cutting Wood Carving Tools: With cutting wood carving tools, artisans move into the second stage of development and start to remove large sections of wood that will not be part of the final piece. For unusual angles (45 - 90 degree angles, back angles, front angles, etc.), you can use a crosscut saw or you can use a circular saw to cut through a large plane of wood. Table saws, on the other hand, enable you to move your wood into a cut shape, rather than move a saw in the direction of a shape.

Shaping Wood Carving Tools: Having cut away the wood that you don't need (and moved into stage three of development), shaping wood carving tools allow you to bring your abstract piece into one that begins to resemble the final idea. You can use various types of hand planes to shave off thin layers of wood or use a router and bits to engrave fancy designs onto the wood's surface. A lathe will make a rounded surface for you and a chisel will chip away small bits of wood. If necessary, you can use a gouge to clean out holes.

Finishing Wood Carving Tools: At the last stage of development, you'll find these finishing wood carving tools to be essential in bringing your project to a complete fine work of art. Because woodwork at this stage needs only minor adjustments, you can use sandpaper and sandpaper products (belt sander, palm sander, disc sander, and orbital sander) to bring a crude surface to a smooth finish. Files come in handy when you need to remove rough patches while steel or bronze wool will bring your piece to a stained and polished finish

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Why I Hacked My WEP Wireless Router

Part of securing your network must include looking at your wireless access points. Wireless access can be dangerous to your network. Most people don't even know how easy it is to exploit wireless access points. Let me illustrate my point. I went out one afternoon and took my trusty laptop with me. The task this afternoon was to scan for "open" wireless access points. An "open" wireless access point is one that has absolutely no encryption, or security, on the signal. This allows anyone to listen in on your data stream. If you still don't get it, it's a very bad thing! So, I drove for about 2 miles through a small business district and apartment complex. What was the result? Oh, about 45 open wireless networks. That means that I could log onto those networks, scan it, and exploit machines connected to that network. I didn't do that, but you get my drift. The lesson here is to encrypt your wireless data stream.

Some people think that choosing WEP encryption offers great wireless security. They would be wrong. Your wireless router may have an option for WPA and WEP. You should always choose WPA security over WEP. Let me illustrate why. I set up a wireless network in my home. I enabled WEP security at 128 bit encryption. That's "strong" security for WEP. I wrote down the security key and then I started my test. My goal was to hack my own WEP wireless network. I thought it was going to be a really hard task. I was wrong.

I fired up my linux laptop. Linux is just an alternative operating system to Windows. This particular Linux distribution, or flavor of Linux, was a security edition. This gave me all kinds of tools to scan for wireless networks and exploit them. A typical hacker will have all of these free tools at their disposal. I then fired up Kismet. Kismet is a great wireless scanning program. I found my wireless network in the list. I found the connected client and the access point, or router. Then I proceeded to do a typical type of attack on the network. Hackers need to grab what's called a "packet" from a computer that already has the key for the secured wireless network. The hacker can then use this packet to issue responses from the router. Why is this important? This allows the hacker to gather a tremendous amount of data from the access point. And this finally allows the hacker to crack the WEP security key.

So, I went about hacking my own WEP wireless router. I "deauthenticated" my computer that was already connected to the router. This gave me the packet I needed for the router. Then I started sending this packet to the router a lot. Once I had enough data from the router, I then passed it to a cracking program. Viola, it cracked the key in about 1 second. After the dust had settled, I had cracked my WEP security in less than 30 minutes! But would the typical user see that I was hacking? Probably not. The only thing they would see is that they lost their wireless connection for a moment. This is when I "deauthenticated" them from the network to grab the "packet" I needed.

Remember, I had my WEP encryption set to 128 bits. This is a high level of encryption. But it really doesn't matter. All a hacker needs is a signal a little time to crack that. Remember, hackers are like house thieves. They will go along the path of least resistance. The harder your wireless signal is to crack, the less likely you will be hacked. They will simply move along to the next "open" network or one with bad encryption. Do yourself a favor, and always choose WPA wireless security over WEP.

A Quick Consumer Safety Guide to Basic Power Tools

Throughout your life, your mom has probably told you more times than you’d care to count, “It’s better to be safe than sorry!” Well, your mom’s right, especially when it comes to using power tools and their attachments. Below you will find some quick tips to properly use power tools, all created with your personal safety in mind:

We’re going to start off our guide with a very basic philosophy- always wear the proper safety gear, including eyewear and hand protection. Goggles will keep your eyes safe and gloves will shield your hands from sparks, flying metal fragments, wood splinters and dust that can easily fly through the air while you’re working with any power tool. Your appearance should be the last thing on your mind, with safety being first. If you’re out trying to pick up a member of the opposite sex, please leave your power tools at home.

Our agenda now brings us to a few of the most common power tools on the market. We shall begin with the reciprocating saw, a very powerful hand-held tool used for dismantling entire structures and opening up walls. Keep them on while changing the breakable blades, as they get quite hot as they spin and can take a while to cool down. The 6” to 12” blades are incredibly sharp, so always wear the proper hand protection. Always hold this tool with both hands in a firm grip. Never, under any circumstances, attempt to use a broken blade to cut anything, no matter how simple the job seems; it’s a good idea to keep a few spare blades around when you plan on using this power tool.

While we’re on saws, let’s go over safely using a miter saw (sometimes referred to as a chop saw). The particular power saw is used for somewhat tight work and/or detailing thanks to its ability to make sharp, accurate cuts. The miter saw should always be used while it’s raised off of the ground due to the chips of wood that fall out from underneath the tool. If the tool isn’t raised, it will clog and eventually break. And as with any saw, check the blade guard to make sure that it’s functioning properly, and be sure to cut on a sturdy surface.

My personal favorite tool, the router, is the best when it comes to shaping and detailing your wood projects. You might want to check out the depth setting on your router on a piece of scrap wood or metal before working on your project, as you could easily ruin your handiwork. Remember to keep your gloves and goggles on, and start the tool at least 12” away from your project and bring the tool’s spinning bit slowly into your project. You’ll be safe, and so will your project, when you put safety first.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Open-architecture software CNC control solves five-axes challenge. A builder of custom multi-axes machines discovers the need for controls

Craig Simpson, president and CEO, Rocky Mountain Composites (RMC), wishes he'd discovered OpenCNC[R] software sooner. If he had, he could have saved almost $250,000 on a project that required 5-axis machining.

The company had built a 6' x 10' x 4' overhead gantry mill in 1996, but the machine's proprietary control just never performed up to expectation. As a result of ongoing control problems, Simpson had to outsource a large portion of a major project, which could have been completed in house.

Komo Machine, Inc. Opens up the Small to Medium Size CNC Router Market via an Exclusive Partnership with Omnitech

Komo Machine, Inc. announces it is now providing a new line of CNC routers for the small to medium size CNC router market. Komo has secured an agreement with Omnitech Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina to distribute the Selexx series of machines. The Selexx series is the first series of CNC router machines that meets the exacting specification standards of current Komo machines which includes superior componentry, industrial quality standards and machining flexibility. Under Komo's product umbrella, these machines will raise the level of quality and capability available to this market segment with Komo's industry-leading CimTech software and the company's industry-recognized service and support for $70,000 to $85,000. Komo will continue to manufacture its Mach series of machines here in the U.S. to service its dominated market of medium to large size customers. This is the first in a series of company and product expansions that Komo will be announcing this quarter.

"Our distributors and customers in the small to medium market segment have been clamoring for a solution from Komo," says Tom Azzarelli, president and CEO for Komo Machine, Inc. "We are bringing to this market--a market previously limited in their choices of routers--a machine that meets Komo's quality standards and we're coupling it with the elite levels of service support and software that this industry has come to expect from Komo."

The availability of the Selexx series means that Komo can immediately begin to distribute these machines. The Selexx machines are a series of machines designed to Omnitech specifications incorporating industrial-level quality components combined with multiple machine options, flexibility and superior millwork capabilities.

The addition of the Selexx series allows Komo to better service the small to medium size customer that the company was until now unable to serve. In business for 37 years, Komo is noted domestically and internationally for manufacturing, distributing and servicing machines in the $120,000 to $350,000 range with their highly-regarded Komo Mach series. Komo will continue to manufacture and expand this flagship series.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Simplify complex processes with CAD/CAM software—Mastercam/CNC Software, booth 5231 - Eastec 2003

The company has released Mastercam Version 9.1. The company says the new features included in version 9.1 are designed to simplify complex processes, improve speed and expand shops' capabilities. Among the improvements, according to the company, are increased tool control, faster verification, cnhanccd solid contour programming and the ability to customize functions using VBScript.

With thin wall machining, according to the company, all levels of Mastercam Mill can achieve finer control over these delicate cutting procedures while ensuring the best possible finish. An operator can specify multiple finish cuts in Z for every rough-cut. Because this technique puts less stress on thin-walled parts, greater overall cutting depth and thinner walls can be achieved, the company says.

With version 9.1, users can create tool paths that are said to rival the quality of a flowline without the classic flowline restriction of having to make sure all surfaces are aligned.

Lightworks Toolpath Verification, available for Mastercam Mill, Lathe, Wire and Router, is an add-on that is said to provide solid-based verification for multi-axis machining.

Mastercam Solids Version 9.1 includes a feature that enables users to perform solid Boolean remove operations while keeping the original solid bodies. According to the company, this saves time and effort by climinating the need to make copies of the solid tool, so that core and cavity solids for a mold can be created with a single solid.

Gantry router swells surfboard production.

TO INCREASE PRODUCTION AND quality, while maintaining a one-of-a-kind product, many surfboard companies venture offshore to reap the benefits of inexpensive labor. But for Szabad International of San Marcos, Calif., the solution to producing more surfboards was across the street at Pacific CNC Machining.

Pacific has a Haas GR-510 CNC gantry router with a 40-taper milling head and 5x10-ft table that easily accommodates surfboards. Not only has the machine increased production for Szabad, it has improved the quality and repeatability of the company's surfboard components.