Misconceptions and Thoughts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mr. NG GUO BAO! No.21

Although my blog is dead, I shall write this post for my very close friend who is currently going to celebrate his 21st birthday on the 1st of June.

First of all,
HAPPY Birthday to Bao! ( Although i rarely call u by that :P)

It's been 4 years and counting since I met u in foundation at HELP but since then I feel that our friendship has grown and that through many things we are still close friends. I am very grateful and thankful for this friendship and I do hope that we continue to be best of friends even after we graduate (Remember ah, I know where u live :P) You have been and are still a wonderful friend. All the best in UK!

And here is a short video message from me (its abit awkward i know but then again, i don't care :P oh and my left hand is not bigger than my right, they are equal)

Troubleshooting made easy: UniFi wireless connectivity issues

To all UniFi users, have you ever experienced inconsistent wireless connections? Or maybe slow wireless internet speed? Well, I have. And complaining to customer service does not help as the steps in their "manual" only serve to solve very basics issues and not the inconsistent line. After months of getting technicians to come here to "fix" the inconsistent line, I stumbled upon a solution by chance and what the technicians couldn't do in 3 hours ( make the line somewhat more stable than current state), I figured out why in 15mins. It's actually very simple and here are the steps to help you overcome the issues of connectivity, hopefully.

Do note that this only applies for wireless connections to the UniFi network and not wired ones. =) Also, this is more of a flaw in the router than the line itself. The router in question is the DLink DIR615 router (see below). This troubleshoot is mainly for the DIR615 as it is the router I am currently using.

DIR-615 DLink

Fiberhome (White) -Not sure of difference between white and black

Well firstly, you must determine that this is the router you are using. Easy enough, just look at the model number. Lol xD

Ok here is the troubleshooting proper (with pictures :D)

1 - Go to the D-Link configuration site at 192.168.0.1 (Type this in the address bar)

2 - Enter into the page using the following information (This only applies if the information was not changed at setup)

User Name: admin

Password:

Leave the password section empty

3 - Page overview

Once you have entered the page it should look something like this:

Then now you have to see whether the issue lies with the channel configuration/the wireless configuration or with your laptop's network card or other non-router related issue. To test this, simply plug your laptop into the router using one of the supplied RJ45 network cables. If the line is smooth then it would most likely mean that the issue is either with the channel configuration or the wireless settings of the router. I will first explain how to resolve the wireless settings and the channel configuration.

To determine which of the steps to take, first take a look at the issue you are facing. Is the line relatively stable but slow? Or does the line seem to drop often, thus causing unstable wireless connections? If it is the former ( slow, stable [relatively] line), then refer to channel configuration. But if it is the latter ( unstable wireless), then refer to router configuration.

Router Configuration

1 - Click the Advanced tab located at the top of the page

2 - Then, click advanced wireless located on the left hand side

3 - For the bar that states Wireless Mode, change it to 802.11 Mixed (g/b) instead of 802.11 Mixed (n/g/b) or 802.11n only. By doing this, you are disabling the wireless N mode on this router (more on that later)

4 - Save settings and test your connection. If it is more stable than before, here ends the troubleshooting but if not, read more =)

5 - It's that simple :D

Ok, now to explain about why I said to disable the N mode. After much trial and error (i.e. 4 DIR-615 router changes in 3 months), it seems that there is a design flaw in this particular model where the N mode keeps hunting for the best signal. This is usually fine but it seems that when the wireless on this model hunts, then the signal to your computer or wireless device, will drop thus causing the line to be unstable. So by disabling it, you will then be using wireless b/g which is slightly older tech but yet seems to provide more stable connections. So which would you prefer? Searching for the best connection or having more stable connections? The choice is yours =)

Steps 1-4

Channel Configuration

1 - First, determine which channel your router is currently using. Do this by first clicking the Status tab at the top and then scrolling to the bottom of the page where you will see a Wireless 802.11N section which would state Channel followed by a number. (Remember this number as it is important later)

2 - Click on the Setup tab at the top of the page

3 - Select "Wireless Setup", located to the left

4 - Select the "Manual Wireless Connection Setup" option

5 - Go to the "Wireless Network Global Settings

6 - If your wireless is slow, deselect the "Enable Auto Channel Selection" box and then select a channel. DO NOT reuse the channel that was previously used as it would most likely have been slow due to certain interference and noise. Select a channel which seems to give the "fastest" speed. Do note that each time you select a channel, you MUST click SAVE SETTINGS in order for the channel to be selected. Also, wireless connections are not perfect as it is susceptible to noise therefore, do not expect the fastest internet connections. (At least not as fast as wired connections xD )

* This method of manually selecting channels is a slightly tedious one and is a matter of trial and error in determine the right channel. This can be made easy if you know what is causing the interference and removing it or using a channel different from the said interference. However, so far, I have only used trial and error as I do not know the channels in which interference occur.

At the end, reboot the router after completing the configurations.

This is the end of the troubleshooting. I hope that I have managed to help in any little way I can. Any feedback or questions do leave a comment or contact me if you know me in person. I apologize for any mistakes in this troubleshooting guide as I do not come from an IT background but do have a certain degree of interest in this field. Also, I apologize for the overly large images as I felt that images make it easier to understand and apply. I hope you understand

Personal preference: Usually I would do both configurations one after the other just to cover all bases and then reboot the router. But it depends on the time on your hands and also the issue which you are facing.

Regards,

Jonathan Tan Wei Jun

Update

Hi guys/girls,

Just an update. As of this moment, I will not be blogging much except when I have events and/or thoughts which I feel like writing. Thanks

2010

You know, even as the year draws to a close, we always look back and think of what we have done in this past year and what we hope to accomplish in the next year. But how many times have we thought about what we have NOT done which we should have?

Looking back at the year 2010, its been difficult for me. There have been many changes and to be entirely truthful, disappointments. To me, 2010 was a year filled with disappointments more than happiness. Thats not to say that I didn't have wonderful times in the year, it is just to say that those disappointments are what has impacted me throughout this whole year. Sometimes, I wonder, what have I done in this year that defines who I am and what I am to become? I sometimes find myself asking, "Who is Jonathan?" Sometimes I feel like I have been doing too many things at one time that I have not properly examined who I really am.

As said earlier, 2010 was disappointing to me. I found myself wanting to just escape it all and just give it all up. (Am I going through depression? o.o) But, after spending the last few days in reflection and thought looking back through the year, I have seen something which truly encourages me. Every single time that I fall down, every single mistake, every disappointment, big or small, I now see that God is with me. I know some of you may ask, "How do you know? Does God really exist?" Well, say as you might, but to me, He is as real as can be. The God whom I believe in, Yahweh, is real. I have seen God's hand picking me up at times when I really felt down, when I felt there was no one there, yet God has always been there to me. It amazes me that I have been able to pick myself up time and time again. It once again serves to show me that God is always there for me, whether I realize it or not, and that He is watching over me each and every day of my life. This is not to say that I won't face anymore disappointments, no. Disappointments and discouragements will still come regardless of circumstance. But I know that I can always trust in God to pick me up and be by my side no matter how hard I fall. In Him I have found peace and encouragement.

As the Psalmist says "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me" - Psalms 23:4
So to does Jeremiah, who says, "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

There are many more verses that I could quote which have served to be my encouragement and hope in times when I feel down but I feel that you get a sense of what I am saying. You guys may have your opinions on whether God is real, yada yada. But to me, He is so real and truly, He is God everlasting. I end here with a final verse and a song:

"For God so loved that world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" - John 3:16

Your Grace Still Amazes Me - Phillip, Craig, and Dean

My faithful Father, enduring Friend
Your tender mercy’s like a river with no end
It overwhelms me, covers my sin
Each time I come into Your presence
I stand in wonder once again

CHORUS:
Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees
Your grace still amazes me
‘Cause Your grace still amazes me

Oh, patient Saviour, You make me whole
You are the Author and the Healer of my soul
What can I give You, Lord, what can I say
I know there’s no way to repay You
Only to offer You my praise

Bridge:

It’s deeper, it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
It’s deeper it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
than anything my eyes can see

All Bible verses are taken from the New International Version (NIV).

Alviss Kong: True Lover or an Idiot?

Having just read about Alviss Kong and his suicide, I feel compelled to write this post. I wonder why.

First, he committed suicide because his girlfriend had broken up with him after being in a relationship for 4 months. He jumped off a building after posting on his Facebook that he was going to do it.

Well, what are my thoughts on this?

First, I think he is a douchebag. For the simple reason that he does not think before he acts and the reasoning behind his actions are superficial. I mean, come on, how many times have people broken up with each other yet moved on and found a life partner? Personally, I think he may be suffering from some kind of disorder or such but I would not be in the proper place to say this as I do not know him.

I doubt he ever considered his family and friends but instead made his decision over the fact that he was not in a relationship. So what? There are many people who are not in a relationship but are happy. By doing what he did, it just shows you that he is irresponsible, somewhat idiotic, and self centered. There is a post, i think it was on his blog that said he was rejected 5 times and still chased after her then finally getting her (at least that is what i gather from http://joshuaongys.com). He said there that he was afraid he would never fall in love and from that post I guess you could really see who he was as a person.

So in this regard, I say now, Suicide is NEVER the answer. This is a bad example to all those who are thinking of following suit. My condolences to the family as they are probably in shock now over what had happened. But I have no sympathy or respect for one who is so self centered such as him who commits suicide for such a selfish reason. So goodbye.




You may hate me but I am only stating what this person seems to be.

Updates

Hi guys/girls

Sorry haven't been updating my blog since who knows when, but been really busy with assignments and tests and so on. Probably won't update till sometime next week once I have the time =) Stay tuned, a major update coming soon ;)