Most people don’t backup their databases, much less set up redundancy. It’s an important thing to consider when your application / website just cannot go down. This article discusses what it will take to set up that type of redundancy and I will be following up with a document on how to do it in…
Category: Networking
EC2 with REAL Support
Using Amazon’s EC2 infrastructure is a real pain in the butt. It’s confusing and the documentation isn’t really all that helpful in many cases. So I propose something simple.. Call it a shameless plug, but it’s about supporting the family. Sign up for EC2 through my eStore and you’ll get all the support you need. …
Using Amazon’s Free Tier to get a free VPN connection for a year.
I know I’ve written about this in the past, but I’ve finally created a guide on how to do this step by step. It’s available for purchase now. This is literally a how-to on getting an OpenVPN server up and running for free for a year. Specify Your Donation: (Min. $5.00) [wp_eStore_buy_now:product_id:11:end]
Finding out the Backbone Provider of an ISP, VOIP Provider, or any SaaS provider [SOLVED]
It’s amazing how all the providers out there refuse to tell you who they’re connected to. This is very prevalent amongst VOIP providers as well as quite a few SaaS providers. You want to know who they’re connected to so you can make a decision on whether or not they’re going to be reliable. So…
A less costly way to build an Amazon AMI without incurring the cost of doing it on EC2
I build Amazon AMIs. I started out building them on the actual Amazon EC2 infrastructure myself only to learn that doing so costs the runtime and the money on EC2. There is an easier way to get alot of it out of the way without it actually costing something. My suggestion is to build a…
Automated Backups to Amazon S3. WordPress example explained here.
There are tons of Automated backup plugins for WordPress, but the reality is you’re assuming they work unless you’ve actually restored one of them. This article will explain how to do this without using anything fancy like a backup program. In fact, I just give you a few scripts and of course the old, trusty,…
Looking for a PBX? Consider the Cloud.
I’ve spoken of the virtues of a cloud PBX on many an occasion. The reality is for the last 8 years, I’ve been running my phone system / PBX in a cloud for many reasons. The most important is redundancy. The system has had no downtime except for when I was applying maintenance upgrades. My…
Considering a Mail Client with the features you need? Consider Thunderbird.
I’ve used them all. From the command line clients to the web mail services and even others such as Outlook, Pegasys, Apple Mail, and all the usual offerings. Here are a few things to consider. 1. You want a mail client that has the ability to accept Add-Ons. This is one important piece of advice…
Why a cheap Cisco, Dlink, Netgear firewall just doesn’t make the cut.
This article sponsored by: Cheappfsensefirewalls.com (I own the shop for full disclosure) There are many reasons why one would go with an over the counter router you could buy at Best Buy. The reality is you’re missing out on a lot of the features and most importantly, performance. Most people buy a Linksys, Dlink, Netgear…
Seriously Speeding up Windows 7 and other Computers [Bootcamp compatible]
OK. So you’re running Windows and over time, you’ve started to notice things are starting to slow down extensively. Boot up and log-in start to take minutes instead of seconds. This tutorial will show you how to speed up your Windows install (and clean up a lot of the mess) over the life of the…