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- TechRepublic Author Biography
Presently, my professional responsibilities are as a Network Field Engineer for Orange Business Services, a world-wide IT service organization. The certifications I have at this time are Network+, Internet+, CWNA, CWSP, ISO 9001:2000 Auditor and finally my amateur radio license K0PBX. Being asked to become a writer for TechRepublic and...- more about Michael Kassner »
TechRepublic Resources
- Road warriors: Take your library with you
- E-book readers allow you to take hundreds of books and documents along with you in a device that's not much bigger than your smart phone. Michael Kassner will look at the technology behind these products and give some opinions about two of the e-book readers using a road warrior's perspective....
- Tags: Sony Corp., Device, Amazon.com Inc., E-book Reader, Amazon Kindle, ePaper, Electronic Paper Display, E-book Reader Developer, Sony Reader Digital Book, DTP, E-books, Personal Technology, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-07-21
- DNS: Painful reminders of how important it is
- Having a healthy and accurate DNS architecture is critical to the operation of any network, especially the Internet. Michael Kassner shares some thoughts on the crucial, yet often over-looked protocol -- especially one hard-learned lesson garnered after troubleshooting a client's DNS problem last week. by Michael Kassner
- Tags: DNS, Domain Name, Michael Kassner, Domain Names, Networking, Internet
- Blog posts 2008-07-13
- Noise and jitter: Nemesis of digital communications
- As time-sensitive applications like VoIP and telepresence become more commonplace, there will be increased pressure on network professionals to understand signal integrity and how to maximize it. by Michael Kassner
- Tags: Network, Digital Signal, Waveform, Logic, Noise, Graph D, BER, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-07-10
- Cisco NERV: The ultimate first responder vehicle
- As a former volunteer firefighter/EMT, I understand the need for high quality communications on any type of emergency. Having something like the Cisco NERV available to on-scene emergency teams will certainly make their difficult job a great deal easier. by Michael Kassner
- Tags: Radio, Cisco Systems Inc., IPICS, Radio System, Advertising & Promotion, Marketing, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-07-02
- Skype: Telepresence for the masses
- Video conferencing accounted for 28 percent of all Skype calls last year. Michael Kassner discusses why Skype should be considered a telepresence platform and how the multimedia technology of Skype has improved. by Michael Kassner
- Tags: Skype Technologies S.A., Michael Kassner, Telepresence, Peer To Peer (P2P), Corporate Communications, Telecom & Utilities, Networking, Internet, Marketing
- Blog posts 2008-06-29
- Cisco TelePresence: Not your average virtual meeting
- Using a telepresence meeting room is like taking a step into the future. The technology creates near-lifelike virtual conferences, allowing people at opposite ends of the earth to communicate as if they were in the same room. by Michael Kassner
- Tags: Cisco TelePresence, Cisco Systems Inc., Telepresence, CTS 3000, CTS 500, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-06-23
- Bluetooth headsets: Only two that are worthwhile
- It's been a tough week. On top of that, several of my electronics decided to quit working all at the same time. My first thought was gremlins or maybe something in the air. Could be, except for my Blackjack phone; I'm pretty sure dropping it on the concrete twice in...
- Tags: Headset, Bluetooth Headset, Jawbone, H12, CrystalTalk, H12 Control, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-06-07
- RF interference: Just how important are antennas
- Being able to co-locate multiple RF systems within millimeters of each other in modern wireless devices is in large part due to reducing RF interference. Many of these "interference-busting" innovations are the result of engineers making improvements to antenna systems. by Michael Kassner
- Tags: Radio Frequency, Radio, Antenna, Radio Frequency Isolation, Ruckus Wireless, Q, Equipment Developer, Advertising & Promotion, Network Technology, Marketing, Networking, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-06-15
- Wi-Fi power management: Road warriors beware
- Given: Road warriors hoard battery reserves by using power adapters whenever possible. If you don't believe me, just try to find an open power outlet at an airport. Most road warriors are aware of notebook power-saving features such as the display and hard drive timers. Something that's not well known...
- Tags: Power Management, Traffic, Client, Access Point, Timer, PSPM, Delivery Traffic Indication Message Beacon Frame, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-30
- TR members: What wireless topics are of interest?
- Eight years ago when I became a TR member, it never occurred to me that someday I'd have the privilege of writing for TechRepublic. It's extremely special to me as I've realized one of my dreams. I'm not sure how many more will come true, but my son is doing...
- Tags: Member, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-23
- Wi-Fi security for road warriors: AirDefense style
- For the past few months, I've been working on an informal series about the trials and tribulations of using public Wi-Fi networks. From the positive responses, it appears that the security tips have been helpful. With TechRepublic road warriors now savvy about Wi-Fi security, I should be happy. Well almost,...
- Tags: AirDefense, Wi-Fi Security, Wireless LANs, Wireless Security, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Security, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-22
- Livecast: DIY webcasts using your phone
- I stumbled across something today that is, to say the least, uniquely interesting. A company called ComVu just released "Livecast" innovative technology that facilitates DIY webcasting. In only a few minutes, anyone using a cell phone camera can be streaming live multimedia just like professionals. Okay, quality may not be...
- Tags: Multimedia, Phone, Webcast, Cell Phone, ComVu, Contacts, Portals, Internet, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-20
- Security Now: Podcasts for the security conscious
- Back in February, Jason Hiner, TechRepublic's executive editor, did me a favor. He posted the article "Sanity check: The 10 best technology podcasts." It may not seem like much to most people, but it had a huge impact on me. So many choices, I felt like a kid in a...
- Tags: Podcasts, Security, Internet, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-15
- 802.11n: MIMO really needs smart antennas
- As Wi-Fi standards go, 802.11n has a lot to live up to, especially after hearing how 802.11n's advertised throughput, security, and reliability will allow Wi-Fi to replace existing wired networks. This means 802.11n's RF technology needs to be rock-solid, just like Ethernet cables, while facing ever-changing environmental conditions. ...
- Tags: Device, Network, Signal, IEEE 802.11n, Interference, MIMO, Technology, Antenna, RF, Ruckus Wireless, Antenna Diversity, N, Beamforming, BeamFlex, Path Control Module, Ruckus, Wi-Fi, Wireless LANs, Wireless, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-14
- HotelChatter's 2008 Wi-Fi review: Rating the hotels
- HotelChatter.com is a good starting point for road warriors who are looking for virtually any kind of information about hotels. I try to glean helpful information from the the Web site whenever I travel. On more than a few occasions the site has helped in deciding the best place to...
- Tags: Hotel, HotelChatter, HotelChatter.com, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-09
- WiMAX Forum endorses new WiMAX lab at University of Maryland
- WiMAX appears to be back on track. TechRepublic's executive editor Jason Hiner published some good news today in his post, "The new Clearwire: Mobile WiMAX in the US gets major cash infusion." It appears that Sprint and Clearwire are on the same page again and buoyed by major investments from...
- Tags: University Of Maryland, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-07
- Anonymizer is purchased by Abraxas, a security consulting firm
- Anonymizer's claim to fame is being one of the first applications to promote secure and anonymous web browsing. It's a method I've recommended to road warriors who want to increase security while using public Wi-Fi hot spots. Because I've recommended the application and have mentioned it on several postings, I...
- Tags: Web, Server, SSL, Anonymizer, Abraxas Corp., Ssl/Tls, Authentication/Encryption, Channel Management, Internet, Network Security, Security, Marketing, Networking, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-06
- Wi-Fi security for road warriors: On-line banking
- TechRepublic members are asking some excellent questions on how to ensure secure Wi-Fi connections while traveling. As an occasional road warrior, I have garnered a great deal of respect for the serious road warriors and their ingenuity, committing their hard-earned advice to memory. In appreciation, I'd like to return the...
- Tags: Bank, Web Server, Tunnel, Banking, Server, Wi-Fi, SSL, Web Browser, Wi-Fi Security, Option, Ssl/Tls, Authentication/Encryption, Network Security, Security, Networking, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-05-01
- Botnets: German researchers fight back
- In a recent post of mine, "Kraken: The biggest, baddest botnet yet," there wasn't much good news. In fact, reports describing the potential for harm and economic loss are downright scary. There maybe a glimmer of hope though. I just finished reading a Techworld article, "Researchers ‘poison' Storm botnet" by...
- Tags: Researcher, Bot, Peer To Peer (P2P), Productivity, Internet, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-04-29
- Wi-Fi security for the road warrior; revisited
- I recently penned a "10 thing" post called "10 Wi-Fi security tips for the road warrior" and TechRepublic member DonnaKline responded with an excellent observation: "The point of varying the level of security required by location might have been stressed more, especially for those of us who are less...
- Tags: VPN, Internet, Advisor, Wi-Fi Security, Security Zone, Wireless LANs, Wireless Security, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Security, Michael Kassner
- Blog posts 2008-04-28
