Know How... 61

Padre's VLAN

• VLAN= "Virtual Local Area Network"
• VLANs use 802.1q protocol
• VLANs operate at OSI layer 2: above the physical connection, below Ethernet frames.
• A "Tagged VLAN Packet" is actually a packet contained within a VLAN-tagged Ethernet Frame.
• VLANs should NOT be used as a security measure.
• You need switches that "understand" VLANS or the VLAN frames will be stripped out.

From N2 Review

The N2 is a 2-bay disaster-proof network-attached-storage box from ioSafe, maker of storage devices designed to survive fire, flood and impact. The N2 is really two products: a high-performance SOHO NAS, and a 28lb disaster-resistant suit of armor.

We've seen ioSafe's products stand up to the most horrific of tests: surviving common-place dunkings, fires, tractors, impacts, and gunshots – The N2 uses all of ioSafe's know how to give users the convenience of network attached storage in the IT equivalent of a Abrahams Tank.

The armor starts with a steel shell that is capped by a steel and ceramic door, held in place by two hex-bolts. The door fits snuggly into the inner sheath, which is actually water-impregnated ceramic. ioSafe created this material, and it's been used in all their rugged desktop products. In a fire, the ceramic ablates, keeping the heat from reaching the core, while the water evaporates, both cooling the ceramic and creating a positive pressure, keeping smoke out.

Inside the door is another steel cap which is actually the start of the NAS "capsule." Removing the cap reveals two drive bays with secured SATA drive sleds.

The N2 currently supports up to 4TB SATA drives and our unit came with 2 x 1TB 7200 rpm Seagate drives, but we replaced them with 2 cooler running 4TB Western Digital RED drives.

The NAS inside the N2 is produced by ioSafe's partner, Synology, known for solid performance and a plethora of features. The bottom of the front face houses the regular array of LED indicators as well as the power and backup buttons, a USB port and a SD card reader. The back of the N2 sports two USB 3.0 ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet port.

Users of Synology products will feel right at home with the N2. The setup wizard will have your new drives up and running in about 10 minutes and then you can play with the exhaustive list of N2 features.

Out of the box the N2 supports Windows, Mac and Linux file-sharing protocols, FTP/FTPS/SFTP/TFTP/PXE/WebDAV, VPN tunneling, Media services, timed network backups, VLANs and a host of other services.

Performance tests using ioMeter showed average transfer rates of ~53MBps write and 83 MBps read, which put it into the upper echelon of SOHO NAS boxes.

Overall, our initial review of the N2 is quite positive. It has a slick, responsive interface that the newbie can have up and running within minutes, but all the advanced features that would be demanded of an Enterprise-level product. Combined with ioSafe's legendary disaster-proof technology, the N2 is a serious contender for your Network Attached Cash.

Iyaz's Portable Podcasting Rig: Part 1

Iyaz wanted to build a portable podcasting rig. It goes back to his reporter days when he would go out in the field to get content for the blog he worked for. The goal is to build a rig that allows a one person team walk around a convention hall. The rig needs to produce high quality video and high quality audio. The video needs to be editable and uploadable right from the camera if possible.

If you've got ideas for the rig, let us know at knowhow@twit.tv. We'd love to hear them.

Feedback

Hey Know How Guys,

I wanted to see if I could get mobile phone service without a traditional mobile phone plan. I figured you guys had done a show on this already, and sure enough I was right.

I watched the episode and it answered all of my questions except for one. Can a Bluetooth headset be used with an iPod Touch or iPad Mini? This would solve the "out loud" issue for me without having to use the corded headphones/microphone. I've done some research but couldn't come up with a definitive answer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, David

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Links

• PDA as a Network Touch Screen Display. Awesome