YES!! I'm back!

After serving faithfully for the past 4 years or so, my computer died on Monday earlier this week. Well, to be more precise, it's either my motherboard or video card that died. I'm still not sure which. Doesn't really matter though. My computer's old and spare parts are very difficult to find sp I decided to buy new video card, processor, motherboard and RAM.

Ladies and gentlemen! Feast your eyes on the (important!) specs of my gaming machine!!

2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo processor
2 GB RAM
Nvidia Geforce 7950 GT

Please excuse me while I laugh maniacally in pleasure. :D

Besides oozing with pure g4m1ng l33tn355, I'm now connected to the Global Village (ie. da Internet!) again thanks to this baby! W00t! More pr0n and warez! Uh, I mean more 'educational' stuff and 'intellectual' growth and all that. ;)

On a totally unrelated subject, don't forget! Speedzone Tour 2007 rave party is on Saturday evening 07/04/2007 at KL Tower. The next evening is Kanye West concert at the National Stadium. See ya there!

Weekend, going...going...gone! (plus some year end reflection)

Argh...there goes my weekend, all THREE days of it.

On Friday, I left work at exactly 5 pm. Heh, I was looking forward to the 3 day weekend and couldn't wait for it to start! I arrived at gym at about 7 pm and was happily jogging when I got a phone call from my manager.

"Amir, what are you doing tomorrow? We need you to attend a technical meeting with customer. It should be between 2 pm to 5 pm only. See if you can find out what's causing the problem."

2 pm to 5 pm? It didn't sound so bad. Even though it's a Saturday, the problem seems like an interesting challenge so why not? Did some preparation, played FM2007 to relax and had a good sleep. Next day afternoon, I went for the meeting. To keep a long story short (and also avoid giving confidential information!), meeting was from 2 pm all the way to 8.30 pm. So much for a short one. After all the discussion, we've arrived at an action-plan which involves me working from Monday night entering Tuesday morning. To make things more interesting, I then have a meeting (on a completely different issue) back in office at 10 am Tuesday. Heh, no rest for the wicked! Hmm...maybe I can claim emergency allowance...

So, Saturday technical meeting, Sunday emails and planning, Monday night work. Oh, and Tuesday morning meeting and Tueday afternoon more backbone fun! While I love my work (it's challenging and never boring!), it does get tiring. As soon as I'm done with my current project, I'm looking for a nice break next year. Maybe go to some beach or something and enjoy the seaside. Then again, if there's something interesting on, maybe I'll postpone my vacation and work some more. ;)

Hmm...looking back, I've been doing a lot of stuff this past year. I've done implementation and integration on SGSN, GGSN, Juniper routers, Extreme switches, Funk RADIUS servers, Bind DNS servers, Netscreen firewalls and SUN Solaris servers. I've also done backbone integration with VAS nodes such as SMS, MMS, WAP, Video Gateway and Video Mail. Beyond that I've done a large number of network trace analysis on Sigtran traffic for Video Gateway (H.323 and Megaco protocols mainly). All in all, I'd say it was a rather productive year. I'm looking forward to what next year will bring. :)

PS: Warning, bragging ahead! Did you know that I set up the first GGSN in the Ericsson world that handled HSDPA in a commercial network? I did that last year in Philippines. :D

My POS router

A coupla days back I sent out an SOS, asking anyone if they've come across a stable router that performs well under heavy network load. The response were not very encouraging. The most stable connections are apparently when a PC directly connects to the modem. Sadly, that defeats the entire purpose of Internet sharing using a home network!

After some more research, I've discovered this:
1. All home routers suck monkey balls. Doesn't matter if they're D-Link, Aztech, Belkin, Linksys or Netgear.
2. The best home routers are PCs which have been re-configured to work as a router. Grab some old PC, dump in Linux and some software (IPCop seems to be decent) and you're now a proud owner of a DIY router. Problem is, this kind of routers use up helluva lot more electricity than the normal box routers.
3. For good stability and performance, get a business level router. Doesn't matter if they're D-Link, Aztech, Belkin or Netgear. I removed Linksys from the 'cos I'm pissed off at the stupid router. Division of Cisco my arse...I'm NEVER buying any gadgets based on brand name again and I'm NEVER touching another Linksys product.

Based on my findings, I've decided to get the Netgear FVS318. It's a VPN capable firewall/router with an 8-port switch and 1 WAN port, 200MHz processor with 2 MB flash and 16 MB RAM. It should have plenty juice! On the bright side, with this router I can actually VPN to my home network from anywhere in the world, as long as I've access to the Internet. Way cool!

In summary, if you're an avid downloader who opens up thousands of simultaneus connections (read: BitTorrent), please expect your tiny, pathetic home router to die. Grab a router targetted to SOHO instead.

You can check it out the router I'm buying at the Netgear website: http://www.netgear.com/Products/VPNandSSL/WiredVPNFirewallRouters/FVS318.aspx

For those who feel that looks matter when buying a router, here a picture of the router.

Light at the end of the tunnel...

Woohoo! My packet core network is now connected to Internet! I'll be bringing up HSDPA feature by end of this week. Ahh...surfing at 2 mbps... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I anticipate my project to finish by June, just in time for World Cup! :D

Man...after this project's over, I'm definitely looking for some time off. Hmm...maybe I'll go do my SCUBA license...

Sucks!!

This past 2 weeks, I've been busy with an update that is to be done on a network. I've now failed to update the node twice. Life sux...

PS: Don't bother trying to guess which network. Service is completely up so no one will notice anything.

Damned if I know...

One of the hardest thing about writing a blog for me is choosing an appropriate title. How exactly do you condense an entire thought that covers a wide-ranging subject and come up with a one liner. I took Comp Science, not Journalism! Perhaps there's a secret to this blog thing that I haven't figured out yet. Hmm...damned if I know...

Anyway, I've been a bit busy lately. Hence, the lack of blog postings! =)

I just finished a migration project. Man...that was tiring. All the work was at night and the next morning I'd get phone calls asking for a short report on how's the migration going. To make matters more interesting, it was a multi-vendor migration so there were *ahem* special interests to take care off. Sad to say, I kept being handed the short end of the stick. Due to some difficulties, most of the blame were sent to my direction. Certain parties claims that due to problems in the IP Core network, the migration results were not too impressive. Let me set things straight. There's NOTHING wrong with the IP Core network. It's been working fine for the past 2 years. It'll continue to work fine. Of course, convincing the parties involved takes some work. I had to show network traces, discuss RFC documents, highlight 3GPP implementation methods and debate how GTP protocols are being implemented on a router. Still, it's an interesting experience and will be an invaluable part of my professional growth.

Next up will be an update of a network application backbone. 4 Solaris node patching in a 4 hour maintenance window and it's all on a live network. Fun! And that's only the first phase of the update! Should be ok though. Initial testing indicates that patching should take around 2 hours and I'll be patching them all at the same time and monitoring it via a terminal server. Next phase is a bit easier. I'll be transferring update packages to each node of the application backbone and it'll be using some sort of GUI. It's all about clicking the mouse button.

There's one upcoming project that I'm a bit excited though. A trial network is being planned and I'll be handling every aspect of the IP Core network. Now THAT should be fun. Every single node in the IP Core will be set up by me. Switches. Routers. Firewalls. GSNs. All of it. Me. Yeah!

Of course, with all this stuff happening, I haven't really had much time to go out to party. I'm actually amazed at how much extra money I have by NOT going out to party! I kinda miss partying though. The drinks....the chicks....well....mainly the chicks!

Things should settle down by first week of March though so I'm sure my partying will start again!

Oh, I've finally succumbed to temptation. I'm now a member of the MPH Reader's Circle. Since I've started working, I no longer rely on my parents to buy me books. After spending a total of a few hundred bucks on books, I figured it's only wise for me to join the MPH Reader's Circle. At least I get to accumulate points!

I've also recently bought 3 new books. Heh, I know. I could go to gym, I could party all night long, I could play guitar and I could go to rock concerts but deep down I'd always be a geek. I can just imagine myself. I'd be 50 years old, white hair and all that and I'd still head to the bookstore and pick out a few books, with at least one of them being either a science fiction or a fantasy book. Hell, hopefully by that time the 7th book for Dune would be out!

I've currently a fan of this author by the name Alastair Reynolds. He's British (spells armour instead of armor) and he writes DAMN good science fiction! The book I just bought is called "Century Rain" and next on my list would be "Pushing Ice". I already have all his previous books before that. =)

As I get older, I also realized that my reading habits have...for lack of better word...matured. I'm no longer exclusively reading science fiction and fantasy novels. These days I'm exploring different authors, some which I've never heard before but which the synopsis at the back cover of the book looks interesting. I'm also more into non-native English speaking authors. My recent favorite book was by a Spanish author by the name Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Check out his book called "The Shadow of the Wind". It's REALLY good!

My latest book by a non-native English speaker is called "Out" by a Japanese author by the name Natsuo Kirino. As an added bonus, the author is a she! In one book, I get a different cultural AND gender perspective compared to the one I'm used to. I haven't started on the book yet but the premise looks interesting. It's about a woman who killed her husband, the 3 friends who helped her conceal the body and the inevitable consequences. Sounds fun and it's the type of book I'd never picked up 5 years ago.

Finally, looking for a good drama, I picked up a book by Wally Lamb which is called "I Know This Much Is True". According to the book's synopsis, its a story about a pair of twins, one who is schizophrenic and the experiences they both go through as they go about their daily life. Yeah, yet another type of book I'd never touch 5 years ago. Heh!

Video Gateways

Woohoo!! I've got a new responsibility! I'm now in the process of being trained up to be a Video Gateway expert! To date, I'm responsible for Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and now Video Gateway (ViG). I'm also responsible for other stuff such as Netscreen firewalls but these are not considered a major part my responsibility since they're 3rd party products.

Maybe it's just me being such a geek and all but I find working with all these technology to be really fun! The 3 areas I'm responsible for are all core network solutions. They are the area in the network where traffic HAS to flow to provide service to the customers. Essentially, no core network = no service!

Video Gateway is an interesting solution in which they provide a way for customers to access video content such as video streaming and video calls without going through an IP network. In general, when you talk about streaming via the Internet, you receive your streamed content using the TCP/IP protocol stack. For mobile users, this requires you to be attached to a GPRS network to enable you to receive IP content. With the ViG solution, the IP content is translated into a diferent protocol, which will then be used to carry the content to your phone. Instead of using your IP to determine the destination, it uses your phone number. This means that even without GPRS, you can still receive video content. Cool, ain't it? =P

Should any of you be interested, please drop me a message and I'll put you in contact with the sales team, who can probably explain all this to you better, with nice presentation slides and all! Heh!

Haze, 3G and Beck

Air quality is much better today, thank god. The past 1 week, the haze situation was very bad. In fact, air pollution index was at dangerous and hazardous levels all week until Saturday. This haze thing really pisses me off. If it happens once or twice, it's understandable but this is becoming a yearly event. It is ridiculous! My perception is that the government is not doing anything concrete to handle this problem. Every single message from authority seems either pointless or ridiculous. A ban in open burning and a request for people to cut down on smoking are actions that are born out of desperation, ignorance and incompetency. Saying that schools will be closed and a state of emergency to be declared if the air pollution index reaches 500 is absolutely idiotic when at 300, it is already classified as hazardous to health.

Seems to me that national productivity seems to be a higher priority than national health. Personally, I think that's the wrong approach and it's also morally corrupt. Lately I'm very tempted to vote for the opposition. Sadly, the 3 major opposition groups have serious issues that makes them bad choices. Parti Keadilan is being led by the wife of the former deputy prime minister. The actions of this former deputy prime minister during the last economic crisis leads me to believe that he's been bought over by a foreign power and does not have the nations interest in his heart. It'll be a cold day in hell before I give my vote to that party. Next, we have PAS. Their main focus is bringing an Islamic way of life. Unfortunately, their interpretation of this beautiful religion is rather...'creative' would be the polite term, I believe. Imagine a painting that is an absolute masterpiece. Normally, you'd judge a painting by the picture. Sadly, people from PAS will focus on the frames of the painting. Hence, their viewpoint in the Islamic way of life is rather...bizarre.

Lastly, we have the DAP. Their manifesto seems to be the most sane but I worry about the intelligence behind it. While they have a vision, there are a number of factors against them. Firstly, I'd prefer to have a Muslim to lead this country. It's a personal choice. You're all welcome to disagree as much as you want. Heh! Secondly, while I'm quite supportive to most of their objectives, I'm concerned about the implementation of it if this party ever gets into power. To be blunt, if they ever implement their objectives involving changes in widely held societal values, I'm afraid there would be social upheaval and unrest unless such changes are implemented in a proper manner. I highly doubt they are capable of doing so. Hence, my backup plan. If my disgust with the current party in the government continues to grow, I'd either form my own opposition party (hahahaha!) or migrate to somewhere else and change my citizenship. I hear Canada and New Zealand are wonderful places to live. There's always demand for skilled professionals.

Alright, enough haze bitching and political crap. =)

I just got my 3G phone activated on Saturday. I'm now connected to a third generation mobile network!! That's so cool!! Heh, ok. Maybe it's just me. I know, I'm such a geek...I gave my old phone to my brother. He seems very happy about it! Finally, all members of my family have camera phones. I'm also happy I'm not the only one now using Sony Ericsson. Down with Nokia! Anything that uses Real Player is automatically crap to me. Heh heh! I was tempted to sign-up for the unlimited data usage plan but figured RM120 is too much to pay each month when I won't even be using mobile internet that often. I'd probably activate the unlimited data usage plan if I have to travel a lot though since I'd want the flexibility of having internet access anywhere there's Maxis GPRS coverage. Oh yeah, with 3G I can now get live streaming of cartoon network. Heh, I will never miss an episode of Johnny Bravo again! There's also live streaming of news channels like BBC and CNN but who cares about that, right? It's the cartoons that matter. Heh heh! Another useful live streaming that's available is the live traffic conditions streaming. Then again, I use the LDP for work and it will always be jammed. Who needs live streaming to confirm that, eh? =)

I've finally finished watching Beck about a week ago. I also watched it again just now. What can I say? It's a brilliant anime! It's a story about a boy and how he matures as a musician. The animations is magnificent. The people involved in this anime have an excellent eye for detail. A concert scene in the anime will look, sound and FELL like a concert! The drawings are top-class while the songs are superb! When you watch the anime, check out the Dying Breed concert scene and the Greatful Sound concert scene and you'll understand what I mean. Oh yeah, I'm in love with Maho. Watch the anime and you'll also understand what I mean. =D