Views: 2,429Updated October 2026 — Windows 10 and Windows 11 If you spend much time troubleshooting Windows computers, you know how frustrating it can be to find a particular configuration setting. Some options are in the modern Windows Settings application, others remain in the traditional Control Panel, and a few are buried several levels deep.
Windows GodMode: A Handy Shortcut to Windows Settings Read More »
Views: 2,341Originally published August 7, 2018 | Updated October 2026 Several years ago, during a video call with a service provider technical lead, I noticed something interesting. Almost every question I answered, whether it concerned Wi-Fi, network testing, troubleshooting, or packet analysis, involved demonstrating something on my Linux laptop. Eventually, the technical lead asked why
Why Broadband Service Provider Technical Teams Should Be Using Linux in 2026 Read More »
Views: 2,822Have you ever wondered exactly what hardware is inside your computer? Not just how much memory you have or what processor Windows says you’re running, but the actual manufacturer and model of your motherboard, the type and speed of your RAM, the BIOS or UEFI firmware version, and the details of your graphics processor?
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Views: 2,345One of the challenges of owning and maintaining a Windows PC has always been keeping the operating system, installed applications, device drivers, and other software up to date. I originally wrote this article back in September 2013 and made a few updates in 2020. A lot has changed since then! Fortunately, keeping software updated
Keeping your Windows PC Software Up to Date in 2026 Read More »
Views: 255We promised to deliver some great IPv6 labs to expand your IPv6 skills and the first two are up! Three more are scheduled already! To check them out go here. These labs include full instructions, GNS3 Portable Projects (not required) and PCAPs for Wireshark where needed. Thank you to our Patreon members who keep
IPv6 Lab Exercises Appearing Read More »
Views: 7,523Originally published October 26, 2018 | Updated October 2026 If you have spent much time working with Linux, you probably remember commands such as ifconfig, route, and arp. For years, these utilities were commonly used to examine network interfaces, IP addressing, routing tables, and other networking information. Those commands may still be available on
The Linux ip Command: A Practical Guide to Network Troubleshooting Read More »
Views: 749Most people never think about the Domain Name System (DNS) until something stops working. They enter a website address, press Enter, and expect the page to appear. Somewhere along the way, DNS helps translate the domain name into the IP address needed to reach the destination. What many Internet users do not realize is
Public DNS Servers Explained: Which One Should You Use? Read More »
Views: 296This updated Wireshark Display Filter Cheat Sheet (multi page) is designed as a practical reference for anyone who uses Wireshark for troubleshooting, packet analysis, protocol study, or security work. The original version already covered the basic filter structure, comparison operators, conversation filters, common protocol fields, TCP analysis, Wi-Fi, routing, VoIP, DNS, DHCP, TLS, and
Wireshark Display Filter Cheat Sheet Read More »
Views: 242Are you just getting started with Linux? Are you an occasional user? This is a great cheat sheet to help you with Linux in general. You know I highly recommend that technicians learn Linux. This updated Linux Command Cheat Sheet is designed as a practical reference for anyone working with Linux at the command
A Great Linux Cheat Sheet Read More »
Views: 941Signal has a well-earned reputation as a secure messaging application. Messages, voice calls, video calls, files, and other Signal-to-Signal communications are protected using end-to-end encryption. Signal states that message and call contents cannot be accessed by Signal or other third parties because the communications are always end-to-end encrypted. So that raises an interesting Wireshark
What Can Wireshark Really Tell You About an Encrypted Signal Conversation? Read More »
Views: 584Wireshark display filters can look deceptively simple. For example: tcp.port > 1024 seems obvious. But a TCP packet normally has two port values: a source port and a destination port. That means Wireshark may be evaluating more than one value when you write a filter. Consider: This packet satisfies: tcp.port > 1024 because 53000
Why Your Wireshark Filter May Not Mean What You Think It Means Read More »
Views: 957Yesterday (9/21/2026) provided one of those networking lessons that is difficult to ignore. A telecommunications failure disrupted air traffic across one of the busiest regions in the United States. Flights were stopped or delayed at Newark Liberty, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia and other airports after communications problems developed at the FAA’s Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach
The FAA Had a Backup Fiber Path. So Why Did Air Traffic Still Go Dark? Read More »
Views: 323I recently made this comment about teaching: When you teach classes on highly technical subjects with hands-on labs, you get evaluated every class. That can be two times a week. Evaluations are from people you have just met. Evaluations are specific to the class and content being taught, and are heavily influenced by the
Stop Rating Technical Training Like an Uber Ride Read More »
Views: 514Most Wireshark users learn display filters by comparing a field to a value: ip.addr == 192.168.1.10 tcp.port == 443 dns.qry.name contains “example” But modern Wireshark display filters can do much more than simple comparisons. The filter language includes functions that can measure field lengths, count repeated fields, manipulate text, compare values, and even convert
10 Wireshark Display Filter Functions You’re Probably Not Using Read More »
Views: 804I discussed correlating packet captures from multiple capture points last week. In that post, one of the things I promised was to dive deeper into clock offsets and clock drift. When troubleshooting from more than one capture point, it is common to compare traffic from places such as: Before those captures can be compared—or
Synchronize Two Wireshark Captures by Correcting Clock Drift Read More »
