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To many people the idea of physically building a house themselves from scratch would also be a daunting task and many would say they couldn’t do it.

If, however, I drew two parallel lines on the ground, gave you a ruler and shovel and said dig a trench between those lines 300mm deep you could conceive doing that. Then I said put these strips of steel in the bottom and fill the trench with the concrete that will be delivered by truck and level it out you would imagine that being quite within your reach. So the instructions go on - one step at a time, one brick at a time, one nail at a time until the house is built.

The concept of just having a plan and building the house without specific instructions, or having the task broken down into small manageable pieces, is the exact opposite and could be conceived as enormous. The concept of just digging the trench is simple. The concept of now adding the steel is simple - until the whole project is finished. Therefore the step by step approach and not worrying about what is to come later makes the whole project manageable and, who knows, could even be fun.

The concept of setting up accounting software should also be reasonably simple - if taken step by step, stage by stage.

Most accounting software packages will let you take this approach and, as with the house example, it is important that you set yourself a plan of implementation and don’t move onto the next stage until you have perfected the stage you are working on. Don’t start laying the bricks until you have finished, and are happy with, the foundations.

Some accounting software trainers and even some accountants will encourage you to get the whole thing, all modules, up and running from day one, or by some unrealistic date deadline.

Some will sit there for hour after hour, at your expense, training until your brain is totally numb and confused. Don’t accept this. It is easy for them - they know what they are talking about - they have probably been there dozens and dozens of times before and know the thing inside out. You are fooling yourself and probably paying buckets of money out for training when most of it will be wasted, simply because you haven’t given yourself a chance to understand the basics and work at your pace and level of understanding.

If you are paying someone to train you on accounting software make sure that the sessions are no longer than around two hours each. Much more than this and you are wasting your time and money and will in all probability end up discouraged, definitely confused and even disinterested. Don’t let them push you onto something new until you fully understand the stage you are currently doing and, ideally, have had some practice at it and watched it interface into the ledger. Accounting software setup can be a complex issue with some packages but simply take it slowly - step by step.

Starting the actual setup

I am probably going to ask you now to understand and setup some things that you just don’t understand. That’s OK for the time being as my philosophy is for you to re-visit it until you do understand.

In most accounting software it is probably advisable to set up the general ledger first, or at least the different accounts in the general ledger for income and expenses as well as some simple balance sheet items like bank account, trade debtors, trade creditors etc. It is a good idea anyway as it shouldn’t take that long and will give you the tools from the outset to follow the double entry bookkeeping principles from day one. There is a section on this site about double entry principles - if you don’t understand then use it.

You probably don’t even have to fully understand at this stage what you are doing or why. This is the only exception that I will agree to that you can setup something that you don’t fully understand and then move on.

If you really and absolutely don’t want to start with the ledger in your accounting software, and your accounting software will let you continue without it, is not the end of the world and can be done later. Go onto the next section - ‘Setting Up sales and Customer Invoicing’. Having said that give this a go first it is probably worth it in the long run and probably not as hard as you imagine.

Remember - you must feel comfortable with whatever you are doing.

The Ledger - Setting Up

The list of accounts in the ledger is typically called the ‘Chart of Accounts’, with the accounts being grouped in their like categories i.e. sales, expenses, assets and liabilities.

You may decide to ask your accountants advice on what accounts are necessary but the following is a good guide and a start if you want to go it alone. Common sense will also help.

Almost all accounting software packages will require you to use a code for your ledger accounts and many will also have the option of having departments and, or, sub codes attached to each code or account. You almost certainly should ignore the departments and sub accounts at this stage if not forever. They are useful in large businesses but tend just to confuse the issue when you are starting out.

Some accounting software packages come with a chart of accounts already set up. That’s OK, it may save you some work. If so print it out and relate to it.

Manyaccounting software packages will accept a numeric code only, some will accept alpha/numeric. I think numeric only is a good way to go if possible because it is a good way to group codes into categories. Many systems will allow up to twelve or more characters in the code and I have seen some small businesses use all twelve. This is a nonsense and, if you use numeric only, 4 numeric characters should be more than enough. There is a complete section on another page about charts of accounts and I suggest you have a read of that as well.

Now the ledger is set up what next

There are sections on my site that cover the following steps and they are probably the order in which you should proceed.

* Sales and Customer Invoicing

* Products

* Accounts Payable

I have been involved in all aspects of the accounting software industry for over 20 years. I run several websites that specialize in various subjects including http://www.diyaccounts.com.au that gives advice on all aspects of accounting software from choosing, setting up and using it. Amongst other sites that I run are http://www.sense-now.com that helps newbies understand what internet business will probably work for them and what won’t. http://www.oumas.com.au is all about arts, crafts, hobbies, wine and beer making and much more

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Your company has the potential to save over 40-50% when purchasing a reconditioned robot they are now readily available. They are an affordable option to smaller shops that want to begin automation and larger companies with automation currently in place. The ROI on a quality refurbished robot allows it to pay for itself in much less time than a new robot. There are some common pitfalls you want to avoid when purchasing a used robotic system.

First, make sure the potential system you are considering comes with a warranty. A used robot should come with a warranty that offers 100% coverage on parts and 100% coverage on labor. You should also ask if the warranty comes with free technical support. Buying a robot with no guarantee is a costly gamble. “As is” does not mean that a robot will operate properly, even if it does power up to run. Accuracy and reliability are crucial aspects of a robotic system. The system should be demonstrated before you make the final commitment to purchase.

Equipment auctions that offer robots for sale do not guarantee the robots they are selling. Often the machinery has been standing idle for an extended period of time and may even be non-supportable. Also, it could have been stored in a non-temperature controlled environment or even outside! The robot could look to be in perfect condition, yet suffer water or heat damage that renders it useless. There is no way of knowing unless repeatability testing can be performed to your satisfaction. Also, robots purchased from auctions rarely include integration packages. Robotic integration is a costly procedure if purchased separately from the robot unit. Many companies will not integrate a system they can not guarantee. If you purchase a robot from an auction, you will then also have to secure tooling, fixturing, programming, training, and service for your robot.

Robots are complex and intricate industrial equipment. They are also, once integrated, crucial to the running of your company. Repairs need to be made as urgently and cost-effectively as possible. A parts warranty and service contract can be a life-saving asset in that circumstance. Knowing that your automation line will be functioning in little time is important when every hour counts for your bottom line. Verify that the source of your used robot is capable of servicing the machine should the situation require it. When you are considering a purchase, inquire about the number of engineers and technicians that the company employs. Also, it is important that your company receives adequate training on your system. Working with an individual project manager is an excellent way to accomplish that. The provisions in your sale should allow for representatives from your company to train on your systems with the engineers and technicians who programmed the robot. You should also receive a manual that documents events your might encounter.

Buying a reconditioned robot is often like buying a used car. There is an extraordinary amount of potential to save money on a robot that is just “broken-in.” However, you can encounter problems if you do not take precautions. These steps are good ways to ensure your company does not purchase more than they bargained for. Verify that your robotic supplier offers a warranty, training, and has qualified technicians on staff should you encounter problems. Automation will help your company stay competitive and grow in the industrial market.

Purchase Used Robots and Robot Parts

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A DVD printer is a device that permits you to print images directly on a DVD, to give the DVD a professional look. The printer prints on inkjet-printable DVDs and CDs. DVD printers generally can be used to print on CDs and are called CD/DVD printers.

DVD printers can be used to personalize your DVDs with your own text, graphics, and photos; you can actually use it to make excellent personalized gifts for your loved ones. For those who don’t know how to use a DVD printer, the DVD printer works with a computer. The printers are Windows and Mac compatible, thus making it convenient to use with most computers. The DVD printer has to be connected either through a USB port or have a parallel connection with the computer. Most DVD printers have a six-color ink system composed of individual ink cartridges that help to produce colorful DVDs. Upon connecting the DVD printer to the computer, with the help of the provided software, one can create eye-catching images and photos to be printed on the DVDs. Not only that, the printer is programmed by the computer to produce border free-printing, thus ensuring a neat piece of art on the DVD.

There are two types of DVD printers available on the market; they are the thermal DVD printer and the inkjet DVD printer. The thermal DVD printer is more expensive but produces a durable finish to the DVD, just like the silk-screened DVDs. The inkjet DVD printer is less expensive but produces high-resolution print on the DVDs. However, DVDs printed on inkjet printers are generally less scratch and water resistant. DVD printers are also divided into manually operated and automatic models. The manually operated DVD printer is better if printing is meant to be only on a few DVDs at a time, maybe tens to hundreds. If the printing is in the thousands, then it is better to use an automatic DVD printer.

DVD Printers provides detailed information on DVD Printers, CD DVD Printers, Inkjet DVD Printers, Thermal DVD Printers and more. DVD Printers is affiliated with DVD Burner Software.

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Let’s just skip the intro and get straight to it. This tutorial is for the Windows XP Operating System. If you don’t have it I recommend you upgrade to it.

This portion of the tutorial will apply to people with Comcast High Speed Internet. For other Internet Providers I will include another tutorial specific to those.

Let me start off by saying that despite what Comcast might tell you, you do not have to have Comcast come and set up your wireless network. In addition, you do not need to pay them an additional monthly fee in order to have a wireless network in your home or to have additional computers on your home network.

Let’s talk a little about where to buy the equipment . In most walk in retail stores you are going to pay about 20% to 30% more than if you order online (with the exception of Walmart, but the one near me is always out of stock of the wireless products I need.) If you feel more comforatable buying from a retail store because you can easily return something that is defective or that you don’t like, keep in mind some retail stores will take back a defective product for a full refund within 14 to 30 days, but some will tell you to ship the defect to the manufacturer for a replacement. If the item is opened and you simply don’t like it, most retail stores will take it back within 30 days but you will have to pay a restocking fee, which is usually 30% to 50%. My point here is that I don’t see too many advantages to buying wireless equipment at a retail store.

I order almost everything online unless I need to test it first or I can’t wait a few days for it to ship. I don’t mind waiting a few days in order to save 20 - 30%.

Equipment

There’s a lot of different equipment you can use, but what I’m going to list here is what I’ve found to be the best, and is what I use myself. If the text is blue it means you can click on it to be taken to a page where it can be ordered online, either from Amazon or Buy.com, both reputable online retailers.

The following portion of the tutorial applies to the following: I have a Desktop Computer that sits near the cable modem.

First you will need a Wireless Router. I recommend the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router.

If you are connecting a desktop computer to your wireless network and the desktop computer is sitting near your cable modem, your desktop computer will need to have an ethernet card. How do you know if your desktop computer has an ethernet card? If you bought your desktop computer within the last 3 years chances are it has one already. Best thing is to get behind the computer and look. If you have one you will have a port in the back of your computer that looks similar to a phone jack port but bigger. If you do not have this then you will need to purchase one. The
Linksys LNE100M EtherFast 10/100 PCI card will do fine.

To install this card you will have to unhook your desktop computer and open the case. Before you start to panic let me tell you, in most cases it’s really not that hard. In most circumstances the hardest part is opening the case.

The first thing you need to do is open your computer case. Since each computer maker makes a different case and in turn a different way to open the case, I cannot list the steps for all manufacturers. In addition for just one computer maker, the way cases are opened differs from model to model. If the computer is a Dell or HP then the instructions on how to open it should be online on their website in the help section. It may take a little digging to find it but it’s there. Sometimes a case is designed well enough that it can be opened simply by unscrewing the two round screws and pulling it off.

Once the case is off it’s time to take a look inside.

The slot that you are looking for looks like this picture to the right. You may have several open slots like this or just one. Take a look at the slot and then take a look at PCI Ethernet card that you bought. As you can see the Ethernet PCI card is shaped to fit nicely into the PCI slot in your computer.

There will probably be a small metal cover covering the PCI slot. Holding this cover on will be a screw. You need to unscrew this with a Phillips head and take off the cover. Once you’ve done that align the ethernet PCI card with the PCI slot. Once you have it aligned it will take a small amount of force to get it to click in, just make sure you have aligned correctly. There is only one possible way it can go in.

Once you have the Ethernet PCI card in put the cover back on the computer and hook your computer up again.

There are other options for wireless adapters that do not involve opening the case but I don’t recommend them as they can cause more headaches then they are worth.

Laptop Computer that is fairly new

If you are trying to connect a laptop computer that was bought after 2005 you most likely have wireless capability already so there is nothing you need to add to your laptop. You can check for sure by doing the following:

Click on Start > Control Panel > System > Click on the Hardware tab > click on the Device Manager button in the middle of that window > You will see a list of your hardware here, find the one that says “Network Adapters > Click on the Plus sign next to Network Adapters > This will show all the network adapters on your computer > If you see something with the word “Wireless” or ‘Wireless Adapter” then you are in good shape, your laptop has a wireless adapter.

If your laptop is older and you do not have a wireless adapter then you will need to add one to your laptop.

Let’s talk for second about what kind of adapter to get. Most laptops have what’s called a PCMCIA slot in them. If your laptop did not come wireless ready I recommend you get a wireless adapter that goes into your laptop’s PCMCIA slot. The Linksys Wireless-G Notebook Adapter will do fine. The instructions that come with this product are pretty good and will tell you step by step how to install and load the software. In a nutshell you are going to load the CD into your cd drive and follow the instructions to load the software for the adapter. Once the software is installed you will shut down your computer, slide the card into your laptop’s PCMCIA slot and turn the laptop back on.

Once you have the appropriate adapter installed for your computer you are ready to move onto the next step.

Installing The Linksys Wireless Router

The following directions apply to the following: I have a Desktop Computer that sits near the cable modem. In addition the desktop computer is hooked up directly to the Comcast Cable Modem.

If there is an Ethernet cable going from the Comcast Cable Modem to your desktop computer, disconnect this from both the computer and the modem. If it is a USB cable disconnect it from the computer and the modem.

In the wireless router’s box you should find its power supply as well as an Ethernet Cable. Take them both out. Plug the power adapter into a power outlet.

Take the Ethernet cord and plug it into one of the Ethernet ports in the back of the Linksys Wireless Router (plug it into any of the ones on the back except the one that says “Internet” over it.)

Take the other end of the Ethernet cord and plug that end into the Ethernet adapter that you put into your desktop computer. Now power up your desktop computer. Once it is powered up, open up Internet Explorer, or if you use Firefox open that up.

An Internet Explorer window comes up and it says “Page Cannot Be Displayed”.

In the Internet Explorer address bar, type in the following numbers exactly like this

192.168.1.1 and then press Enter on your keyboard.

If your computer is talking to the Linksys Wireless Router you should get a window asking you for a username and password. Leave the username blank.

Go down to the password field and type in admin

Then press the enter key.

You are taken to the Linksys set up screen. This is where changes are made to the routers set up.

Look towards the top, you should see something that says Host Name and Domain name. Just above this you should see a drop down menu. By default it probably says Obtain an IP automatically.

If it has “Obtain an IP automatically” there already you do not need to do anything. Just exit the window.

If it does not have “Obtain an IP automatically” click the arrow for the drop down menu and choose “Obtain an IP automatically”.

Scroll down towards the bottom until you see a “save” button. Click save. You will be told that Settings are successful and you will be returned to the Setup screen again.

That’s all you need to do on the router status screen for right now. Exit the window.

Connect Your Comcast Cable Modem to the LinkSys Wireless Router

By now you have your desktop computer connected to the LinkSys Wireless Router by way of an Ethernet cable.

Now you will need to grab another Ethernet cable.

Plug one end of this Ethernet cable into the Comcast Cable Modem. (There should only be one possible port for it to go.)

Plug the other end of this Ethernet cable into the LinkSys Wireless Router in the port that has the word “Internet” over it.

Now you have a cord going from the computer to the Linksys router, and another cord going from the linksys router to the Comcast modem.

You desktop should now be able to get onto the Internet. Open up Internet Explorer again and surf the Internet to check.

Connect Your Laptop to the Wireless Network

The following section applies to the following: I have a laptop and I want to connect my laptop to my wireless network. My laptop is fairly new (purchased after 2005) and it already has a wireless adapter inside it. I checked in Device manager as noted above and I found something that said “Wireless”.

This should be fairly easy if your LinkSys Wireless Router is running correctly.

Boot up your laptop. When the laptop boots up you should get a pop up window saying that it found a wireless network called “linksys”. It should connect to the wireless network automatically. If not then you need to Right-click the network connection icon in the notification area (area near the clock in bottom right hand corner), and then click View Available Wireless Networks.

In Connect to Wireless Network, under Available Networks, click the wireless network that you want to connect to (the one called “linksys”)

Click Connect. You should now be connected to the internet.

If your laptop is older and you had to add a PCMCIA wireless card to your laptop to give it wireless capability, the steps to connecting to your wireless network are much lengthier. In this case your best bet is to consult the online documentation and follow the steps outlined in it.

Carlos Cabezas writes regularly about home technology at http://www.HighTechHomes.tv/blog. His business, High Tech Homes, helps work at home professionals, families and small businesses with their technology issues.

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With all the WiFi hacking going on these days and the widespread use of wireless systems, is it wise for Factories to run al their robotic equipment off WiFi systems? Sure encryption would prevent most problems, but materials and parts are expensive and one robotic mess up is a real problem. You have a complete assembly line shut down, because of some two-bit hacker.

Did you know that there are some WiFi security analysts, which purposely “war drive” to find holes in systems in corporations and then use this knowledge to go to the company and sell them Wireless Computer Security Services? Can you imagine if you did this type of sales technique you might find your self explaining what you are doing to the police when the company called them for fear you were a hacker rather than a IT Security Solutions Provider.

In a Robotic Manufacturing Plant it is of concern that such people are out there, even if semi-good intentions. It might be smart to scramble signals leaving the building and watch out for insiders with hand helds. Indeed, even with a WEP setup, you might find yourself in a problematic situation from a hacker or electronics guy who is getting laid off and losing their job in the factory to a robot and completely disgruntled. (see movie; iRobot, A.I. and read Issac Asimov).

Human nature, revenge is a powerful motivation of humans, watch out on that one, Unions can do some pretty criminally irresponsible things. A factory of this type could use a scrambler system between walls, and windows or double paned with air or music running thru them. Still there are many pointer type units you can buy for direction sound attainment and you know the hackers have those too, if they do not make them just to test the range like they did recently at Defcon Hacker Convention in Las Vegas. This is something to think of too and a robotic factory electronic computer IT engineer must be thinking here. Are you? WiFi security is not a luxury it is a necessity, think on this.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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I propose a Giant Walking Robot for border patrol and for robotic surveillance of critical infrastructure or military bases. I propose that these units be at first run tele-robotically like the Predator Drones and eventually after the DARPA Challenge II completely autonomously after that technology comes on line. Until then these units will have command and control centers manned with operators.

Front View: http://www.plustech.fi/images/ISOT/6×6_01.jpg

Side View: http://www.plustech.fi/images/ISOT/6×6_02.jpg

Here is a simulator, which we can use for the command and control rescue center:

http://www.plustech.fi/images/ISOT/Simul04.jpg

I also propose that the feet contain hollow tubes and are made of new high-tech composites which have giant vacuum tubes in them which suck up the sand or dirt each time they pick up their feet to prevent making dust and giving away their positions to those who these units are watching out for. I propose that these units be coated with negative ion materials, which will also collect the dust, sand or dirt of the most nearest terrain. As the unit passes over the land and the changes from dirt to forest or from sand to mud the local terrain will stick to the coating on the unit and therefore maintain camouflage and change with the landscape. This feature will not be needed when the region is constant where the walking robot will be deployed.

Walking technologies are used in forestry for minimum damage to forest. With this walking unit, downed aviators can be rescued without detection and without risking more people. The area where the pilot will be placed will be an inflatable expanding cabin with protection from small arms fire. A 50 Caliber Machine Gun can also be attached if necessary. Forestry walking technologies have an interesting recent history.

First Conceived in 1991 and today the units are sturdy, safe, reliable and can be made from composite, carbon fiber or a variety of materials. These units will be light, quiet, no dust and camouflaged, which changes as they go. They will be able to move thru unstable terrain, forests and get to the downed pilot easy.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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You no longer have to go to Starbucks to enjoy wireless Internet connections. That’s right, you can enjoy your coffee from the privacy of your home and access the Internet. Wireless Internet has come home as well, and Internet connections can now be shared among family members without stringing wires through the living room. On the negative side, however, setting this up can be quite a chore.

With a wireless network, not only can you share Internet connectivity, but you can share files. You can put a file on a shared drive, and then anyone on any computer in your house can access it.

Additionally, you can share a printer. You can literally press “print” while working on your laptop in the bedroom, and the printer in your office will start spewing out your latest reports.

To start out with, you need a gateway the Internet. Any computer can serve as your gateway. This system must be directly plugged into the Internet in order for other users to be truly wireless. Thus one computer is stationary, you cannot move it.

To connect your wireless systems to the Internet, set up your gateway. Click on the Start menu and scroll up to the Control Panel. Then double click the Network Connections icon. At this point you can run through the series of steps in the Network Set up Wizard. Make sure to select “set up a home or small office network.”

Continue moving through the wizard until you reach the “select a connection method” page. You will need to select the option that states that your computer is directly connected to the Internet. Keep moving through the steps until you arrive on the final page with your reward: the finish button.

At this point you only have one computer hooked up to the Internet, and you can’t move it around the house. To gain mobility, you will need to go through the same steps with each of your other computers, only this time, you should select the option that states you’re your computer is connected to the Internet through a network and not directly connected to the Internet.

Unfortunately this sort of network does have a downside: the wireless connection relies on the gateway. When you turn your gateway off, the rest of your systems drop their Internet connection too. You might also want to consider purchasing a wireless router. Check out our article configure a network that always stays on.

Overall a wireless connection offers the freedom that no other Internet service does. You can even sit outside your home within a reasonable distance and access the Internet. Imagine that: shopping online from your deck. You could work from the kitchen, the bedroom, and even the bathroom. And while no one wants to become a workaholic, some people need the variety of setting to stay productive. So take the necessary steps to get hooked up and go wireless today.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as high speed internet at http://www.wirelessandhighspeedinternet.com

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When you’re studying to pass the Cisco CCNA and CCNP certification exams, you quickly learn that there’s always something else to learn. (You’ll really pick up on this in your CCIE studies, trust me!) Today we’ll take a look at an often-overlooked topic in Frame Relay, the encapsulation type. You don’t exactly change this on a daily basis in production networks (not if you want to stay employed, anyway!), but it’s an important exam topic that you must be familiar with.

The DCE and DTE must agree on the LMI type, but there’s another value that must be agreed upon by the two DTEs serving as the endpoints of the VC. The Frame encapsulation can be left at the default of Cisco (which is Cisco-proprietary), or it can be changed to the industry-standard IETF, as shown below. If a non-Cisco router is the remote endpoint, IETF encapsulation must be used. Note that the default of Cisco isn’t listed as an option by IOS Help, so you better know that one by heart!

R1(config)#int s0

R1(config-if)#encap frame ?

ietf Use RFC1490/RFC2427 encapsulation

R1(config-if)#encap frame ietf

What if a physical interface is in use and some remote hosts require Cisco encapsulation and others require IETF? The encapsulation type can be configured on a per-PVC basis as well. One encap type can be used on the interface, and any map statements that require a different encap type can have that specified in the appropriate map statement. In the following example, all PVCs will use the default Cisco encapsulation type except for PVC 115. The frame map statement using that PVC has ietf specified.

R1(config)#int s0/0

R1(config-if)#encap frame

R1(config-if)#frame map ip 172.12.123.3 123 broadcast

R1(config-if)#frame map ip 172.12.123.2 122 ietf broadcast

show frame map shows us that the mapping to DLCI 123 is using Cisco encapsulation, and DLCI 122 is using IETF.

R1#show frame map

Serial0 (up): ip 172.12.123.3 dlci 123(0×7B,0×1CB0), static

broadcast, CISCO, status defined, active

Serial0 (up): ip 172.12.123.2 dlci 122(0×7B,0×1CB0), static

broadcast, ietf, status defined, active

Just remember that Cisco is the default, and all PVCs will use Cisco unless you specify IETF in the frame map statement itself. You could also change the entire interface to use IETF for all mappings with the frame-relay encapsulation IETF command. For Cisco exams, as well as work on production networks, it’s always a good idea to know more than one way to do something!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.

You can also join his RSS feed and visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Details are on the website.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! And coming in 2007 — Microsoft Vista certification from The Bryant Advantage

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The Artificial Intelligence community failed to grasp the power of the mind, the most powerful intelligence in the universe, because they used computational models. They wrongly believed that intelligence was the achievement of life goals through computation. The AI study was set in motion by the arrival of computers in the 1940s, on the basic premise that the brain did some kind of computation. Alan Turing was one of the first to work on intelligent machines by programming computers. Algorithmic procedures did enable programs to achieve striking results. Computers could solve complex mathematical and engineering problems. A few scientists even believed that a large enough assembly of programs and collated knowledge could achieve human level intelligence.

While there could be other possible ways, computer programs were the best available resource for attempting to simulate human level intelligence. But, in the 1930s mathematical logicians, including Turing and Godel, established that algorithms could not be guaranteed to solve problems in certain mathematical domains. Both the theory of computational complexity, which defined the difficulty of general classes of problems and the AI community failed to identify the properties of problems and problem solving methods, which enabled humans to solve problems. Every direction of search seemed to lead only to dead ends.

The AI community could not design a machine, which could learn and become significantly intelligent. No program could learn much by reading. Computers could use vast computational capabilities to play chess at grandmaster level, but their intelligence was limited. Parallel processing computers looked promising, but proved difficult to program. Computer programs could only solve domain specific problems. They could not distinguish between problems, or be a “General Problem Solver.” Since humans could solve problems in unique domains, Roger Penrose argued that computers were intrinsically incapable of achieving human intelligence. The philosopher Hubert Dreyfus also suggested that AI was impossible. But, the AI community continued its search, even though most researchers felt the need for new fundamental ideas. In the end, the general consensus was that computers were only “somewhat intelligent.” So, was the basic definition of “intelligence” itself wrong?

Since much of human intelligence was little understood, it was impossible to define a particular computational procedure as being intelligent. Intelligence was clearly an ability to solve problems. In nature, it was a matured intelligence,which empowered the “homeostasis” of animals in the survival process. Homeostasis was the ability of an entity to function normally, achieving a relatively constant state within the body, in a changeable, or even hostile, environment. It was an intelligent process, internally maintained by the animals at many levels, through various sensing, feedback and control systems, supervised by a hierarchy of control centers. This process, achieved by even the lowest animal was the ultimate “General Problem Solver.” The process was not domain specific. It recognized problems and responded with effective motor activity. It applied to every aspect of survival.

The nervous system received a kaleidoscopic combination of trillions of sensory inputs. A phenomenal memory enabled it to remember and identify patterns. Intuition, an algorithmic process, enabled it to isolate the context of a single pattern from a galactic memory. The system could identify objects from millions of received sensory inputs. That pattern recognition ability was not limited to the identification of static objects. It could identify problems. It recognized and interpreted dynamic events to generate patterns of emotions. Emotions clearly defined problems. Animals recognized the difference between a friendly nudge and a deadly slither and responded. Fear, anger, or jealousy motivated them. Each motor response had a particular sequence of problem solving steps, which were, again, remembered patterns of activities.

The environment presented the system with millions of enigmatic phenomena. Many of these were caused by other phenomena. Most problems were patterns of events, which had contextual links to remembered successful problem solving strategies. Pattern recognition enabled identification. The process was not domain specific. It straddled the entire problem solving domain. Pattern recognition merely identified the link between one phenomenon and another. Intuition instantly identified the contextual link. It did not identify the complex reasoning links between the two. It did not use incremental logical steps to solve problems. When primitive man took shelter as the storm clouds advanced, he was merely responding to a perceived pattern.

Across thousands of years, mankind responded adequately to much of nature, without understanding underlying causes. That intelligence was not computation, which reasoned its way through life, by analyzing the logical and mathematically precise links between particular causes and their effects. The reasons behind causes were discovered only later, with advanced study and research. Such analysis benefited only a minor segment of the problem solving world. A group of symptoms related to a disease. Physicians identified illnesses, without always knowing the logical or reasoned links between the symptom and the disease. Software code was logical. But, many quirks of complex code were patterns of effects, related to particular programming events, which could only be recognized by a pattern recognition intelligence. Complex problem solving was achieved through sensitive pattern recognition. True intelligence was this powerful pattern recognition capability, which also, incidentally, discovered logic, reasoning and mathematics.

Abraham Thomas is the author of The Intuitive Algorithm, a book, which suggests that intuition is a pattern recognition algorithm. This leads to an understanding of the powerful forces that control your mind. The ebook version is available at http://www.intuition.co.in The book may be purchased only in India. The website, provides a free movie and a walk through to explain the ideas.

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More and more laptops and desktop computers are coming pre-equipped with wireless networking devices — it’s so cheap that they might as well put it in, to have another thing to list in the system specifications. It is easy to tell if a desktop computer has wireless enabled. Have a look at the rear panel for a small antenna. If its there then you have wireless. Laptops a much more difficult to diagnose.

If you’re anything like me, though, you probably don’t even know how much memory your computers have, never mind whether any of them came wireless-enabled. When you don’t know what wireless networking is, it’s easy to ignore it in a computer’s specifications, and never take the time to set it up and get it working. Here are some things to look for if you want to check your computer’s wireless capabilities.

Intel Centrino

If your laptop came with something called ‘Intel Centrino mobile technology’, then it’s good news for you! Computer manufacturers seem a little bad at explaining what this technology is or does, but it basically means that your laptop has wireless networking built right in, without you needing to do a thing. It is a marketing name for a combination of the Intel Pentium M processor and Intel’s Pro/Wireless card.

Your computer should have a ‘Centrino’ sticker on it somewhere if it is Centrino enabled. If you think you might have taken the sticker off, you can check the name of your processor by right clicking the My Computer icon on your desktop (or in the Start Menu) and choosing Properties from the menu that appears. Take a look at what it says after the word ‘Computer’ on this screen.

If you’re interested, Centrino technology also increases battery life and allows computers to be smaller. Don’t worry, though, if you didn’t buy a Centrino laptop — as long as your laptop has a free card slot, installing wireless on it will be no trouble.

Desktop Computers

If you’re not sure whether your desktop computer has a wireless connection, the easiest thing to do is to turn it around and look at it. If a wireless connection is present, you should usually be able to see a small aerial sticking out of the back of the computer, towards the bottom.

If there’s nothing there, then it’s still possible that you have a wireless device in the computer, especially if you bought it recently and you think you do. It’s not a good idea to try to open up your computer just to check something, though, so you should probably try and figure it out using Windows.

Checking in Windows

Instead of fiddling around with your computer hardware to see what you’ve got, you can check easily enough using Windows’ Device Manager. To use it, right click My Computer, and choose Manage from that menu. Now click Device Manager.

You should see a list of all the different kinds of things you can install on your computer. Take a look under ‘Network adapters’. Ignore anything that says ‘10/100′ or ‘Ethernet’ — they’re normal network connections, but not wireless ones. If there’s anything else there, it could be a wireless device.

If you think you have a wireless device, but it has a yellow warning sign next to its name in the Device Manager, you should take a look at it to see what’s wrong by double clicking its name. Windows should tell you why the device is not working at the moment, and may suggest that you go through its troubleshooter program. Do that before you do anything else.

If it turns out to be a driver problem, you should insert the drivers CD that came with your computer. Of course, as is always the way, you probably won’t be able to find that CD — but don’t worry, you should be able to find drivers online. First, you should look on the website of the computer’s manufacturer, and then you should try searching for the name that the wireless device had in Device Manager.

Of course, you might find after all this that you don’t have a wireless device after all. Hard luck. It’s better to figure that out now than to buy wireless equipment and then realise you had some already, though, isn’t it? Of course, even if you did find a wireless device in one of your computers, you probably still need more. Don’t worry either way — they’re getting cheaper all the time!

Researched, and Written by Tony Fitz of
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