Michael McNamara

As I've commented in the past I needed a tool that would allow me to better draft and layout my posts and articles. The default editor in Blogger is very nice for quick short articles but it becomes very cumbersome when the post starts to get long and has a lot of technical syntax. Formatting issues can also start to create problems which eventually lead to me (the author) spending more time cleaning up the post than actually writing the post.

This is a test post from Microsoft's Windows Live Writer (Version 2008).

I'm curious to see how much easier and efficient it will be using this tool as oppose to using the default editor in Blogger.

I'll also need to find a plug-in that allows me to include "code". Should it either be HTML, Perl, Javascript or CLI output from a network switch that needs special formatting.

Let's try this one...

************************************************** 

* Copyright (c) 1996-2006 Nortel Networks        * 

* All Rights Reserved                            * 

* Ethernet Routing Switch 1648T                  * 

* Software Release 2.1.0.0                       * 

************************************************** 

Login: 

CPU1 [05/16/01 17:05:59] SNMP INFO Sending Cold-Start Trap 

Login: rwa

Password: ***

ERS-1648T:1# 

Cheers!

UPDATE: May 5, 2008

I was searching around the net looking for refine my blog site and maximize the value of the information that I was posting. I found the following post from Jeremey Martin detailing how to insert some JavaScript code to help highlight comments from the blog author. Thanks for the code Jeremy!

In this post I'll explain how to remotely connect to a Nortel Succession Call Server 1000 (Meridian 1 Option11C, Option61C, Option81C) over the network. The Nortel Succession Call Server will obviously need to be connected to the network and you'll need to know the IP address or FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name). In the past Nortel has traditionally frowned against connecting the ELAN to a any large network (internal or external). You may want to configure some IP filters to protect the ELAN from any unnecessary traffic.

We'll be using PuTTY to rlogin into the Nortel Succession Call Server from our Windows XP desktop.

Note: you could use any operating system that supports rlogin using the parameters provided below.

Once you have PuTTY installed you’ll need to create a session, this is essentially a profile which can be stored for quick access later.

After installation you can run PuTTY from Start -> Programs -> PuTTY -> PuTTY

In part 1 of this post I looked at how to configure DVMRP to facilitate inter-VLAN Multicast commuications on a single switch. In this post I'll look at how to configure PIM to facilitate inter-VLAN Multicast communications across multiple switches and routers (Layer 3 switches).

I took a few minutes and threw together a quick diagram to help layout the topology (a picture is truly worth a thousand words). There are two core ERS 8600 switches (a switch cluster as Nortel likes to call it these days). There are three VLANs bridged across all four switches in the diagram, VLAN 55, 56 and 200. There is a fourth VLAN, 57, that is routed from ERS 8600 C. The ERS 5520 in the diagram will only be used as a Layer 2 even though it could potentially be used as a Layer 3 device (router).


I'm going to review two possible configurations. The first scenario will be for a client device (VLC Client A) in a VLAN routed by the core ERS 8600s. The second scenario will be for a client device (VLC Client B) in a VLAN routed by a closet ERS 8600.

Lets get on with configuring some ERS 8600 switches. First lets enable PIM globally;

ERS8600-A# config ip pim enable
ERS8600-A# config ip pim fast-joinprune enable

ERS8600-A# config vlan 55 ip pim enable
ERS8600-A# config vlan 56 ip pim enable
ERS8600-A# config vlan 200 ip pim enable

ERS8600-A# config ip circuitless-ip-int 2 create 10.1.0.15/255.255.255.255
ERS8600-A# config ip circuitless-ip-int 2 ospf enable
ERS8600-A# config ip circuitless-ip-int 2 pim enable

ERS8600-A# ip pim candrp add grp 239.255.1.1 mask 255.255.255.255 rp 10.1.0.15

ERS8600-A# ip pim interface 10.1.0.15 cbsrpreference 100

ERS8600-B# config ip pim enable
ERS8600-B# config ip pim fast-joinprune enable
ERS8600-B# config vlan 55 ip pim enable
ERS8600-B# config vlan 56 ip pim enable
ERS8600-B# config vlan 200 ip pim enable
ERS8600-B# config ip circuitless-ip-int 2 create 10.1.0.16/255.255.255.255
ERS8600-B# config ip circuitless-ip-int 2 ospf enable
ERS8600-B# config ip circuitless-ip-int 2 pim enable
ERS8600-B# config ip pim candrp add grp 239.255.1.1 mask 255.255.255.255 rp 10.1.0.16
ERS8600-B# config ip pim interface 10.1.0.16 cbsrpreference 50

ERS8600-C:5# config ip pim enable
ERS8600-C:5# config vlan 57 ip pim enable
ERS8600-C:5# config vlan 57 ip pim interface-type passive
ERS8600-C:5# config vlan 200 ip pim enable

ERS8600-C:5# show ip pim mroute

================================================================================
Pim Multicast Route
================================================================================
Src: 0.0.0.0 Grp: 230.0.0.2 RP: 10.1.0.5 Upstream: 10.1.200.5
Flags: WC RP CACHE
Incoming Port: Vlan200-1/1,
Outgoing Ports: Vlan127-2/42,
Joined Ports:
Pruned Ports:
Leaf Ports: Vlan127-2/42,
Asserted Ports:
Prune Pending Ports:
Assert Winner Ifs:
Assert Loser Ifs:
TIMERS:
Entry JP RS Assert
151 1 0 0
VLAN-Id: 200
Join-P: 0
Assert: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Src: 10.1.233.30 Grp: 230.0.0.2 RP: 10.1.0.5 Upstream: 10.1.200.5
Flags:
SPT CACHE SG
Incoming Port: Vlan200-1/1,
Outgoing Ports: Vlan127-2/42,
Joined Ports:
Pruned Ports:
Leaf Ports: Vlan127-2/42,
Asserted Ports:
Prune Pending Ports:
Assert Winner Ifs:
Assert Loser Ifs:
TIMERS:
Entry JP RS Assert
64 4 0 0
VLAN-Id: 200
Join-P: 0
Assert: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Num of Entries Displayed 2
Flags Legend:
SPT = Shortest path tree, WC=(*,Grp) entry, RP=Rendezvous Point tree, CACHE=Kernel Cache, ASSERTED=Asserted, SG=(Src,Grp) entry, PMBR=(*,*,RP) entry, FWD_TO_RP=Forwarding to RP, FWD_TO_DR=Forwarding to DR, SG_NODATA=SG Due to Join, CP_TO_CPU=Copy to CPU, STATIC_MROUTE=Static Mroute, MRTF_SMLT_PEER_SG=Peer SG On Non-DR For SMLT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ERS8600-A:5# show ip pim neighbor

================================================================================
Pim Neighbor
================================================================================
INTERFACE ADDRESS UPTIME EXPIRE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vlan55 10.1.55.6 31 day(s), 00:09:53 0 day(s), 00:01:40
Vlan56 10.1.56.6 31 day(s), 00:09:53 0 day(s), 00:01:40
Vlan200 10.1.200.6 31 day(s), 00:09:53 0 day(s), 00:01:34

Total PIM Neighbors = 3

ERS8600-A:5# show ip pim rp-set

================================================================================
Pim RPSet
================================================================================
GRPADDRESS GRPMASK ADDRESS HOLDTIME EXPTIME
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
230.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.0.15 150 137
230.0.0.2 255.255.255.255 10.1.0.15 150 137
239.255.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.0.15 150 137

ERS8600-A:5# show ip pim candidate-rp

================================================================================
Pim Candidate RP Table
================================================================================
GRPADDR GRPMASK RPADDR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
230.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.0.15
230.0.0.2 255.255.255.255 10.1.0.15
239.255.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.0.15

ERS8600-A:5# show ip pim bsr

================================================================================
Current BootStrap Router Info
================================================================================

Current BSR address: 10.1.0.15
Current BSR priority: 100
Current BSR HashMask: 255.255.255.252
Current BSR Fragment Tag: 44590
Pim Bootstrap Timer : 31

I thought I would spend a few minutes looking back at my adventure into the online digital world. I've been writing this blog for more than 6 months now and was curious if it's worth the time and effort and more importantly "is this information useful to anyone?"

It would seem, looking at the statistics from StatCounter.com that there are an average of 250 page loads daily during the week from 130 unique visitors (105 first time, 25 returning). I won't be making any fortune by rushing to sign-up for a Google Adwords account but that was never the intention.

I think the content has been good but certainly not great. I'm the first to admit that I'm not the best writer in the world (nor will I ever be). I have had quite a few very interesting and intriguing conversations with a number of different individuals. Some on the other side of the country and some on the other side of the pond (Atlantic Ocean).

I think we'll keep this blog going for another 6 months and then re-evaluate at that point. If you have suggestions for articles please post them as comments to this article.

Cheers!

I'm going to step out of my normal subject matter and blog about a game I just recently discovered on the Internet. I don't generally have too much time to play games but I'm not a complete book worm either. The game is called IKARIAM and is a free web-based game.

It's a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game in the same genre as Sid Meier's Civilization and built completely around Javascript with some very nice graphics. It can be monotonous for some but it's also a very easy game that is played in real-time. It provides a nice balance of action and strategy and was truly fun to play. It appealed to me in that I could spend just a few minutes every day (or every few days) and enjoy it just as much if I had spent a few hours playing it.

What was just as interesting was the enormous support for Ikariam within the Greasemonkey community. Greasemonkey is a Mozilla Firefox extension that "allows users to install scripts that make on-the-fly changes to most HTML based web pages". I personally use a number of Greasemonkey scripts that really enhance my web browsing activity.

If you're feeling stressed out and have a few minutes to waste I would highly suggest you make your way over to IKARIAM, you'll probably feel like a little kid again -- or perhaps like the emperor Julius Caesar!

Cheers!

UPDATE: May 2, 2008

I'd like to thank ecmanaut for his hard work. Here's the link to his Kronos Utils project on Google Code;
http://ecmanaut.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/sites/ikariam.org/kronos-utils/kronos_utils.user.js
And don't forget his two other scripts;
http://ecmanaut.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/sites/ikariam.org/ikariam_friend_list.user.js
http://ecmanaut.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/sites/ikariam.org/ikariam_score_linker.user.js

Cheers!

Update: May 21, 2008

Here are some additional links to the Kronos Utils for Ikariam;
http://code.google.com/p/ecmanaut/source/list
http://corentin.jarnoux.free.fr/kronosutils/index.php

Cheers!

Thanks to everyone that participated in the poll, "What vendor are you using for your wireless LAN?". It's only to be expected that more folks responded with Motorola since I have a few articles dedicated to the Motorola Wireless LAN Switches posted on this blog.

Wireless networking has definitely brought its own set of distinct challenges. Channel and power management are among the too big problems with wireless networking. And let's not forget the whole security issue with WEP, WPA and WPA2. Interoperability issues can also create a lot of headaches. And the never ending discussions over which band is better, the 2.4Ghz (802.11b/g) or 5Ghz bands (802.11a).

What vendor are you using for your wireless LAN?

I recently received a Nortel 6140 WLAN handset to test within our network as a possible replacement for the Nortel 2211 handset.

The Nortel 6140 supports IEEE 802.11 a/b/g wireless LANs. It features Push-To-Talk (PTT) and speaker phone capabilities.

The first question I had was "how do I get to the configuration?"

In order to enter the Admin menu you need to perform the following

• with handset powered off
• press and hold Green Key
• then press and release Orange Key
• then release Green Key when “Admin Menu” is displayed
• enter password (default 123456)
• use the navigation keys to scroll through the options and select menus

I've been really impressed with the call quality on the Nortel 2210 and 2211 so I'm sure I won't be disappointed with the Nortel 6140. Just as a side note Nortel is OEMing the phones from Polycom (formerly Spectralink), and those folks know how to make some really good phones.

Cheers

Update April, 10, 2008

Out of the box the phone will boot up and display "No Reg Domain Set". This pertains to which country the device is being operated in so that it can conform to the rules and regulations set forth in that country that govern 802.11 wireless frequencies.

Reg. (Regulatory) Domain
The Regulatory Domain defaults to None on the wireless handset display.
FCC requirements dictate that the menu for changing the domain be available by password, which in this case is the LINE button. To change the domain, press LINE and then enter the digits that represent the domain for the site. You must enter both digits.
The following are domain digits:
• 01—North America
• 02—Europe (except Spain and France) and Japan
• 04—Spain
• 05—France
• 06—Korea
As of this writing, Spain and France are adopting the general European
Regulatory rules. Check with the wireless LAN administrator or supplier for
the correct domain to enter in these countries.

I thought I would take some time to shamelessly plug a product that I recently purchased for my organization.

We are currently working through an issue that is affecting our Nortel 2211 Wireless telephones on our Motorola RFS7000 Wireless LAN Switch. In short it appears that the phone is resetting itself for unknown reasons. The problem is very intermittent and sporadic, hence it's very difficult to recreate. The vendors involved in the problem, Motorola, Nortel and Polycom (Spectralink) are all asking for wireless traces of the problem. In order to capture the problem we need four laptops; three laptops tracing on each of the wireless channels in the 802.11b 2.4Ghz spectrum and one laptop tracing on the LAN side of the RFS7000. Needless to say that is a lot of hardware to setup. And the wireless laptops really need to physically move with the wireless telephone as it moves through the building (wireless network).

Then I heard that CACE Technologies had a hardware solution that worked with WireShark and allowed for simultaneous packet capture on all three 802.11b channels. Using three AirPcapEx USB adapters I could use a single laptop to capture all three 802.11b channels saving me a lot of hardware and a lot of time trying to assemble/merge the different packet traces.

I've been using the solution for the past week and it seem to work well. It was perfect timing because WireShark v1.0 was released earlier this week. Even though it's a single laptop it can still be a bit of a logistical pain with the three USB adapters and the three antennas. I got some really interesting stares walking around the building with this octopus looking thing on top of the laptop keyboard.

Cheers!