GuestGate-Wireless gateway for Public Access Computing

Do you work with or are in an organization that provides public wireless for free to patrons? If so, do you find people that normally don't use your business, do in fact have access to your wireless internet? Are you noticing that in the beginning your wireless was faster, but now that so many people use it, that it is slowing down the rest of your network? Are you seeing patrons going to sites that are possibly not a part of your policy standards? If you have said yes to any of these questions, let me tell you about a product that can help.

This is an actual hardware product, normally named an “appliance” that you can quickly install within your network. And right out of the box no configuration is needed once installed into your network. Now you can tweak it more, but out of the box it is secure for the organization and for patrons who use it. The name of the product is called Guestgate, which is made by Intellinet network solutions.

Some examples of what Guestgate can do for your wireless are as follows:

It can make your public wireless experience more secure by segmenting all users away from other users giving them different IP address subnets. This also protects the host network from guests.

Manage the amount of bandwidth also known as “throttling” that users can have. This feature is valuable because it can help reduce the slowing down of your wireless network. Also filtering and/or block sites, certain key words, ports, and more is available.

Some other features that are nice is having a password option for Internet access. This feature, if used, could keep unwanted patrons from gaining access.

Also a really neat feature offered is a splash welcome page that can be customized. You can change the text and your organizational logo.

This is a great place to put your wireless usage policy as well as advertise your business at the beginning of their wireless session.

The device itself is very small, contains 5 ports, and can ONLY be managed from within your networks LAN and firewall. This means, it is impossible for any “clever” wireless users to hack into the device.

The price of this valuable appliance is approximately $200 and is touted as coming with a lifetime warranty.

I happen to work with a number of libraries who deal with these problems quite often. And I highly recommend this product to any library or PAC organizations who provide wireless to the persons they service.

ProCon Latte--Web Filtering with or without the Java?

Sounding more like a new type of coffee (Java) rather than a web content filter, I was asked by an IT person from one of our AALS libraries (Thanks Gerry) to take a look at ProCon Latte. Simply put, it is a web content filter provided as an add on within the Firefox browser. And the good news is...it is absolutely FREE!!! This is one more reason to boasts of the superiority of the browser over IE, but that is my humble opinion.

But I have digressed enough. If your Public access computer (PAC) facility is either required or desires to filter those PCs, ProCon Latte offers a way to do so, without spending gobs of money to get a very effective and flexible filter. The only catch is, it will only work if you use the Firefox browser not while using IE. If you can live with that, read on about some of the features of this Firefox add on.

To quote Mozilla.com which is the one who operates the Firefox browser: "ProCon is a content filter for the Firefox browser. It can filter any kind of material (pornography, gambling, hacking, cracking, etc...), it can also block all traffic, making sure that only desired websites (set in the Whitelist) can be accessed, and includes a profanity filter, all *like* a parental control filter."

Now this is one of many add on items and plug-ins that the Firefox browser provides, but I definitely think this is good for libraries and PAC facilities to know that they can save their institution some money.

The URL to download this add on is at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1803


Some features of the ad on are as follows :

A way to lock it down; otherwise most people would simply figure out how to disable it. This requires a password placed on the ProCon Latte. Once installed You can use the hotkey buttons of Control+Alt+P to open the ProCon settings.

Here is a screen shot I took of the ProCon settings. You can click on the picture to enlarge a little.



Within the settings there are a number of tabs that you can work with. The general tab just basically shows what has been enabled and what has not. This is also where the password can be set so that others can not change the settings. There is also a settings tab which allows to restore defaults, import/export settings, and to clear all settings.

On the main filter tab there is a "edit list" button which allows for blocking of words and/or sites or both. One thing I need to point out, because this is a filter to block offensive material, words, and etc...one would have to actually review these words and phrases, so be forewarned that crude language is in these settings.

There is a white list tab. Which if enabled, will allow the sites whose URL is typed in here to run without being filtered.

One thing I found interesting is on the next tab. There is a profanity filter, which if enabled allows for words placed within this area to be replaced with a different word of choice if so desired. I find this to be a highly desirable feature that could be utilized by PAC facilities.

The final tab is the credits tab. This shows the person(s) that are behind this filter add on. You could send an email to thank them, and although this is a free filter, one is allowed to make a donation through pay pal if they choose to do so. There is also a link to the license and documentation of ProCon Latte.

There is a lot more to this add on then what I am going through in this blog. So if your PAC could possibly benefit from this FREE web filter, perhaps grabbing a cup of the real Latte and taking a look at this add on in greater detail might help your facility.

I know this is not a "cure-all" and nothing is perfect, but if your facility has tried this add-on or has thoughts about this subject. Let me hear from you.

Rodney

How can I erase the data off of the hard drive?

I am asked this quite often, and I should have blogged on this long before now. So how can you get all of the data off a hard drive when you are disposing or donating your old PCs? It's a good question.

A common oversight people can make is thinking that simply formatting and deleting files will get rid of the data. This does not actually get rid of the data, it merely writes over the boot up files needed to properly boot the current configuration.

One way you can get rid of the data is to physically destroy the hard drive. Most people who work with Public Access Computers probably wouldn't go to this extreme...but it can involve using a sledgehammer, placing them in acid, strong magnets (although this has been debated as to the effectiveness), drilling holes through the hard drive platters, or probably the most effective way physically is finding a strong machine shredder and shredding the hard drive completely.

But the other and probably most common way is to use software to get rid of data. Software performs what is called a wipe, or a better way of describing it is to write over the original data on the hard drive platters. Data that is written to hard drives are written in random and sometimes sophisticated patterns of two numbers. That being in ones and zeros, which believe it or not makes up all data on PCs. A wipe usually will make all data either all zeros or all ones.

Now before you do anything to the PC hard drive, make sure that any information that you might need from the PC is saved on some sort of removable media. USB drives are one of the easiest ways to save that information.

Next, you need to determine how sensitive the information is that you want to get rid of. This will help in determining the level that you may want when wiping the hard drive. A single wipe usually is all that is needed for minimal data sensitivity. This usually can be done with free software found online.

One that I have used a lot in the past is KillDisk. KillDisk does have a commercial side, but you can download the free version which allows one wiped pass.

Another very good product is called Darik's Boot And Nuke. This is an open source product and is completely free.

Both products will allow you to boot either from a floppy, CD, or if your bios allows it, from USB devices. Now the actual process of wiping the drives can take some time. So make sure you prepare for that. One other option if data sensitivity is low is to simply reinstall the operating system again if you have the original CD/DVD's.

If the data needs a more thorough wipe, you may consider purchasing a commercial product that allows for multiple wipes. Most are inexpensive but make sure you get something that is compliant with the security standard of the DoD, which is the Department of Defense measure.

Wiping your hard drives before you dispose or donating PCs is not only smart, but in many cases there may be laws that you have to abide by before getting rid of your machines.

These are just a few tips, I suggest researching more on the subject should you have more questions about this topic.

If you have comments or questions, I'd like to hear from you.

Open Source Software--Low cost/free alternatives for libraries?

At the beginning of this blog article let me state that I am not against Microsoft, Adobe, or other proprietary software companies. I see the value that they have given to libraries as far as simplicity and productivity. Not to mention the Gates contributions to public libraries. And I have written many blogs on Microsoft products and other proprietary products. But when I see the price for some of their software products, licensing, or for Client Access Licenses (CALS), it can leave a bad taste in my mouth. So that is why I always keep an eye on the open source community. In this blog I try to explain a little about what is open source, the pros and cons of open source, and then share a few open source products that may be beneficial to libraries in general.

What is Open Source?

From wikipedia here is an informal definition. "Open source software (OSS) is defined as computer software for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that meets the Open Source Definition or that is in the public domain. This permits users to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. It is very often developed in a public, collaborative manner...The term open source software originated as part of a marketing campaign for free software."

You see software is really lots and lots of code written in various computer languages and scripts. Proprietary or commercial entitities own and protect that code for their own profit. Open source allows anyone and everyone access to the code of software. Allowing all to use, change, or improve on the software. They can even market it, but the source code needs to remain open to all under these same open source definitions. Most of the time open source costs in terms of money are either free or low cost. But in terms of time, well read the next section.

What are some Pros and Cons of open source?

There are a number of advantages to OSS. Little or no cost is a big one. Limited or no licensing can mean greater independence from companies. This could translate into total cost of ownership value. Also If the software has collaboration on the development from people from around the world, bugs and fixes are usually worked out quickly. More people debugging it, helps to make the software stable and more reliable. Since the code can be changed, it can make the software more flexible for what your needs may be. And some open source software have free forums and communities to find help and direction and no need to pay for that support. And in most cases OSS products have zero vulnerability to viruses.

There are some drawbacks that you may want to consider when looking at open source. Although the software may be free or very inexpensive, there almost always is a learning curve involved. What you may not pay in terms of fees, you may pay for in terms of time. If you have a technical background or have someone in your library or organization that does, this is a definite plus in determining if you want to pursue an OSS. Another thing to consider is that some OSS software can have little or no documentation, or support. But even if that is the case, searches online can often be found to help. Another factor that is important is that some OSS software may not be compatible with other software on the market.

One last thing that I would like to mention is that although these are either low cost or free software items, the open source community depends on people who are willing to contribute either by way of giving of their time or support. If you feel a product or software has helped your library or organization, consider giving back to them in some way.

Open Source products that may be useful to libraries

Linux Operating Systems--I have already blogged about the value of Edubuntu in libraries. This is written off of the Ubuntu flavor of Linux. Which is really one flavor of literally thousands of flavors of linux. Most of which can be downloaded for free.

Productivity Software such as Open Office, which allows you to create, open, and save as Microsoft Office extensions. This is definitely a great value to libraries who choose to save money, as this product can be downloaded directly online and for free.

Don't like all of the security issues with Internet Explorer? Firefox Mozilla is a free browser that is not only a popular alternatives to IE, but is safer in my opinion.

Gimp is a photo editing based software. If you are familiar with Photoshop, it is similar to this Adobe product. Now it does not have all of the features, but downloading it and using is absolutely free.

Want to build a website, you can use Drupal, Silverstripe, or my favorite Joomla. These are all open source content management systems that are capable of helping you develop a library website.

Ever wanted to do some podcasting within your libraries, check out Audacity. I like the name. The audacity to be free!!!

Need a drawing type program? Here are two that are free. Dia is an alternative to Microsoft's Visio program. Which allows you to draw diagrams of all sorts. Draw by Open Office can help you with flowcharts, 3D formats, posters, and many other projects within the library.

Need to burn a CD, but don't want to shell out dough on Roxio or Nero? Take a look at Infrarecorder, which is a CD/DVD burner.

Would you like some software to help with your library budget and money? GFP and JGnash are two free personal finance manager softwares.

Do you have the need for remote access either to or from? Open VPN can help give you remote access to your remote PC's or other networks.

Would you like to do some testing on a pc and not on your networked PCs? Give Virtualbox a try. It is what I use to do all kinds of testing for software that I implement in libraries, and for projects that I may write on in this blog. Works with Microsoft and Linux operating systems.

Need a anti-virus software and spyware protection? Try ClamWin and Winpooch. Together these can work to give your library virus/spyware protection at no cost.

These are just the tips of the icebergs with this topic. You can do any kind of search online for Open Source software. There is also a very good site called osalt. This stands for Open Source alternative. What is great about this site is that it lets you find open source software alternatives to well known commercial software. You can put in a search for say, photoshop, and it will give you the results of what may be a good alternative. I can't take credit for this website, a counterpart told me about it, and I think its a great site.

All of the items I have listed, I have tried to make sure that they are in most parts Microsoft compatible. Meaning that you can run the software on Microsoft operating systems. And a strong suggestion I would make is to download and use virtualbox to try out/test the OSS before you implement it with the library.

It is nice to know that before you shell out some of that precious library budget money, that you can look at open source software, at least as an option, and hopefully a good alternative.

Opinions? Comments? Let's hear from you!