What domain name to use for your home network
Always use the ‘.home.arpa’ top-level domain (RFC 8375), and don’t use the special-purpose ‘.local,’ or made-up undelegated domain names like ‘.lan’ or ‘.home.’
Networking
Computer network management and equipment.
Review of the MikroTik hEX (3rd rev.) as a home router
The RB750Gr3 is an inexpensive Gigabit router with advanced network management capabilities for just €50/$60. It’s highly configurable with a steep learning curve.
How to make Windows Update prioritize Delivery Optimization downloads
How to get Windows Delivery Optimization to download updates from PCs on your LAN network (or the internet). Reduce internet data/bandwidth usage with LAN P2P.
Nothing but bad experiences with Realtek Ethernet NICs
The tale of my bad experiences with consumer-grade Realtek networking equipment over the last decade. Intel has always had to come in to save the day.
How I fixed the intermittent Wi-Fi dropouts on my MacBook
The Wi-Fi on my MacBook Pro has intermittently stopped working. (Likely a Broadcom driver issue). Here’s how I turned a simple workaround into a more permanent fix.
Jellyfin and metadata privacy
The Jellyfin media server can enrich your media collection with metadata from online sources. The price may be free, but the cost is metadata for metadata.
systemd application firewalls by example
How to restrict Linux services’ network traffic with per-service systemd firewall rules. Enhance security by only allowing required network access.
Don’t use RouterOS DHCP lease scripts to manage DNS
MikroTik’s DHCP lease scripts don’t execute on DHCP renewals, causing issues with DNS registrations when devices suspend and rejoin the network later.
Network routers are just computers
Network routers are neither appliances nor magic; they’re computers and computers require ongoing maintenance and security patching. But whose job is that?
How to block web browser-based localhost port-scans
Websites are port-scanning your localhost. Here’s how to stop random websites from knowing what services are running on your device.
P2P apps’ connection amnesia makes them less fault-tolerant
Peer-to-peer apps forget the IP addresses it communicated with in the last session and rely on peer-discovery all the time. Caching can make them more robust.
How to switch firewalls from FirewallD to UFW
A quick tutorial for migrating from FirewallD and getting started with the Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW). Both are front ends for Linux’s iptables firewall.
Where are the managed IP-anycast VPS service providers?
VPS service providers have data centers located all over the world. You need managed anycast IP-addresses to direct users to the nearest VPS location.
How to disable outgoing mDNS broadcasts on Linux
Tutorial for quieting Multicast DNS using various firewall front-ends for Linux’s iptables firewall such as FirewallD and Ubuntu’s UFW.
The distributed web isn’t ready for Runet cutoff from the Internet
Russia to test disconnecting from the global Internet. Peer-to-peer distributed internet alternatives won’t survive after the Runet cutoff.
Enable both .onion and .i2p routing with Proxy Auto-Configuration
Two competing proxy-anonymity proxy services — e.g. Tor Onion and I2P — can be used at the same time when set up with a PAC file.
Android apps time out connections after setting up a PAC proxy
An over-aggressive power-savings system causes Android devices configured with a PAC proxy configuration file to lose networking.
Turkey blocks BunnyCDN; Ctrl blog and 14 000 websites inaccessible
Ctrl blog was inaccessible in Turkey for five days as the country inadvertently blocked the BunnyCDN content delivery network.
Tor router-maker InvizBox chases VPN subscriptions down rabbit hole
InvizBox wants some of that sweet VPN subscription service revenue. Abandons Tor Onion network anonymity in favor of a more lucrative venture.
Scaleway seems too good to be true
The French VPS provider Scaleway doesn’t deliver promised features like IPv6, reverse DNS, or Linux distribution availability.