Some Father's day gift ideas from Jonard!

 

Have a electrician, technician, or installer in the family?  Below is a link for Jonard Tools excellent gift ideas for Fathers day!  Get Dad those awesome side cutters, long nose pliers, cable pullies, or just about any other tool you can think of from Jonard tools!

They have an excellent selection of tools of all kinds, for every technician out there!

Feel free to check out my reviews on some of the products they offer, (Tools of the trade)  I myself have used the Ferret pro camera - which is excellent for checking out those tight spots or unknown areas for fishing wire!

I've also used the cable comb, which goes well when fishing cables, and you want to easily keep them separated for specific bundles. 

I'm awaiting the chance to use the cable pullies I received, and will add a review here once I try them out, but I already know they are an excellent addition to any installers toolbox!

 

Cable Pulley (CP-475)

 

Cable Comb (CCB-25)

 

Ferret Pro (CFWF50A2)

Click the link below to check out their awesome deals for Father's Day!

Also, take advantage of the Amazon links I've provided if your looking to purchase those I have featured!

Father's day specials!

#JonardTools #Jonard #MadeForLife #JonardCrew

PIN codes & Password phishing

 

Everyone believes they use a "safe" PIN code for there numerous bank cards and credit cards.  Well the reality of that is, hardly anyone uses a complete random 4 digit code.  Most of the masses will choose combinations that consist of Birthdays, Phone numbers, SIN numbers, Kids birthdays, your address, or numerous other means of creating a code that we will remember.  We do this because it is a lot easier for us to recollect a number if it associated with something we know or use daily.

 I'm bringing this up, as there have been a few "frauds" out there, where cards were stolen and the PIN numbers were guessed rather easily with other information that was taken at the same time, or even "creeped" off of social media accounts. This is a common form of a "Social Engineering" type of attack/hack, or what ever you would like to call it.

I'm sure we have all seen these numerous photos, meme's and quizzes all over different social media apps:

 

  

Yes, these are all social engineering attempts. There actually may be a minute amount of actual quizzes out there, but it has become impossible to tell the difference.  The best way to avoid giving out ANY information about yourself, do NOT participate with those types of posts. 

 Now, some more information on those PIN codes. The unfortunate thing with 4 digit PIN's is that it really is limited to certain number of combinations.  For the numbers 0-9, there are 10 000 possible 4 number combinations. So in reality, many of us are using the same PIN codes as many other people out there! With this low number of combinations and weak security, it makes it rather easy for almost anyone to find you on social media, read some of your answers to posts, read your info, etc. and start matching up numbers!  Below is also the most common 4 digit combinations used, and are usually the first ones a scammer or hacker will try.

 

Many banks and financial institutions are starting to not reimburse fraudulent purchases on cards that were used with a PIN that is considered extremely common, or your birthday.  Here is an article from Global News explaining it in a little more detail. Banks on Reimbursement. I guess we should start reading those terms and conditions now!

By now, you must be asking yourself, that how am I supposed to avoid all those common PIN's?  Well, we can start by changing to a 6 digit code if it is available to you. Also change the code every couple of months or so, and NEVER write it down and carry it with you in your wallet! Keep anything associated with any passwords or PIN codes out of your purse or wallet. 

It doesn't take much these days for scammers to get a hold of your information, then target you. It IS happening everyday, don't become part of the statistics! It only takes a few extra minutes or steps to keep your stuff secure. Go with it!

Stay safe!

Vince.

 

Tools of the trade, physical tools! Part I *Updated*

April 27, 2022

 I was given the pleasure of receiving a Cable Comb (CCE-25), from Jonard Tools and I must say, it comes in very handy.  I do a lot of camera system installs for various places and I always disliked the wonderful job of sorting out and untangling the cables in order to terminate them.  Well along came the cable comb!  It has definitely been a time saver! 

As you can see, it keeps all your cables separate and tangle free! The center blue disc slides right out to let you remove your cables with ease, or add cables in at any time without having to find ends and thread them through.  It is very sturdy and extremely easy to use. I would definitely recommend this if you do a lot of cable runs, it can handle Cat5, Cat5E, Cat6, alarm cables, and even coax! (not RG6 Quad)

As i use this more, I will add more pictures of the different cable types I use with the comb. Follow the link in the pic below to find out more on the cable comb and how to order!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 *Below is a previous post from July 2021, and will be updated soon*

As someone being in the security industry, we use all types of tools, be them physical, digital, or social. This article is going to cover the physical tool area.

As a security professional we use numerous tools of all types. Strippers, crimpers, screwdrivers, side cutters, linesman pliers, wrenches, Allen key sets, and many other hand tools of all sizes.  Also electrical testers, line testers, camera testers, network testers, pretty much all kinds of tools used by electricians, we also use as security technicians.  

Now these tools are expensive, some very! It is always nice to see when some good choices come along. Jonard Tools!

Here I will be testing and trying some tools of the trade sent to me by Jonard Tools.  I will be using them for a couple weeks, then I will post a review on which tools I used and what I thought of them! So stay tuned!

If you want to check out Jonard Tools, and the many items they have, and they have an excellent selection, click their link below.

 

Received the Ferret Pro Camera, with accessories. Didn't get a chance to do an unboxing Video, but will add screen-shots and usage video soon!  The App is extremely easy to download and install, and with the built in WiFi spot, you connect to the camera directly, open the app, and away you go! It's all that easy! I've gotten to use this device only once so far, but I must say, this device is an amazing time saver! With the extension rod, and the bending elbow adapters, this camera can pretty much go anywhere! Even has built in LED lights, along with a focus slide option that helps make the picture & video perfect! It also has 720p and 360p settings for video, and can save .jpg or .png snapshots! Stay tuned, I will be adding more very soon!

 

 

#JonardTools #Jonard #MadeForLife #JonardCrew

Update to - "is it time to upgrade your equipment"

 

 Just posting a small update to help explain the many different types of Category cables that are out there.

Posted below is a simple description that hopefully will help some out when picking what cable to run in your house, and the uses for them.

 

With data speeds going up all the time, and with fiber to the home becoming more common, some people should take a look at adding some higher end cabling to their homes.  As of now, Cat6a & Cat7 are being recommended for home wiring if you plan to have a lot of "smart" devices. Even though a lot of smart devices run on wifi, it is recommended to have these devices on their own LAN network and a separate router. 

Gamers, who have fiber to the home, and expensive routers will also benefit from some of the newer cables helping with latency. 

People adding security cameras also should take a look at having at least Cat6a for wired cameras in order to provide the best upload/download speeds.  Security cameras rely way more on the upload speed for streaming to smart devices like your phone.

Cat 8 Ethernet cable is ideal for switch to switch communications in data centers and server rooms, where 25GBase‑T and 40GBase‑T networks are common. Which I don't think the average home user will have in their basement. Although Cat8 will work with your existing routers and are backwards compatible, they are a heavier gauge and a little harder to terminate.

For the majority of home users, I recommend using Cat6 or Cat6a for all your internet needs. 

In my next article I will preview some routers, and help you select the best ones for your everyday needs.  Until then, Stay safe.

Vince.

We're back!

 

 

 

Hello to all once again! It's been a little while, but we shall get this up and running again.

 I will begin adding some new articles on the latest tech & security trends once I can get everything sorted out and working properly.

 Also would like to add, that I am now a Jonard tools Ambassador!

So we will be seeing a lot of tech tool reviews, photos and hopefully some videos!

I will be updating the blog with the reviews, but most of the review will be posted on www.techtoolbox.ca 

 I hope these posts will be a great help to everyone once again!

Talk to you all soon!

Security Cameras & your WiFi

 

Good day readers!  I'm writing this article on WiFi cameras, whether security cameras or just plain old WiFi cameras to watch the babysitter sneak stuff out of your liquor cabinet. To help everyone understand exactly how they work, and what they do to your WiFi.

 image courtesy of Wyzecam

 

Now-a-days, just about everyone can afford the numerous types of Wireless cameras that are available on the market. A lot of us are even getting them for security reasons, be it to watch the back yard, garage, or our front door, I've come across a lot of questions and calls regarding cameras dropping from the network etc. 

OK, before you purchase whichever type of  camera you have your heart set on, do a little research on it. Read up on the specs, and what the camera does, to make sure its the right one for you.  When getting a WiFi camera is, check the required "upload" speed or bandwidth needed! A typical WiFi camera should require about 1-2MB of upload speed.

The resolutions that you want to record in or stream are the biggest factor. Here are some basic recommended requirements:

Video Resolution	Recommended Upload Speed Minimum
1080p	2 mbps per camera
720p	1.5 mbps per camera
480p	0.75 mbps per camera

What this means - a typical or basic user will probably have something like a 50MB download and 5-10MB upload plan from their ISP. Once again, the important area here is the upload speed. If you have say 25 down & 5 up plan, and you are wanting to add 2 cameras onto  your network, if they both require 2MB upload, this will more than likely really affect your network.  Why? Because those cameras are using 4MB upload on your network, causing everything else on your network to slow to a crawl, if not crash entirely.  You will experience a lot of your devices disconnecting, even the cameras disconnecting, and other connection issues.

Every device on your network is using the up & down speeds all the time, with the majority being the download. Although, if you are using a back up service or cameras, they are usually always sending or streaming content, taking up all the upload bandwidth. If you have a lot of "smarthome" devices (ie. light-bulbs, thermostats, etc) on your network, or even a Wireless security system, all these devices will be using upload speeds to "check-in" etc.  Think of it like a road through town, most of the time during the day, traffic flows nicely both ways.  Now come 5 o'clock (most cities rush hour), these roads are getting a lot more traffic, and what happens? It all slows down, and if a lane is blocked, can stop traffic altogether.  So, it retrospect, I like to think of WiFi cameras as the "big trucks" of traffic on your network, they need a lot of room, and have a large impact on the traffic situation! If you have multiple people trying to view your cameras or trying to view them on multiple places at the same time, there will be issues if you don't have the bandwidth!
One more thing to add, is, if you do a lot of "streaming" (ie. Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc) this all affects your WiFi network.

A lot of these cameras you see, most don't show the required upload speed needed. So keep in mind, they use at least 1-2MB each!  Especially when you have them set up to record motion, or you are streaming them to an app constantly.

 So, basically, if you are wanting CSI type quality to be able to read a license plate down the street, you will need a lot of bandwidth to accommodate the resolution needed for this! And I really don't think your basic WiFi camera from Walmart™ or Canadian Tire™ will do this anyway. So if you are just wanting the basic blurry "bank camera" image, I'm sure your regular ISP plans can accommodate.

Here are some results from a google search:

Wi-Fi-Based Security Systems & Cameras

 

Ring recommends 1-2 Mbps per device for both upload and download speeds. Depending on the camera and video quality that you select, the Nest camera requires anywhere from 0.15 to 4 Mbps of bandwidth and Arlo cameras use 0.3 – 1.5 Mbps.

 

How much upload speed do you need for security cameras?

 

At least 5Mbps internet upload speed is the bare minimum to watching a security camera system remotely. 5Mbps is sufficient for remote viewing of the lower resolution or sub-stream. For the best remote viewing experience we recommend having an upload speed of at least 10Mbps.

So, once again, a little research into the type of camera you want, and the upload speed it requires, and check with your ISP as to what your package or plan is, can save you a few headaches down the road if you plan on adding a few cameras to your network.

 

I will add, this also applies to your video doorbells! As most of them have video upload, and audio upload, so will require upload bandwidth as well!

 

A good place to check your speeds is Speedtest.net This will give you a good idea of what your network can handle.

 

PrintNightmare! *article for the more advanced user(s)*

 

Researchers at a security firm, has found a Windows vulnerability that affects the Windows Print Spooler service, and have labelled it PrintNightmare. This vulnerability allows hackers or those able to exploit this to remotely gain access to the operating system, and install programs, view and delete data, and even create new user accounts with full admin rights. 

Microsoft has released an update to patch this flaw, and is urging everyone to install this update immediately.  They have released updates for Windows 10, Windows 8, and even Windows 7 (for which support ended in 2020). Microsoft has released an update for several server versions as well.

The updates, labelled - July 6, 2021—KB5004945 (OS Builds 19041.1083, 19042.1083, and 19043.1083) Out-of-band & July 7, 2021— KB5005007 (OS Build 17784.1769) Out-of-Band in order to install these updates via Windows update service, make sure you have May 11, 2021—KB5003173 (OS Builds 19041.985, 19042.985, and 19043.985) installed first.  All these updates, should automatically be installed via Windows update, so you shouldn't have to worry about them. Only thing, is if you have automatic turned off, I'd suggest to turn it on, or do an update scan to get these.

Bleepingcomputer.com has some excellent articles on this topic, including great explanations for the flaw itself and the patches that have been released. They also provide many links as well to the various versions of the patch(es).

Bleepingcomputer.com article on Microsoft: PrintNightmare now patched on all Windows versions

Here's another good article, just detailing that the patch still has some flaws: Microsoft's incomplete PrintNightmare patch fails to fix vulnerability.

Although the majority of us "common" users :) , don't really have much to worry about with this vulnerability, as most end users are not common targets. The majority of targets here will be commercial and higher end companies that have a lot more to exploit than my little lenovo thinkpad. 

So, unless you are running a multi-million dollar, bitcoin mining farm, or the like in your basement and you have several printers set-up, I'd say you are pretty safe by just doing regular windows updates regularly. 

Stay Safe!

Vince