Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2011 October 12

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October 12

A printer server with 2 network interfaces

My VOIP telephone has 2 network interfaces and acts like a mini-switch. There is only one network cable connected to the wall that goes to the phone, and from the phone there is another one to the computer. I can't find a printer server that does exactly the same. 1 network in, 1 network out, and 1 or (even better) 2 USB ports. Are there any? Joepnl (talk) 01:02, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

Im not entierly clear on your question, but does this help? It basically is 3 devices in one; 4 port Network switch, a USB print server, and a wifi to Ethernet adapter (its different than a wifi router). – Elliott(Talk|Cont)  05:22, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

It would help if you gave use the brand and model. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 11:05, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

When you say your VOIP phone acts as a 'mini-switch', you've essentially hit the mark - your phone is designed to easily fit into networks without a switch or router (generally where a single computer connects directly to a modem). It may also help the phone in prioritizing its own traffic when it's positioned between a modem and a router/switch. You may find a printer server with a similar 'network out' port, but your options will be limited. You may instead want to get hold of a cheap router with USB ports, where you will also have more options for 2 USB ports. Hard Boiled Eggs [talk] 14:55, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

I understand why my phone is so cool :) Now I want either my printer or printer server to allow me to do the same trick because I hardly ever encounter a workplace with plenty of network connections. Still looking.. Joepnl (talk) 21:13, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

Im still recommending this as it can do what you want, its a print server with multiple network connections. You can buy it from here – Elliott(Talk|Cont)  00:19, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Kindle

Does the Kindle work anywhere in the world or in US only ? Can it download files from a normal PC via USB. Are all formats i.e. .lit, .pdf run on it ? Does it always have to be in touch with any radio/satellite contact when running ? Do they supply adapter for countries that run 220 volt AC as mains ?  Jon Ascton  (talk) 02:40, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

comparison of e-book readers ¦ Reisio (talk) 09:28, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

It doesn't need a constant radio connection just to read a book, only to download books. Some models don't come with a power adapter, and you have to charge by USB cable or buy a separate adapter[1]. The 3G versions offer worldwide 3G for book downloads[2] (although it won't work in particularly remote regions without 3G coverage) and the wifi versions don't care where you are as long as you have a wifi connection you can use. If you go to Amazon's website for the country you're interested in, it isn't hard to find info on the Kindle. --Colapeninsula (talk) 10:22, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

amazon.co.uk certainly sell it. The details on that page say:

"Charge time: Fully charges in approximately 3 hours via the included USB 2.0 cable. UK power adapter sold separately"

"Content formats supported: Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion"

Astronaut (talk) 10:52, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

I would just note that its PDF support is slow and a pain in the neck. I find reading PDFs on it basically untenable, because of the way it handles zooming in on the page. --Mr.98 (talk) 11:52, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

There's a bit of software you can download called Calibre, which converts basically every format of books into something a kindle will understand. I find it works really well on most things though it's not amazing at PDFs. Find it here - http://calibre-ebook.com/ 192.84.79.2 (talk) 14:21, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

I've got a Kindle1 with a broken radio (I got it cheap), and I simply put books on via USB. So even if you're in a region where their "whisper net" doesn't work, you can still read books. But of course, if you live in an area like that, you might as well get the Wifi version, so at least it can connect where there's wifi. APL (talk) 22:25, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

Regarding the OP's last query re. powering the Kindle, this previous ref desk question here("Charging US 110V electronics in the UK") may be of general help regarding international use of plug pack or wall wart supplies. See also AC adapter. If they supply a "universal input" supply, you may only need a plug adapter to adapt the physical aspects of the plug so it can be safely inserted into the particular mains socket used where you want to use the Kindle. 220.101.24.249 (talk) 22:35, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

As for the op's question about powering the device; after living in a foreign country it is my experience that 220v to 110v transformers were very common and could be found in almost any hardware store, even ACE hardware. But besides from waiting until your overseas, you can pick up a transformer at an eletronic store, or check your laptop's powersupply, its very posible that it already accepts 220v (as most dell power supplies do). – Elliott(Talk|Cont)  00:46, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Two ASP.NET web applications differing only by certificates

I just came to think of this situation we have at work now. We have an ASP.NET web application that communicates with a normal Windows application on another server via WCF, using X.509 certificate authentication. The system is set up so cleverly that the web application is capable of working in different modes based solely on what certificate it presents to the WCF server application. The current situation is that we have set up two separate copies of the web application, as separate web sites under IIS, with only the web.config file differing, and even that only by the client certificate in the WCF authentication. This struck me as seemingly needless. Is it somehow possible to have the same physical copy of an ASP.NET web application present a different certificate via WCF depending on which TCP/IP port, or which virtual directory, it was accessed through? JIP | Talk 20:05, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

I seem to have figured this out myself. One of my co-workers had already developed a class which generates a WCF connection for any interface based on the credentials in the web.config file, and apparently there's a method in the System.Security.Cryptography namespace that allows setting the X.509 certificate dynamically, provided such a certificate has been installed. JIP | Talk 22:17, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

What is this ad on Annie's Mailbox?

I noticed this type of ad with other features on this same site, but I go here daily now that the newspaper I subscribe to no longer carries the column that succeeded Ask Ann Landers.

It comes up on the lower right corner of the screen, at least for me. There is an X but the ad behaves in such a way that the X might move before I click on it, causing me to go where they want me to go. I just wanted to find out what type of ad this is, because it's not a pop-up in the normal sense. And it never gets blocked by the popup blockers at libraries (I don't go to this site at home) which don't seem to work half the time anyway.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 21:38, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

That appears to be an Adobe Flash .swf that's just part of the page. (It's one of those graphical thingies that appears to rise up from the bottom of the window.) Note that the "X" is also just part of their .swf file and not a regular "close box" like you see in a Windows window. The advertiser can do whatever they want when you click the "X" — in this case, they display a traditional popup window behind the current window. I don't have a great recommendation for this other than find a different website that shows less disrespect for their readers (and which syndicates the same column). Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:10, 12 October 2011 (UTC)

I just click on the X and it usually goes away, though there's almost always a regular pop-up when I do. So what I was trying to accomplish was identify it as swf. Thanks.Vchimpanzee · talk · contributions · 16:25, 13 October 2011 (UTC)