Alan J. Matson's Blog

Well I am back writing for TalkAndroid.com again after they did some restructuring. TalkAndroid is the most comprehensive site for Android based news and reviews. Give them a visit and see what makes them so great.

TalkAndroid.com

written by Alan J. Matson

I had an awesome interview with SonicWALL yesterday. The seem like such an awesome company to work for that takes pride in their products and service. Keeping my fingers crossed

written by Alan J. Matson

I just finished updating my lab server for my MCTS Windows 7 Administration (70-680) exam as well as to integrate into my Cisco CCNA lab. The hardware is robust enough to run several virtual machines using VirtualBox.

Specs:

• CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 910e (Only 65w TDP)
• CPU Cooler: Thermaltake ISGC-400 Low Profile
• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H
• Memory: 8GB (2GB x 4) DDR3-1600MHz 8-8-8-24
• Video: Gigabyte Radeon HD 2400 XT 256MB
• RAID Controller: HighPoint RocketRaid 2300 PCIe x1 4-Port (RAID-5)
• Hard Drives: 1x Seagate 7200.11 750GB (Main), 3x Western Digital 6400AAKS (RAID-5)
• Network Cards: 2x Netgear GA311 10/100/1000 PCI cards
• Case: Norco RPC-4020 4U Rack Case
• Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts 500W
• OS: Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit

Once I get everything installed into the server rack and the way I want it I will post up more pics I want to thank OverclockersClub.com for supplying the majority of the hardware used to build the server.

written by Alan J. Matson

Well I finally finished the CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ all before the end of the year which means they are certs for life instead of expiring. CompTIA is changing these certs at the turn of the year making them good for 3 years from the date of certification.

written by Alan J. Matson

Well I finally took the plunge and sat for the CompTIA Security+ exam three weeks ahead of schedule. I felt I was pretty ready after reading Darill Gibson’s Security: Get Certified Get Ahead SY0-201 book. If you are interested in the book you can pick it up from Amazon.com and I highly recommend it. This was the only source I used to prepare and I scored an 845/900 in 20 minutes. It was very thorough and easy to read.

Next up is my A+ 2009 Objectives to remain current and the infamous Microsoft Windows 7 70-680 exam.

written by Alan J. Matson \\ tags: certification, CompTIA, exam, security

I started a new site designed for news and reviews pertaining to server and networking hardware and software. Please come over and support us at http://www.RackRelated.com

written by Alan J. Matson

Well I took the CompTIA Network+ today with only a short time of cramming and beat it out big. I ended up scoring an 870 out of 900 which is way better then I expected. I used the CBT Nuggets videos and the training material including practice exams from LabSim to study from. If you put in enough effort and use the LabSim practice tests you will do fine. I highly recommend this exam for anyone wanting to get into networking.

written by Alan J. Matson \\ tags: certification, CompTIA, exam, network

I found a great site that’s geared towards Android based phones and devices. If you looking foe up to the minute news and Android fun head on over to TalkAndroid.com and check them out.

written by Alan J. Matson \\ tags: android, droid, evo, froyo, htc, verizon

I came across a great opportunity to receive a gently used Cisco 1841 Router for free and pounced on it. I plan to have it put in this weekend and will post more pics and info then.

written by Alan J. Matson \\ tags: 1800, 1841, ccent, CCNA, Cisco, router

I have stumbled upon ZAmanda Backup and so far I am impressed. This software lets you backup Linux, Windows, and Solaris computers with ease. Check it out.

written by Alan J. Matson