After posting the last episode of the Conversation Hour on the NBN, its been revisited. This time with Tony Brown (Executive Manager, Corporate Media, NBN) and journalist Mark Gregory. Enjoy.

Now we can use OpenVPN and the Yubikey + YubiCloud OTP service to do authentication for VPN connections. Thanks to the OpenVPN team for fixing issues preventing this prior to v2.4.3. More details on the page: OpenVPN OTP with a Yubikey

New guide up - right here. My Xen servers main board didn't have a second PWM controlled fan header to use with a PWM fan hub for the 3 case fans. Its a 4RU case - which has server grade 140mm fans that can draw up to 0.9A each and get up to around 3600 RPM. So here's how I used an ATTiny85 to generate a PWM signal from the variable 'Speed Control' voltage on pin 2 of the SYS_FAN header.

With the release of kernel-xen version 4.9.40, I have enabled CONFIG_TCP_CONG_BBR. This adds support for using BBR to improve the throughput from your servers (mostly web servers) to your clients. If you run my kernel-xen package on your Xen guests, you can also take advantage of this new feature. To enable, ensure you are running kernel-xen version 4.9.40 or above, then create a file called /etc/sysctl.d/enable-bbr.conf containing:

net.core.default_qdisc=fq
net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control=bbr

You can activate this by typing: $ sysctl -p The changes will automatically apply at the next system boot. To read more about BBR and why it makes such a difference, head on over to acmqueue for a far more in-depth analysis than I could provide.

In a speech in London overnight, Turnbull said companies should not be able to build end-to-end encryption tools that meant nobody - including courts and law enforcement - could access the content of communications.

If you're in the tech industry, and you know your local Liberal party member, point them to this and tell them to go fuck themselves. Regards, The Internet. If you don't know who your local member is, search here: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Members

Recently on The Conversation Hour with Jon Faine, they discussed the NBN, its progress, and if its living up to what was promised. 53 minutes of audio included below for your listening pleasure.

So every once in a while, you come across something in IT Security that just makes you want to cry. Usually, these are chained exploits that when executed properly have devastating effects. Take the latest Pwn2Own competition. One of the successful hacks there was epic. And scary. In a nutshell, an 'Edge' browser exploit to get into the Windows 10 VMWare guest, then a bug in the VMWare guest to own the VMWare host. Yes, hacking the VMWare host - from a web page. That's scary.

The company I used to work for took part in the Avalon International Airshow lately - showing off their Learjet 45.

Less words, more video :)

Onboard Camera:

Outside view of the high-speed pass:

The landing back at Avalon:

I caught up with a few of the Melbourne Wireless original members a few weeks ago, and while we were reminiscing, I was reminded about the Today Show feature article we helped Ms Megabyte put together on Wireless. There was a little creative license, but the video conferencing and gaming was done via wireless links - and we did actually video conference to a car - although it was parked at the time :) I've been trying to get an accurate date for when this aired - best I can tell was around March 2003. Here it is in all its glory:

It brought back a ton of memories of making wifi antennas out of pringles cans. Good times :)

Its been all over the news today that Max Quartermain lost his life today when his B200 Super King Air crashed on takeoff after what is suspected to be an engine failure. Max was well known in the aviation industry, especially around Essendon Airport where the crash occurred. He was a very knowledgeable pilot that was always available to give advice, guidance, or thoughts to any prospective pilot - including those who were struggling to find success in the industry. The aircraft involved in the fatal crash was always well looked after and he took pride in his work. While I've only spoken to him a couple of times, I know many people who knew him well. From those working in support operations, to those who have flown with him over the many years that Max has been doing what he loved. He always left an impression of genuine love for what he did, and the aviation industry as a whole. You will be missed.