The default connection to FurryMUCK is plain text, anyone using a packet sniffer can read anything you send or receive, including your username and password!  FM has offered a secure connection port for several years now, but it requires either a client designed for SSL or a wrapper program such as stunnel.  If you use a wrapper, you can continue to use your current client.

Here's how to use stunnel version 4.20, which runs as a Windows Service so it's always available.

Step 1:  Download and install the latest version of stunnel

Step 2:  Click on Start --> Programs --> stunnel --> Edit stunnel.conf

Step 3:  Delete everything in the conf file and paste the following:

socket = l:TCP_NODELAY=1
socket = r:TCP_NODELAY=1
client = yes
service = STunnel to FurryMUCK
taskbar = no

[FurryMUCK]
accept = 8899
connect = furrymuck.com:8899

Step 4:  Save the file and exit Notepad.

Step 5:  Click on Start --> Programs --> stunnel --> Service install

Step 6:  Click on Start --> Programs --> stunnel --> Service start

Step 7:  Change the settings in your MU program to point to 127.0.0.1:8899 instead of furrymuck.com:8888

Step 8:  Connect to FurryMUCK and enjoy having a secure connection that others can't eavesdrop on! 



You can also use stunnel 3.26 instead.  This version has to be started each time you want a secure connection; it doesn't run as a service.  However, this means you can run it from a USB drive without needing to install anything.

Step 1:  Download the latest 3.x version of stunnel and the OpenSSL library openssl.zip (available near the bottom of the same page)

Step 2:  Unzip the openssl.zip file into a folder.

Step 3:  Copy the stunnel binary into that folder.

Step 4:  Open Notepad and copy and paste the following:

stunnel.exe -c -d 8899 -r furrymuck.com:8899

Step 5:  Save into the same folder as stunnel and openssl, using the name FurryMUCK.bat  (You can name it whatever you want, but it must have a .BAT extension!), then exit Notepad

Step 6:  Double-click on FurryMUCK.bat to start the SSL wrapper.

Step 7:  Change the settings in your MU program to point to 127.0.0.1:8899 instead of furrymuck.com:8888

Step 8:  Connect to FurryMUCK and enjoy having a secure connection that others can't eavesdrop on! 

A few more seem edits today, all of them in seem 2742.

(As before, this is all At-Your-Own-Risk stuff.  It voids your warranty, may violate Verizon's TOS, and may fry your phone.)

Offset 6a, bit 2  Enable the Bluetooth DUN profile

Offset 6a, bit 2 Enables the Data Connection menu

Offset 1e, bit 3  Enables the animation menu.

Offset 23, bit 5  Enables the Roaming Call Guard option

Offset 71, bits 5, 6 and 7, Offset 72, bits 1 and 2, and Offset 72, bit 0 disabled, Changes the GPS options from 911-Only/On to On/Off/Ask.

Offset 62, bit 5 Change the Pix server (this one doesn't actually seem to work, I'll have to check on this)

Offset 8d, bit 6 Enables Time/Date and Auto Redial menus

Offset 5a, bit 7  Allows use of QPST  (needed for the next hack)


After doing all these, I started working on trying to get Dial-Up Networking through Verizon to work with my PDA.  I discovered you have to install QPST and download the file /nvm/nvm/nvm_factory.  Then using a hex editor, find the area where your phone number is followed by @dun.vzw3g.com.   Overtype this so that it reads @vzw3g.com, then 0 out the remaining characters in hex.  You have to do this in two places.  Save the file, then use QPST to upload it back to the phone.  Then on the phone you need to go into System, Security, Data Connection (default V3C password is 000000), 1XRTT Data, Password.   Delete the password that's already entered and replace it with "vzw"

On your computer or PDA, establish a Bluetooth DUN profile and use the following settings:

Phone number:  #777
Username:  <yourcellnumber>@vzw3g.com
Password:  vzw

This will give you high-speed Internet access if you're in an EV-DO service area (I got 230kbps) or a 14.4k connection if you only have a 1xRTT service.  Theoretically, this should show up on Verizon's servers as a regular Mobile Web or VCast connection, but I wouldn't advise abusing it.  (I have wireless at work and at home, so I would only rarely need to use this, i.e. if I needed to look something up on the Internet while shopping/at the doctor/etc.)  You can skip this last hack entirely if you want to use a regular dialup ISP (It works with XO), but you'll only get 14.4k, regardless of service area.

Waiting for my car to be finished. I called the shop yesterday and they said it would be done today. It's already after 1:30 pm, and no news yet.

This stupid rental SUV is SUCKING gas at a phenomenal rate. The trip computer claims I'm getting 11.3 MPG, but I think it's overestimating. I've only driven about 170 miles in the past week, but spent $41 on gas. I normally buy gas every two weeks for my Caprice, at about $50 a tank.

I finally managed to get ActiveSync 4.1 removed and 3.8 reinstalled. The 4.x version is required for Windows Mobile 5.0 but it has some quirks, doesn't allow you to sync over the network and doesn't work at all with some older PDAs. And if you attempt to uninstall it, it leaves behind a couple files that prevent you from ever using the older 3.8 version. You have to uninstall 4.1, delete the files rapi.dll and ceutil.dll from the \Windows\System32\ folder, reboot your computer, then and only then can you install 3.8. If it took me weeks to find the solution, what is Joe "Oooh, they have the Internet on computers now" Sixpack supposed to do?

For some reason putting the PDA in the cradle disables my keyboard until you uncradle the PDA. Weird.

I removed the 6.0 version of AvantGo and installed the last version that was integrated with Pocket IE, version 3.3. What an incredible difference in speed. It took version 6.0 a whopping TEN MINUTES to sync my channels, the client is slow, sucks up tons of RAM, the interface is clunky and hard to use and the fonts are so big as to be nearly unreadable. Version 3.3 took about 20 seconds to do a full sync, Pocket IE is extremely quick to load, it's much easier to use and the fonts are just the right size. Congratulations, AvantGo, on screwing up a good thing!

I went to the maul today to buy my grandmother a box of chocolates and to shop for a new knife. Because I don't have nearly enough knives. ;) The knife I wanted turned out to be $35, forget it. At the See's candy shop, I was looking though the various boxes of chocolate, and it all looked so good, so I told the lady behind the counter, "I'll take one piece of each!" After she'd gotten though the first two cabinets of candy, it had already added up to over 2 pounds, so I decided to stop there, I'll come back later to buy the rest. ;) And then I remembered I was there to buy candy for my grandmother, not me, so I got a box of her two favorites, pecan clusters and cocoanut.

I can't help but snicker every time I see a riced car with a huge wing ("It looks like it could fly!") or intake ("It's definitely sucking!"). There was a whole row of rice in the parking lot, so I was laughing out loud all the way to the car.

Today was my first full day with the RAZR. It's a nice phone and all, but it's got a few flaws.

The biggest one is the power draw, the battery was almost totally drained by the time I got home from work. I haven't seen a cellphone use that much power since my original model StarTac some 8 years ago.

I also found that there while you could hack the older RAZR firmware to enable Bluetooth, Verizon apparently completely removed it from the latest version. If I want to use Bluetooth with this phone, I either have to downgrade it to the old firmware or install the (mostly) compatible firmware from Altel.

I figured out how to send wallpapers to the phone, so now my phone has bunny pr0n, but I haven't figured out how to send myself ring tones. The stock ring tones are just DREADFUL, so I ended up paying Verizon for a new one. Now when my phone rings, it plays "We are the knights who say... NI!"

Unfortunately, most of the office staff at work have RAZRs from Verizon as well, so this phone really isn't all that special there.

Google Video has Radar Men from the Moon, a super cheesy Sci-Fi serial from the 1950's with George Wallace as Commando Cody. It also stars Clayton Moore, who is of course, much more famous for his role in the Lone Ranger.

You know you've been on the Internet too long when your opponent in Scrabble plays "PRO" and your first thought is to add an "N"

I don't usually do these Friday Five things, but this one hits my geek spot.

1. What kind of computer do you have? (Mac, iBook, Dell, etc.)

In order of Megahertz:

Custom built server (Pentium 4 2.6GHz)
Dell Inspiron 8200 (Pentium 4-M 2.0GHz)
Custom built workstation (Pentium 4 2.0GHz)
HP Pavilion N5270 (Pentium III 700MHz)
Dell Axim X50v (XScale 624MHz)
Sony PCV-E203 (Celeron 300MHz)
Prismiq MediaPlayer (MIPS 167MHz)
HP OmniGo 120 (186 16MHz)
Atari 400 (MOS 6502 1.8MHz)


2. How old is it? Are you happy with it?

Newest machine is the Dell Axim, less than 6 months old. Oldest is the Atari, 20-something years old.

As long as they work, I am happy. ^_^ And I really love my Axim.

3. How many computers are in your household? (at home if you are away at school)

9 computers total, 5 of which are used every single day.

4. What are your favorite games/timewasters on your computer?

LiveJournal
BattleField: Vietnam
Phyllis

5. If money were no object, what kind of computer would you like to have?

One of those Dell laptops with the 19" screens that are supposed to be coming out next year, loaded to the gills.

I had a strange dream last night. I had several 'smart' picture frames, one which displayed weather information, and other that showed off digital pictures. But I suddenly started getting pop up ads on both frames, and one of them, I just could not get rid of. I finally ended up having to tweak my DNS server to block the offending web site.

Even my dreams are geeky.

I recieved a Fry's credit card in the mail yesterday, so I headed over there this morning to buy a webcam. Since it's going to be outside, I tried to find the cheapest one possible. They had one for $16, and it was pretty small, so I grabbed it along with a 16 foot USB booster extention cable.

I got up to the checkout, and it turns out that camera was on sale for just $8! Woohoo!

I ran the cable out the front window, and adjusted the weather station software.

So now http://wx.captainpackrat.com/ not only has live weather data, but a snapshot of the sky outside as well. :)

http://wx.captainpackrat.com/

Whoo!