July 2007

By Cliff Millward, Editor cliffm@xmission.com

Some Good --- Some Not So Good
My son, Ryan, bought me a 24” LCD monitor for father’s day. It is a great monitor! I thought my 21” Cathode Ray tube monitor was great, but this is much, much, better.
It came with four USB ports but, none of them worked! I took it back to Best Buy and they exchanged it for another new monitor. The USB ports of that one didn’t work either! So--- I contacted the manufacturer by e-mail. They asked me several questions probably designed for beginners such as is the monitor plugged in, etc. After convincing them that I knew what I was doing. They offered to send me another new monitor. I had to give a $95 dollar deposit as collateral which will be returned when I send the old monitor back (within 7 days.)
This I did and waited expectantly for the new monitor. It came within 3 days. My son put it together and the USB ports did NOT work on that monitor either! I called upon Preston Anderson for help. He came out and proceeded to search the Internet for similar problems with this monitor. He finally found a solution after digging through about 28 pages of tech talk on a chat web page. The monitor must be turned on with absolutely no connection to the computer. Then add the connections -- walla! -- the USB ports worked!
At least they worked for about a week and then the same problem occurred. I will now have to unplug everything form the monitor and connect it again in order to activate the USB ports -- that is too much trouble. I don’t use the USB ports very often, and I have a few on my computer so I really don’t need them. However, I believe that if you buy something everything should work. Oh well, the picture is great and I can put the magazine together in portrait mode (which is really cool!)
When I feel ambitious, I will try to re-connect the USB ports. Maybe (I can hope can’t I) Gateway will design a fix for it.

Sweet Charity has a Bitter Side.
Leave it to unscrupulous thieves to use religion to check whether a stolen credit card is usable.
Years ago, they would check to see if a stolen credit card was still good by charging a penny to the account. If it was, they would charge as much as they could as long as they could. However, banks and credit card companies caught on to this transaction and took action against it.
Now they are checking the viability of the card by “donating” small amounts to charities! If the “donation” goes through, they either use or sell the card on the Internet Black Market.
Banks are stymied about how to handle this action. It looks legitimate, but isn’t. Also, the charities can always use the money. Another unexpected result is that when the real owner becomes aware of the donation, he (or she) may not be too upset -- after all, you can claim the donation on our taxes!
The solution is to carefully monitor your credit card statements online. That way, if you notice anything peculiar, you can notify the bank immediately and stop further illicit charges.

FYI
I have conducted the Murray Concert Band for over 20 years. There comes a time in everyone’s life when its time to “move on.” That time has reached me. I am stepping down as the conductor of the band. My final concert will be August 4th in the Murray Park Amphitheater.
The City of Murray will be doing something for me at City Hall on August 7th. I don’t know what this will be. As I find out more information, I will pass it along to Bob Beaudoin to put up on the web site.
The final concert will feature two of my compositions, “Hornpipe” and “Procession of the Timbrels.” Other numbers range from Classical to selections from “007.”
I may come back occasionally as a guest conductor and the members of the band want me to write more music for them. Please attend if you can.

Finè

Index

Panda Internet Security 2007

Reviewed by Stuart Gygi

Manufacturer:
Panda Software
C/Buenos Aires, 12
48001 Bilbao, Spain
Phone: + 34 94 425 11 00
FAX: + 34 94 424 46 97
Web Sit: http://www.pandasoftware.com

System Requirements:
Pentium 300 MHz or faster
128MB Ram (256MB recommended)
160MB Free hard drive space
Windows XP, 2000 Pro, ME, 98 –
Vista version now available
Internet Explorer 5.01
CD-Rom Drive

Overview
Panda is a software company based in Spain. After dominating the security products in Spain, it went international in 1996. Its main claim to fame is its TruPrevent technology. The security suite contains a firewall, antivirus, anti-spam, anti-spyware, internet content control and system and file backup services. It also provides protection against vulnerabilities in programs that are well known for their security holes. In addition to the traditional signature recognition of viruses, TruPrevent provides protection against unknown viruses.

Installation
Installation is fairly straight forward. You have several choices. First is the type of installation and the folder location. There are minimum, typical and custom installations. Another choice is how much of your system to scan before installation. You can scan memory only or you entire file system. Since the file system could be large, an entire scan could take a long time, possibly hours. You might want to scan only memory during installation (a good idea) and scan the file system in the background later. Actually, this is a choice only for the custom installation. The others automatically scan memory only. Another choice is the firewall to use, Panda’s or Windows’. Since Windows’ firewall isn’t highly regarded, I highly recommend installing Panda’s firewall. Another choice is whether or not to share information with Panda. Panda has a sophisticated heuristic system for detecting unknown viruses. Panda would like you to share any such detected viruses with them for analysis. You will have to decide whether or not you trust Panda. If not, disable this feature. However, you can send selected quarantined files to Panda on your own.
The minimal installation doesn’t install the firewall or Internet control services. During installation, it scans memory only for malware. Note that the status pane discussed in the Control Center (my term) will still list all possible services and allow installation of any not previously installed.
The typical installation installs everything but the protections against vulnerabilities. This can enabled later from the control center if you wish.
The custom installation allows you to pick and choose which services to install. It also allows you to configure programs which are automatically allowed access to the network See the discussion of Firewall Protection later in this review.
After installation, you will have to register the product in order to get automatic updates. To register you will need your activation code. Mine was printed on the back of CD sleeve. Panda’s knowledge base says something different, so I don’t know where you may find it. The registration will e-mail a user name and password that you have to configure in the automatic update dialog.

Control Center
The figure below shows the Panda control center. After installation, an icon showing the head of a Panda will appear in the notifications area to the right of the task bar. Double click this icon and the control center will pop up. Listed in the left pane are the services provided by the security suite. Any service not installed, can be installed at this time. Click on one of these and the right pane will show related information.
The status pane shows the services that are enabled and a summary of threats encountered. Note that all possible services are listed. Any not installed can be installed just be clicking on the not installed button. Once installed, it can’t be removed. The pane also provides access the configuration settings for each service. The security settings allow you to configure each of the various threat protection mechanisms separately. Typical settings cover four categories, scan, the sources of threats such as local files, e-mail, instant messaging and internet browsing, the action to be taken (usually automatic quarantine), exclusions, directories, files and file types to be excluded from the scan, and warnings to be displayed on detection. When you select settings for one of the subcategories in the status pane, you will see a ‘More’ button In the lower right corner. This takes you to context sensitive help for the settings category selected.
The scan pane allows immediate scanning of your system. The reports pane allows reviewing of reports of each event addressed and of detailed statistics of various categories of events such as detection of known viruses, phishing attacks and messages containing spam, connection attempts, and many others.
The quarantine pane shows a list of all the files that have been safely quarantined and not allowed to access your system. It also reports any files sent to Panda for analysis. This is an important feature that allows Panda to see the volume of known threats and to receive reports of suspicious, possibly new threats detected by their TruPrevent technology. In this pane, you can delete quarantined files or

The services pane
In addition to the control center, additional functionality is available by right-clicking on the Panda icon in the notifications section. From there you can access the control center, immediately block all network connections, access Panda online, and stop Panda from running, thus leaving you vulnerable.

Firewall Protection
There are two parts to the firewall, Security Profiles and Programs with Access to the Network. Panda automatically recognizes when a network adapter is connected to something. If it is a new network connection, it will pop up a message asking to be configured. You can then select the default profile or define a new one, and you can define separate profiles for home, office, airport or any other place you connect to a network. You can apply separate restrictions to each network adapter for a given profile. After first defining a profile, it added to a list. The next time you connect to that network, just select the profile from the list.
Restrictions can be placed on local and remote programs. Panda recognizes when a local program tries to attach to the local network or the Internet or if another computer on your local net wants to connect to you. If not previously configured, Panda will ask if you want to allow or deny the connection. This can be done permanently or on a one time basis. There are a number of programs that Panda will allow to connect automatically after installation. The list consists of a variety of well-known programs, such as Windows OS services programs, Microsoft Outlook Express. Microsoft Office, some browsers and ROM burning programs. Most are allowed only outbound access as a client. A few are also allowed inbound access from the network as a server. You can change these permissions if you wish. You can also add or delete programs from the list.
You can also setup rules that govern your computers access to networks. This includes the specification of protocols (TCP, UDP, etc.) and the Internet ports that can be used or not used. Each rule can be applied to one or both of two zones, local network and Internet. Either zone can be given secure or restricted access.
Internet Protection
When you access a network, Panda can evaluate your security level vis-à-vis the network. If you are not secure enough, it will warn you. Panda also protects against unwanted content (spam), spyware and fraud. To limit unwanted content, you can configure a list of trusted senders by e-mail or domain. The spam filter works automatically with Outlook Express. For other e-mail clients, you need to create, in your e-mail client, a spam folder and a rule to transfer messages whose Subject line contains the word SPAM (inserted by Panda) to the spam folder. The fraud detection mechanism examines e-mail for phishing, detects the transmission of confidential information to the network and outgoing dialing of phone numbers as well as vulnerabilities of know programs with security holes. You must configure specific information such as passwords, bank account numbers, etc. that you don’t want transmitted to the network, otherwise, anything can be transmitted. Phone dialing, however, warns you about any phone number being dialed that you haven’t specifically configured as allowed.

Additional Services
These include access to many areas of the Panda web site for support and additional information. It also instructs you on creating a rescue diskette(s). This can be created on a CDROM, or 17 floppy diskettes. Choose whichever is better for you. The rescue diskette allows you to scan your computer from a clean environment. This especially important if the boot sector is infected.

Help
The help mostly states the obvious, in particular how to get to a certain function or configuration option. It is very short on theory of operation. I haven’t fund much more on the website. However, you can call technical support for questions. They advised me to call around 11am for quickest access to a representative.

Index

D-Link DVC-1000 Videophone

Reviewed by Don Nendell

The Who: Subjects Being Dissected Herein are D-Link’s DVC-1000 and 1100 i2eye VideoPhones

The What: A 3-Part Review by Don Nendell

The Where: The MNO Law - Where it all begins for me or, “To Whom It May Concern:” The MNO Law stands for: Murphy/Nendell/Overstreet. Which goes something like this: “Stuff ‘can’ indeed go wrong, according to Murphy; and it ‘definitely will’ go wrong for Nendell; only, it’s ‘far, far worse’ for my very unfortunate and close friend from my USAF days, Captain Overstreet, Benjamin NMI.

The Why: Donna’s Question Thereof (See more on this topic below), re. The thrill of the chase and ultimate victory; Pride of authorship and accomplishment; In the long run, maybe someone will benefit from the knowledge gained by my sometimes, feeble efforts that ultimately turn into victories; et al. The events this past month in putting together this review are nothing compared to the more than 12 years that I’ve been working so very hard on my “Baby,” DYCRAV® (See the review of AutoEnc(54) in the August 2006 BCM Archives at <www.ucs.org>. As usual, choose the .pdf version for its full color effect).

The When: Somewhere in the poor masochistic, demented mind of yours truly there lurks a “Need to Succeed” like no other on the face of this earth: “Because it’s there;” “I think, therefore I am;” and, “Whatever my mind can conceive, and believe, it can achieve;” and ultimately, “I can, therefore I do.” Besides, “I think there’s a need in there someplace, so I fill it.”
Note. That about takes care of that little subject, “I think;” which only means, that all this is debatable anyway.

The How: To Be, or Not to Be Succinct, That Definitely Is The Question Herein?
The Trials and Tribulations Condensed Into One Sentence: “D-Link’s DVC-1000 Works perfectly and precisely as advertised” when, repeat when, all the pieces of the Jigsaw Puzzle are finally assembled together properly.
Caveat. That is, providing a major, said “major,” piece of that Jigsaw Puzzle is “Not, unknowingly, missing” from the box in the first place.
By way of explanation, the full story of this review is way, way too involved to bore you with all the mistakes, my mistakes, and my mistakes alone, that brought on the above diatribe. Know you well, however, that it’s déjà vu time for Don, all over again. But, I’m ahead of myself - or I have digressed - one or the other; I’m not sure; anyway, let’s start all over again -
at the very beginning.

Prelude
(Deep breath!) Hello out there in never-never land! How about this? I’m temporarily back to my old tricks again; I fully intended for this to be only a 2-for-the price-of-one review sandwiched in between my on-going/never-ending/life and death battles with all my “rotten-to-the core” computers. (Yes! They’re at it again!) Maybe I’d better get on with this review before something else jumps up, rears its ugly head, and bites me on the backside again. Weird Al Yankovitch doesn’t have anything on me - that’s for sure. Go figure? Well, undaunted, keep on “marching forward up the shale hill,” I always say!
James Arthur Ray, motivator, and president and CEO of James Ray International, a corporation that teaches individuals to create wealth in all area of their lives - who is also featured in Rhonda Byrnes, “The Secret” - says, “You must practice ‘going three for three.’ Your thoughts, feelings and actions must be all firing in alignment. . . . When your thoughts, feelings and actions are all firing, you can create anything you want.” Amazingly, I did exactly as he instructed, and found a “pot of gold” with this month’s review product; one you can very easily chase and find yourself.
A Little Background is in Order, I Think?
A lot of the pieces of the Jigsaw Puzzle (of Life?) fell into place for me in getting this month’s review product, the D-Link DVC-1000 i2eye VideoPhone (DVC-1000), to finally work for me. More on that in a sec.

Donna asked me a couple of days ago, “Why do I do these reviews?” The above explanation (See The Why: Donna’s Question Thereof:) pretty well tells it succinctly for me - not clearly - just succinctly.
Here’s another good reason: Truth be known, the product worked exactly like the manual and D-Link said it would. Slowly, step by step, piece by piece, and like any good puzzle, it all fell into place. And, it works beautifully, finally. Right about now, I think I need to explain that word, “finally” just a little, but it won’t be succinct, that’s for sure!

What I am specifically referring to here (and vaguely alluding to above) is that the critical “Remote Control” for the D-Link DVC-1000 was “missing” from the box. Yes, missing for some strange reason, which caused a great deal of confusion on my part initially; great confusion, and a great deal of extra, unnecessary work, too!
Very, Very Important Note. Everything immediately, if not sooner, “cleared up for me” when I “finally” did get that Remote Control (i.e., the missing piece of the puzzle) in my hands - which I’ll “clear up,” pun intended, for you in Part 2 of these reviews.

Here’s My Take
These reviews are kind of like a personal Blog for me, I think? You know, all the troubles I personally go through in doing them, and mostly all those self-induced problems being overcome on the way to success; you know, all that “stuff” you’ve read about herein over the years? Well, Zedicus Zoule Zurander (ZZZ), the 1st Wizard, in Terry Goodkind’s novel, “The Wizard’s First Rule,” sagely states, “Nothing is ever easy! If it is, you’re probably not doing it right!” Amen to that!

The Long and Short of It
A word to the wise here. If you want a “Bang, Bang” explanation of how any of these reviewed products work, then head over to D-Link’s web site and they will point you straight away to the “Pro’s” who will give you their “condensed” take on a particular item or product, such as: “Bang, Bang it works (or, it doesn’t some times);” that, “they like it (or, it don’t some times);” etc., etc. I really wonder if they ever encounter my kind of problems - or anything similar - in getting that final, “Ah ha!” “Eureka,” that “Flushed with success, complete satisfaction kind of sensation, contentment, feeling,” etc.? That’s what ultimately happens to me (and this time, as well), and I truly want you all to know what it’s like to succeed in something that is really not as easy as “They” would have you believe. Yet, it really is in the long run, once you remove all the road blocks, mainly one’s own self - like a great many of my problems are, for instance!
The 1000th piece, pun definitely intended, fell into place and was equally as obvious, when all was said and done.
That’s my condensed DVC-1000 review: “Bam! Bam! It works exactly as advertised! Ultimately it was really easy, and followed along ‘exactly’ as the manual said it would.” The “final” thrill, I think, was seeing my ugly kisser up there on the TV screen. The overhead lights in my office don’t help matters either, that’s for sure. I see that I have lost some more hair since I did that incredible, fantastic Ovation, the product, not me, review (See BCM archives Jan.2006), but it seems to have fallen down onto my chin; so I guess, “all’s well that end’s well!”
My point. It’s just that it’s more like a 2000 piece puzzle for me, and what seems to appear like possibly a 100 +/- piece puzzle for everyone else. I get there, but it just takes a little longer, that’s all. My 12-years in the USAF Strategic Air Command, 5-tours and 40-months of which, was flying in Vietnam, taught me well, under their rock hard “motto” that, “The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer!”

Conclusion
Well, here it is for you again in a nutshell: “The D-Link DVC-1000 is incredible!” “It’s fun for all!” “It’s beautiful, easy to use and works like a charm!” There I’ve said it like the Pros! Viola! C’est Fini!
The play is ended, the review is finished. In retrospect, and in some strange sort of way, I somehow initially related all this to Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, when he said, “Today, I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth!” Well, that’s stretching it a bit, but you get the point, I think?
But, if you want to hear how it got that way for me - this time - then read on, good friends, and “see and hear” the 2000-piece puzzle solution version which follows in a detailed Part 2. Maybe you’ll even learn from all the mistakes I’ve made along the way, and not repeat them? Good for you!
As you move forward, always remember this adage: It is said that “Winners make history, Losers write their memoirs!” “And, now. . . the rest of the review” (of D-Link’s DVC-1000 i2eye VideoPhone).
I invite you to please go on to Part 2, which begins on page 7
Enjoy!

Part 2
Reviewed by Don Nendell

Manufacturer:
D-Link Systems Inc.
17595 Mt. Herrmann
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Web Site: http://www.dlink.com
D-Link Customer Service
Phone: (800) 326-1688
E-mail: customerservice@dlink.com
D-Link Tech Support
Web: http://support.dlink.com
Phone Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST (Mon-Fri)
Toll Free: (877) 45D-Link (453-5465)
i2eye Tech Support: (800) 93-i2eye (934-2393)Product Details:
Product Model: D-Link DVC-1000
Product Type: Desktop Video Conferencing Device
Product Line: i2eye
Processor: ARM-9 ASIC Communication Processor
Connectivity Technology: Wired
Video Bridging: Point-to-Point
Form Factor: Standalone
Platform: Windows PC
Interfaces/Ports:
1 x display / video - composite video output - RCA, 1 x audio - output – RCA
1 x network (LAN) - Ethernet 10Base-T - RJ-45
1 x phone line - RJ-11
Price range:
Yahoo! Shopping: D-Link DVC 1000 i2Eye VideoPhone: Price range: $141.72 - $199.98 from 13 Stores
Smarter.com: D-Link DVC 1000 Wired Video conferencing kit: Price range: $99.95 - $219.95 from 37 Stores
Smarter.com: D-Link DVC-1000 PC Broadband Videophone: Price Range: $146.01 - $199.98 from 9 Stores
One year warranty
Video Features:
Video Resolution: CIF (352 x 288 pixels) QCIF (176 x 144 pixels)
Video Encoding: H.263
Video Frame Rate: 30 fps @96Kbps to 512Kbps
Audio Features:
Built-in Handset
Speakerphone: Integrated
Echo Cancellation
Interoperability Standards: H.323 (IP Communications); H.263 (Video); H.711 (Audio); H.723 (Audio)
Data Transfer Rate: 10Mbps Ethernet
Dialing Capabilities: Speed Dial List (50 Entries)
Dial Using VideoPhone Number via Built-in i2eye Directory Service
Dial Using Direct IP Address Entry
Dial Using Voice-only (Analog PSTN Connection)
Calling Capabilities: Manual or Auto Answer, Incoming Caller ID (available only to i2eye VideoPhone users)
Privacy Via Video/Audio Mute and Do Not Disturb Mode
Ethernet RJ-45; RJ-11 Analog Line
Camera Features: Interchangeable Camera Lens, Manual Tilt, Manual Focus,
Software Update: Automatic or Manual
Remote Software Update: Automatic & Manual
Dimensions: 3.3 in x 9.3 in x 10 in (HxWxD)
Weight: 2 lbs 12oz
Standard i2eye™ Features
• Unlimited Calling Between i2eye Units anywhere in the world (Broadband Charges Still Apply)
• Advanced Video Compression Technology for Streaming Video at Up to 30 Frames Per Second
• H.323 Compliant for Interoperability with other IP Videoconferencing Devices
• Automatic IP Detection and Setup Wizard for Easy Network Setup
• Audio/Video Privacy Protection with Built-In Caller ID
• Picture-in-Picture or Full Screen View
• Remote Control Included for Ease of Use (See Part 1)
System Requirements
Connection to Broadband Internet (Ethernet, Cable Modem, DSL Modem, or T-1)
Television with Standard Composite Audio and Video Inputs (RCA Jacks) of with a RF Modulator to Enable a TV Without AV Inputs to be Connected to the Antenna Terminal
120V/60Hz DC Power Outlet
Standard Telephone (Optional)
Package Contents
DVC-1000 IP Videoconferencing VideoPhone
Quick Installation Guide
User Manual
Remote Control (See Part 1)
CAT5 Ethernet Cable
RCA A/V Composite Cable
AC Power Adapter
<Insert Graphic_01a_dvc1000_box_features>
Get to know the D-Link Product Line
D-Link provides all sorts of products to save you time and to make you more productive. Get to know them. Visit their web site now <http://www.dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=40&sec=1>

Historical Perspective - Or, How We Got Here From Way Back There
Over forty years ago, in May 1967 to be exact, according to The Telecommunications History Group newsletter Dial-log, the 100-millionth phone line was installed and President Lyndon Johnson was presented a gold Trimline® phone with touch-tone service. Sean Buckley, the Telecommunications Magazine Editor in Chief, might have put this event into better perspective for us in his June 2007 issue editorial: “While installation of the 100-millionth phone line might not seem all that exciting in an age when IPTV, IMS and Carrier Ethernet services dominate the headlines, I think we sometimes take for granted the innovation that has gone into the telephone network. Today’s telecom industry is one where IP and IMS enable the user to have one common identity for all wireless and wireline services. . . . In addition, the move to IP is driving one-time competitors, both service providers and vendors to come together.”
BTW I still have my very first “Princess” Trimline® phone from that era; and FYI, it still works flawlessly, even today. They don’t build them today like they did back then, it seems. Lord, where has the time flown?
Segue to the present, and just look at us now. As reported in the Salt Lake Tribune (Wednesday, June 20, 2007), on June 19th, 2007 AT&T launched what it said is the first service letting callers share live video between cell phones, and that AT&T will bring this service to Utah in late July 2007. Then throw into the mix, Apple Inc.’s new and revolutionary iPhone, and you might get some idea of what I’m trying to present to you herein? It’s all about the “new wave” in phones - of which there are many different kinds, to be sure - but specifically D-Link’s DVC-1000 Video Conferencing Phone - a magnificent instrument, it goes without saying. “And, here is the best part, you have a head start. . . .” to borrow a line from the Young at Heart song; all of this is available to us “Ordinary User’s,” right ‘cher, right now!

More Background
Now that all associated video conferencing costs have dropped significantly, we, the Home User’s, can benefit equally as much as businesses/companies can, in regards to the use of Visual Communications. The following is a quick list of some of the benefits for all concerned; or ‘Find a need and fill it!”
Some Outstanding
Reasons/Benefits to Use
“Visual Communications”
- Real-time face to face communication, the number one reason for implementation of this technology in the first place. (FYI It has been reported in the media somewhere that over 60% of all face-to-face communication is non-verbal. For this single reason alone, an enriched communications tool, such as video conferencing, can promote an individual’s, or a whole team’s, identity, context and/or emotional situation. It has also been estimated that 56% of all business professionals waste an estimated 30+ minutes a day using inefficient communication methods, thereby costing businesses an estimated $297 billion annually. And, closer to our hearts, and this review, it has been reported that since 2000, the number of Americans older than 65 using the Internet has risen more than 160%, compared to only 70% for all other age groups.)
- Schedule meetings at any-time (i.e., your-time, albeit at any hour of the day or night) and at the place of your choosing. This capability alone brings the very latest technology with reliable and easy-to-use conferencing and collaboration to any meeting, albeit large or small. (See more on this particular factor below)
- A Mature and “Secure” platform (It is a truism that Enterprises that fail to use modern communications technologies will run the very real risk of falling behind their competition and into oblivion)
- Cost and time effectiveness vs. the need to travel to various and sundry locations to communicate with one another - for any type of purpose and/or meeting
- A Viable solution for telecommuters (Probably the best of all reasons for someone being able to cut down on the need to drive between locations to talk face-to-face)
- Quick return on investment (ROI) (Note. ROI actually benefits and relates to all, but most especially in this case to those larger, more dispersed organizations/businesses)
- Ease of use and management (everyone can now do it; it’s not just for businesses, any more)
- Unifies corporate structure (and the family structure, as well, possibly?)
- Provides upper management with better visibility of employees, allowing them to connect more often and more quickly (ditto with one’s family, friends, associates, acquaintances, et al.)

To Continue With Our Reasons; Why Should You Even Have, Let Alone Use, a VideoPhone?
To be more specific, the D-Link DVC-1000 VideoPhone (DVC-1000), an award-winning device for quality image video conferencing, is a stand-alone, compact, all-in-one, full-featured, desktop Internet VideoPhone. In a nutshell, the DVC-1000 uses advanced video compression technology which maximizes both image and audio quality (within the available Broadband bandwidth). The camera lens can also be adjusted to accommodate your viewing preferences. You don’t even need a PC, all you need is a “Broadband” Internet connection; and from then on, it’s all for “FREE!”
FYI Please do see the(6:25 minute)D-LinkTV Presentation on Broadband VideoPhones DVC-1000/1100/2000 by Dan and Heemok at <http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=302> Click on the “Watch episode on i2eye Broadband VideoPhones” graphic.
Caveat. Don’t miss this one, above all, if you do anything. Also see many more D-LinkTV Presentations at <http://www.dlinktv.com/?vid=50>

Standard DVC-1000 Features (Or, All the Gory Details You Can find in One Place)
The DVC-1000 comes with an abundance of exciting features. Here are some of the more important ones: 1) A very intuitive on-screen interface, makes it simple to answer incoming VideoPhone calls, or to initiate new ones; 2) Browse through all your names and numbers in the phonebook directory; 3) You can control the display, i.e., adjust the viewing preferences, of the LCD screen by switching between the Picture-in-Picture and Full Screen mode; 4) With a built-in camera the DVC-1000 captures your image and transmits the video over the Internet to your destination. By using an advanced video compression technology, the DVC-1000 can “Stream” (send and receive) real-time audio and video at up to 30 frames per second (fps), which provides you with smooth, jitter-free video. The phone incorporates Quality of Service ( QOS) for smooth image transmission and echo cancellation, silence suppression and lost voice packet recovery for quality voice communication; 5) As for versatility, to do a video conference on any available type monitor. You can either connect the DVC-1000 to any TV set through a standard RCA video cable input (or even a RF antenna converter on older antenna-only type TV’s, if needed), or to any available overhead/onscreen room projector; 6) For added convenience, the DVC-1000 features a speakerphone mode that provides you with hands-free video conferencing. However, for better sound quality, you can even attach the phone to an external speaker, or speaker system, instead of using the built-in speaker; 7) The DVC-1000 currently supports the H.323 industry standard; which means, you can connect the DVC-1000 to any device that uses this protocol for video conferencing, and not just to another D-Link VideoPhone. You can, for example, connect this VideoPhone to another device that uses the popular Microsoft web-based;
7) You do not actually need a computer to do a remote video conference with the DVC-1000. Merely connect your DVC-1000 directly to both a standalone telephone (i.e., one completely separate from your existing phone system), and use it as a voice-only analog telephone, and the all-important Broadband DSL (or Cable) modem, and/or to a remote D-Link router (like my D-Link DI-604 Ethernet Broadband Router, for instance), to name just a few features; and, 8) Audio/Video Privacy and “Do Not Disturb” modes. The DVC-1000’s privacy mode blocks video and/or audio from being sent to the other end of the call. You can also activate the “Do Not Disturb” mode to completely avoid any incoming calls. And most importantly, you’ll know exactly who’s calling before you answer the call, because the built-in caller ID displays incoming IP VideoPhone calls from other DVC-1000 VideoPhone users. Important Note. This feature is not related to, nor is it at all compatible with, the Caller ID feature that may be available with your traditional telephone service. And, as if that isn’t enough?

The “How To” Segment
The DVC-1000 is configured using an easy-to-use Setup Wizard (or the ever-handy manual) that guides you step by step through the setup process and makes it easy to personalize and change your videoconferencing options. Here are the basics:
1. Connecting the DVC-1000 VideoPhone (See graphic)
2. Sharing a Broadband Connection With the i2eye DVC-1000 (See graphic)
3. Using the Remote Control (See graphic)
4. Using the DVC-1000 with D-Link Routers (and others)
This critical information isn’t listed in the Quick Installation Guide at all. It is however, included the Manual, but it doesn’t explain to you clearly exactly “How to do it?” However, the very first FAQ in the list (<http://support.dlink.com/faq>) does cover it in good detail with accompanying screen shots, but the example is for the DI-604 Ethernet Broadband Router (which luckily I have, but you may not?). Here is that FAQ question and answer:
Q. When connecting my DVC-1000, DVC-1100 or DVC-2000 behind a router or firewall, what ports do I need to open and how do I open them?
A. The DVC-1000, DVC-1100 and DVC-2000 require port 1720 (TCP) and ports 15328-15333 (TCP and UDP) open to function properly. Consult your router’s documentation or your network administrator for help with doing this.
Note: You will need the IP address of your i2eye to forward ports.
Very Important Note. I am told by my inside contact friend, however, that the new D-Link Routers, the DIR-655, for example, do have this, including other Devices in the Network, as well, in a simple 1-Step Dropdown list and Save process.

The DVC-1000 features a very intuitive TV (or PC monitor) on-screen user interface and keyboard (plus the phone-like remote keypad, when it’s needed), thus making it simple to answer incoming VideoPhone calls, or to initiate new calls, and to browse through all the names and numbers in the built-in phonebook directory.

When you pick up the phone to call out, the default communication mode is like a normal telephone. Amazingly, you even get the standard dial tone you’re used to hearing every day. The most notable difference is, you press the “*” button to select your destination from a Speed-Dial List (or, you can dial the phone manually, like always) to begin a video conference call. The DVC-1000 accepts both normal (PSTN) and VoIP incoming calls, allowing you to receive both video conference and normal VideoPhone telephone calls. Here’s the “scoop” on how it’s actually done.

Auto IP Mapping
The DVC-1000’s unique Auto IP Mapping feature makes initiating a video conference call over the Internet as simple as dialing a phone number. Instead of identifying your DVC-1000 by an IP address, it is identified by an assigned “phone number,” i.e., one of your own choosing. As incoming DVC-1000 callers dial that phone number, a remote Directory Service provided by D-Link (“Free of Charge”) automatically converts it into your VideoPhone’s corresponding IP address. This is an extremely vital feature of the DVC-1000, 1100 and the 2000, since most home users have Cable /DSL Modem connections with “dynamic” IP addresses that most likely change every time they log on. The D-Link Directory Server keeps track of all of the changes of those “dynamic” IP addresses, so that your call is routed to the correct VideoPhone.
Very Important Note. This is a very, very special “FREE” service that hasn’t been adequately publicized by D-Link, in my humble opinion, because this also works just as well with D-Link’s “standard” DI-604 (or the DI-614, et al.) Ethernet Broadband Router. I know this personally to be true, because I already had this setup working on my DI-604, so other people can connect - remotely, if I will allow them to do so - with one of my Desktop PC’s, which is located out in the DMZ away from my behind the firewall protected Peer-to-Peer network. This is also controlled by D-Link’s unique Auto IP Mapping feature, but is otherwise identified as, the little-known, “Dynamic DNS Enabled,” which is located under Tools|Misc. in the DI-604 Ethernet Broadband Router’s Browser. It’s totally unreal, totally “Free,” totally controlled by the D-Link Directory Server, and it’s the primary reason why I became involved with the DVC-1000 in the first place; and am therefore, reporting its virtues and glories to you right now. It was a logical and “no-brainer” step upward for me personally.

That Something Special Added to the Mix
Here’s what I have been doing with my D-Link DI-604 Ethernet Broadband Router up to now. I don’t know if you’re familiar with programs like WebEx, et al., but they cost money, lots of money to use. The WebEx Meeting Center integrates data, voice, and video within a standard web browser so you can hold meetings over the Internet. Psst! Does this sound anything at all like a potential D-Link DVC-1000/1100/2000 Setup, to you yet? ;-{)
FYI If you have a mind to, you can find most of these (pay-per-use) Web Conferencing programs at Capterra <www.capterra.com/landing/collabxweb>, The Enterprise Software Center; or do a Google search under the heading: Web Conferencing Software. But, don’t even bother yourself! Here’s why?

A senior technician at Panda Software, Ernie Babinski, the pcDoctor <www.epcdoctor.com>, shared these valuable tidbits with me about “Free” Remote Assistants (You guessed it; it’s simply just “Free” Web Conferencing). Ernie has a “New” program called, “help.exe,” that you can download (and Try) on his web site. You can also communicate with him about your problems. Pretty neat! But, he also steered me over to CrossLoop; itself, also a “Free” Remote Assistance utility.
First, CrossLoop is a FREE Simple Secure Screen Sharing utility designed for people of all technical skill levels which: Connects Any Two PCs on Earth Simply; Has an Easy-To-Use Interface; Is Available in 21 Languages; Works through Firewalls; and, Does NAT Secure Screen Sharing in under Sixty Seconds. Second, CrossLoop extends the boundaries of VNC’s traditional screen sharing by enabling non-technical users to get connected from anywhere on the Internet in seconds without changing any firewall or router settings. It only takes a few minutes to setup and no signup is required. Do check this one out, right now!
I bring this up here because it is a tremendous “Help” aid for someone in desperate need of assistance on a sick PC. Oh! Oh! Your grin tells me that you already know why I already have CrossLoop on my computer, Eh! Then, with the addition of the DVC-1000 attached to my DI-604 Ethernet Broadband Router, I’m “Good-to-Go-Anywhere!” Psst! And in the process, get all that “Help” (face-to-face) I’ve been pleading for all this time, real easy like!
FAQ’s of Impressive Note

The first two (2) FAQ’s in the graphic are of very, very particular interest to me personally. That “video capture” part in FAQ 1, most especially, because I have already reviewed the ATI All-In-Wonder X-1900 Graphics Capture Card (<http://ati.amd.com/products/RadeonX1900/aiwx1900/index.html>) for you in the August 2006 BCM (Please see the review in the BCM Archives at (<www.ucs.org >) and please view it in .pdf format). The magnificent, irreplaceable, incomparable, irrepressible X-1900, the “Mother of the Mother of All video Capture Cards,” is an integral part of my existing very special set up that the DVC-1000 is currently being integrated into, “as we speak.”
FYI Now I can capture a Video Phone call with the X-1900 and make it into an AVI record (CDROM, etc.) of the “whole thing” with the unbelievably beautiful, absolutely incredible Camtasia Studio product (<http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp>), which I have also already reviewed for you in the August 2003 BCM (Please see the review in the BCM Archives at (<www.ucs.org >) and also, please view it in .pdf format).

“Such a country!”

I Also Like the Stereo Sound, And, So It Costs A Little More?
Since a DVC-1000/1100/2000 only supports a monaural audio output (i.e., the “white” RCA jack), I (optionally) bought a Radio Shack RF Modulator (Model: 15-2526 Catalog # 15-2526 $24.99) to give me that stereo look and feel.

But to do this, I also needed a Radio Shack Gold Series Audio Y-Adapter, Mono Phone Jack to RCA Plugs (Model: 274-881 Catalog # 274-881 $4.99) to attach to the DVC-1000 “white” RCA jack outlet. Now I can use the “red” RCA jack, too. Ta! Da! Stereo, like from my two (2) speakers.
Then, I also needed a 6-Ft. RadioShack Gold Series A/V Cable (Model: 15-1542 Catalog # 15-1542 $12.97) to connect the DVC-1000 to the RF Modulator.
This setup gives me both an RCA jack (Video and Audio for a Game, for example) outlet and a Coaxial cable outlet to connect to the brand new Sylvania 13” TV set I bought, just for this review (What a “Big Don” story this review has been. Please see also Part 1 of these reviews), from SEARS (The TV was originally marked at $79.95, but I got it for $49.95, all because it didn’t have a manual, a box, nor even a remote control (which the wonderful, polite and knowledgeable employee quickly rectified with a suitable substitute one).
FYI This suits me to a “T” because now it all meshes beautifully with the original “Cable TV/PC/Other Digital Device Input,” extremely, extremely complicated video display setup I have been using for years, and years now (See the Graphic next page).

Home Network Building With D-Link Products
Since the DVC-1000 is connected to my existing DI-604 (or it could be a DI-614, et al.) Ethernet Broadband Router, that automatically makes it an integral part of my extensive Peer-to-Peer Home Network, which also includes the wireless portions (which we’ll get into in Part 3 of these reviews with the DVC-1100).
FYI D-Link has a neat program on their web site that actually helps you build your own Home Network from scratch. It’s called Network Configurator 3.0. I tried it with two (2) Desktop PC’s (Nos. 1 and 2) and One (1) Laptop (No. 3) (which can be seen in the graphic). Take advantage of this great program for yourself, if you’re just getting started in setting up your Home Network (at <www.dlink.com/configurator/?vendorID=dlink> or, find it on their web site home page under Products and Solutions|Network Configurator).

As you have undoubtedly done, once again - most likely through “Habituation” while you glossed quickly through all that “Hot Stuff” (you know, all that “intro” material I give you in all of my reviews) - this time you most probably missed the biggest “new” feature of DVC-1000 of all; the single word “Vista” was “added” to their list of DVC-1000 “Compatibilities.” Well, I didn’t! And, neither should you.

Bottom Line. With its small price tag (i.e., to buy and use), high quality video and easy setup and operation, the DVC-1000 is ideal for home use, repeat home use, as well as, business and education use. Simply connect any two VideoPhones (DVC-1000/1100/2000) to the Internet to begin your “Free,” ultra-smooth picture, video conferencing, to, or from, anyplace in the world. It’s really fabulous to be there in real time, anytime. Now, you don’t ever have to miss a single moment with any of your friends, family, acquaintances, colleagues, and who knows, maybe even, “that dreaded office?” with the DVC-1000.

So, Overall How Do I Rate the DVC-1000?

Pros
All the Pros of the DVC-1000 are way too numerous to count. But, primarily it boils down to the following being the standouts: 1) There are no additional charges or fees, beyond your monthly Internet access fees; 2) They’ve finally, become very affordable and easily available for the average Home User; 3) The excellent picture (naturally, with the proper lighting) and overall good audio (under varying conditions); 4) The fast, smooth, no-jerking video frame rate (30 fps); and lastly, 5) The DVC-1000 is exceptionally easy to set up and use - the first time, and every time. Oh! I forgot to mention, “And, it’s great fun!”

Cons
It would be really handy, and certainly exceptionally nice, to have some type of digital (video, et al.,) input capability included right on the DVC-1000 for sharing those home videos, et al., straight from the family Video Camera, an iPod, a PC, etc., over a live Video Phone call. (See above). But, that might be asking too much?
All in All
If you live any distance at all away from family and friends, significant others, classmates, your business and/or business associates, etc., you will really come to appreciate and especially enjoy using this truly magnificent VideoPhone, the D-Link DVC-1000. So, go for it! You’ll absolutely love it!

Ciao!
P.S. Happily I can claim I won a very big battle today, but alas, my computer wars go on. I hope you had a safe, sane and Happy Fourth of July! Enjoy the picnic, Donna and I will see you there.
Unfortunately time has run out on me getting to Part 3, but it (DVC-1000’s companion, the Wireless DVC-1100) will appear in the August 2007 BCM; that is, “GOD Willing” and the “creek don’t rise,” as they say!