David Sheeks

The Cantenna project is coming along smoothly, and as promised, I have included some pictures of the project.  Remember that this is simply a prototype, so it is meant to be effective, not pretty; I will likely add some shielding to give it a better appearance later on, but as a proof of concept it should work well. The "Pigtail" antenna connector. This is made to connect to a normal antenna port that is found on most desktop wireless cards.  It should set you back three or four bucks at most; check Radio Shack or google "pigtail connector" for an online source. The pigtail connector, attached coaxial cable, and tomato soup can.  A hole cut a specified length from the base of the can.  The guys over at http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html have a good calculator to determine hole placement.  Just measure the diameter of the can, plug it in the first box, and the result in "1/4 Guide wavelength" is the length, in inches, you want to put...

I've finally settled on the hardware for the arcade machine. A bit of sacrificing had to be made due to cost, but it looks like it is going to turn out pretty good nonetheless.  I am going with XGaming hardware (not their premade board but individual switches and joysticks), as it is in line with real arcade quality parts.  The switches will connect using a USB interface card. The cost of the project so far has set me back around $100, although much of the material (the computer, screen, cables, etc.) has been pulled from items I already own.  I am hoping to have a finished product that would cost less than $800 in parts if someone were to buy every piece individually, but I am hoping to keep my own cost for parts under $200. Stay tuned for pictures and step-by-step updates on the project as soon as the parts start rolling in!

Amidst the civil unrest in Egypt this week, the country decided to do the unthinkable--pull the plug on the internet.  It wasn't to stop people from playing Farmville, playing Call of Duty, or downloading music--it was to squelch free speech.  In one fell swoop, every twitter account, facebook and blog giving an inside view from Egypt went silent.  While protests continue, the evidence of them is largely hidden, thanks to their country-wide internet ban. But something as large as the internet can not be taken down so easily.  While it may be slow, users are now connecting via dial-up to long distance service providers across the continent.  Some ISP's have even begun offering free access to anyone who dials in from Egypt to help alleviate their lack of communication. While it may seem far-fetched that such a thing could ever happen here, keep in mind that Greece and Egypt seemed like perfectly stable, economically viable and peaceful countries just five year...

Cingular's decision to stop offering the unlimited iPhone data plan was controversial at best.  According to some reports, however, you can get the plan back if you've ever had it before, courtesy of Verizon.  Here's how: 1: Call Cingular customer service. 2: Tell them you are dissatisfied with the fact that Verizon is going to offer unlimited data for iPhone users and Cingular won't. 3: Tell them that they you are going to quit so that you can get unlimited data again. That's all there is to it.  The Cingular representative should (according to reports) offer you your old plan back if you promise to stay.  Apparently they'd much rather suffer a few gigs extra data throughput than lose a customer entirely. Never had the plan in the first place?  You may be out of luck for now.  If anyone manages to get upgraded to an unlimited plan if they never had one before, let me know; I have a feeling they'll start offering this next to stop even more users fr...

Use your laptop to check your facebook when you're in McDonalds, airports or other places that offer free wifi?  If so, you are putting yourself at risk.  Until just recently, Facebook has only offered an unencrypted option for accessing your account.  Any kid with a couple hours of training can grab your login information just by being connected to the same hotspot. Just a couple days ago, however, Facebook began offering secure connections.  By using an encrypted connection (which is a LOT easier than you'd think and has virtually no performance issues), you can keep your account info safe and not miss a beat. To enable HTTPS encrypted access to your Facebook, follow these simple steps: From your Facebook, go to Account Settings Click on Account Security Choose "Browse Facebook from a secure connection (https) whenever possible. Click "Save" And you're done!  Users should notice minimal if any performance degradation by this change (so most users...

Work continued today on the Cantenna directional wireless antenna.  For the antenna cable I am using a standard external antenna that would normally sit on top of a computer and plug into the card via a pigtail connection.  By disassembling the antenna casing I'm left with two wires which will be integrated into the cantenna body. In order to ensure that the signal will be amplified for both 802.11b and 802.11g signals, the antenna lead is placed about an inch and a half from the can base, ensuring that it fits between both wavelengths perfectly.  The outer connection of the cable is attached to the can itself, and the center pole of the antenna cable is extended into the body of the can itself, keeping clear of any surface.  The signal will collect between these two wires and result in a signal amplification that is considerably larger than the average wireless range extender. Initial tests allowed me to pick up a wireless signal approximately 750 feet away that...

Now that I'm home I decided to share a little more about the Production PC project I recently completed.  A picture of my desk with the computer is below: As you can see, the display setup really stands out from your average computer setup.  The specs for the monitors are as follows: 2x Acer x223w widescreen monitors.  This is a Newegg consumer's choice awarded monitor, offering an ultimate balance of affordability and quality.  The resolution on each of the 22" monitors is 1680x1050. 1x LG 1080p 32" television.  This TV outputs a resolution of 1920x1080 through a digital HDMI cable straight into my GIGABYTE 9800GT fanless video card. The largest hurdle that I had to overcome was with the card itself.  An excellent card for the price (sub-$100 range which is more than enough for my business needs, although it may not be sufficient for hardcore gamers or high-end graphic designers), the 9800GT has no fan, instead opting for an enormous heatsink ...

Work on my ultra-efficiency PC has finally been completed. Complete with not one, but THREE widescreen monitors, it is enough to make even a gaming enthusiast drool. Powering the machine is an AMD quad-core CPU running at 2.8ghz per core. 4GB of DDR3 memory allow for near limitless applications, and a modest 600GB of hard drive space complete the mix. A bit of work was needed to allow for three displays. Normally adding a PCI express dual-head video card would allow only two monitors. But by changing BIOS settings to default to inboard video and load the 9800-series card second, I have up to four possible simultaneous displays. Pictures of the setup will be coming soon! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

As part of my NET 499 Capstone project, I will be creating a fully-functional arcade machine.  This machine will be a state-of-the-art answer to the traditional arcade machines of yesteryear.  Complete with a 1080i 32" widescreen display and powered by a recycled Pentium dual-core PC, the machine will allow multiple players to enjoy old and new games in a brand new, modernized arcade format. This isn't your old school arcade machine.  It's what an arcade machine would look like if they had just been invented in 2011.  Support will be added for steering wheels, light guns and other peripherals, and the machine will have a coin-operated option to allow for monetizing of the project.  As most projects on this site will be, this will be a fully open source project. I will take you through the journey from start to finish over the next three months as I transform a pile of electronics into an entertainment masterpiece.  Check back often for updates, pictures...

For my wireless network security class, I have been tasked with the job of creating a wireless range extender.  To this effect I will be creating a "cantenna," or a directional antenna using an aluminum can. The antenna has been optimized to allow it to operate on both the 802.11b and 802.11g wavelengths, and should provide approximately two miles of range for a standard wireless card. Pictures and details of the project will be forthcoming as the construction continues.  Depending on availability of parts, I may be adding a recycled satellite dish into the mix, bumping my antenna into the ten mile range.  Stay tuned for more interesting projects.

Welcome to my web log!  A Network Security and Electronics major at Eastern Kentucky University, I will be using this space to detail my last few months toward graduation.  Included here will be various projects I have worked on, my current resume, and my journey from being a student to being enrolled full-time.