Remote Sysloging for Wireless Access Points

Having an number of issues with some wireless access points. I decided that it would be  a good idea to enable the remote syslog utility on them.
 
The next question was to which server would they send there syslog details to, well for me it had to be one of the linux servers we have on site, so I chose out ubuntu utility server running Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS.
 
First I made sure that the server was up to date
1. I know I shouldn't by I sudo su -
Then
2. apt-get update
3. apt-get upgrade
4. Back up the server
5. The server was running the ubuntu default of rsyslog daemon, I could have chosen syslog-ng - but I am more comfortable with sysklogd.
 
# apt-get install syslogd
so then I made a copy of the syslog.conf file
cp /etc/syslog.conf /etc/syslog.conf.b4change
and added the line
# Access Point Logging
local7.debug     /var/log/wap.log
The sends all the messages from facility local7, having the priority of debug or greater
to the above file.
 
I started with the facility local7 as I often found it to be the default on some comms kit.
Later I planned to add;
*.*;local7.none;
auth,authpriv.none        -/var/log/syslog
 
to filter out the WAP entries from the syslog.
now to create the log file
touch /var/log/wap.log
 
Now to make syslog listen to messages from remote machines:
edit /etc/default/syslogd to include the -r option:
SYSLOGD=”-r”
and restart the syslog daemon.
# service sysklogd restart

Needed to open the port on the fire wall and as I using ufw it was;
# ufw allow from 192.168.3.107 to any port 514

Now on the Wireless Access point - as we were using a Netgear WG102 - it was just a couple
of settings to enable in the  menu.

Now testing, nothing was being added to the log from local7 - however log entries were being placed in the syslog and user.log

Using logger I tested as follows
logger -p local7.debug "is this working?"
 
That worked as it should
 
So I checked the WAPs docs but nothing about the facility it uses.
so on the server using tcpdump
# tcpdump -s 0 -v -X port 514
 
I checked and found it was using both User and Auth.
After a bit of round and round the mulberry bush - I got to speak to netgear support and found that the facility could not be changed.
 
So I writing a shell script to sort the filtering out !

Pneumonia

Well haven't been up to much lately managed to get Pneumonia before Christmas and had a lot of time off work and only managed to start back last week.

Did pick a good day to go back either as Ofsted were in School, still from the IT point of view it hasn't yet caused us to many problems.

Unlike some staff members who expect you to drop everything and find space on a server,  load their new application and then will not give you the staff laptops to update. All this must be done for Wednesday Morning !

Tempted to quote" Prior planning prevent P*ss poor performance" but I better not !

Theresa May

Rt Hon Theresa May

Here we go

Re Theresa May

As Home Secretary the 'buck' should stop with her.

Blaming Staff like she has done is appalling.

I for one and I am sure all of the public are sick and tired of MPs like her.

She should for all our sakes she resigns

Where is the Leadership and ownership – the accept the money for doing the job
But as always Blame Someone Else.

Time for some more baking - Bara Brith this time

Time for some baking - Bara Brith 

Bara Brith

Ingredients

• Some Tea About 2 tea bags should do! (I like earl grey)
• 330 ml (11 fl oz) boiling water
• 225 g (8 oz) mixed dried fruit
• 170 g (6 oz) self-raising white flour
• 170 g (6 oz) self-raising wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 55 g (2 oz) light muscovado sugar or any other brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
  Preparation
  1.
  Make some tea in a tea pot and pour in the boiling water. Give it  a good stir, then leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Place  the dried fruit in a bowl. Then pour the tea over the fruit. Cover and set aside to soak for at least 5 hours or overnight.
  2.
  Preheat the oven to 160ºC (325ºF, gas mark 3). Grease and line a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin. If you want to sift the white and wholemeal flours, baking powder and spice into a mixing bowl. Add in the sugar.
  3.
  Pour in the soaked dried fruit, making sure you include all the liquid from the bowl, and add the beaten egg. Lightly mix the egg and fruit, then add in the dry ingredients until they have mixed well. The mixture should be soft enough to drop easily off the spoon. Add 2–3 tsp more tea or some hot water if needed.
  4.
  Put the mix into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours or until the loaf is well risen and firm, expect to see some cracking along the middle and a nice browned top. Cover with foil (somewhat loosely) for the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking if its getting too brown.
  5.
  Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire cooling rack rack to cool completely. This Bara Brith tastes very good if it is left for 1–2 days before eating ( not that that happens in our house). I am told that it can be kept wrapped in a cool place, for about 5 days. 
  
  
  Was hoping for some for lunch - but its all gone !
  
  

President Interviewed on the ICQ Podcast

The RSGB EGM coming up.

Very good podcast from the RSGB President.

Worth spending the time checking it out and discussing it !


http://www.icqpodcast.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1555:series-four-episode-twenty-three-rsgb-president-egm-answers&catid=29:download-icq-amateur-ham-radio-podcast-epsiode&Itemid=100007

QE or Not QE

We all know that the Euro Zone is in a mess – bail outs etc etc.

But just how bad is UK PLC??

The Pound dropped against the euro again, following the Bank of England

Saying it’s going to do more QE – which is printing money to your or me.

Not that they print the stuff, they just do this electronically – just product money out of thin air, which is a nice trick if you can get away with it.

I suspect if we tried this on our bank accounts – we be ‘done for fraud’ – good old UK where only mugs work, and MPs and Councillors get brown bags full of Cash!

The UK must be pretty bad if we are dropping values against the Euro

An adventure into PSK31 and RTTY

Well, got a data link setup between my Pc and Radio, selected some software Digipan for PSK31 and MMtty for RTTY - also using HRD.

Still just limited to 2m or 70cms - have not seen any activity on either mode this week - hopefully see something at the weekend. Must get my G5RV set up and then I can look on HF.

Have tested the setup using video from Youtube - found some very helpful stuff for data modes on there.

Off to the Great Northern Hamfest this Sunday. All being well I will get some QSOs in before then.

Need to also upgrade the coax on my 2/70 Aerial - thinking about using RG213u - will get some advise from others before buying.

Interface Used Minipro from ZLP