AT&T Global Dialer and Verizon Access Manager Don't Get Along

If you use Verizon as your cellular Internet provider and you are going to install and use the AT&T Global Dialer on your computer you may run into some issues.  Typically users who have Verizon Access Manager (VZAccess) installed cannot install AT&T Global and get it working - it will stop installing then roll back the install.  In some cases it also prevents VZAccess from functioning properly even though it was removed.

This has to do with the way AT&T Global Dialer inserts itself in the network stack - their process is messy and dangerous to put it nicely.

So you've installed AT&T and now VZAccess doesn't work?  Uninstall AT&T Global  if it managed to install, uninstall VZAccess, then restore your system to a point prior to the installation of AT&T' Global.  Once the system restore is finished you may reinstall VZAccess and it whould work.

So you can't live without AT&T Global?  You will need to download the installation app, but don't install it yet.  Uninstall VZAccess, reboot, THEN install AT&T.  Once AT&T is safely installed and your system has been rebooted you may then install VZAccess.

Do not taunt AT&T Global Dialer.

Server 2003 Enterprise Edition R2 x64 Terminal Server Software Installation/Uninstallation Slow

Link goes to post that helped the most (I don't make this stuff up myself)!

I found that my Server 2003 x64 Enterprise Terminal Server was taking a stupid long time to install and remove applications.  It was making me crazy!  This server has 1TB of hdd space (500+GB free), hardware RAID (with a battery, so write-back wasn't an issue), dual Quad-Core Xeon's, and 8GB of RAM.  Everything I installed took an eternity (7-Zip took 45 minutes!)

After much reading I found a forum post saying that someone had used Process Explorer while removing software and was seeing huge amounts of data being copied out of the registry that contained Hewlett-Packard in its key.  Further searches have found that when users connect to a Terminal Server and fallback drivers are configured it will try to install the users print drivers in the server, fail, go for the fallback driver, then never remove the installed (nonworking) driver info from the registry.

All the extra info in the registry was being read and written to a backup of the registry during software installs, taking a really long time.  Deleting these keys and their subkeys fixed the trouble.

REMEMBER TO BACK YOUR REGISTRY UP BEFORE MAKING CHANGES TO IT!

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal Server\Install\RefHive\Hewlett-Packard]

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Hewlett-Packard]


Reboot and feel the joy!

Intalling IPCop + USB Keyboard = Headache

Link goes to a bug report in the ipcop-devel board.

IPCop 1.4.20 has trouble installing on computers with USB keyboards - on mine it was sticking at the blue screen just prior to the language selection dialog.  Unfortunately many new computer don't come with PS/2 ports, so USB is a must.

If you unplug your USB keyboard after hitting ENTER to start installation it will start properly (minor errors regarding the keyboard will be seen in the boot messages).  When you see the language dialog you may plug in the keyboard, wait a few seconds (I press the NumLock to see if the light toggles) then proceed normally.

How to make your IVANS Medicare Submissions Less Painful

FISS, IVANS, whatever you call it, Medicare submissions don't seem to go as well as we would hope.  Slow often doesn't begin to describe the process.  It seems like the PasyDES (also known as Passport IP) just won't work.  It won't connect.  It hangs.  It . . . doesn't work.

First up, if you haven't already, get a VPN account and use the VPN connection  - see my previous post on this subject.  Alright, everyone's using the VPN?  Great - next, check that you have the latest AT&T Global Network Client.  OK, now that you're ducks are in a row, let's figure out which servers actually work.

1. Connect to AT&T and wait for Passport IP to open.  
2. Hit Escape and abort the connection attempt.
3. Go to Start -> Run -> and type cmd and click OK.  A command prompt will open.
4. Now ping the 1st Chicago server by typing ping 204.146.91.80 and then pressing enter.
5. Do you get a reply, or does it time out?  If it times out, you can try the next IP.  If it replies, congrats, you have a working server  - make a note of it and keep on trying until you get a second one.

Here are the server IP ranges:

 Chicago: 204.146.91.80 - .88

 Los Angeles: 204.146.91.148 - .154

 New York: 204.146.91.50 - .58

Don't give up until you have two of them!  Enter your two addresses into the Connection Setup window, and enjoy a connection that works!  If it begins to behave badly, you can repeat the process and find another working server.  Happy submitting!
Update 26-Aug-10
Ivans is doing away with the Passport IP system and is instead opting for a system called Lime.  They've used Blue Zone for a while, and the users have really liked it, so Ivans has repackaged Blue Zone in a Web interface and is calling it Lime - you may already be able to use it.
Connect with your AT&T Global Client (Ivans Connect), open you web browser then visit https://limecportal.ivans.com.  When prompted input your user ID and password - if it proceeds you know you have it.  If it doesn't work, call Ivans (or even better go to their Support Chat) and get a new contract.

Internet Usage by Residents in Long Term Care

As our ever more technically inclined population are aging they are bringing their technical skill set and favorite leisure activities with them into the long-term care facilities.  Among these is a desire to use a computer and access the Internet.

The Internet has proven to be a valuable link for nursing home residents and their families.  Phone calls and visits in the day room are increasingly replaced by emails and online chats.  Boredom is combatted and lives enriched by allowing residents to while away the hours pursuing information about their favorite hobbies, reading the news, or just playing games.

What could possibly go wrong?  A Q&A with myself on this subject:

Could a staff members or visitor use a resident's computer to steal their identity or otherwise negatively influence them?

This is a big issue.  Many of us save our usernames and passwords to our favorite online haunts in our browser, allowing us to enter them conveniently without the hassle of authenticating each time.  However, if it isn't the computers' owner accessing the site we have a situation where someone has successfully masqueraded as the computers' owner.  The potential exists for an unauthorized individual to acquire personal and financial information about the resident, or to even manipulate the resident's banking and finances.

Residents who own their own computer should be encouraged to password protect their computer.  Furthermore they should be encouraged to lock their computer with a password if they will be leaving it unattended.

What level of service must we offer? Can we ethically prioritize our own Internet traffic over the residents'?

I believe that a minimal commitment of hardware and resources to resident Internet access is all that is necessary.  What is more necessary is keeping the business and healthcare functions going at full-speed - not only is this good business, but it is necessary for the staff to be as efficient as possible.

This situation is avoidable if a second Internet connection is established solely for use by residents - an expensive option.  What is more affordable, and certainly keeps the business and medical data more secure, is setting up a second network that is logically separate from the facility's business/medical network.  If you are using an IPCop you would set up your wired business network in the Green Zone and your wireless resident network in the Blue Zone.

Is it ethical, maybe required, to filter or monitor resident Internet usage?

It depends.  One good argument against filtering and monitoring is that we're dealing with free-willed adults.  So long as the equipment and time is theirs they should be allowed to do as they please so long as it doesn't do any harm.

But there is a lot of harm that we may prevent by filtering and monitoring access.  Many facility administrators have felt that the Internet access restrictions that apply to the staff should, in large part, be applied to the residents with a couple of notable exceptions:  online chat and social networking.

Blocking access to shopping, gambling, and potentially dangerous sites serving up viruses and spyware are certainly desirable.  Many are in long-term care because they don't have all of their mental faculties - they could drain their life savings if they could shop or gamble online and never realize what they've done.

How prevalent will pornography be?

Probably not very.

I'm certain that we will need to address the social and biological interests of our more amorous residents, as well as the well-being of our staff - the orientation of a resident's computer monitor will be very important.  So long as the equipment and time are theirs they should be allowed to do as they please so long as it doesn't do any harm.

I've heard of many residents possessing and viewing a personal store of pornography, and in one case a female resident has regularly provided pornographic DVD's for group viewing by her male peers.  The staff did not feel that this resulted in a sexually charged atmosphere or any undesirable public behavior.  These are adults with the vices and desires common to most of us.

That said, it is still up to the facility administrator.  I've had almost every one that I work with say that they did not feel comfortable allowing access to pornography using the facilities computer network.  If they want pornography they'll have to get it elsewhere.

Will our staff be expected to provide technical support the residents' computers?

Absolutely not!  In fact it should be actively discouraged.  All interaction between staff and the residents' computer equipment should be discouraged.  There are so many problems that can arise from good-intentioned assistance with a minor technical issue that the mind boggles.  The door to potential ill feelings and financial headaches opens wide if there is a problem and it is blamed on the facility staff.  So: Aide Frances helps Mrs. Cardigan install a new game; congratulations Aide Frances, you are now the proud owner of every problem that computer will ever have going forward.  Mrs. Cardigan knows that she didn't do anything to it, it must be what you've done.

Residents must seek help from family or paid technical staff from outside of the organization.  We can't get involved - there's too much risk.

Are there potential income opportunities for the facility, such as a setup fee or monthly fees?

I've wondered at this long and hard and think that it's not a bad idea.  The facility is investing in the well-being of its residents.  That investment should pay off.

While additional fees may not be appropriate, it is a feature that will appeal to many residents and will help to fill beds.

What liabilities can this incur? What happens if a resident has equipment that is damaged or stolen?

I'm certain it will matter if the damage is from a staff member, another resident, visitor, or act of God.  I'm afraid that every issue could be blamed on the facility staff.  It's just the nature of computer users to look for an issue beyond themselves as the cause of their problems.

A comprehensive set of policies will be needed to avoid these pitfalls.  Residents that bring computers should be informed that the facility is in no way liable for their computer or the information that it contains.  Period.  Stick to this line, it will be all that you have.

The facility staff need to make sure to keep themselves from becoming liable - a housekeeper who drops a laptop while cleaning a room is in a bad position indeed.

And what about when another resident breaks the computer?  Facility administrators will need to be prepared for this eventuality.  If you figure out a good answer to this one, drop me a line!

What if the residents computer is used for criminal activity?

The facility and the residents both would be best served by devoting every reasonable resource to exposing the criminal, the extent of the crime, and prosecuting the offender to the fullest extent of the law.  Whether a resident is guilty of using their computer for criminal hacking or possessing child pornography, or another person had used a resident computer to perpetrate a crime or fraud, society's best interests are served by involving law enforcement and seeing that justice is served.  Just try to keep it away from the press - no nursing home needs bad publicity, the press is already out to get them.

What about wireless networks – won't the homes and businesses adjoining the facility may be able to join open networks?

The operative word here is Open.  Basic WEP or WPA encryption is enough to keep all but the most skilled and determined attackers away.  Sure it's inconvenient, but security is never convenient.  Your wireless password should be an open secret - shared with anyone who asks.  This makes it convenient for residents and visitors to use the valuable and convenient service that you are offering.  Since you're keeping the resident's network separate from the business network there will be little gained from attacking the wireless residents network.

What about resident computers provided by the facility in the common areas?

Computers in common areas of the nursing homes will need special treatment so as to avoid issues of ownership, suitability for a particular use, appropriate usage, resident tolerance of frustration, time sharing, software installation, spyware, adware, viruses, etc.  Be sure to use a technology such as Microsoft Steady State to prevent as much headache as possible.  Even better, ditch Windows and use a Linux LiveCD like Hospitality Machine. 

Trouble with URLFilter Addon for IPCop (Like, it quit working!)

So a customer called me with a complaint about being blocked from legitimate sites, saying simply that a critical banking web site had been blocked.  However, there are several ways that one is "blocked" from a web site:  a simple issue of old web links or bookmarks, adware in your local computer, network congestion, an active block by your IPCop's URLFilter Addon, or OpenDNS blocking due to restricted content.  Each of these gives an error message that is unique to its condition (with the exception of adware, it's meant to be misleading) - unfortuantely this person couldn't remember the content or color of the block message.  I suggested they take a photo of the block message with their cell phone and text it to me the next time this happens.  Windows does NOT make sending screenshots as easy as it should be.

So another person at the customers' site calls and says that there is no filtering on the system.  Wow, two people from the same site with opposite problems?  What a puzzle!

While I can't exactly figure out person 1's issue, person 2's issue was that the URLFilter just did not work.  It had failed open - allowing access to everything that OpenDNS didn't block.  The Advanced Proxy was still working as it was still dutifully logging web site visits - you'll know the AdvProxy has quit and it's just NAT if you have logging turned on but nothing is being logged.

I tried stopping and restarting the URLFilter, the AdvProxy, then the whole IPCop, but it still didn't work.  I tried reinstalling the URLFilter over itself so as not to lose my settings and blacklists - no luck.  I had to uninstall the URLFilter, reboot the IPCop, the reinstall the URLFilter to make it start working.  I had copied all of the settings into textedit, so I was able to put everything right back into place with the exception of the blacklist.

An interesting note:  removing and reinstalling the URLFilter component periodically may do some desireable housekeeping:  it arranged my blocked sites categories alphabetically (they were a mess prior to that), it seemed to drop some categories that I didn't use anyway, and it seemed to improve the browsing speed.

Dell Inspiron 1545 with Vista x64 Spontaneously Reboots

I'm not sure which I dislike more, Microsoft, or Dell.  The two together are an unholy union that literally keep me up at night.  Todays headache comes courtesy of them both.  The Inspiron laptop would reboot every 20-30 mintes for no good reason, and it didn't matter if it was idle, in a screensaver, or busy with an update.  After rounding up all the usual suspects (all drivers updated, 3rd party software removed, updated the BIOS, removed the antivirus, installed all OS updates, ran Dell's hardware diagnostics) I decided to call Dell. 

After a half-hour of Hell because I didn't know that the customer had acquired the laptops at Best Buy (one of Dell's support reps suggested I could only get help from the reseller) a support rep took pity on me and suggested I do a system restore to two weeks prior.  I tried that, with no dice.  She then suggested that the issue is due to some incompatible updates from Microsoft.  That's right, the updates that are supposed to make our computers safer and more stable were crashing this one out.  The support rep further suggested that I turn off automatic updates.  Fat chance, I told her, then I politely asked if she knew which updates in particular were causing the mischief.  After a relatively brief hold, she gladly informed me that the issue was caused by the following updates and suggested that if I remove them my computer would operate trouble-free.

• KB973839
• KB970653
• KB972036
• KB973874

I've removed the required updates, rebooted, ran MS Update, hid the offending updates, and have operated the computer for the past hour without incident.  I think she may have given me the correct answer - she did great, but Dell is still not on my list of recommended vendors.

IPCop Firewall 2.0 - Coming Soon to a Network Perimeter Near You!

IPCop 2.0 will be here soon - I just downloaded and installeda beta version of IPCop 2.0 - IPCop 1.9.7 on a Virtual Box on my Macbook Pro. I don't know why, but they're playing it pretty close to the vest. There is virtually no mention of 2.0 on the IPCop.org web site unless you click on the Road Map link - which lays out 2.0's intended features. From the looks of 1.9, it's coming along rather nicely. I'll review the highlights and show you some screenshots.


/edit 11-Apr-2011
It seems a heroic few have soldiered on and are slowly moving toward what will be IPCop Version 2.0.  Despite the fact that there hasn't been a new stable version in quite some time, the IPCop version 2.0 is still under development - a new test version 1.9.19 has been released - you can find the test versions at http://sourceforge.net/projects/ipcop/files/IPCop%20Test%20Versions/.  Looking at their timeline it would seem that documentation is half finished, and many features are at 80% and 90%.  It seems that traffic shaping has not begun implementation, don't even think about using a dial-up modem (my Granddad still uses one - no kidding!)

If you've never heard of IPCop I'll give you a quick rundown: it's a Linux distro that you load into a crappy old PC - they've tested it on a 486 with 64MB of RAM, and it worked at a reasonable speed! You replace your network firewall with this baby and you gain all the power and flexibility of a Microsoft ISA Server (without the hassles and expense) or a Cisco PIX Firewall (again, without the hassles and expense!). Believe me, this thing is easy and fun. For install instructions and tutorial (version 1.4.x at this time, but easily applied to 1.9.x, or even 2.0 once it arrives) check out this Instructables Article.

I spent some time looking for documentation prior to installing the Beta, and found nothing but complaints about install problems or enigmatic questions wondering when 2.0 will be available. Wonder no more: the Beta is available now, you can test it out to your hearts content. In fact, I encourage it - the more people that download the software and try it out, the more feedback will be given to the developers, and the odds are that a few people who install it will know a thing or two about development and make some serious contributions.

Why haven't I contributed? I have! I'm spreading the word! The developers get a golf-clap: by downloading the software you show interest, and no one wants to develop software that no one is interested i. I'd contribute more if I knew how to code and script - I know code and script, but I'm a total script-kiddy: I understand the fundamentals and can manipulate the system once it's made. It's like knowing how to drive, fine-tune, and even fix an automobile, but ask me to fabricate a new piece or improve on the existing engineering and I'll have to pass. I'm confined to standing on the shoulders of giants.

IPCop 2.0 - New Features (From http://www.ipcop.org/2.0.0/en/admin/html/whatsnew.html)

IPCop v2.0 is a development of v1.4, but incorporates some significant improvements.

• Linux kernel 2.6.27
• New hardware support, including Cobalt, sparc and PPC platforms.
• New installer, which allows you to install to flash or hard drives, and to select interface cards and assign them to particular networks.
• Access to all web interface pages is now password protected.
• The port for https secure connections has been changed to 8443.
• Redirection from ports 81 and 445 will not work.
• A New Look User Interface, which includes:

• 
  
  
• A new Scheduler Page, on the System Menu, where you can program various events.
• More pages on the Status Menu including new pages for System Info, Traffic Accounting, and IPTables, as well as an overhauled page for Connections.  The entire Firewall Menu has been overhauled, and the Pinholes and Port Forwarding are now controlled by Firewall Rules. (This feature set rocks - the port forwarding worked great in 1.4.x, but the "pinholes" made no sense to me.)
• An updated Proxy Page, now with advanced control features. (The "Advanced Control Features" are Marco Sonderman's AdvProxy addon for IPCop 1.4.x rolled into the new distro so you no longer have to install it separately. Thanks, Marco!)
  
• There's a simplified DHCP Server Page. And underneath, dnsmasq has replaced dhcpd as the DHCP server.
  
• The Time Server Page has also been simplified, as IPCop now uses ntpd fully.
  
• OpenVPN has been added to IPCop, as an alternative to IPsec. (Whither Zerina? I'm guessing Zerina was rolled into this distro, too. Bravo! At the time of writing the Zerina site was down, here is the Google Cached Page Link)
  On the flipside, snort Intrusion Detection System has been dropped from IPCop v2.0, to become an Addon. (I didn't use this - the Sourcefire rules update was an onerous burden, there were too many false positives, and it's strictly reactive - great forensic evidence after the crime is committed but hardly a way to prevent the crime in the first place!)
  

All in all, I'd say that these are milestone improvements - the install time is drastically reduced by rolling two of my favorite addons into the distro, multiple interfaces with separate IP's may be set up in each zone (2 Red's, one on the Fiber Line, one on the DSL backup?) making this a much more flexible system. I'm glad I stocked up on extra Ethernet adapters!

Oh, and a word to the wise: This is a BETA, don't use it for a production system, use it for testing and development. The manual is certainly less than complete, and I'm certain that many features are half-baked, so you'll experience some headaches if you stake you business on 1.9.x.

Small Business Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Stupidity

I kept getting the error "Setup could not verify the integrity of the file Update.inf. Make sure the Cryptographic service is running on this computer," when I tried to apply SBS 2003 SP2. I stopped and started the cryptographic service. I read every Microsoft KB and followed every step. I ran DJ-Lizard's Dial-a-Fix - an excellent tool for repairing a variety of windows problems by automating the deletion of some pesky files as well as unregistering and reregistering some pesky DLL's - and still had no luck.

Reading Experts Exchange (well worth the subscription price) another individual had the same problem, ran through the same troubleshooting steps, and had no success until he realized that he hadn't applied SBS 2003 SP1. I checked my server, and sure enough, I hadn't applied SP1. The Stupid Server service packs aren't cumulative? Windows deskop OS SP's are, so I naturally assumed that server service packs would be, too.

Let's Waste Some More Time!

A lot has changed since my last post about wasting time (not this one, that one!) - users decided that downloading and installing a dedicated application to run Internet television is NOT on their to-do list. Web-based video sites have instead opted to follow a format most similar to YouTube. I like the application-based model because it didn't feel like YouTube, which lets you browse videos much as you would browse Ebay.

Admittedly the new online television sites don't look exactly like YouTube, but I dislike browsing video content inside of a browser window. The full-screen Babelgum and Joost clients had their own personalities which were expressed through various eye candy like slick menu effects, and Joost's fade-to-a-dot like an old-school TV was just awesome - it reinforced the fact that it was TV.

Now that I've got my pitiful whining out of the way, lets look at our FREE online television viewing options:

YouTube

For the sake of completeness I've included the 800 pound gorilla. You know it, you love it. There's nothing that can't be found here - from the inane to the insane. It works in every browser on every platform (OK, that's a bit of a stretch, there's some geek reading this in

Lynx running under Linux on his Atari 2600 who can't). It features low-quality and high-quality modes, fullscreen viewing, and if you have a slow connection you can pause it and let it queue up some more data for a better viewing experience. It's owned by Google. What more can I say? Go watch something stupid.

Hulu

The not-quite 800 pound Gorilla but having 800 pound gorilla backing (Fox, WB, and Comedy Central to name just a few) has many, perhaps too many, TV episodes online for your viewing pleasure. And it's legal - unlike Youtube, which is regularly asked to pull copyrighted content by the content's owners. The content owners have given their precious shows over to Hulu (when they haven't Hulu gladly links to a content-providers site on which you may watch your show), which places a single 20 or 30 second ad at the points where television viewers would endure a few minutes. Even with less ads, they're making a fortune because the advertisers are willing to pay for ads that they know will be seen - it's pinpoint accuracy advertising, unlike the shotgun of over-the-air TV.

Hulu has classics like AirWolf and V, and fresh content like The Daily Show (a day late). An added bonus: Movies. They're not terribly recent, and the content is changed up regularly, so if you missed The Fifth Element when it was on Hulu a few months ago you're out of luck.

OK, on to the geeky stuff: you will need a fat Internet connection to enjoy Hulu thoroughly - the video is usually very high quality. Many hotel networks don't fit the bill. Neither does dial-up. Users with a slow connection can pause the show and let it queue up - it has a handy queue meter when you pause it - for smoother viewing.

Joost

I thoroughly enjoyed their stand-alone client's visual effects. Kudos to Joost for managing to bring some of that visual style to their site. It seems that the corporate television overlords have seen fit to keep their eggs in different baskets (I won't name names, but one rhymes with Schmomedy Schmentral). Ads are placed at the beginning of the show and at appropriate places throughout the show, much like Hulu. There is a lot of classic cartoon content - like GI Joe, He-Man, and Transformers - great stuff, I rushed home after school for these! Newer content from Nickelodeon can also be found here. Also, I'm delighted with the PBS channel, educating and entertaining at the same time!

I'm not thrilled with the layout and navigation of their site - it's clunky, wasting lots of space and hiding the impressive depth and breadth of available content. The video quality is excellent, it queues when you pause it, and you'll enjoy it more with a good fast Internet connection.

Babelgum

The European answer to Hulu and Joost, Bebelgum has an excellent easily customized interface that invites you to search deeper. And deep is what you get here - independent films and Britain's BBC as well as a plethora of documentary films. My favorite documentary? Red Files.

The site is supported by video ads that play at the beginning of the video. Then, during the video, to my irritation, static ad content slides out in a translucent bar, which is closed by clicking the X in the top-right corner. Video quality is excellent. I like this site due to the sheer uniqueness of the content, all of which is professionally generated.

LiveStation

This one is pretty iffy. It's a web site that pairs with an application (spyware risk, anyone?) that streams live TV and radio stations from mostly non-American sources - like the BBC and Al-Jazeera. Remember how I was delighted with the video services that required a player to view the content? Well these guys got it wrong. The clunky player only plays the video or audio half the time due to the fact that users may add content that then becomes unavailable even though LiveStation shows it as available. I think that what they're doing with their client is aggregating the streaming content from a "partner" entity's web site. I'd save the effort and just go to the web site of the entity you want to watch - you'll likely not suffer as much disappointment. Quality is wildly variable. The player app is available for almost every OS and platform, from Windows and Linux to Mac (Intel and PPC!).

Miro

Miro is a horse of a different color. First up you have to download and install it. It is RSS for video. You tell it which "channels" you like, and whenever you run the app it checks those feeds for fresh content, which it will then download for your offline viewing pleasure (the bar doesn't have Wifi? Pshaw, I'm still entertained!). That's right, it saves the movie files right to your hard drive, from which you can copy them into your favorite mobile device and watch them on the go, or you can just watch them in Miro. Miro is NOT for those seeking instant gratification as it must download the entire video before it plays it. Miro seems to be the only video app that plays HD content, so if you hook your computer to your TV and play the videos your in for a real treat. My favorite channels include NASAcast and Monty Python.

TVUnetworks

This one has potential, but in its current form it's too hit and miss, too low quality, and too difficult to navigate to be used by most people. Unless you're an expatriate from Asia, Europe, or the Middle East who's missing the TV from home, you will likely be disappointed by this service. It's similar to LiveStation (see above) in that it attempts to aggregate several sites' streaming content into one searchable, useable place. It won't work unless you download their proprietary plugin (I wonder if its' loaded with spyware?), and the video quality is poor. However, I'm going to periodically check back on this one because I can see the potential - the web site has a visual appeal a la Joost.