Well, I figured it was time to do some updating, so I’ve been playing around with some new WordPress themes. I’ve found this one, and I like it a lot. I think I’ll keep it. It does, however, need some updating, so I’ll be updating the header image and doing some other minor customization.

I’m playing with a new idea for marketing a few of my sites. I’m still formulating the plan in my head, but I think it should work quite nicely. The idea came to me while driving home to my parents for Thanksgiving, and it’s stuck with me. I seem to get most of my ideas while driving, usually along the 3hr trip to either my parents house, or to US Internet where my servers are housed.

I’m not prepared just yet to reveal my new marketing idea, and for obvious reasons.  However, this idea of mine is going to require me to call upon some of the skills I learned in my Intro to Acting class that I took last year, along with the help of some of my friends. I’m hoping I can put my idea into practice before Christmas, and publish full details here.

In other news, I was looking over the statistics of this site. I hadn’t paid very close attention to this site these past few months, but apparently others have been. Visitors to my site have increased significantly during October. I’m not sure why, but it is a pleasant suprise. Perhaps now I’ll have more of a reason to post more often.

And lastly for today, I’m fairly excited about an opportunity that is arising. One of the clients my business does consulting for is looking into the possibility of taking me to Australia with them to demo the wireless system that I helped him assemble. This would be a great opportunity to demo the tactical capabilities of the system to Australia’s Fire Fighters for use during their upcoming fire fighting season. If things come through, I’ll be in Australia during Dec. 11-17. In either case, there is a good possibility of going to Australia later on in February. I’m excited as I’ve always wanted to venture outside of North America. I still have a goal of visiting Europe before I graduate college, but I’ll settle for Australia. Besides, it looks like it will be a while before I graduate, now that I’ve dropped my classes to focus on business for a while.

For some odd reason, today has just been the bugger of all mondays. I get in to the office this morning, only to find I have no internet access. Jim and Lyle reconfigured the firewall for the building’s T1, so now my office has no internet. I’m supposed to change my IP settings in my router to fix it. It should be fixed, but now the CSU/DSU for the T1 is giving errors, and no one has internet in the building.

What makes it even more fun is that I finally have my business phone line routed to my office, rather than my house. So the line is plugged into the PBX box for the building. Unfortunately, Jim is to busy to set up the PBX system, so when you call my phone number, it gets picked up and automatically routed to New Tech Concepts. Great! I’ve already received calls on my cell from customers asking me about this.

Last week, I purchased a copy of ACT! by sage. It is supposed to be this great CRM software for managing client relations. Well, it would be great if the software worked properly. For some reason, it is having problems rendering things on the screen. The images get screwed up when viewing the data fields, and the calendar does not show up at all.

What a way to start the week

Ahh yes, the week after labor day! School starts once again. I just need to keep reminding myself “I’m $30,000 in debt with student loans, I need to finish my degree”. I guess I now know how Bill Gates kinda felt when he was in college. With the pressures of my business demanding more and more of my time, I honestly have no idea how I’m going to find time for class this year.

I have 18 credits left to get my Bachelors degree (that is unless I need to retake some of the classes I got D’s in). These are going to be the longest 18 credits of my entire college career. This fall semester, I’m taking ‘Archeology of Cities’, ‘History of the Holocaust’, and ‘Strategic Management’. Why in the world I’m taking the first two classes, I don’t know. But in order to graduate from UMD’s School of Business and Economics, you need to have so many upper division electives from other colleges. And those 2 classes were some of the only ones that didn’t require lower division pre-requisites.

The temptation to just quit school and continue my business full time is a big one. But then I’d be $30,000 in debt for nothing. At least when I get my degree, I’ll have a $30,000 paper that I’ll probably never use, but I’ll at least have something.

I just got off the phone with EV1.net tech support. Do I have a server with EV1.net? No. But I did about 2 years ago.

The reason I called EV1 is because I had been receiving complaints of spam and hacking attempts coming from my servers. But I couldn’t find any evidence of such.

Finally, I found out why. The person who was experiencing the spam/hacking attempts was getting them from a certain IP: 216.127.XXX.137. And when they did a reverse DNS on the IP, it came up with one of my domain names. So they contacted me!

I didn’t recognize the IP address in question, it definately was not one of mine. So I did a reverse DNS/IP whois on the domain, and lo and behold, it belongs to EV1! Apparently, when I cancelled my server with them 2 years ago, they didn’t remove their reverse DNS entries. So the new owner of the server was causing trouble, but my domain still showed in the reverse DNS.

EV1 is now removing those reverse DNS records, and I commend their support, as it was a rather painless phonecall to make to get everything cleared up.

So, the lesson to be learned here, if you have ever had servers somewhere, make sure that they remove the reverse DNS records after you leave their services!

Well, the past 3 weeks have definately been interesting. This is going to be a pretty long post, since it covers a lot, so I’ll try to break it up.

So on Monday August 22nd, I received my new Dell Poweredge 750 server I ordered. But when it arrived, there were 2 boxes. Both had the same packing slip (with my server listed on it), but they were 2 different boxes. I opened the first one and found my Poweredge 750 server as it should be. But in the 2nd box, I was suprised to find a Dell Precision 650 workstation with Dual Xeon processors. I definately did not order this (a $2000+ system). So I called my friend Chad who is a Dell reseller and asked him about it. He said he’s heard of people being shipped extra things, and said Dell often says to keep it.

I wanted to do the right thing, and only keep it if Dell said yes. So I called them up, explain the situation to them. I read them the service tag on the workstation (they didn’t even have record of that service tag in existence!). They scheduled DHL to come pick it up the next day. Boo hoo, oh well, I didn’t get to keep it, at least I was doing the right thing and returning it. It’s not like I had ordered it and never received it.

Well, we got the new server installed. We being Tim and myself, Tim is my new system administrator. We drove down at 9pm Tuesday night to US Internet to install it in the rack. We got done a little after midnight and started the 2.5hr drive back to Duluth. When I turned off of Hwy 694 onto 35W to go towards Duluth, there were a lot of cop cars parked on the shoulders. So we slowly drove past them and got on our way. About 3 minutes later, a car comes rushing up behind me, I check my speed, and I’m doing 78 in a 65. “Oh Great!” I said as the cherries lit up on the cop car behind me.

When the cop walked up to my car, he asked us where we were coming from. So I said “We’re coming from Duluth, headed back to Duluth” The cop did a little double take “Say what?”. So I explained that we’re from Duluth, and came down to install a new server in Minnetonka for our internet business. The cop then asked for both Tim’s and my drivers licenses, and said that there was a crime committed in the area, and my car matched the description. So he took our licenses, did some background checks, asked to look in my trunk and then let us go. I was kind of bummed I didn’t get to sit in the back of the squad car, since it seems like something fun to do at 1am, especially when you know you’re innocent.

So Tim and I were finally on our way back to Duluth, we were making good time, doing about 80mph, when all of a sudden 2 deer appear on the freeway. Tim yelled “Lookout!” and I swerved, but ended up hitting one of them. I didn’t hit my brakes until after hitting the deer. It was so fast it was one of those “What was that?” moments. I slowed down, but didn’t stop driving. I looked over the hood of my car and couldn’t see any damage, but I stopped at the next exit to get gas and check the damage.

Luckily, all that happened was a small dent in my hood (barely noticeable) and my front bumper is cracked. The headlight is fine, albeit a little loose now, but still properly aligned. It looked as though I ended up driving over the deer. There were some guts in my intake/radiator, and blood streaking along the side of my car. (I drive a white car). So after getting gas, I got a carwash to wash off the blood/guts. Thankfully the rest of the trip back was uneventful.

——-

Aside from all the excitement driving late at night, another thing that has been happening the past few weeks is server problems. And lots of them! It all started when some malicious user uploaded an IRC bot to my main webserver ‘Phoenix’. This crashed the server, so we went in and cleaned that up. In the process of installing a new firewall, the kernel died, so I had to drive down to the cities at midnight to fix it. Yay! I got back to Duluth at 8am, and headed up to the end of the gunflint trail (4hrs north of Duluth, spitting distance from canada) to work on a contract for a client, and got back to Duluth at 9pm. Then we went through our other servers updating them to make sure the same kind of malicious files couldn’t be uploaded. The same kernel problem happened on another server, so at 10pm I got to drive back to the cities to fix the issue. I got back to Duluth at 5am and was able to sleep for the first time in 40hrs.

Fast forward to the past week, that initial attack on Phoenix left the server a wreck. Luckily, we just installed a new web server ‘Unicorn’ so we began migrating customer account off of Phoenix and onto Unicorn. Along with the migration came all the problems with DNS propagation, IP changes etc. Couple this with a buggy Apache update from Psoft (the makers of H-Sphere), apache kept dying on Unicorn. This did not bode well with customers that were promised the move to Unicorn would solve the server issues.

Well, finally almost all of the accounts have been successfully migrated to Unicorn, another Apache update has come out so Apache is running stable now. But last night I was adding the final few IP’s to Unicorn, and for some reason, the server went down. The Tech at USInternet said it was booting just fine, but wasn’t showing up on the network. So at 10pm last night, I got to drive to the cities yet again. I brought along the new Extreme Networks Summit24e2 managed switch I bought to replace the unmanaged Dell powerconnect we were using.

I get to the datacenter about midnight thirty (12:30am). Log into Unicorn, and find out I made a mistake in my IP configuration file with the netmask, which unbound all of the IP’s from the server. Great! After 1 change, the server was back online (without even needing to reboot!). I then installed the new Extreme Networks Switch, and took the Powerconnect with me. I was out of the datacenter by 1am.

About 1:30, I’m driving through Blaine, just got onto 35w (about where I was pulled over last time) and I received a phone call. It was the datacenter telling me that none of my servers came back online (they all went down while I was there). I instantly knew it was the switch. I failed to test/check and make sure everything was working properly. So I turn around, and get back to the datacenter again at 2:15am.

One look at the switch and I smack myself in the head. My Dell powerconnect switch was auto-sensing with auto-crossover. I had a patch cable going from USI’s switch to mine, and on my new switch, that port was dark. I moved that cable over to port #1, and it the crossover button and the port lights up. Instantly all my servers come back online. Ugh, lesson learned here, even though it’s late, and you’re tired, and you have a 2.5hr drive home. Take the time to double check everything is working.

So I took that time to use a workstation in the NOC to make sure all my servers were online, and I responded to a few trouble tickets/emails. I didn’t get out of there until 3am, due to chatting with the USI Tech.

Passing through Blaine again at 3:30am, I decided I couldn’t make it all the way back, so I stopped to sleep in a Home Depot parking lot. Woke up at 7:30 and made it back to Duluth by 10am.

————-

For some reason, I’m not looking forward to school starting next Tuesday. My life has been hectic enough without having to worry about homework, and class, and grades. I’m thinking of taking the semester off and just getting things stablized with my business. I can’t wait for Tim to come back from his vacation so he can worry about the server stuff, and I can focus on everything else that I have on my plate.

I feel its time for an update here. I’ve been so busy with business and things that I don’t have time to keep my own blog updated. So this is going to be a long post.

In the past few weeks, Utaria (my business) has exploded, and I have to give God the credit. It isn’t anything that I’ve done, but a series of things that has happened that can only have come from God. I started working on a consulting contract for a local company, doing some wireless networking. That project has really taken off and has brought a lot of work. I also have 2 more companies lined up to do networking/consulting for that I will be meeting with tomorrow and Saturday. The consulting jobs are really nice, as that will 1) bring in more business revenues, and 2) give Tim (one of my employees) more work. Right now, Tim is working about 10hrs a week for me, and I’d really like to see him move to a full time status as soon as possible.

The ARCO Coffee website was launched a few weeks ago, I’ve mentioned it in the past, but since it’s launch, it has already been getting orders and enquiries through the site. I’m very proud of the work we did on that site. I have to say, that their site is one of, if not the best web development creation I’ve done so far. Now we get to try to out-do ourselves again with Patriot Water’s website. That site is currently in progress, so I can’t give any previews yet.

Since moving into our new offices, business has picked up, we’ve received a walk-in ‘potential’ client. I still need to meet with him sometime next week to go over his needs for a website. It has also allowed us to be more productive. For one, Tim now has his own desk with workstation that he can use for his projects. So he can actually get work done when he comes in. The same goes for me, I no longer have kids from the game center coming in to ask me to help them with their game etc. I can also meet with clients without having to be distracted or interrupted by kids yelling in the game center.

I just purchased a new system for the office yesterday. I picked up a Mac Mini, with 19″ Dell LCD monitor. It’s a really nice system, and I’m actually making this post from it. I bought it for Jason and/or Jill to use when they come in to do web development. That way I can provide them with the software and tools they need to work with, rather than having them use their own computers, or use not-so-legit software.

Actually, just this morning, I met with Jill, and we had a good conversation on what our business relationship was going to be. Since she already does web design herself, and has several of her own clients that she would be bringing over with her etc. All in all, I think we worked out a really good deal that works well for both of us. I want her to be able to succeed and do well with this business. I’m excited, because Jill brings a set of skills that I myself am lacking in. One of those is technical writing. One of the things she is working on is writing up user manuals for the MXR content management system that we use for website development. The other is her network of business contacts, and her ability to sell.

In the past 3 weeks, I’ve been running around non-stop for my business. It’s a little draining at times, but it is also so relieving to be caught up in all my bills, and know that I am financially set for the next few months. Both personally, and as a business. God has really blessed me this summer. Just like 2 years ago when He allowed me to buy Integra Hosting. Sometimes I just can’t help but sit back and be amazed by His glory, and how much He pours into our lives, whether we realize it or not.

Jim, the owner of New Tech Concepts (The business that I have my office in the back of), bought the VFW building right next to the building he was leasing. He had to be out of his old place by August 1. So we spent the whole weekend moving everything over to the VFW. So right now, everything is in disarray.

The NorthLAN Gaming Center (also a business of Jim’s that I help out with) will be going on the main floor on one side, New Tech Concepts will be going on the other side. The back half of the main floor will be where the VFW Post has their location now. I have a nice new office upstairs, with windows! Jim will also have his office upstairs next to mine, and the main floor part will be his showroom for all the satellite equipment.

I’ve been excited about this move for the past 3 months. Now I actually have a real office, not just a desk in the back of a Game-Center. No more having kids swearing while playing games while I’m trying to meet with a client or potential client. I have enough room in the office for 3 desks. So Tim, my new sysadmin will have a desk to work from, and I’ll be setting up another desk for web development, so Jason will have a place to work when he comes in. Although, I think I’m going to look for another web developer, since Jason is graduating UMD in December, and wont be around much longer after that since he is moving out to South Dakota to join Intervarsity Staff. This fall, I’ll probably start looking for a graphic designer from the art school.

Well, back to getting everything settled down from the move!

I’ve been really busy the past few weeks. Although not as busy with the kind of things I’d like to be busy with. I find I am doing a lot of development on projects that aren’t generating an immediate return. I guess it’s a good thing that I enjoy developing. And I know the key to success is building a residual income. I suppose I just need to keep on trucking, and developing… but only if I could catch some bigger fish, land bigger clients, pitch larger projects…

In other news, my sister is up visiting me, and helping me clean my house so that I can sell it. It’s a shame, really, that I need to sell my house, considering that I bought it almost a year ago. But I don’t like the drive to Duluth, and I don’t like the fact that I can’t find a roommate, and I don’t like paying $1000+ a month to “live” there when all I do is sleep there. I finally cancelled my 3meg cable internet that I had, 2 months after I moved all my computers to the office. Now I’m at the office from about 8-9am till after midnight most days. Which is both a good and bad thing.

My Goals for this next week: My goals for this next week are go finish tweaking the shopping cart and fully launch arcocoffee.com, re-do the design and launch gnublu.com, get a good start on 2 new sites for clients, and get another 100 members for journalplanet.com. Oh, and I want to find an accountant to help me keep track of my books.

Well this summer has had its ups and downs so far. In June business really started to pick up, and I did really well on sales. However in July its died down and I’ll be lucky if I get 2 new projects for July. That is kind of bumming me a little, but I’ll live.

I started working with the youth group at church, which is really great. I used to work with the youth group at Lakeview Covenant, and I really missed working with the youth while I was large group coordinator for IVCF. Now I’m back working with the youth and I’m enjoying it. I only wish our youth group were larger. It pains me to see that none of the high schoolers that are part of the church congregation want to come to youth group. Hopefully I can help things take a turn for the better.

Since there has been a downturn in projects recently, I’ve taken up a new personal project. Journal Planet. Journal planet is a site that provides free blog hosting. I’m hoping that this site will grow as fast as GetAForum did. I don’t have any plans to sell Journal Planet like I did with GetAForum, I’d like to see Journal Planet grow to be like LiveJournal, MySpace, or Xanga.

Speaking of projects, I’m excited because the ARCO project I’m working on for a local coffee company is coming to its culmination. I finally was able to get the domain registration into ARCO’s control from the company that managed it previously. Now I can update the name servers and set ARCO’s site live! Then it will be promote-promote-promote to build online sales. That will generate 1) a great revenue stream for ARCO, and 2) a great revenue stream for me.

Well, I really should post more often, and as I get into a more regular schedule at the office, I probably will.