home :: sydney

Mon, 15 Dec 2008

I told you so Exetel.

I use exetel for a number of services in Sydney.

I have always found them to be the cheapest, even if their ability to support their service is sub-optimal.

An example is right now, they are currently totally offline.

a2@eve:~$ dig +trace exetel.com.au

; <<>> DiG 9.5.0-P2 <<>> +trace exetel.com.au
;; global options:  printcmd
.           338458  IN  NS  G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
.           338458  IN  NS  F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
;; Received 228 bytes from 192.168.1.1#53(192.168.1.1) in 58 ms

au.         172800  IN  NS  ADNS2.BERKELEY.EDU.
au.         172800  IN  NS  AUDNS.OPTUS.NET.
au.         172800  IN  NS  NS1.AUDNS.NET.au.
au.         172800  IN  NS  NS2.AUDNS.NET.au.
au.         172800  IN  NS  DNS1.TELSTRA.NET.
au.         172800  IN  NS  SEC1.APNIC.NET.
au.         172800  IN  NS  SEC3.APNIC.NET.
au.         172800  IN  NS  ADNS1.BERKELEY.EDU.
;; Received 413 bytes from 2001:503:ba3e::2:30#53(A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET) in 620 ms

com.au.         259200  IN  NS  ns1.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  ns2.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  ns3.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  ns3.melbourneit.com.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  ns4.ausregistry.net.au.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  dns1.telstra.net.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  au2ld.CSIRO.au.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  audns.optus.net.
com.au.         259200  IN  NS  ns1.audns.net.au.
;; Received 354 bytes from 2001:dc0:2001:a:4608::59#53(SEC1.APNIC.NET) in 1302 ms

exetel.com.au.      3600    IN  NS  ns2.exetel.com.au.
exetel.com.au.      3600    IN  NS  ns1.exetel.com.au.
;; Received 99 bytes from 128.242.113.189#53(ns3.ausregistry.net.au) in 193 ms

dig: couldn't get address for 'ns2.exetel.com.au': not found

This is something I reported (ticket #853640) to them around Oct 2008 (when they last had a failure), that the auDA has no in-balliwick glue for their DNS. I was told by their support supervisor, Dylan Friedewald, via email:

The DNS for helpdesk.exetel.com.au is operational and valid, I do not see the point in discussing that further.

It is interesting to note that Steve Waddington has blogged many times about customers being unable to identify issues, but it is even more interesting that when a customer does – it is explicitly denied as being a problem and then ignored.

Apart from no in-ballwick DNS glue, their nameservers are also open recursive ones. Great if you would like to perform a DoS attack against some unsuspecting person.

I have raised other issues with them that warrant further investigation and corrective action, lest they affect all their customers. But I no longer have the time to continually ping them about things.

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Mon, 27 Mar 2006

What comes around, comes around again.

Craige, it might be the first time that the exhibition has run under the Linux World Expo banner, but I recall an earlier one after the last linux.conf.au in Sydney.

Indeed, a bit of Yahoo!ing reveals this from the Internet Archive, linuxexpo.com.au and the front page. It looks like I might have been there too at the Debian stand. Ah, memories.

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Sat, 07 Jan 2006

In the end

[redacted]-silvia

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Sat, 31 Dec 2005

Some days are better than others

I did my usual Friday night routine, went out, had some drinks, spoke to some people, had some food and some more drinks. I actually had a pretty great night even. About 3am I decided to head home. Unfortunately I missed my bus by about 10 minutes.

So I decided to see if anyone was interested in sharing a cab over the bridge (it is a $40 cab ride, and if I'm sober enough to catch the bus I'd rather save my money). Anyway this group of guys decide to have an argument about it.

First I was amazed that asking someone "Do you want to share a cab going North" could even something to argue about. Then I got annoyed as they harassed me firstly by name-calling and then by throwing things at me.

Mind you this is with 5 security guards around, none of whom are particularly interested in doing anything. Then one of the group decides to "get in my face" and start hitting me himself.

Well, he tried to. I just started to beat the crap out of him and ending up destroying his shirt. Oh, then the guards decided to pull us apart.

When I was getting on the bus, this guy, in an effort to at least hit me once launched himself past all the guards and tried to land a punch on my head. He missed and got the lady in front of me — unfortunately for her — the guards closing in around me managed to bruise my neck however.

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Sat, 12 Nov 2005

The wheels on the bus go round and round.

Taking, or attempting to take, the nightbus is an interesting experience. I've been back in Sydney for exactly six weeks and have taken the bus on Friday 5 times.

Once I met a gorgeous German girl who looked like Diane Kruger – and even though I got her phone number and email address, my phone did not save it, alias.

I met a lovely Finnish girl, who might turn out to be a great friend — this time I was totally aware of my phones limitations and I have her number.

The other night, I met a former sniper of the Australian army. We had a lengthy conversation about God and various politicians he'd like to shoot. Mainly Queenslanders as it turns out. Who can blame him?

Tonight I met a young women, 19, who mere presence is enough to cause most men to loose their minds. She was able to deal with and handle 8 different drunk guys (no, none were me) and then she had another guy step in and berate the other 8 for being crude, vulgar and unchivalrous.

She took the fact that this guy stood up for her in her stride. The bus is always interesting and nowadays, particularly as I'm not rich, it is always worth taking. Had I known the entertainment or hilarity to be had, I would have always taken it.

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Wed, 02 Nov 2005

A walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge

# metadata

I woke, not for the first time today, and there were people all around. Dressed up and talking. And drinking.

Ahh! I'd fallen asleep at a bar. Again. Fortunately that is enough off a clue for me to realise that I should go home. Getting home, is where this adventure starts.

I started off at Cruise Bar, which has a great view of the Opera House [1], [2], [3] and (somehow) staggered my way to the Ship Inn. Unable to flag down a cab in this area – lots of people going home around 23:00 – I resolved to get myself to North Sydney, where lots of cabs are.

For those of you unaware, Sydney Harbour Bridge now has security personnel stationed at all pedestrian entrances and across its length. At least six of them "patrol" the bridge.

By "patrol", I mean of course you'll be queried as to why you wish to cross the bridge. Mate [sic], you can't cross the bridge. You aren't allowed here. Mate, are you fucking deaf?. (on radio, to pals)Yeah the fucking wog is crossing, shall I intercept him and hold him?

Followed while crossing the bridge. In my case I had (at one stage 3 security personnel behind and adjacent to me and 3 policemen ahead of me). And abused (I was repeatedly cursed at, racially slurred against, by the people from IVS Security) during your walk over the bridge. It amazes me that they even had police waiting to talk to me. Fortunately I know that the best thing you can do when confronted by the police is not to say anything.

In this case there is nothing they could do -- since crossing the Harbour Bridge, and not responding to the security guards who harass you is not (yet) a crime. Today, 2 Nov 2005, though the Parliament of Australia is rushing through laws which might mean that I can be "detained" and held incommunicendo indefinitely.

These laws – part of the War on Freedom – would make the rest of this entry illegal.

I've been thinking about terrorism and Australia. How would you get access to restricted locations, determine sensitive areas and generally get information not available to the ordinary public? Become a security guard.

In Australia, things like this are not uncommon. (c.f. David Hooks killed by a security guard; a female security guard shooting someone, etc.). Worse is that security guards often enjoy a fairly close relationship with the Police. Meaning that if you join up, you also get to know some of the procedures that might be applied to deter you. Bottom line: every security guard is a potential terrorist.

Terrorists, like modern-day Politicians, seek to curtail the liberty of others for their own purposes. The best way to do this is by planting fear and doubt into the hearts and mind of the general populace. In America, this was done via the September 11 plane hi-jacking; in the UK, by exploding bombs on the mass-transit system there.

How, or where, should Australia be targetted? Australians are renowned world-travellers (I believe the figure is that 10% of Australians are outside the country at any one time), so attacking transportation isn't the way to go. You need to go after the life-style.

Large community events, like Melbourne Cup day, the various Grand Finals and, of course, Cricket would be the perfect targets. High visibility (the media are already at these venues!), high impact (you are talking 30,000+ people in these stadiums), for minimal cost (a stadium has few seating area – probably 6 to 8 attackers could bring down most stadiums).

Another good location would be to pick your local Westfield shopping centre / mall. Lots of people, lots of fear instilled. Plus we'd be rid of the stupid things.

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ॐ (aum) - what was, what is and what will be

home :: sydney

I told you so Exetel.

What comes around, comes around again.

The wheels on the bus go round and round.

A walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge

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