[Az-Geocaching] GC.com

Brian - Team A.I. listserv@azgeocaching.com
Fri, 2 Jul 2004 07:36:10 -0700


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Actually, it's my IT self kicking in.  I was always interested in =
tracing root causes of problems like this, and theorizing possible =
solutions.  While working at Motorola, I installed a packet sniffer on =
my laptop and mapped the entire Motorola network one night.  Watching =
the visual representation of the design of the network was something =
else.

Routers:  Routers are basically traffic lights on steroids.  They pump =
data to the right highway to make sure it gets where it's supposed to =
go.  For more on what I was referring to about the Fairbanks, AK router, =
check http://www.internettrafficreport.com/namerica.htm.  Basically, the =
routers you see listed are the mother of all routers and are =
collectively responsible for the entire N American continent.  I'm =
guessing the people in Alaska are pretty pissed right about now.

Worms:  They suck.  Depending on the virus writer, they can create =
payloads that do anything from install dozens of porn links in your IE =
Favorites to deleting critical system files on your PC or even =
orchestrating a major attack on a website.

DNS:  Domain Name System.  Ever wonder what's behind yahoo.com?  For =
every single web address on the internet, there is a numerical IP =
address associated with it.  The primary IP address for yahoo.com is =
66.218.71.198.  Would you rather remember yahoo.com or that numerical =
address?  :)  DNS tables do the job of matching those numbers to their =
corresponding domain name (yahoo.com).  If a DNS tables becomes =
'poisoned', it pretty much means that some corrupt data was inserted =
into the file and completely scrambled the data, rendering it useless.

I think that basically covers the more potentially confusing stuff.  :)  =
If you want to know how I learned it, I was a bored teenager, and paid =
University of Phoenix too much friggin' money later on.

Brian
Team A.I.


  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Robert & Linda Smith=20
  To: listserv@azgeocaching.com=20
  Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 9:48 PM
  Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] GC.com


  Trisha,

  He does that just to make us feel uneducated I think.  I know just =
enough about this computer to understand a little of what Brian said, =
But Not All Of It!!

  By the way, I just picked up 2 cases of soda for the event cache on =
July 10th.  I've been watching and it looks like we will have a nice =
turn out. =20

  Maybe Brian can help me through some more computernees.

  Bob Smith, Team Petite Elite

  Trisha wrote:

Brian....In English, please??  :-)
Trisha


On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 08:31:30 -0700, "Brian - Team A.I." wrote:

  Looks like a HARD outage in the area or something.  The only major
router in
the country that is down is in Fairbanks, AK, but I've never
tracerouted my
path to the gc.com servers, so I don't know if the data passes
    through
  there
or what.

The more research I do, it looks as though there is a major
    disruption
  going
on all over the internet.  My guess is a new worm, but I could be
wrong.  I
can't even get ping returns from the primary nameservers that gc.com
uses.
Overall response to my 'net experience' is slower than crap.  Going
back to
the worm concept, it IS July 1st, which could be a trigger for it, or
it
could be related to the anticipated handover of Iraq (which occurred
early,
maybe too soon to send out a patch to the infected machines).  To
    some
  these
might be conspiracy theory moments, but payload triggers for past
worms have
been major events.  It's almost as if the DNS records related to
gc.com have
been somehow poisoned, as it doesn't even resolve to an IP address
anymore.

Meh.  I'll let that go for now.

Oddly enough, a block of 25 IP addresses isn't even responding to my
network
scan, the same range that gc.com has several IP addresses for various
servers.  My guess is a router is sitting in a closet somewhere in
    the
  groundspeak offices smoking, waiting for the gurus to open the office
for
the day and inhale the stench of burnt electronics.

Brian
Team A.I.



----- Original Message -----=20
From: "ShadowAce" <hunting@shakabruddah.com>
To: <listserv@azgeocaching.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 5:46 AM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] GC.com


    Is geocaching.com down for some reason? I cannot get to any of the
      pages..
    I am just checking to see if anyone else is having trouble or if it
      is my
    ISP..

____________________________________________________________
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To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit:
http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching

Arizona's Geocaching Resource
http://www.azgeocaching.com

      ____________________________________________________________
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To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit:
http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching

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http://www.azgeocaching.com
    ____________________________________________________________
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To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit:
http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching

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http://www.azgeocaching.com

  
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<BODY text=3D#000000 bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Actually, it's my IT self kicking =
in.&nbsp; I was=20
always interested in tracing root causes of problems like this, and =
theorizing=20
possible solutions.&nbsp; While working at Motorola, I installed a =
packet=20
sniffer on my laptop and mapped the entire Motorola network one =
night.&nbsp;=20
Watching the visual representation of the design of the network was =
something=20
else.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Routers:&nbsp; Routers are basically =
traffic lights=20
on steroids.&nbsp; They pump data to the right highway to make sure it =
gets=20
where it's supposed to go.&nbsp; For more on what I was referring to =
about the=20
Fairbanks, AK router, check <A=20
href=3D"http://www.internettrafficreport.com/namerica.htm">http://www.int=
ernettrafficreport.com/namerica.htm</A>.&nbsp;=20
Basically, the routers you see listed are the mother of all routers and =
are=20
collectively responsible for the entire N American continent.&nbsp; I'm =
guessing=20
the people in Alaska are pretty pissed right about now.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Worms:&nbsp; They suck.&nbsp; Depending =
on the=20
virus writer, they can create payloads that do anything from install =
dozens of=20
porn links in your IE Favorites to deleting critical system files on =
your PC or=20
even orchestrating a major attack on a website.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DNS:&nbsp; Domain Name System.&nbsp; =
Ever wonder=20
what's behind yahoo.com?&nbsp; For every single web address on the =
internet,=20
there is a numerical IP address associated with it.&nbsp; The primary IP =
address=20
for yahoo.com is 66.218.71.198.&nbsp; Would you rather remember =
yahoo.com or=20
that numerical address?&nbsp; :)&nbsp; DNS tables do the job of matching =
those=20
numbers to their corresponding domain name (yahoo.com).&nbsp; If a DNS =
tables=20
becomes 'poisoned', it pretty much means that some corrupt data was =
inserted=20
into the file and completely scrambled the data, rendering it=20
useless.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I think that basically covers the more =
potentially=20
confusing stuff.&nbsp; :)&nbsp; If you want to know how I learned it, I =
was a=20
bored teenager, and paid University of Phoenix too much friggin' money =
later=20
on.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Brian</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Team A.I.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3DLrsmith@cableone.net =
href=3D"mailto:Lrsmith@cableone.net">Robert &amp;=20
  Linda Smith</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dlistserv@azgeocaching.com=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:listserv@azgeocaching.com">listserv@azgeocaching.com</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, July 01, 2004 =
9:48=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Az-Geocaching] =
GC.com</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>Trisha,<BR><BR>He does that just to make us feel =
uneducated I=20
  think.&nbsp; I know just enough about this computer to understand a =
little of=20
  what Brian said, But Not All Of It!!<BR><BR>By the way, I just picked =
up 2=20
  cases of soda for the event cache on July 10th.&nbsp; I've been =
watching and=20
  it looks like we will have a nice turn out.&nbsp; <BR><BR>Maybe Brian =
can help=20
  me through some more computernees.<BR><BR>Bob Smith, Team Petite=20
  Elite<BR><BR>Trisha wrote:<BR>
  <BLOCKQUOTE=20
  =
cite=3Dmid20040701210516.3353.h005.c000.wm@mail.brasher.com.criticalpath.=
net=20
  type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">Brian....In English, please??  :-)
Trisha


On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 08:31:30 -0700, "Brian - Team A.I." wrote:

  </PRE>
    <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">Looks like a HARD outage in =
the area or something.  The only major
router in
the country that is down is in Fairbanks, AK, but I've never
tracerouted my
path to the gc.com servers, so I don't know if the data passes
    </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=3D""><!---->through
  </PRE>
    <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">there
or what.

The more research I do, it looks as though there is a major
    </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=3D""><!---->disruption
  </PRE>
    <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">going
on all over the internet.  My guess is a new worm, but I could be
wrong.  I
can't even get ping returns from the primary nameservers that gc.com
uses.
Overall response to my 'net experience' is slower than crap.  Going
back to
the worm concept, it IS July 1st, which could be a trigger for it, or
it
could be related to the anticipated handover of Iraq (which occurred
early,
maybe too soon to send out a patch to the infected machines).  To
    </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=3D""><!---->some
  </PRE>
    <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">these
might be conspiracy theory moments, but payload triggers for past
worms have
been major events.  It's almost as if the DNS records related to
gc.com have
been somehow poisoned, as it doesn't even resolve to an IP address
anymore.

Meh.  I'll let that go for now.

Oddly enough, a block of 25 IP addresses isn't even responding to my
network
scan, the same range that gc.com has several IP addresses for various
servers.  My guess is a router is sitting in a closet somewhere in
    </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=3D""><!---->the
  </PRE>
    <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">groundspeak offices =
smoking, waiting for the gurus to open the office
for
the day and inhale the stench of burnt electronics.

Brian
Team A.I.



----- Original Message -----=20
From: "ShadowAce" <A class=3Dmoz-txt-link-rfc2396E =
href=3D"mailto:hunting@shakabruddah.com">&lt;hunting@shakabruddah.com&gt;=
</A>
To: <A class=3Dmoz-txt-link-rfc2396E =
href=3D"mailto:listserv@azgeocaching.com">&lt;listserv@azgeocaching.com&g=
t;</A>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 5:46 AM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] GC.com


    </PRE>
      <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">Is geocaching.com down =
for some reason? I cannot get to any of the
      </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=3D"">pages..
    </PRE>
      <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">I am just checking to see =
if anyone else is having trouble or if it
      </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=3D"">is my
    </PRE>
      <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">ISP..

____________________________________________________________
Az-Geocaching mailing list <A class=3Dmoz-txt-link-abbreviated =
href=3D"mailto:listserv@azgeocaching.com">listserv@azgeocaching.com</A>
To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit:
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Arizona's Geocaching Resource
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href=3D"http://www.azgeocaching.com">http://www.azgeocaching.com</A>

      </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE =
wrap=3D"">____________________________________________________________
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href=3D"http://www.azgeocaching.com">http://www.azgeocaching.com</A>
    </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE =
wrap=3D""><!---->________________________________________________________=
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