Was it Google Android that gave the pace? Today the iPhone with iOS4 has IPv6 (provided you have an IPv6 Wifi network to connect to). It also seems that Apple is now encouraging all the app developers to ensure their applications work on IPv6. These are great news. Suddenly about 30 millions customer equipment devices are IPv6 capable, adding to the Mac, Pc, Linux, Android devices. That's a lot of devices waiting for an IPv6 network in range, and some says there is no demand for IPv6...

The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 in the country needs to begin at the operation level such as Tier 1 Service Providers and the Internet Service Providers says Unwired Chief Technology Officer Reinhard Sanjeet Lal.

Mr Lal is positive that within the next 6 to 12 months a large number of companies in the country will be transiting from IPv4 to IPv6 including Unwired Fiji.

If people in Fiji and the rest of the Pacific Islands do not upgrade to IPv6 they will be missing out on connectivity and peering to the rest of the world.

To list one of the many benefits, IPv6 provides interoperability and mobility capabilities which are already widely embedded in network devices.

IPv6 and IPv4 are separate protocols, IPv6 is an Internet Layer protocol for packet switched internet works, a large address space which contains 128 bit addresses comparing to 32 for IPv4.

The new address space thus supports 2128(about 3.4×1038) addresses.

Businesses and organizations in Fiji and the rest of the Pacific will need equipment support and software’s that support the IPv6 stacks if they are to migrate to IPv6.

Mr Lal stressed that in major transitional cases there will be a need for IT specialists and experts but this depends on the skills of the organization internally.

Many businesses are aware of IPv6 while some others are still left in the dark.

The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 in the Pacific Islands is moving slow says Kidanet Senior Information Technology Officer.

Kidanet thinks there isn't enough awareness made in the country on the serious effects it may have if the public and private networks world wide do not migrate to IPv6 soon.

“Because there is a lack of awareness of IPv6 in the Pacific, the transition will be very slow in the next 6 to 12 months.”

“Members of the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) are fully aware of this migration and members of the public need to understand what IPv6 is.”

Many countries are quickly approaching IP addresses exhaustion as expanding industry and new network applications were contributing to address depletion.

As a result of the slow transition, tourism in the Pacific will be highly affected since possible tourists overseas would not be able to view websites on the web etc.

IPv6 protocol has great potential to not only relieve IPv4 address space shortage but to build larger, more efficient networks and support greater international interoperability.

Kidanet said in a manufacturing environment IPv6 can provide greater inventory control, with real-time information that allows production planning to meet customer demand more accurately and reduces the need to continue paying for redundant production capacity.

Once the private and public sector in Fiji commence transition from IPv4 to IPv6, new equipment supporting IPv6 would have to be purchased in order to implement it.

New intelligent network devices requires an internet addressing scheme that expands far beyond the capacity of IPv4. Mobile IP, IP television distribution, VOIP and wireless LAN are examples of new applications.

Kidanet IT officer said configuring IPv6 into a system is not a difficult task at all, however more awareness is needed in the country since time is now running out.

Kidanet is ready to migrate to IPv6 however, this will be determined by their Internet Access Provider (IAP), Fintel.

Information Technology personnel in the Pacific region do not have enough skills to configure IPv6 onto routers says Connect Network Team leader, Rhythum Kumar.

Mr Kumar added that awareness on the importance of IPv6 in the country was also needed since many people remained in the dark on this important issue.

“We still need awareness on the importance and benefits of transiting from IPv4 to IPv6 in the Pacific Region,” he said.

“At the moment many people are still unaware of IPv6 and they are comfortable with IPv4.

"For those who are unaware they will continue to rely heavily on this version."

Many people do not feel comfortable at all with this transition since they do not have knowledge on the benefits and effects of not migrating to IPV6.

Connect CTO says there are less IT personnel in Fiji who have taken the IT course Cisco 35, (Cisco Certified Network Professional) which educates individuals on how to carry out the transition.

He added that this was one of the main reasons why IT specialists were needed from overseas since they are highly skilled and more experienced and have also implemented IPv6 networks on Telco level.

However, Mr Kumar remains positive that in the coming months, more and more people will migrate to IPv6 in Fiji since IPv4 now fails to accommodate the next wave of network growth.

Connect will soon be trialing IPv6 in the next two months and has also advised people in the Pacific Region to do the same.

As IPv6 progresses through early adoption, it is deployed more and more in large public and private networks worldwide.

There is a need for infrastructure to be put in place now and people are to start planning since IPv4 addresses would run out by mid next year.

Diminishing Internet Protocol version four (IPv4) address capacity is now driving organizations all around the world to implement IPv6 within the next few months. This is one important move that Information Technology Companies and Internet Service Providers are now gearing up for, the transition from IPv4 to IPv6.

IPv4 address availability is steadily eroding as more organizations obtain IP space for an internet presence, and as service providers IP based broadband and wireless service offerings flourish.

Eventually there will be no more IPv4 address space to allocate and this is why Avonsys has decided to ask Fiji Internet Service Providers what their plans are on migrating to IPv6 and providing it to the public. Some organizations assume that IPv4 address space will have no impact on them, however when IPv4 address space is no longer available, new and growing organizations will have to deploy IPv6.

In the next few days we will publish comments on what ISP's in Fiji had to say about their plans on IPv6.

Some have said the migration to IPv6 in the Pacific Islands will be very slow while some have disagreed. Some also mentioned that the new move made by the Commerce Commission to provide access to the Southern Cross Cable directly would enable migration to IPv6 soon.

We wanted to find out if there were enough awareness in the country on the importance, the benefits and the effects of IPv6 and if people had a plan for the migration.

Another important issue most organizations and businesses would have to consider is whether the migration from IPv4 to IPv6 can be carried out locally by IT specialists.
Some ISPs say they have the know how, some say they need training, while others think they would need to bring overseas specialists. Confusion? Follow us in the following days as we unravel the state of IPv6 in Fiji.

More info: IPv6 at Avonsys

This problem is very common to many end users. If you get an error saying the NTLDR is not found during boot up there can be a number of causes. People automatically think this in error that cannot be fixed. Sometimes this is true, however most times it can be solved. Firstly it is important to check where your computer is booting from. If it is trying to boot from the cd rom and not the hard drive, of course the file would be missing. If this is the case you should change your boot sequence in the bios.

This message also comes up if we leave our external hard drive connected to the computer. This means that it is booting up from the external drive. Unplug the external drive and reboot your PC. You need to dig into BIOS and change the boot settings. Another rumor is that this error message comes up when you use a copied version of Windows.
If it is definitely trying to boot C: drive then try the following steps below.

For FAT32

If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.

For NTFS:

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.(Typically this will be No: 1)
4. Enter in the administrator password when requested
5. Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive.
   1. COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\:
   2. COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
6. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Another way is to put your hard drive into and external drive and copy the file from the CD that way.
Another word of advice is to keep your anti-virus software up to date, some viruses are known to delete the associated files resulting in this error.

WARNING!!. Do not delete files unless you know what you are doing
Sometimes it is quiet frustrating when your computer is very slow. You get frustrated and fidgety. You can now save yourself from aggravation especially when you are very busy working. Here are 11 steps to speed up your computer.

1. Defrag your computer at least once every two weeks. Go to start>accessories>system tools>disk defragmenter. You can click on "analyze" first before you choose defrag, it will tell you if you need to defrag. Just defrag it even if it reports you don't need to. Defragmenting the disks allows for faster access therefor faster response.
2. Do Disk Clean Up at least once every two weeks. Go to start>accessories>system tools>disk clean up. It will analyze your disk and will generate reports. I suggest you delete files from the recycle bin and the files located in the temporary files folder. Note: I avoid compressing files. It's your call.
3. Clean up your program files, delete and uninstall unwanted programs on your computer. Go to control panel>add remove programs. Make sure you restart your computer after uninstalling or removing the program so that complete deletion will take place.
4. Delete all files (temporary files and cookies from the computer). Here's how: open a browser. On top of the browser click on tools>internet options>delete files and then delete cookies. Make your history set to (0). Others wants it on at least 10. I always set mine to (0).
5. You have to be very careful in installing or downloading programs. Make sure you need it, if not please just avoid it. Uninstalling them is really hard. Many vendors has all the power to have their program stay in your computer!
6. Always turn on your firewall. I suggest you have only one firewall and one anti virus. You get less safer if you have two anti virus running (I know people who likes to have two anti virus programs running on their computer, I don't know why.)
7. Run complete scan using your antivirus software at least everyday.
8. Also check the performance of your computer when connected on the internet. Go to control panel >network and internet connections >network connections >right click the mouse on the connection available (e.g. local area connection "connected", "firewalled")>click on "STATUS". Make sure on the status tab, you will see the speed (mine is always 100 mbps). The packets sent and the packets received must not have a very high difference. If it is sending too much packets (as in ten times) than it receive (then try to do number 7!).
9. Always make sure you install the latest updates on your computer.
10. Always make sure all devices (drivers, etc) are properly functioning. Go to control panel >performance and maintenance >system >hardware >click on DEVICE MANAGER. You will see all the devices and adapters available on your computer. Make sure you don't see a yellow question mark (?) or this means there is an error on that device or adapter. If so, you need to update it or install the right drivers. Updated firmware might also be needed.
11. A memory of at least 512 RAM might be a good idea installed on your computer and if you are a vista user, a memory of 2G wont be a bother on speed.

Sometimes we want to see some files, some files that windows think are more safer to keep away from users like us. This are certain files and folders Windows hides to protect the data from being tampered with or destroyed accidentally. Therefore they are invisible to us. However sometimes we need to access these hidden files or folders. For example some programs store their files in a folder called application data, which is hidden in Windows Xp. If you want to see these hidden files you will have to change settings in Windows XP.

Steps to show hidden files in Windows XP

1. Go to the Start menu at the bottom left corner.
2. Choose My Computer.
3. Go to the menu at the top and choose Tools, then choose Folder options.
4. Choose View from the tabs at the top.
5. Scroll down the list and find the Hidden files and folders section. Choose to show hidden files and folders.
6. Then press Apply and then OK.

Reasons why you need to see hidden files in Windows XP

• Sometimes you need to see hidden files to backup hidden settings or folders. For example, your Outlook express folders are in hidden files.
• We need to see hidden files to change certain settings on a computer.

Nowadays the average computer user must be aware of the potential threats their computer faces each time they connect to the world wide web. It is a dangerous place for a computer and the security threats are growing each day. Security threats such as viruses, spyware, malware, and adware, just to name a few. Why are they all so different?

In the past we used to call everything a virus, however now days we have more precise names to further categorize them. Below I will show you the difference between a virus, spyware, malware, and adware.

What is Malware? Malware is a software designed to infiltrate a computer without the owner being informed. This is a common computer virus and computer worm.

Computer virus is used for a program that has some infected executable software. So when you run this executable software , it spreads to other executable software. As for computer worm, this is automatically transmitted over a network to infect other computers. There are two ways that this software can be installed and that it can be accidentally installed by a computer user or it can move into the computer through various sources.

What is Spyware? Spyware is type of malware installed on computer to do the job of monitoring or in simple terms this gathers information in little bits at a time about the users without their knowledge.
Apart from monitoring, this software can collect various personal information, such as internet surfing habits and the sites that has been visited by the user. This is how an individuals informations are hacked and private accounts such as bank account details etc are obtained. This common type of Spyware is used as a Key logger and are installed just for secretly monitoring other users by the owner of a shared, corporate or public computer.

What is Adware? Adware is a software designed to automatically play, display and download advertisement to a computer after a software has been installed or while an application is running. This software is primarily advertised support meaning you can pay for a registered and licensed copy or download it for free. Some of the sources where Adware is used are Windows Live messenger and Yahoo messenger.

What is a Virus? A virus is a small program designed to copy itself and infect any computer, delete your information and even crash your hard disk. This can travel from one computer to another through an internet connection, disc with infected virus or through USB flash drive containing the virus. Despite all this, internet is the most common point for entry of any type of virus. Some symptoms are email's being automatically sent when you don't send it, or you are told to download a program to fix a virus indicating you have a virus. Note: some virus do nothing beyond reproducing themselves so end users are to be aware of such viruses that exist in this world wide web.

Fiji's Information Technology company, Avonsys Limited will be amongst hundreds of other web companies attending the upcoming Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco.

The expo will commence from May 3-6 with executives from Avonsys attending, showcasing services the company has to offer locally and internationally. This will be the second time Avonsys participates at the Web 2.0 Expo and is the fourth year the expo is being held since its existence in 2007.

The Web 2.0 Expo is the leading global gathering of web developers, designers, marketers, and business professionals building the next generation Web.

Avonsys presence at the Web 2.0 Expo creates a lot of opportunities such as increasing customer contacts, meeting potential customers and learning more of the latest web 2.0 products that are available in the market. The Expo will include Web 2.0 startups and provides a unique public forum unveiling new companies and products to the rest of the world. It brings together builders of the next generation web under one roof at one time to network and showcase the latest web 2.0 business models, development and design strategies.

A great experience for an IT company like Avonsys as this will allow the exchanging of ideas, connections and products to foster stronger web 2.0 communities.

The Expo will also feature influential keynotes, speakers and detailed workshops showcasing products and services from various popular Software as a Service (SaaS) companies that exist.

Avonsys Chief Technology Officer, Franck Martin said the Expo gives Avonsys the opportunity to expand in its services while finding potential customers. He said the Expo will feature floor shows, Web 2.0 Conferences and rich networking events which allows people to showcase their products and services.

“It's a learning experience and we are able to bring this back with us to Fiji and apply it while serving our customers locally and internationally. Avonsys provides specialist technical services such as network and systems monitoring ensuring computer applications and network services run as expected. With Fiji often being referred to as the internet hub of the Pacific, it is important that we continue to adapt to changing technology. And one that is critical at the moment is encouraging people in the Pacific Islands to transit from Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) to IPv6 which is an important issue.” Mr Martin said.

Additionally, Avonsys is sponsoring INET San Francisco 2010 which is an event organized by the local chapter of the Internet Society. This event will look at what the future of the Internet will be.

Avonsys has been in operation for the last 3 years providing services locally and internationally. Avonsys won the 2009 Fiji Prime Minister's Small Exporter of the year award.

ENDS

About Avonsys

Avonsys is focused on providing specialist technical services necessary to ensure that today's businesses keep running. Its strengths lie in providing outsourcing solutions and services to the next generation of web-enabled businesses, and understanding what it takes to support critical information technology infrastructure to keep these businesses in business.

Avonsys maintains a team of customer-focused information technology professionals who are constantly exposed and trained in the most advanced technologies and processes used by industry. For more information, visit www.avonsys.com