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Hong Kong's PCCW wireless services for computers is a pleasure to use; after you got it all set up. Supporting and automatically switching between WiFi, HSPA and 3G, a speedy connection is assured at almost any spot, from country to beach sites thanks to their "Auto Network Selector" USB stick.

The stick's features are impressive and make it ready to take on travels assuming one can get an appropriate SIM card for data transfers at the destination. Besides MicroSD (up to 8 GB) memory card slot, it is compatible with networks HSUPA/HSDPA/UMTS 900/2100 MHz, EDGE/GPRS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz. That should cover about all network covered places.

The messages below are Twitter messages I tweeted during setup.

• Picked up Netvigator WiFi/HSPA/3G USB stick today. I thought it has 8GB memory *included*, not just the slot for such memory card. Pfff.. :(
• Connecting PCCW's "Auto Network Selector" to PC for 1st time, it detects a Huawei Mobile, some Sierra WiFi device and more. Takes forever :(
• After more than 10mins, I finally have to reboot. Let's see what happens after that and if I manage to get online. I have some bad feelings.
• After reboot, Netvigator Everywhere stick installed devices again at least twice (by counting the popups). 3G works faster than my Lux DSL..
• It's scary to see the 3G data counter. Thinking about 3's 100MB offer, I'm overwhelmed with disbelief. Although they have an unlimited plan.
• However, the Netvigator USB stick does interfere with laptop's internal WiFi which smartly disables itself for duration of stick's activity.
• Conclusion: use hassle-free internal WiFi when stationary at a PCCW WiFi hotspot, force 3G (disable auto-mode) for on-the-go or weak signal.
• PCCW WiFi is something for people with lots of time & patience. Sitting right above access point, it took 3 connection attempts: low speed..
• To conclude my PCCW WiFi quest: I'll only use it on mobile if right next to a booth. The same applies to laptop use. Otherwise it's 2G & 3G.

Hong Kong's PCCW WiFi proves to be more pain than gain despite being a great service when it works. Below is my quest to get the service back to functioning on my HP iPAQ HW6965 mobile, running Windows Mobile 5 (WM5).

The messages below are Twitter messages I tweeted during setup. 

• @dda Re "PCCW WiFi login": they must have changed more to it (invisible) as recently WM5 IE fails it too and Opera most of the time as well.
• @dda No problem using a Windows computer either. But I've failed with all apps on both WM5 & WM6 (I usually do *not* carry around a laptop).
• @dda I will try that on a mobile this noon: RT @waishinglee: New PCCW Wi-Fi login page! Now there's an actual portal. And timer (...)
• Applied for 110HKD (98+12) unlimited 2G & WiFi plan at People (China Mobile). It's only monthly based, great as no 3G so can switch anytime.
• I tried the PCCW WiFi login from my WM5 mobile: it's still the same. No optical nor functional change & still giving cryptic error messages.
• @waishinglee Re "PCCW WiFi Connection Manager": I'll try tonight. Last time WM5 was not available so just used browser login until fail now.
• PCCW WiFi's connection manager for WM5 works fine.. except for it deleted all my previously saved network connections (about a dozen). Sigh.
• PCCW WiFi is something for people with lots of time & patience. Sitting right above access point, it took 3 connection attempts: low speed..
• To conclude my PCCW WiFi quest: I'll only use it on mobile if right next to a booth. The same applies to laptop use. Otherwise it's 2G & 3G.

I had my fair share of troubles with OTRS (Open source Ticket Request System) in the past, in particular on an old Fedora/Ensim powered dedicated server. Issues caused by OTRS like bugged package updates continue once in a while, but it looks like the move to MediaTemple (mt) has solved about every other problem - if not taking into account the still somewhat complicated installation/migration/upgrade procedure which won't follow the official OTRS manuals in every step.

The major difference in both systems (dedicated server vs. MediaTemple) is that "root folder" refers to the main folder on the dedicated server's drive versus referring to the main folder within a virtual account at (mt). On a dedicated server, OTRS had a number of confusions as to where this "root" would apply: while one configuration would start a path in the domain account's hosting root, another configuration would go all the way to the drive's root; despite having the domain account "jailed" (supposed to be unable to access outside-of-own-account destinations).

OTRS does not provide a simple upgrade procedure from within its admin control panel. The upgrade procedure is almost identical to setting up a new installation - minus the database part. I therefore can "merge" both procedures into a single document. Migrating is a rather simple procedure as it only requires the usual modifications like database connection settings and a couple of folder permissions (.htaccess settings...).

A note about the official OTRS documentation: I've written about this before, I've sent a document to OTRS upon their request, and I keep saying it as no change whatsoever until now: it's not a good one. It gives you the general idea and for some systems it might work but it lacks crucial details and explanations which could save a lot of time figuring out on my own why something might not even be necessary or totally different.

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I was asked to examine a computer which would not start anymore, the only thing still noticable being the power light on the pc box and "no signal" on the screen. A mainboard related cause was the primary suspect and thus I opened the box to see if anything visible; I couldn't use the acoustic error beeps for reference as there were none.

I had seen similar cases in the past, from burned/exploded electronics to dead memory. This time, a quick glance into the box was all I needed: it was so dusty I could hardly make out any mainboard features other than the CPU cooling block at all. And that was the problem.

The CPU's cooling block was so dusty with all kind of things accumulated and compressed by the fan and then baked by the CPU's heat, that eventually the fan could not start anymore. The mainboard reads the fan's revolutions per minute (rpm) and given they were now 0, the whole system would not start at all.

After cleaning the box as good as I could - among other things with a cold-air hairdryer in a bathtub - the system was back to normal operation. There was enough dust in the box to take it out with my bare hands, think of a hair saloon's floor.

 
The lesson of the day:
Always keep the computer's environment clean and check the box once in a while.