Free classes

So it's about that time again... you know... when your current job has about run it's course. You've gotten about all the job experience you're ever going to get and another promotion is so far off that it doesn't seem worth the wait.

What are you going to do? How about learning a new skill?

Over the years I've been asked to do many things by my customers and I've usually had no problems except in the area of webpage development. Copying and modifying other peoples code just isn't a great replacement for actually knowing it myself.

Now I've come across a new site that has a systematic approach to teaching HTML, Browser Scripting, XML, Server Scripting, Web Services, Multimedia, and Web Building.
The best feature is that it's free to learn. That's right FREE as in it doesn't cost you anything to read their pages, follow their examples and take their quizzes.
Of course if you want to get a W3 certificate it will cost you $75 per certificate for each of the following...

• HTML Developer
• JavaScript Developer
• XML Developer
• ASP Developer
• PHP Developer

If you want to learn more just head over to W3 Schools Website and check them out.

Installing the AWUS036NH

So my new project is learning the Backtrack 4 suite. As many experienced security professionals know, the cheap broadcom wireless adapters that come with your Dell, HP, Asus, ect. laptops aren't very useful.
Of course they're good enough to get on your home router or get PWN'd at the coffee shop, but when it comes to packet insertion or sitting by in monitor mode you need a better card and hopefully one designed around the Atheros chipset.
Since I don't have a PCMIA slot, I ordered the AWUS036NH usb adapter from Alpha Networks.

I was hoping that it would be plug and play, but unfortunately that is only in my dreams. After a day and a half I finally found a combination in different forums that got this installed and working on my two linux systems.

In Ubuntu 9.10

1. Copy driver for network card to Desktop
2. Open a terminal
3. sudo –i
4. cd /home/ubuntu/Desktop
5. tar -xf 036NH_2009_1110_Linux.tar.bz2
6. cd 2009_1110_RT3070_Linux_STA_v2.1.2.0
7. gedit os/linux/config.mk
8. Change "HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT=n" and "HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=n" to y
9. make && make install
10. gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and add:
    a. blacklist rt2x00usb
    b. blacklist rt2x00lib
    c. blackist rt2800usb
11. reboot

In Backtrack 4

1. I used the above directions to load the driver
2. I had to do iwconfig in the terminal to find the name of my card which was ra0.
3. Next I used ifconfig ra0 up to make it active.
4. Finally I started wicd (like network manager in kde) and put the name ra0 in the preferences for the wireless interface name.

The only exceptions to these instructions is

in ubuntu step 4, the ubuntu is the name of the user.
ubuntu step 5 may have a different name depending on your driver package

using the ubuntu steps in backtrack you will not use gedit. instead just navigate to the file and double click. (you are root user so no need for sudo)

Hopefully this helps someone and happy hacking.