Networking

Shutterstock
I think it’s fair to say that most Facebook users have a love/hate relationship with the social network. Facebook makes it incredibly easy to stay in touch with old friends and family members around the world while making new friends with complete strangers in Facebook Groups. But the giant network has made some serious mistakes over the past few years, prompting some to swear off (and probably at) the social network for good. But before you dive into your account settings and delete your account, there are a few housekeeping items you need to do to ensure things like retaining a copy of your personal data, such as pictures you’ve shared on the network, or moving away from Facebook’s login service for apps and websites. It’s also important to note that deactivating your Facebook account doesn’t actually delete it. Also: Why I will never use Zuckerberg’s metaverseThe differences between deactivating and deletingSometimes you just need a break from Facebook. In those instances, deactivating your account is a better option than completely deleting it. Before taking either approach, let’s take a quick look at the differences.Deactivating your Facebook account means you can reactivate it in the future, restoring your account exactly as it was. People won’t be able to search for you, or see your Facebook timeline, while your account is deactivated. Any Facebook Pages you’re in control of will also be deactivated, so make sure you assign admin rights to someone else if it’s critical the Page remains active. A deactivated account will still allow you to access Facebook Messenger. 

Deleting your Facebook account is a permanent option. Your account and all associated data will be removed from Facebook’s servers within 90 days. If you log back into your account in the first 30 days following your deletion request, however, the request will be canceled and your account will be fully restored. But after that 30-day period, there’s no way to reverse your deletion request; your account and all information will be lost. Deleting your account also removes your access to Facebook Messenger.One more important note: Until Facebook transitions its Oculus platforms away from requiring a Facebook login, deactivating or deleting your account will prevent you from using your Oculus headset. What to do before you delete your Facebook account
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/ZDNet
If you’re set on deleting your Facebook account, take a few minutes to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Facebook has become so intertwined with our online lives that losing your account can lead to some issues. For example, if you use Facebook’s Login service to sign in to apps or services, such as Spotify, you’ll need to edit your login settings to prepare for no longer having access to your Facebook account. In addition to account logins, you’ll want to download a copy of all of the personal data linked to your Facebook account. Start by signing into your Facebook account on a computer and going to your account Settings. Find that by clicking on the down arrow in the top-right corner > Settings & Privacy  > Settings. Using the menu on the left side of the screen, find and select Apps and Websites. You’ll see a list of apps and services that you’ve linked to your Facebook account. If you’re struggling to figure out how to move away from a Facebook login for a specific account, I suggest reaching out to the company’s support department for further instructions. Next, request and download a copy of your Facebook account data. You can do that by visiting this page or manually navigating there by clicking on the arrow at the top of the website followed by Settings & Privacy  > Settings  > Your Facebook Information find the Download Your Information option and click View.Also: Facebook whistleblower: ‘Morally bankrupt’ social giant will have to ‘hook kids’ to growThe next page will present you with a calendar to select the date range of your request. There is an option for All Time if you want all the data associated with your account from the day it was created until the present day. Leave the media quality option set to High, and I suggest leaving the format as HTML. Below the calendar, there will be a list of the various types of information you can request. All of the categories are selected by default — again, I suggest leaving this section as is. Finally, click Create File to send the request to Facebook. Facebook doesn’t provide an estimate on how long it takes to process your request, but I imagine it can take a day or two, depending on how much data you’ve requested. I’m basing that off of my experience when requesting similar information for an old Google account. Once your information is ready, you’ll receive an alert from Facebook telling you know how to download it. You’ll only have a few days to complete the download. Another step you’ll want to take a few days before you delete your account is to let people know you’re leaving Facebook. You can either create a post for your friends to see, or reach out privately to some of your Facebook friends, and let them know of an alternative way to stay in touch with you. Remember, once you delete your account, you’ll also lose access to Facebook Messenger. How to delete your Facebook account
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/ZDNet
Once you’ve received a copy of your information and feel comfortable with your loved ones knowing you’re leaving the site, it’s time to actually do the deed.Visit this page on your computer and login to your Facebook account. Facebook will present you with a list of stuff you need to know. Such as suggesting you deactivate your account instead of deleting it in order to retain access to Messenger, and a reminder to download your information — as well as a list of any Facebook Pages that will also be deleted if you delete your account. Take just a few extra seconds to read through all of that to double-check, and then click on the Delete Account button when you’re ready and enter your password when prompted. Remember, you have 30 days to change your mind. Just login to your account and click on the Cancel Deletion button to restore your account. After 30 days, your account is gone forever.

Social Networking More

Meta outlined its next-generation network hardware and said its data centers have migrated to the Open Compute Project (OCP) Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI). The move was announced at the Open Compute Project’s annual conference. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, outlined the following on its open networking gear advances. Wedge 400/400C top-of-rack switches. Meta collaborated with Broadcom and Cisco to deploy two top-of-rack switches called Wedge 400 and 400C. The Wedge 400 uses Broadcom’s Tomahawk 3 ASIC and 400C uses Cisco’s Silicon One. Celestica makes the networking equipment for Meta. Key points:Both switches have more front panel port density for AI and machine learning applications.The systems have 12.8 Tbps switching capacity, four times the capacity of the Wedge 100S. Both switches have a field replaceable CPU system.Meta’s FBOSS network operating system for its network switches now is using OCP’s SAI at scale. The move will allow Meta to work with more chip vendors. Also see:200Gbps/400Gbps data center fabrics. Meta has deployed 200G optics in its data centers and plans to deploy 400G in the future. Meta developed two next-gen 200G fabric switches with the Minipack2, a modular network switch, and the Arista 7388X5 with Arista Networks.Meta’s Minipack2 modular switch. Overall, Meta is making the argument that its open compute data center improvements will advance its plans to build out AI and its metaverse in a disaggregated model.

More: More

Comcast Xfinity customers across the US are reporting widespread outages, with internet, phone and TV services reportedly down. 

Both DownDetector and Netblocks reported massive outages across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Subscribers in Indiana, Rhode Island and South Carolina also reported issues with internet and TV services. Of the 54,000 reports of issues, DownDetector found total blackouts for 64% of those reporting issues and 24% affected by landline issues. In a statement to ZDNet, a Comcast spokesperson said, “Earlier, some customers experienced intermittent service disruptions as a result of a network issue.””We have addressed the issue, and service is now restoring for impacted customers as we continue to investigate the root cause. We apologize to those who were affected,” the spokesperson added. 
DownDetector
On Twitter, Comcast Xfinity also responded to a message asking about the outages. “Thank you for reaching out! I do apologize you are experiencing a service interruption in your area. We are currently having connection concerns around the nation; our network team is working hard toward a resolution. Thank you for your patience!” a spokesperson said. 

In New Jersey, multiple outlets are reporting outages with phone services at police departments and local governments. By 9 am, some police departments said their 911 services were back, but others are still struggling to recover. Around midnight on Tuesday, users began reporting issues with their internet, phone and TV services across the Bay Area, and Netblocks said that since then, there have been “at least two distinct outage episodes observable at national scale.”
NetBlocks
Some news outlets have reported that Comcast is telling customers specific times for when services will be restored. For parts of the Bay Area, customers have been told service will return around 11:10 pm. For some, accessing the company’s service outage page has been a struggle as well. 

Networking More

nbnNBN has laid out the areas that will be available for the testing of its fibre-to-the-node (FttN) upgrades ahead of its general release and users being able to place orders with ISPs in March. Released today, Castle Hill in Sydney, and Salisbury, Golden Grove, and Osborne in northern Adelaide are the initial service areas for upgrades of FttN to full fibre connections. Additional areas in Castle Hill will be made available at the end of November, before Elizabeth in Adelaide, Holsworthy and Liverpool in Sydney, and Lyndhurst in Melbourne are added on January 27. In February, Berwick South in Melbourne is set to be added, as well as Gepps Cross and Croydon in Adelaide. The final batch pencilled in for 20 February 2022 are service areas in Cannington and Girrawheen in Perth. For fibre to the curb (FttC), a single batch of service areas is due to be available for testing on March 14. In Adelaide, this will be Elizabeth and Croydon; Kogarah, Springwood, and Revesby in Sydney; as well as Seaford and Coburg in Melbourne. Testing for FttN will run until March 21 next year, with the last order able to be placed on March 14, and until 9 May 2022 for FttC, with last orders called on April 28. NBN said it wouldl not be accepting test orders over the holiday period between December 20 and January 10. The test agreement [PDF] states that a limited number of spots are available under it. “For reference, NBN presently expects that the maximum aggregate number of test orders that will available under this test that must be shared by all participating RSPs will be: For the FTTN Network: 500; for the FTTC Network: 25,” the agreement says.

NBN later clarified it kicked off its testing in September with a small number of retailers, and would allow retailers to place an order to connect 6,000 premises in November, with around 25,000 to be eligible in total throughout the trial. It added that it has completed deploying new fibre to 17,000 premises in New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia, with another 325,000 premises around Australia having construction of local fibre extensions started.The company said it has so far rolled out 3,100 kilometres of new fibre.While FttN users need to order a plan faster than 100Mbps to receive an upgrade, FttC users need to place an order for a plan over 250Mbps to get a full fibre connection. On Monday, NBN announced the next 200,000 premises that would be able to upgrade from FttN, leaving only 400,000 premises remaining to be announced to complete the company’s two million premises able to upgrade target. “We are on track to achieve our goal of enabling around 8 million premises or up to 75 per cent of homes and businesses on the fixed line network to access NBN’s highest wholesale speed tiers, on demand, by the end of 2023,” NBN COO Kathrine Dyer said on Monday. Updated at 17:36pm AEDT, 9 November 2021: Additional information from NBN.Related Coverage More

Image: Viasat
Viasat announced on Monday it will acquire the UK-based Inmarsat in a $7.3 billion transaction, which is comprised of assuming $3.4 billion of debt from Inmarsat, parting with $3.1 billion or almost 46.4 million shares in Viasat stock, and paying $850 million in cash. Expected to close in the latter half of 2022, Viasat said it would expand its board to 10 seats, with the current Inmarsat chair to take one spot, and Inmarsat shareholders to select the other. Inmarsat shareholders will own 37.5% of Viasat when the deal is closed. The combined entity would have a fleet of 19 satellites in service with another 10 under construction, a global Ka-band footprint and L-band assets and licences for all-weather narrowband and IoT connectivity. Viasat added it would introduce its beamforming, end-user terminal, and payload technologies to “unlock greater value” in Inmarsat’s L-band space assets. Joint revenue would be $4.1 billion, with 45% of that coming from governments, and $1.4 billion in EBITDA posted. The combined company would have over 8,000 workers at more than 90 offices around the world. “The combined company intends to integrate the spectrum, satellite and terrestrial assets of both companies into a global high-capacity hybrid space and terrestrial network, capable of delivering superior services in fast-growing commercial and government sectors,” Viasat said. “This advanced architecture will create a framework incorporating the most favorable characteristics of multi-band, multi-orbit satellites and terrestrial air-to-ground systems that can deliver higher speeds, more bandwidth, greater density of bandwidth at high demand locations like airport and shipping hubs, and lower latency at lower cost than either company could provide alone.” In July, Inmarsat took the wraps off a network it claimed would be able to combine 5G, low orbit, and geostationary satellites. Dubbed Orchestra, the company said it would need to invest in the order of $100 million over five years to get the network off the ground, as well as launch a constellation of 150-175 low-Earth orbit satellites. Work would also begin on a terrestrial network.

One benefit of the system would be the ability to mesh connectivity at terminals, with the example put forward being a ship connected to a 5G tower forwarding capacity to other vessels “beyond terrestrial reach”. “Joining with Viasat is the right combination for Inmarsat at the right time,” CEO of Inmarsat Rajeev Suri said. “Viasat is a terrific innovator and Inmarsat brings some powerful additions: Global reach, a broad distribution channel, robust business momentum and a presence in highly attractive global mobility segments. “The industrial logic is compelling and ensures that the UK has a strong and sustainable presence in the critical space sector for the long term.” Viasat said following the deal, the combined revenue would be “more diverse, resilient and global” and there was a fully funded part to positive free cash flow. Related Coverage More

Over the last couple of months, I’ve been spending some time using Netgear’s Insight network management platform along with some Wi-Fi 6 hardware. It’s been interesting moving from an unmanaged (but still quite complex) network to one that gives me the tooling necessary to apply significantly more discipline. 

Insight is perhaps best thought of as Netgear’s competitor to the popular Ubiquiti platform, providing tools for web- and app-based management of Insight-ready hardware. Like Ubiquiti it means investing in an ecosystem, as you’ll need the right mix of switches and wireless access points to make the most of the platform. You’ll need to pay an annual subscription fee per device, with most Insight-ready hardware coming with a free year of access to the service.SEE: The IoT is getting a lot bigger, but security is still getting left behindThe Insight platform gives you a lot of information about your network in one place. You can see what’s connected to an access point, with graphs showing changes over time, as well as watching overall network health. Network topology tools show what devices are connected to which switch or access point, giving you a quick overview of the complexity of your network. Support for a SSID filter view makes it easy to segregate wired from wireless devices, helping determine what’s connected to what and where. Other tools show detailed information about wired and wireless devices in your network, showing device diagnostics as well as network traffic graphs. Wired devices can be checked for PoE usage. While I’m only using Insight to manage network devices, there’s also support for Netgear’s storage hardware, with tools to manage NAS.Using Insight to monitor the devices connected to Wi-Fi SSIDs.
Image: Simon Bisson
Other tools in the Insight platform support remote device management for network hardware. You can trigger firmware updates from your browser. As well as manual updates, you can define an update window outside of normal working hours. This allows the platform to automatically update devices, starting at the edge with access points, then moving into switches and routers. This keeps the risk of downtime to a minimum, ensuring that devices have access to the firmware updates they need. Having a single pane of glass for management makes a lot of sense, for a SOHO set up like mine all the way up to a medium-sized enterprise with multiple switches and hundreds of wireless access points. There’s a lot to like about Insight as a platform, but it’s at its best when taking the load out of the hands of over-worked (and often multi-tasked) IT teams. Small businesses often only have one admin (or even fewer, if IT tasks have been passed out to other staff members).

Tools like Insight are going to become more important the more we work from home. The devices we use for remote work should be kept separate from our personal devices and our growing armada of IoT devices. We need to be able to isolate hardware in trusted and untrusted networks, to keep IoT devices segregated on 2.4GHz wireless, and to monitor that everything is doing what we need.That is going to require the right hardware. My existing Orbi mesh network wasn’t suitable for this new world, offering a basic access point option or a wireless router. I’d opted to use it as a pair of access points, as my routing needs were handled by the house’s broadband connections. Switching on additional W-iFi 6 hardware wasn’t a problem, and the Netgear WAX610 access points worked well alongside the older hardware.As the WAX610 was part of an Insight-managed network, I had a lot more control over it, and could add segmented wireless VLANs. I kept one segment on both 2.4 and 5GHZ bands for general use, with a second limited to 2.4GHz purely for IoT hardware. There was no point keeping lightbulbs, plugs, and thermostats on the same network as the rest of the house. Limiting the IoT VLAN to 2.4GHz also meant it was easier to configure hardware built around lower cost wireless chipsets.SEE: Gartner releases its 2021 emerging tech hype cycle: Here’s what’s in and headed outTwo devices, one in the front of the house and one at the back, provided full coverage for a three-floor Victorian brick terrace in a London suburb and were able to cope well with a crowded spectrum in a high-density population area. The WAX610 and the outdoor-rated WAX610Y were on the same SSIDs, which did make handover a little tricky on some devices where AP affinity was higher than on others. However, manually turning on and off Wi-Fi quickly associated devices with the nearest AP.Both were Power over Ethernet (PoE) hardware. I’d not used PoE in my network before, but luckily I’d used CAT5e and CAT6 cabling which meant I could use a pair of PoE switches to drive the APs. Swapping out an ageing D-Link switch for a gigabit Netgear GS110TUP added PoE support at the heart of my network, using the Insight cloud portal to manage the various ports. With nine available ports, I did have to spend some time consolidating my network cabling, dropping in a secondary switch under my desk to handle local hardware.Configuring POE ports on a managed GS110TUP switch.
Image: Simon Bisson
The GS110TUP is a good, high-performing device. It works well with a heterogenous mix of Windows, macOS, and Linux hardware, as well as providing a hub for the house’s wireless network. Perhaps the biggest change in jumping more than a decade’s worth of networking hardware was how much quieter it was than the retired switch, opting for a fanless design while still supporting PoE delivery across a significant length of ethernet.As part of the network upgrade, I have swapped out first-generation Orbi mesh wireless hardware for the latest Orbi Pro 6 Mini hardware. The new SXR30 devices are a lot smaller than the original routers but work exactly the same way as the familiar consumer hardware. Support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard helps them offer better bandwidth for devices in a crowded wireless environment, something that’s very useful in London’s high-density inner suburbs.The unobtrusive Orbi Pro 6 Mini access points.
Image: Simon Bisson
If you’ve used Orbi in the past, then you know what you’re getting. There’s little difference between the Pro experience and the consumer devices. Initial set up is through the web. I then chose to connect to Insight, allowing the Insight service to back up and store configurations, as well as managing the device updates.Managing an Orbi wireless mesh from Insight.
Image: Simon Bisson
There are some differences between the Orbi Pro and other Insight APs I’ve tested. Where you still can set up and configure separate VLANs for different operations, you can’t lock them down to specific frequency bands. Despite that, the ability to set up, manage and run different wireless VLANs in a mesh is very useful, allowing you to improve the security of your network, for example isolating VLANs from each other and even isolating client devices from each other. That last option is especially useful if you’re using Insight and Orbi to run a guest network.Insight is a plug-and-play network management environment. You can add new client licenses and then search for devices on your network, quickly bringing them into a single plane-of-glass management environment. You don’t need to use the web tooling, either, as there are mobile apps that allow you to work with your network anywhere at any time.Having everything in one place makes it easy to check what’s happening and to see what needs to be fixed when. With Insight, a quick tune-up no longer means switching from device UI to device UI. Instead, everything you want is in one browser view, and only a couple of clicks away. Insight, and Insight-aware hardware, is definitely one of those tools that takes away the mundane, giving you time to get on with the work that really matters. 

Networking More

Image: Getty Images
The Australian government is currently in the midst of reviewing telecommunications issues experienced by people based in regional, rural, and remote areas across the country. The review, which occurs every three years, has received submissions from Australia’s major telcos about the issues it should look into. Of particular note is Telstra’s submission, which has asked for government to consider making it mandatory for fixed network operators in regional Australia to provide transparent reporting on fault identification and rectification. “Greater transparency of the capabilities and performance of fixed network services would benefit customers as they make choices about the best mix of services and service providers to suit their needs,” Telstra wrote in its submission [PDF]. It also recommended that funds be directly allocated to local governments to assist in raising understanding of connectivity solutions and technologies that are most appropriate, while asking for the federal government to consider a scenario where passive infrastructure sharing between telcos become a thing despite opposing mandated roaming. Another recommendation made by Australia’s incumbent telco was for reforms to be made to the country’s universal service obligation (USO). The USO is a consumer protection aimed at ensuring everyone has access to landline telephones and payphones. Telstra is currently the only provider of USO. It said the focus behind the USO should be on the outcomes delivered to customers rather than the technology used to deliver those outcomes. “The USO could be reformed to ensure that the entity responsible for the USO be required to provide at least the same level of coverage, resilience and quality using technology that best delivers and enhances these outcomes over time,” Telstra said.

Like Telstra, Optus [PDF] and TPG Telecom [PDF] have also asked for government to consider reforms regarding the USO in their respective submissions. “The universal service arrangements are a mess of outdated, poorly managed, and costly arrangements that do not meet value for money principles and do not ensure delivery of the services needed in regional areas,” Optus wrote in its submission. Optus said that current USO rules have caused it to pay AU$1.2 billion to Telstra since 1992, with the Singapore-owned telco saying that money could have been used to expand its own coverage in regional areas instead. TPG Telecom, meanwhile, has called for the USO to be replaced altogether. The remaining recommendations from all three major telco companies were for there to be better coordination between government and industry, as well as calls for more work on regional connectivity and education programs.  The committee tasked with conducting the review will deliver its findings to the federal government before the end of the year.  Related Coverage More

An NBN FttN node getting a Nokia line card installed
Image: Corinne Reichert/ZDNet
The company responsible for the National Broadband Network has said it is expecting users to be able to place orders with retailers in March 2022. Until then, NBN is asking people to register their interest.At the same time, NBN announced the next 200,000 that will be able to upgrade from fibre to the node (FttN) to fibre to the premises (FttP). This latest announcement now leaves only 400,000 premises remaining to be announced to complete the company’s two million premises able to upgrade target. NBN added it was also expecting the first invitations for customers to upgrade fibre to the curb (FttC) connections to be sent in 2022. In May, the company revealed it had replaced approximately 47,700 NBN Co Connection Devices used on FttC connections. Earlier in March, the company said it was looking for a long-term solution to lightning frying FttC equipment, which was highlighted in the Blue Mountains area of NSW. While FttN users need to order a plan faster than 100Mbps to receive an upgrade, FttC users need to place an order for a plan over 250Mbps to get a full fibre connection. “We are on track to achieve our goal of enabling around 8 million premises or up to 75 per cent of homes and businesses on the fixed line network to access NBN’s highest wholesale speed tiers, on demand, by the end of 2023,” NBN COO Kathrine Dyer said. Further, the company reported its first-quarter results on Monday, with revenue up 17% to AU$1.25 billion, and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation jumping from AU$102 million last year to AU$714 million. Payments to Telstra and Optus fell from AU$469 million in the first quarter last year to AU$86 million.

At the end of last week, TPG Telecom announced it had extended its fibre network in regional areas and was able to offer businesses connectivity at speeds greater than 250Mbps. Beginning at AU$384 a month including GST for the 250Mbps plan, the telco is also offering 400Mbps for AU$440 a month, and 1Gbps for AU$880 a month. The regional towns, as labelled by TPG, are: Dubbo, Maitland, Bathurst, Nowra, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Griffith, Goulburn, Port Macquarie, Bendigo, Ballarat, Morwell, Shepparton, Horsham, Maroochydore, Cairns, Toowoomba, Mackay, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Townsville, Hobart, Launceston, Bunbury, Rockingham, Darwin. The towns placed on NBN upgrade map are listed below, broken down by state. An asterisk means NBN is further extending upgrade coverage in that locality. New South Wales Anna Bay, Bonnells Bay, Buff Point, Caves Beach, Dubbo*, Forresters Beach, Inverell, Merewether, Mudgee, Muswellbrook, Narromine, Orange*, Parkes, Port Macquarie, San Remo, Thurgoona, Wamberal, Wellington, Windradyne, Wyoming, Wyong. Victoria Bell Park, Cape Paterson, Diamond Creek, Doreen, Drysdale, Echuca*, Greenvale, Hamlyn Heights, Jan Juc, Lara, McCrae, Mildura, Norlane, Rosebud, Sale, Taylors Lakes, Torquay, Whittlesea, Wonthaggi, Yarra Glen. Queensland Avoca, Biloela, Caboolture*, Coolum Beach*, Deception Bay, Frenchville, Goondiwindi, Lammermoor, Mango Hill, Narangba, Taranganba. South Australia Davoren Park, Greenwith, Smithfield. Western Australia Dianella, Edgewater, Ferndale, Gosnells, Hamilton Hill, High Wycombe, Hillarys, Lynwood, Morley*, Noranda, Padbury, Port Kennedy*, Spearwood, Stratton, Swan View, Wanneroo, Willetton. Related Coverage More