Your VPN Doctor for Virtual Private Network Troubleshooting VPN Guide

Posted on April 7, 2012 by admin

Here are some troubleshooting guides for particular topics.

(1) Your Virtual Network Connection

(2) VPN Troubleshooting Error Messages

(3) VPN Modems Troubleshooting Guide

(4) VPN ISP Troubleshooting Guide.

(1) Your Virtual Private Network Connection

Having trouble connecting to the Internet at home try these steps before calling for help.

1. Do you have an IP address? Try ipconfig /all. If you do not have an IP address reboot your PC. If that doesn’t work power cycle your Cable/DSL modem and routers and reboot your PC again after the network devices are up and stable. Be sure all of your network cables are plugged in tight.

2. After your PC reboots check that your network adapter is active and packets are flowing. Perform the ipconfig /all check again.

3. Check your connectivity by pinging several Internet sites. If that does not work, ping the loopback address 127.0.0.1. If that fails, your adapter may not be working or it is not properly configured.

To check your IP address. From command prompt enter ipconfig /all (as shown in the picture) you should see an IP Address and several DNS Server addresses. The domain name system (DNS) is the way that Internet domain names are located and translated into IP addresses and is required for browsing the Internet.

Ping 127.0.0.1 – loopback Test (as shown in the picture). The loopback test is used to check if the IP stack is responding. If it times out or you get an error the problem may occur if any one or more of the following conditions is true:

*The TCP drivers are corrupted

*The network adapter is not working

*Another service is interfering with IP

Check your network adapter, click the Start menu, Settings, Control Panel, and select Network Connections. Double click on the Local Area Connection or the Wireless Adapter whichever one you are using. Be sure its Connected. If you have multiple network cards disable the one you are not using.

There should be Packets displayed in both the Sent and Received counters. If the Received counter is 0 check that the adapter has an IP address. Select Properties.

Click the check boxes for Show icon and Notify me below. A twin PC icon will appear on the lower right portion of the taskbar in the tray area and will flash while sending and receiving packets. You can place your mouse over the icon to get the status and click on it to get more details.

Tracert displays the connection path to the target location and the number of hops. Each hop is the trip from one router to another. Tracert is a handy tool both for understanding where problems are in the network and for determining latency between hops.

Ping is used to determine whether a host exists and is active on the network and can determine the round trip time to the device. You can enter a host name or an IP address if you know it. If the request times out then the host is not reachable because it’s offline or there is a problem with the connection. Try several sites, if none work then ping the loopback address 127.0.0.1 Also, if your DNS is not working or properly configured you can only ping the host with an IP address and you will not be able to browse the Internet.

If you are having intermittent problems, perform a ping -t for 5 to 6 minutes then hit CTRL C to see the results of the test to determine if you are dropping network packets (lost packets). If you are, this usually indicates an ISP problem or Cable/DSL modem problem. See VPN ISP Troubleshooting Guide

(2) VPN Troubleshooting Error Messages

Q1 Error Message: Remote Host not responding: or Unable to Resolve the IP address of the Remote Server

Cause: This indicates that the Contivity VPN Switch never responded to the connection attempt. The problem could either be with the Contivity switch itself, (switch may be down) or your machine may be having a problem resolving the IP address.

Action: Try pinging your destination name (Example: VPN.something.com). If you received a message that says “Request Timed Out” from the ping command, call your ISP to make sure that their DNS is functioning correctly.

Q2 Error Message: Maximum number of sessions reached

Cause: This indicates that the maximum number of users for the account you are using are currently logged on.

Action: If you are the only user with VPN to your account, it is possible to get this error if you restarted a connection immediately after losing the dial-up connection to your ISP. This is because the Contivity VPN Switch takes up to one hour to determine that your connection has been dropped and log you off from your account.

Q3 Error Message: Login failed, Please consult the switch log for further information

Cause: The User Name or the Password is incorrect for the user name entered.

Action: Verify that the User Name you entered is correct and retype the Password before trying the connection again.

Q4 Error Message: The physical connection has been lost

Cause: Your connection to your ISP was disconnected.

Action: Re-establish your connection to your ISP before you re-establish the Contivity connection to the remote network.

Q5 Error Message: The secure Contivity connection has been lost

This message can result due to a number of different reasons, and there are several recommended actions you can take to try and re-connect.

Cause(s):

If you receive this error before the client connects then something is blocking a necessary port (such as ESP port 50). This can result if your firewall is not configured properly and is restricting the necessary port(s).

If you receive this error during a connection and you suddenly get the error it may mean one of the following:

1. Something closed the connection;

2. The VPN Contivity switch where you were trying to connect to thought your client was down or timed out;

3. Your local ISP did something that interrupted your network connection long enough for the VPN Contivity switch to identify your client was not responding;

4. The VPN Contivity switch that you are connected to has either logged your connection off or the Switch is no longer responding, or a device that does not support IPSEC NAT Traversal is causing the connection failure.

Action(s):

1. Try re-establishing the Contivity connection by clicking the Connect button. If this works, the connection was probably lost due to the Idle Timeout configured on the Contivity VPN Switch. If no data is transferred through the Contivity connection for a long period of time, 15 minutes or more, the Contivity VPN Switch automatically disconnects the connection;

2. If you were unable to successfully re-establish the Contivity Connection, the dial-up connection may be preventing data from traveling between the Contivity VPN Client and the Contivity VPN Switch. Hang up the dial-up connection and reconnect before you try to re-establish a connection to the Contivity VPN Switch;

3. If you are still unable to connect to the Contivity VPN Switch, open a Command Prompt and try pinging the Contivity VPN Switch using the host name or address that you specified in the Destination field.

(a) If you receive a “Destination Unreachable error” there is a routing problem at the ISP.

(b) If you receive a “Request Timed Out” error message, the Contivity VPN Switch is probably not available, and you should contact your Network Administrator.

4. If you keep getting this message and are unable to connect, then it may indicate that the Contivity VPN Switch is unable to communicate with the client because it is behind some kind of NAT (Network Address Translation) device. NAT (Network Address Translation) Traversal allows a number of devices on a private network to access the Internet simultaneously without each requiring its own external IP address. Most hotels and airports that provide Internet connectivity use NAT to connect to the Internet.

Q6 Error Message: Cannot Alter Routing Table

Cause: Message means the you the user, an application on your machine, or your ISP attempted to change the routing table via an ICMP redirect attempt and it was not successful. The client detects the attempt to make the change, determines it’s a security breach and shuts down the client’s connection. Any time you make a VPN connection, you cannot change the routing table, because the VPN Client views this as a security risk and you will get disconnected.

Some applications require an ICMP redirection in order to work such as a game or other third party software.

Action: If you receive this error and cant connect due to an ICMP redirect attempt, shut down any other applications you are using which may be causing the ICMP redirect attempt. If it is the ISP that is doing it, you will need to block the ICMP redirect request. You can identify that ICMP redirect has occurred, by seeing a message saying there has been an IP address routing table change.

Q7 Error Message: Receiving Banner Text Information

Cause: Message means you are experiencing a Banner Sock issue, and will see a window displaying the “Receiving Banner Text” message and then gets disconnected.

Actions:

1. Disable the firewall completely to test. This is a port 500 issue and often means that the you have a personal Firewall that is blocking port 500 or you have a router that does not support IPSEC pass-through, and the you are connecting to a VPN switch that does not have NAT Traversal enabled.

2. If using wireless, temporarily remove Wireless from the picture and focus on the Ethernet card. Check the Ethernet card speed and duplex parameters and then make sure that the hub, switch, or router that is on the other end has the same parameters. If not, the VPN connection will drop as the link goes up and down, or due to a large number of errors on the port from a duplex and or speed mismatch.

3. Firewall that blocks the connection, such that system will crash. (This will rarely happen) NSDF (Norton Symantec Desktop Firewall) and NSPF (Norton Symantec Personal Firewall) can do this though, if you do not trust the IP address of the VPN connection.

If you do not trust the VPN address of the VPN client, the firewall will cause you to crash. In your Internet browser click on “Tools > Internet Options > Security > Trusted Sites > Sites” and add the destination VPN address(es) to your trusted sites.

Q8 Error Message: You already have the maximum number of adapters installed

Cause: You may have installed to many virtual adapters in your IP Stack

Actions:

1. Remove any unnecessary adapters;

2. Create multiple boot scenarios disabling the adapters that are not required for that function;

3. You may also get Banner Sock errors on Win 95 & 98 units with this condition;

4. For more information, see this Microsoft article: KB217744: Unable to Bind Protocols to More Than 5 Network Adapters (copy and paste into the search tool bar > enter).

Q9 Upgrade Errors: The following are some errors that may occur when trying to upgrade / install the Nortel VPN Client 4.65

Error (1): Failed to get Registry key value for NT_IPSECSHM

Cause: This is caused because an important registry key that cannot be found in the system registry.

Actions:

1. Uninstall and Reinstall the VPN Software

Error (2): Login Failure due to: Driver Failure

Cause: This is generally caused by either not having Admin rights to the PC or by trying to install/use a Nortel VPN client that predates the operating system.

Actions:

1. Ensure that you have admin rights to the PC.

2. Update/Install the most current version of the Nortel VPN client.

Error (3): Create socket failed with 10048.

Cause: This problem generally will occur whenever you have another VPN client software installed on the system. The most noted conflicting clients are: AOL, Cisco VPN Client(s), SSH Sentinel and PGP.

Actions:

1. Removing these clients will in most cases, resolve the issue.

(3) VPN Modems Troubleshooting Guide

Q1 Are Cable Modems supported for VPN Access?

Yes, you can use cable modems for VPN access. However you must be aware of the following conditions and be able to work within them:

*Some cable modems require that you log into an NT network to get authenticated.

*Some cable modems use a client similar to the Extranet Client for VPN and both will not run at the same time.

*Some cable modem Contracts/Acceptable Use Policies specify that you cannot use them for business purposes or they want to charge you another fee to use them for business purposes. Make sure you read your contract thoroughly.

*Your Cable modem provider is your ISP. Please see the VPN-connection-guide.html”>ISP Troubleshooting Guide for more information.

Q2 Why does my modem seem to perform erratically?

Always make sure that you do not let the operating system select a generic modem. If required, go to the appropriate web site for the vendor of the modem and get the updated INF file so that the proper parameters are configured for the modem.

Q3 Why do I always seem to get a slower connection speed than others with the same modem?

1. Always check the modem configuration to verify that its maximum speed has been selected.

2. It is common when auto-installing modems that the highest speed is not selected automatically.

3. Do not check the box that says run at maximum speed only.

Q4 I plugged my modem into the phone line at the hotel or customers office and now it does not work.

Always make sure that the phone line you are plugging into when visiting somewhere is an analog line not a digital one. Plugging into a digital line can permanently damage your modem, requiring a replacement unit. To avoid these situations please contact the local site phone support personnel.

Q5 Why cant I get a 56Kb V.90 connection from some locations that I go to?

Here are some of the reasons why you might not get a 56K connection:

1. You are located more than 3 ½ miles from your telephone companys central office (CO).

2. A SLICK or Subscriber Loop System is used in your area.

3. You are calling from a digital PBX system, which creates a Digital to Analog conversion and then an Analog to Digital conversion.

4. Your line contains digital pads or Robbed Bit Signaling (RBS), which can degrade your connection speeds.

5. Your wiring may be of poor quality.

6. Your modem’s firmware may not be up-to-date. Check that your modem has the newest V.90 code installed with all the patches from the vendor’s web site.

Q6 Why cant I get higher speed on my 56K v.90 modem into some NAG?

Here are some possible reasons:

1. A 56k v.90 modem is asymmetric by design where download speed can be as much as 56k but upload speed will be up to 33.6bps. For 56k to work, there must be only one analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion in your local phone loop. Thus when modems at both ends are analogue, 56k speeds will never be achieved as most PSTN exchanges run digital routing between the exchanges.

2. Some NAG sites use analog phone lines with Cisco and standard 56k modems, and most PC’s dial-ups use a similar modem. Between the two modems, it limits the download speed to about 33.6kbps maximum.

3. Also, many users might experience lower connection speeds due to other reasons, such as more poor line quality. These factors will also contribute to the quality and speed of the line.

(4) VPN ISP Troubleshooting Guide

Q1 If you are getting the message “Unable to Resolve the IP address of the Remote Server. Verify the Host Name in the destination field is correct.” when trying to connect with the Extranet Client.

Try pinging your destination name (Example: VPN.something.com) and if it fails call your ISP to make sure that their DNS is functioning correctly.

Q2 Why do I get No Domain Available when dialing my ISP?

On your Internet Service Providers (ISP) dial connection. Right click the mouse and select the properties button. Click on the Server Type tab and make sure that the Log On To Network box is unchecked.

Q3 Why do I seem to be running slowly through my VPN connection?

Try turning off the Software Compression option on your Internet Service Providers (ISP) dial connection as the VPN client has it’s own compression. Right click the mouse and select the properties button. Click on the Server Type tab and uncheck the

Q4 I keep getting busy signals when trying to connect to my ISP, what should I do?

Contact your ISP giving the numbers you are trying to connect to. Many times you will find that can give you an alternate number not published yet that will work just fine. If not you may need to find another ISP that provides better service.

Q5 When configuring the dial icon for my ISP what should I put in the DNS/WINS settings?

Your ISP should supply you with the DNS/WINS settings of your dial connection. Most only give you DNS, in this case just leave the WINS settings blank.

Q6 Why when I load the Extranet Client on my PC and Winpoet is installed on my machine it crashes or does not work properly?

There are issues running Winpoet software on the PC with the Nortel Extranet (VPN) Client.

To repair your system, boot in safe mode and uninstall the Winpoet Software.

A simple solution is to install the Linksys BEFSR41 hardware router. It has a firmware PPPOE connector, which eliminates Winpoet from the PC and provides the added benefit a NAT firewall with the ability to hook up to three other PCs.

A second option is to find a PPPOE Client that does not interfere with VPN Clients.

Please See Your VPN Doctor for Picture Guide and further Details.

Need a Qiuck Fix, Tool, Trick or Tip? Your VPN Doctor has the Cure!

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A Review of the 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Posted on April 6, 2012 by admin

Not long ago I bought a used 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee quite cheap. I was hoping that it will be nice and cool, but it was a real disaster. Still there are some good things in it, first of all it is big and the body is in perfect shape, and also the seating feels comfortable, however as a whole my 1994 Grand Cherokee jeep is awful. Now I am sure that I would have been better off with a sensible Honda Civic or anything of the kind, instead of buying the Jeep that I now consider as the worst ever purchase I’ve made.

The thing I want to begin with is the monstrous gas consumption of this SUV. I knew it will not be as for a Ford Fiesta, but getting only 13 miles per gallon is a bit too much for me, and it only makes me think about a shot engine. What comes next it the unsafe rolling of this totally unbalanced clumsy Jeep, along with its impossible shocks. With this 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee you are actually putting your life to the risk of turning over with every turn you make at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour. What I can say for sure is that I should not have rushed into that without having a detailed check on SUVs, which would have showed me what the possible and most common problems might be. And the only reason I skipped that part for was the thrilling price they gave me for the car

There are good things to be considered also in the 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is very spacious at the back and offers plenty of room, a plus that makes it a great road trip vehicle. Thinking about storage room no one can deny that it is awesome too, and this once again confirms the statement that this is a road trip machine. What is more, I have a killer sound system in the SUV. It was actually decked out by the previous owner who just left it in the car. This sound system not only delivers great bass, but also keeps unbelievably crisp hi-fi sound in the treble scale. Even having that, though, is not at all enough to compensate for the faults it has, and hen I think about t eventually all the money I saved by getting it cheap will soon be wasted for repairs of the shocks, engine, etc. or even only for gas to get it going

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Preventative Maintenance for Forklifts

Posted on April 5, 2012 by admin

You have a lot of money invested in your forklift. In order to protect that investment, perform preventative maintenance on your forklift regularly. Whether you or someone in your shop is performing your forklift maintenance or if you are having an outside company perform the maintenance on your forklift, it is good to know the procedure to be sure that your forklift is properly maintained.

Jeff Wark is a forklift mechanic with 35 years of mechanical experience. Read on to learn Jeff’s how-to on forklift maintenance.

Start the forklift and let it run briefly while you listen to the engine performance. Listen for any knocks or misses. Listen for any squealing caused by the belts. Then listen for any exhaust leaks. Drive the forklift forwards and backwards to check for any slips and to observe any possible wheel issues. Shut the engine off.

When performing preventative maintenance on your forklift, first check the horn, gauges, safety warning devices, cab lights, outside lights, back-up lights, and overhead guard for proper operation. Check for any burnt out bulbs and if any device still does not work, check the wiring and make repairs.

Next in your forklift preventative maintenance procedure is to check the battery compartment. Clean the battery terminal, battery cables and battery connectors. Open every cell cap and check the cells for proper fill levels and fill with water as needed. Apply protectant on the connectors to prevent corrosion. Leave the battery cables disconnected.

Drain the oil from your forklift. Change the oil filter, change the hydraulic filter, transmission filter, fuel filters, and the air filter. Prior to installing the new filters, use a permanent marker to write the date on the new filter. Check all fluid levels and fill as necessary. Check the anti-freeze in the cooling system.

Visually inspect the drive axle when you are underneath the machine. If there is a grease fitting, make sure to grease the drive axle.

Check the belts on the forklift engine. Check for cracks and frays on the belts.

Perform a visual check of the forklift’s exhaust system. Look for any cracks or holes in the exhaust system.

Look at the tires on the forklift for any cracks or signs of excessive wear. On an air filled tire, check the tread. Check the differential fluid.

Check the clutch pedal on your forklift. Check the steering cylinder and the drag links. Check for any leaks or for any bends in the system.

Proceed to the hoist and look at the hydraulic lines for any leaks. If there are any leaks on the hydraulic system of your forklift, tighten the lines. If this does not correct the leaks, the fittings may need to be changed or an o-ring may need to be replaced.

While inspecting the hoist, look at the forks and mast to see if there are any visible cracks or chips. Look for any bowing or bends in the forks. Any of these should be noted on your checklist and flagged to the owner and operator as a potentially dangerous issue which needs to be further addressed.

Lubricate all the fittings on your forklift. This would include the hoist mechanism and tie-rod ends.

Checking the wheel bearings is listed on preventative maintenance checklists. However, this is normally done when replacing the brakes on the forklift. Unless there is some indication during the initial driving check out of the forklift that there may be an issue with the wheel bearings, it is not recommended to check the wheel bearings. More harm than good may be done when checking the wheel bearings.

Reconnect the battery cables and start the forklift again. Listen again for any unusual noises.

Lastly, a good preventative maintenance on your forklift will include some cleaning. Wipe down the forklift and use a spray cleaner to clean the forklift. Jeff recommends an oil based spray cleaner for the most effective cleaning of your forklift.

Always follow proper safety procedures when performing any maintenance on your forklift.

Use a good checklist when performing preventative maintenance on your forklift. Use the checklist to make sure all the work items are performed and to make notes of any issues that should be checked into further. A free checklist is available from http://www.GetSomeForklifts.com/articles when you subscribe to the newsletter.

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Car Brand Reliability Rankings 2011 – Consumer Reports’ Top 10

Posted on April 4, 2012 by admin

Consumer Reports’ recently announced its 2011 reliability ranking of car brands. By predicted short-term reliability, CR’s top 10 brands for model year 2011 are, in descending order:

Scion

Porsche

Acura

Honda

Infiniti

Toyota

Subaru

Volvo

Lexus

Ford.

Toyota Motor Corporation’s three car lines – Scion, Toyota, and Lexus – and Honda Motor Company’s Acura and Honda have consistently placed within top 10 lists for short-term, mid-term, and longer term reliability. Nissan’s Infiniti line is often among this very select group as well.

With regard to best cars, the Scion xD, a small hatchback, is the Scion line’s highest ranked model, the Toyota Yaris, a small sedan or hatchback, is the Toyota brand’s highest ranked model, and the Lexus LX, a large luxury SUV, is Lexus’ best. The Scion xD has a 2010 Auto Reliability Grade Point Average for the first 4 years of a perfect 4.00, as does the Yaris hatchback. The first 4-year 2010 Auto Reliability GPA of the Lexus LX is 3.67.

Acura’s best is the Acura RL, a sedan, and Honda’s best is the Honda CR-V, a small SUV. Infiniti’s best is the all-wheel-drive Infiniti G sedan. The first 4-year Auto Reliability GPA of the CR-V is 3.75; the RL and G sedan have more modest GPAs.

Porsche’s ranking by CR’s predicted short-term reliability took a jump, from 9th place for the 2010 model year to 2nd place for the 2011 model year. However, its highest rated model for 2011 was its lowest rated model for 2010, suggesting that the data for this car marque may be too thin to give stable results.

Volvo’s ranking also took a sizable leap – from 18th place to 8th place – as did Ford’s – from 16th place to 10th place. Both indicate that Ford Motor Company has been quite earnest about improving quality.

Outside the top 10, both the Hyundai line, 11th place, and the Kia line, 13th place, outranked all of the lines of General Motors Corporation and Chrysler LLC, as they did last year as well. By CR’s Rank Change from Last Year, GM’s Chevrolet line rose 3 as its Buick line fell 3.

Consumer Reports’ predicted reliability for a car brand is based on the reliability performance of the brand’s models within the 3 most recent model years. A model’s reliability is a measure of the model’s infrequency of reported serious problems.

CR’s reliability rankings are closely followed by many as they are based on an infrequency of serious problems, rather than complaints that may be on rather trivial matters.

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Antonym and Synonym

Posted on April 3, 2012 by admin

An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of the given word. Many antonyms have different types of usages like the opposite of big is small. Some words have many antonyms in different perspectives or below separate explanations which is commonly called an Auto-Antonym. An example to this can be stay which has many meanings: wait in a definite place, delay; guide direction, movement. One good use for an antonym is that you can easily distinguish or understand the word that you cannot recognize. For example, you really don’t know the exact meaning of the given word, the answer to that is that you just simply search its antonym and then you will have a clue as to what it means. The Synonym and Antonym website is a great resource to refer to. You can search by alphabetical listings or simply enter a word in to the search field and the results will be presented below.

A Synonym on the other hand is the exact opposite of the antonym. These are words having the same meaning or different various words that share the same definition. The correct term used would be synonymous for words that have the same meaning. One fact also is synonymy, which means the state of being synonym. To avoid redundant speeches, synonyms can helpful in preparing a speech for example. One good use for synonym is that you will be more knowledgeable of the words and their definitions. Because you will discover more words, you will be able to write or say more things to come and make them vivid rather that boring. Synonyms can also help your vocabulary and understand rarely used words such as informal debates, and formal addressing to people. For example, pupil and student is a synonym, but the other pupil that means a part of the eye is not similar to student.

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Find Repo Cars For Sale – Bargain Hunting For Autos

Posted on April 2, 2012 by admin

Everybody wants a bargain when they are searching for a car, especially when they are trying to buy a used car. We’ve all been there, searching the local car lots, looking for that one precious gem of a car that was left behind and forgotten. The car that they are just trying to get off the lot, at any price. Well, there is a better way. You can always be looking for repo cars for sale and save yourself a bundle of money. Here are some reasons why it is a good idea to by repossessed cars.

1. Low Prices – It isn’t always the case that the repo cars for sale will be sold at a discount, but sometimes they are willing to sell the car for the payoff. This can really work in your favor. Just remember that a bank is not in business to sell cars, they just want to get the money back that they lent for the car in the first place.

2. Frequently Rotating Stock – If you don’t find the repossessed car that you want right away don’t worry, repossessed cars are always showing up for sale. Don’t rush your purchase, sit back and wait for the perfect car to come in and on sale.

By keeping your eye on the repossessed cars in your area, and perhaps even having a way of checking cars in other areas you will be sure to find the car that is just right for you. The buying and selling of repossessed cars is also a big business and you might just find that it is something that you would want to do to make a little money on the side.

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Disadvantages of Electric Cars

Posted on April 1, 2012 by admin

With all the current emphasis on going “green” and protecting the environment, it is no wonder that the electric car has come center focus. Especially now with soaring gas prices, consumers want to know their options. Traditional gas powered vehicles have long been the focus of those concerned with environmental issues, and so invariably inventors and car manufacturers look to improve the technologies available on the electric car.

If you are considering the purchase of an electric car, you need to be realistic about their benefits. They’ve come a long way recently but they still have some significant disadvantages, and there are still limitations to their use and wide spread availability. Here are some disadvantages you may want to consider when evaluating if an electric car is feasible for your transportation needs:

1. Electric cars are expensive to own. If you’ve checked into the price of an electric car, you know they are not “low end”. It’s not so much the price of the car as it is the price of the batteries which they run on. If you’ve purchased batteries you know how the costs can add up quickly, and the batteries used in electric cars are lithium-ion, which are expensive. Also keep in mind that eventually the battery packs will need to be replaced, as they have a life of approximately 3 to 4 years.

2. The batteries will need to be recharged. A second disadvantage to an electric car is that the batteries will need to be recharged. This will require advanced planning because you’ll have to allow adequate time for the batteries to be fully charged. Now this might not sound like that big of a problem but if you are thinking of purchasing an electric car then you will need to make an honest assessment of how much you will use your vehicle. An extended or unplanned trip could be problematic if you haven’t had time to fully recharge the batteries.

3. Limits on driving distance. If you drive long distances, an electric car might not suit your needs, so you will need to consider how far you plan on driving your car. Most of the electric cars have limits on how many miles they can go before needing a recharge. Electric car maker ZAP recently announced that their electric car could travel up to 100 miles per single charge, but many people drive more miles than that round trip on a daily commute to work. This is definitely a limitation for those who intend to use the vehicle for getting to and from their place of employment. You certainly would not want to run out of batteries if you got stuck in a rush hour traffic jam.

4. Lack of power. Another disadvantage to the electric car is the lack of power, specifically quick pickup. If you do a lot of interstate driving there are going to be times when you will need to accelerate quickly to merge into traffic.

Electric cars have come a long way in recent years but still have to overcome a few more obstacles before becoming widely embraced as a solution for many consumers.

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Driving Statistics – Accidents, Cell Phones, and Texting – Car Reviews and Ratings

Posted on March 31, 2012 by admin

We live in busy, busy world. It seems like we try to do it all. This has led us to all be pretty good at multi-tasking. But is it always a good thing?

Sure, it is quite a talent to change a baby while talking on the phone or listen to a book on tape while you jog, but it has gotten a little bit out of hand when it comes to cell phones and driving. Many of us don’t think it’s dangerous or think ‘we’ can handle it better than everyone else. Check out these stats:

America Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety

o Over half of U.S. drivers report having used a cell phone while driving.

o 7 out of 10 admit to text messaging while driving.

o Young drivers were overwhelmingly more likely to text message, and somewhat more likely to talk on cell phones while driving than older drivers.

o Males with high education are more likely to talk while driving

o You are 3 times more likely to get into an accident if you are dialing a phone

Yikes. That is scary stuff, but why do I feel like this won’t change your habits. Honestly, I’m sitting saying to myself, “that is pretty bad.” But I will probably use m cell phone again. I need to break that habit. Here is some more to convince you:

Virginia Tech Driving Institute

o Dialing cell phone increases the risk of accident driving incidents by 2.8 times. Look at that, same as America Automobile Association findings.

o Text messaging while driving increases the risk of accidents by 23.2 times. 23 times!!!

Finally, some states have adopted actual laws about this stuff and I would expect more to follow.

This is what California is doing:

o No text messaging while driving

o No using your cell phone while driving

o If you are under 18, you can’t even use hands-free devices while driving.

Alright, bottom line time: if you are driving, please do not text and if you don’t have a hands free device, please wait until you can pull over to talk on the phone. Remember, you are not the only one on the road. WE ALL share the road. Don’t be selfish. Get a hands free device and keep your eyes on the road.

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Learn How to Drive Online – Learn to Drive Easily

Posted on March 29, 2012 by admin

Learning to drive is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you are a young person. Whether you are young or a little older and trying to get your license, you need to be aware that it is possible to learn how to drive online.

The internet is a very powerful tool and just about anything can be learned on it very easily. Driving is no exception. While formal drivers education classes are certainly needed and highly recommended, there are resources online that can help you learn just as much or even more than you would from a regular in-person class.

The best product that I have ever come across to help people learn how to drive online is a video education course called Get Ready To Pass. I have done an in depth review of it and found it to be extremely effective.

The reason why I liked this product so much is because it gives the user all the tools that are needed to succeed and pass the road driving test the very first time. About half of people who attempt their road test fail on their first try. I know this because I was one of them!

I could have really used the resources given by this online drivers education website and helped myself be more prepared. It would have certainly been worth sparing the embarrassment I felt having to tell my friends that I could not drive good enough to pass.

In closing, it is totally possible to learn how to drive online if you want to. I recommend an online course that includes videos and has a solid customer base of people whom it has worked for. I know that I definitely could have used the help!

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Hulu Plus Review – What You Need to Know About Hulu Plus

Posted on March 28, 2012 by admin

What is Hulu Plus? It’s one of the many monthly subscription services out there offering streaming movies and TV. Its popularity is off the charts with over 143 million of February of this year. Let’s get to the meat of it. You didn’t come to read this Hulu Plus review to read statistics. You want to know if it’s worth paying for when you get Hulu for free. So let’s get to it then, here’s my Hulu Plus review.

The Good

Hulu Plus on TV

If you have a new HDTV, Blu-Ray player, or Roku box you can watch Hulu Plus right on your TV in your living room. Just pick the app on the screen and let it go. If you already paid a lot of money for that nice HDTV you definitely want to get the most out of it. This is possible with Hulu Plus since it shows in Hi Def. This is s not an option with Just Hulu.

Hulu Plus on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and your Smartphone

If you don’t have a HDTV, Blu-Ray player or Roku box with Hulu Plus you can always still use Hulu Plus on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. Both systems have had recent updates to make this possible. Give you the same quality as the HDTV and Blu-Ray player.

Lots of TV Shows on Hulu

There are over 200 hundred different TV Networks on Hulu. I counted so trust me on this. I’ll let you do the math on the amount of different shows.

The Bad

Hulu advertising

There are a lot of commercials while you watch even though they promise less commercials with Hulu Plus. Personally I didn’t notice a difference at all with the TV shows. I saw no less than 4 commercials with each episode. There where commercials with the movies too and why are there commercials with movies?

Navigation

The navigation compared to other subscriptions of streaming TV like Netflix it can be hard to find what you want at times. You’ll search for your favorite show or movie. Hulu Plus will find it, but it’s not the whole movie. It’s only a clip or trailer.

With the negatives being what they are they don’t outweigh the biggest positive. It’s only 7.99 a month which is cheaper than Cable any day of the week. Hulu Plus is definitely an enjoyable experience and worth your time and money.

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