D-Life - 2 Edition

D-Life

2

Edition March 2009

12 Questions

Q&A Session with the President of North America

D.I.Y.

Learn How to Secure a Wireless Network

Draft N Wireless A Closer Look at 802.11n

Trends! Trends! Trends!

Trends and Habits in Eastern Europe

W.O.W.

The World of Wiki at D-Link

Dear Fellow D-Linker, In this volume of D-Life you will notice that we have gotten some special help from the global members of our D-Link family.

We have included a special guest as D-Life Magazine sat down with Steven Joe, President of North America, for a Q&A session regarding the company. The Q&A session covers his thoughts on the current economic recession, the company’s challenges and opportunities. In addition to his comprehensive forward thinking, you will learn about some of the initiatives that North America has been performing.

In the Awards section, D-Link has received a large amount of “hardware” which you can find further detail on in this section. A number of awards have been received by the company worldwide, a representation of the corporation’s global success and presence. The DIR-685 had a big quarter in the United States, awarded as “Gear of the Year” and “Best of CES” Finalist. In Europe, D-Link received a number of awards as well, as “Company of the Decade” in addition to multiple product accolades.

We have included a D.I.Y. (Do-it-yourself) section to help all members become more network savvy. This volume’s topic will touch upon securing a wireless home network, and provide you with some helpful tips to protect yourself from intruders.

Following the article, you will get a closer look at the 802.11n draft and its benefits in comparison to the other 802.11 standards. This in depth article will provide you with further insight on draft n, the technological advances, and its interoperability.

We will then take you to Eastern Europe, to provide you with some of the local area’s technology trends.

The survey was based on data collected in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary, and focuses on households connected to the Internet. You will learn about some of their habits and connection with digital entertainment.

The World of Wiki showcases the multiple uses of the web-based platform known as a “wiki” and how they can benefit everyday life. The article also discusses how D-Link Headquarters’ own Technical Writer team uses this in their daily routine for better consistency among the writers as well as keeping everyone up to date.

Last but not least, our Events section provides a few pictures of what your fellow D-Linkers are doing around the globe. There were a few events regarding technology events, and we even included an event where a number of D-Linkers participated to break a world record! In the next volume we hope to include more pictures of events, so if you were at a conference, a concert, or even sky diving, please do not hesitate to let us know! We are interested in what all of our fellow D-Linkers are up to.

Special thanks to all the D-Link members who helped to create this magazine, your support was invaluable, and it truly reflects how D-Link is just one big family! This concludes our letter, and we hope that you all will enjoy this edition of D-Life as much as we did in creating it.

Sincerely, The D-Life Magazine Team

D-Life

Table of Contents

Front Cover Steven Joe, President of North America

D.I.Y.

How to Secure Your Wireless Home Network.............................04

802.11n

A New Era of Wireless Speed is upon us.........................06

D-Link Technology Trend

Internet Access in Central European Countries Far Below EU Average.....................10

12 Questions

Q&A with Steven Joe on the Challenges for North America........................................12

News

Tomizone Joins D-Link’s Global Alliance Program............................16

The World of Wiki

Why Wiki is this Decade’s Hottest Web Application..................18

Awards Seasonal Awards for D-Link.......................20

Events

D-Link Events for this Quarter....................24

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How to Secure Your “Wireless Home Network”

By Mike Scott

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Now that wireless networks are everywhere, computer burglars, aka hackers, are having a field day, attempting to invade your privacy and worse yet, steal your identity. Believe me; you don’t want that to happen.

That is why we strongly suggest that you take the following steps to secure your network: 1. Almost all routers and access points come with an administrator password that is a weak default, like “password” or the manufacturer’s name. Replace the default passwords on every wireless router or access point you purchase with passwords of your own. Imagine, for instance, how many “dlink” networks there would be in the world if none of our customers renamed their routers? Hackers make it a point to know every company’s default passwords. By simply defining a new password, one that will certainly be easier for you to remember than the default, you will establish the protection you need to halt hackers from accessing your network or devices.

D-Link Router DIR-655.

Most reputable vendors supply easy set-up wizards with their devices. Just follow the directions to rename your router or device with something unique and easy for you to remember. But be careful not to be so creative or simplistic that you provide sensitive information with the name you give your device. “Smith Family Router” is not the best idea. Be sure to write it down and keep it someplace safe for future reference. Without it, the only way to access the router or access point may be to reset it to factory default settings, which will wipe away any configuration changes you’ve made.

2. Don’t broadcast your SID. Most wireless network devices continuously broadcast the network’s name, or SSID (Service Set IDentifier). This may be convenient to locate WLANs, but it leaves your network visible to any wireless systems within signal range. By turning off the SSID broadcast, your network becomes invisible to neighbors and passers-by. It still can be seen by WLAN “sniffers”, however.

3. So you want to further secure your wireless network by turning on the WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) or WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) security feature on your router or access point. Follow the easy instructions for the installation process, including choosing your level of security. WPA and the newer WPA2 provide better protection and are easier to use.

Finally, you should disable remote administration. Most WLAN routers can be remotely administered from the Internet. As a rule, unless you absolutely need this capability, it’s best to keep it turned off.

If you liked this article and found it to be useful, feel free to visit D-Link’s D-LinkTV located at www.dlinktv.com.

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802.11n – A New Era of Wireless Speed is upon us By the latest since the first implementations of devices based on 802.11n, going wireless and benefiting from a stable network does not seem to constitute a mere illusion anymore

By Nicole Meier

The trend of deploying Wi-Fi networking technologies has become a global observation. Not only the consumer segment is taking advantage of more flexibility, steadily enhanced speeds, a better range, improved security and a surplus of reliability for their day-to-day network requirements – but also enterprises are increasingly considering the deployment of Wi-Fi based networks.

Organizations that share large files (like audio, video or detailed graphics) or use bandwidth-intensive applications rely on a solid network performance more than ever.

This article aims to give you some insight about the major technical advantages that make 802.11n an outstanding substitute to common wired networks or implementations based on earlier 802.11 standards. Consumers and enterprises alike don’t need to be hesitant toward the deployment of wireless N solutions – but to the contrary – they can be encouraged to fully benefit from its vast key advantages it brings along with it.

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DIR-855 Xtreme N Duo Media Router.

Enterprises and governments, who prefer to use the rather inexpensive teleconferencing and VoIP solutions instead of traveling to different countries for their direct personal interactions as part of their governmental/ corporate green agenda are dependant on secure and stable networks.

By the latest since the first implementations of devices based on 802.11n, going wireless and benefiting from a stable network does not seem to constitute a mere illusion anymore. VoIP telephony, large file sharing, streaming and numerous other performance dependant applications seem to be much easier to maintain without delays or network traffic hiccups. This ever-evolving technology has reached a newly and more sophisticated level from the early legacy standards like 802.11 a/b/g to the current draft 802.11n standard – widely also known as Wireless N. But what are the key advantages and are there any risks related to 802.11n based network installations, bearing the fact in mind that this protocol hasn’t been fully ratified by the IEEE yet?

Starting with the performance, 802.11n is much faster than 802.11g/b/a equipment and users will profit from expanded Wi-Fi coverage ranges due to the higher throughput and increased bandwidth. It provides much more robustness and reliability than other legacy Wi-Fi technologies. In addition 802.11n is backward compatible with the previous legacy 802.11g/b/a based devices and protocols such Quality of Service (QOS), Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Draft 802.11n currently reaches up to 300 Mbps speed of file transport, in the future it is expected to reach even up to 600 Mbps.

The Advances of 802.11n The improved performance of 802.11n is based on the addition of a few major ground-breaking technologies in the physical and the MAC layer to the previous 802.11 standards, namely MIMO (multiple-input multiple output), Channel-Bonding (40MHz operation in the physical layer) and Frame Aggregation in the MAC layer.

To explain Channel Bonding in more detail, it is important to know, that all previous 802.11 standards transfer data in a single 20 MHz wide channel. The higher throughput of the data 802.11n will be achieved by bonding two channels together to form a 40 MHz wide channel.

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Now, there are two separate non-overlapping channels that can be used simultaneously to transmit data, which directly doubles the bandwidth and significantly boosts the throughput. Its best potential can be reached using the 5 GHz frequency band, since it has 23 nonoverlapping channels, which makes it therefore easier to find an interference free channel. The 5 GHz band can support up to eleven 40 GHz wide channels since there are 23 non-overlapping channels in this band. Less beneficial would be the 2.4 GHz channel which has only 3 non-overlapping channels, following the 2.4 GHz band can accommodate maximum one 40 MHz wide channel – and depending on the network deployment you might not even get one. Furthermore, 802.11n competes with many technologies in the 2.4 GHz band like mobile phones and microwave ovens, whereas the 5 GHz band is less prone to radio frequency interference

Multipath appears, if radio signals take two or more paths because the signal is reflected off of obstructions, buildings or other structural impediments. Environments that cause a lot of multipath reflections make it easier for 802.11n devices to boost the aggregate throughput.

The multipath nature of MIMO makes Wi-Fi more robust because multiple copies of the data stream are sent independently from the multiple antennas in an 802.11n device. This required signal redundancy benefits even legacy devices such as 802.11a/g/b, which will be more robust, too.

Coupling the MIMO architecture with wider bandwidth channels offers the opportunity of creating very powerful yet cost-effective approaches for increasing the physical transfer rate.

The third technology used is called Frame Aggregation, according to which 802.11n boosts the performance of the MAC layer by allowing 802.11n devices to aggregate several packets into a single packet using a variety of different techniques.

Considering these technologies, the benefits of a faster throughput and a wider coverage seem to be very logical. However, companies seem to be uncertain of deploying technology based on a draft standard.

The range of 802.11n wireless.

The second technology incorporated into 802.11n is responsible for added robustness and reliability of the network and is called MIMO, which is an acronym for Multiple Input Multiple Output. MIMO is based on the idea, that devices transmit two or more unique radio streams simultaneously to deliver more data per channel. MIMO uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and the receiver and exploits the way radio frequency signals often reflect off of objects in their path, causing a phenomenon called multipath.

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Have No Fear, 802.11n is here... To Stay All fears related to the use of 802.11n can be extinguished due to organizations like the Wi-Fi Alliance.

The goal of the Wi-Fi Alliance is to ensure multi-vendor interoperability by verifying that the systems from different manufacturers can be used within the same wireless infrastructure.

Draft 2.0 which the Wi-Fi Alliance bases its certification on, includes all of the major features that are likely to be expected to be in the final standard. Secondly, the draft 2.0 features are very unlikely to change in a way that threatens the interoperability. Many people in the industry like the chip manufacturers, vendors, the WiFi Alliance, the IEEE are working to ensure that any of the changes do not threaten interoperability and thirdly, all of the major enterprise vendors are committed to maintaining interoperability between draft 2.0 and the final standard. Network administrators can avoid to be locked into a single-vendor solution by purchasing only Wi-Fi certified products.

To conclude, with 802.11n a new era of wireless speed is upon us. If you are looking for flexible mobility, high-speed infrastructures and a variety of leading-edge applications, like seamless roaming, VoIP telephony, wireless video conferencing, integrated high-definition surveillance, and more, look no further than our D-Link product range. DLink’s Rangebooster NTM family of routers delivers unmatched wireless performance, the draft 802.11n compliant devices provide up to 12x faster speeds and 4x farther range than 802.11g equipment while staying backward compatible with 802.11g and 802.11b devices.

Worldwide D-Link’s Wireless N technology has earned more than 22 editors’ choice awards, including PC Magazine Middle East, which proves that D-Link 802.11n solutions offer the best value and performance on the market.

802.11n Wireless

200

175

150

125

100

Units: Mbps 300

802.11n Wireless

250

200

75 150

802.11g/b Wireless

50

25

Units: Feet

Indoor Reception Range

100

100BT Wired Ethernet

50

802.11g Wireless

10

802.11b Wireless 10BT Wired Ethernet

Network Type Performance

Reception (left) and performance (right) diagrams for 802.11n.

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D-Link Technology Trend:

Internet Access in Central European Countries Far Below EU Average

By Mariusz Piaseczny A D-Link Technology Trend (DTT) survey conducted in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary by the Millward Brown Institute shows that Internet access in Central European countries is significantly below the European average. Currently, 44% of households in the region have Internet access, with the EU average being 54%.

Internet access

The idea of universal household Internet access has been best implemented in Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands, where almost 80% of the population is connected. Compared to the EU average of 54%, Central European countries displayed a rather poor performance. The highest results in this survey were found in the Czech Republic, where more than half of all households (52%) have access to the Internet. The situation was significantly worse in Hungary, with 42% of households connected to the Internet, and Poland came in as the regional underperformer with just 38%.

Percentage for households with Internet access.

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ADSL most popular

The majority of Internet connections by Central European households can be classified as broadband. Modem Internet connections have gotten less and less popular in the region. For the Czech Republic this number stood at 3%, with 5% for Hungary and 8% for Poland. The most popular Internet access technology in Hungary and Poland was ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line).

In Hungary, the ADSL accounted for almost half of all connections (48%), and in Poland it covered more than a third off all connections (38%). In the Czech Republic, the most popular form of Internet access was local and city area wireless networks (27%). A large chunk of the Internet access market was also operated by cable TV networks – 19% in the Czech Republic, 27% in Poland, and 30% in Hungary.

Czechs buy computers, Poles buy TVs

The survey by D-Link Technology Trend also contained questions considering home electronics in households.

The highest score in this respect, among the surveyed countries, was recorded in the Czech Republic. Czech households have the highest number of desktop computers (53%), multimedia players (42%), and notebooks (15%), as well as video game consoles – owned by 8% of the population. Poles, on the other hand, have a stronghold on next generation TV sets (HD or HD Ready). The Poles, with a result of 11%, have almost three times as many HD TVs as the Czechs (4%) and Hungarians (3%). The Hungarians took the lead in image recording technologies with 10% of the population owning Internet/IP cameras. This result was significantly higher than the other countries in the region.

More Computers = More Games

Owning computers and video game consoles translates directly into the popularity of digital entertainment.

According to the D-Link Technology Trend survey, computer games were most popular in the Czech Republic, where almost a third of the population (28%) regularly play on their PCs. Choosing this form of entertainment is also declared by 18% of Hungarians and 14% of Poles. Video game consoles are less popular.

They are used by 5% of Czechs, 2% of Hungarians, and 3% of Poles. On-line games are played by 4% of Czechs, 3% of Hungarians, and 2% of Poles.

The DI-524 Wireless G Router was a best seller in Eastern Europe for 2008.

Home networking – Poland and Czech Republic

The growing popularity of the Internet in Central European households supported the development of wireless home networks. In Poland and the Czech Republic, networks based on wireless routers were used in 15% of households connected to the Internet.

In Hungary the wireless technology were less common – only 5.5% of households connected to the Internet had Wi-Fi networks.

Nearly a third of computer owners play PC games in the Czech Republic.

About the D-Link Technology Trend survey

D-Link Technology Trend is a periodic, quarterly survey of population’s attitudes towards new technologies. It is conducted for D-Link by the MillwardBrown Institute in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The survey is based on direct personal inquiries of a population above the age of 15, representative for each country.

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Q&A

12 Questions:

Q&A with Steven Joe on the challenges for North America In our inaugural issue of D-Life, we visited with Tony Tsao, our CEO and President of D-Link Corporation. In this and subsequent issues, we will be touring D-Link worldwide, making stops in key regions to visit with the leaders of our continuing efforts to maintain market leadership around the globe.

The next stop on our tour is North America. Steven Joe, President of D-Link North America, reflects on how the subsidiary, headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, will be meeting the many challenges facing the region.

DL: When did you start with D-Link?

SJ: I remember it well – it was 1987. D-Link had just

been founded a year earlier, and I started in tech support, while studying computer science and business at the University of California, Irvine. I also remember that the price of a gallon of gas back then was 70 cents. A few months ago gas prices had risen to more than $5.00 per gallon. A lot has changed in 21 years.

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Q&A DL: What is your assessment of today’s economic climate in the U.S. and Canada?

SJ: I have been through four recessions in my time here at D-Link. This one is, by far, the toughest ever. But with each challenging economic time, D-Link has and will again, find opportunities to grow and strengthen our business.

DL: What are some of the challenges you face at D-Link in light of the current economic recession?

SJ: Right now, more than ever, we are evaluating how efficient we are as a business. We are cutting costs

wherever it makes sense. We continue to diversify our product lines to constantly keep up with the rapid changes in the markets where we compete. We are doing a better job of managing our inventory, and we are working aggressively to manage operations for maximum efficiency. And we will continue to invest in our line of business solutions, without abandoning our hard-earned reputation as a leader in consumer electronics and advocate of the digital home. As we continue to see market erosion, we plan to be operating at or near peak efficiency in all phases of our business – sales and marketing, operations, product management, administration, etc. Our challenge is to execute our plans with resolve and accuracy and to capture any good opportunity when the time is right. We are prepared to do that.

DL: Are there any opportunities in the market where you believe our products can thrive?

SJ: Absolutely. We see opportunities in both business and consumer markets. Let’s look at the business market

first. We now offer every product needed to build a robust and scalable business network infrastructure with end-to-end solutions from storage to switching, firewalls, wireless, and IP surveillance, typically at more aggressive pricing than others we compete against. As a result, we have established ourselves as a “value brand,” and have the ability to operate with lower margins than other established players in the market. As budgets get tighter, more and more IT managers are seeking alternative vendors that can offer the best cost-to-performance ratio possible. We have a tremendous opportunity in business networking. We also see opportunities for strategic extension of our business product line into areas such as digital signage.

Although the consumer market in the U.S. and Canada is soft right now, we do see light at the end of the tunnel.

We are being as aggressive as we can with 802.11n technology, which has now taken over sales from 802.11g in North America. We’ll continue to diversify our product line, offering not only next-generation routers, but other digital home and SMB products like networked video recorders and IP camera combination solutions, connected photo frames and PC productivity tools that are priced right and fit consumer market needs.

DL: How does the holiday season affect sales of D-Link products in your region?

SJ: The holidays are always a key time for us as we see an increase in consumer sales, especially on special days such as “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday,” and we did see slower growth than in years past during the recent end of year shopping season. At the end of the year,

Steven Joe, President, D-Link North America

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Q&A we historically find many businesses utilize their expiring budgets as they plan infrastructure for the coming year. Our “right place at the right time” opportunity has always proven to be beneficial to our channel sales, and last year was no exception.

accommodate all of the necessary devices added for productivity and entertainment. Considering our track record of success for more than 22 years, we are certainly poised to meet any challenges.

one of the fastest growing markets for computer networking. Our ability to offer a total solution for homes, home offices and small businesses propelled D-Link to the forefront of companies providing lower-cost, high-quality end-to-end networking equipment. That growth has been slowed recently with a weakening economic environment and market saturation. We do eventually expect resurgence in our economy and with it a renewed sense of optimism in D-Link’s ability to meet the future head on.

can’t be afraid to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. This year is no different. Our product lines are constantly improving, and we will be prepped and ready to execute sales strategies in the market. One initiative we are keenly focused on is optimizing our sales organization by forming specialized teams for particular product categories, such as IP Surveillance and SAN Storage, to find new opportunities, engage with customers and close deals. We are also strengthening the product and marketing support for these teams so they are enabled to drive the bottom line. We will explore new market opportunities with innovative product introductions that are extensions to our core competency and aggressively enter when the timing is right.

DL: You’ve led a number of key initiatives and market trends that have positioned DL: Where do you see the future of computer D-Link for profitable growth and global networking and how do you think industry leadership. Can we expect any D-Link will fit in? new initiatives for the upcoming year?

SJ: During the past decade, North America was SJ: Yes, you can. Even in the toughest of times, we

D-Link Network Attached Storage.

Where does this optimism come from? It’s mainly from the fact that computer networking today is less about the computer and more about the network. As consumers build their wired or wireless networking infrastructures, there are constants that we can and will take advantage of. An example is the ever-increasing need for more storage in the home for consumers to save and share digital images, videos and music. We have established ourselves as a leader in providing consumer NAS solutions. We will be more market savvy then ever before, offering the right products at the right price for either an established or emerging market.

There will be a proliferation of Internet usage and a constant need for a stronger network that can 14

DL: Are there any key drivers that you are using at D-Link North America which you believe could be beneficial to our other OBUs? SJ: Yes, many. We have been very aggressive in our

efforts to promote both consumer and business products. We have strengthened our channel business considerably over the past several years, with strong teams, both technical and sales, in the field and in-house who support each other in finding and closing business. We have a successful track record of closing deals when we actually “touch” an end-user business customer, so we have built field sales and tech teams to find and engage with as many customers as we can. Our “Switch for Free” initiative is proving to be a great way to generate sales as qualified business customers can see first hand the quality of our switches, making their decision to buy future products much easier. We are delivering

Q&A better tools for customers to find the solution they need with online product selectors and interactive demos, utilizing more videos produced in-house for educating about our offerings through D-LinkTV and viral video sites. We make it easier for VARs to get competitive pricing “same day” with tools such as the online bid desk. We have updated and simplified our channel partner program, which now numbers more than 5,000 qualified value-added resellers and solution providers. Our partnerships with distributors continue to grow and mature, focusing on developing government, education and other critical market segments. We are continuing to strengthen our product lines to meet customer needs. We are leveraging our resources for maximum efficiency throughout our operations, including greater emphasis on accountability. We have also optimized our sales management tools, including enhanced visibility of details and tracking for the pipeline which is resulting in improved deal close rates.

DL: What will be some major factors for D-Link to keep in mind globally as we enter these new circumstances?

SJ: We must be even more diligent in recognizing

any and all opportunities that may arise, and we must be prepared and able to execute effective programs and initiatives to successfully meet them. We must be able to measure the results and assign accountability for any moves that are made. The key will be in looking for economic trends, purchasing patterns and other factors and determining which of the opportunities offer the greatest return on investment. We must share what works among all business units.

DL: Any words of advice for your fellow DLinkers?

SJ: Follow the words of Lao-tzu, who said: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And, remember that within every challenge there is opportunity – don’t be afraid to embrace it.

DL: Just to close this off, if you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you definitely need to have?

SJ: Food, water and a satellite phone.

D-LinkTV has earned a number of accolades for D-Link.

DL: What do you believe are some of our company’s strengths, and where can we improve?

SJ: First of all, there is no doubt that our products are strong in nearly every aspect, from quality to functionality to price competitiveness, for both the business and consumer markets. But, there is always room for improvement, and our teams work diligently to improve product performance and quality every day. Secondly, our speed to market is second to none. And we have the ability to execute – in product development, sales and marketing support, supply chain management and other key areas of our business. But, again, there is always room for improvement. We constantly look for ways to improve, and we aggressively seek every possible solution for challenges that arise.

DL: Steven, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for D-Life!

SJ: My pleasure.

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News

Tomizone Joins D-Link’s Global Alliance Program TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE

Recently, Tomizone had signed D-Link’s Global Alliance Program (GAP) agreement as a Solution Partner. This cooperation will give customers who use D-Link’s selected products access to the popular Tomizone Wi-Fi Hotspot service.

The GAP is designed to create effective partnerships with innovative and industry-leading companies to co-develop solutions and services that meet varying customer requirements and help manage their business.

The program is divided into three tiers: strategic, solution, and technology, depending on the extent of need for collaboration and interoperability with D-Link’s solutions. The three-tiered program offers a variety of benefits to chosen partners, including early access to enhanced products, joint marketing ventures, partner branding, solution testing and interoperability, training, technical support and sales tools.

The agreement provides Tomizone exclusive partner access to some of D-Link’s global networks. “We’ve had 16

an impressive uptake where customers have turned on the Tomizone hotspot function on their D-Link routers in the Australasian region to monetize their broadband. This agreement now lets Tomizone into a very exclusive club within D-Link from which their global business units leverage new product innovation and where Tomizone can leverage their global sales and distribution, offering Tomizone a great opportunity to penetrate new markets,” commented Steve Simms, CEO of Tomizone.

Steve Simms, CEO of Tomizone.

The Tomizone Service is currently available in D-Link wireless product models DI-524UP, DIR-300 and DSA3600. A new range of D-Link wireless products will also support this service in the future.

To learn more about the D-Link Global Alliance Program, visit the GAP website at http://alliance.dlink-intl.com.

News D-Link’s Green Switches Go Greener

Multi-Port Switches to Reduce Power Consumption by Up to 73% D-Link’s second-generation 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch (DGS-1005D) has just gotten greener. This device reduces up to 73% of power consumption* without sacrificing network performance.

The DGS-1005D is one of four environmentally friendly small office/home office (SOHO) unmanaged gigabit switches that will be shipped out this year with the newly enhanced power-saving function. The next-generation D-Link 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch (DGS-1008D), 16-port (DGS-1016D) and 24-port (DGS-1024D) unmanaged gigabit switches will also receive enhanced power-savings later this year.

The second-generation releases of the D-Link DGS-1000D series multi-port desktop switches are part of an awardwinning company-wide D-Link Green™ technology computing initiative that includes manufacturing environmentallyresponsible products, enhancing eco-friendly packaging, optimizing devices for ENERGY STAR certification, and providing consumer education and recycling programs.

D-Link’s commitment to making its products more energy efficient continues to be recognized by leading industrywatchers, such as PC Magazine and Laptop Magazine, which recently named the D-Link Green initiative the most innovative of 2008. D-Link has also been named a finalist in the 2009 Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA®) annual Mark of Excellence Awards competition for its D-Link Green technology policies. * Maximum power savings when compared to a conventional D-Link switch, when connected devices are powered down and connected via 20m Ethernet cables.

Second generation DGS-1005D.

INTERNET HERE 17

The World of Wiki Why Wiki is this Decade’s Hottest Web Application

By Mark Mitchell

Too Much Useful Information

As a relatively small and budding department, the Technical Writing Section (TWS) at D-Link headquarters was looking for an easy way to collaboratively develop new guidelines and policies. Creating a set of MS Word documents and PDFs would have been adequate, but less than ideal. Static documents do not keep a comprehensive history of changes, cannot be linked together, and are difficult to search. In addition, updates to Word document are not always instantly visible to a large group. A perfect system would ensure that critical internal information remains up-to-date and easily accessible regardless of when it is sent, or how it is stored. After some consideration, the best alternative quickly became obvious. The writers needed to start their very own wiki.

A wiki is a web-based reference/communication tool that allows users to create and share information as a team. The content of a wiki is organized into individual articles/pages which can be interlinked and sorted into categories. Included are powerful search functions and back-end administrative controls that simplify the 18

task of maintaining large quantities of information.

Thousands of content-specific wikis have recently sprung up, both public and private, covering everything from animation to zoology.

Fast, Free, Stable and Scalable

By far the most popular wiki of all is Wikipedia, the world’s largest encyclopedia. With over 2.7 million articles, and nearly 9 million registered members, Wikipedia is a standing tribute to the stability and scalability of the wiki platform. Users everywhere have come to depend upon Wikipedia for convenient access to vast amounts of information.

Unlike printed reference materials, wikis can be instantly updated so that they reflect the status quo. New facts can be incorporated immediately and verified by many readers. Users add and edit content democratically, hopefully ensuring that only the most accurate version of a page is visible at any time. A revision history is retained so that any changes can be rolled back when necessary. New pages can be added with ease, and links between them can be created simply by typing a

title and clicking a shortcut button. Likewise, if any wiki page ever becomes outdated or unnecessary, it can be revised or deleted with just a few clicks.

Wikipedia is powered by a robust, web-based software platform known as MediaWiki. MediaWiki’s active developer community supplies steady feature updates and numerous extensions at zero cost to users. Therefore, just like the content of a wiki, the software is regularly undergoing revisions and improvements as well.

HTML Coders Need Not Apply

Whereas creating and maintaining traditional web pages requires a lot of expertise, the process of editing a wiki page is quick and straightforward. In fact, the term “wiki” itself comes from the Hawaiian phrase “wiki-wiki” meaning “fast.” To change a page, users simply click the edit button. A text box appears allowing users to revise the contents. Formatting is controlled through toolbar shortcuts or with a very simple markup language.

Script in wiki code (top) and HTML code (bottom), both of which display the same result.

Wiki Code:

Example Page == This Is a Simple Wiki Page == Thank you for contributing to our knowledgebase. *Editing a wiki is easy. *Anyone can do it!

HTML Code:

<html> <head><title>Example Page</title></head> </body> <h2 style=”font-family: Arial: font-weight: normal:”>Example Page</h2><hr/> <h3 style=”font-family: Arial: font-weight: normal:”>This Is a Simple Wiki Page</h3> <hr/> <span style=”font-family: Arial:”>Thank you for contributing to our knowledgebase.</span> <ul style=”font-family: Arial:”> <li>Editing a wiki is easy.</li> <li>Anyone can do it!</li> </ul> </body></html>

As you can see, the wiki makes the otherwise complex task of coding a webpage almost completely effortless.

Better yet, new MediaWiki extensions have further simplified the process of editing through optional WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) functionality.

This means that editing a wiki may soon feel the same as editing a document in a word processor.

Keeping Everyone on the Same Page

At D-Link headquarters, the technical writers’ wiki started off small, initially comprising only 10 articles.

Since then the article count has ballooned to over 700 with new content added weekly. D-Link technical writers have found their wiki to be especially helpful for maintaining a glossary. As new technical terms emerge or are discovered, writers add fresh entries to the wiki.

This information is searchable from a central website, ensuring that everyone is using consistent terminology.

The writing team also uses the wiki as a portal to display important announcements and minutes from weekly meetings. This way, new departmental policies and procedures can be formally recorded in a central location. “The wiki helps me better communicate with my team members,” says Rashmi Polepalli, a Technical Writer at D-Link headquarters. “If I have something important to share, I can add it to the wiki, and people get to see it even if they miss my e-mail.”

Of course, wikis are not meant to replace e-mail and more traditional forms of interoffice communication. Rather, they act as a collective repository of useful information that remains up to date and constantly accessible. Wikis can start small and grow with an organization, acting as a cost-effective substitute for more complicated and elaborate databases. With so much to offer, and limitless potential, wikis are undoubtedly the future of collaborative information management.

A D-Link Technical Writer using the HQ’s wiki system.

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Awards

D-Link Chosen as Company of the Decade CRN magazine named D-Link Polska as a “Company of the Decade,” which was awarded during the celebration of the magazine’s 10th anniversary. D-Link was the only networking company to have been awarded this prestigious distinction.

During the official IT gala, CRN magazine awarded special distinctions to 10 companies with an exceptional contribution to the development of the IT market over the last decade. The companies were chosen by the magazine readers and resellers. Besides D-Link, the awards went to the following companies: AB, ABC Data, Action, Intel, Kingston, Komputronik, Microsoft, NTT System and Tech Data.

The magazine’s reasons for recognizing D-Link included: a. Dynamic company growth. Over a few years the company became one of the key players in the Polish IT industry, despite a limited headcount (Currently, the D-Link Poland team is composed of only 10 people). The company is an active market player and a member of influential ICT organizations: the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications, and the Polish Chamber of Electronic Communication. b. Efficient management. This applies both to the person of Roman Napierała, the current Area Manager for Eastern Europe, named the 2005 IT Man of the Year, as well as Michał Derdzikowski, the Country Manager of the Polish branch since 2006. c. Active promotion of networking technologies for home users. D-Link was the first networking hardware provider to start promotion and education activities in Poland, including wireless network security training courses.

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Roman Napierala, Area Manager of Eastern Europe.

Awards d. D-Link Technology Trend recurrent research project. The project was launched by D-Link in 2007 to provide information on the influence of new technologies on the life of Poles, as well as the use of technologies in SMEs. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Millward Brown Institute and International Data Group. e. Fighting the counterfeits. D-Link was among the few to admit to have a problem with black market.

Thanks to the outward attitude and collaboration with the mass media, computer users from Poland recognized the problem of fake hardware and consequences of using it. f. D-Best Partner Program. The “D-Best Partner” loyalty program for resellers was launched in 2007, and since then its popularity has been growing. The

D-LinkTV Wins

program was named The Best Partner Program of 2008. It was designed predominantly for the smallest resellers that collect program points for purchasing D-Link products from the complete product portfolio. g. Top class service and technical support for networking products. D-Link was the first consumer networking hardware provider to launch such services. h. Support for cultural institutions in Poland. The “Kulturalnie bez kabli” project (“Culturally wireless”) carried out by D-Link between 2003 and 2006 allowed to develop the IT infrastructure of the most influential museums and galleries in Poland (e.g. the Center of Modern Art in Warsaw, the National Museum in Cracow, etc.)

D-LinkTV is designed to give viewers a fresh perspective on D-Link consumer and business products and the latest advancements in networking, storage, IP surveillance, security and other technologies.

Multiple Gold AVA Awards D-LinkTV received Gold honors at the prestigious international AVA awards, recognizing audio-visual excellence in corporate communications.

The Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP) presented D-LinkTV with gold statuettes in recognition of the D-LinkTV’s weekly “BUZZ” in the Web Entertainment category, and the “D.I.Y.” (Do-it-yourself) series in the Web Training category. D-LinkTV was chosen by the panel of AMCP experts among hundreds of entries.

D-LinkTV received multiple AVA Gold awards.

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Awards

DIR-685 Captures Global Attention The DIR-685 All-in-one Router had a busy quarter, receiving recognition as a “Best of CES” Finalist at the International CES tradeshow, and recently earning PC World’s “Gear of the Year” award. The innovative D-Link device also earned the prestigious Red Dot Design Award, which recognizes companies for product design excellence. Perhaps it has received such recognition due to its innovative design and features in comparison to previous models.

This device truly defies the meaning of “all-in-one” by not only offering router capabilities, but also hard drive and digital photo frame features. With a 3.2-inch LCD monitor, anything from your favorite photos to your network status can be displayed DIR-685 All-in-one Router. in 1.6 million color clarity. In addition to its NAS feature system, this device offers a hard drive bay that can store a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive. The DIR-685 also uses Green Ethernet technology, providing you with full convenience while reducing the impact on the environment.

Product of the Year by CHIP Computer Magazine CHIP Computer Magazine, one of the most important IT magazines in Romania, awarded D-Link with the “2008 Product of the Year” for the D-Link Wireless N Quadband Router (DIR-855) and USB Adaptor (DWA-160).

In addition to D-Link, CHIP Computer Magazine tested 10 routers at their labs from vendors such as: SMC, Asus, Belkin, DrayTek, Edimax, Linksys, and Netgear among others. D-Link was selected to receive the award after the reader’s had voted for the company product that they appreciated most.

After collecting the results, the magazine revealed that readers considered D-Link devices to have very good quality with 28% of the vote, and good rate of price and quality with 18%. In addition, readers regarded D-Link as a well-known brand with 27% of the vote.

Bogdan Mihalcea, D-Link Romania Country Manager.

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Previous to this year’s accolade, the D-Link RangeBooster N Gigabit Router (DIR-655) was awarded the CHIP “2007 Product of the Year” in the “Wireless Router” category.

Awards

D-Link Products Earn Product of the Year in Europe DGS-1224T (SME Network Solutions category)

DGS-3627 (Enterprise Network Solutions category)

DFL-860 (Network Security Solutions category)

DIR-855 (WLAN Solutions category)

NetWorld Magazine in Poland (IDG Publishing House) held an annual voting on company products for “Product of the Year,” which was based on votes from readers and editors. There were 10 network-related categories, which included switch, router, WLAN, VoIP, IP communication, in addition to security, storage and structural cabling. Products for the competition had been nominated by the editors, and then readers could vote for the products that they felt were the best of category. D-Link products were nominated by the editors in four different categories, and received “Product of the Year” awards for three, including the DGS-3627 (Enterprise Network Solutions category), DGS-1224T (SME Network Solutions category), DIR-855 (WLAN Solutions category) – the DFL-860 (Network Security Solutions category) was the only runner-up.

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Events

CES2009 1.

1. Daniel Wong, Director of Product Management for North America, prepares for an interview at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

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2. Steven Joe, President of North America, sits next to the DIR685, which was recognized as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best of CESâ&#x20AC;? Finalist.

3. D-Link meeting room at the CES exhibition, 2009.

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Events

GITEX 1. D-Link booth at the GITEX 2008 exhibition.

2. D-Link members show off their D-Link Green dress shirts.

3. Showcasing D-Link Wireless and IP Camera products at GITEX, 2008.

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4. D-Link Middle East members pose in front of the D-Link booth.

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Events

“10,000” Temple Bike Race for the for Guinness World Record 1. Starting line for the “10,000” Temple Bike Race.

2. D-Linkers represent company pride.

3. A D-Linker riding through Taiwan’s country side.

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4. Nothing but the open road.

5. D-Linkers gather for a group picture after finishing the race.

6. Finally, the race is over.

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Your Thoughts Matter to Us!

Is there a topic you would like to discuss about D-Link, or an event you would like to share with the rest of your fellow D-Linkers? Is there a special way that you like to integrate your D-Link products, or do you simply have questions about them? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the rest of your fellow D-Linkers miss out on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in your neighborhood, your opinion matters and we would love to hear from you!

Please feel free to send us any ideas or suggestions to the contact listed below: Name: Peter Liu Email: dlifemag@dlink.com.tw Address: D-Link Corporation No. 289, Sinhu 3rd Rd., Neihu District Taipei City 114, Taiwan, R.O.C. Fax Number: 886-2-2793-8836 Telephone Number: 886-2-66000123 ext. 6555