Steve Discher's Blog
Each week ISP Supplies posts new blog content accross a variety of categories.
Browse our latest posts below or use search to find specific topic.
Network Equipment Explained
The Difference Between a WiFi Router and a WiFi Modem
How to save a Quote and purchase from a saved Quote on ISPSupplies.com
What’s the Right tower for the job?
THE SECRET POWER OF REFUSING A SHIPMENT
MikroTik Firewall Introduction Webinar
Why Your Dual Band CAPsMAN Setup Doesn't Work
What is SIP ALG and should it be on or off?
PCI Planning
Baicells CBRS Quick Setup Guide
Samaritans Purse
My blogs have always been technical in nature. I see challenges faced by our customers and try to solve them using the products and technologies I know through my experience. This one is going to be very different! For several … Continue reading
Finding an IP address with Wireshark using ARP requests
Can’t remember a device’s IP Address? Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests can be used by Wireshark to get the IP address of an unknown host on your network. ARP is a broadcast request that’s meant to help the client machine … Continue reading
Creating Trunk and Access Ports on MikroTik CRS3xx Series Switches
The switch menu and configuration interface is significantly different on the CRS3xx versus the CRS1xx or CRS2xx series switches and if you are trying to configure VLANs, the process is totally different. Here is a quick HowTo for configuring VLANs … Continue reading
Ubiquiti Unifi Video NVR Upgrade Fails
Yesterday I got tired of the nagging “Update Available” on my Ubiquiti Video NVR so I went through the upgrade process in the web GUI. It failed with Error 400. I tried several times, several browsers, same error. I then … Continue reading
Using MikroTik LHG as a UE With a Baicells eNodeB
This has been a dream for a long time, and a DIY project for those industrious individuals willing to cobble it together, but now it is a reality in a production device. First of all why would you want to … Continue reading
New ISP Supplies App
Now available on the Playstore and the iPhone Appstore, the ISP Supplies App! With great features like a powerful search engine and a reorder list, it makes it fast and easy to place orders on the go. Favorite products for quick … Continue reading
Update: Block Countries Based on IP Addresses and Networks
If you never used my web site https://mikrotikconfig.com to build firewalls and QOS, you have been working too hard! I recently (today) updated the database of IP addresses by Country to generate MikroTik IP Address Lists by country. Check it … Continue reading
Unhacking Your MikroTik Router
Several vulnerabilities and exploits have recently plagued MikroTIk users. Specifically, these vulnerabilities affected the RouterOS webfig configuration interface, if no firewall was put in place to protect it. Granted, you can be critical of MikroTik but after all, running without a … Continue reading
HowTo Install Baicells HaloB
I added this tech article today. Check it out on our support site: How To Install Baicells HaloB
How to configure Baicells LTE for a WISP Network
With so many options of NAT, Router, Bridged, etc., it can be overwhelming to create the correct architecture for your first Baicells LTE deployment the first time. To facilitate this for you, I created a Baicells LTE HowTo Knowledge Base … Continue reading
Why is Technical Training So Important
As someone that has organized and lead technical training for more than ten years, I can say I have been asked this question many times. The commonality is that most people are self-taught, and use certain products in the daily … Continue reading
New Baicells LTE Nova 436
We are excited about the latest product from Baicells, the Nova 436. We received our first shipment late last week and this new LTE Base Station has some really cool features, never before seen from Baicells and not at this … Continue reading
MikroTik RBwAPR-2nD&R11e-LTE-US with LTE Modem With Verizon HowTo
NOTE: Although I was able to make this work, it not work on all of Verizon’s US network outside large metro areas because the LTE card will not run Band 13. They are also not certified on Verizon so use … Continue reading
MikroTik: URGENT security advisory
From MikroTik: It has come to our attention that a rogue botnet is currently scanning random public IP addresses to find open Winbox (8291) and WWW (80) ports, to exploit a vulnerability in the RouterOS www server that was patched … Continue reading
MikroTik + Slingshot Malware, Is it a Threat?
Chances are you have recently heard about Slingshot. A ZDNet article explains “Researchers at Kaspersky Lab have discovered espionage malware that appears to have been developed by a government to spy on targets across Africa and the Middle East for … Continue reading
Why should I invest in MikroTik Training?
This year, 2018 marks my tenth year as a MikroTik trainer and I have been asked this question more times than I can count. Typically, the question is accompanied by the asker’s reasoning for asking the question. Their reasonings are … Continue reading
Baicells LTE Adds Halo B Support
HaloB is a feature that Baicells LTE introduced in February of 2018. Any Baicells eNodeB (eNB) can be purchased with or upgraded to HaloB through software feature activation. A HaloB eNB eliminates the transport layer between the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) … Continue reading
Baicells LTE Adds Halo B Support
HaloB is a feature that Baicells LTE introduced in February of 2018. Any Baicells eNodeB (eNB) can be purchased with or upgraded to HaloB through software feature activation. A HaloB eNB eliminates the transport layer between the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) … Continue reading
Connecting and Managing Remote Grandstream Phones with MikroTik, UCM and Zero Config
If you are familiar with the Grandstream UCM VOIP PBX, you know the value of the Zero Configuration service. if not, Zero Configuration service allows you to create profiles that are common to all phones, certain models of phones or … Continue reading
Mikrotik RouterOS Dynamic IP Firewall Address List Entries for CDN’s, etc.
Has anyone noticed a new behavior for address lists in RouterOS? The release notes for 6.37.3 show “firewall – fixed timeout option on address lists with domain name;” but I don’t see when that feature was actually added. Specifically, if … Continue reading
How to use Ubiquiti’s AirLink tool to plan wireless links
To properly select Ubiquiti gear for a point to point or point to multipoint link, this need to do proper planning. Fortunately, Ubiquiti has a great tool that allows you to try different products in a real-world link simulation to select … Continue reading
Grandstream security vulnerability in the UCM series firmware
Grandstream posted this today… A security vulnerability has recently been discovered in the UCM series IP PBX firmware version 1.0.14.23 or older. We highly recommend that any UCM customer upgrade their firmware version to 1.0.14.24 or 1.0.15.13 as soon as possible in … Continue reading
Using Baicells LTE L2 Mode
Baicells LTE provides an L2 mode to bridge the UE’s. To change LGW mode, navigate to the Network -> LGW page. In LGW L2 mode, the eNB will create a virtual interface for every UE that attaches. Each virtual interface will then … Continue reading
One Reason IPV6 on MikroTik Doesn’t Stink
One word, auto configuration. That’s two words, ok, but if you scrunch it together it is one, autoconfiguration. My spell check keeps complaining about making it one but oh well. In the MikroTik world, enabling the MikroTik IPv6 package is really all … Continue reading
Updating PoE Standards on the UniFi Product line
Ubiquiti posted this recently and I thought it worth repeating. UniFi Access Points have always been built to be powered by PoE – it’s convenient, easy to setup and scalable. When we first started producing UniFi nearly 7 years ago, … Continue reading
ISP Supplies Names Violeta Thompson New Director of Marketing
College Station, Texas: ISP Supplies, a leading provider of high-quality networking equipment, recently announced that Violeta Thompson has joined the company’s marketing team as Marketing Director. Violeta will be developing and implementing an overall corporate marketing strategy, directly engaging and … Continue reading
MikroTik Optimal Wireless Config for Transparent Point to Point or Backhaul
I am often asked what is the optimal configuration for a point to point with Mikrotik, typically SXT’s. I would stress that the fewer settings you make, the better the link will work so I don’t recommend tweaking, just set … Continue reading
Common Error with Simple Queues in MikroTik RouterOS
Simple Queues don’t work properly… I have heard this more than once, my MikroTik RouterOS Simple Queues don’t work properly. In a simple queue, “target” option is the only option that determines the flow direction of a simple queue. Since … Continue reading
Getting Started With Baicells LTE
Baicells has created a new “LTE How To” for new WISP operators. As you may already know, Baicells equipment is Plug & Play and by far the easiest LTE devices to set up and add to your current network. Many common startup problems evolve from the … Continue reading
Installing the TP-Link EAP225 WiFi Access Point and JetStream T1600G-28PS POE Switch
This application involves delivering internet access to a number of executive office suites. The MDF/IDF was located in one set of suites. My design criteria were as follows: 1. Simplicity, no controller on site for WiFi. Set it and … Continue reading
ISP SUPPLIES AND TP-LINK Event Coming Soon in Houston
I am excited to announce that we at ISP are partnering with Tp-Link to offer a free technical training event for networking professionals Friday, May 12, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Greer & Lowdermilk Conference Center at 4225 … Continue reading
MikroTik Automatic Failover Two Gateways
There’s a million ways to do this on the wiki and the web but none of them fit my particular application. Let me explain: 1. The weak point in my network was an AirFiber 24 upstream from the tower I … Continue reading