Last week a new version of Spiceworks (2.1) was released. You can see the official release note at http://www.spiceworks.com/2.1/, it mainly seems to me like a bug fix release, but there are a couple of new features. Once you run up the console it should download the update for you (as long as you are online of course)

One thing that has caught my attention is they are using feedback from the community to drive the product forwards. According to the press release email, they visited an office in New York and acted on there suggestions. You can also request a feature be added through the feature request forum at http://community.spiceworks.com/forum/1

If you feel like there is something missing from the product get on here and let them know. I am going to log a request now that they open up there database a bit more so you can use external products (Reporting Services, Crystal etc) to pull data out.

Recently Orange (my isp) sent me a LiveBox, an all in one wireless router solution for my broadband package.

I used to use an old pc running smoothwall connected to a little wireless router I was given. I moved away from the Linux solution (I kind of wished I hadn’t now) cos: a) The disk on the old pc was starting to go a bit flaky and b) I had to run a cable upstairs as there was no room for it near the phone socket.

The Livebox wasn’t to bad (apart from a crap wireless signal strength), until i tried to connect my Wii to it. The Wii connected to the web fine under my old setup, so I thought it would under this one. I was mistaken.

Doing a scan reveled my network ok, so i gave it my WEP key, it did it’s test and kept coming back with a variety of error message. I did a quick Google on the matter and it turned out that other people have had the same problem. I tried a couple of there solutions but all they did was result in a different error code.

I was certain is was something to do with security, and just befor I turned of all the encryption on the livebox i noticed something on the Wii, on the screen where you input the key. It said the security was WPA-PSK (TKIP, as you can see from the screen shot

As far as I could tell, the Livebox was using WEP. So, I hit the Change security settings option, selected WEP, input my key and it connected! Problem solved, more by luck than judgment.

One of the new features in version 2.0 of spiceworks is the ability to monitor for certain events in machines event logs, or to check for certain machine software configs, such as 2 different anti-virus products installed. There are other products out that will do a similar job but this article is about what the new Spiceworks brings to the party.

All the options can be configured from the Settings tab in the main Spiceworks window, and we are interested in 3 of these sections:

• Monitors and Alerts
• Email Notifications
• Event Logging

Recently I have been made aware of a network management package from Packettrap.com. The idea behind the software is it will provide you a central interface and reporting service for all your network management and diagnostic needs. The free version includes the following services:

• Overview dashboard
• An enhanced ping
• Graphical ping (it shows the info on a graph)
• Trace route
• TFTP server
• MAC address scan
• WHOIS tool
• Various other features, see them on their site

The main idea behind the software is that you can do all of your normal networking tasks from one place. A fine idea, but how well does it work?