Roundabouts vs. Traffic Lights

After living in Gurgaon/Delhi for a month now I realize the pros and cons of roundabouts. They seem like a good idea because traffic doesn’t have to stop unless someone else has the right of way. During light traffic cars from multiple directions can go around the roundabout simultaneously without having to stop, unlike a traffic signal where they’d have to wait for a green. However, during heavy traffic when people are in a rush, drivers loose any self-control and attack the roundabout like chicken with their heads cut off. This results in total chaos and deadlocks. In such circumstances traffic lights would work better.

Therefore in conclusion, roundabouts in light traffic areas and traffic lights in heavy traffic areas.

Solved: Unable to access BSNL Modem/Gateway

I see a lot users having trouble with getting in to the modem/gateway configuration page a.k.a http://192.168.1.1.

Follow the steps below to get to the configuration page.

1. Disconnect the phone line from the modem.

2. Configure your TCP/IP settings in Windows by going into Network Connections and right-click on LAN:

3. Now click on TCP/IPv4 and then Properties:

4. Enter the values as shown and click OK:

You should now be able to access your BSNL modem/gateway. Remember to change these settings back to “Obtain IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically” once you have configured your gateway’s DHCP server. Read this post on how to do configure your DHCP server.

Setup Nokia Email Application with WiFi

A lot of users are having problems setting up the Nokia Email app on their S60 phones using only WiFi. The application doesn’t let you pick an access point during email account setup. Therefore, you need to be connected to a WiFi access point BEFORE setting up your email accounts. To do this connect to a WiFi network and start browsing, this will force your phone to establish an access point using WiFi. Next, hide the browser (do not exit the browser application) and go back to your home screen. Now you can start setting up your email accounts using the Nokia Email application.

I dig Digsby

I have been looking for an all-in-one client for IM but have never been satisfied with any. Each one of them had their own strenghts, some had good UI, some were too complex and support for IM’s was patchy. But finally here’s a client that can handle pretty much any IM, Social networking app AND even IMAP/POP accounts. It’s brilliant, the UI is simple and yet powerful .. It manages to be very advanced without being complex and confusing. Best of all, its cross-platform and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Get it here.

Update your ITI modem aka DNA-A211 firmware

There’s a firmware update for DNA-A211 also branded as ITI. Get it here.

Configuring BSNL DNA-A211 ITI router/modem to automatically connect

If you have a ITI branded modem from BSNL, you probably wont find much documentation about setting it up for multi-use. The unit is actually an OEM product from SEMINDIA model # DNA-A211. This how-to will show you how to setup the router so that it automatically connects to the Internet on start-up, so that you don’t have to dial a connection.

First we shall setup the DSL connection:

1. Connect  to the modem/router through Wired Ethernet and enter 192.168.1.1 in the address bar. When prompted enter your username/password. It should be admin/admin by default. If you have forgotten the username/password, you can reset the modem by pressing the reset button on the back of the router with a pin for 10 seconds.

2. Click on Advanced Setup -> WAN. You should see the following entries. The one we are interested in is the first one as shown. Click Edit.

3. Enter the settings as shown below and click next.

Now to setup your wireless access, goto Wireless -> Wireless Bridge and choose the following:

Also ensure that your wireless is enabled by going into Wireless -> Basic:

Also ensure that your DHCP is enabled by going to Advanced Setup -> LAN and checking that your DHCP is enabled as shown below:

Now go into Management -> Save/Reboot. This will save the settings and reboot your router. On restart the modem will establish the connection and you can simply connect to the wireless network.

Hope this helped. If you have any questions just ask in the comments section.

Who’s the boss

Now that I am settled in India, I finally have time to update the blog. I was surprised by the penetration and popularity of broadband here in just a couple of years. Almost everyone who had dial-up has upgraded to broadband for the same price.  The speeds aren’t very fast but you can get upto 200KB/s consistently. 

The reason I came to India was to work in the family business and get some experience running a company before I go for my MBA. I was involved in the software field (undergrad & work) for 8 years and now I am working in the manufacturing sector. These fields technically are not even remotely related but from running a business view they aren’t very much different. A business is like a sailing ship for ex: the captain steers and the rest of the crew work as a team to get the sails in place. So you don’t need to be a technical wizard and know everything in that field to be able to successfully manage the business. However, you have to know enough so that people can’t fool you.

A person needs to act like a “sponge” when trying to understand the intricacies of business in a different field in a new workplace. I try to follow the “rules” below:
- self-learning
- talking to the employees about their work and learning from them
- listening to work related discussions, even though you can’t contribute much

Finally, do not feel self-entitled to be the “boss” right away. You need to show the employees that you are willing to work just as hard as they are and not just boss them around because your dad owns the business. I have been working for a week and I already feel excited about the work. Sure I don’t have the technical background but running your own business is very rewarding and gets me motivated.

Who killed the Electric car ?

I watched a great documentary on “Who killed the electric car ?” today. It really shows how much power corporate america has over the federal lawmakers. Its amazing how far oil companies and auto makers will go to maintain their control over people’s life and make them slaves to oil. And we as consumers believe what the corporations feed us using their media. Watch it here.

Why Scotiabank place is in Kanata

For Sens fans who have always wondered why Scotiabank Place is in Kanata, read this. Its written by Bruce Firestone who was responsible for bringing back the Senators to Ottawa.

Talk about bad timing

Timing can really make or break your efforts. Consider tennis for example, if you don’t hit the ball at the right time you won’t make a good shot. Buying stocks is another case, where timing is crucial. What you do with your life and more importantly WHEN you do it matters a lot !

This brings me to Formula 1, Honda shocked everyone by pulling out of F1 at the end of last season. I don’t blame them considering how pathetic their performances have been (1 win in almost 8 seasons and never finished in top 3 constructors championship). I belive they were finally going in the right direction in 2008 by hiring Ross Brawn who was the mastermind behind Schumacher’s multiple championships at Benetton and Ferrari. Coupled with the recent economic downturn and lack of success they decided to pull the plug on their F1 team. Ross Brawn had no input whatsoever on the 2008 Honda F1 car but they started work early on their 2009 car because of massive rule changes in 2009. Big sweeping rule changes like these have a side effect of bringing more parity among teams.

If I were Honda I would’ve waited at least another year to see what Brawn could do, but I guess they panicked with car sales dropping and sponsors not willing to spend more. This meant the entire team would be out of a job, but Ross Brawn managed to put together an offer for the team and bought it from Honda and partnered with Mercedes for the engines. He probably did not have a hard time finding sponsors because of his past track record and credibility. The team was called Brawn GP.

They had a mere 2 weeks of testing before the start of the season but they were on the pace from the very first test. And now with qualifying done for the Australian GP, Brawn GP has locked the front row of the grid with Button finishing first and Barrichello second. On top of that they were running heavy on fuel and had a massive 0.6 seconds over third place Vettel.

All those Honda executives who took this decision should be kicking each other in the shin right about now.