Michael Helmers - Mike and Tech

Accessing ARNet from any computer

You can access ARNet from any computer that you can install Citrix Receiver on.

A Better Router

Did you know that you can do more with your router? It is possible to have very granular control over everything that this all-important machine does. You just must unlock it. I installed DD-WRT onto my Linksys WRT1900ACS router. What is DD-WRT? “DD-WRT is Linux-based firmware for wireless routers and

Basic Steps to increase your Cybersecurity

Here are some basic actions you can take to increase your digital security. This is more a of a to-do list rather than my usual how-to guide, so please reach out to me at mike@mikehelmers.com with any questions you have. If you find that you enjoy setting up

ownmydata

Owning my Data: BitTorrent Pi

Who remembers Limewire from the early Aughts? Limewire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LimeWire) was one of the early Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks out there. It was used mostly to share music files across the Internet. I remember a version of it installed on my high school’s network in a

ownmydata

Owning My Data: The Equipment

This will be a quick post. Here is a list of equipment I have purchased to build out my network. This post includes a description of the equipment and why I purchased it. Ethernet Crimper & Cable Tester: What: A tool to create my own Ethernet cables Why: It can

A change in name

A bit of housekeeping: Over the last year I haven’t published much. This is mostly due to being busy with other stuff. I plan to do better in 2019. One of the most immediate chagnes is the URL of this site. It is now tech.mikehelmers.com. I

ownmydata

Owning my Data:

Hey there avid readers. Sorry for the delay, and welcome to 2019! Here you go. For the last few months, I’ve focused on consolidating the devices on my network. It is time to give purpose to the projects I’ve worked on. I have also been studying

computer

Better Graphics, More Power!!!

Hello friends in tech! It’s been awhile. But I’m back and ready to dive back in. I thought I would start with a small simple post that will play a big role in my computer. Most computers today have what is called “integrated graphics”

knowledge

Mike Learns (Army) Tech

I assume most of you have noticed that not much content has been put out in the last couple months. I apologize for that. I’ve been busy. Back in September, I mentioned a crazy idea I had to my wife, and after a long conversation, I decided to

diy

Creating a LAMP Server for Wordpress

I want to host a web server at home. Why do you ask? I say, Why not? This will be a fun project. Ultimately, I want a website for my family. A single location on the Internet where you can come and learn about the Helmers family. To do this,

computer

Upgrade that old wired printer

This is for my father, who has an old wired Brother Printer/copier. Do you have a printer at home that works well, but you have to plug into it with a USB cable to print? Me too. My wife, Kristin, has a fantastic Brother printer from college. It’

fcc

Good morning, won't you please take some time to save Net Neutrality?

What is Net Neutrality? From Battle for the Net: “Net neutrality is the basic principle that protects our free speech on the Internet. “Title II” of the Communications Act is what provides the legal foundation for net neutrality and prevents Internet Service Providers like Comcast, Verizon, and

networking

Mapping a Domain Name

I want to map my Domain name to my apartment’s IP address. There are a couple reasons for this. First, I think it would be fun, and it is the first step to hosting a website 100% at home, so I only rely on my ISP to provide

raspberry pi

ownCloud Down!!!

The other day I was updating the Raspberry Pi, and some updates got pushed out to the Pi running ownCloud. And it broke… Apparently, ownCloud itself was updated, but the update pushed the application into Maintenance Mode. I had to fix it. Went to /var/www/owncloud/config/

motion

What does my dog do all day?

My wife Kristin and I were talking about our dog, Wendy. We were wondering, what does she do all day while we’re at work? Wendy likes to stand on her hind legs. This inspired the WendyCam. Our little pup is insanely curious, and always trying to get people

google

Google Phishing PSA

There was a phishing email going through Gmail earlier today, and Google pretty much solved the problem, but… Here’s some thoughts. Don’t open it. It is from hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh@mailinator.com, and looks like someone is sharing a document with you. They’re not.

Mike defines tech

Hey, there! I’ve got a brief update. I’ve added a “Tech Terms” page the website. As I write these articles, I find that I’m constantly defining some terms that I use. Now, this blog is for beginners and tinkerers alike, so

computer

I Built a PC!!!

This is a project I wanted to do for a long time. When I started studying for my CompTIA A+ cert, I was shocked at how much I learned about the hardware side of computing. My current laptop, a great Sony Vaio, was bought in 2009 after my college laptops

diy

I made my ownCloud!

Have you heard the saying, “There Is No Cloud It’s Just Someone Else’s Computer”? And have you ever thought about what would happen if that person’s computer disappeared overnight? While the chances of Google or Dropbox disappearing are slim, these things do

ads

Ads? What Ads?

For the last month or so there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of ads that appear on our network. Why? I installed a Pi-hole. Using a Raspberry Pi Zero, the same one from my OpenVPN project, I installed a program call “Pi-hole”. This nifty little

Why is Mike Learning Tech?

My Career Change: In June of 2016, my wife Kristin received an amazing position working with young adults with autism, and I had was offered a choice. Stay at my current job, or jump ship. My then employer had a history of letting people telecommute, so that was one option,

networking

I Made a VPN

While learning about networking it became clear how easy it was to snoop on someone’s internet activity when out in the public. If you’re connected to a wifi network that isn’t yours, all of your traffic can be captured and read. Now, does the