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PSN 8002AD36 Logging-Out Fix

PS3

I recently started getting the dreaded 8002AD36 error on my PS3 any time I was powered up and watching YouTube, MLB.TV or Hulu.  It is one of the most annoying errors I’ve come across as it seems to pop up every 15 minutes or so and it pauses what you’re doing and tells you that you’ve been logged out of PSN until you click the login yet again.

I realized that the problem started for me right after I installed a new router, a Linksys WRT3200ACM so I knew it was probably related.  After trying a variety of fixes I found elsewhere the only thing that fixed the problem was manually setting up port-forwarding for the ports that the PlayStation Network uses.

The ports that need to be opened are:

TCP Ports:  80, 443, and 5223 &
UDP Ports:  3478, 3479, and 3658

Once I manually opened those ports in my router the constant disconnecting of the PSN stopped and I was able to enjoy my PS3 again. For some reason the UPnP that worked on my old router settings didn’t work on my new router as I’d never had to set the manual port forwarding before.

I hope this tip helps you rid your machine of the 8002AD36 error!

 

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Revive Your Slow Synology DS411J NAS

Synology DS411J

I’ve been using a Synology DS411J for a little over 5 and a half years and overall am quite pleased with the performance for a low-power device.  I didn’t need a NAS with a lot of bells and whistles, I just wanted something that was reliable and could stream one video at a time to my TV.

Over time, Synology updates their device software and as the updates grew further away from the DS411J’s manufacturing date the more the device slowed down.  The recent DSM 6.X firmware has forced a new “feature” to the Synology ecosystem called “Universal Search.”  Well, it turns out that older devices, like the DS411J absolutely cannot handle the CPU resources needed for the Universal Search to index the box and slows the box to an unusable state..

In all of their wisdom, Synology has made this new “feature” that basically kills the older NAS boxes a part of the operating system that you cannot remove through their web interface.  Thanks, Synology!

The good news is, if you’re willing to get your nerd on and do some command line work by using telnet or ssh to access your DS411J you can bring it back from the dead and speed it up to very usable levels..

Once you log in, and it might take a while due to the CPU being pegged, the command that you need is:

synopkg uninstall SynoFinder

If you are told you don’t have the authority to run the command try:

sudo synopkg uninstall SynoFinder

And then enter the password when prompted.  Either way, once this is run your NAS will actually run pretty decently again.  Here is a current screenshot of my DS411J’s resource monitor running the latest DSM 6.1.3-15152 with all unnecessary services uninstalled, including SynoFinder.

Resource Monitor

Remember that the next time you update the Synology DSM software you’ll need to do the same thing again.  Hopefully they leave this loophole open to get rid of the useless software that turns their old device into a paperweight.

If you’re a Windows user unfamiliar with how to telnet or ssh into a device I highly recommend the program Putty.  It makes things pretty easy, even for a beginner.  You can download it here:

https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html

I hope this helps you get your old Synology NAS back up and running smoothly!

 

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Podcasting 101 – How To Get Started

If you want to start doing a podcast but have no idea where to start, this article is for you.  It will give you the basics of what equipment that you need and tell you how to get your show up on the Internet.

AUDIO OR VIDEO?

The first choice you really should make is whether you want to produce an audio-only program or a video program.  Audio-only podcasts are easier to produce but video brings you a wider audience.   Most people will probably feel less self-conscious doing an audio podcast so that may be a better place to start unless you already feel comfortable speaking in front of a camera.

GEAR NEEDED

The gear needed for a basic audio podcast are a microphone and a recording device.  Most people use their PC, tablet or phone to record their shows when they start out.  If you’re using a PC the open-source program Audacity is a great place to start.

A lot of people have a microphone already that they can use, whether it be stand-alone or in a headset.  It is perfectly fine to start with these devices to give podcasting a try before you start spending money.

IF you need a quality USB microphone at a great price check out the LyxPro HHMU-10 Dynamic USB Microphone over at Amazon.

PROCESS

A basic podcast is just a simple audio or video recording that you will upload to the Internet.  Once you record your content you will need a way to edit it.  For audio, Audacity works well, for video you can try the open-source Jahshaka.

Once you have your content ready you have to have somewhere to upload it.  Video is easier in this one regard as it’s easy to upload your show to YouTube and share it with the world.  For audio, you will most likely want to have a paid web hosting service.

HOSTING YOUR SHOW / WEBSITE

There are a bunch of ways to host a website, but for podcasting WordPress is one of the easiest and best platforms to use.  The blubrry PowerPress plugin makes it super easy to get your podcasts up and running quickly.

While there are many really cheap hosts out there, the only one I can truly recommend is MDD Hosting.  They have rock-solid hosting and amazing customer service.  You will pay a few dollars a month more than you will at some of the bigger hosts but I’ve found it worth the money for the piece of mind and service I get with MDD Hosting  * Full Disclosure – The MDD links are my affiliate link.  I will be compensated if you decide to host your site with them.

HAVE FUN

The main thing I tell anyone embarking on the podcasting journey is to have fun.  You will make mistakes at the beginning but you will learn along the way.  I can tell you that the quality of my podcasts is vastly better now than when I started a decade ago.  With this blog I hope to be able to give you some tips and tricks that will get you where you want to be faster.