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On3 vs On30: Narrow gauge O scale trains

Dave Farquhar model railroading March 23, 2018October 7, 2022

Narrow gauge railroading is almost always confusing, and On3 vs On30 is no exception. They sound similar, and they are, though there are some differences.

Narrow gauge has a following among hobbyists who want to be able to model small areas accurately. Most basements don’t have adequate space to model a big-name railroad with any kind of scale accuracy. But it’s possible to model a small narrow gauge operation in a small space. Narrow gauge O scale trains are a great compromise for people who want big trains in a small space.

Best things to collect

Dave Farquhar Health March 22, 2018March 26, 2024

What are the best things to collect? I can’t answer that question specifically for you. That’s kind of like trying to tell you who to marry. But I can tell you what to look for. And then you’ll know the answer when you find it.

Why do hackers hack?

Dave Farquhar security March 21, 2018January 15, 2022

A frequent question people ask me, as a security professional, is why do hackers hack? The answer used to vary, but today they typically hack for the same reason I do. To make money. The difference is who pays them. Well, and that little detail called permission, of course.

1990s AOL competitors

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing March 20, 2018March 10, 2025

It’s hard to believe now, and nobody should have believed it then, but around 1997, analysts were calling AOL the only blue-chip dotcom stock. The problem was the golden age of dialup ended around 1998. But AOL served a purpose, for a time. Here’s a look back at 1990s AOL competitors.

In the 90s, technology stocks were a slightly different category. Today we don’t distinguish them, but companies who made and sold physical goods like IBM were easier to understand than companies whose business model revolved around the Internet and or proprietary information services.

Remove the last octet of an IP address in Excel

Dave Farquhar Office March 19, 2018August 3, 2018

Maybe I’m the only one who ever has to do this, but here’s how to remove the last octet of an IP address in Excel using one (relatively) simple formula, not a series of calculations.

Packard Bell vs Hewlett-Packard

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing March 19, 2018September 10, 2022

I didn’t realize that the question of Packard Bell vs Hewlett-Packard existed anymore. The search engines say otherwise. So here’s the difference between these two rather old brands.

Why did Marx Toys close?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 16, 2018March 10, 2022

On Dec 12, 1955, Louis Marx was on the cover of Time magazine, the subject of a story that called him the Toy King. Twenty seven short years later, Louis Marx died in his home, aged 86. The same day, a bankruptcy court ruled that his factory in Glen Dale, West Virginia, had to close for good. Marx and his company died on the same day. Why did Marx Toys close? And why so suddenly?

There were several reasons. I don’t think it was any one thing, but rather, several things that led to another, and the cascade brought Louis Marx’s empire down.

Why did Compaq fail?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing March 15, 2018September 6, 2024

Compaq was a high-flying PC brand in the 1980s and 1990s. It created the first successful and fully legal IBM PC clone, set records as a startup, usurped IBM as the standard bearer in the PC market, and made sturdy, highly regarded desktop PCs and servers. But today it’s just a trademark that HP owns and doesn’t use. Why did Compaq fail?

There were several reasons why Compaq failed, but one stands taller than the others.

How a vulnerability scanner works

Dave Farquhar security March 14, 2018March 10, 2018

Vulnerability scanning is an essential part of any information security program. Unfortunately it’s also pretty widely misunderstood. In that light, let’s take a look at what a vulnerability scanner is, and how a vulnerability scanner works.

Do I need a managed switch at home?

Dave Farquhar Careers, Servers and Networking March 13, 2018January 19, 2026

Like most people, I used consumer-grade switches on my home network for years and years, like TP-Link switches. They’re fine, but my older Linksys switch started acting flaky the other night. My oldest son’s computer kept dropping off the network. So that got me thinking. Do I need a managed switch at home?

Whether I need a managed switch for my home network or not, I bought a Dell Powerconnect 2824 smart managed switch, and I got it for less than a Linksys. This is a great opportunity to learn wired networking at home, the way businesses do it. Sure, it’s overkill, but here’s why I think it’s a good idea.