How to add M.2 NVMe SSDs to your older motherboard

M.2 is the interface with which SSDs are connected to the motherboard and was first introduced in 2012 for SATA M.2 or mSATA. The M.2 interface connected data through either SATA, USB, and now PCIe lanes as opposed to the more common SATA connection to connect your HDDs and SSDs to the motherboard.

Because M.2 is able to connect your SSDs through the PCIe lanes it can take advantage of extremely high speeds as shown in our table above. With the addition of PCIe being a very important technology not just in data storage, newer generations are being developed to accelerate the throughput of this technology.

Modern motherboards have an M.2 slot built in. However, if your motherboard does not have M.2 or you want extra NVMe data storage you can purchase a PCIe to M.2 expansion card to add additional M.2 slots to your PC.

ATX motherboards have ample M.2 slots, but if you have a small form factor mATX motherboard (usually only sporting 1 M.2 slot), adding additional M.2 slots via a PCIe to M.2 expansion card is a great choice for adding high-speed data storage.

PCIe Generation

All PCIe Generations slots and M.2 slots are backward compatible, so there is no need to worry about purchasing the wrong expansion card or NVMe SSD. However, you might want to save a buck or two by buying the correct generation expansion card and NVMe SSD according to your motherboard and PCIe slot you plan to slot it in. Below are the speeds of potential M.2 SSDs depending on generation.

  • PCIe Gen 3 M.2 SSDs deliver read speeds of about 3500 MB/s.
  • PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSDs deliver read speeds of about 7200 MB/s.
  • PCIe Gen 5 M.2 SSDs (being tested right now) deliver read speeds of over 10000 MB/s!

PCIe Size and Lanes

PCIe size is an important factor because it determines whether or not you will actually have space for an expansion card. While there are a variety of sizes and combinations available, most users will only meet four basic sizes.

The number of direct connections available by a PCIe slot or card is represented by the size. M.2 NVMe SSDs require 4 PCIe lanes to operate.

  • PCIe x1: a single PCIe lane does not support the M.2 interface]
  • PCIe x4: M.2 NVMe SSDs occupy a single x4 slot]
  • PCIe x8: expansion cards with 2 M.2 SSDs will need to use this slot]
  • PCIe x16: your motherboard often has a primary x16 slot for GPUs and additional x16 slots. 16 PCIe lanes can support an expansion card with 4 additional M.2 NVMe SSDs. Be sure to have enough clearance and ample airflow for your hardworking GPU.

Lower PCIe lane cards can fit in higher slots; a PCIe x4 card and a PCIe x8 card can fit in a PCIe x16 slot, so there is no need to buy a PCIe x16 slot M.2 to PCIe expansion card if you don’t need all 4 M.2 slots.

Here are some great choices:

1. ASUS HYPER M.2 X16 GEN 4 Card M.2 to PCIe 4.0 Expansion Card – [PCIe 4.0 x16 to 4x M.2 Slots]

2. ASUS HYPER M.2 X16 Card V2 M.2 to PCIe 3.0 Expansion Card – [PCIe 3.0 x16 to 4x M.2 Slots]

3. SIIG SC-M20014-S1 M.2 NGFF SSD PCIe 3.0 Expansion Card Adapter – [PCIe 3.0 x4 to 1x M.2 Slots]

HDD vs. SSD vs. NVMe SSD

HDDs are the oldest form of data storage of the bunch and have the slowest read speeds at 150MB/s. SATA SSDs are a step up with speeds at about 500 MB/s. NVMe SSDs currently have speeds upwards of 3500 MB/s with more technology on the horizon.

Here’s a more comprehensive table of the comparisons

Hard Drive HDD SATA SSD NVMe SSD
Interface SATA III SATA III PCIe Gen 3, 4, & 5 (soon), NVMe
Read Speed up to 150 MB/s up to 600 MB/s PCIe Gen 3: 3500 MB/s

PCIe Gen 4: 6000 MB/s

PCIe Gen 5: 10000 MB/s (projected)
Mainstream Capacities up to 18TBs up to 8TB up to 4TB
Hot Swap Capable Yes Yes Not M.2, Yes U.2
Form Factor 3.5” Drive 2.5” Drive or M.2 Slot M.2 Slot or U.2 (enterprise)
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Cum testezi performanta placii tale video (GPU)

In majoritatea cazurilor nu vei avea nevoie de acest test, ePOS-urile/laptop-urile de munca nu au placa video dedicata. Acest test poate fi aplicat in cazul statiilor/laptop-urilor colegilor de la Design, de exemplu, sau alte departamente cu statii High-End.

  1. Descarci Superposition Benchmark de pe site-ul oficial.

  1. Intre timp, intri in Display settings > Advanced display > aici vei gasi rezolutia monitorului (ne va trebui la urmatorul pas).

Ca o buna practica, pe fiecare statie (mai ales cele high-end), asigura-te ca la “Choose a refresh rate” este mereu setat pe cea mai mare valoare: se intampla foarte des sa vezi statii cu monitoare de 240,360 Hz care ruleaza pe 60 Hz si se pierde performanta.

  1. Deschidem aplicatia Superposition

La “Preset” punem rezolutia pe care am aflat-o la punctul .2.

De ex.: 1920×1080 = 1080p. La 1080p avem 3 “trepte”: Medium/High/Extreme

Vom selecta “treapta” in functie de specificatiile statiei. De ex.: la o statie High-End cu cele mai performante piese de pe piata cu o resolutie de 2560×1440 (1440p) vom pune 1440p Extreme.

La final vei primi un scor pe care il poti compara online cu alte statii similare ca si specificatii (asa iti vei da seama daca placa video este in parametrii, pe langa ce indica temperaturile); vei primi temperatura minima si maxima pe durata testului si “GPU usage” care va fi mereu 100% (acesta este scopul testului).

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How to install the correct drivers for TP-Link WN722N on Kali Linux

TP-Link WN722N is a budget-friendly Wi-Fi adapter with Monitor&Packet injection capabilities for pen-testing enthusiasts, but if you don’t install the correct drivers you would not have acces to these tools.

Bellow are the steps to clean-install the correct drivers.

Step1:- Open Terminal and run update command.

sudo apt update

Step2:- Now run upgrade command.

sudo apt upgrade -y

Step3:- Now run the command to install the drivers.

sudo apt install realtek-rtl8188eus*

Step4:- Now run the following command to enable monitor mode.

sudo airmon-ng start wlan0

Step5:- Lets check if injection is enabled by running following command.

sudo aireplay -ng — test wlan0

Now, bellow are the steps for updating the already installed drivers (if it is the case) to activate those 2 features. Use these commands to get the adapter working on Kali for packet injection and monitoring:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install bc
sudo apt-get install build-essential 
sudo apt-get install libelf-dev

If the below command shows errors try “sudo apt dist-upgrade” and execute the given below command

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`
sudo apt install dkms
sudo rmmod r8188eu.ko
git clone https://github.com/aircrack-ng/rtl8188eus
cd rtl8188eus
sudo -i
echo "blacklist r8188eu" > "/etc/modprobe.d/realtek.conf"
exit
sudo reboot
sudo apt update
cd rtl8188eus
sudo make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe 8188eu

To enable Monitor mode and test packet injection:

sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
sudo airmon-ng check kill
sudo iwconfig wlan0 mode monitor
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up
iwconfig                             
sudo aireplay-ng --test wlan0
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How to create your own VPN at home

Why create your own VPN at home

Here are more reasons why you might want to set up your own VPN:

It’s affordable. You can create your own VPN at home with free tools and devices you already own. You can, for example, set up your router or spare computer as your server.

It boosts your online privacy. Unwanted third parties like your ISP, cybercriminals, and government authorities could snoop on your online activity without your consent. Use a VPN to encrypt your traffic, so you can keep what you do online private as it should be.

It lets you access your computer from anywhere. Want to access your files or connected devices at home while you’re away? You can do this with a VPN. The VPN connects you to your home network, so you can view files and control devices like your smart cameras wherever you go.

You have several options if you want to create your own VPN, including using your router, computer, or virtual machine in the cloud. Take a look at these easy-to-follow guides on how to create a VPN at home in the sections below. I’ve split the steps based on whether you want to set up your Windows PC, Mac computer, or router as your VPN.

Remember: Create a VPN on a device that’s always online, so you can always access it and enjoy the benefits of using it. If your device ever goes offline, even temporarily, it will leave you unprotected.

Create a VPN for Free on Windows 11

Let’s start with a tutorial on how to create a VPN at home on Windows. The easiest way to do this is to use Windows’ built-in tool to create your own VPN. I tested this feature on a Windows 11 computer, but the steps should be similar for earlier versions of the OS. Again, create a server on a Windows machine you can always leave online.

  1. Open Network Connections. Click the Start icon, type ‘Network Connections’, and then click View Network Connections.
  2. Press Alt+F, and then choose New Incoming Connection…
  3. Select the user accounts you want to allow to connect to your computer via a VPN. Alternatively, click Add someone to create a new user,  then enter a username, full name, and a strong password.
  4. Click OK, and then Next.
  5. Click on Through the Internet as the means of connecting to your computer via VPN. Click Next.
  6. Choose the type of networking software that will be enabled for incoming connections. Check File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks if you’d like connected users to be able to view files and use printers you shared on the network.
  7. Click Allow access. A notification confirming your action will appear.
  8. Check your external IP. Go to a website like whatismyipaddress.com which lets you check your IP address. Take note of your IPv4 address — you’ll need this to be able to connect devices to your VPN from outside your home network.

How to Connect to Your Windows VPN

Once you’ve set up your Windows VPN, you’ll now have to check if you can access it with a different device. In this example, I connected to my homemade server using a Windows computer. Follow these steps to get connected:

  1. Click on the Start icon, type “VPN settings” (without quotation marks), and then hit Enter.
  2. Click Add VPN in the VPN connections option.
  3. In the Add a VPN connection window, do the following:

a) Choose Windows (built-in) as your VPN provider.

b) Enter the connection name — any name will do.

c) In the Server name or address field, enter the IPv4 address given to you.

d) Select PPTP as your VPN type.*

e) Choose to sign in with a username and password, and then enter the same username and password you created in Step 3 of the “Create a VPN for Free on Windows 11” section.

f) Click Save.

  1. Connect to the server you created.

*This depends on the protocols your router supports. Most support PPTP, but you can try one of the other protocol options to see if it works.

*macOS users used to be able to create their own VPN with Apple’s macOS Server app. Unfortunately, the company has since discontinued this, so you can no longer natively build a VPN on Mac.
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How to use Google Search Operators for more accurate results

Google search operators, or characters you can add to your search word or phrase, help you find more refined and targeted results. By focusing on certain keywords and excluding others, they allow you to use Google more accurately and effectively. Search operators can include:

  • Words such as AND or OR
  • Punctuation such as quotation marks
  • Symbols such as @ or $

Any combination of these                                                                                                                                             

12 Basic search operators

  1. Surround your search term with quotation marks to get an exact match of that word or phrase.
    Example: “B2B marketing jobs”
  2. The asterisk, known as a wildcard, searches for any word or phrase you include.
    Example: terriers * labradors
  3. Place OR (all caps) between two words to combine searches. Use it to search for results that have one of those words but not both.
    Example: B2B OR B2C    AND

  4. Place AND (all caps) between two words if you want your results to include both.
    Example: B2B AND B2C

  5. The pipe symbol does the same thing as OR.
    Example: B2B | B2C
  6. Put a search term between parenthesis to group commands.
    Example: (B2B OR B2C) marketing jobs
  7. Put a hyphen before any term you want to exclude from results.
    Example: dog breeds -terriers
  8. If you want to search for a number between a range of numbers, place two periods between that range.
    Example: election results 1996..2016
  9. Use a dollar sign to search for prices. You can use the Euro sign to search for prices in that currency.
    Example: piano $1500
  10. Use this symbol to search for results in social media.
    Example: @twitter
  11. Use this symbol to search for hashtags.
    Example: #sundayfunday
  12. Put “in” between two units you want to convert.
    Example: 100 F in C

How to use Google Search operators

You can use Google Search operators to find information the same way you would search for any topic or keyword:

    1. Think of a topic you want to research.
    2. Decide if you want to narrow your search by excluding certain results or looking for information from one particular website.
    3. Find a search operator to perform your specific search. 4. Enter your search term and search operator into the Google Search box.
    4. Press enter. Google then returns a list of filtered results based on your search term and search operator.

*There are many more advanced search operators and tools, but this should be enough to improve drastically your searches accuracy.

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How to install ADUC (Active Directory users and computers) in Windows 11

In Windows 11 RSAT is installed online as a “feature on demand”. To install the Active Directory RSAT on Windows 11, go to Settings -> Apps -> Optional Features -> Add an optional feature (View features).

Type ‘Active Directory’ in the search bar and select:

RSAT: Active Directory Domain Services and Lightweight Directory Services Tool.

Click Next-> Install to start the installation. Then Windows connects to Microsoft servers, downloads and installs the Active Directory Remote Server Administration Tools (including Active Directory graphical consoles, command prompt tools, and Active Directory PowerShell module).

If this method doesn’t work (how it was on my work laptop) you can also install AD administration tools using Powershell:

Open Powershell with Administrator privileges and type:

Add WindowsCapability -online -Name Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0

If you get an error while installing, you can also type the following and retry:

PS-EnableRemoting 

If you prefer Command Prompt more than the PowerShell or the GUI route, this method will suit you the best.

  • To enable the Active Directory this way, first, head to the Start Menu and type cmd to perform a search. Then, right-click on the ‘Command Prompt’ tile and click to select the ‘Run as administrator’ option.
  • Now, a UAC screen will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an administrator account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button to proceed.
  • After that, on the Command Prompt window, type or copy/paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter on your keyboard to execute the command and install the ADUC on your system.
DISM.exe /Online /Get-CapabilityInfo /CapabilityName:Rsat.ActiveDirectory.DS-LDS.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0
  • Once installed successfully, head to the Start Menu and type Windows Tools in the menu to perform a search. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Windows Tools’ tile to open it.
  • Now, on the ‘Windows Tools’ window, locate and double-click on the ‘Active Directory Users and Computers’ tile to open it.
  • After you succesfully installed the feature you need to log-in with your Administrator account or to ‘Run as administrator’ when you launch it.

There you go. You can enable the Active Directory on your Windows 11 PC using the above-mentioned methods and manage all the users centrally.

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How to create or restore a Disk Image (or Secure Disk Image) in MacOS

For example, a disk image is usually a copy of a certain optical media, but you can also create a disk image from your hard drive or a USB flash drive. As noted by Faronics — a company that “delivers software that helps manage, simplify, and secure multi-user computing environments” — there are several advantages to using them, such as:

  • You can copy one system to a large number of identical computers, which means you don’t have to set up every computer separately or set up the whole operating system from scratch. One image can be put on several Macs.
  • They’re convenient for incremental backups since you can make as many different images as you want.
  • Images are saved as files. If you want/need to keep data from a Mac, you don’t need to keep the actual hardware around. Just create an image of that drive and store it.

You can use the Disk Utility in macOS to create a secure disk image for confidential documents that you don’t want others to see without your permission. With Disk Utility launched:

  • Choose File > New Image > Blank Image.
  • Enter a file name for the disk image, add tags if necessary, then choose where to save it. This is the name that appears in the Finder, where you save the disk image file before opening it.
  • In the Name field, enter the name for the disk image. This is the name that appears on your Desktop and in the Finder sidebar.
  • In the Size field, enter a size for the disk image.
    • Click the Format pop-up menu, then choose the format for the disk: Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)
    • Click the Encryption pop-up menu, then choose an encryption option.
    • Enter (you’ll have to do this twice) a password to unlock the disk image, then click Choose. Make a note of the password and save it somewhere handy. If you forget it, you can’t open the disk image.

With the Mac’s Disk Utility — which is found in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder on your Mac’s drive — you can create a disk image that includes the data and free space on a physical disk or connected device, such as a USB device. For example, if a USB device or volume is 80GB with 10GB of data, the disk image will be 80 GB in size and include data and free space. You can then restore that disk image to another volume.

Here’s how:

  • Select a disk, volume, or connected device in the sidebar.
  • Choose File > New Image, then choose “Image from [device name].”

Enter a file name for the disk image, add tags if necessary, then choose where to save it. This is the name that appears in the Finder, where you save the disk image file before opening it.

Click the Format pop-up menu, then choose an option:

  • Read-only: The disk image can’t be written to, and is quicker to create and open.
  • Compressed: Compresses data, so the disk image is smaller than the original data. The disk image is read-only.
  • Read/write: This allows you to add files to the disk image after it’s created.
  • DVD/CD master: Can be used with third-party apps. It includes a copy of all sectors of the disk image, whether they’re used or not. When you use a master disk image to create other DVDs or CDs, all data is copied exactly.
  • To encrypt the disk image, click the Encryption pop-up menu, then choose an encryption option.
  • Click Save, then click Done.

Disk Utility creates the disk image file where you saved it in the Finder and mounts its disk icon on your desktop and in the Finder sidebar.

How to restore a disk image to a disk 

  • You can also use the Disk Utility to restore a disk image to a disk. To restore a disk image with a single volume to a disk:
  • In the sidebar, select the volume that you want to restore, then click the Restore button or choose Edit > Restore. This is the volume that is erased and becomes the exact copy.
  • Click the Restore pop-up menu, then choose the volume you want to copy. If you’re restoring from a disk image, click the Image button, then navigate to that disk image.
  • To restore a disk image with multiple volumes to a disk, you’ll have to partition the destination disk, then restore each volume individually.
  • Open the disk image by double-clicking it in the Finder.
  • The disk image’s volumes appear as disks in the Finder.

Select the disk in the sidebar, click the Partition button, then partition the destination disk.The destination disk must have as many partitions as the disk image, and each of the disk’s partitions must be at least as large as the corresponding partition in the disk image.

  • In the sidebar, select the volume that you want to restore, then click the Restore button or choose Edit > Restore.

This is the volume that is erased and becomes the exact copy.

Do one of the following:

  • Restore from a volume: Click the “Restore from” pop-up menu, then choose the volume you want to copy.
  • Restore from a disk image: Click Image, choose the disk image you want to copy, then click Open.
  • Click Restore.
  • Repeat steps 3–5 for each remaining partition.
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Actualizare BIOS fara un procesor/sistem de operare instalat

Inainte de a incepe: actualizarea BIOS-ului este intotdeauna riscanta, asigurati-va ca ati descarcat versiunea corecta si ca v-ati documentat in prealabil (instalarea incorecta poate duce la coruperea firmware-ului)!

Ce este BIOS Flashback?

BIOS Flashback este o utilitate BIOS Flash incorporata, care permite actualizarea BIOS-ului sistemului fara a fi nevoie de hardware sau un sistem de operare instalat.

Acest tool este extrem de folositor, de exemplu, pentru cei pasionati de PC Building. Imaginati-va ca vreti sa va faceti un PC nou, de la 0, cumparati toate piesele, ele fiind compatibile, instalati totul corect si observati ca PC-ul nu intra in POST (Power On Self Test). Cautati pe net rezolvarea si vi se confirma ca desi procesorul este compatibil cu socket-ul, placa de baza are o versiune de BIOS care nu este (Ex: Placile de baza cu chipset-ul Z790 care necesita actualizare BIOS pentru a putea fi compatibile cu procesoarele Intel generatia a 14-a). Bun, acum ca am lamurit cat de folositor poate fi aceasta utilitate, putem trece mai departe.

  1. In primul rand va trebui sa stim modelul exact al placii de baza, iar cu o simpla cautare pe internet ar trebui sa il gasim pe pagina oficiala a furnizorului (obligatoriu pe pagina oficiala). Acum ca am gasit modelul, va trebui sa cautam sa vedem daca suporta BIOS Flashback.                                                                                                              
  2. Cu punctul 1 confirmat, vom avea nevoie de un stick USB (4-32 GB, nu are importanta).              Stick-ul USB pe care puneti versiunea de BIOS sa fie formatat FAT/FAT32.De preferat sa fie USB versiunea 2.0.                                                                                                                  
  3. Urmatorul pas va fi sa gasim ultima versiune de BIOS pentru modelul placii de baza. Revenim pe site-ul oficial, iar in majoritatea cazurilor va fi un meniu unde vom gasi “Support”, dupa care “Downloads” sau “Drivers and Utility”.  Ar trebui sa fie o sectiune numita “BIOS & FIRMWARE” sau ceva asemanator.
  4. Vom identifica ultima versiune aparuta (ne putem da seama dupa data lansarii) si vom apasa butonul de Download. O data ce descarcarea este finalizata, cel mai probabil vom gasi un fisier .zip.                                                      
  5. Click dreapta pe fisierul descarcat si selectam “Extract all” si salvam undeva la indemana, de exemplu pe Desktop.
  6. Acum va trebui sa redenumim fisierul. In cazul placilor ASUS, in folder vom gasi un tool numit ‘Biosrenamer.exe’, iar tot ce trebuie sa facem este sa dam dublu-click pe executabil si fisierul BIOS va fi redenumit automat. In cazul altor furnizori va fi o denumire specifica pe care o vom gasi pe site-ul oficial, de exemplu:

AsRock: creative.rom                                                                                                                                    Gigabyte: gigabyte.bin                                                                                                                                  MSI: msi.rom                                                                                                                                               

  1. Mutam fisierul pe care l-am redenumit anterior pe stick-ul USB (formatat FAT32 cum am mentionat mai sus).
  2. Acum ca avem fisierul BIOS pe stick, inainte de a scoate stick-ul va trebui sa intram in File Explorer/This PC, click dreapta pe drive-ul nostru USB  si click dreapta pe ‘Eject’, pentru siguranta.
  3. Conectam placa de baza la sursa de alimentare. Este nevoie de ambii conectori, cel de 24 pini pentru alimentarea placii si cel de 8 pini pentru alimentarea procesorului pentru a putea merge. Dupa ce ne-am asigurat ca totul este conectat, putem conecta sursa la priza si apasa butonul de ‘ON’.                                                                                                                                  
  4. Identificam portul USB folosit pentru ‘BIOS Flashback’, conectam stick-ul USB si apasam butonul de ‘BIOS Flashback’ situat langa portul in care am introdus stick-ul (nu sunt necesare alte componente hardware instalate). Mentiune: trebuie sa tinem apasat butonul de ‘BIOS Flashback’ pentru aproximativ 3 secunde pana se aprinde LED-ul de langa buton.                                                                   
  5. Verificam ca actualizarea de BIOS a fost instalata corect (ar trebui sa dureze cateva minute, dar daca dupa acele minute butonul LED inca lumineaza intermitent, asteptati pana se opreste). Dupa ce LED-ul s-a oprit, putem scoate stick-ul USB si imediat dupa deconectam sursa si cablurile conectate mai devreme.

Acum putem reveni la ansamblarea PC-ului nostru fara probleme.

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