Tuesday 2 February 2016

Royal Doulton & Star Wars

The first thing I have to do is respond to a comment from Nev (nb Percy) regarding the VPN setup I described in the last post.  Nev asked why I didn’t simply use the VPN software on the individual devices.  Good question?  It made me rethink why I need the VPN on the phone.  Then I remembered the reason.  You have to be connected to the internet BEFORE you can start the VPN software.  When you first connect to the internet your device sends a small packet of information which can be read by the receiving website and any server it passes through beforehand.  This information includes the device MAC address which is unique to every device (our laptop addess is C4-D9-87-0A-E4-C0).  The operating system and the brower (ie, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc) So the VPN has to be on the phone to ensure it is the only visible device.

The engine had fallen due for another 250 hour service so I braved the elements (actually I ensured I was cocooned in the pram cover) and completed the service.  The two fuel pre-filters were clean and the alternator belts looked to be in good condition.  It took about 90 minutes to complete the service.  We have some condensation in the bilge and both newspaper ‘wicks’ were sodden so we need to obtain a couple of replacement newspapers.

Whilst I was busying myself in the engine bay Jan wandered off to the nearby Royal Doulton Outlet Shop.  She returned empty handed just as I completed the engine service.  Jan was looking for something traditional and their pottery was too modern for her taste.

At noon I headed off to the local Odeon cinema to watch the latest Star Wars film with the tweenies.  A cheap ticket on an “off day”.  There were only four other people watching the film and they were all wrinkly like me!  The film didn’t impress me.  It appears Disney have bought the film rights and elected to regurgitate the old plot.  It was the death star all over again with a new Luke Skywalker, this time a female.  A wrinkly Hans Solo gets killed by his son.  Princess Leia is there and Luke Skywalker makes a cameo appearance at the end of the film, but doesn’t utter a word.

5 comments :

Dave said...

Hi Tom.

re VPN. Working in the industry i'm not convinced that vpn first will disguise the tethering as the mobile is constantly reporting data back to the cell site (and hence network) to maintain the connection. It wouldn't suprise me to find that even when in vpn if the tether switch doesn't get reported.
I would want to check my allowance and monitor it before deciding one way or the other.

Unfortunately i can't test it as my work mobile doesn't get a bill (that i can see) and i don't have another sim.

re star wars At least put up a "Spoiler Alert" just in case some one hasn't seen it yet :)

but yes enjoyable film but rehash of old plot.

Appreciate you are far away at present but may be worth circulating this if you know anyone on the Thames at present or next few days, its shut at the Botley road bridge by Osney island due to two narrowboats breaking moorings and getting stuck.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/14245259.UPDATE__Canal_boat_capsizes_after_two_crash_into_Botley_bridge/

Its going to be a difficult recovery since thats the main A420 into Oxford to the railway station and with the river so high i doubt they can close the weirs for fear of flooding Osney island and Botley.

Dave (Scouts)

Tom and Jan said...

Hi Dave
I can't test whether the VPN is hiding the tethering because currently the provider doesn't show us using any of our tethering allowance (and we are even though we are not using the VPN).

Kelvin and Rachael said...

Tom,

If you're short of things to do, feel free to slip over to Festival Park Marina and give Serafina a service. Rachael and I will be needing her when all the cold goes away!

Stuart said...

OH NO! SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

I havent seen Star Wars yet.....

Tom and Jan said...

No need to thank me for saving you some money Stuart! :-)