“See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not
perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the
wasteland.” Is. 43:19

Until now, plagued by scandals, and unscrupulous business
practices, the Network marketing industry was being frowned upon
by the Christian community. Many Christians, who once believe
that involvement in this industry is an illegitimate way to earn
a living, now see it as an alternative to help alleviate
financial and funding pressure. For those who have become weary
of the ever-increasing benefit cutbacks and lay-offs in
corporate America, network marketing and affiliate programs has
become the alternative for their survival.

Before the dawn of the Internet, very few people really
understood network marketing, and many got taken advantage of,
due to ignorance. There are still many more, who continue to
struggle to accept its legitimacy because they do not understand
the complex nature of the industry. Network marketing is nothing
short of word-of-mouth advertising. Word-of-mouth is the most
cost effective form of advertising, and many companies would
rather pass their advertising savings to individuals willing to
promote their goods or services. The industry is being closely
monitored and regulated to protect the consumer. Because of this
tightened security, the Christian community has now step up to
the plate, using this once dreaded medium, to alleviate the
constant funding pressure, on Christian families, churches and
ministries.

One such company is Spread The Word Ministries. Based in
Arizona, this Christian-oriented company has become the largest
online Christian bookseller, with over 150,000 Christian related
products, surpassing the giant online bookseller, Amazon.com,
with approximately 60,000. Of the 5 billion dollars generated by
the Christian booksellers industry, only 12% goes back to
support ministry. That’s almost a 50% loss to Walmart, who
generated 20% in Christian retail sales last year. So the
concept of Spread The Word is simple - redirecting Christian
spending back to the Christian community. The vision and mission
of Spread The Word is clear -”Keeping Christian Dollars In
Christ’s Kingdom.”

By providing this funding mechanism, thousands of families,
churches and ministries are now benefiting from the program.
With their no monthly fee, no annual fee and no quotas to meet,
many Christians who have been praying for an honest, legitimate
way to earn income, while pursuing their ministerial calling,
see Spread The Word as an answer to prayer.

Information contact: Regina Sawyer (800) 318-9787 ext 0852
joyfullenterprises@msn.com

As the owner and webmaster of a satellite tv comparison website I often get many questions about the different channels and options that are available with DIRECTV.

In my earlier articles I’ve discussed some of the basic differences between DISH Network and DIRECTV. In this article I will specifically discuss DIRECTV so that you may become more familiar with the packages that this company offers.

Let’s first take a look at the channel packages that are currently offered along with a brief explanation of each.

Available Channel Packages

Total Choice

This package features approximately 95 channels including many of the most popular channels. E!, TBS, USA, Comedy Central, CNN, Nickelodeon, ESPN, ESPN2, Discovery Channel, MTV, Food Network, and many more are found in this channel package. There are also a small number of XM music channels available for those who enjoy digital music. Many people find this to be an acceptable number of channels. However, if you’re interested in a larger selection of television and music channels you may be interested in one of the following.

Total Choice Plus

This package includes 33 more music and programming channels in addition to those featured in the “Total Choice” package. If you’re a music fan, the additional XM selections might make you choose this package instead of the “Total Choice” option.

Total Choice Premier

For the individual that likes to spend hours in front of the television the “Everything” package includes all of the channels currently offered by DIRECTV. Sports Channels, Music Channels, Educational Channels, and Lifestyle Channels are all included along with the commercial free movie channels.

Conclusion

As you can see there are a great number of choices for you to select from. It’s difficult for you to go wrong with any of these selections because of the huge availability of popular channels. If you’d like more information on DIRECTV please visit www.bestdishdealonline.com

Michael Hizer is a successful internet marketer and expert in satellite television and online shopping. You can find the best deals in satellite television at http://www.bestdishdealonline.com

By a show of hands, how many of you grew up as a kid saying to yourself, “I can’t wait to grow up until I become a salesperson”?

Why do people go into sales? Here are some reasons people have given to me and sales managers when they apply for a sales position:

• I don’t know what else to do in life, so I might as well sell.

• I’m tired of my present job of (you fill in the blank), so I guess I’ll go into sales; anybody can do it.

• It’s for the money.

• It looks like fun and you get a lot of time off.

• I like people.

These people don’t understand what selling is all about and will not make it in sales.

What do people who are not in sales think about salespeople? They see them as:

• Sleazy.

• Obnoxious.

• A con artist.

• One step above a politician or attorney.

No wonder we have such a bad reputation as salespeople.

Colleges and universities offer marketing classes and but rarely do you ever see any classes in selling. (Could it be because professors are theorists and don’t have a clue about selling?) After all, marketing is at least respectable and you don’t have to get your hands dirty.

A friend once told me that “If I was meant to sell, I would have been born as a salesman”. Babies sell their parents and grandparents on feeding them when they’re hungry. On changing their diapers when they’re wet. On giving them baths. On rocking them to sleep. On taking hours out of each day to play with them. On giving up a lot of their activities so they can spend them with the baby. On teaching them. On taking their pictures to show to their friends later. Case made.

You were born to be a salesperson. You just don’t realize it. You had to sell your parents on why you were out late last night. You had to sell your friends in school on accepting you. You had to sell the professor on giving you a higher grade. You had to sell your sweetheart on marrying you. You had to sell your boss on hiring you. You have to sell your customers on accepting terms of payment or shipment. You are always selling. Just don’t forget it.

Let’s look at what a true salesperson, a professional salesperson, really does for a living, and let’s see now if it’s not a more respectable job than you ever imagined. A professional salesperson:

• Wakes up every day unemployed and starts looking for work.

• Is looking for problems to solve.

• Learns how to be creative in solving those problems.

• Is always available to their company and their (many) customers.

• Is the customers’ advocate with their own company.
• Helps both their company and customer profit from their relationship.

• Is a leader.

• Makes decisions that affect fellow employees and their customers’ companies.

• Has unlimited courage and fortitude.

• Understands what belief and faith really are; and must practice it.

• Faces fears, rejections, problems, mistakes, and failures every day, but finds ways to overcome them.

• Learns more about herself because of her trial by fire every day.

• Understands and deals with the most difficult objections anyone can throw at them each day.

• Is optimistic when others see only failure.

• Has a “can do” attitude, and will keep working until the job is done, and done right.

• Is well educated and is learning some new skills and techniques from every person they talk to, every book they read, and every seminar they attend each day.

• They care.

You are a professional, just as a doctor, attorney, or architect is a professional. You help people solve problems, employ workers in industries, and make profits for companies. Be proud of what you do. Few people have your abilities, skills, and drive. Keep up the good work.

Jerry Hocutt, founder of Cold Calling for Cowards® seminars has trained over 150,000 salespeople, business owners, and entrepreneurs on how to find, sell to, and retain customers. For a limited time you can get a FREE 60 day trial (instead of the normal 30 day trial) of his nTouch™ permission email postcard marketing program that will increase your sales through referrals, cross-selling, and customer retention, if you visit http://www.youvegotcontacts.com and enter the Promo Code WNL05. You can also download his ebook, Rx for Sales, free at the same location.

How can I help a Military Wife?
Being a military wife can be a really hard job…one of the toughest jobs in the world. Not only do we have deployments…ones that last for 6 months, some that last for a year, but we also are moved around, leaving the comfort of our extended families and hometowns that we were raised in. You may be asking…”well, what does that have to do with me?” As a Christian we need to reach out and bear each other’s burdens. Love bears all, and as Jesus said, “The greatest commandment is to Love.” So what can you do to help a fellow military wife? Be there when no one else will, help when no one else will, be an adoptive mother/sister/family to them. I speak from experience when I say it is hard and lonely raising a family with out my mom and sister nearby. Be a best friend, be a mentor. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t a Christian as we are, how else will the unbelieving world see Jesus except through our actions? Let Jesus love them through you, then they may come to know him also. Ways to help and Offer friendship… Give them a call Invite them to lunch Ask if there is anyway you can help Invite them to a church function, let them know if your church has a military wives ministry Last but not least…simply pray for them!

John 13

…34″A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Romans 13

Love, for the Day is Near …[1] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[2] 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.   Titus2:3-5 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

About the Author

I am a 27 year old work at home mom. I have two sons, ages 6 and 2. My husband has been in the military for about 9 yrs now.

Credit counseling is more than just an agency taking a monthly payment from you and sending it to your creditors. If that were the case there wouldn’t be a need for the word counseling in credit counseling.

It is your agencies responsibility and duty as a credit counseling organization to do everything that can be done to prevent further credit and debt problems for you and your family in the future.

If you are currently working with a credit counseling agency ask yourself these questions:

•Did they push me into their credit counseling plan without reviewing all options?

•Do they offer free educational services and classes to their clients? Or do they educate the public at no cost.

•Did they create a sound credit counseling plan for me? Did they help me work out a budget I can stick to?

•Are they there for me with help when I have questions?

With several different credit counseling organizations out there it can be difficult to know who has you, the consumer, at the top of their mind. Finding a credit counseling organization that is in that has the methodology and practices in place that benefit you the most can be difficult. It is important to thoroughly research any company you are currently working with or may work with in the future.

Written by Rick Munster

Rick is the Media Planner for http://www.debtreductionservices.com. He resides in Boise, ID.

You’d almost have to be living on another planet to not realize that swords of any kind are becoming very popular among collectors and even investors. Ninja swords and other styles of Chinese weapons are particularly in demand right now.

There are a few key aspects that you should know about before you dish out your money, especially if you plan to buy over the internet. Unfortunately there are many websites claiming to that certain swords are battle ready or can be used for cutting exercises in the dojo and in many situations that is just not true.

Sometimes you might see a website that features a ninja sword and the name of the weapon will be very similar to one of higher quality and will even look exactly like a better well known sword. So the unsuspecting buyer thinks he’s getting this unbelievable that no one else has found on a certain sword. Unfortunately he/she learns the hard way that it’s not what he thought.

If you buy a ninja sword that’s not worthy to be used for anything but hanging on the wall and you take it to the dojo serious injury could result. The main trait of a quality ninja sword that you need to look for is to be sure that the blade is forged high carbon steel and preferably differentially tempered.

Differentially tempered means that the back of the blade is not as hard as the edge of the blade. At first some people think that this is not a positive aspect for a high quality ninja sword. Differentially tempering is necessary so that it gives some flexibility to the sword. Differentially tempering makes the ninja sword virtually unbreakable. Hopefully this article has helped you to know the traits to look for when purchasing your next ninja sword.

John Gottshall is the owner of Japanese Swords 4 Samurai. If you are in search of a
quality ninja sword
you just might find the one you’re looking for at the Japanese Swords 4 Samurai website
www.japaneseswords4samurai.com/

Back in the mid-80s (yikes, was it really 20 years ago?), I was a young teacher working in New Orleans. To earn extra money, I worked part time across the street from my Magazine Street apartment, at PJ’s Coffee and Tea. Having grown up on instant Maxwell House, I was not the most coffee-savvy drinker in the world.

In the days before Starbucks, before coffee houses became trendy and common, I learned the basics about roasting coffee beans and serving coffee from experts. I learned about coffee’s origins, roasting methods, and how to prepare the ultimate cup. In my opinion, the best cup of coffee can only be made with a French press, a glass carafe in which you mix ground coffee, boiling water, and use a simple plunger-press device to push the grounds to the bottom when you want to serve the coffee. This is the best way to make coffee because you don’t “cook” the coffee as you would in a drip machine. Cooking coffee releases its acidity and makes it bitter. I was so in love with my French press, I used to bring it on camping trips. There’s nothing quite like rolling out of your tent in the woods at dawn, wrapping your cold hands around a warm cup (not a paper cup, perish the thought!) and sipping slowly as you tend the fire for your morning breakfast.

I might also argue that the cold drip method is up there with the French press. This method produces a coffee concentrate that you can keep in your fridge, but it’s slow and I believe best suited for iced coffee, which is how I learned it at PJs.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-drip or anti-percolator. Heavens, no! For large scale convenience, there’s nothing like machinery. I own a drip coffee maker and a Krups cappucino/espresso maker and use them frequently. When I’m bolting out the door in the morning, I fill my metal thermal mug (never plastic, ick!) with a dark, rich French roast. If it’s a particularly good roast, I drink it black so as not to sully the flavor. If it’s mediocre or I’m just in the mood for light coffee, I use Half-and-Half. No sugar in my coffee, thank you. My husband uses skim milk which upsets me to no end because it produces a grayish colored murky coffee I find unappealling. But hey, he likes it and as long as he knows never to use skim milk in MY coffee, we’re cool.

Now about those flavored coffees…I often take flack for this, but let me say I am vehemently opposed to flavored coffee. Coffee IS a flavor, so adding additional flavor to it is like adding ice cubes and club soda to a pricey bottle of merlot. How would you possibly appreciate the personality of a bottle of wine if you added extra stuff to it? You’d change the entire personality of something elegant and simple and make it complicated and confusing. With coffee, as with many foods and drinks, simplicity is elegant.

Back in my coffee house days, we did not serve flavored coffees. We offered a dark roast, a medium roast, and a water-processed decaf to our customers along with an assortment of fresh baked goods, made from scratch by local bakers. We believed flavored coffees were just wrong because they covered up the true essence and beauty of the bean. Plus they weren’t popular then. I know they are popular now. The rows of syrupy flavors in bottles lined up in some coffee bars are testimony to the popularity of flavored coffee. I’ll pass, thank you.

To eat or not to eat with coffee? Again, keep it simple. Toast or an English muffin and a steaming cup of java comprise the ultimate breakfast. A medium roast in the afternoon with fresh biscotti is heaven. A demi-tasse of dark espresso with the tiniest slice of lemon rubbed around the edge of the cup allows me to linger and enjoy the afterglow of a perfect meal.

Ahhh, did I mention shortbread and coffee? Always appreciated, always appropriate, a wedge of Vermont Shortbread with your coffee is the ultimate in luxury and pampering. It’s probably not something you’d eat every day, but for those times when you want to practice extra self-care, why not enjoy your coffee with the most elegant and simple of all cookies, shortbread?

When food and drink are pure, simple, and flavorful without being contrived, you will want to savor them slowly and purposefully. You will want to sit quietly with your steaming cup and your snack with your eyes gently closed and allow flavors, aroma, and warmth to dance their slow, sensual dance of comfort and nurturing. And guess what? The world feels a whole lot friendlier when you take the time to enjoy the simple beauty in your bean…or in whatever you’re eating and drinking.

Ann Zuccardy, creative entrepreneur, food lover and owner of the Vermont Shortbread Company, invites you to sample a taste of her buttery-rich, authentic Vermont Shortbread. Place your online order for shortbread boxed fresh from the oven and shipped right to your doorstep at http://VermontShortbread.com

You can publish the following article in your publications as
long as the footer at the end of the article is included and
links are made active where possible. Please send a courtesy
copy to fisher@thriftyfun.com

Thanks for your consideration!

Fisher

Consider Fuel Efficiency When Buying a Car By Fisher Swanson

When you need to buy your next automobile make sure that fuel
economy doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Buying a compact car
with good gas mileage is both friendly to the environment and
your pocket book. You will enjoy the savings throughout the life
of the vehicle.

There is a lot to consider when buying a car. If you are buying
a used car the condition of the clutch, brakes, engine and
transmission will play a huge role in how much that car will
cost to operate. Even minor problems can result in $300 repairs.

With new cars you need to find the make and model that has a
proven track record and fits your needs. Make sure that fuel
efficiency plays a role in your decision making. If you emerge
from the car buying process with a fuel efficient car you will
burn up less cash in your tank and have more money to spend on
things that matter.

Take advantage of what is known.

When it comes to vehicle maintenance, the one thing you can
easily and accurately predict is how much gas you are going to
use. Gas prices may fluctuate but most people can spend a week
or two logging their gas consumption and get a good idea of how
many gallons they use. If you don’t already, track your gas
consumption so you can use this information when purchasing a
car.

Make it the #1 priority.

One way to make sure that fuel efficiency is considered is to
start by looking at cars that get good gas mileage. Make it the
#1 priority and see where that leads you. The problem with
today’s car market is car manufacturers know that gas mileage is
not a major consideration when purchasing a new vehicle for many
U.S. customers.

Crunching the numbers.

When you are evaluating a car’s fuel efficiency, ask yourself
how long you think you will be driving the car and determine how
much gas will cost.

Let’s say you want to get a used car for $5,000 and hope to
drive it for 5 years. Below are some 5 year gas cost estimates
based on driving 15,000 miles per year and buying gas for $1.40
per gallon. If gasoline is more expensive than $1.40, the costs
will be even higher.

A Sampling of Used Cars:

1994 Ford Explorer SUV (2WD) 5 year gas estimate = $5525

1994 Honda Accord Sedan 5 year gas estimate = $3885

1994 Honda Civic DX Sedan 5 year gas estimate = $2385

A Sampling of New Cars:

2004 Ford Explorer 2WD 5 year gas estimate = $6175

2004 Honda Accord 5 year gas estimate = $3750

2004 Honda Civic Hybrid 5 year gas estimate = $2235

2004 Toyota Prius Hybrid 5 year gas estimate = $1910

This is a small sampling of cars but you get the picture. Unless
you really need an SUV or large truck, you can save a lot of
money by buying a fuel efficient compact car. You will sacrifice
size and sometimes luxury when choosing fuel economy first. Part
of this is because bigger cars and trucks are heavier and will
naturally get worse gas mileage. But it is also a function of
consumers not worrying about gas mileage when they make a
decision on purchasing a new or used car.

A great site for comparing cars fuel economy is
www.fueleconomy.org. At www.fueleconomy.org you can compare
numerous makes and models of both new and used cars and set the
default gas costs to reflect the current prices. The numbers
above are based on a $1.40 regular gas price which is really
hard to find right now. In the case of the 1994 Ford Explorer
you likely pay as much in gas over a 5 year span as you payed
for the vehicle in the first place.

Put fuel economy first and you will find yourself with more
money in your pocket.

About the Author: Fisher Swanson is a regular contributer to The
ThriftyFun.com News. ThriftyFun publishes information about
thrifty living. Send an email to
thriftyfunnews-on@thriftyfun.com to subscribe to The
ThriftyFun.com News. http://www.thriftyfun.com

ROUTING PROTOCOLS

A generic term that refers to a formula, or protocol, used by a router to determine the appropriate path over which data is transmitted. The routing protocol also specifies how routers in a network share information with each other and report changes. The routing protocol enables a network to make dynamic adjustments to its conditions, so routing decisions do not have to be predetermined and static.

Routing, Routed and Non-Routable Protocols

ROUTING | ROUTED | NON-ROUTABLE

ROUTING PROTOCOLS

ROUTING PROTOCOLS are the software that allow routers to dynamically advertise and learn routes, determine which routes are available and which are the most efficient routes to a destination. Routing protocols used by the Internet Protocol suite include:

· Routing Information Protocol (RIP and RIP II).
· Open Shortest Path First (OSPF).
· Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS).
· Interrior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP).
· Cisco’s Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP).
· Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

Routing is the process of moving data across two or more networks. Within a network, all hosts are directly accessable because they are on the same

ROUTED PROTOCOLS

ROUTED PROTOCOLS are nothing more than data being transported across the networks. Routed protocols include:

· Internet Protocol
o Telnet
o Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
o SNMP
o SMTP
· Novell IPX
· Open Standards Institute networking protocol
· DECnet
· Appletalk
· Banyan Vines
· Xerox Network System (XNS)

Outside a network, specialized devices called ROUTES are used to perform the routing process of forwarding packets between networks. Routers are connected to the edges of two or more networks to provide connectivity between them. These devices are usually dedicated machines with specialized hardware and software to speed up the routing process. These devices send and receive routing information to each other about networks that they can and cannot reach. Routers examine all routes to a destination, determine which routes have the best metric, and insert one or more routes into the IP routing table on the router. By maintaining a current list of known routes, routers can quicky and efficiently send your information on it’s way when received.

There are many companies that produce routers: Cisco, Juniper, Bay, Nortel, 3Com, Cabletron, etc. Each company’s product is different in how it is configured, but most will interoperate so long as they share common physical and data link layer protocols (Cisco HDLC or PPP over Serial, Ethernet etc.). Before purchasing a router for your business, always check with your Internet provider to see what equipment they use, and choose a router, which will interoperate with your Internet provider’s equipment.

NON-ROUTABLE PROTOCOLS

NON-ROUTABLE PROTOCOLS cannot survive being routed. Non-routable protocols presume that all computers they will ever communicate with are on the same network (to get them working in a routed environment, you must bridge the networks). Todays modern networks are not very tolerant of protocols that do not understand the concept of a multi-segment network and most of these protocols are dying or falling out of use.

· NetBEUI
· DLC
· LAT
· DRP
· MOP

RIP (Routing Information Protocol)

RIP is a dynamic internetwork routing protocol primary used in interior routing environments. A dynamic routing protocol, as opposed to a static routing protocol, automatically discovers routes and builds routing tables. Interior environments are typically private networks (autonomous systems). In contrast, exterior routing protocols such as BGP are used to exchange route summaries between autonomous systems. BGP is used among autonomous systems on the Internet.

RIP uses the distance-vector algorithm developed by Bellman and Ford (Bellman-Ford algorithm).

Routing Information Protocol

Background

The Routing Information Protocol, or RIP, as it is more commonly called, is one of the most enduring of all routing protocols. RIP is also one of the more easily confused protocols because a variety of RIP-like routing protocols proliferated, some of which even used
the same name! RIP and the myriad RIP-like protocols were based on the same set of algorithms that use distance vectors to mathematically compare routes to identify the best path to any given destination address. These algorithms emerged from academic research that dates back to 1957.

Today’s open standard version of RIP, sometimes referred to as IP RIP, is formally defined in two documents: Request For Comments (RFC) 1058 and Internet Standard (STD) 56. As IP-based networks became both more numerous and greater in size, it became apparent to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that RIP needed to be updated. Consequently, the IETF released RFC 1388 in January 1993, which was then superceded in November 1994 by RFC 1723, which describes RIP 2 (the second version of RIP). These RFCs described an extension of RIP’s capabilities but did not attempt to obsolete the previous version of RIP. RIP 2 enabled RIP messages to carry more information, which permitted the use of a simple authentication mechanism to secure table updates. More importantly, RIP 2 supported subnet masks, a critical feature that was not available in RIP.

This chapter summarizes the basic capabilities and features associated with RIP. Topics include the routing update process, RIP routing metrics, routing stability, and routing timers.

Routing Updates

RIP sends routing-update messages at regular intervals and when the network topology changes. When a router receives a routing update that includes changes to an entry, it updates its routing table to reflect the new route. The metric value for the path is increased by 1, and the sender is indicated as the next hop. RIP routers maintain only the best route (the route with the lowest metric value) to a destination. After updating its routing table, the router immediately begins transmitting routing updates to inform other network routers of the change. These updates are sent independently of the regularly scheduled updates that RIP routers send.

RIP Routing Metric

RIP uses a single routing metric (hop count) to measure the distance between the source and a destination network. Each hop in a path from source to destination is assigned a hop count value, which is typically 1. When a router receives a routing update that contains a new or changed destination network entry, the router adds 1 to the metric value indicated in the update and enters the network in the routing table. The IP address of the sender is used as the next hop.

RIP Stability Features

RIP prevents routing loops from continuing indefinitely by implementing a limit on the number of hops allowed in a path from the source to a destination. The maximum number of hops in a path is 15. If a router receives a routing update that contains a new or changed entry, and if increasing the metric value by 1 causes the metric to be infinity (that is, 16), the network destination is considered unreachable. The downside of this stability feature is that it limits the maximum diameter of a RIP network to less than 16 hops.

RIP includes a number of other stability features that are common to many routing protocols. These features are designed to provide stability despite potentially rapid changes in a network’s topology. For example, RIP implements the split horizon and holddown mechanisms to prevent incorrect routing information from being propagated.

RIP Timers

RIP uses numerous timers to regulate its performance. These include a routing-update timer, a route-timeout timer, and a route-flush timer. The routing-update timer clocks the interval between periodic routing updates. Generally, it is set to 30 seconds, with a small random amount of time added whenever the timer is reset. This is done to help prevent congestion, which could result from all routers simultaneously attempting to update their neighbors. Each routing table entry has a route-timeout timer associated with it. When the route-timeout timer expires, the route is marked invalid but is retained in the table until the route-flush timer expires.

Packet Formats
The following section focuses on the IP RIP and IP RIP 2 packet formats illustrated in Figures 44-1 and 44-2. Each illustration is followed by descriptions of the fields illustrated.
RIP Packet Format

· Command—Indicates whether the packet is a request or a response. The request asks that a router send all or part of its routing table. The response can be an unsolicited regular routing update or a reply to a request. Responses contain routing table entries. Multiple RIP packets are used to convey information from large routing tables.

· Version number—Specifies the RIP version used. This field can signal different potentially incompatible versions.

· Zero—This field is not actually used by RFC 1058 RIP; it was added solely to provide backward compatibility with prestandard varieties of RIP. Its name comes from its defaulted value: zero.

· Address-family identifier (AFI)—Specifies the address family used. RIP is designed to carry routing information for several different protocols. Each entry has an address-family identifier to indicate the type of address being specified. The AFI for IP is 2.

· Address—Specifies the IP address for the entry.

· Metric—Indicates how many internetwork hops (routers) have been traversed in the trip to the destination. This value is between 1 and 15 for a valid route, or 16 for an unreachable route.

Note: Up to 25 occurrences of the AFI, Address, and Metric fields are permitted in a single IP RIP packet. (Up to 25 destinations can be listed in a single RIP packet.)

RIP 2 Packet Format

· Command—Indicates whether the packet is a request or a response. The request asks that a router send all or a part of its routing table. The response can be an unsolicited regular routing update or a reply to a request. Responses contain routing table entries. Multiple RIP packets are used to convey information from large routing tables.

· Version—Specifies the RIP version used. In a RIP packet implementing any of the RIP 2 fields or using authentication, this value is set to 2.

· Unused—Has a value set to zero.

· Address-family identifier (AFI)—Specifies the address family used. RIPv2’s AFI field functions identically to RFC 1058 RIP’s AFI field, with one exception: If the AFI for the first entry in the message is 0xFFFF, the remainder of the entry contains authentication information. Currently, the only authentication type is simple password.

· Route tag—Provides a method for distinguishing between internal routes (learned by RIP) and external routes (learned from other protocols).

· IP address—Specifies the IP address for the entry.

· Subnet mask—Contains the subnet mask for the entry. If this field is zero, no subnet mask has been specified for the entry.

·Next hop—Indicates the IP address of the next hop to which packets for the entry should be forwarded.

· Metric—Indicates how many internetwork hops (routers) have been traversed in the trip to the destination. This value is between 1 and 15 for a valid route, or 16 for an unreachable route.

Note: Up to 25 occurrences of the AFI, Address, and Metric fields are permitted in a single IP RIP packet. That is, up to 25 routing table entries can be listed in a single RIP packet. If the AFI specifies an authenticated message, only 24 routing table entries can be specified. Given that individual table entries aren’t fragmented into multiple packets, RIP does not need a mechanism to resequence datagrams bearing routing table updates from neighboring routers.

Summary

Despite RIP’s age and the emergence of more sophisticated routing protocols, it is far from obsolete. RIP is mature, stable, widely supported, and easy to configure. Its simplicity is well suited for use in stub networks and in small autonomous systems that do not have enough redundant paths to warrant the overheads of a more sophisticated protocol.

Review Questions

Q—Name RIP’s various stability features.
A—RIP has numerous stability features, the most obvious of which is RIP’s maximum hop count. By placing a finite limit on the number of hops that a route can take, routing loops are discouraged, if not completely eliminated. Other stability features include its various timing mechanisms that help ensure that the routing table contains only valid routes, as well as split horizon and holddown mechanisms that prevent incorrect routing information from being disseminated throughout the network.

Q—What is the purpose of the timeout timer?
A—The timeout timer is used to help purge invalid routes from a RIP node. Routes that aren’t refreshed for a given period of time are likely invalid because of some change in the network. Thus, RIP maintains a timeout timer for each known route. When a route’s timeout timer expires, the route is marked invalid but is retained in the table until the route-flush timer expires.

Q—What two capabilities are supported by RIP 2 but not RIP?
A—RIP 2 enables the use of a simple authentication mechanism to secure table updates. More importantly, RIP 2 supports subnet masks, a critical feature that is not available in RIP.

Q—What is the maximum network diameter of a RIP network?
A—A RIP network’s maximum diameter is 15 hops. RIP can count to 16, but that value is considered an error condition rather than a valid hop count.

This article is submitted by Kashif Raza http://www.networkingtutorials.net

If you need Hip Hop gear, you have plenty of accessories from
which to choose. The style is as unique as the lingo. However,
you will have to present it when you go out clubbing. Choices
for Hip Hop gear in the Hip Hop culture will definitely make you
look cool when you Hip Hop dance, or just chill with your
friends. So let us look at some of the different types of gear
that you can buy. However, make sure that you keep updated on
your Hip Hop gear, as it will change as fast as the music.

If you are a newbie to the Hip Hop scene then you will need some
great gear to go along with your passion. Hip Hop culture is
represented by common items such as belt buckles, watches,
rings, earrings and the famous pendant. Of course, there are
other items that you can buy like dog tags and faux rhinestone
cross necklaces. In the Hip Hop world these items are not your
common military dog tag styled id tags, and the rhinestone cross
necklaces are not common either. They can be both fancy and
dramatic. Dog tags are made with designs on front and back with
specially engraved info such as group name, or special cut
designs on the outer edge. Optional stones look dramatic too.
Cross necklaces are usually overly large with variations of
different colors, from white to yellow, and can be bought in
silver or gold. Some stones have special engravings on them.
There is a lot of bling bling yet to discover with Hip Hop gear.

A relatively new fad in Hip Hop gear is the spinners. In Hip
Hop, dancing there is a lot of movement so you can be in style
with a watch and shoe spinners. Shoe spinners can be attached to
any shoe with laces. Most are worn predominantly on tennis type
shoes. Optional jewelry metal color is gold or silver, but some
can be purchased as two toned. Inside the metal circle, a wheel
spins with movement. A word of caution, if you decide to wear
two on one shoe it might not work - all of the dancing will make
the metal disks bang together, and could damage the spinner. It
is not recommended.

The watch spinners are very cool. You do not want to forget to
buy one, or have someone get it for you for a Hip Hop birthday
celebration, or any other holiday. Almost all Hip Hop watches
have faux rhinestones encircling the spinners. You will need to
buy the watch because there are no spinners with clips that you
can attach to the watch you have now. All you have got to do for
this Hip Hop watch to tell the time is just to flip the spinner
back and reposition to a snap closed position - and start
dancing again!

There are a lot of other bling bling Hip Hop gear accessories
that you might want to get, like rhinestone cups to drink from
at your party, or even gold studded earrings. The choice is
yours - so go and check out all of the neat Hip Hop gear. You
will find something you want with bling.