2/2/2011 - 虎年以1531.82点封关。
1/4/2011 Q2 KLSE 收在 1555点 +23.18
30/6/2011 Q3 KLSE 收在 1579 点 +24
1/7/2011 持有股票
CIMB 1023
FAJAR 7047
SUNREIT 5176
GENTING SP G13
SUNWAY 4308
YTL 4677
最近很多GLC股都开始乱飚了。该不会是大选真的要到了吧?
GLC的公司在今年也好像有很多想要IPO 了。
CIMB 1023 终于在Q2的最后第2天,超越MAYBANK 市值的第一宝座。
不过就那么一天而已。。。继续加油吧。
SUNWAY 4308 和 SUNCITY 的合作 如报章所写会在8月以RM2.80 从新上市。
如果8月的股市还好的话,应该会有不错的开价吧。
YTL 4677 是在一拆五后才买的。
买的原因是在看好这拥有很多孩子公司的妈妈如果孩子都听话
努力搞好业绩,继续派息。。。那么长期会把股价推上RM2.00+(现在RM1.55)
Q3 剩下的子弹不多了。。。
会把主力放在YTL & FAJAR 的身上。
YTL 10月会公布业绩。。。
FAJAR 10月可能会派息。。。
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Jim Rohn - Why Weigh, Count and Measure?
Three key words to remember: weigh, count and measure. Now why weigh, count and measure? To see what your results are from your activity, your attitude and your philosophy. If you find that the results are not to your liking, there are only three places to look. Your philosophy needs to be fine-tuned, your attitude needs to be strengthened or your disciplines need extra skill. But that’s it. Activity, attitude and philosophy create results.
Now on results I teach that life expects you to make measurable progress in reasonable time. But, you must be reasonable with time. You can’t say to someone every five minutes, How are you doing now? That’s too soon to ask for a count. Guy says, “I haven’t left the building yet, give me a break!” Now you can’t wait five years—that’s too long. Too many things can go wrong waiting too long for a count to see how you’re doing.
Here are some good time frames:
Number one: at the end of the day. You can’t let more than a day go by without looking at some things and making progress. The New Testament says, “If you are angry, try to solve it before the sun goes down.” Don’t carry anger for another day. It may be too heavy to carry. If you try to carry it for a week, it may drop you to your knees. So some things you must get done in a day.
Here’s the next one: a week. We ask for an accounting of the week so we can issue the pay. And whatever you’ve got coming, that’s what you get when the week is over. Now in business there are two things to check in the course of the week: your activity count and your productivity count. Because activity leads to productivity, we need to count both to see how we’re doing.
My mentor taught me that success is a numbers game and very early he started asking me my numbers. He asked, “How many books have you read in the last 90 days?” I said, “Zero.” He said, “Not a good number.” He said, “How many classes have you attended in the last six months to improve your skills?” And I said, “Zero.” He said, “Not a good number.” Then he said, “In the last six years that you’ve been working, how much money have you saved and invested?” I said, “Zero,” and he said, “Not a good number.” Then here’s what he said: “Mr. Rohn, if these numbers don’t change, your life won’t change. But if you’ll start improving these numbers, then perhaps you’ll start to see everything change for you.”
Success and results are a numbers game. John joins this little sales company. He’s supposed to make 10 calls the first week just to get acquainted with the territory. So on Friday we call him in and ask, “How many calls?” He says, “Well.” You say, “John, ‘well’ won’t fit in the little box here. I need a number.” Now he starts with a story. And you say, “John, the reason I made this little box so small is so a story won’t fit. All I need is a number because if you give us the number, we’re so brilliant around here we could guess the story.” It’s the numbers that count - making measurable progress in reasonable time.
Here’s the best accounting. The accounting you make of yourself. Don’t wait for the government to do it. Don’t wait for the company to do it. But you’ve got to add up some of your own numbers and ask, “Am I making the progress I want and will it take me where I want to go now and in the future?” You be the judge!
Now on results I teach that life expects you to make measurable progress in reasonable time. But, you must be reasonable with time. You can’t say to someone every five minutes, How are you doing now? That’s too soon to ask for a count. Guy says, “I haven’t left the building yet, give me a break!” Now you can’t wait five years—that’s too long. Too many things can go wrong waiting too long for a count to see how you’re doing.
Here are some good time frames:
Number one: at the end of the day. You can’t let more than a day go by without looking at some things and making progress. The New Testament says, “If you are angry, try to solve it before the sun goes down.” Don’t carry anger for another day. It may be too heavy to carry. If you try to carry it for a week, it may drop you to your knees. So some things you must get done in a day.
Here’s the next one: a week. We ask for an accounting of the week so we can issue the pay. And whatever you’ve got coming, that’s what you get when the week is over. Now in business there are two things to check in the course of the week: your activity count and your productivity count. Because activity leads to productivity, we need to count both to see how we’re doing.
My mentor taught me that success is a numbers game and very early he started asking me my numbers. He asked, “How many books have you read in the last 90 days?” I said, “Zero.” He said, “Not a good number.” He said, “How many classes have you attended in the last six months to improve your skills?” And I said, “Zero.” He said, “Not a good number.” Then he said, “In the last six years that you’ve been working, how much money have you saved and invested?” I said, “Zero,” and he said, “Not a good number.” Then here’s what he said: “Mr. Rohn, if these numbers don’t change, your life won’t change. But if you’ll start improving these numbers, then perhaps you’ll start to see everything change for you.”
Success and results are a numbers game. John joins this little sales company. He’s supposed to make 10 calls the first week just to get acquainted with the territory. So on Friday we call him in and ask, “How many calls?” He says, “Well.” You say, “John, ‘well’ won’t fit in the little box here. I need a number.” Now he starts with a story. And you say, “John, the reason I made this little box so small is so a story won’t fit. All I need is a number because if you give us the number, we’re so brilliant around here we could guess the story.” It’s the numbers that count - making measurable progress in reasonable time.
Here’s the best accounting. The accounting you make of yourself. Don’t wait for the government to do it. Don’t wait for the company to do it. But you’ve got to add up some of your own numbers and ask, “Am I making the progress I want and will it take me where I want to go now and in the future?” You be the judge!
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转载文章
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
转帖:我今年26岁,就要买新屋了。
要舍得一些东西,才能得到另一些东西。
----------------------------------------------------------------
转帖:我今年26岁,就要买新屋了。
无意中在嘉礼论坛看到一位打工仔的分享,很有启发性。让我觉得世界上没有什么不可能,视乎你愿不愿意去付出!
我今年26 岁,6年前也是刚刚踏入社会,年轻人刚开始赚钱,当然想买自己的心头好,困难的是如何抵制种种诱惑与冲动,我的手机,六年没换,3个朋友拿爱风在我面前转,我只可看,不准买,只能默默地按着我连keypad都已经毁掉的的 w800i ,朋友买大粒 LCD, 我负责流口水,我没去旅行,没去 pub 喝酒,每一天吃同一档经济饭午餐 RM2.50,一粒蛋,一块肉 (到今天还是一样),连水也没有叫那种,更不用说能去高级餐厅消费了,除了母亲节什么就列外咯。 六年内最大的消费,是upgrade 电脑一次,千五块,和买了一粒 PS3, 与每年送女友生日礼物,相机啊,手表啊等等,不过最后女友也跑了,也许她顶不住我这样,也许也觉得很丢脸吧,比起她驾 volkswagen passat 的姐夫,我比不上,只好认命。起初买房子是为了要与她结婚,拥有自己的家庭,我为了她,我喜欢的东西全部都放弃,没买,她就负责在旁边说风凉话,说我没钱,也完全没有要与我一起分担的念头,我记得她说过这句话“就算有一天你存够钱买房子,我要的东西你也不能买给我,我要去旅行,你也负担不起,你能买间屋,也只能躲在屋,我不能过这种生活”。 分手那天我也差点放弃想买房子的念头,刚好那时很多朋友都买车,forte, city 等等,羡慕作怪了,我差点就把全部储蓄买辆 Mazda RX-8 让自己过过瘾 ,说实在,有哪个男人不想驾辆名车威威风? 最后也是按下来那种心情,我就打死不信我找不到一个会珍惜我为她做这一切的女人,我有个储蓄保,一个月供200块,受益人我放了她的名,她说我不爱她,不舍得在她身上花钱,她认为吃喝玩乐的消费就是爱她,我无话可说,分手后受益人她的名我也删了。 我只能告诉大家,如果你想存钱买房子,如果有另一半愿意与你分这个担,其实不是很困难,至少身旁有个人能鼓励你熬过这一些日子,目标达得到,什么都值得。如果你是单身,要看你自己的造化和恒心了,如果你每一年换一粒两三千块的新手机,还是花费在潮流的东西,然后埋怨说你没钱买屋子,省起来吧,只不过是小孩子在闹罢了。
http://cforum4.cari.com.my/viewthread.php?tid=2364124&extra=page%3D3&page=4
----------------------------------------------------------------
转帖:我今年26岁,就要买新屋了。
无意中在嘉礼论坛看到一位打工仔的分享,很有启发性。让我觉得世界上没有什么不可能,视乎你愿不愿意去付出!
我今年26 岁,6年前也是刚刚踏入社会,年轻人刚开始赚钱,当然想买自己的心头好,困难的是如何抵制种种诱惑与冲动,我的手机,六年没换,3个朋友拿爱风在我面前转,我只可看,不准买,只能默默地按着我连keypad都已经毁掉的的 w800i ,朋友买大粒 LCD, 我负责流口水,我没去旅行,没去 pub 喝酒,每一天吃同一档经济饭午餐 RM2.50,一粒蛋,一块肉 (到今天还是一样),连水也没有叫那种,更不用说能去高级餐厅消费了,除了母亲节什么就列外咯。 六年内最大的消费,是upgrade 电脑一次,千五块,和买了一粒 PS3, 与每年送女友生日礼物,相机啊,手表啊等等,不过最后女友也跑了,也许她顶不住我这样,也许也觉得很丢脸吧,比起她驾 volkswagen passat 的姐夫,我比不上,只好认命。起初买房子是为了要与她结婚,拥有自己的家庭,我为了她,我喜欢的东西全部都放弃,没买,她就负责在旁边说风凉话,说我没钱,也完全没有要与我一起分担的念头,我记得她说过这句话“就算有一天你存够钱买房子,我要的东西你也不能买给我,我要去旅行,你也负担不起,你能买间屋,也只能躲在屋,我不能过这种生活”。 分手那天我也差点放弃想买房子的念头,刚好那时很多朋友都买车,forte, city 等等,羡慕作怪了,我差点就把全部储蓄买辆 Mazda RX-8 让自己过过瘾 ,说实在,有哪个男人不想驾辆名车威威风? 最后也是按下来那种心情,我就打死不信我找不到一个会珍惜我为她做这一切的女人,我有个储蓄保,一个月供200块,受益人我放了她的名,她说我不爱她,不舍得在她身上花钱,她认为吃喝玩乐的消费就是爱她,我无话可说,分手后受益人她的名我也删了。 我只能告诉大家,如果你想存钱买房子,如果有另一半愿意与你分这个担,其实不是很困难,至少身旁有个人能鼓励你熬过这一些日子,目标达得到,什么都值得。如果你是单身,要看你自己的造化和恒心了,如果你每一年换一粒两三千块的新手机,还是花费在潮流的东西,然后埋怨说你没钱买屋子,省起来吧,只不过是小孩子在闹罢了。
http://cforum4.cari.com.my/viewthread.php?tid=2364124&extra=page%3D3&page=4
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我说故事
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
理財迷思:會賺錢,就富有?- 黃凱順
理財迷思:會賺錢,就富有?- 黃凱順
只要我能賺很多錢,我就能夠變得很富有!我想這就是現今社會一般人的想法。這也說明了為什么時下一般人不顧一切,拚命賺錢的主因。可是,對許多節儉的行為,很多人,尤其是年輕人是不屑一顧的。甚至許多人會問:省能省下多少錢?不是嗎?
只聽過很會賺錢的百萬富翁,卻從來沒聽說有省出來的百萬富翁,所以,只有賺錢才是真正的致富之道。其實這種看法並沒有錯,只是太過片面罷了。
在現今的社會裡,累積財富的速度,已遠遠超出人們的傳統思想。比爾蓋茨10余年間賺下的財富,可和一個國家的財富相提並論,新興行業的新貴,似乎已改寫世界的進展史及原有的經濟定律。
然而,在這個世界上,又有多少個人能像他們這般,擁有比印鈔票更快速的賺錢能力呢?能夠開源誰不想?但是,如果你的能力不及,又或者是假如你已出盡本能,又兼職、又加班的,還是無法達到理想中的收入,是否意味著,你也必須在不放棄開源計劃的當兒,來聽聽節流的忠告呢?
懂得開源亦要節流
首先,我要告訴你的一項事實是--能夠真正使你富有的,「不是你賺下來的,而是你存起來的」部分。別以為比爾蓋茨、華倫巴菲特、李嘉誠,已故的林梧桐及其他你聽說過的巨富,所累積的財富單是因為他們賺取巨大的收入。
麥克傑遜,麥泰生和無數天皇級的巨星,不也是曾經賺取數不盡的收入嗎?今天他們在財富排行榜上又排老幾呢?甚至在街頭討吃的乞丐,還比一些很會賺錢的人好一點,不是嗎?起碼這些乞丐沒有負債,可是許多很會賺錢而曾經「風光一時」的人,不但無法保存他們的財富,有的還搞到負債纍纍,甚至傾家蕩產收場。因此,你能單單歸功于「賺錢」的本領,而忽略了「省錢」的美德嗎?
其次,我要向你說的是:賺來的只是收入,省下的才是利潤。假設你每月收入5000令吉,而開支6000令吉,那么,你每月將以負債1000令吉告終。但是,如果你只花4000令吉,而省下1000令吉,那么在你的總收入中,你的成本(你當月所有的開支)就是80%,而利潤則是20%。
進一步假設,如果你善于管理和經營,在維持生活質量的情況下,採取一些節約開支的措施,每月多節省500令吉,那就相等于每月存起1500令吉,那你的利潤將會上升到30%。再加上如果你善于投資,能夠獲得優厚的投資回酬,並長久以此持續下去,儘管你沒有富可敵國的身家,也還不是一樣可以如願的完成你的財務目標(如孩子高等教育)及達成經濟獨立嗎?
你不理財,財不理你,這是千古不變的理財原則,也是市場經濟中的真理。開源節流,投資理財,這些都是我們應有的理財生命,若沒有這樣的措施,你也永遠無法實現目標,而且,真正的大富翁基本上都是「吝嗇成性」的人,不信你看下面這些人的「吝嗇表現」:
有一次,比爾蓋茨和一位朋友開車去希爾頓飯店。到了飯店前,發現停了很多車,車位很難找,而旁邊的貴賓車位卻空著不少,于是朋友建議比爾蓋茨把車停在那裡。
「噢,這要花12美元,可不是個好價錢。」
「我來付。」朋友堅持道。
「那可不是個好主意,他們超值收費。」
在蓋茲的堅持下,他們最終找了個普通車位。洛克菲勒到飯店住宿,從來只住普通房間。侍者不解,說: 「您兒子每次來都要最好的房間,您為何不這樣呢?」洛克菲勒說:「因為他有一個百萬富翁的爸爸,而我卻沒有。」
另外,李嘉誠上車前掏手絹擦臉,帶出一塊錢的硬幣掉到地上。天下著雨,李嘉誠執意要從車低下把錢撿出來。后來,還是旁邊的侍者為他撿回了這一塊錢,李嘉誠付給他一百塊的小費。他說:「那一塊錢如果不撿起來,被水沖走可能就浪費了,這一百塊卻不會被浪費,錢是社會創造的財富,不應被浪費。」
重視財富應有價值
這些富翁都很熱愛財富,他們從來不亂花錢,很重視財富應有的價值,這可以說是他們對財富的基本態度和良好的品格。但他們又不受制于財富,他們為慈善事業所做的捐獻數目是以億計算的,他們讓財富充分體現它自身的價值,也最大限度的體現了自己的價值。
財富只屬于它真正的管家,你如果沒有駕馭它的本領,那么,它即使來得很快,也會去得很快。只有在長久的投資理財過程中,掌握了真正的本領,它才會成為你忠實的僕人。
只要我能賺很多錢,我就能夠變得很富有!我想這就是現今社會一般人的想法。這也說明了為什么時下一般人不顧一切,拚命賺錢的主因。可是,對許多節儉的行為,很多人,尤其是年輕人是不屑一顧的。甚至許多人會問:省能省下多少錢?不是嗎?
只聽過很會賺錢的百萬富翁,卻從來沒聽說有省出來的百萬富翁,所以,只有賺錢才是真正的致富之道。其實這種看法並沒有錯,只是太過片面罷了。
在現今的社會裡,累積財富的速度,已遠遠超出人們的傳統思想。比爾蓋茨10余年間賺下的財富,可和一個國家的財富相提並論,新興行業的新貴,似乎已改寫世界的進展史及原有的經濟定律。
然而,在這個世界上,又有多少個人能像他們這般,擁有比印鈔票更快速的賺錢能力呢?能夠開源誰不想?但是,如果你的能力不及,又或者是假如你已出盡本能,又兼職、又加班的,還是無法達到理想中的收入,是否意味著,你也必須在不放棄開源計劃的當兒,來聽聽節流的忠告呢?
懂得開源亦要節流
首先,我要告訴你的一項事實是--能夠真正使你富有的,「不是你賺下來的,而是你存起來的」部分。別以為比爾蓋茨、華倫巴菲特、李嘉誠,已故的林梧桐及其他你聽說過的巨富,所累積的財富單是因為他們賺取巨大的收入。
麥克傑遜,麥泰生和無數天皇級的巨星,不也是曾經賺取數不盡的收入嗎?今天他們在財富排行榜上又排老幾呢?甚至在街頭討吃的乞丐,還比一些很會賺錢的人好一點,不是嗎?起碼這些乞丐沒有負債,可是許多很會賺錢而曾經「風光一時」的人,不但無法保存他們的財富,有的還搞到負債纍纍,甚至傾家蕩產收場。因此,你能單單歸功于「賺錢」的本領,而忽略了「省錢」的美德嗎?
其次,我要向你說的是:賺來的只是收入,省下的才是利潤。假設你每月收入5000令吉,而開支6000令吉,那么,你每月將以負債1000令吉告終。但是,如果你只花4000令吉,而省下1000令吉,那么在你的總收入中,你的成本(你當月所有的開支)就是80%,而利潤則是20%。
進一步假設,如果你善于管理和經營,在維持生活質量的情況下,採取一些節約開支的措施,每月多節省500令吉,那就相等于每月存起1500令吉,那你的利潤將會上升到30%。再加上如果你善于投資,能夠獲得優厚的投資回酬,並長久以此持續下去,儘管你沒有富可敵國的身家,也還不是一樣可以如願的完成你的財務目標(如孩子高等教育)及達成經濟獨立嗎?
你不理財,財不理你,這是千古不變的理財原則,也是市場經濟中的真理。開源節流,投資理財,這些都是我們應有的理財生命,若沒有這樣的措施,你也永遠無法實現目標,而且,真正的大富翁基本上都是「吝嗇成性」的人,不信你看下面這些人的「吝嗇表現」:
有一次,比爾蓋茨和一位朋友開車去希爾頓飯店。到了飯店前,發現停了很多車,車位很難找,而旁邊的貴賓車位卻空著不少,于是朋友建議比爾蓋茨把車停在那裡。
「噢,這要花12美元,可不是個好價錢。」
「我來付。」朋友堅持道。
「那可不是個好主意,他們超值收費。」
在蓋茲的堅持下,他們最終找了個普通車位。洛克菲勒到飯店住宿,從來只住普通房間。侍者不解,說: 「您兒子每次來都要最好的房間,您為何不這樣呢?」洛克菲勒說:「因為他有一個百萬富翁的爸爸,而我卻沒有。」
另外,李嘉誠上車前掏手絹擦臉,帶出一塊錢的硬幣掉到地上。天下著雨,李嘉誠執意要從車低下把錢撿出來。后來,還是旁邊的侍者為他撿回了這一塊錢,李嘉誠付給他一百塊的小費。他說:「那一塊錢如果不撿起來,被水沖走可能就浪費了,這一百塊卻不會被浪費,錢是社會創造的財富,不應被浪費。」
重視財富應有價值
這些富翁都很熱愛財富,他們從來不亂花錢,很重視財富應有的價值,這可以說是他們對財富的基本態度和良好的品格。但他們又不受制于財富,他們為慈善事業所做的捐獻數目是以億計算的,他們讓財富充分體現它自身的價值,也最大限度的體現了自己的價值。
財富只屬于它真正的管家,你如果沒有駕馭它的本領,那么,它即使來得很快,也會去得很快。只有在長久的投資理財過程中,掌握了真正的本領,它才會成為你忠實的僕人。
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Monday, June 27, 2011
YTL vs Smart Phone
想想现在用着的SE K700i电话也有6 + 年了
挣扎了很久。。。想是时候换电话了。所以今天去了digi center 一趟 拿了一些价钱表。
HTC Sensation
Only phone RM 2299
12 month RM 1699
24 month RM 1399
IPhone 4 16GB White
24 month RM 2099
看完了这价钱,我的心又开始犹豫了。。。
这是我需要的还是我想要的???
如果要拿着便宜的价钱是要签合约的。Data plan RM 68 monthly.
RM 68 x 24 = RM 1632 也就是说。不管你要还是不要都是最少RM 68 每个月
我算算自己的电话费最少也要RM40-50 , 加起来就是 RM 118 左右。
如果说 拿了12/24 months , 每个月的开销就要增加RM 68 , 虽然数目不大,但就是觉得很浪费,很贵。
老实说。我过不了自己那一关。。。
如果说 只是拿电话 RM2299, 我宁愿去买 1300 units x rm 1.55 = rm 2015 的 YTL Share。。。
至少没有增值也可以收一点利息回来。。。
如果说 Data plan RM1632, 我宁愿去买 1000 units x rm 1.55 = rm 1550 的 YTL Share。。。
至少没有增值也可以收一点利息回来。。。
挣扎了很久。。。想是时候换电话了。所以今天去了digi center 一趟 拿了一些价钱表。
HTC Sensation
Only phone RM 2299
12 month RM 1699
24 month RM 1399
IPhone 4 16GB White
24 month RM 2099
看完了这价钱,我的心又开始犹豫了。。。
这是我需要的还是我想要的???
如果要拿着便宜的价钱是要签合约的。Data plan RM 68 monthly.
RM 68 x 24 = RM 1632 也就是说。不管你要还是不要都是最少RM 68 每个月
我算算自己的电话费最少也要RM40-50 , 加起来就是 RM 118 左右。
如果说 拿了12/24 months , 每个月的开销就要增加RM 68 , 虽然数目不大,但就是觉得很浪费,很贵。
老实说。我过不了自己那一关。。。
如果说 只是拿电话 RM2299, 我宁愿去买 1300 units x rm 1.55 = rm 2015 的 YTL Share。。。
至少没有增值也可以收一点利息回来。。。
如果说 Data plan RM1632, 我宁愿去买 1000 units x rm 1.55 = rm 1550 的 YTL Share。。。
至少没有增值也可以收一点利息回来。。。
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我说故事
Saturday, June 25, 2011
开始累积 YTL 4677
YTL 由 1 拆 5 后,礼拜五的价钱是 RM 1.55
如果算回来 RM1.55 x 5= RM7.75 (最高价RM 8.6 / 5 = RM1.72)
RM1.72 - 1.55 = RM 0.17 的差价。
RM 0.17/RM 1.55*100 = 10.9% 的涨幅。
YTL info from HLeBroking( 24/6/2011)
PE = 16.92
EPS = 48.61
DY=0.06
老实说,技术和基本分析 我都半桶水。不过我相信历史一直在重演。
当年 annjoo 由RM1.10+ 到今天的RM 2.8 是用3 年开一番。
我相信YTL这样的好股不会少过RM2.00 吧。
如果经济可以维持下去的话,YTL会再次上扬的。
我就用3 年的时间来看这历史是否会重演。
如果算回来 RM1.55 x 5= RM7.75 (最高价RM 8.6 / 5 = RM1.72)
RM1.72 - 1.55 = RM 0.17 的差价。
RM 0.17/RM 1.55*100 = 10.9% 的涨幅。
YTL info from HLeBroking( 24/6/2011)
PE = 16.92
EPS = 48.61
DY=0.06
老实说,技术和基本分析 我都半桶水。不过我相信历史一直在重演。
当年 annjoo 由RM1.10+ 到今天的RM 2.8 是用3 年开一番。
我相信YTL这样的好股不会少过RM2.00 吧。
如果经济可以维持下去的话,YTL会再次上扬的。
我就用3 年的时间来看这历史是否会重演。
Labels:
投资日记
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Using a USB flash drive with your Cisco router
Using a USB flash drive with your Cisco router
By David Davis
August 16, 2007, 11:52 AM PDT
Takeaway: Some time ago, ZDNet’s George Ou wrote an innovative article for TechRepublic about using USB flash drives or compact flash (CF) cards to upgrade a router. This week, I want to take that article a step further. Here’s how I used my USB flash drive with my Cisco 871W router. A little background Before we get started, [...]
Some time ago, ZDNet’s George Ou wrote an innovative article for TechRepublic about using USB flash drives or compact flash (CF) cards to upgrade a router. This week, I want to take that article a step further. Here’s how I used my USB flash drive with my Cisco 871W router.
A little background
Before we get started, let’s review some of the specifics you need to know about using USB flash and CF cards with Cisco routers. You can find much of this in George’s article, but here’s a recap:- Many of the newer 800, 1800, 2800, and 3800 series routers support USB Flash. 800 series routers don’t support CF, but they do support USB flash.
- The Cisco IOS can only read FAT-formatted flash drives.
- The IOS may not recognize the proper size of your USB flash drive. However, it doesn’t really matter — you have much more space with today’s USB flash drives than you could ever use.
- While using USB flash and CF cards are a great way to transfer data to and from a router, you obviously must have physical access to the router.
- The USB ports on a router are usually USB 2.0, but check the specifications.
- Some routers with certain IOS versions support Aladdin eTokens.
Ideally, USB flash can hold multiple copies of the Cisco IOS and multiple router configurations, and you can use it to easily move and copy those IOS files and configurations from router to router. And many times, when you’re physically at the router, the copying process can take place several times faster than it would over a LAN or WAN.
My experience
I have a new 4-GB USB flash drive that I recently bought for about $40. I had used this drive on my Window Vista PC to back up and transport data.I wondered if I could easily copy or back up the Cisco IOS from my 871W onto another 871W without configuring network settings on the router, plugging it into the network, running a TFTP server on my PC, and copying the IOS over. I wanted to just plug in the USB drive and copy off the IOS, just as I would on my PC with any other file.
I’ll be honest: Like most techies out there, I abhor reading directions. I save that until something absolutely, positively doesn’t work. Admittedly, I had only skimmed George’s article, and it had been some time since I had done even that. (Yes, I confess: I didn’t read it thoroughly until after this experiment.)
So, like most new gadgets I try out for the first time, I just plugged it in to see what would happen. While on the console of my Cisco 871W, I took the USB flash drive from my pocket and connected it to the router. Immediately, the router told me this:
*Aug 26 21:03:10.251: %USBFLASH-5-CHANGE: usbflash1 has been inserted! *Aug 26 21:03:10.275: %USBFLASH-4-FORMAT: usbflash1 contains unexpected values in partition table or boot sector. Device needs formatting before use!
Actually, this was a pleasant surprise: At least, the router knew there was a USB flash drive connected, it knew it didn’t work, and it knew why it didn’t work.
Later, I found out that the drive wouldn’t work because of its NTFS format. As mentioned above, it needed a FAT format — the Cisco IOS only recognizes the FAT file system. As I already knew that I didn’t need anything on this flash drive, I formatted the flash drive with the router. (I could have also formatted the flash drive with a PC as long as I specified the FAT file system.)
Here’s what it looked like:
TechRepublic-Router# format ? flash: Filesystem to be formatted usbflash1: Filesystem to be formatted TechRepublic-Router# format usbflash1: Format operation may take a while. Continue? [confirm] Format operation will destroy all data in "usbflash1:". Continue? [confirm] Format: Drive communication & 1st Sector Write OK... Format: All system sectors written. OK... Format: Total data sectors in formatted partition: 8191435 Format: Total data bytes in formatted partition: -100952576 Format: Operation completed successfully. Format of usbflash1 complete TechRepublic-Router#
At this point, as you can see below, I had a working USB flash drive.
TechRepublic-Router# dir usbflash1: Directory of usbflash1:/ No files in directory No space information available TechRepublic-Router#
Next, I copied my 871W IOS from the internal flash and to the USB flash. Here’s what it looked like:
TechRepublic-Router# dir Directory of flash:/ 2 -rwx 17227284 Aug 8 2006 17:16:53 +00:00 c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-11.T2.bin 3 -rwx 3053 Aug 26 2006 20:24:58 +00:00 SDM_Backup 23482368 bytes total (6246400 bytes free) TechRepublic-Router# copy c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-11.T2.bin usb TechRepublic-Router# copy c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-11.T2.bin usbflash1: Destination filename [c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-11.T2.bin]? Copy in progress...CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC (truncated) 17227284 bytes copied in 14.440 secs (1193025 bytes/sec) TechRepublic-Router# dir usbflash1: Directory of usbflash1:/ 1 -rw- 17227284 Aug 26 2006 21:07:00 +00:00 c870-advipservicesk9-mz.124-11.T2.bin No space information available TechRepublic-Router#
At this point, I had my 17-MB Cisco IOS on my flash drive. I could then take it and plug it into any other router and quickly copy that IOS without going through any network configuration or connecting that router to the network.
Some helpful commands
Here are some commands that can come in handy, along with links to their Cisco documentation:Summary
A USB flash drive offers cheap, easy storage space for your Cisco routers to hold the Cisco IOS, configuration files, and security certificates. However, what interests me even more is that it frees us from the limitations of only having 16 MB, 128 MB, or 256 MB of storage on our routers. These limitations have defined our work for so long that the lack of them suddenly opens up so many more possibilities.
What do you think? Have you used a USB flash drive with your Cisco routers? Share your own experiences in the discussion area.
David Davis has worked in the IT industry for 12 years and holds several certifications, including CCIE, MCSE+I, CISSP, CCNA, CCDA, and CCNP. He currently manages a group of systems/network administrators for a privately owned retail company and performs networking/systems consulting on a part-time basis.
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CCIE RS
Quickly upgrade Cisco routers using drag-and-drop
Quickly upgrade Cisco routers using drag-and-drop
By George Ou
March 13, 2006, 6:51pm PST
Note: This article is also available as a download.
Cisco routers have always had a steep learning curve for performingeven the most basic administrative tasks, like firmware updates andconfiguration backups. Now, with commodity CF (compact flash) memory and USBmemory sticks, you can handle these tasks quickly and easily.
In the old days, the usual method of upgrading Cisco routersrequired you to have access to a TFTP or FTP server and you had to have basicnetwork configuration before you could begin to download firmware or configurationfiles. Even when everything was ready to roll, downloading tens of megabytes offirmware binaries took a couple of minutes or more depending on the speed ofthe connection to the TFTP server and the size of the firmware. In cases wherethe TFTP server was located across the Internet or WAN with limited T1-classbandwidth, it could take hours to download a new firmware. FTP servers were alittle better because they could deliver the firmware at near wire speeds, buteven that took tens of minutes.
Now, with the newerCisco 1800,2800,and 3800series routers, which use commodity CF memory cards that can be loaded into anymedia adapter, you can do firmware updates in seconds using drag-and-drop.Cisco designed its newest routers to read the FAT file system instead of itsprimitive proprietary drive format, which couldn't even recover deleted filespace unless you ran the time-consuming "squeeze" command. By goingwith FAT, you can literally stick the CF card in your computer's CF slot (~$9for a USB 2.0 compactflash adapter, if you don't have one), delete the old firmware, anddrag the newest firmware onto the CF card. If your computer has a USB 2.0adapter, you can expect 20 MB firmware to copy in seconds, whereas it wouldhave taken 10-100 minutes with a TFTP server, depending on connection speed.Even USB 1.1 solutions are preferable to the TFTP or FTP servers.
As a bonus, you can also copy a startup configuration fileonto the CF card. Note that while Cisco routers load their firmware from the CFcard, router configuration is loaded from NVRAM (nonvolatile RAM), so therouter configuration can't be directly booted from the CF card. But you can copythe configuration file from the CF card to NVRAM to recover a configurationfile or do it in the reverse direction to back up a configuration.
Once the configuration file is on the CF card and the routerboots up with the CF card inserted, you just need to issue this file copycommand:
Copy flash:startup-config nvram:startup-config
This assumes you named the configuration file "startup-config"before you dragged it from your computer to the CF card and that the router isin "enable" mode. This command takes the startup configuration on theCF card and transfers it to the nonvolatile RAM of the router, so that it willboot with it the next time your start or restart the router. If you need toback up a good configuration of a router to a CF card, you simply reverse thearguments in the copy command and type:
Copy nvram:startup-config flash:startup-config
This is especially useful if you ever need to replace adefective router and Cisco sends you a new one, which usually comes with thebase firmware and no configuration. To convert a factory-fresh router into fullproduction, you simply put the old CF card into the new router and boot it up.Once it has booted with the default configuration and the proper firmware,issue the first copy command listed above and reboot the router. When therouter finishes booting, it will be completely operational. This entire processcould easily have taken an hour or more if you had to manually copy everythingvia TFTP or FTP.
In addition to CF card support, the newest Cisco routers with IOS 12.4 or better will even read USB memory sticks. This enables you to upgrade, back up, or recover your firmware and configuration to an additional removable device. Operationally, it's the same as the CF card, only you refer to itas "usbflash:" instead of "flash:".
The one downside to USB adapters is that you can't boot offthem. Unlike CF cards, they aren't recognized in Cisco RMON mode. Only a bootedrouter running IOS 12.4 or better can read or write to USB adapters. The plusside to USB adapters is that you can use them as a removable backup medium,whereas the CF card isn't removable since the router can't boot without it.
And finally, this new line of Cisco routers offerssignificant price benefits. You no longer have to pay hundreds of dollars forCisco-branded CF or USB flash memory because you can typically find128 MB CFand USB adapters for $15 or less. Although Cisco might lose a little revenuebecause you can buy cheaper flash memory, it has made the network engineer'slife much easier and gained a lot more customer loyalty.
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