I don't have Cisco ASA. Is this something a regular NAT router can do?

I agree. Although I loved the gratuitous use of "frak." It was a deliberate tweek to the network executives / censors. It's obvious what it "really meant" but at the same time, how can you tell me I can't say "frak???" It's not even a word. So Frak YOU! Motherfrakker!! But this "new" re imagining so close on the heels of the conclusion of a very excellent four years of the finest television ever produced, it is clearly nothing but a money-grab taking advantage of the familiar name. Its as if Roger Moore came out of retirement to redo "Casino Royale" right after the very well-done Daniel Craig rendition had been released. Come on people!

Okay...substitute "publisher" for "author" in my previous example and the analogy still holds. Once it becomes my personal property, I should expect to have "perpetual access" to it. Our society is WAY to litigious. What happened to good old fashioned vigilantism ala Wyatt Earp?

So if I buy a book from a favorite author, said author has the authoritay to come onto my private property and confiscate his copyrighted book from me at any time? Copyright law places certain restrictions on transfer and/or copying of creative works once they are in the "public domain." I don't think it states anything about the copyright owner being allowed to "render his works incomprehensible, unreadable, unusable, etc. once an authorized copy has become the personal property of the consumer. But the digital format makes that prospect very easy doesn't it? Most (good) artists/authors seem to desire their works to have a long prosperous life. It seems the type that seems more concerned with getting a freaking nickel everytime someone plays their song, are not very creative and cannot create anything worth keeping around anyway.

Nope. They will make sure it is illegal for "citizens" to sue the govt. I had an "issue" once that I won't go into detail about. But at the end of a very long and tedious process about which I had a legitimate grievance I received and official letter that said, and I quote, "The Federal Government is not liable for mistakes made by it's employees."

This makes about as much sense as requiring citizens (drones) to have a license in order to watch television! I have an idea. If the govt. thinks the average citizen is too stupid to operate a vehicle safely, why don't they just ban cars? If they're so dangerous, then get rid of them. A government employed taxi driver should be made available to take you anywhere you want to to go at anytime.

Yes, I comprehend the difference between mere "knowledge" and "understanding." But in my opinion, true "understanding" can only come when one has a thorough understanding of the fundamentals. Too many times have I seen really smart programmers design applications who had no understanding of networking. They had no clue of the difference between designing an app that works on a 100Mb LAN then wondering why it is so sluggish trying to work across a 1.5Mb T1 link. That's just one example. My coworkers are constantly amazed that I can figure out a linux DHCP server that I've never seen before. Or how I can configure a Pannaway BAR as easily as I can a Cisco 3845 with no prior Pannaway training. It's not because I'm so smart. It's not because I'm a mythical "Network Engineer." It's because I understand the fundamentals of IP, Routing, TCP, UDP, Ethernet, Frame Relay, ATM, Token Ring (now I'm dating myself) etc. Knowing the fundamentals is key to being a successful IT professional. Too often I have seen whiz-kids who can fly through a GUI like it was second nature but put them in front of a command line, and without any knowledge of the fundamental protocols, were totally helpless. No hard feelings. I have enjoyed this debate. I am an avid slashdot reader, but today the "ethernet cable" article rubbed me wrong. I've had micro-managing "pointy-haired-bosses" who held me back before and I sympathized with the poor guy. I had to post.

Oh I absolutely agree. I do currently work for a small company where I have the luxury of being able to do most of this stuff myself without relying on consultants. I also worked for a larger organization where we contracted out cabling and fiber termination. I was troubleshooting a fiber connectivity issue with a so-called "fiber splicing expert" who was in my wiring closet while I was at the computer. I asked him, "Are you sure you don't see any light on fiber "xyz?" (I was assuming he was using a proper light source/power meter device) His response was, "I have the lights turned off in the room and I don't see any light coming out of any of these connectors." I had to direct his attention to the bright yellow decal on the door to the fiber cabinet that said, "WARNING!!! INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION!!! DO NOT STARE INTO BEAM WITH REMAINING EYEBALL!!!" So, in my experience it has always been beneficial to know the "physical layer" stuff intimately.

In my opinion, the physical layer is the most important. Because 99% of all network outages can be traced back to a physical layer issue. I was working on a project with a Cisco CCIE once and we needed to wire two T1 CSU/DSU units back-to-back. I was astonished that he didn't know how to build a simple T1 cross-over cable. He was equally astonished that I got it done before he could look up the pinouts online. A thorough understanding of the physical layer and it's functions is absolutely essential to all aspects of the IT field. It is one of the fundamentals that forms a solid foundation to the understanding of how computers work. I find it helps tremendously to know how the underlying pieces work when troubleshooting problems and designing new networks. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

I do all that AND I still build my own network cables. It's the only way to be sure they're done right.

What university did you get your "engineering" diploma from? If you have to check Google to get pinouts for a T1, I'm guessing it's the Cracker Jack School of IT Engineering. Sorry, I hear the "Network Engineer" title get thrown around so much I consider it meaningless. Terminating your own copper cables is an essential skill for any IT professional. With practice you can learn to do it quickly and with excellent quality. The tools and bulk materials are much cheaper than pre-terminated "factory" cables. Speaking from experience, I've inherited many a rats-nest of factory-made cables that were way too long. A custom job takes time, but it makes management and troubleshooting so much easier.

Or more accurately, micro-managers. My first task jumping into the IT industry nearly 20 years ago was learning the TIA/EIA wiring standards and being given a spool of Cat-5 and a crimper and told to do it, and redo it until it's right. This is a skill I think all IT professionals need to master. I can terminate a Cat-5e connection that is as good as, if not, better than any "factory" terminated cable. In addition, you can clean up your cable plant by customizing the length of each cable run. If all you need is a T1, Cat-6 isn't even necessary. Cat-5e works fine for GigE on short runs. Anything more then you should run fiber. Buy a Fluke cable tester/certifier to prove to your boss you know what you're doing. Granted, there is a cost associated with a cable tester, but you should have one anyway. The problem with "factory" cables is that because of that fact, nobody ever suspects them when problems arise. But in my experience, they still need to be checked.