Blog Writing on technology, cybersecurity, and university life.
2026-04-12 Collapsing the Core: Rebuilding the Newport Network on 10GbE Documenting the transition to a 10GbE collapsed core architecture built around the USW Aggregation as root switch, with high-speed SFP+ connectivity across the entire compute and storage stack. Technology 2026-04-08 Making Peace With the macOS Dock: From Permanently Hidden to Instantly Available For years I kept the macOS Dock hidden entirely. In early 2025 I finally compromised by enabling autohide and patching the Dock preference plist to drop the show delay to zero and halve the reveal animation. Personal Growth 2026-04-07 Hardening the Home Lab: Custom Homebridge Logic and Automated TrueNAS Recovery Resolving HomeKit scale mismatches through custom JS patches, and implementing a root-level rsync strategy for automated full-system recovery to TrueNAS. Technology 2025-05-01 From Python to MIPS: What Low-Level Programming Taught Me About Computing Reflections on studying MIPS assembly and C at UNSW — writing programs that work directly with CPU registers and memory addresses, and what that teaches you about how computers actually work. University 2025-04-01 Starting My CS Degree at UNSW: First Semester Reflections Reflecting on my first semester studying Computer Science (Cyber Security) at the University of New South Wales — the challenges, the community, and what I've learned so far. University 2025-03-01 Life as an IT Technician at Lanrex: Enterprise IT from the Inside What it's actually like working as a Technician at an IT managed services provider — deploying enterprise devices, managing remote environments, and keeping clients running. Career 2025-02-15 Joining the UNSW AI Society: Events, Community, and the Frontier of AI What it's been like joining the UNSW Artificial Intelligence Society as a Subcommittee Member in the Events Portfolio — from organising events to building connections at the frontier of AI. University 2025-02-01 Recovering Enterprise Hardware: BitLocker, Corrupted Partitions, and What Actually Works A practical breakdown of resolving BitLocker cryptographic lockouts and corrupted partition tables on enterprise HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini PCs — without data loss. Career 2025-01-15 Defeating Subnet-Locked IoT: Homebridge Across VLANs Without Cloud Relays How I bypassed TP-Link's proprietary KLAP protocol and mDNS discovery failures to get full local smart home control across isolated VLANs — no cloud required. Technology 2024-12-01 Compiling Python 3.11 from Source on Raspberry Pi: Thermal Limits, OOM Crashes, and What Actually Works A technical account of compiling Python 3.11 from C source on a Raspberry Pi armv7l with limited memory and thermal constraints — including the specific flags that prevented Out-Of-Memory crashes and compiler failures at 77°C+. Technology 2024-12-01 From High School Side Hustle to 400+ Sales: Building an eBay Business How I turned computer repair skills into a thriving e-commerce business with 100% positive feedback and valuable lessons in customer service, technical expertise, and entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship 2024-10-15 From Cyber Security Simulations to Real-World Skills: My Forage Experience Exploring virtual work experiences with JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, and Citi through Forage simulations, and how they shaped my understanding of cybersecurity and finance careers. Career Development 2024-03-15 Duke of Edinburgh Gold: Leadership, Service, and 100+ Hours of Impact Reflecting on achieving the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award through sustained commitment across Physical Recreation, Skill Development, and Voluntary Service, including leadership experiences and community impact. Personal Growth