How-to Setup a Managed Switch

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I switched a switch. I replaced a 24-port switch with a 48-port switch, and went from an HP to a Netgear switch, both managed.

So I can remember what I did, I am listing the steps I took to setup my switch:

1. Plug in the modem cable that came with the switch to a computer on-site and the switch console port.

2. Plug in power adapter.

3. Connect to the switch via HyperTerminal if using Windows XP, if using Vista, you will have to download a terminal emulation program. In HyperTerminal setup a new connection with the following settings:

• Baud rate - 9,600 bps
  
• Data bits - 8
  
• Parity - none
  
• Stop bit - 1
  
• Flow control - none
  

4. Typed in user and put in the values given. Then typed ezconfig.

5. I setup the network parameters, giving the switch its network address.

6. Logged out of HyperTerminal and logged into the switch via the web to finish the configuration.

Switched a Switch Today

Today I had to come in early to change out a 24-port 10/100/1000 switch to a 48-port 10/100/1000 switch.

Now I know that technically, this is not a big deal and is pretty straight forward, but let's keep in mind that a year ago I was a desktop tech who hardly knew what a switch looked like. Today I am installing them. I have made progress, even if it is in baby steps.

We got a Netgear GSM7248 Managed Switch from Newegg.com and it was here in two days with standard shipping. I game with easy to follow instructions and so far has been great. Now I need to watch it and lable all of the connections, which will take considerably longer than it did to install it.

I will keep posting as to how this switch is doing, but we only paid $1,160 for this switch.

Still Studying . . . Any Help?

I am trying to not get frustrated, but I am. I have used a plethora of study tools, and each time I change tools, and test on that tool, I fail the practice exams.

I seem to have the hardware sections down cold, but everything else is questionable. I have used two different video programs; TestOut and QuickCert. Neither video program seems to have prepared me well enough. I also went through the MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit , but that did not prepare me completely either. I am now going through the Syngress book, MCSA/MCSE Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment, which I have to say has been the most comprehensive tool yet. There are tools mentioned in this book that I have not heard of from the other tools.

If anyone has any tips/tricks for studying for and passing this test, I would be most grateful for any help. I had set a goal for myself of November 2007, but that date of course has come and gone and I have not yet sat for the exam. My only consolation is that I have only been working on Server 2003 for just under a year, and have to study in my "spare time."

So, if you are an MCSE, or have at least passed the 70-290 test, please let me know what worked best for you?

A Great Tech Tool

The PowerSquid is a great tech tool. Any tech who has ever gone into the field to install a new PC on a users desktop knows that the biggest pain is sometimes plugging in all the periphials in the powerstrip. The speakers and external drives often have huge transformer plugs that no matter how you move them arround, always end up taking over two outlets. With the PowerSquid Outlet Multiplier, you can use all of your outlets, even when they are big transformer blocks!

I will no longer be intimidated by these devices. From now on, I will be using the PowerSquid on all my new installs. I can appreciate a great idea, and this is it. They are offing special deals during the holiday season, so check them out and
Get 5% off your entire PowerSquid.com order. Coupon code: AFF5PSCOUPOFF

5 Laptops for the Women On Your List

I need to buy a laptop. Between blogging and studying for the MCSE exams, I need to be able to have everything with me instead of carrying cds around. My iPod has helped, but I really need a computer with me everywhere.

So, I have started looking for laptops that I want to purchase. I already listed out the specs that I like in a earlier blog, here I want to make a note of the laptops that I am seriously considering.

1. I think the one I like the best is this T23210 being offered at QVC. I have stated again and again that I really like Dell products, so it is fitting that this top my list. I like the specs on this laptop, and I LOVE the color options! I have not purchased from them in the past, but the price on this laptop is very good.

2. I really like this XPS M1530 a lot. I love the highest end option, but I think right now it is a bit too expensive. And again, I have to say that I really like the color options here. For something that I will have attached to my hand, I like the idea of it being attractive. Besides, colors make me happy.

3. I also like the IBM Thinkpad X61s fully loaded. It is not as pretty as the Dells, but it is a solid laptop, and you can still get Windows XP Pro loaded if you want to, which I think I do.

4. I also really like the HP Pavilion dv2500t. It can be customized to include the features/specs that I want, and the price is competitive.

5. Finally, I am not sure this is the year I am ready to jump in and purchase a Mac, but I am very tempted by all of the hype about running a better Windows machine on the MacBook Pro.

Second Mentoring Session - Installing Exchange 2003

We installed Exchange Server 2003 on our new network today. There wasn't much to it, but I did want to put down just a couple of notes while I am thinking of it.

1. Exchange server does have some dependencies. You will have to install the following Windows Components (I did forget these once home, but a quick look on this very helpful site did indeed refresh my memory:

• .Net Framework
• ASP.net
• IIS
• World Wide Web Publishing Service
• SMTP
• NNTP

2. We installed Exchange in three steps, forestprep, domainprep, and setup.

3. There is a handly log file that is created on the root of the drive where Exchange is installed called Exchange Server Setup Progress.log for troubleshooting.

4. You have to be logged into the server as an administrator for the domain for this to all work as it should, and yes, you should definitely make sure your DCs are up and running.

Mentoring Began Today

I started a mentoring program today. I am being mentored by a good friend of the family, and I want to document what I am learning and also encourage everyone to find a mentor and learn as much as you can from them.

I realized a while back that unless I looked for a mentor or teacher, there was a good chance I would not get my MCSE. I have the study tools, and the books, and the server license that expires in 3 months. All of these things are valuable, but what I started to see was that the parts of the practice test I was scoring the highest consistantly on were those things that I had actually had to do in my work environment. This seems obvious, but it was then that I decided to take my friend up on the offer of learning by doing.

I also had been wondering how I could possibly stay in the network admin position I am in without a senior Windows person there to guide and direct me and make sure that I learn how to do the important things. By beginning the mentoring program, I realize that I can stay at my current job while I spend time out of work learning and asking questions.

Many of my future posts will be a breakdown of what I have learned in my mentoring sessions so that I can keep a record of my progress, and perhaps help someone else through this very long process.

Notes from today:
1. It is important before beginning to build any kind of network to lay it out on paper as completely as possible, with server names, functions, and relevant information.
2. It is very good practice and recommended by my mentor to always create two Domain Controllers in any configuration. Having an extra one if one fails is the main reason for this.
3. DCs have no local accounts.

Desktop and Laptop Specs for Home Users

Many of my friends are buying laptop and desktop computers for their kids and spouses for the holidays. I am constantly being asked what I recommend, so I thought I would recreate the specs I like here and then just refer them to my site.

Let me start by saying that I recommend Dell over all other computers. The reason is simple; support! They have the best support I have encountered, and that goes for business sales and personal sales as well. They stand behind their product and that means something to me. And by the way, I am not getting any commissions from them.

For a laptop I recommend at least the following specificications:
Processor: A Dual core of at least 1.6 or higher
Memory: 1GB
HardDrive: 160GB
Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n

For a desktop, I recommend the following:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 (2.20GHz)
Memory: 2GB
HardDrive: 320GB
Graphics Card: Best you can afford

These are just what I would look for if I were buying one for myself. Many of the stores are running fantastic deals right now, so certainly shop around and look for the highest specs for the lowest price, but processing speed and memory are key for almost all users, so don't be cheap in those areas.

Searchers Beware

I am about to send out an email to all of my users, warning them to be very careful when they do a Google search.

I many different blogs this week about this problem. Alex Eckelberry over at Sunbelt blogged about this on Monday drawing much attention to the issue. Alex's article showed how a search on some common tech terms led to several exploits that could infect a system that is left vulnerable.

According to an article posted last night over at InformationWeek it seems that Google has deleted many of the malicious pages, but that the other popular search engines are being targeted as well.

This just serves to remind all us tech folks to keep telling our users that they simply have to make sure their operating systems are up-to-date, that they have anti-virus programs installed on all their PCs, and that they are always careful about web sites that they visit. I will have to be sure to also email this warning to all of those "non-paying" customers I have like Mom and Dad.

Recovering a Mirrored Volume (RAID-1)

A couple of posts back, I made notes for myself on how to in very general terms recover a RAID-0 or striped volume. Today I will quickly outline the steps to take in order to recover a mirrored volume.

If you loose one of your mirrored drives, you shouldn't panic too much, as long as one of your drives is healthy. What you will want to do is removed the broken drive and add another to replace it and reset the mirror.

1. The first step is to remove the mirror, which you can do by going into the Disk Management Interface and right clicking the failed drive. This should change the setting for the good drive, making it a Simple Volume.

2. After you have added a new drive to replace the failed one and the computer recognizes it and it has been made a Dynamic disk, you can right click the Simple Volume and add the new drive.

This is based on much better and more detailed instructions from the book I am currently reading from the link on the left.

Managing Windows 2003 Server Tips

There are 3 main tools, according to Microsoft, that a System Admin should use to monitor and maintain Windows 2003 Servers.

1. Performance Console- there are two parts to this, the System Monitor that has all the different settings for hardware on your server and the Performance Logs and Alerts that has a standard set of logs and customizable logs and alerts that you can set.

2. Event Viewer - has the different log files on events that the server records. Application, System and Security logs reside on every server. Directory Service and File Replication Service logs will exist on a DC. A DNS Server will contain an additional log file called, appropriately, DNS Server.

3. Task Manager - this handy tool is still the best one for looking at actual process threads. An additional tool that most techs I know use is Process Monitor, as it shows more detail than the built in Task Manager.

Exchange Tips for Tracking Outgoing Mail

Exchange Tips

Yesterday we had some trouble with outgoing email, and while our bridgehead server is in another location, we do have an Exchange Server here that I am responsible for. I am brand new to administering an Exchange Server, so I had to find some tips online for at least getting a feel for what may be happening and where things may be hanging up.

I wanted to do some basic troubleshooting for when messages are not going out, and a quick Google search for this turned up a few sites, the best of which was Exchange 911.

At their site, I found these tips that I used to begin tracking issues:

1. Try to find where the message has gotten stuck by using the Message Tracking Center in the Exchange System Manager.

2. Check the services running on the server where the messages are stuck to make sure all critical Exchange Services are indeed running.

3. Checked the Event View on my server to make sure there were no obvious problems or sreaming errors.

Another Gift Idea for the Techie on Your Christmas List

I need to add some more technical posts here soon, but I see that lots of folks want the gift ideas as well, so I thought I would share my newest top of the list "wanted" gift.



It is this Timex Watch and I just saw it in my Women's Health magazine for this month, and I want one! This watch does it all, and at Amazon it is under $100.



It connects to your iPod, without a cable, and it also has a 50-lap memory, three alarms, a countdown timer, two interval timers, and a chronograph function.



If you have a techie on your list who also likes to keep in shape, this may be the perfect gift.

Great Site and YouTube Help

Last night my daughter asked me if I could download the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special to my ipod so she and her grandmother could watch it on the TV. She had found them online at YouTube but wanted to see them on the big screen. I said, "sure I can do that," before realizing that I had actually never done that.

I had read through a couple of articles and message board posts that had me wondering just how possible this task was, when a further look down my Google search page revealed that my favorite daily blog, lifehacker had an article and a recommendation for me.

I read and then quickly downloaded iTube (also called Ares Tube). I am very happy to say that it was incredibly easy then to download and import the YouTube clips I wanted. In no time at all I had my daughter and mother quite happily watching Charlie Brown, which got me in bed at a very decent hour.

Fixing Software RAID-0

I had to fix a stripped array this morning, and that got me thinking (yes, and reading) about the correct way to fix software RAID volumes.

So, I thought I would quickly put down here the steps to restore RAID-0, RAID-1, and RAID-5 software arrays if you loose a disk and have to replace it for some reason, like I did this morning. I will spend the next three posts explaining how to do this for each one. Today, RAID-0 or a striped array.

RAID-0 (striped)

While stripped volumes do provide the best performance and storage option, they are not fault-tolerrant, so I sure hope you have a good backup of the lost drive or have the software handy to recreate the data on this drive.

Once you have determined that your drive is bad, or you have had to fix an error on the drive more than once, you can go ahead and delete the volume by right clicking on it in the bottom pain of the Disk Management screen (right click on My Computer, Manage, under Storage choose Disk Management).

If your new drive isn't installled go ahead and do so now. Once it is installed, Rescan Disks (on the View menu in Disk Management) if you don't see it as unallocated space in the drive view window.

Before you can create the new volume, you will have to make this a Dynamic Disk by right clicking on the disk name. Once this is done, you can right click on the drive and choose the option New Volume. From there, follow the promts to add the new drive to the Selected disks.

This is by no means a step-by-step or complete guide, there are other sites that do this much better than I can here, and I highly recommend the first one, as it has pictures and all:

Beginners Guide at PCStats

Disk Management from the Microsoft TechNet

5 Fun Gifts for the Geek on Your Christmas List

Do you have any Geeks on your list?

You know the ones, they dress in dark colors, and may sit in a cubicle or an office, but come 6pm, they are sitting in their basement in front of at least 2 monitors playing the latest online RPG.

Here are a few fun ideas if you have any of these folks on your list:

1. Have a mobile IT person in the family? Are they often running from system to system or location to location fixing computer issues? If so, they may need an Ironkey. This is a secure way to keep passwords handy and be able to browse the internet safely from any location.

2. When I first got into the IT business, someone got me a Wave, I had it only a month before I noticed dear hubby using it. I have not seen it since, but this is definitely a great stocking stuffer for anyone who likes to tinker.

3. I love this laptop tote. I am adding it to my own list right now.

4. I haven't tried the Sun Jar yet, but with all the attention that green gadgets are getting this year, I will definitely be adding a couple of these to my list for my siblings.

5. And last but certainly not least, if you have been putting off getting yourself or the top receiver on your list an iPod, now is the time. With so many to choose from, you can get one for almost everyone on your list.

Office Assistant & Unzipping Files in Windows XP

Office Assistant Error
I have a user who is getting this error:

There is no office assistant character files present on the system.
Please run setup in maintenance mode and install at least one character.

After a quick search, it seems this is because we often update Office 2000 around here by adding Outlook 2003. When this is done, a second Office Assistant is installed and the two then fight over control.

The instructions on this site suggest an uninstall/reinstall should fix my issue. I have plans to do so tomorrow.

Unzipping Files in Windows XP
I often have new users of Windows XP asking me to install WinZip for them, and while this is a fine product, it is no longer needed.

I found a nice site with pictures that I like to send to users so they can do this on their own, and wanted to document it here. There is no need to reinvent the wheel on this one.

gOS

Today I am playing with gOS in the hopes that we can use it here for a stand-alone web application station. This is also the much talked about OS that is coming pre-installed on the new WalMart $200 PCs that we keep hearing about.

At first glance, I like it. It has a Mac/Doc looking app running along the bottom of the desktop with links to most web applications that I think the typical user/teenager would want.

I just need a workstation here where employees can surf the web and check their email during lunch in our lunchroom, so this seems to be a perfect fit. I got the live distro, so I figure it is realatively safe to continue running it from the CD drive. We will shut the PC off overnight and reboot it each morning.

I am having some trouble getting it to recognize the crappy nic on this old home PC I am working on, but I will get it eventually. I will post more once I have had some time to play around with this a bit more.

Backup Changes on Graphics Server & Spooler changes

Backup Changes

I was studying for my 70-290 this weekend by reading through some chapters in my Microsoft Press book. As I was reading and actually beginning to understand some of the backup information, I realized I need to make a couple of changes to my backup schedule here at work.

I was again convinced that I need to do a bi-weekly normal/full backup of the main graphics server, and then run Differential backups each night for the next two weeks. This insures that I need only the full backup tapes (of which there are 2) and the differential tape in case of a system failure.

I thought I had set this, but it turns out I was running incremental backups and so I switched that today.

I also turned off the verify switch. I had sort of thought before that I didn't really need to do it, but with the new tapes I just got, it seems silly.

Spooler Changes
I changed the location of the spooler on the main server. It was on the C drive, it is now on E:\spool\PRINTERS.

Symantec Error

Symatec Error
I have had the situation twice now where a user received the following message:

"The add-in 'C:\Program Files\Symantec_Antivirus\vpmsece.dll could not be installed"

From the Symantec site I did find a solution. It seems you just need to delete the extend.dat file from the c:\Documents an dSettings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook folder.