Servers, Workstations and Networks, oh MY!: Netgear PS121 Print Server - USB to LAN
I'm the only that thinks these desktop to network print server aren't bad. This is a very nice adition to any small home network or small company network. Although the cost of network printers, that is, printers that come with a built in network card have dropped, it re-asuring to know that the printers already owned by an individual or a small company that are connected via USB to a computer in the office can easily be converted to a network printer and more easiliy sharable and accesable to the other computers on the network.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Barracuda Email Spam Filter
I have to admit that I'm a fan of software based anti-spam applications versus appliance. I've used Network Associates and Symantecs software programs to block and stop spam from reaching Exchange email servers. The Barracuda spam filter is an appliance that I've installed on numerous occasions and have found that the installation is always less complicated than those applications that need to be installed directly on an email server.
For those of you that have the pleasure of having to install applications on Exchange box, you know you have to take that deep breadth and get a little psyched because as you know, anything could go wrong.
With an appliance there is much less pressure in regards of worrying that you'll lose a sever in the process. Just rack and configure ip addressing and your off. With some tweaks, the appliance is doing it's job. The one thing I absolutely do not like about this spam appliance in particular, and there could be others that don't suffer from the same lack of feature, is that it has no integration at all with Active Directory.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
VMware Boot From ISO Image
VMware-boot-from-iso-image-2
One of the nice features of VMware workstation is the feature that gives the user of the the software the ability to boot from an ISO image. This is a great feature and another display of some of the great thought put into this application.
If the computer on which VMWare workstation doesn't have a DVD player for example, the ISO image stored on the hard-drive of the host computer or on a network drive can be used to start the installation. The ISO image is read and if it's the installation media for Vista for example, the installation begins.
The guest operating system once installed and during the installation doesn't even "know" that's it's being run virtualized. This is a wonderful feature of VMWare workstation and I often find myself asking why didn't this solution come out many years ago as it's a terrific aid for testing and support of applications. With separate operating systems, virtual of course, tests can be run much easier as there's really no restore to perform or drive swapping like in the old days to bring the system back to a state for a re-test. Some issues can be resolved using RDP. RDS Gateways and Hosts use RDP and permit access to server with RDP enabled
Conferencing And Collaboration - With LiveMeeting
Microsoft LiveMeeting has a new version and some great new features to go with it.
Sign-up for a demo:
LiveMeeting Demo
Read White Paper:
Conferencing and Collaboration White Paper
Sign-up for a demo:
LiveMeeting Demo
Read White Paper:
Conferencing and Collaboration White Paper
LiveMeeting 2007 also has an Outlook add-on that allows you to send invitations in Outlook for online conferences. Microsoft LiveMetting is part of Microsoft's 365 Online Cloud application offering.
Remote support on the web is can also be found in a cloud based or Internet based access for clients and technicians. Software applications have changed so much that the cloud or SaaS providers can offer all applications that were once only found locally installed on the enterprise or small medium business network own hardware. Vitalization and multi-tenant applications and server services such as Active Directory and other services such as Microsoft Exchange email mailboxes.
Web based remote support software which began as a customer premisss installed application for computer remote control changed to a hosted solution very rapidly. Self hosted are installed applications for support still exist and flourish because the need to have a closed app, that it with no Internet access, is still la requirement in many offices which limit access to the Internet by many of their users. The most substantial difference is that once web based remote support required many firewall and router changes to be effected. That applied also to basic computer remote control access as well.
Web based remote support software which began as a customer premisss installed application for computer remote control changed to a hosted solution very rapidly. Self hosted are installed applications for support still exist and flourish because the need to have a closed app, that it with no Internet access, is still la requirement in many offices which limit access to the Internet by many of their users. The most substantial difference is that once web based remote support required many firewall and router changes to be effected. That applied also to basic computer remote control access as well.
As time went on,. there has been a lesser need to change firewalls or router configuration for Internet based remote support software to function. This has created a huge technical support industry for just supporting the technical industry. This is a form of technology supporting technology. Remote support software has made a huge difference in how small and medium businesses are supported and with cloud computing taking one more and more of the daily hardware architecture for many businesses, remote support software is the way they are supported. Cloud based hardware or IaaS, Infrustucture as a Service, is part of the cloud solutions and remote support software often is built into many of these solutions.
Although Microsoft does not characterize or market their Microsoft Meeting product as web based remote support software, the software has the ability to help people assist each other. It has screen sharing capabilities and meant for online conferencing and online meetings but the fact that remote access and computer sharing options are available, web based remote support software is a feature of the application, possible and works very well. It's would be a solution that's not only useful for online collaboration but also for technical support when needed although it's primary function and purposed is not for remote support.
Computer & Networking News and Reviews: Remote Support Software Solution
Computer & Networking News and Reviews: Remote Support Software Solution
Microsoft LiveMeeting
I had the luck to see not only a demo of Microsoft's newley updated online application for collaboration, conferencing, and support but it was used for real in a support session whilst wowrking with a client to resollve some applciation issues on one of their server.
The application was a document imaging and database application purchased in an effort to help the office go paperless and their were some issues that were being logged and tracked. After some time had elapst, the support group for the application wanted to login to the server remotely to take a look and to apply some fixes to help resolve the problem the customer was having with their desktop software.
The issue was feezing and without the use of the applciation is full force roll-out yet, this was considerably odd behavior. The computer support company logged in using Livemeeting from Microsoft and we gave them access tot he server for remote support. the software worked grweat and very quick, the support group was able to access all aspects of the server and we still maintained control of the server's desktop keyboard and mouse movements too.
Sign-up for a demo:
LiveMeeting Demo
Read White Paper:
Conferencing and Collaboration White Paper
Conferencing, Collaboration and Support
Microsoft LiveMeeting
I had the luck to see not only a demo of Microsoft's newley updated online application for collaboration, conferencing, and support but it was used for real in a support session whilst wowrking with a client to resollve some applciation issues on one of their server.
The application was a document imaging and database application purchased in an effort to help the office go paperless and their were some issues that were being logged and tracked. After some time had elapst, the support group for the application wanted to login to the server remotely to take a look and to apply some fixes to help resolve the problem the customer was having with their desktop software.
The issue was feezing and without the use of the applciation is full force roll-out yet, this was considerably odd behavior. The computer support company logged in using Livemeeting from Microsoft and we gave them access tot he server for remote support. the software worked grweat and very quick, the support group was able to access all aspects of the server and we still maintained control of the server's desktop keyboard and mouse movements too.
Sign-up for a demo:
LiveMeeting Demo
Read White Paper:
Conferencing and Collaboration White Paper
Conferencing, Collaboration and Support
Supporting Technology with Technology.
Supporting Technology with Technology
Microsoft LiveMeeting has a new version and some great new features to go with it.
Sign-up for a demo:
LiveMeeting Demo
Read White Paper:
Conferencing and Collaboration White Paper
Microsoft LiveMeeting has a new version and some great new features to go with it.
Sign-up for a demo:
LiveMeeting Demo
Read White Paper:
Conferencing and Collaboration White Paper
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Unable to open the free/busy information.
Outlook, and more so when combined with Microsoft Exchange, can surprise even a veteran administrator with the number of messages and things that could happen. A new message displayed to an average user can trigger instant change to what might be another ordinary day as a chase ensues for answers to uncommon problems.
My last post about a strange error coming from either Outlook or Exchange server was back aways here - http://remotesupportpc.blogspot.com/2007/05/calendaring-agent-failed-in-message.html . Although that was my last post, it was not a last error message displayed.
I did want to post this open a recently displayed one however. Just so it's available to any followers of my postings and maybe just to add another resource to the web for anyone searching an answer to the problem. An answer which I used myself and I know it works. It's not a re-iterated answer found in a forum where the support forum poster just copied and pasted it from another forum or site without haven actually tried the solution they are recommending themselves.
What solved this problem for me was just running outlook /cleanfreebusy. So simply, on the users computer for which you would like to chare the calendar, and have completed the steps to do so, close Outlook if it is running then start it again using the command line switch /cleanfreebusy.
This will, in almost all cases, solve the problem. Don't waste too much time checking on the Exchange server for the cause to this problem, you won't find an aswner there untill you run the simple command line option for Microsoft Outlook. I almost all cases this is a user side problem and should first be delt with on the local computer on which MS Outlook is running on.
Outlook creates some local files for the calendar and they can get "dirty" the information in the files stored ont he computer and the Exchange server are not lined up right. The calandar information needs to be refreshed. The solution for the message "unable to open the free/busy information" applies to Outlook 2000, 2002, and 2003.
In some case, for Outlook 2003, Microsoft Office service pack 1 needs to be installed.
Remember the service pack will need to be applied on the on the computer of the user for whom the calendar is being viewed or an entry is being created/modified, not for the user receiving the error.
If using Outlook 2003, take a look to see if Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Service Pack 2 (SP2) is installed for Outlook.
To determine if either SP1 or SP2 is installed on the computer:
My last post about a strange error coming from either Outlook or Exchange server was back aways here - http://remotesupportpc.blogspot.com/2007/05/calendaring-agent-failed-in-message.html . Although that was my last post, it was not a last error message displayed.
I did want to post this open a recently displayed one however. Just so it's available to any followers of my postings and maybe just to add another resource to the web for anyone searching an answer to the problem. An answer which I used myself and I know it works. It's not a re-iterated answer found in a forum where the support forum poster just copied and pasted it from another forum or site without haven actually tried the solution they are recommending themselves.
What solved this problem for me was just running outlook /cleanfreebusy. So simply, on the users computer for which you would like to chare the calendar, and have completed the steps to do so, close Outlook if it is running then start it again using the command line switch /cleanfreebusy.
This will, in almost all cases, solve the problem. Don't waste too much time checking on the Exchange server for the cause to this problem, you won't find an aswner there untill you run the simple command line option for Microsoft Outlook. I almost all cases this is a user side problem and should first be delt with on the local computer on which MS Outlook is running on.
Outlook creates some local files for the calendar and they can get "dirty" the information in the files stored ont he computer and the Exchange server are not lined up right. The calandar information needs to be refreshed. The solution for the message "unable to open the free/busy information" applies to Outlook 2000, 2002, and 2003.
In some case, for Outlook 2003, Microsoft Office service pack 1 needs to be installed.
Remember the service pack will need to be applied on the on the computer of the user for whom the calendar is being viewed or an entry is being created/modified, not for the user receiving the error.
If using Outlook 2003, take a look to see if Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Service Pack 2 (SP2) is installed for Outlook.
To determine if either SP1 or SP2 is installed on the computer:
- Start MS Outlook then click Help in the menu bar.
- From the dropdown menu, choose About Microsoft Office Outlook.
- On the top line of the About Microsoft Office Outlook window, look for SP1 or SP2.
If neither Service Pack 1 nor Service Pack 2 appears on the first line in the about window that's displayed, install SP1.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Computer Remote Support Software
Technology has become not just a part of everyday life, but has nearly consumed it for many people. People most especially effected by the technological infiltration of into all corners of life have been the computer desktop and server support professionals.
Once, during the earlier days of the transition from the non-tech every living to the days of all things technology, the requests for assistance with a technological hurdle by a co-worker were mostly confined to the the office. With the people who really were into technology taking on tech challenges after the work day completed. Most other folks who left the office would go home to their non high tech life styles and do whatever they did without the burden of clicking or touch screening or scrolling on any thing. Now, it's not just the techies who go home and tinker with high tech devices, it's a larger percent of the population.
It started with the home computer users then the casual surfers and now it's become an unstoppable train of technology that's effecting most aspects of life. It's not just the pros or business owners who can't stop working, it's all ages and types. It seems one of the most natural tendencies for humans is to interact with their own kind. To communicate to someone what they are thinking, what they are doing or planning to do. This need to communicate has gone far beyond the instant messengers, of which there are dozens, all fighting for users to slam ads into the faces of, to text messaging. This all doesn't stop on the computers as we know. Just recently in a big provider phone store, I noticed that there were no phones left that were a basic calling device. They all had cameras, video, Internet access, beautiful color screens, loads of graphics and capabilities. They are becoming more like mini computers. Traditional computers just have people stuck in one place mostly as they are to large to just slip into a pocket and go.
All the capabilities are now being stuffed into more mobile devices and they are selling with no slow down in sight. All to just satisfy the need to communicate in some fashion whether words or pictures, with someone else. Support, and remote support (briefly covered in a prior post), for these devices has changed also. Especially the mobile workers. They once had a computer that was connected to (I won't say dial-up Internet connections or dial-up connections directly to the office) but to the Internet and they someway connected into the company network and they did their work. Now remote or mobile workers have voice too on their desktops at home or wherever they're travelling (more stuff to support). Internet speeds provided by ISP providers are astonishing and almost imaginable in the early years of the Internet evolution.
Computer support mostly took place during regular business hours with the occasional call form the work-aholic from home. Now, support calls come from all directions and from many "regular" computer users. They are from the most simplest of problems to diagnose and troubleshoot to more complicated networking or application issues. Computer remote support software has changed too to match the needs of the mobile and remote work force. Once, a simple computer remote support application was installed on the computer that was located at home, and really didn't move, and the tech could just "dial-in" with computer support software and have remote control of the computer to fix the problem. The computer remote support software application was non-changing the connection didn't change much and was almost always available and the same. Now computer remote support has changed to include PDAs, tablet PCs, desktops of course, computers, towers, servers, dynamic IP addresses, static addressing, etc. It's like hitting a moving target as many users will even have more than one computer to work from. The days of computer remote support software just being on a single computer that didn't move and changed really slowly have evolved into a frenzy of quickly asserting where the person is and what's their connection speed and how to connect quickly.
Although many older users still refer to remotely connecting to computers as "dialing-in" it has come far from the ancient tones and flickering light of modems and dial-up connection times. especially when considering that a phone can have more bandwidth that the old computers once did.
Once, during the earlier days of the transition from the non-tech every living to the days of all things technology, the requests for assistance with a technological hurdle by a co-worker were mostly confined to the the office. With the people who really were into technology taking on tech challenges after the work day completed. Most other folks who left the office would go home to their non high tech life styles and do whatever they did without the burden of clicking or touch screening or scrolling on any thing. Now, it's not just the techies who go home and tinker with high tech devices, it's a larger percent of the population.
It started with the home computer users then the casual surfers and now it's become an unstoppable train of technology that's effecting most aspects of life. It's not just the pros or business owners who can't stop working, it's all ages and types. It seems one of the most natural tendencies for humans is to interact with their own kind. To communicate to someone what they are thinking, what they are doing or planning to do. This need to communicate has gone far beyond the instant messengers, of which there are dozens, all fighting for users to slam ads into the faces of, to text messaging. This all doesn't stop on the computers as we know. Just recently in a big provider phone store, I noticed that there were no phones left that were a basic calling device. They all had cameras, video, Internet access, beautiful color screens, loads of graphics and capabilities. They are becoming more like mini computers. Traditional computers just have people stuck in one place mostly as they are to large to just slip into a pocket and go.
All the capabilities are now being stuffed into more mobile devices and they are selling with no slow down in sight. All to just satisfy the need to communicate in some fashion whether words or pictures, with someone else. Support, and remote support (briefly covered in a prior post), for these devices has changed also. Especially the mobile workers. They once had a computer that was connected to (I won't say dial-up Internet connections or dial-up connections directly to the office) but to the Internet and they someway connected into the company network and they did their work. Now remote or mobile workers have voice too on their desktops at home or wherever they're travelling (more stuff to support). Internet speeds provided by ISP providers are astonishing and almost imaginable in the early years of the Internet evolution.
Computer support mostly took place during regular business hours with the occasional call form the work-aholic from home. Now, support calls come from all directions and from many "regular" computer users. They are from the most simplest of problems to diagnose and troubleshoot to more complicated networking or application issues. Computer remote support software has changed too to match the needs of the mobile and remote work force. Once, a simple computer remote support application was installed on the computer that was located at home, and really didn't move, and the tech could just "dial-in" with computer support software and have remote control of the computer to fix the problem. The computer remote support software application was non-changing the connection didn't change much and was almost always available and the same. Now computer remote support has changed to include PDAs, tablet PCs, desktops of course, computers, towers, servers, dynamic IP addresses, static addressing, etc. It's like hitting a moving target as many users will even have more than one computer to work from. The days of computer remote support software just being on a single computer that didn't move and changed really slowly have evolved into a frenzy of quickly asserting where the person is and what's their connection speed and how to connect quickly.
Although many older users still refer to remotely connecting to computers as "dialing-in" it has come far from the ancient tones and flickering light of modems and dial-up connection times. especially when considering that a phone can have more bandwidth that the old computers once did.
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