M.T.C.

Just to update the issue. M.T.C. staff technicians have come across a solution specific to Remote Desktop Services in 2008 R2. In order to properly bind the certificate to the remote desktop service the user must install the certificate correctly either via MMC or IIS or etc. and then proceed to Start>Administrative Tools>Remote Desktop Service> Remote Desktop Session host configuration. In this MMC you will have the option to physically right click the RDP connection node being used and enter its properties. Under the general tab one can choose SSL and then near the bottom there is Select button just below the words Certificate: which will allow you to choose the proper SSL cert and stop the RDS service from creating a new cert each it connects.

DHCP Options in Windows Server 2008 ( the items which the server sends and looks data for) do not always have the options needed available out of the box, but thanks to the team over at Cisco adding options have never been easier. Using an older guide which was created for Cisco IP phones that shows a user on Windows 2000 how to add new options to the server. The procedure for Server 2008 is actually the same minus the GUI/DHCP location changes.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps556/products_tech_note09186a00800942f4.shtml

When using any virtual machines that are not in the default system folder, Windows Hyper-V Management Console will have trouble taking snapshots for the VHD unless proper permissions are in place. In order to avoid broad insecure access at  minimum the folder and drive should have complete access to these accounts System, Authenticated Users, Domain Admin/Administrators. These settings should solve simple authentication issues for doing various management tasks.

This is a quick to the point summary of the different ways to add google analytics to word press, as always M.T.C. thanks those other authors and contributors to the websites we have referenced below, without you this wouldn’t be possible:

You can find information how to install the plugin linked here and the download link below that:

http://yoast.com/wordpress/google-analytics/

http://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/google-analytics-for-wordpress.zip

You can also manually add the code via the theme template editor provided in word press:

http://www.eblogtemplates.com/how-to-install-google-analytics-on-blogger/

Information Link for Google Analytics with Blogs and Overall:

http://analytics.blogspot.com/2009/06/back-to-basics-setting-up-google.html

http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66983

Happy Blogging!

Though many may not know but there is more that meets the eye to these attractive offers from ISPs that say they will give you the higher bandwidth for just that small extra fee but are you truly getting it? MTC investigates….

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have found some rather interesting news. To begin to say that ISPs are fair when it comes to providing unrestricted bandwidth would be an atrocity in itself, but we must shed some new light when it comes to true effectiveness of your homes router. ISPs may regulate certain types of traffic and may also regulate at which times to limit bandwidth, but lately we are starting to see a trend where you are theoretically able to achieve the 15 meg or 20 meg line speeds as advertised. How is this possible you say?

Even though modems (gateways) that come from ISPs are rather bulky and lacking any sense of fashion, they do achieve their goal (most of the time now-a-days) and that is to bring the ISPs network to your location at the speed advertised. The part where things become interesting is what is connected to that modem on your end is what makes all the difference in how well you are able to truly put your ISPs bandwidth availability to its limits. Routers, wireless routers, cable/modems, etc. all where designed with certain specifications that allow only a certain amount of data to pass through its processors in a given amount of time and thus yes folks that means these machines have limits and their limits are rather low.

Gateway manufacturers (people who make modems and routers) have only recently begun to included specifications that allow higher bandwidth utilization. Routers that are even termed as business sometimes do not achieve the expected results simply because the when the product was being designed those speeds where not commercially available. For example, when one compares a Linksys Business RVS4000 Gigabit router compared to a Linksys WRT320N Gigabit Wireless-N router we stark differences in what the routers are able to actually push through from its own processors. Lacking incoming speed due to massively slow security the RVS4000 ranked in a recent study as one of the slowest routers available in WAN to LAN speeds thus has no match to an overall steady WRT320N which does lack the added security features. On the contrary, the RVS4000 did score as one of the highest routers out in the market today when it comes to sending data from the Local Area Network (LAN) to Wide are Network (WAN or Internet).

Conclusion, as with all technology spend some time before you go out and spend the $100 to $300 on a new router and research what fits your needs specifically and what will utilize the speeds you have available.

One of our data centers is housing a test machine which was running some email accounts and some new pbx’s for us in Hyper Visor mode perfectly until a power loss which extended the sections UPS units beyond their capacity and thus caused a power loss. So our technicians were not to distraught thinking there should  be no big issues in restoring the test center back into action. After the systems returns online we have noticed that the box with the exchange server has vanished clearly from the Hyper-V manager screen.

The testing team panicked before assessing the situation. We recommend you to really look at the situation when it comes to dealing with Virtual Machines before applying any fixes. Our primary focus is to always backup the machines (even broken) as they are before any fixes are done. Next remember that the V-machines though dependent on each to operate correctly (file structure wise) can be rebuilt by replacing some missing pieces to a machine. Think of it this way you have lost the case and the motherboard to your computer but you still have the hard drives perfectly intact. After a simple rebuild of the machine and the correct snapshot chosen as a hard drive the test center was back online. So lesson learned before delaying a situation and panicking, we recommend to always assess your possibilities and step out of the box to see quick resolutions.

Recently, Microsoft has implemented in a new solution for VPN configuration which allows users to combat network security when traveling by accessing the network on standard HTTPS port (443). Utilizing SSL technology, server certificates are now used to ensure proper communication is occurring. After reading various online configuration guides and books available in stores, administrators will still face a rather daunting task of enabling a rather easy configuration for production use. What MTC has found is that some steps are missing to ensure that proper SSL binding is done to the machines. Thanks to technet.com we are able to provide you with a link which solve almost all common SSTP protocol problems. HAPPY VPNING!

http://blogs.technet.com/rrasblog/archive/2007/11/08/do-you-want-to-change-the-certificate-used-by-the-sstp-server-read-how.aspx

Recently we have brought into our tech labs to have tested verizon’s new extender. Combining VPN technology with broadband services, Verizon is now able to strengthen your cellphones signal while at the same time allow their own network to be extended to locations never having strong towers or access points.

After one of the most intriguing updates the new “AURA” as we here at MTC call it has graced Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 with the new release of version R2. Relative GUI improvements and some needed core restructuring/additions have substantially brought Microsoft’s server to a  more efficient server package. Stay Tuned for the latest as we dwelve into the launch and distribution.