Here are 5 things they don’t tell you about IT jobs in school.

1. School work is just scratching the surface

You can read every book in a library, or on the internet, but nothing replaces on-the-job experience. The books tell you how things are supposed to work in a perfect world, but you have a job because it’s not a perfect world. It takes getting that first job (and fumbling through the first few months) before you really start grasping all of the knowledge you learned in class.

It’s good to start small and work your way up if you are just breaking into your IT career unless you are a natural genius. What you learn in school is just scratching the surface of IT. Once you experience different scenarios and start troubleshooting issues, your level of understanding will start increasing rapidly.

2. The biggest challenge will be your users

Users are crazy and they do crazy, unthinkable things to their computers, but this is why you have a job in the first place. Don’t be upset when a user has a problem; instead use it as a learning experience and think about their experience with you. Think about the way you feel when you call HP or Dell for technical support. Think about all the things you don’t like about working with other technical support people and make sure you don’t do those things.

The most challenging part of your new IT job will be helping the users. Yes, some of the issues they call you for might seem easy to you, but the users might not be as well trained as you are. Use customer service as part of your approach as described by fellow TrainSignal author R. Louis Costley III in his article on why customer service is import in the IT industry. This is a great article and a great approach to IT.

I had the experience of working in a retail store for seven years and customer service was everything. I also found myself grading the customer service at other stores I shopped at. If you help someone have a good experience they are usually grateful of your efforts.

3. Your first job out of school won’t be your dream job

Usually we shoot for the moon and aim for the stars when it comes to the game of life, but you might not want to abide by this rule when it comes to your first IT job. If you are naturally talented then you can get any job you wish, but if you are a mortal like the rest of us, it’s good to start with a basic job that you can grow into.

A job at a small company that needs a junior network admin is a great first job. This way you can follow your network admin around and watch what he or she does on a day to day basis. Another great first job would be a help desk job taking calls and being part of the first response team. Then you can work your way into another more demanding and challenging job as you get more comfortable with your understanding of IT.

Getting a job as a network administrator right out of school might be a little too much to handle right off the bat. Starting with a basic job also gets you the critical experience to put on your resume that all employers are looking for.

4. What to expect at work

Your schooling most likely won’t tell you what to expect at work from day to day or what your daily duties will consist of. It mostly depends on the type of job you get, the type of business, and the network environment.

If you are looking to be a network admin, your daily tasks are going to be fairly similar from day to day. Some days you will get to work and have a list of fires to put out and other days will be fairly uneventful. If your servers are up and running you will likely be putting out fires with different users like resetting passwords or troubleshooting their workstation.

Other than putting out little fires, projects are a big part of a network admin’s job. Technology advances extremely fast and upgrades are almost inevitable, so you will be doing many projects to implement this new technology. Checking your backups, anti-virus, and making sure your servers are running healthy is also going to part of your daily tasks as a network admin.

5. Repetition is an IT pro’s best friend

The other big thing they don’t tell you in school is that your job in IT might be fairly repetitive. When things go haywire it is anything but repetitive, but your daily tasks are typically going to be repetitive. If you do end up with a very repetitive job and you have some downtime at work, try to learn something new every day. Study for certifications, keep up with the latest technology articles, test some beta software that could benefit your company, and keep yourself busy and interested.

This way when your boss comes to you and asks about a new technology, you can answer his or her questions with confidence. If you get too buried in your work and don’t keep up with things you can fall behind quickly so try to learn something new every day even if your job is monotonous.

Are you ready?

So do you think you are prepared for your first job in IT?

Hopefully this can shed some light on the life of an IT professional and help you make a good first job decision. School is going to give you all the ground work and foundation you will need to succeed but it’s up to you to put what you learned into action.

It might take you a couple of months on the job before you start getting your arms around all the information you learned in school. If you’re already working in IT, what are some of the other things they didn’t tell you about IT?

A couple of years ago I wrote an article on a beta software program that Microsoft was working on called Windows Live Mesh. Now the beta has ended and Microsoft has released the official version called Windows Live Mesh 2011.

Mesh allows you to synchronize files between multiple devices and the cloud using SkyDrive with 5GB of space for free. It’s similar to dropbox and other cloud backup and storage solutions.

Today we’ll take a look at how to install and configure the newest version of Live Mesh. I’ll also show you how you can remotely control the computer you have Mesh installed on.

Windows Live Mesh 2011: Installation

You need to have a Windows Live or Hotmail account and Windows Vista or Windows 7 to be able to use Windows Live Mesh 2011. Note: Windows Live is now also available for mac.

Go to http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mesh and click the download link to start the installation. The installer is actually for Windows Live Essentials, which Live Mesh is a part of, but we can choose what exactly to install.

During the beginning of the installation you will be asked what you want to install. At this point you can choose to install all of Windows Live Essentials, or choose the programs you want to install. For this example we are going to choose what we want to install – Windows Live Mesh.

Here I am going to uncheck everything except Windows Live Mesh, then click Install.

Once the installation is complete click Close. If the program doesn’t launch automatically, you can go to Start, All Programs, Windows Live, and click Windows Live Mesh.

From here you should be prompted to login with your Windows Live ID.

And this completes the installation of Windows Live Mesh 2011; now let’s move on to the configuration.

Configuring Synchronization Settings in Windows Live Mesh

Once you are logged in you can configure your sync settings for files, folders, IE favorites, and Microsoft Office styles, templates, custom dictionaries, and email signatures.

Let’s start by syncing a folder. Click on the link to sync a folder then browse to the folder you want to sync with SkyDrive. For this example I’m going to sync a folder called Test. Browse to the folder you want to sync and click Sync.

Next you will be prompted to choose where to sync your folder. We want to sync it with SkyDrive so check this option and click OK.

Now you should see the folder you selected to sync listed under Folders. You can sync as many folders as you want to, but you are limited to 5GB of storage space. More space is available for a monthly fee.

You can also turn on syncing for your IE favorites. Simply click the link to turn on syncing for your favorites.

Syncing your Microsoft Office styles, templates, custom dictionary, and email signatures is also just as easy as clicking the link to turn on syncing.

Follow these same steps for your other computers that you want to keep synchronized.

Remote Access with Windows Live Mesh

Windows Live Mesh also allows you to remotely control the computer you have Mesh installed on. Let’s turn on remote access and give it a test.

Click on the Remote tab in Windows Live Mesh. This page describes how it works and allows us to configure remote access. Turn on remote access by clicking Allow remote connections to this computer.

To remote into your computer go to www.live.com and sign in with your Windows Live ID. Hover over the Windows Live icon in the top left and choose devices.

Now you should see a list of devices you have installed Mesh on. Click Connect to this computer next to the computer you want to remote control.

When you click Connect you will be prompted to install an ActiveX control. Make sure to install this so you can connect to your pc remotely.

Once you install the plugin you should be able to remotely control your computer.

Accessing Your Documents via the Cloud using Windows Live Mesh

So how do you access your documents via the cloud? Go to www.live.com and login with your Windows Live ID. Hover over the Windows Live icon in the top left corner and choose SkyDrive.

Then click View synced folders.

Now you should see all of the folders you are synchronizing with Windows Live Mesh. In this example we only have one folder called Test.

From here you can manage all of your files that are being synced. This makes it really easy to access your important documents from anywhere via a web browser.

How does Windows Live Mesh Compare to Similar Products?

Live Mesh is very similar to Dropbox but has the added feature that allows you to remotely control your computers. This is a great benefit in case you don’t have the file you need synchronized with Mesh but the file is on your computer at home or at the office.

There might be other scenarios where you need to run a proprietary program on your computer at the office or at home. Now you can use Live Mesh to remotely control your computers and run the programs you need to from the PC you want.

Live Mesh also has a version available for Macs and features available for Windows phones.

Mesh is a fairly competitive rival of Dropbox and could be considered better because of these additional features and functionalities. I’m sure as cloud computing becomes more and more popular, there will be other alternatives that pop up as well.

What other types of cloud synchronization programs are out there that you like to use?

What do you like about them?

So what do you do? Not to worry, you can join a Mac to your Windows domain and today I’m going to show you how it’s done. Let’s walk through joining Snow Leopard to a Windows Server 2008 domain.

Setting Network and User Options on a Mac

Windows domains rely on DNS for Active Directory to work correctly so the first thing we need to do is set a static DNS address on your Mac. We need to use the IP address of your Windows domain controller for this setting. From your dock open System Preferences or click the Apple in the top left corner and choose System Preferences. Now click Network to open your network settings.

Now you should be at your Network settings screen.

By default your network adapter is set to DHCP. Depending on the network connection you are going to use you will need to change this setting to Manually.

Keep in mind if you are setting a static address on your Mac and you take it to another network you might need to change this setting back to DHCP. I would suggest using the wired or Ethernet connection for your static address and use the wireless for DHCP. In this example I am setting a static address on the Ethernet connection.

My Windows domain controller has an IP address of 192.168.1.172 so I will put this in the DNS section. I’m setting my IP address to 192.168.1.171 for this example. Fill in your IP address, subnet, gateway, and DNS according to your network settings.

Click the back button to go back to System Preferences and choose Accounts

Click the Lock to make changes to these settings. Then click the Join button next to Network Account Server

Now click the Open Directory Utility button

You should now be at the Directory Utility; click the Lock to make changes. Then make sure Active Directory is checked, highlight it, and then click the Pencil to edit this setting.

Here you can enter your domain information and computer ID. For this example the domain is hq.test.us and the computer ID is Mac. The computer ID is the computer name that will show up in Active Directory once the Mac is joined to the domain.

Click the arrow to Show Advanced Options. This gives you 3 extra options you can configure. To keep it simple I usually leave these settings default except for the Administrative section. Click the Administrative button and enter the IP address or the FQDN of your domain controller in the Prefer this domain server section. For this example I used the IP address of my domain controller 192.168.1.172. You can also specify groups that are allowed administration privileges.

Now click the Bind button and you will be prompted for credentials. Enter your domain administrator username and password and click OK.

You should see it progress through steps 1-5 as you are authenticated and joined to the domain.

Now you should be joined to the domain and the Bind button changes to Unbind.

Click OK and then click Apply in the Directory Utility window. Then close the Directory Utility. Now you should be back at the Accounts window. Note the green dot and domain name next to Network account server.

Logging In with Windows Credentials on Your Mac

Now you should be able to login to the Mac with your Windows domain credentials. Log off the current user you are logged in with. When you get back to the login screen choose Other.

Now enter your Windows domain credentials.

That should get you logged into the computer with your domain credentials. So now what? How do you access the files on the server?

We will need to map drives to the shared folders on the server so you can access the files. From Finder click Go then click Connect to Server. Since Mac uses SMB we need to use this syntax: smb://servername/share then click Connect.

Note that you will not be prompted for credentials to connect because we are logged in with our domain account. You can also connect to Windows shared folders with the same syntax and a username and password if your Mac is not joined to the domain.

Mac on Windows Domain: Is it Worth it?

Now I bet you’re wondering, is this worth it?

This process is not for the faint of heart and can get tricky depending on your environment. There can be issues with joining Macs to a .local domain and there can also be reverse DNS issues to be aware of. With these things in mind, there are definitely some things to consider before joining your Mac to a Windows domain.

Some may wonder what the benefits of joining s Mac to a Windows domain would bring. It mostly helps with accessing files on your Windows server without authenticating every time. It also helps with user account management and alleviates the need to have separate user accounts on the local Mac computer and on the Windows domain.

In my opinion, if you have a mobile Mac user with a laptop you probably wouldn’t join it to your domain, but would instead authenticate when needed. If you have Mac desktop computers and multiple users logging into them and using them daily, joining them to the domain is probably a better solution. Overall it’s up to you how you want to configure it but hopefully this gives you a good baseline to start with.

What other benefits can you think of for joining a Mac to a Windows domain? What other solutions are there for Windows organizations that use Macs?

Mesh is an online desktop that is synchronized with your other computing devices including your PC, Mac, and even your Windows Mobile phone. Mesh even allows you to remotely control your PC using remote desktop through your web browser.

So How Does Live Mesh Work?

Mesh works by installing a small piece of client software on your computer that synchronizes your files with your online desktop. You can have it sync to multiple computing devices, but as of now you are limited to 5GB of space.

Also, you can specify the folders on your computer you want it to sync with your online desktop. This will make these files available via a web browser and your Live Desktop.

Windows Live Mesh is still in beta testing for some of its full functionality. I’d also bet, if it catches on and people like it, we might even be able to install applications to the online desktop once beta testing has ended.

Getting Started with Windows Live Mesh

First we need to go to mesh.com and login with your Windows Live ID. If you don’t have a Windows Live ID you will need to create one to continue.

Also, make sure you are using Internet Explorer as some of the plug-ins don’t function properly in other browsers yet.

Once you have created your Windows Live ID and signed in to Windows Live Mesh you should now be at your online desktop.

Here you can add new devices to sync with and you can also upload files to your online desktop.

Let’s start by adding a computer to sync with. Click on the orange Add button, choose your operating system, and then click Install.

This will start the installation process for Windows Live Mesh.

Then you will be prompted to enter your Windows Live ID and password into Mesh. I also like to check the 3 boxes underneath to Remember me, Remember my Password, and Sign me in automatically.

Now give it a friendly name so you can recognize it easily. You can use something like “home PC” or “work PC”.

Synchronizing Files and Folders with Windows Live Mesh

Now that we have everything installed, let’s start synchronizing some of your important files and folders. The easiest way to sync a folder is to right click the folder you want to sync, and choose Sync with Live Mesh. In this example I’m using a folder called “Stuff” on my desktop.

You can also expand the synchronization options by clicking the down arrow in the bottom left corner of the window. This allows you to control how the folder you created synchronizes with your devices.

The folder will turn a light blue color to let you know it is a folder that syncs with Live Mesh.

Now any file or folder you add to the “Stuff” folder will automatically upload to your online desktop.

Accessing Your Live Mesh Files from a Web Browser

We have a folder setup to synchronize to our online desktop, so now what? How can you access these files remotely?

It’s pretty easy… open Internet Explorer and login to mesh.com with your Windows Live ID we setup in the previous steps.

Once you login you should see all your devices and your Live Desktop. Click Live Desktop to view your synchronized folders.

Here you will see what looks and acts similar to a Windows Vista operating system and your Live Folders.

As you will notice the “Stuff” folder we created earlier is on my Live Desktop. Open the folder you created earlier and look at the files that it synchronized.

You can add other folders to your Live Desktop but the limit right now is 5GB as it is still in beta testing.

Remotely Controlling your PC with Windows Live Mesh

Windows Live Mesh allows you to also remote into your computer using a web browser. While logged into your Live Mesh account, click Devices from the top buttons. This will take you to your home screen with your devices and Live Desktop.

Click the computer you want to remotely control and click Connect.

The first time you connect you will be prompted to install an ActiveX Control on your computer. If you don’t allow this to install, you will be unable to remote into your PC. Click on the Information Bar and choose Install ActiveX Control.

You also might be prompted a second time to install the plug-in.

Now you should be remotely controlling your computer just as if you were sitting in front of it.

What’s Next for Windows Live Mesh?

As I mentioned above, Windows Live Mesh is still in beta testing for now and has its limitations. Pretty soon you will be able to install Mesh on your Mac, and on your Windows Mobile Phone. I’d also like to see applications run in Mesh through the web browser, just as if you were using your computer.

Applications like Office would be great to see in Mesh. Even better would be a full screen mode that fills your screen for easier usability.

Keep your eyes peeled on this new technology from Microsoft as it makes its way mainstream. More storage, more synchronizations options, and applications running on your Live Desktop should be coming very soon as they get prepared to launch Windows 7.

I recently had a client call me after they installed updates and rebooted their server. They noticed after the reboot that there was a message that said “Active Directory is rebuilding indices. Please wait”.

Their Active Directory database had become corrupted from the updates. So what do you do? How can you restore AD?

Let’s talk about how to backup AD in Windows Server 2008 and how to restore it. Today I’ll show you:

• what you need to do to get your Server 2008 ready for backup
• how to backup Active Directory on Server 2008
• how to perform an Authoritative Restore of Active Directory
• how to perform Active Directory Snapshots

Prerequisites: Getting Server 2008 Ready for Backup

Before you can backup Server 2008 you need to install the backup features from the Server Manager.

1. To install the backup features click Start → Server Manager.

 

2. Next click Features → Add Features

 

3. Scroll to the bottom and select both the Windows Server Backup and the Command Line Tools

 

4. Click Next, then click Install

Backing up Server 2008 Active Directory

Now that we have the backup features installed we need to backup Active Directory. You could do a complete server backup, but what if you need to do an authoritative restore of Active Directory?

As you’ll notice in Server 2008, there isn’t an option to backup the System State data through the normal backup utility.

 

So what do we do? We need to go “command line” to backup Active Directory.

1. Open up your command prompt by clicking Start and type “cmd” and hit enter.

2. In your command prompt type “wbadmin start systemstatebackup -backuptarget:e:” and press enter.

Note: You can use a different backup target of your choosing

3. Type “y” and press enter to start the backup process.

 

When the backup is finished running you should get a message that the backup completed successfully. If it did not complete properly you will need to troubleshoot.

 

Now you have a system state backup of your 2008 Server!

Authoritative Restore of Active Directory

So now what if you accidentally delete an OU, group, or a user account and it’s already replicated to your other servers? We will need to perform an authoritative restore of the Active Directory object you accidentally deleted.

1. To do this you will need to boot into DSRM (Directory Services Restore Mode) by restarting your server and pressing F8 during the restart.

2.Choose Directory Services Restore Mode from the Advanced Boot menu.

 

3. Login to your server with your DSRM password you created during Active Directory installation.

4. Once you’re logged into your server and in DSRM safe mode, open a command prompt by clicking Start, type “cmd“, and press enter.

5. To make sure you restore the correct backup it’s a good idea to use the “wbadmin get versions” command and write down the version you need to use.

 

6. Now we need to perform a non-authoritative restore of Active Directory by typing “wbadmin start systemstaterecovery -version:04/14/2009-02:39“.

Note: The version of backup will vary depending on your situation. Type “y” and press enter to start the non authoritative restore.

7. Go grab some coffee and take a break while the restore completes.

 

8. You can mark the sysvol as authoritative by adding the –authsysvol switch to the end of the wbadmin command.

 

9. But if you want to restore a specific Active Directory object then you can use the ever familiar ntdsutil.

For this example we are going to restore a user account with a distinguished name of CN=Test User,CN=Users,DC=home,DC=local. So the commands would be:

ntdsutil
activate instance ntds
authoritative restore
restore object “cn=Test User,cn=Users,dc=home,dc=local”

Note: The quotes are required

 

10. Reboot your server into normal mode and you’re finished. The object will be marked as authoritative and replicate to the rest of your domain.

Using Active Directory Snapshots

There is a really cool new feature in Windows Server 2008 called Active Directory Snapshots. Volume Shadow Copy Service now allows us to take a snapshot of Active Directory as a type of backup. They are very quick to create and serve as another line of defense for your backup strategy.

With your server booted into normal mode open a command prompt by clicking Start, type “cmd“, and press enter.

We are going to use the ntdsutil again for creating the Active Directory snapshots. The commands are:

ntdsutil
snapshot
activate instance ntds
create
quit
quit

So now that you have a snapshot of AD, how do you access the data? First we need to mount the snapshot using ntdsutil. The commands are:

ntdsutl
snapshot
list all
mount 1 — (Note: You should mount the correct snapshot you need; for this example there is only 1.)
quit
quit

Your snapshot is mounted, but how do you access the data? We need to use the dsamain command to accomplish this. Then we need to select an LDAP port to use. The command is as follows:

dsamain –dbpath c:\$SNAP_200905141444_VOLUMEC$\WINDOWS\NTDS\ntds.dit –ldapport 10001

The result should look like this:

 

Now we need to go to Start, Administrative Tools, then Active Directory Users and Computers.

Right click Active Directory Users and Computers and select Change Domain Controller.

 

In the area that says < Type a Directory Server name [:port] here > enter the name of your server and the LDAP port you used when running the dsamain command.

For my example it would be: WIN-V22UWGW0LU8.HOME.LOCAL:10001

 

Now you can browse the snapshot of Active Directory without affecting anything else negatively.

Your AD Backup Strategy

It’s always good to have a solid backup plan for your Active Directory. You can use a combination of backup strategies or just one of these methods for backing up your Active Directory.

Make sure you tailor your Active Directory backup strategy to meet your company’s needs and make it easy to recover if disaster does strike.

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/backup-and-restore-active-directory-on-windows-server-2008/feed 6 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/share-files-between-mac-and-pc http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/share-files-between-mac-and-pc#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 15:13:25 +0000 Eric English /?p=4820 Macs are becoming more and more prevalent, and there can be times when you need to be able to share files between your Mac and your PC.

As a follow up to my articles on setting up a small home network, let’s talk about sharing files between Leopard and Vista. Today we’ll discuss accessing shared files from the Mac, and from the PC.

Configuring Sharing in Vista

First we need to make sure file sharing is turned on in Vista. To check your settings click Start, type “network and sharing center” and press Enter.

You should now be at the Network and Sharing Center.

Make sure you have the File Sharing option turned on.

Now we need to figure out what folder we want to share or create a new shared folder. Open Computer and browse to where you would like your file share to be. Create a new folder and give it a name.

Right click on the new folder and select Share.

That will take you to the File Sharing window. Select the users you want to share with and click Share.

When you are finished, write down the path to your file share as you will need this so you can access your shared files. In my example the path is \\VISTA64\Windows File Share.

So now you have a shared folder setup on your PC. Let’s move on to configuring your sharing options in Leopard.

Configuring Sharing in Leopard

Believe it or not, Macs and PCs play together pretty well on the same network. There can be some issues from time to time but for the most part they work pretty well together. Our PC is setup and ready to go, so let’s get the Mac configured for file sharing.

From the Apple menu, click System Preferences

Then click Sharing

Check the box to turn on File Sharing. Also take note of the path that it gives to access the files. For this example the path is: afp://192.168.1.111 or browse for “Eric Mac”.

You can add folders to share by clicking the plus sign under Shared Folders. So let’s create a new folder for sharing. Open Finder, and browse to where you would like the share to be. Create a new folder and give it a name.

Let’s add the folder to be shared by clicking the plus sign under Shared Folders. Browse to your newly created folder and click Add.

Now we need to enable SMB for easier file sharing for Windows computers. Click the Options button, and then check the box Share files and folders using SMB. You might be prompted for your password. Close this window when you’re done.

You can set specific permissions for the folders and for each specific user, but it’s probably easier in a home environment to give the Everyone group read and write access. To do this, click the up and down arrows next to Everyone and select Read & Write.

Now your Mac should be configured for file sharing.

So what’s next? Let’s work on connecting to our Mac from Vista and vice versa — connecting to our PC from Leopard.

Connecting to a Mac Share from Vista

To connect to our new Mac shared folder we need to click Start → Computer.

In the address bar type the path to your Mac file share but instead of using afp:// just use \\. For example, my address is afp://192.168.1.111 but I type in: \\192.168.1.111.

Now you can access the shared folders on your Mac. So how do you access the shared folders on your PC from the Mac?

Connecting to a Windows Share from Leopard

You’re now be able to connect to your Mac share from your Windows PC, so let’s discuss how to access your Windows file shares from your Mac.

In this example I’m using Leopard but the steps should be fairly similar for earlier versions; both operating systems use SMB for file sharing.

From the Go menu click Connect to Server.

Now we need to refer back to the notes we made when creating the Windows file share. We need to use the path for the share we created earlier or to another shared folder you want to access. For this example the server address is smb://vista64/windows file share. Enter the path to your shared folder and click Connect.

Now you have successfully connected to your Windows file share from your Mac!

Other Options

There is another option you can use when sharing files between PCs and Macs. You can purchase a network storage device or NAS and set it up on your network for file sharing. Most of these devices are formatted in FAT32 straight out of the box. FAT32 is compatible with both PCs and Macs so that makes it a fairly quick setup.

What other ways can you share files between your PC and your Mac?

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/share-files-between-mac-and-pc/feed 48 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-small-home-network-part-2 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-small-home-network-part-2#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:30:38 +0000 Eric English /?p=4486 Last time we went over the steps to setting up and securing your home network. We talked about home networking equipment and the step by step process of setting up, configuring and securing your small home network.

Today we’ll finish off with setting up a network printer — I’ll show you how to connect a wired and a wireless printer on your network.

We’ll end with setting up file sharing between the computers on your network — I’ll show you how to setup a workgroup, configure your network location and configure sharing options.

Printing on Your Small Home Network

There are several ways to setup printing on a small home network. Today we will discuss printing to a network printer, wired or wireless.

When you purchase your printer make sure you can connect it to your network via a cable, or make sure it’s wireless. Most new printers these days have networking capabilities.

I’m going to give a broad description on how to setup a network printer so hopefully it can apply to more than one type. Let’s get started!

Our network address is still the Linksys default of 192.168.1.0 so we will need to set an IP address on our printer in this range. Something to consider is your DHCP scope of 192.168.1.100-192.168.1.150. Make sure you don’t set your printer to an IP address in this range to avoid having duplicate IP addresses on your network. The DHCP scope can be changed to a different range if you like, and the scopes vary on different types of routers. Make sure to refer to your router web interface or router documentation for these settings.

 

  • Connecting a Wired Printer to Your Network

If your printer is a wired printer, connect it to one of the open switch ports on the back your router. Usually you can set the IP address using the display and the keypad on the printer. Instead, let’s print a configuration page and check to see if it picked up DHCP address.

Most printers are set to DHCP by default fresh out of the box. Once you find the IP address it obtained automatically, we need to enter that into our web browser so we can access the web interface of the printer. This will really simplify the configuration process.

Once you get to the web interface look for the network settings or TCP/IP settings page. Given our network addressing let’s use these IP settings:

IP Address: 192.168.1.20
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS: 192.168.1.1

Once you save your settings you will need to connect to the new IP address in your browser if you need to make more changes.

 

  • Connecting a Wireless Printer to Your Network

If you have a wireless printer you will need to get the key or passphrase you wrote down earlier when we setup the wireless security. At this point you will need to use the display and keypad on the printer to connect it to your wireless network.

Look for “wireless settings”, or something similar, and enter your key or passphrase. Once you are connected it’s always easiest to log into the web interface of the printer.

Print a configuration page after you connect to the wireless network, and enter the IP address into your web browser. Look for the Network Settings or TCP/IP settings and use the same addressing as above.

Now your printer has a static IP address of 192.168.1.20. With network printers, it’s always good to use a static IP address to avoid printing issues. If the printer gets a new DHCP address you could have issues connecting to your printer.

 

  • Connecting Your Computers to Your Network Printer

Now all you need to do is add the printer to your computers. You can use the setup disk that came with the printer to install it, and when it asks for the printer’s IP address enter 192.168.1.20.

Here is a Microsoft article on how to connect to a network printer in Vista — click the link “To connect to a network printer” for details.

 

 

Sharing Files on Your Small Home Network

File sharing has become easier in Windows Vista in comparison to XP. Let’s discuss how to configure file and printer sharing in Windows Vista for your home environment. We need to do the following three things to properly configure file sharing:

1. First we need to set all computers to the same workgroup name.
2. Vista gives options for your network location such as public and private. We will need to configure this correctly for sharing to work as expected.
3. Now we need to enable the different file and printer sharing features and options.

 

  • Setting up a Workgroup for File Sharing

Let’s start with setting the workgroup name in Windows Vista.

1. Right click on Computer and select Properties.

 

2. This will take you to the System window. Look for the section called “Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings” and click on Change Settings from this area.

 

3. Now you should be at the System Properties window. While on the Computer Name tab click Change.

 

4. This will take you to the Computer Name/Domain Changes window. At the bottom of this window is your workgroup name. The default is Workgroup — you can leave it at this but I’d recommend changing it to something else.

I’m going to name mine “Eric Home”. Also, check to make sure your computer name is unique. If you have a computer with the same name on your network it can cause issues.

After you change the workgroup you will be prompted to restart.

 

5. Change the workgroup setting to the same thing on all other computers on your network that you will be sharing files with.

 

  • Configuring Your Network Location for File Sharing

Now we need to configure the network location. There are usually 3 options for your network location: Domain, Public, and Private.

The type of network we are setting up is a private network.

 
1. To change this setting open the Network and Sharing Center by clicking Start, and typing “network and sharing center”.

Alternately you can go to Control Panel, then click Network and Sharing Center.

 

2. Look at the Network section and make sure it’s set to Private.

If not, click Customize next to the Network section. That will take you to the Set Network Location window. Set the Network type to Private, click Next, then Close.

 

 

  • Configuring Sharing Options

Now we need to configure file and printer sharing options. These options are also located in the Network and Sharing Center.

With this window open look at the Sharing and Discovery section. There is a down arrow next to each item that allows you to configure the different options. There is also a green light next to each item if it is enabled.

1. Click the down arrow next to File Sharing. Make sure it is turned on.

 

2. If you have a USB printer attached to your computer you can enable printer sharing so network users can print to your USB printer. After you enable printer sharing you will need to share your printer.

3. Password protected sharing is the biggest thing to look at because with this feature enabled you need to have a username and password to connect to your shared folders or shared printers.

You can also have the same user account and password on both computers and leave this option turned on. If you don’t want to enter a username and password when connecting to shared folders turn this option off.

 

4. Now that we have all that stuff configured it’s time to find the folder we want to share. Navigate to the folder you want to share right click it, and choose Share.

 

5. This will take you to the file sharing window. Choose all the people you want to share with then click Share. In this example I picked “Everyone” from the drop down list.

 

6. Now your folder is shared. Write down the path to the shared folder. In this example the path is \\VISTA64\Shared Folder.

 

7. Now go to your other computer and click Start, and type the path to the shared folder that you wrote down on the last step.

For this example: \\VISTA64\Shared Folder. That should take you right to the shared folder you created.

Alternately you can click Start, and then click Network.

 

8. Find your other computer by name and double click it.

 

This should list all of the shared folders and printers on that computer.

 

 

Sharing Folders and Printers in XP and NAS

Sharing folders and printers in XP is similar to Vista but there are a few differences to be aware of.

Here is a link on how to setup folder and printer sharing in XP.

Another idea for file sharing is a NAS drive (Network Attached Storage Drive) that you can connect to your network and use as a file share. A NAS drive works well when using PCs and Macs that both need to share files between each other. This is because most NAS drives are formatted in FAT32 which is recognized by both Windows and Mac.

 

Now You’re Cooking With Gas!

Now you should have a pretty good grasp of how to setup a small home network. Your network can vary in size and types of devices — you can even connect your iPhone or PDA.

I hope this will serve you as a broad overview and a guide to follow when setting up your own home network.

What else would you add to your home network?

 

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-small-home-network-part-2/feed 7 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-small-home-network-part-1 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-small-home-network-part-1#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:00:37 +0000 Eric English /?p=4330 Have you ever wanted to print and share files at home? Ever wanted to know how to setup a wireless router?

It’s really not that hard. Let’s talk about how to setup a home network and what equipment you might need.

Home networks can vary drastically, so you can design yours according to your needs. In this example we will setup a Linksys wireless router, a network printer, and file sharing between 2 computers.

 

Home Networking Equipment

Basic equipment we will need to setup our home network:

• Wireless Router
• Wireless/Wired Network Printer
• Laptop computer (with XP/Vista)
• Desktop computer (with XP/Vista)
• Network Cables
• NAS Drive (Optional)

Some equipment can be personal preference such as the brand of printer or router you purchase. We will use a Linksys wireless router for this example.

 

Home Network Setup — First Things First

We are going to start with the setup of the wireless router because it will create the framework of our network.

1. First, you will need to physically connect the router to power and to your Internet connection using the instructions provided with the router. To do this, connect a network cable to your DSL/Cable modem.

 

2. Connect the other end to the WAN/Internet port on the back of the router.

 

3. You can now plug in your Desktop PC to one of the 4 switch ports on the back of the router using a network cable. You can use any of the 4 switch ports; there isn’t a magical port that is better than the others.

 

4. Now you need to verify that your Desktop PC has an IP address and is properly connected to the router.

• To do this in Vista, click Start, type “cmd“, and press Enter
• To do this in XP click Start, Run, and type “cmd“.

5. A command prompt window will appear. Type “ipconfig” and press Enter. This will display the IP configuration for all of your network adapters on your computer.

 

6. The default IP address range for Linksys routers is usually 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.255. If your computer shows an IP address in this range and a default gateway of 192.168.1.1, then you should be good to go.

Note: These settings are usually the default on Linksys routers. Check the documentation for your router for the correct IP address ranges.

 

 

Securing Your Home Network

When you take a wireless router out of the box and hook it up, there is absolutely no security or encryption setup on the wireless network.

You want to secure your wireless network and change the default admin password for the router as soon as you can. This will prevent unauthorized access to your Internet connection and your home network.

Most routers come with a setup disk and they can be helpful but are not always needed. I will show you how to setup the router without running the CD included with the router.

1. Open your web browser and type http://192.168.1.1 and press Enter.

 

2. This will take you to a logon prompt. The typical default username/password combination for Linksys routers is no username and “admin” as the password.

Note: Again, check your documentation that came with the router for the correct username and password for your router.

 

3. Now you should be at the setup screen for your router. You can modify just about any settings of your router by clicking through the different configuration tabs.

We want to focus mostly on securing the wireless network and changing the default admin password. To change the wireless settings click on the Wireless tab.

 

4. Now click on Wireless Security. Here you can select the type of encryption you want to use, and also set the key or passphrase.

WPA2 is the latest and greatest wireless security at the moment so I recommend using it when possible. Make sure to write down your wireless key or passphrase and save your settings when you are done.

 

5. Now let’s change the default password for the router. Click on the Administration tab, and make sure you are under the Management section.

Here you can change the default password for your router.

Note: You will need to log in with the new password after you save your settings.

 

 

But Wait … There’s More!

That’s all for today! Congratulations! You’re successfully setup your home network and secured it.

In my next article I’ll show you the steps to setup printing on your home network and setup file sharing between your desktop and laptop computers. Stay tuned!

 

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-setup-a-small-home-network-part-1/feed 15 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/the-best-way-to-troubleshoot-computers-and-networks http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/the-best-way-to-troubleshoot-computers-and-networks#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:35:36 +0000 Eric English /?p=4261 So what is the best way to troubleshoot computers and/or networks? I think everyone has their own strategy for troubleshooting, but what if you’re new to IT and don’t know where to start?

Well, it’s time to bust out your books from school and start putting the theory you learned to good use. Do you remember learning about the OSI model and the 7 layers? Let’s see how you can use the OSI model or a custom strategy to help you troubleshoot your computers and/or network.

 

Troubleshooting with the OSI Model

The OSI Model is a way of dividing network framework into 7 layers to help create a visual model of networking and protocols. Each layer has its own function and supports the layer under it and/or above it. From top to bottom the layers are:

• Application
• Presentation
• Session
• Transport
• Network
• Data-link
• Physical

When troubleshooting, it’s best to start from the top or the bottom and work your way through the layers.

For instance, if you notice that a cable is unplugged while you are troubleshooting, you want to start at the physical layer and work your way up. If the user reports they have a problem with a Word document you probably want to start at the Application layer.

 

Layered Troubleshooting

 

• Application Layer

This layer is used as a means of communication between the operating system, the application, and the end user. So basically how programs talk to your operating system.

An example of this could be a program that doesn’t function like it normally would, or if you get error messages when you run your program, or maybe it won’t let you save your work. This would be an application layer issue and that is where you should start your troubleshooting efforts.

Some of the protocols used at this layer are SMB, FTP, AFP, TELNET, SMTP, and DNS.

• Presentation Layer

The Presentation layer is used to create a standard for communication between the application and network formats. In other words, this is the translator.

This layer handles encryption, data compression and a few other things. An example of this layer is your wireless router at home using WEP, WPA or another type of encryption. The Presentation layer is translating the encryption on your wireless network.

• Session Layer

The Session layer is used to create and manage sessions across a network.

An example of this would be Remote Desktop. If a user reported they were unable to connect to your application server using Remote Desktop, then you might want to start your efforts at this layer.

NetBIOS and RPC are some of the protocols used on this layer.

• Transport Layer

Think of the Transport layer as a taxi driver. His or her job is to get you where you need to go and to make sure you arrive safely.

The Transport layer provides flow control and error handling on a network. Like the taxi driver making sure you arrive safely, the Transport layer makes sure that all transmissions were successful. If you get into a wreck in the taxi, that’s an error by the taxi driver!

The Transport layer also makes sure that all packets and transmissions are error free. Some of the protocols used on this layer are TCP, NetBIOS, RARP, ARP, and NetBEUI.

• Network Layer

This layer handles network addressing and routing. It translates IP addresses into MAC addresses, or computer names to MAC addresses. In a nutshell you would be troubleshooting mostly routers on the Network layer.

• Data-link Layer

The Data-Link layer is used to turn packets into bits, and vice versa. This layer also transmits data across a physical network link. Common devices on this layer are hubs, switches, NICs, and bridges.

• Physical Layer

I personally start at the physical layer most of the time because that is where I tend to find the majority of the issues. "The cleaning person knocked a cable lose" or "I moved my tower to the other side of my desk".

The physical layer includes making a physical connection, physical cabling, or even a radio link.

It is good to be familiar with the OSI model and what protocols and equipment work on each layer. This helps you troubleshoot the root of the problem and gives you a very logical approach to troubleshooting.

 

Other Troubleshooting Methods

That’s just one of the ways to troubleshoot your computers or networks, but there are many other ways to go about it. How about making up your own troubleshooting steps for your specific environment?

Here are some ideas for your own troubleshooting steps.

1. Figure out the real problem — This always seems to elude IT people when getting phone calls from users. "My computer is broken" or "My printer doesn’t print" are the typical issues users report, so digging around for clues to figure out more information is always a good idea. We need to get as much information from the users as possible so that we can determine the point of failure.
2. Create a plan to resolve the problem — Now that we have more info from the users we can move forward and create a plan of action. Decide the best ways to go about implementing your plan of action and make sure to explore all possibilities to come up with the best solution.
3. Implement — This is where the rubber meets the road and you will need to put you plan into action.
4. Revisit and revise — Revisit the user after implementing your strategy and make sure the issue is resolved. If not, revise your plan of action accordingly.
5. Document — Document the final resolution for the issue for future reference.

 

Conclusion

There are many different ways to troubleshoot your computers and networks. You can use the 7 layer approach or create your own way of troubleshooting. There might even be a separate way of troubleshooting for your specific environment.

What other ways can you think of to troubleshoot computers and networks?

 

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/the-best-way-to-troubleshoot-computers-and-networks/feed 2 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-backup-vista-with-the-new-backup-utility http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-backup-vista-with-the-new-backup-utility#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:00:41 +0000 Eric English /?p=3911 Remember the old days of using NTBackup to backup your computer? It had its pros and cons, but nonetheless it got the job done.

Ever wish it had a way to backup your whole computer instead of just individual files? With Vista’s new Backup Utility you can make a complete PC backup, and/or backup individual files.

The old utility seemed incomplete and I always ended up purchasing something like Norton Ghost, Veritas, or Acronis to make a backup. Why wasn’t the built in backup utility a more robust program? After all, backing up your computer is essential.

In the new backup utility, Microsoft has simplified the interface and made backing up your computer much easier.

Today I’ll show you step-by-step how to:

• Setup automatic file backup on your computer
• Restore your files from an automatic backup
• Perform a complete PC backup
• Restore your complete PC backup

Setting up Automatic File Backup

1. To start Vista Backup Status and Configuration click Start, type “backup status” and press Enter.

Alternately you can navigate to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and click Backup Status and Configuration.

The Backup Status and Configuration window will appear.

2. Click “Setup automatic file backup” and then click Continue when you receive the UAC prompt.

3. Now we need to specify where to backup your files. We can back them up to a portable hard drive, CD, DVD, or to your network.

In this example I will setup a backup to a network share. So click “On a network” and enter the path to the shared folder.

4. Next, we need to specify which types of files to backup. Note: the backup utility can only backup files on NTFS disks and doesn’t backup system files, executable files, and temporary files.

5. How often should this backup run? It depends on your scenario but for most people a weekly backup is sufficient.

If you are a musician, artist, or create tons of new documents daily, then a daily backup might be better suited for you. When you are done selecting the frequency of the backup, click “Save settings and start backup“.

6. The backup will start searching the computer for file types we specified, and then add them to the backup. Sit back and relax or grab a cup of coffee while the backup runs. When it is finished you will see this message.

Now your automatic backup is set and you have a fresh backup of your files.

Restoring Files from Automatic Backup

1. So now that you have a backup, how do you restore a file? With the Backup Status and Configuration window open, click Restore Files from the left pane.

Here you can choose to do an Advanced Restore which allows you to restore files from a backup created by a different computer or restore files for all users of your computer.

You can also do a regular restore from a backup made by your computer. We are going to do a basic restore for this example, so click Restore files.

2. Now we need to select which backup to restore from, the newest backup or an older backup. For this example we’re going to restore from the newest backup. Click Next.

3. This is where we select which files or folders to restore. Click Add files to see the list of files you can restore.

4. Highlight the files you want to add to the restore and click Add.

Note: You can also add folders to restore if you need to restore the entire Documents folder, for example. There is a built in search feature as well if you don’t remember where the file is.

When you are done selecting the files and folders you want to restore click Next.

5. Do you want to restore the files to their original location or to a different location? For this example we’re going to restore files to their original location.

Click Start restore to begin the restoration process.

6. Click Finish when the restore has completed.

How to Perform a Complete PC Backup

So you have a backup of your files, but what about all the programs you have installed? No one wants the arduous task of reinstalling all of their programs after a hard drive dies and you’ve reinstalled your operating system.

How can we backup everything including the operating system, programs, and files? Easy — with the new Complete PC Backup option. Here are the steps.

1. Plug in your backup drive or get your blank DVDs ready. Open Backup Status and Configuration by clicking Start, typing “backup status” and pressing Enter.

When the Backup Status and Configuration window appears, click Complete PC Backup.

2. The above window shows if your PC has been backed up using the Complete PC Backup. As you can see, my computer has not been backed up.

To start the Complete PC Backup, click “Create a backup now“.

And click Continue when you receive the UAC prompt.

3. Now we need to select where to save the backup. A USB hard drive or another internal hard drive is preferable, but if you don’t have any extra hard drives you can use DVDs.

Select where you want to save your backup and click Next.

4. Double check the backup settings to make sure they are correct. If everything looks correct, click Start Backup.

Your PC will start the backup and you can sit back and relax.

Restoring Your Complete PC Backup

Now that you have your Complete PC Backup, you have a copy of your entire computer with all of your programs and settings. So what do you do if your hard drive crashes and you need to restore this Complete PC Backup?

1. After you replace the bad hard drive get your original Vista media disks. Boot from your Vista CD/DVD and wait for the first menu. Select your language and click Next. Now click Repair your computer.

2. In the System Recovery Options window we don’t have an Operating System installed at the moment so just click Next.

3. Now click Windows Complete PC Restore. It will search for your computer for a backup drive with a complete backup.

4. When it finds the backup verify it is the correct backup that you want to restore; you can also choose to restore a different backup. After you have the correct backup selected click Next.

5. There is one last prompt to verify all settings and once you’ve done that click Finish.

6. This process will format the destination drive so make sure you are restoring to the correct drive. Confirm that it is okay to format your disks and click Ok.

Now the restore process will start. Go grab some dinner and come back later while it restores your computer.

Backing Up Your Computer

Always make sure to backup your computer to an external source when possible to prevent data loss. Vista now has the capability to backup your whole PC so why not take advantage of it.

If you recently had to rebuild your Vista computer and just installed all of your programs, make a complete PC backup and store it as a “recovery disk”. That way you can restore your PC to the way it was just after you installed your operating system and programs.

Make backups a regular thing so you can be ready just in case the worst happens.

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/how-to-backup-vista-with-the-new-backup-utility/feed 4 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/improve-vista-performance http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/improve-vista-performance#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:00:02 +0000 Eric English /?p=3830 Vista is filled with new features and visual effects that are useful and visually pleasing. But why is my computer so slow now?

The number one complaint I hear from users is the performance of Vista is very slow compared to XP. Most new PCs are well equipped to handle the large appetite of Vista, but for the users that upgraded to Vista, it’s a whole different story.

The video card might not be up to speed to handle the new Vista interface, or you might not have enough RAM installed. So what can you do to counteract the poor performance without losing all of the features of Vista?

I’ve experienced it myself when I upgraded my old laptop to Vista Business; I added a gig of RAM and then installed Vista Business. Immediately I found that it took considerably longer to boot up than it did previously with XP. I also noticed that multi-tasking was pretty much out of the question if I wanted to get anything done in a reasonable amount of time.

So I was like most Vista users, asking myself why I had upgraded in the first place. I just knew there had to be ways to help optimize performance and get my PC running better. After some research and testing, I’ve come up with a list of 7 ways that considerably increase Vista performance.

1. Disable Aero Theme and Adjust Visual Effects

The Aero theme is very nice to look at but if your video card isn’t up to snuff then it can cause some performance issues.

First, try disabling the Aero theme to see if that helps. Right click on your Desktop and select Personalize.

Then click on Theme and select Windows Classic from the drop down menu.

Click Apply, and then click Ok. Now the Aero interface is turned off.

The sidebar and other visual elements are not as pretty as they were but this can be a big performance boost if your video card isn’t quite up to par.

If that doesn’t seem to do the trick we can also turn off the other Visual Effects. Right click on Computer, and then click Properties.

Click Advanced System Settings in the left had column in the Tasks pane.

Click Allow when you receive the UAC prompt.

The System Properties window will appear. Click the Settings button under the Performance section.

Here you can pick and choose which Visual Effects you want to use. For this example we are going to select the option to Adjust for best performance. Next, click Apply and then Ok.

2. Use Readyboost

ReadyBoost is a new feature in Vista that allows you to use your USB hard drive, or flash drives as memory for your PC. It works in conjunction with SuperFetch to help launch programs faster and speed up boot times.

Most Vista users don’t even realize this feature exists nor do they have any idea how to use it, but it’s really simple.

All you need is a device with a minimum capacity of 256 MB and one that has at least 235 MB free. ReadyBoost can only use up to 4GB of space so there is no need for a huge flash drive just for this.

Let’s take a look at how to make it work for you.

Plug in your USB hard drive or your flash drive and wait for the AutoPlay menu. Select “Speed up my system using ReadyBoost”.

Click the button to “Use this Device” and select how much space you want it to use.

Make sure to leave the device plugged in. This can help decrease your boot time and launch programs faster.

3. Change Indexing Options

Indexing is great for finding files quickly during a search, but if your PC is indexing everything all the time you can see quite a performance hit. Try changing what folders are indexed, or turn indexing off all together.

Here’s how you can do that.

Click Start and type “indexing options” and press Enter. The Indexing Options window will appear.

Now click the Modify button. Then click Show All Locations.

Click Allow when you receive the UAC prompt.

Here you can check or uncheck which folders are indexed.

4. Remove Unnecessary Startup Programs

When you purchase a new computer from a retail shop you will most likely have some additional trial software installed that could be slowing down your boot times. So how do we change it?

There are a couple of ways to remove unnecessary startup programs. Let’s take a look.

You can use MSConfig to remove startup programs from your PC. Just click Start, and type “msconfig” and press Enter. Then click the Startup tab.

Uncheck the startup items you don’t think are necessary and click Ok. Use good judgment and try not to disable any Windows startup items if possible. Restart your PC to complete the process.

You can alternately check the Startup folder in your Start menu.

Click Start, All Programs, and then look for the Startup folder. Expand it to see if there are any startup items. If so, you can right click and delete it from the Startup folder to prevent it from starting.

5. Use the Built In Reliability and Performance Monitor to Find Performance Issues

Vista has a great way to identify performance issues built into the operating system; it’s called the Reliability and Performance Monitor.

Click Start, and type “performance monitor”. The Reliability and Performance Monitor window will appear. Expand Monitoring Tools, and click Performance Monitor.

This is a great tool to watch real-time stats on your PC to help troubleshoot slowdowns. You can also use the Reliability Monitor to check Application Failures, Hardware Failures, Windows Failures and other miscellaneous failures.

And if you’re interested in checking out the Performance Monitor for Server 2008, check out Jason Zandri’s Server 2008 Reliability and Performance Monitor.

6. Adjust Processor Scheduling and Virtual Memory

You can adjust the way your processor handles operations for programs or background services. Right click on Computer and select Properties.

Then click Advanced System Settings from the Tasks pane.

Click Continue or Allow when you receive the UAC prompt. Next click the Settings button under the Performance section.

Then click the Advanced tab. Here you can change your processor scheduling to adjust for best performance for programs or background services.

Here you can change your paging file size also known as Virtual Memory. Setting a correct paging file size is critical for performance. Click the Change button under the Virtual Memory section.

Check to see if you have enough space allocated. The recommended amount is listed at the bottom. Alternately, you can let Windows decide how big you paging file should be.

7. Run a Disk Cleanup and Defrag

Vista now has scheduled defrags and runs automatically, but my computer isn’t always running when the defrag is scheduled to run. So run it manually!

Click Start and type “defrag” and press Enter.

You can modify the defrag schedule to run when you know your PC will be running and preferably not in use. You can also click the Defrag Now button to start a manual defrag.

How about cleaning up all the temporary files on your computer? Click Start, and type “disk cleanup” and press Enter. Select either your files or files from all users.

Then select the drive you want to run the cleanup on.

Now select the type of files you want to cleanup.

Any Other Tips and Tricks?

These are just a few of the many ways to help improve the performance on your Vista computer.

The tools and utilities in Vista are more efficient and make it easier to keep you running like a champ. There are also 3rd party applications that can help with temp file cleanup and registry errors.

Are there any other ways to help maintain or keep your PC running at peak performance?

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/improve-vista-performance/feed 4 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/5-no-brainer-tricks-to-avoid-network-nightmares http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/5-no-brainer-tricks-to-avoid-network-nightmares#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:00:50 +0000 Eric English /?p=3686 A network nightmare can happen to anyone at any time, but there are ways to minimize the impact or avoid the nightmare all together.

The best way to avoid such catastrophes is to be as proactive as possible when designing and maintaining your network. Being prepared for the worst can save you when the worst does eventually happen.

So what are some of the ways to avoid network nightmares? Let’s explore.

1. Document

Don’t you hate walking into a new job where the last IT guy quit and didn’t have anything written down? You’re possibly inheriting a rat’s nest or a hodge-podge of random equipment! Now you have to figure it all out from the ground up.

What if you are the only IT admin in your company and all of a sudden have a heart attack? You need to ensure that another admin can come in and fill your shoes while you are out.

So what types of things should you document?

• Network Layout – Create Visio diagrams of your network and equipment. This is a very easy way to help any IT admin that’s new to a job find his or her way around your network.
• Passwords – Document all important usernames and passwords that other admins would need. This includes user names and passwords for software programs as well as domain user names and passwords.
• Equipment and Warranty Information – Keep good records of your warranty information so you can easily get warranty work done if needed. Make sure to write down serial numbers or service tag numbers from your equipment for easier warranty assistance.
• Software and Proprietary Software – Document any information about any proprietary software your organization might use. If the worst happens and you are not around anymore, help the next guy by writing this information down.
  
  Proprietary software can be especially difficult to troubleshoot without the help of the manufacturer information. Also document any product keys that you might need for Windows, Office, or any other type of software that uses a product key.

2. Organize

I’ve seen some messy server rooms over the years, and that’s the one room you don’t want to keep unorganized.

Keeping things organized helps with troubleshooting network issues, working quicker and more efficiently, and can help with using your space more efficiently. If you have cables running all over the place and equipment mounted in odd locations or hanging by the ethernet cable, it’s time to get organized.

• Label your Cables and Equipment – Go out and invest in a 40 or 50 dollar label maker and get to labeling! Label your cables, routers, servers, and any other equipment you think might need it.
  
  This can help if you are taking a sick day at home and you need to tell one of your co-workers how to power cycle the router. If it’s labeled correctly, it should be pretty easy to walk them through it.
• Keep Paperwork Filed Away – You normally wouldn’t think of doing any sort of filing in an IT job, but with all the paperwork and documentation that comes with new equipment, you’d end up having a huge pile of paperwork laying around if you don’t find a good way to organize it.
  
  Put recovery CDs and warranty paperwork in 9×12 envelopes and write down the type of equipment and any serial numbers you might need on the front of the envelope. Then you can file it away in a file cabinet to help remove clutter and organize your paperwork.
  
  This will also help with finding your computer documentation and recovery disks much faster when you need them.

3. Standardize

One way to get confused or make your life miserable at work is to use any random piece of equipment that you can find. Sure it only costs 20 bucks but there’s probably a reason why it’s so cheap!

Try to get equipment from the same manufacturer to help with warranty tracking and troubleshooting. Plus you might run into compatibility issues using different equipment manufacturers.

Can you imagine trying to keep all of the warranty information straight if every single computer in your organization is made by a different manufacturer? What a nightmare!

4. Do Your Upgrades The Right Way

Have you ever heard the phrase “If you’re going to do something, do it the right first time’”? How about a major upgrade to the network?

Don’t hodgepodge something together at the last minute just because the boss wants you to get it done. Make sure you plan it out and do it right the first time. No one wants to redo their work, so why put yourself through that?

If you have a major upgrade coming up, think about the other opportunities you might have to upgrade another piece of equipment and save yourself some time in the future.

If you’re getting rack mounted servers but currently don’t have a rack, purchase a rack at the same time and save yourself from having to mount them later down the road. I know it sounds silly but I’ve actually seen people purchase rack mounted servers without having a rack and they end up lying on the floor until they purchase the rack.

Another example would be to rewire some of the equipment in your server room during your major upgrade to accommodate the new equipment.

5. Maintain Your Network

Maintenance is a crucial part of keeping your network going strong. Here are a few tips on how to do things right:

• Check for firmware updates for your routers and schedule a defrag of your computers or servers.
• Check for driver updates for your network devices and keep your Windows Updates current.
• Keep up to date with antivirus licensing and definitions and proactively scan your network for threats.
• Test your battery backup devices to make sure the batteries don’t need to be replaced.
• Test restoring a backup from your backup tape to ensure your backups are running like they should.

All of the little things count when you have a large network to take care of. Finding issues before they become catastrophic can be a life saver. If you let all of the little things go for too long, you might not be able to recover.

I like to have confidence that I can recover the network if needed, but if the small issues go unmonitored, confidence will drop drastically and recovery can be very painstaking.

How Would You Prevent a Network Nightmare?

There are plenty of network nightmares out there to watch out for, but being proactive in your approach can and will save you in the long run.

Bad things are eventually going to happen so being prepared and having confidence in your work can give you piece of mind and relieve the stresses of working in the IT field.

What other ways would you suggest to avoid a network nightmare?

 


 

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/5-no-brainer-tricks-to-avoid-network-nightmares/feed 5 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/master-the-new-and-improved-msconfig-in-vista http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/master-the-new-and-improved-msconfig-in-vista#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:00:13 +0000 Eric English /?p=2960 The System Configuration Utility – MSConfig – is a favorite of most pc users for a number of reasons. You can disable startup items and services, change boot options, and launch troubleshooting and configuration tools.

Microsoft didn’t disappoint us with the newest version of MSConfig in Vista. They have made it simpler and more concise, and also added a few new tools.

At First Glance

To launch the System Configuration Utility, click Start and type msconfig. When you first look at the new MSConfig you will notice there are fewer tabs than in XP.

The System.ini and Win.ini tabs are missing from the new version and the Boot.ini tab has been renamed to “Boot”. Vista uses a new boot architecture that is more secure than the System.ini, Win.ini, and Boot.ini files that just about any virus can modify fairly easily. System.ini and Win.ini were used for 16-bit programs which are mostly non-existent these days.

The General Tab in MSConfig

Most of the options on the General tab have stayed the same. Normal Startup, Diagnostic Startup, and Selective startup are all still present. There is no Boot.ini in Vista so your options for Selective Startup are slightly different.

Selective startup has changed from the previous version of MSConfig as it no longer has the option to Process System.ini, Process Win.ini, and Use Modified Boot.ini. Your new options are Load System Services, Load Startup Items, and Use Original Boot Configuration.

There are also two buttons missing, the Launch System Restore and Expand File. You can still find System Restore in Vista and can get to it by clicking Start, and type restore. The Expand File option was used to expand .cab files but this is no longer needed with Vista, as this functionality is built in.

Boot, Services, and Startup Tabs

The Boot tab has been very slightly modified from the previous version. You will notice you no longer have the option to Check All Boot Paths. The tab has been renamed to Boot from its original Boot.ini. There is also a new checkbox option to Make all boot settings permanent.

XP still uses Boot.ini, System.ini, and Win.ini files but Vista no longer needs these. Microsoft has replaced these files with the Windows Boot Manager which reads the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) to boot your computer. The new Windows Boot Manager is a storage system and is independent of firmware.

You can find out more about the new Windows Boot Manager in this Microsoft article.

Advanced options got a slight facelift in the new version of MSConfig while also adding the ability to “Detect HAL”.

Detect HAL can be used when there are multiple operating systems installed, usually in a dual boot scenario. The Detect HAL option will search for the different versions of the HAL that are on your computer, and then add a prompt in your boot menu so you can pick which operating system to boot. Most of us won’t use this option unless we have multiple operating systems installed.

You can make even more advanced changes to your boot options using the new bcdedit.exe command line utility. Read more about the bcdedit.exe utility here.

Unfortunately there is nothing special to report about the Services and Startup tabs. They are both pretty straight forward and didn’t need much modification.

The MSConfig. Tools Tab

I like what Microsoft did with the Tools tab in the new version of MSConfig. Seven new items have been added to help make the MSConfig utility more useful and give you all of the tools you need at a glance.

The new additions include:

1. Remote Assistance
2. System Restore
3. Computer Management
4. Security Center
5. Performance Monitor
6. Enable UAC
7. Disable UAC

Being able to launch System Restore, Command Prompt, or any other utility from MSConfig can be useful in the event you get a virus or Trojan that prevents you from accessing your Start Menu or Desktop. I know I can’t remember all of the executable names to run (from the “Run” box) like “rstrui.exe” for System Restore, so being able to launch these tools from one place can be very handy.

All of the old-school tools like Registry Editor, Command Prompt, and Task Manager are still there too. The only tool that has been removed from the new version of MSConfig is Network Diagnostics which was used to gather information about your computer and your network connections. UAC is the new User Account Control in Windows Vista and can now be disabled from the Tools tab.

You can read about disabling UAC in Dave’s latest article on disabling UAC.

Room for Improvements?

Overall Microsoft did a good job with the new MSConfig utility in my opinion. They have cleaned it up and made it easier to look at while giving it better functionality. It makes me wonder if there is anything else that can be added to make it even better.

Are there any tools or options you would like to see Microsoft add to MSConfig?

]]> http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/master-the-new-and-improved-msconfig-in-vista/feed 1 http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/a-free-easy-way-to-improve-your-vistas-performance http://www.trainsignal.com/blog/a-free-easy-way-to-improve-your-vistas-performance#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:00:28 +0000 Eric English /?p=2635 Did you recently upgrade your desktop or laptop to Vista and you aren’t getting the performance you expected? Or maybe you just bought a new computer and it’s just not as fast as you thought it would be.

Want to help boost your performance without purchasing any extra hardware? Don’t worry, there is still hope!

Vista has a ton of new services that run in the background, but the majority of us either don’t know what they do, or don’t use them. These services can use a portion of your memory, so disabling them can help boost performance.

A hardware upgrade would be the best thing to boost your performance, but if that isn’t an option, you can try disabling some of these services — it’s easy and, best of all, free!

Improving Vista’s Performance by Disabling Unnecessary Services

Depending on the version of Vista you have, you might not see all of the services listed. Use good judgment and caution when disabling services and always make a backup before doing anything.

To view all of the Services on your computer click Start, type “services.msc”, and press Enter. The Services window will appear.

Now you’re ready to start disabling some unnecessary services and start freeing up some memory. Make sure to change the Startup Type to “Disabled” when changing these services.

Also, don’t forget to write down the Services you decide to disable, just in case you need to revert back to the previous settings. And when you’re done disabling the services remember to restart your computer.

10 Unnecessary Services that Can Be Safely Disabled

1. ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost is a great idea from Microsoft. Unfortunately most of us don’t use it, don’t know how to use it, or don’t even know what it does.

ReadyBoost is a new feature in Vista that allows users to use a USB flash drive, SD card, or any other type of portable memory as disk cache. It is also used in conjunction with Superfetch (the beefed up version of Prefetch from XP) which stores cache of boot up programs to help speed boot times.

If you are like me and don’t use ReadyBoost you can safely disable this service and free up any memory it is using. So locate ReadyBoost in your Services list and double click on it:

Now under Startup type change Automatic to Disabled and click OK:

2. Windows Defender

If you are like me you already have 3rd party software running for spyware and virus protection. Plus, Microsoft has a built in utility called the Malicious Software Removal Tool. So why do you need Windows Defender running too?

Disabling this service also requires removing it from startup so you don’t get an error every time you log in. To do this, click Start and type “msconfig” and press Enter. The System Configuration Utility will appear.

Click on the Startup Tab and uncheck Windows Defender.

Then you can disable the Service from the Services console, just like you did with ReadyBoost.

3. Tablet PC Input Service

Wait a minute?!?! I don’t have a Tablet PC! Why in the world is this running in the background? This service is used for the touch screen and pen functions of a Tablet PC.

This should automatically disable itself if you don’t have a Tablet PC, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. If you don’t have a Tablet PC then you can safely disable this service.

4. Secondary Logon

Are you the only person that uses your computer? If so then you don’t need the Secondary Logon service running. If you have multiple people logging into the same computer then you should not disable this service.

Secondary Logon allows processes to run under alternate credentials. In other words, you can run programs under 2 different user accounts, at the same time. If you are the only one using your computer then you can safely disable this service.

5. IPsec Policy Agent

Do you use a VPN? If not, then you can safely disable this service. IPsec is used when connecting to a VPN most of the time. There are other situations where IPsec can be used but not likely for the average user.

Note: This also disables remote management of the Windows Firewall.

6. IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules

Going with the same VPN theme — this is another service that can be safely disabled as long as you are not using a VPN. This service is used for Authentication and key exchange in IPsec. If you’re an average user the you’re probably not using this service.

7. Offline Files

Offline Files are used in network environments for mobile users that need access to files when they are outside of the network. Using Offline Files allows a mobile user to store a local copy of company documents. The documents will synchronize when the mobile user reconnects to the company network. If you don’t fit into this scenario then you can safely disable this service.

8. Windows Error Reporting Service

This service is used to send specific error reports to Microsoft for analysis. Sending the error reports will sometimes yield good results for fixing different issues.

If you are a novice pc user then you might consider leaving this service running. You will also see a message to "Send Error Report" when this service is enabled. Those messages can get annoying sometimes and I don’t really want to be prompted every time I close a non-responsive program.

If you don’t want to report errors to Microsoft, then you can safely disable this service.

9. Telephony

Do you still have a modem? If you use a dial-up connection of any kind, or a fax server, then you will need to keep this service running. The majority of us don’t use a modem for any reason nowadays. Fax servers are fairly common in offices, but hopefully people will start using email instead of faxing in the future.

If you don’t use dial-up or a fax server, then you can safely disable this service.

10. Windows DFS Replication Service

This is another service most basic users won’t use. DFS, or Distributed File System, is used for synchronizing files and folders, usually between servers. This could be used in some office environments as a means of backing up documents from a workstation to the server. This could also use a considerable amount of bandwidth if you have a large number of computers synchronizing with your servers using DFS.

For most of us DFS is not something we will use regularly, so you can safely disable this service.

There Might Be Others …

There might be other services that you can disable that are unnecessarily running and taking up memory.

The 10 listed above will help improve your Vista’s performance but there could be a few more depending on your version of Vista, and your network environment.

When you are done disabling all of the services you want to restart your computer to free up any additional memory you can.

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