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7/30/2004

::Spyware::


Spy Blaster at www.spyblaster.com is actually a rogue spyware tool that actually makes these problems worse. There are now a multitude of untrustworthy "spyware" products out there. These can be trusted:
Ad-aware, Pest Patrol, Spybot Search & Destroy, and Webroot Spy Sweeper
Spybot and Ad aware have free versions.
Be sure to run Ad Aware engine 6.181 and update to the latest "pattern" file every time.
Run Spybot 1.3 with the latest updates.
Often "cleaning" doesn't even work unless you turn off WinXP system restore and run removal in safe mode.
HijackThis.exe is good for finding browser helper objects.
Also, see my prior posting about using ActiveX filters.
Once you are really messed up with spyware it is often easier(and faster) to just wipe out your machine and start fresh.

7/27/2004

AD::Exchange::LDP


Using ldp.exe to look up a user in the active directory
Great tip about using LDP.EXE to lookup what user has a particular mail nickname. My more brute force standby method would have been to use LDIFDE to export them all and then search the entire list. http://datacomguy.tripod.com/blog/2003/08/exchange-2000export-e-mail-aliases.html

Using LDP to lookup user object:
1. Start ldp.exe
2. Connection | Connect and choose your DC
3. Connect | Bind and authenticate
4. View | Tree and browse to the top-level OU from which you want to search
5. Connect | New to clear the right pane
6. Right click on that OU and choose Search
7. To search on the alias, use: “(&(objectclass=*)(mailnickname=aliasnamehere))“

Further information: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=224543

7/22/2004

SMTP::Headers::Manual testing


I was trying to explain how to do this to somebody today and decided to look for a reference about it rather than try to make my own.
Low and behold:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=153119&product=exch2k

Windows::Time


Set time to Naval Observatory
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;314054
Windows includes W32Time, the Time Service tool that is required by the Kerberos authentication protocol. The purpose of the Time Service is to ensure that all computers that are running Microsoft Windows 2000 or later in an organization use a common time.

To ensure appropriate common time usage, the Time Service uses a hierarchical relationship that controls authority, and the Time Service does not permit loops. By default, Windows-based computers use the following hierarchy:
All client desktop computers nominate the authenticating domain controller as their in-bound time partner.
All member servers follow the same process that client desktop computers follow.
All domain controllers in a domain nominate the primary domain controller (PDC) operations master as their in-bound time partner.
All PDC operations masters follow the hierarchy of domains in the selection of their in-bound time partner.
In this hierarchy, the PDC operations master at the root of the forest becomes authoritative for the organization. It is recommended that you configure the PDC operations master to gather the time from an external source. This event is logged in the System event log on the computer as event ID 62.

Administrators can configure the Time Service on the PDC operations master at the root of the forest to recognize an external Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) time server as authoritative. Use the following net time command:
net time /setsntp:server_list

The United States Naval Observatory runs several SNTP time servers that are satisfactory for this function, for example, ntp2.usno.navy.mil (at 192.5.41.209) and tock.usno.navy.mil (at 192.5.41.41).

After you set the SNTP time server as authoritative, run the following command on computers other than the domain controller to reset the local computer's time against the authoritative time server:
net time /set

Cisco::Switch::Inline Power


Worth noting:  the "old" inline power modules from Cisco provide "Cisco proprietary" inline power to Cisco devices.  The new "AF" standard modules provide the "new" standard POE power.
And the 4506 switches can have a limited power capacity that must be planned for.   There is a calculator at:
http://tools.cisco.com/cpc/launch.jsp
I can't fill up my 4506 chassis with inline power modules and provide power to all the modules and still have redundancy for the 2800W power supply. 

This link contains more details about power supplies and providing inline power with 4500 series switches:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps4324/products_data_sheet09186a00801f3dd9.html
It is possible to add an external power source using a "shelf" and installing power supplies in it to provide for power supply redundancy:

WS-P4502-1PSU
Catalyst 4500 Aux. Power Shelf (2 slot), incl. one PWR-4502

PWR-4502
Catalyst 4500 Aux. Power Shelf Redundant Power Supply

To get one each of the above would be about $6K




7/16/2004

Exchange Technical Information


While googling it is sometimes easy to forget to check the obvious. The excellent technical information provided by Microsoft is not to be ignored:
Microsoft Exchange Server: Outlook Information

Check out this great PDF from the top of the list above:

Client Network Traffic with Exchange 2000