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New Team Server
Posted at 2:31 PM, Jul. 2, 2010
What a day…I implemented a Dell T-110 Server for a team this afternoon…Nothing too fancy, just a little 250GB RAID 1 box, enough for their storage needs…There are five members who will be accessing it both inside the office, and out, from their laptops… I must admit, it is a nice server, loaded with Server 2008 Foundation, 4gb ram, Quad Core Xeon processor and the above mentioned hard drives, more than enough for their situation. Configuring it was a snap, simply give it a name, create the user accounts, etc., define the roles, (file & print), enable Windows Backup, and away we go. We have them set up on a simple Peer to Peer network vs. a Domain, which would have required more time, and aggravation… Now, they have a common location for their data, everyone can access it, and make changes, etc., and the files are the most current. Because they are inside of a KW office here in Charlotte, we do not have control of the routers/switches, and still needed remote access to their files, we used the Hamachi VPN solution. Works like a champ. Now, each user can securely and remotely, access the data files as if they were inside the office. No more having to run back to the office for a document.. In addition, we have 3 levels of data security; the RAID drives, should a drive fail, the other one can still run. A 1TB USB hard drive, for weekly full backups ad finally, Carbonite installed for automatic, 24/7 data backup each time a file changes, or is added, being sent offsite for retrieval. I feel pretty good about this config, should not have any data loss nightmares…(I’ve had em) The entire project went according to plan, took just 4.5 hours to do from start to finish…. With my remote monitoring tools, I have the ability to get reports on performance, issues, and backup reports…I can log into the server anytime, anywhere and check it out, make changes, etc. This helps reduce their fees, as I do not need to make a trip, or roll one of my techs there for a service call… As their team grows, or other demands are placed, we can add quite easily, knowing that there is plenty of room for growth… All in all, not a bad day, and a great end to a good week. Now, it is time to relax, spend time with my wife, and enjoy this 4th of July weekend, and to take stock of all that we, here in the US, have to be thankful for, and give homage to those who have died, and are fighting today, to secure our freedom. RCF
Saying goodbye to social networking sites
Posted at 11:51 AM, Jul. 1, 2010
I finally did it, deleted all my social networking accounts, Facebook, Naymz, LinkedIn, etc….Why pray tell did I do such a thing in this age of digital enlightenment? To be blunt, not worth the time ,energy, etc., and aggravation and concerns over privacy issues….I just got tired of all of it..I really don’t care to get a farm animal, and an not that interested in some Tweet about blah, blah, blah….Don’t get me wrong, this stuff is great for those who have the time, interest to delve into all of it..Giving away every last vestige of their lives for all to see and comment on…I guess I am boring….It is rather freeing however, not to feel compelled to log in, check out, reply, etc… The way I see it, is that my friends and family really know how to get ahold of me, email, snail mail or phone call does the trick for me..I prefer the old fashioned way of connecting… Sincerely, RC Fullerton Randall C Fullerton Managing Partner Peritus IT Solutions 704-605-4950
HTC HD2
Posted at 6:01 PM, May. 21, 2010
Well,
I finally did it, replaced my older HTC Dash Win Mobile with the new HD2
D2> , and do I love it...I have T-Mobile, so an i-phone was out, and I run
Exchange, so I needed Active Sync to connect to my server for email and the
like, and this phone does it all..They made it very easy (too easy) to
upgrade, it was SIM card swap and away I went...It took 5 minutes to
configure my Exchange connection for email, and I was pulling down info in
no time..
It's about the same size as the i-phone, has a touch screen, and is Windows
Mobile..The best of both worlds for me...Screen is bright and clear, easy to
use input typing, lots of bells and whistles..A great built in flashlight
app, very bright dual led's..Great for emergencies...
The other thing I like about it, is that I can plug it into any usb slot and
charge it, kinda handy in case of power outage, I just plug it into my
emergency Eton radio with the hand crank, and away I go, fully charged...(I
think of these things when deciding, dual/multi use)
I will report back in a few days when after I have really used it all day,
but for now, a major home run...RCF
Win 7 upgrade nightmare
Posted at 5:07 AM, Jan. 26, 2010
Wow, what a day I had recently…I have a client who wanted to upgrade from Vista Home Premium to Win 7 Premium, not because of any issues, but simply because the gang at the store told him he could. So, a couple weeks ago, we went thru the online process of ordering the actual software, which was grueling in itself… Software comes in, client wants to do it, away I go…Were we in for a treat.. We spent 6 hours performing the upgrade. We had to back data up, then run the Win 7 Advisor, then remove whatever it told us to from the report… Then comes the Upgrade Assistant software, preps the machine for the upgrade… After that, we actually put the Win 7 disk in and wait, and wait, and wait some more while I goes thru the process…Much like watching paint dry or water boil, etc… We finally get to the Win 7 log in screen, and need to make adjustments, no problem…We reinstall some apps and try others, an AV package. We removed Version 9, so that we could download and install Version 10, which is what is required for Win 7, except, Win 7 kept reverting back to V9….What a mess. So, I gave up, installed MS Security Essentials and called it a day… Why am I telling you this? Simple, just because you can upgrade, doesn’t mean you should. Now, if you are having issues, or want major improvements, and Win7 does rock, then yes, upgrade… DO NOT actually do the Upgrade, do the Custom Installation, it will go much smoother and faster…Had I done a normal, clean (new) install of Win7, I’d have been done in ½ the time… So, if you are wanting to do so, get your IT person/firm involved, and let them do a clean install for you, as your time is better spent selling, etc., than watching a hard drive spin up…. RC Fullerton www.peritusit.com
Uneducated phone store reps
Posted at 5:11 AM, Jan. 20, 2010
Yesterday, I had a client call me to inform me that she was getting a new phone, The Droid…She has a BB now, and was able to upgrade because Verizon had taken over from Alltel.. The rub is that she is on Exchange for all of her Outlook data on the phone….With BB this requires a secondary service called BES, vs the BIS that non Exchange users need for basic email only… Now, there are extra fees with BES, that we have to pay RIM, the parent company of BB…No big deal, as the client actually pays for the privilege.. She asks me if The Droid will work with Exchange, I tell her yes, via Active Sync, a native protocol that many phones have for that purpose, the iPhone, any WinMobile device, and many others…It’s about time too, now, many phone manufacturers include it so that folks can connect to corporate networks… So, she goes into local Verizon store and tells em what she wants to do, they insist that she needs a BB, that The Droid is not for business-class email….I guess they missed that day in training that covered the various email options, it is not their fault (my wife insisted I put that in) they don’t know, lack of training.. So, she is in there confused and makes a call to me for verification…I end up on the phone with the rep, doing Verizon’s job, of educating them on the features of The Droid, and that it can in fact, connect to Exchange… Net result, client buys Droid, reconnects to Exchange, and lives happily ever after.. What’s the moral of the story, for those of you looking to buy a new phone, do your research, talk to your tech team, company IT department, etc., before you go out and create unnecessary grief… RC Fullerton www.peritusit.com
New role for an old pc
Posted at 4:31 AM, Jan. 16, 2010
How many of you recently upgraded your computer and have the old one still around and not quite sure what to do with it? Don’t despair, I have a simple, but effective solution that I recently implemented for a small insurance firm here in Charlotte. The family had an older dell desktop pc, a 2ghz P-4, with 2gb ram, and 40gb hard drive, nothing extraordinary about it, just a basic pc. However, in my capable hands, with a little ingenuity, we turned it into a peer to peer data server for the insurance firm…They have three employees and wanted a way for everyone to share and access the same data internally, and offer remote access as well. Another requirement was that of a backup device for the users and company data. The owner is a frugal man, did not want to spend the money on an actual server and server operating system, so, we compromised. I took the box, reinstalled Windows XP Pro (using the Dell recovery disks)onto the 40gb hard drive, then removed the floppy drive, and added a 500gb hard drive (80.00) in that cradle..The 40gb drive is strictly for the OS and Apps, while the 500gb drive is the Data drive, if the main drive fails, so what, no data loss… That configuration is perfect for the data sharing component, just had to share it and map or connect the data drive to the workstations. Next, I bought him a 640gb external usb hard drive for backing up the 500gb internal hard drive. I used the FREE built in utility in Windows to back up the data drive every day at 1205 am.. I also added a basic UPS or battery backup system to keep the computer and usb drive powered up in the event of power issues or failure. Because he, and I, are really paranoid, we installed Carbonite to back the data drive up offsite as well…Cost for this is 60.00 a yr…Cheap insurance… Now, he wants remote access to the data files…This was a little more complicated, as his internet service, and routers, are not under his control, so we needed a way to provide access without tinkering with the equipment… So, we turned to Hamachi VPN from LogMeIn…Pretty straightforward to set up, all totally secure.. Now, he has it all, local data sharing, data backed up, and remote access to his info. Total hardware cost was 271.00 plus 4 hours of labor.. Not a bad solution.. Sincerely, RC Fullerton Randall C Fullerton Managing Partner Peritus IT Solutions 704-605-4950
Beware invaders
Posted at 3:56 PM, Jan. 13, 2010
I just got off the phone with some clients who work in a large office, 100+ agents, and they were feeling that someone was poking around their computers, etc…Snooping in other words… They were right…Someone had been trying to access their computers, one computer had been accessed, the printers removed… We’re not sure what else has happened, will be looking into it.. I have changed their password, implemented BIOS/Boot level security to prevent someone from booting from a recovery/hacker cd (I have one) and resetting the passwords or stealing data… Keep this in mind if you work at an office with folks coming in at all hours…Don’t make yourself a target and allow others to access your computers for nefarious purposes…It can look like you did the bad stuff, and they skate free… RCF
Untitled Entry
Posted at 5:56 AM, Jan. 12, 2010
Well, finally got with the bandwagon, created this blog and will attempt to provide relevant, sometimes witty observations on my life as an IT guy here in Charlotte… Wish me luck… Sincerely, RC Fullerton Randall C Fullerton Managing Partner Peritus IT Solutions 704-605-4950
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