May
14

Internet Explorer Displays Blank Page Instead of Windows Update

Symptom:  Internet Explorer displays a blank page or blank screen instead of the requested .aspx or javascript site.  Windows Update or other script-enabled websites will not display regardless of Internet Explorer 8 or 9, or any security settings. Problem:  Missing/faulty .dll registration of one or both of the following files:  jscript.dll, msxml3.dll Solution:  Re-register the …

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Apr
12

Adding Sites to Internet Security Zones Using Group Policy

Sometimes it is useful to leverage the power of Group Policy in Active Directory to add sites to certain security zones in Internet Explorer.  This can save the network admin the trouble of managing the security zone lists for each computer (or user) separately.  In the following example, each user on the network needs to …

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Feb
24

Microsoft Virtual Server Web Console Constantly Asks For Password

If the Microsoft Virtual Server web admin and remote control console are constantly popping up asking for credentials, you may need to adjust some security settings in Internet Explorer. In Internet Explorer, go to “Tools -> Internet Options”. Click the “Security” tab. If the site is on your local network, select the “Local Intranet” icon …

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Feb
17

Setting Up Site-to-Site VPN With SonicWall Appliance Running SonicOS Enhanced

Situation: You need to setup a site to site VPN tunnel between two SonicWall routers running SonicOS Enhanced. Background: The first thing you need to decide about your VPN tunnel is whether to use Main Mode or Aggressive Mode. Main Mode is the most secure mode but requires that both endpoints have static IP addresses.  The only …

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Jan
07

WordPress Site Hacked

Apparently techlauve.com was hacked sometime in the last few days.  Upon pulling up the site this morning I was greeted by Arabic music, Arabic text, English text declaring that I had been hacked, and two pictures:  A middle-eastern man pointing a gun at a woman and child, and a picture of a sniper kitten.  Awesome. …

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Aug
20

Windows Small Business Server POP3 Connector Stops Working

Symptoms: A user suddenly stops receiving mail and the POP3 Connector drops an eventID: 203 with an error code of 0x800ccc67. Problem: The POP3 connector will not download messages that have a malformed header & it leaves them on the POP server. Once 5 emails with bad headers accumulate on the server, it stops trying …

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Aug
20

Linksys Router Will Not Obtain IP Address From DSL Modem

Symptoms: Your Linksys (or potentially any other consumer-grade router) will not obtain an IP address via DHCP from your ISP’s DSL gateway/router.  The status of the WAN interface shows 0.0.0.0 as the IP address or you receive an error message while trying to renew the address. Problem: Both devices are likely on the same subnet.  …

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Aug
16

AT&T DSL Intermittent Loss of Sync

Symptoms: A business has AT&T DSL and has intermittent problems with their internet randomly going down.  Usually it is fixed by unplugging/plugging in the modem, but the problem happens again in a week or so.  You call AT&T and there appear to be no problems with the line or profile. Problem (at least the way …

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Jul
16

Crazy DHCP Server Rootkit

A quick informal story: One of my clients has a bunch of employees that are in and out of the office on different days with their laptops.  A couple of them always seem to get a little bit o’ spyware.  Well, over the past week or so their “server went down” several times randomly and …

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