@fuznutz04 said in ISP & VoIP woes:
Good tips. I'll watch this daily to see if I can find a pattern. Thanks!
We had a similar issue at a customer. The customer had terrible latency and dropped pings beginning everyday at about 3:35pm
It was a faulty cable modem in a house nearby. This kids came home from school!
As I understand it, one might choose to visualize their server OS even if it is going to be the only OS running on the hardware.
I think this is because of portability, and easier hardware changes. What other reasons exist to support virtualization, even if there will only be (planned) one OS on the hardware?
Auto batch file elevator: (documented here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/12264592/1016343)
Here is the variation we use daily. Couldn't get by without it. It can be scripted with GPO.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Automatically check & get admin rights V2
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
@echo off
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO =============================
ECHO Running Admin shell
ECHO =============================
:init
setlocal DisableDelayedExpansion
set "batchPath=%~0"
for %%k in (%0) do set batchName=%%~nk
set "vbsGetPrivileges=%temp%\OEgetPriv_%batchName%.vbs"
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
:checkPrivileges
NET FILE 1>NUL 2>NUL
if '%errorlevel%' == '0' ( goto gotPrivileges ) else ( goto getPrivileges )
:getPrivileges
if '%1'=='ELEV' (echo ELEV & shift /1 & goto gotPrivileges)
ECHO.
ECHO **************************************
ECHO Invoking UAC for Privilege Escalation
ECHO **************************************
ECHO Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%vbsGetPrivileges%"
ECHO args = "ELEV " >> "%vbsGetPrivileges%"
ECHO For Each strArg in WScript.Arguments >> "%vbsGetPrivileges%"
ECHO args = args ^& strArg ^& " " >> "%vbsGetPrivileges%"
ECHO Next >> "%vbsGetPrivileges%"
ECHO UAC.ShellExecute "!batchPath!", args, "", "runas", 1 >> "%vbsGetPrivileges%"
"%SystemRoot%\System32\WScript.exe" "%vbsGetPrivileges%" %*
exit /B
:gotPrivileges
setlocal & pushd .
cd /d %~dp0
if '%1'=='ELEV' (del "%vbsGetPrivileges%" 1>nul 2>nul & shift /1)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::START
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
REM Run shell as admin (example) - put here code as you like
ECHO %batchName% Arguments: %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
How can you have a hotswap PS with only one PS? Just curious........ as I don't see the value.
Just curious. Discussion Points to follow.
Only three of us? Wow.
So, have either of you found yourselves revisiting your succession plans? Or do you have succession plans?
With so many people going from a cough to RIP in a short time, you have to wonder, "Could I be next?"
This health crisis, makes you think about the strangest things. I have re-read our succession plan and have updated all C-Level passwords. There are a few things I'm going to change, but if I were to kick the bucket, I think all the employees will be able to continue on without me. And that is one of my most important objectives as an owner.
We've been seeing this a lot lately. Programs that have been working for a long time have stopped with this same pop up. Haven't dug into it yet. Was good reason for the customer to upgrade.
IF your intercom unit can be inside and you can hard-wire your mic input and speaker output from the SIP Intercom device, here is what we use for this same scenario:
Speaker:
https://smile.amazon.com/Indoor-Outdoor-Horn-Speaker-Impedance/dp/B002UL0WH8
Mic:
https://smile.amazon.com/Mono-Stereo-Parabolic-Microphone-Standard-060-Polycarbonate/dp/B00GGX3X7W
Because it is parabolic, it doesn't have to be close to the subject. We install them about 10' feet away.
These mics are so focused, we don't hear any engine noise, only the driver.
We build a gable roof (roof only) over the dish and the roof has only one end. We place the dish at the far end (the capped end) from the vehicle. The roof is sized so the disk is completely up/inside the roof line. The open end of the roof is at the vehicle side of the setup.
The mic array detects sound from air flow through the mic element, so you have to protect the mic array inside the dish from unfriendly weather while still allowing sound vibrations to get to the mic itself. This is why the roof with an open end. We used to cap both ends and cut a 22" circle at the vehicle end, but, for the extra work, it didn't really provide any additional protection from the elements.
Eventually the mic gets ruined. So we just replace the mic, while using the same dish, mount, and roof.
Wildtronics has a weatherproof mono parabolic coming out sometime next year. When that happens, you can do away with the roof.
The black dishes are less expensive that the clear dishes.
We use this one several times a day. We haven't delivered a new Windows 10 PC in the last year without it!
I have made some changes to the default (just remming and un-remming as suggested by the author)
When we setup a new PC: Step one: initial install screens, Step two: Install ScreenConnect, Step three: run DeCrappify via SC. Then on to whatever else needs to be done.
https://gist.github.com/gvlx/b4d4c5681900ca965276fc5c16fe8520
Speak up if you try it and have any questions.
This is what the Start pop-up looks like after we run it.
I also note the I an running the "June 21, 2019" version but the link I posted is to the Oct 2018 version. I'll look for the updated link.
There are so many people that have reposted this script, that it can be difficult to know which one you have.
Here is a link to the original author's page and current script dated Oct 22, 2020:
https://community.spiceworks.com/scripts/show/4378-windows-10-decrapifier-18xx-19xx-2xxx
A SIP ringer will work. Just give it an account and extension, and add it to a ring group.
The first review is a guy who is thrilled about how easy it was to setup on his FreePBX
Just spent waaaaay toooo long dealing with a failing spinner. After getting a booting clone on an SSd with known corruption carried over from the spinner, I decided to just install Win10 on top of Win10. I was presented with this notice "you can't install windows 10 on a USB flash drive using setup".
Simple solution was to change a registry entry from "1" to "0".
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
PortableOperatingSystem to “0” from 1
Viola!
@Pete-S said in Creating email signatures?:
@JasGot said in Creating email signatures?:
For a few people to use? or for an entire organization and forced through policies?
For a small organization where everyone would change their email signature themselves or have an admin do it for them.
If we had the html for one email signature it would be simple to create a script that would create the individual email signatures.
For a relatively small group of people, most companies we work with just have one decision maker create their own, then distribute it to everyone else.
Notes:
The decision makers usually can't figure out how, so we (IT) hold their hand through the process.
Use their e-mail program of choice.
Do it in HTML.
Use standardize fonts (This doesn't mean don't use fancy fonts, it means use fonts that are likely in most OSes.)
Send it around with cut and paste instructions, asking each employee to edit the Name, Title and phone extension accordingly.
For groups under 25, we just do it, it's faster for to just do it than to teach 22 people about signatures. 
Just a little more info to add.
User CALs drop after 60 days of non-use or user removal from AD, Device CALs drop after 52-89 days of non-use.
The 20% rule for Device CALs is correct.
User CALS cannot be re-assigned. They drop off your Per CAL usage report and go back to the pool after the user has been deleted from AD OR after 60 days of non-use.
In Per User or Per Device mode, a separate RDS CAL is required for each user or device that accesses or uses the server software on any server. You may reassign a RDS CAL from one device to another device, or from one user to another user, provided the reassignment is made either (a) permanently away from the one device or user or (b) temporarily to accommodate the use of the RDS CAL either by a loaner device, while a permanent device is out of service, or by a temporary worker, while a regular employee is absent.
You'll have to apply your own definition of PERMANENTLY. What if you have an employee who is re-assigned to a department that does not use RDSH servers? And then, a year late they get re-assigned back in to the original department? Was that a PERMANENT re-assignment of the RDS User CAL? Who knows. But many, including experts at MS suggest PERMANENT = "60 days"(Users CALs) or "52-90 days" (Device CALs).
Finally resolved by modifying the loopback rule in the router.
Key was to check this setting: "Disable Source Port Mapping"
Allowing Source Port Mapping caused the router to re-write the source ip and port to the internal address. The SIP Carrier had no way to locate the internal address.
@siringo said in VPN hardware suggestions.:
Thanks everyone for the help. I'll look into everything mentioned.
Some of the comments would lead you to believe Sonicwall is not a good solution, either from central management issues or license fees.
I can't speak to the central management issues because we've chosen to not bother with it.
We have about 350 Sonicwalls in the field and nearly all of them have S2S VPNs setup among branches, as well as Global VPN setup for remote users (there is a fee for the Global VPN license).
Every one of them has a VPN into our lab for end user support. I fired up #7 to get this screenshot.
As far as your main question about reliable VPN end points, I have been happy with the Sonicwall devices. I like their "Wizard" setups for staff that are new to Sonicwall. It makes a S2S VPN about a 5 minute task (for both sides, not each side, but then, that would still only be 10 minutes!)
We also use the IP Tunnel connections in the Sonicwall when we need to control routing, ie not hub and spoke type routing.
The appliances can be pricey if you want to take full advantage of todays high speed broadband, but overall, we have been very satisfied with the products, especially the VPN stability.
Here's a SS of one:
No special/Add-on licensing; note the 1000 S2S VPNs allowed and the 12 Global VPNs allowed.
This Sonicwall does have 60 VPN Clients licensed to it, about 45 are in use daily.
it was said in Exchange Environment - Lab:
Why are you trying to learn how out dated technology?
I'm curious, why is this the de-facto "go to" question when people don't feel like helping, but still want to hear themselves talk?
Maybe... this is what he has laying around his lab, AND he wants to learn?
Why is it usually a problem that one person is learning something years after someone else has?
I just don't get it.
If someone were asking how to write dos batch files, which is decades old, it is still a good basis for understanding and developing scripts; that will help with future learning.
@travisdh1 said in Exchange Environment - Lab:
If you want to host email, why would you use the worst platform possible to find? Why not Zimbra for example?
NOWHERE did he state what his reasons were for wanting to do this.
Why would you suggest he move to Zimbra (or others) when you have no idea what he is trying to accomplish?
Too many people jump to conclusions, and they are wrong most of the time.
@obsolesce said in HTML Editing:
For me using a good IDE can be much more efficient for most languages over Notepad.
I like UltraEdit.
There are macros written by the user group to remove all HTML code.