Loading ...

Category: Workstations

Windows 7 will be End of Life Shortly

Move to Windows 10 - Grants Pass, OR

With Windows 7 quickly moving to End of Life within a years time, it is time to consider replacing current workstations with newer ones.

Why make the move to Windows 10 Pro?

You’ll get the familiar yet improved desktop and Start Menus as well as all-new features, such as the Cortana personal digital assistant, Live Tiles, Tablet Mode, cloud services integration, improved support for touch, pen and voice and so much more. More importantly, you’ll get hardware and software enabled features that help protect device and company information from ever- evolving security threats. Most importantly, you will meet compliance requirements before they become enforceable.

Move to Windows 10 - Grants Pass, OR

If your company is still using Windows 7 in your business environment, then contact us for assistance.

Windows 10 Version 1803 Removes HomeGroup

According to the following Microsoft Support Post published in October 2018, the HomeGroup feature has now been removed from Windows 10. Most people won’t need to worry about this, but recently ran across a business that had relied on this feature to run their network. With HomeGroup removed from Windows 10 they were left without the ability to share properly with a new computer on the network. So here is how to fix the issue:

How to fix Windows Networking after HomeGroup Removal

  1. Turn off all sharing:
    1. Open Network & Sharing Center
    2. Click on Advanced Sharing Settings
    3. Turn off network discovery (Private & Public)
    4. Turn off file and print sharing (Private & Public)
    5. Turn off Public folder sharing (All Networks)
    6. Turn off Password Protected Sharing (All Networks)
    7. Save Changes
  2. Remove old password:
    1. Open Credentials Manager
    2. Change to Windows Credentials
    3. Remove all $HomeGroup users credentials from networked computers on all computers formerly in HomeGroup
  3. AutoStart Services
    1. Open Services
    2.  Find Function Discovery Provider Host and set to Automatic Startup then Start service
    3. Find Function Discovery Resource Publication and set to Automatic Startup then Start service
    4. Find SSDP Discovery and set to Automatic Startup then Start service
    5. Find UPnP Device Host and set to Automatic Startup then Start service
  4. Add Users
    1. Get username and password for all computers on network
    2. On each computer on the network, open command prompt
    3. For each username, use the command –  net user [username] [password] /add
  5. Turn on all sharing:
    1. Open Network & Sharing Center
    2. Click on Advanced Sharing Settings
    3. Turn on network discovery (Private)
    4. Turn on file and print sharing (Private)
    5. Turn on Public folder sharing (All Networks)
    6. Use 128-bit encryption (All Networks)
    7. Turn on Password Protected Sharing (All Networks)
    8. Save Changes
  6. Recreate Shares (if needed)
    1. Right-click on folder and choose Properties
    2. Click on Sharing tab
    3. Click on Advanced Sharing
    4. Check Share This Folder
    5. Name the share
    6. Click Permissions
    7. Click on Add
    8. Select username and add Full Control then click OK
    9. Repeat for each username
    10. Click OK to return to Properties window
    11. Click on Security Tab
    12. Click on Advanced
    13. Click on Add
    14. Select username and add Full Permissions (or appropriate level) then click OK
    15. Repeat for each username
    16. Check Replace Child Permisssions and click OK
    17. Click OK on all previous windows

Hope this post helps some other techs save the time in fixing Windows 10 networking when HomeGroup is removed.

If your company is still using HomeGroup or needs any help with advanced networking, then contact us for assistance.

Is the power out again?

Power Outage - Grants Pass, OR

It seems lately that the power company in the area has not been able to offer consistent service power to the city. This has left many businesses down without the technology they need to operate properly. These power outages cause data loss and damage computer components.

My own unexpected outage

Once upon a time, about two weeks ago, the unexpected happened at our offices. A semi-truck carrying a large backhoe on a trailer drove between two buildings in the area. The landlord had wired power between buildings and the truck driver did not lower the arm of the backhoe low enough. Sure enough the wire was snagged by the backhoe’s arm and pulled from the building. Needless to say the power was out to that part of the building until the landlord took care of the matter.

What can be done?

Farmhouse Networking recommends that all business workstations, servers, and networking equipment be protected by an uninterruptible power source aka UPS or battery backup. When the power goes out the right size battery backup will keeps things running for about 15-30 minutes to allow the last touches to be added to whatever was being worked on and things to be shutdown gracefully.

If your company is looking to better protect itself against power outages, then contact us for assistance.

 

Xerox Versalink Scan to Folder Windows 10 Home

Xerox Versalink C7000 - Grants Pass, OR

Ran into an issue with Scan to Folder on Windows 10 Home from a Xerox Versalink C7025 via SMB. Contacted support and they stated that Xerox does not support this setup. Further digging found that Windows 10 Home folder shares need passwords in a [Computername]\[Username] format that the Xerox Versalink could not provide correctly. I found another option that works well in this situation:

Scan to Folder via FTP

  1. Create a Scan folder in the Users directory
  2. Download and install Filezilla FTP Server with the defaults (I prefer to set “start user interface: to manually)
  3. Click on the Edit > Users menu item.
  4. Click on the Add button and create a username (case sensitive)
  5. Check the password box and create a password
  6. Click on the Shared Folders tab on the left then click on the Add under Shared Folders
  7. Browse to the Scan folder and click OK
  8. Check all File & Directory permissions then click OK at bottom left

With this setup on the Windows 10 Home computer an Address Book entry can be created for Scan to Folder via FTP on the Xerox Versalink. The only thing that could be a problem after that is a software firewall link Windows Firewall or McAfee LiveSafe.

 

If your company wants to utilize more functionality from your multi-function device, then contact us for assistance.

Xerox Scan to Folder MacOS X

Xerox WorkCentre 7225

Ran into a brick wall with a client wanting to have a Workcenter C7225 by Xexox scan to folder. What worked on one did not work on another but I eventually figured out the pattern and wanted to share it. Basically all MacOS X versions before the High Sierra build were not compatible with Xerox’s SMB protocol. (They fixed the SMB protocol in High Sierra so that Xerox Scan to SMB works perfectly.) Here is the workaround:

Xerox Scan to Folder MacOS X pre-Sierra:

The easiest way that I found to allow scanning to these systems is to enable the dormant FTP server.

  1. Open Terminal
  2. Type in – sudo -s launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ftp.plist
  3. Enter your administrator password
  4. Create Scans folder in Home directory
  5. Go to Preferences > Sharing > File Sharing
  6. Choose + under Shared Folders
  7. Navigate to the Scans folder and click Add
  8. Click Options
  9. Check all available sharing methods.
  10. Go to the printers IP address in the browser of your choice
  11. Click on Scan
  12. Create a template
  13. Choose FTP
  14. Enter IP address
  15. use /Scans as file path
  16. enter full username and password (MacOS takes out spaces by default)
  17. Test scanning successfully

If your company wants to utilize more functionality from your multi-function device, then contact us for assistance. And yes, we support MacOS in the business environment.

Network Drives Disconnect

Network Drive Disconnected - Grants Pass, OR

Had a client that repeatedly had troubles with network drives disconnect happening randomly. I did explain that this would happen normally if they kept their workstations logged into the server, but they did not want to change their habits. I performed the usual registry fixes on the workstations and the server, but these did not seem to work. Finally I got to look at the error and figured out the Group Policy Object that was causing the problem.

Usual Registry Fix:

The default method for this is to edit the registry as follows on both and run a command on the server to lengthen the disconnect time on the workstations and disable disconnect on the server.

Workstations:

  1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
  2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanworkstation\parameters
  3. In the right pane, click the KeepConn value, and then on the Edit menu, click Modify. If the KeepConn value does not exist, follow these steps:
    1. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click REG_DWORD.
    2. Type KeepConn, and then press ENTER.
  4. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
  5. Click Hexadecimal.
  6. In the Value data box, type ffff, and then click OK.

Server:

  1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
  2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters
  3. In the right pane, click the autodisconnect value, and then on the Edit menu, click Modify. If the autodisconnect value does not exist, follow these steps:
    1. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click REG_DWORD.
    2. Type autodisconnect, and then press ENTER.
  4. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
  5. Click Decimal.
  6. In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.

Finally the following command should also be run:

net config server /autodisconnect:-1

Kerberos Policy - Maximum lifetime for user ticket

Group Policy Object Fix:

Even though I changed the systems as above, it still disconnected regularly. The clients were getting this message when disconnected -“The system has detected a possible attempt to compromise security. Please ensure that you can contact the server that authenticated you.” Some research found that Windows Small Business Server created a Group Policy Object that by default times out authentication to the server after 10 hours. Here is how I changed it:

  1. Open Group Policy Management
  2. Look for Default Domain Policy
  3. Click on the Settings tab and then Show All
  4. Under Account Policies/Kerberos Policy look for Maximum lifetime for user ticket which by default was 10 hours.
  5. Right click on the policy and choose Edit
  6. Dig down to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies > Kerberos Policy
  7. Change the Maximum lifetime for user ticket to 100 hours (>4 days)
  8. Change the Maximum lifetime for user ticket renewal to 4 days

This combination will keep the ticket lifetime timeout longer than the time for renewal which will cause the renewal to happen before the timeout. Problem solved.

If your company is having issues with Network Drive Disconnect, then contact us for assistance.

 

 

The Latest Technology, No Upfront Costs

Technology as a Service - Grants Pass, OR

Technology As A Service (TaaS)

Access to the latest technology your way.

FLEXIBLE, SIMPLE AND COST EFFECTIVE.

Technology as a Service [TaaS] enables organizations to procure the latest hardware, software, and services, without the expense of a large, upfront purchase. With TaaS, it’s easy to configure and deploy an all-inclusive solution to meet all of your needs, for a single monthly payment.

Orders can be fulfilled from a wide variety of new or refurbished equipment, and can include cloud software, services, and tech support – all in one monthly invoice.

Realize lower total cost of ownership [TCO] with payments spread out over time, while still enjoying the latest technology to meet the business needs of today.

Once a contract is up, the equipment can be returned or purchased at a reduced rate. Or, you can simply extend the contract – in some cases, month-to-month.

WHY TAAS?

  • Simple–Experts help to make product selections.
  • Variety–Choose from a wide range of hardware, software and services
  • Flexible–Ability to choose short-term rentals provides maximum flexibility

BENEFITS:

  • Upgrade to newer, faster equipment at the end of the contract
  • Easier to budget expenses more effectively with a recurring monthly invoice
  • No up-front capital expenditures means lower TCO over time
  • More flexible financing options so you can tailor your payments
  • Easier to implement hardware initiatives as needed without waiting for funding
  • Reduce the risks associated with owning the technology

If your company is looking to upgrade to the latest technology or just doing a hardware refresh, then contact us for assistance.

Now Featuring: third-party software updates

third-party software update

In a continuing effort to offer the best remote monitoring & maintenance available and to enhance the security of our clients even more, we are now offering updates to several of the most popular third-party software packages. This is in addition to the Windows patching, system health checks, system maintenance, managed antivirus (included for free), and website blacklist monitoring that now come standard with our remote monitoring & maintenance service. Here is a summation:

Third-Party Software Updates

Google Chrome: web browser made by Google.

Firefox: web browser made by the Mozilla Foundation.

CCleaner: system cleaning utility (now owned by AVG).

Adobe Acrobat Reader: PDF viewer made by Adobe.

Adobe Flash Player: website animation plugin made by Adobe.

Java Runtime: website programming plugin made by Oracle.

There is a long list of other software that we can update for you automatically, but have chosen these in particular to update as they are the most likely to be exploited and least likely to be updated regularly.

If your company has software that needs to be automatically updated or would like to sign-up for remote monitoring and maintenance, then contact us for assistance.

CyberSecurity Month – Entrepreneur Tips

cybersecurityEntrepreneurs face the same cybersecurity challenges and threats that larger businesses face but with limited resources, capacity, and personnel. Cybersecurity is especially important for entrepreneurs because they have the unique opportunity to integrate cybersecurity practices at the onset of their investments and business development.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Approximately 77 percent of small firms believe their company is safe from a cyber attack, even though 83 percent  of those firms do not have a written security policy in place.
  • Unlike larger firms that can absorb the cost of a cyber attack, the consequences can be catastrophic for smaller ventures and entrepreneurs.

SIMPLE TIPS

  1. Use and regularly update anti-virus software and anti-spyware on all computers. Automate patch deployments to protect against vulnerabilities. (Our monthly maintenance takse care of this.)
  2. Secure your Internet connection by using a firewall, password protecting your Wi-Fi network, and changing default passwords for your wireless network and router. (Most businesses who buy a router from a local office supply store don’t take the time to change the default password and don’t know these devices are rarely updated by vendors.)
  3. Establish security policies and practices (e.g., using encryption technology) to protect sensitive data, including customer information and intellectual property.
  4. Use strong passwords and change them regularly. (Minimum recommended password length is 10 characters with upper and lower letters, numbers and symbols. Changing passwords should be monthly or quarterly if possible.)
  5. Protect all pages on your public-facing websites, not just the sign-up and checkout pages.
  6. Invest in data loss prevention software and use encryption technology to protect data that is transmitted over the Internet.If your company is concerned about cybersecurity and wants to take the needed steps to protect yourselves, then contact us for assistance.

CyberSecurity Month – Entrepreneur Tips

cybersecurityEntrepreneurs face the same cybersecurity challenges and threats that larger businesses face but with limited resources, capacity, and personnel. Cybersecurity is especially important for entrepreneurs because they have the unique opportunity to integrate cybersecurity practices at the onset of their investments and business development.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Approximately 77 percent of small firms believe their company is safe from a cyber attack, even though 83 percent  of those firms do not have a written security policy in place.
  • Unlike larger firms that can absorb the cost of a cyber attack, the consequences can be catastrophic for smaller ventures and entrepreneurs.

SIMPLE TIPS

  1. Use and regularly update anti-virus software and anti-spyware on all computers. Automate patch deployments to protect against vulnerabilities. (Our monthly maintenance takse care of this.)
  2. Secure your Internet connection by using a firewall, password protecting your Wi-Fi network, and changing default passwords for your wireless network and router. (Most businesses who buy a router from a local office supply store don’t take the time to change the default password and don’t know these devices are rarely updated by vendors.)
  3. Establish security policies and practices (e.g., using encryption technology) to protect sensitive data, including customer information and intellectual property.
  4. Use strong passwords and change them regularly. (Minimum recommended password length is 10 characters with upper and lower letters, numbers and symbols. Changing passwords should be monthly or quarterly if possible.)
  5. Protect all pages on your public-facing websites, not just the sign-up and checkout pages.
  6. Invest in data loss prevention software and use encryption technology to protect data that is transmitted over the Internet.If your company is concerned about cybersecurity and wants to take the needed steps to protect yourselves, then contact us for assistance.

Archives

Categories

Plant a Seed @ 541-761-9549
233 Rogue River Hwy #873 Grants Pass, OR 97527
Mon-Fri: 9:00am-5:00pm
support@farmhousenetworking.com
© 2016-2024- Farmhouse Networking. All rights reserved
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

Evaluation Signup

[contact-form-7 id="452" title="Free Network Evaluation"]
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. - 2 Corinthians 9:8-10