Cisco ASA – Allowing Microsoft Activation
KB ID 0001237 Problem Activation occurs over TCP 80 and 443, so usually this will not trip you up. However if you are on a site with a very restrictive firewall config, then you might want to add the following. Solution I’ll break with the norm, and just post the config in its entirety, (just remove the comments in red.) !The Firewall needs a domain name of its own. ! domain-name petenetlive.com ! !Setup DNS Lookups so the...
AnyConnect – The VPN Connection Failed (Domain Name Resolution)
KB ID 0001236 Problem This is a pretty generic error to be honest. AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client VPN The VPN connection failed due to unsuccessful domain name resolution. Solution Firstly, (and obviously) the name you are typing in the AnyConnect window can be resolved can’t it? If not then you might want to consider some employment that does not involve computers. Secondly (this is what usually trips me up) did you copy...
Migrating Local Profiles to Domain Profiles
KB ID 0001235 Problem Moving a machine onto a Windows domain, is a simple task, I’ve done this for a lot of clients. The main complaint (post migration,) is that something is missing. This is because your-account-name on your PC or laptop, and your-account-name in the domain are TWO DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS, (even if they have the same name). Microsoft have produced some tools help you, but I challenge you to start reading the USMT...
Cisco – Dissolve / Break ASA Failover Firewall Configuration
KB ID 0001234 Problem I’ve written at length about setting up failover firewall configurations. But what if you already have a working pair, and you need to remove one? There’s plenty of reasons to do this, i.e. another site needs a firewall in a hurry, you’re replacing failover firewalls with a single firewall, or you just need to do sone testing and don’t have a spare. Solution It goes without saying, before...
Cisco VPN Client Connects but no traffic will Pass
Note: May also be asked as, Client VPN connects but cannot ping anything behind the Firewall. KB ID 0000199 Problem If I had a pound for every time I’ve seen this either in the wild, or asked in a forum, I would be minted! In nearly every case the problem is NAT related. In most cases, If the person launching the VPN client is behind a device that is performing NAT, (Home Router, Access Point, Firewall, etc) then the device will...
Robocopy – File Server Migration
KB ID 0001233 Problem I’ve done a lot of migrations, and moving a client’s files and shared data, usually makes them cringe. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve heard ‘We can’t have any downtime’, which is fine, until you tell them how much its going to cost to do this on a Saturday! As I posted recently, Microsoft have made this a lot easier with the file serve migration tools,...
AnyConnect – ‘Your environment does not meet the criteria’
KB ID 0001232 Problem For an existing client, I was setting up a new user. I connected their laptop though my mobile phone and attempted to connect. This is the error I got. Cisco AnyConnect Logon denied: Your environment does not meet the access criteria defined by your administrator. Solution A cursory glance over the firewall config didn’t yield anything in their AAA settings that was odd, they were simply using LDAP for...
VMware ESX – Enable ‘Embedded Host Client’
KB ID 0001231 Problem Since ESX 6.0.0 Update 2 you’ve been able to use the Embedded Host Client in ESX. Which is great if (like me) you use a Mac because I don’t have to fire up a windows box to load the ‘Fat’ VI client anymore. What about older version of ESX? If you are running 5.5 (update3) or newer then you can install and use the Embedded Host Client. Why didnt you just upgrade to 6.0.0 Update 2? Well my...
Exchange – Test User Extest Isn’t Available
KB ID 0001230 Problem While troubleshooting some connectivity issues I used the Test-EcpConnectivity commandlet and got the following error; Test user ‘extest_bebc4142688e4’ isn’t accessible so this cmdlet wont be able to test Client Access Server connectivity Solution To enable the test user you need to run a script, and you will find it in the script directory in the Exchange setup media . Locate and run the...
Exchange Renaming and Moving Databases
KB ID 0001229 Problem Exchange has a habit of naming its databases as ‘Mailbox Database {Random-Number}’. This makes my OCD ‘itch’. So one of the first things I do is rename the database to something more sensible. Then I like to move the databases from the server system drive, and also relocate the log files into their own partition/drive. Solution Rename a Mailbox Database Log into Exchange Admin Center >...