Category Archives: IT

Information Technology

HP G8 Servers – 3.5″ and 2.5″ Caddy Woes and Excessive Cost

Posted on by
3

HP has recently launched their 8th generation of their ML series servers which are quite attractive to the eye when it comes to price.  However, the cost of their hard disks ( specifically SATA ) are nearly triple that of a similar brand ( ie Western Digital, Seagate, etc )

The HP Long Form Factor 3TB SATA 7200rpm server disks cost over €1,00.00 per drive and HP only offer a warranty of 1 year on each drive.

An over the counter Seagate 3TB 7200rpm SATA drive is available for under €200.00, complete with a THREE YEAR warranty.

Continue reading →

Downgrade and unlock an iPhone 3GS on firmware 6.1.2 using iPad baseband

Posted on by
Reply

We recently purchased a refurbished iPhone 3GS from a supplier to test some features with an iPhone application that we were developing.  The iPhone was in fantastic condition but was locked to the vodafone network and we didn’t have any vodafone sim cards in stock.

Vodafone weren’t particularly helpful in unlocking the phone, so we done a bit of research and unlocked it ourselves.  Please note, the we used the iPAD baseband which is not recommended as it can brick your iPhone 3GS.

Also – do not perform the following steps if your iPhone 3GS was manufactured in late 2011 as it will STOP YOUR PHONE FROM WORKING.

Now – onto the steps we used to unlock the iPhone 3GS on 6.1.2!

Continue reading →

Performing a cleanup of ad.xtendmedia.com

Posted on by
Reply

One of the more annoying pieces of spyware, the ad.xtendmedia.com spyware can be cleaned out with quickly with the antispyware software Malwarebytes.

However, the ad.xtendmedia.com software modifies the HOSTS file ( located in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc ) and add’s the following lines to the BOTTOM of the hosts file.

95.211.0.120    www.google-analytics.com.
95.211.0.120    ad-emaea.doubleclick.net.
95.211.0.120    www.statcounter.com.
93.115.241.27    ad-emea.doubeclick.net.
93.115.241.27    www.statcounter.com.

The HOSTS file was also 2kb in size – the original HOSTS file is only 1kb by default.

Once the above entries are removed from the HOSTS file, the ad.xtendmedia.com pop ups should disappear.  Make sure to flush your browsing cache / temp folder to be on the safe side.

If you require any additional information or support on removing the ad.xtendmedia.com spyware, please feel free to contact us on 014852222.

 

Windows SBS 2011 Move Data Wizard has stopped working – movedata.exe crash

Posted on by
1

Recently, we were asked by a new client to move their Exchange 2010 Data to a new array on their Windows SBS 2011 server.

On Small Business Server 2011, we usually carry out this procedure through the SBS 2011 Console:

  1. Select Backup and Server Storage Tab
  2. Select Server Settings
  3. Select Move Exchange Server Data

However, when we tried launching the “Move Exchange Server Data” option – the SBS 2011 Console would crash, saying “Windows SBS 2011 Move Data Wizard has stopped working“.  On further inspection, the crash was related to movedata.exe

We knew from previous experience that Windows recommends you backup your server before performing this task – oddly enough, this message did not appear before the crash.

We checked around the console and noticed that the Windows SBS 2011 backup wizard had been configured BUT had been failing for the last two weeks.

We fixed the backup issue by adding a new external 2TB hard disk, performed a full server backup and then proceeded to move the Exchange Server Data again.

When we launched the “Move Exchange Server Data” task, it completed successfully with no issues / crashes.

Moral of the story – always check your backups before performing these tasks !

Needless to say, we have another happy client.  🙂

If you’re experiencing issues with moving your Exchange 2010 Data to a new location, feel free to call Planit Computing on 01 485 2222 for a free, no quibble IT consultation.

 

Hamachi’s Gateway VPN and Guest OS on a Windows 2012 / Hyper-V Installation

Posted on by
Reply

While testing the installation of Hamachi on a Hyper-V Guest, the install broke the network configuration.  This is due to the way Hyper-V and Hamachi operate.

In Hyper-v you have to have it add a legacy network adapter and then open command line in Administrator mode and enter the following commands:

  • netsh bridge show adapter
  • netsh bridge set adapter 1 forcecompatmode=enable

Then begin the install for Hamachi in Gateway network mode.

If you require any additional support on setting Hamachi up on a Hyper-V Guest, please feel free to contact us on 014852222.

Microsoft says no to SBS 2012

Posted on by
Reply

Microsoft recently announced that the Windows Server 2012 editions will not be seeing a “Small Business Server Edition” –  they have simplified the licensing.  Basically, there will only be four editions – Datacenter, Standard, Essentials and Foundation. For more details, see Microsoft’s post on the official site and also check out the licensing datasheet.

There is also an FAQ available with most of the common questions answered. Specifically, I would point to Q33 because this will sign the end of an era with Windows Small Business Server.

Continue reading →

PJ Hegarthy Online Auction with Wilsons Auctions proves to be a success

Posted on by
Reply

 

Wilsons Auctions and PJ Hegarty Logo

 

Recently, we were asked by Wilsons Auctions to add a temporary broadband link to facilitate their Online Auction Services for PJ Hegarthy in Cork.

The location of the rostrum was about 150 metres away from the main network cabinet, with no network connectivity. In an ideal world Fiber or Wireless LoS would be the perfect candidate, but cost followed by its temporary residence there made this an nonviable option. A plan to use a 3G router was discussed but the location was in a “patchy” area for receiving a solid 3G connection.  Latency is also an additional issue when using 3G.

Continue reading →

IT Service Plans, Maintenance & IT Support Options from PlanIT Computing

Posted on by
Reply

Our IT Service Plans provides your business with all of the regularly scheduled services your business will need, comprehensive server and client monitoring, after hours support access, annual network audits, access to help desk services and emergency onsite visit coverage.

At PlanIT Computing, we provide  proactive IT Managed Services. Our combination of regular remote preventative maintenance and real-time monitoring of your computer systems delivers the following benefits:

  • Minimize your IT downtime and failures. We address smaller IT problems before they become expensive IT failures through our remote monitoring, alerting and support mechanisms.
  • Reduce your IT support costs. The ability to connect remotely to your IT systems to take corrective actions avoids expensive on-site call-outs and provide instant support is the key to PlanIT Computing’s Managed IT Services.  Proactive maintenance means fewer issues and less “unexpected” and costly on-site IT support work.
  • Proactive Support. When our monitoring system detects a potential IT issue we are instantly alerted and will contact you to decide on a course of action to address the issue before it affects your business.

Continue reading →

Facebook – Secure Browser Feature explained briefly

Posted on by
Reply

You may have noticed a new pop up on your Facebook timeline asking if you wish to enable “secure browsing” or not.

Secure Browsing ( https / ssl ) is an opt-in security feature when accessing Facebook. When the secure browsing feature is enabled, your activity ( web traffic ) on Facebook becomes encrypted, making it harder for anyone else to access your Facebook information without your permission.

We recommend enabling the secure browsing feature on Facebook to reduce the risk of someone intercepting your time on Facebook.