David Vielmetter

Adventures in stupid technology

  • PPTP VPN: testing whether GRE 47 traffic is allowed

    Some networks block the basic requirements for PPTP VPN connections. Hotels sometimes do this prevent guests from skirting their internet content policies. To establish a PPTP VPN connection, the host network must allow traffic on port 1723 and Generic Route Encapsulation (GRE) 47 traffic. Both requirements must be met by the host network to establish a successful PPTP…

  • Getting ready for single sign-on in a hybrid cloud environment

    I’m seeing a lot of small businesses change change their IT budgets from a CAPEX/ROI model to an OPEX/Subscription model. If you’re one of those businesses enticed by moving chunks of your IT infrastructure to the cloud to simplify your IT budget, then you may want to consider setting up a hybrid cloud environment. One of…

  • GA-990FXA-UD3 firmware issues with overheating

    I’ve got a Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 rev. 4.0 and my system had issues with turning off after resuming up from sleep or hibernate. Initially, I thought it was a problem with my Windows 10 installation because of my windows insider preview build, but after investigating a bit more, it turns out the issue was firmware F3 released 5/28/15. The…

  • Changing your DHCP Scope (to increase IP addressing)

    Say you were conservative when you first created your DHCP scope and now your company has grown past those initial conservative estimates. Now you’re stuck with a DHCP scope you can’t expand. Whether you’re trying to add 50 hosts or thousands, you’re stuck in the same situation. Delete and re-create your DHCP scope. Use netsh…

  • Netsh int ip reset says access denied

    Resetting the TCP/IP stack can be a useful way to clear any issues that might be preventing your computer from accessing the Internet or network. In Windows, there are lots of things that could screw up a systems TCP/IP stack and lead to connectivity issues. This is because Microsoft Windows stores most network information including the…

  • iOS 10.0.2 Phone App locks up and crashes

    I’ve got an iPhone 6s and was an early adopter to iOS10. I’m not sure if the issue began with the iOS 10 upgrade or if it started with the more recent iOS 10.0.1 or 10.0.2 updates to iOS10. Here’s what I do know: [Update] This issue was fixed in iOS v10.2.1. [Symptoms] After the…

  • Missing emails in Outlook when using Google Apps Sync

    So your organization uses Google Apps for Work. Great!. If you’re syncing all components of your Google Apps account (email, calendar, contacts, and notes) with Microsoft Outlook though, chances are good you’ll need the Google Apps Sync tool. By default, this tool is configured to only sync 1GB of email from your Google Apps account…

  • QuickBooks Enterprise 2016 database manager will not start

    Turns out the QuickBooks Enterprise 2016 uses the same port range (55368-55372) for the database manager as Microsoft already uses for DNS. So if the server you’re planning on installing QuickBooks database manager 2016 on is also a DC or running DNS for any other reason, you should reconsider. If you must run your QuickBooks…

  • Mail (32-bit) control panel icon blank

    This issue specifically affects Windows 7 Pro SP1 installations with Microsoft Office 2010 Standard SP2. The issue manifests itself after Office 2010 Standard is installed and all windows and office patches from Windows update have been applied. When the control panel of the system is opened, the mail.cpl icon for managing Microsoft Outlook email profiles…

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