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Archives for March 2011

Mar 29, 2011 By Jared Heinrichs Leave a Comment

Mac mouse stops working

I want to thank my dear friend Tamara for teaching me something new about Macs today.

A mac at one of the places I work at had it’s wireless mouse stop working (Wireless Bluetooth mouse to be specific). It turns out that the bluetooth controller on the machine wasn’t being detected. The only way it could be fixed was resetting the System Management Controller (SMC).

But wait, how could this happen! It’s a Mac right? Any who, she fixed it by turning off the Mac, unplugging it completely and then holding down the power button while being unplugged. She recalls holding the button down for around 5 to 10 seconds.

Plug the iMac back into the power source and turn it on. You might be surprised that somehow magically the bluetooth is back up and running on the machine!

I’ve included the info here for how and why from the apple KB

Note: It is possible that the SMC could encounter an issue that may cause unusual system behavior typically related to the symptoms described below. In some cases, resetting the SMC may be the only correct method to resolve the issue, however, an SMC reset should only be attempted after all other standard troubleshooting has been performed.

Before Resetting the SMC – Try each of the following steps in this order before you reset the SMC. Test the issue after completing each troubleshooting step to determine if the issue still occurs.

  • Press Command + Option + Escape to force quit any application that is not responding.
  • Put your Mac to sleep by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Sleep.
  • Wake the computer after it has gone to sleep.
  • Restart your Mac by by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Restart.
  • Shut down your Mac by by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Shut Down.

If your Mac appears to be running normally but isn’t responding, force the computer to shut down by pressing and holding the power button for 10 seconds. Note: You will lose any unsaved work in any open applications.

For Mac portables experiencing issues related to the MagSafe power adapter and/or battery, try:

Unplug the MagSafe power adapter from the Mac and the wall power socket for several seconds.
Shutdown the Mac. Physically remove and re-insert the battery (if it’s removable) and startup the Mac.

If the issue is still not resolved after following the troubleshooting items above, an SMC reset may be necessary.

After performing normal troubleshooting, these symptoms may indicate that an SMC reset may be necessary:

Fans – The computer’s fans run at high speed although the computer is not experiencing heavy usage and is properly ventilated.

Lights – The keyboard backlight appears to behave incorrectly (on Mac computers that have this feature).
The Status Indicator Light (SIL) appears to behave incorrectly (on Mac computers that have an SIL).
Battery indicator lights, if present, appear to behave incorrectly (on portables that use non-removable batteries).
The display backlight doesn’t respond correctly to ambient light changes on Mac computers that have this feature.

Power
The computer doesn’t respond to the power button when pressed.
A portable Mac doesn’t appear to respond properly when you close or open the lid.
The computer sleeps or shuts down unexpectedly.
The battery does not appear to be charging properly.
The MagSafe power adaptor LED doesn’t appear to indicate the correct activity.

System Performance
The computer is running unusually slowly although it is not experiencing abnormally high CPU utilization.

Video
A computer that supports target display mode does not switch into or out of target display mode as expected.
A computer that supports target display mode switches into or out of target display mode at unexpected times.

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
Resetting the SMC on Mac portables with a battery you can remove

Note: Learn about removing the battery on MacBook and MacBook Pro.
Shut down the computer.
Disconnect the MagSafe power adapter from the computer, if it’s connected.
Remove the battery.
Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
Release the power button.
Reconnect the battery and MagSafe power adapter.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Resetting the SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own

Note: Portable computers that have a battery you should not remove on your own include MacBook Pro (Early 2009) and later, all models of MacBook Air, and MacBook (Late 2009).
Shut down the computer.
Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Note: The LED on the MagSafe power adapter may change states or temporarily turn off when you reset the SMC.
Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve

Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer’s power cord.
Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
Release the power button.
Attach the computers power cable.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
Additional Information
The System Management Controller (SMC) is responsible for many low-level functions on Intel-based Macs. These functions include:

Responding to presses of the power button
Responding to display lid opening and closing on portable Macs
Battery management
Thermal management
The SMS (Sudden Motion Sensor)
Ambient light sensing
Keyboard backlighting
Status Indicator Light (SIL) management
Battery status indicator lights
Selecting an external (instead of internal) video source for some iMac displays

Filed Under: Mac OS X

Mar 24, 2011 By Jared Heinrichs 12 Comments

How to setup DD-Wrt on a Cisco e2000

This is a condensed and precise version of the guide found at:

  • http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_E2000
  • http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=51486

The reason why I am making this guide is that although the write-up on the previous link is great there are some things that are left out. It kind of assumes that you have  some DD-Wrt experience. My goal with this article is to approach it like you have heard that DD-Wrt is awesome but are now wanting to install it and see what all the fuss is about!

First of all I want to congratulate you on your e2000 router. This router is awesome. It is now the router I recommend for anyone that is looking at new routers. It has Wireless N, Gigabit Network, and it has a wopping 32MB of ram installed on it! Please note that I will be doing the install on a laptop running ubuntu. The steps will be almost identical on Windows and Mac machines. I only mention this just encase you are following along and you are seeing something a tiny bit different. 😉

Overview of the flash process.

There are a couple of things to do when working with this router. I would recommend that you don’t even bother with setting up or configuring the Cisco router. Flashing a router means that we are going to be uploading a single file to the router. The router will process the file and install the software contained in the file to it’s internal memory. NEVER plug in the WAN cable in during setup.

One of the biggest issues with this router is that you need a very specific file for flashing the router. The first time I went to download this file from the DD-WRT website I had a very tough time the link was down. Because of that I have now made my own online copy of the software as I know this file works flawlessly.

Download e2000 DD-WRT flash file – I recommend that you just save the file to your desktop for easy access.

You are going to want to install a telnet client installed on your machine. Putty is a great piece of software for Windows. Linux and Mac machines normally have telnet installed.

Unpack your Cisco e2000.

** This section is for the people that already owned the Cisco e2000 router or went through the setup of it already like changing the password etc. If you haven’t done anything with the router just proceed to the next step called virgin state**

If you have done ANYTHING with the router I recommend reseting everything back to defaults using the 30-30-30 reset. Basically the 30-30-30 reset is where you hold the router in one hand and have it plugged in. Using a pen hold down the reset button for 30 seconds. After the 30 seconds are unplug the power while STILL KEEPING THE RESET BUTTON HELD DOWN! Once that is done re-plug the power back in while STILL KEEPING THE RESET BUTTON HELD DOWN!

Please excuse the caps but most people the first time don’t do this correctly. If at any time you don’t think you’ve done it correctly just restart the process from the beginning.

** Start here if you are sure the router is in a virgin state **

Virgin State

The first thing you want to do is have the router plugged in and your computer plugged into the router with a network cable. DO NOT attempt to do this with a wireless connection. NEVER plug in the WAN cable in during setup. I also recommend that both the computer and router are on a UPS. The reason for this if you happen to experience a power outage while this is happening you will brick the router and I won’t be able to help you.

Open your browser of choice and enter the url (http://192.168.1.1)

Once there you will want to log in. The username will be left *BLANK* and the password is “admin”. Once you log in the router might chirp at you about not using the Cisco setup software. Don’t worry about it. Go to the second last tab on the right. It is called “Administration”. When you click on “Administration” a new line will show up below. It will have a bunch of links. The last one will be called “Firmware Upgrade”. Click the link. You will now be able to browse for the file in the main area and start the flash by clicking “Start to Upgrade”.

The progress bar will go from 0 – 100%. I don’t think the router has ever gone to a DD-WRT page on its own. Once I see that the bar hits 100% I leave for about 5 minutes and then come back to ensure that the flashing is really complete. This is where people might brick the router if they reset the router.

After the 5 minute break I normally just close the Browser window and re-type the 192.168.1.1 address in the URL. Normally you will be presented with the DD-Wrt front page. If this does not happen I recommend that you close the browser and restart the computer you are on. As soon as the computer starts to reboot I unplug the router for 5 seconds. Then plug the router power cable back in. Try to log in to the URL

Now that you are in you will want to click on a tab. This will get DD-WRT to prompt you for the login info.

The default info is: user= “root” and password = “admin”.

Change the username and password. Write this down! The next thing is to secure your wireless connection. By default as soon as you turn on the device the wireless is completely open.

The next thing is to telnet into the DD-WRT box.

To log in you will need to log in with the user “root” and password = “admin” or what ever you changed it in the last step. Please note that the user will ALWAYS be root even if your web interface is something else! I don’t know why this is but it is what it is.

These are the commands that you will need to run at the terminal prompt. Each command must be typed (or copied) exactly. After each command is entered you must hit “enter”. After hitting reboot the router will reboot. It will take just under a minute for a full reboot.

nvram set clkfreq=300,150,75

nvram commit
reboot

Some people have some issues with disconnects with the router. I normally just make these changes while I am setting everything all up.

Wireless > Channel > Ch 161 (5GhZ)

Wireless > Channel > Ch 9 (2.4GhZ)
Wireless > Security > WPA2 Personal - AES
Wireless > Advanced Wireless Settings > Beacon Interval: 75
Wireless > Advanced Wireless Settings > Fragmentation Threshold: 2306
Wireless > Advanced Wireless Settings > RTS Threshold: 2307
Security > Firewall > Block Anonymous WAN Access <--- Uncheck

You are now done! Enjoy an awesome router. Hope you liked this write up.

Filed Under: Networking

Mar 23, 2011 By Jared Heinrichs Leave a Comment

How to change the IP address on a domain controller

Changing your IP address on an Active Directory domain controller can cause many issues with the DNS server on that machine. To change the IP address, complete the following steps:

  • Select: Start -> Settings -> Network and Dial Up Connections
  • Select: Your Local Area Connection
  • Select: Internet Connections (TCP/IP) Properties
  • Change: Your IP Address and Subnet Mask and Gateway
  • Change: Preferred DNS server’s address to the new server address
  • Select: OK -> OK -> Close

Your server’s address is now changed.

  • Select: Start -> Programs -> Administrative Tools -> DNS
  • Double click Forward Look Up Zones. Then double click your server name.
  • Delete: Your type A records

Reset your information in your SOA and NS records and exit DNS. Now drop down to an MS-DOS prompt and type the following:

  • ipconfig /flushdns Enter
  • Net Stop DNS Enter
  • Net Start DNS Enter
  • Net Stop Netlogon Enter
  • Net Start Netlogon Enter
  • ipconfig /registerdns Enter

You can now go back to DNS and make sure the records were all created and they should have changed the address to the correct address on their own.

Now run NSLookup from an MS-DOS prompt and see if all is resolved OK or not. It the names and IP addresses all resolve correctly, you’re all set. If not, then go back to NSLookup and type set root=servername (the name of your DNS domain) and hit Enter. When the prompt returns, type exit to exit out of NSLookup. When you type NSLookup, it should resolve the name correctly.

Filed Under: Windows 2003 Server

Mar 19, 2011 By Jared Heinrichs 32 Comments

IE9 A problem displaying <website> caused Internet Explorer to refresh the webpage using compatibility View

This is where I am going to document the issue I am having with IE9. “IE9 A problem displaying <website> caused Internet Explorer to refresh the webpage using compatibility View”

image

This issue is driving me nuts. To give you an idea on my configuration I have:

  • Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
  • i7 processor
  • eVGA x58 Motherboard (Latest BIOS and drivers)
  • 6GB of 1600Mhz Ram
  • MSI 460 GTX Hawk.

These are the things I have tried fix the issue. All previous versions of Internet Explorer displayed the same pages without issues. Firefox, Chrome and Safari aren’t having any issues.

  • I installed the demo of IE and removed
  • Installed IE9 Beta and Removed
  • Installed IE9 RC and Removed
  • Fully Patched/Up to Date. Removed IE9 again and re-installed.
  • Updated BIOS
  • Updated Nvidia driver
  • Tried disabling all 3rd party add-on running IE9.
  • Tried running without any add-ons and this did nothing.
  • Turned off using GPU in IE9 by going to Tools-Options-Advanced and turned off option.
  • Made sure there was no spyware/Adware/Virus

Just some of the sites that are causing me the issues:

  • http://www.catswhocode.com/blog/
  • http://davidwalsh.name
  • http://downloadsquad.switched.com/

I originally hypothesized that the issue was caused by code on the websites I was visiting were improperly targeting Internet Explorer. I found it weird at least 50% of the site were having issues.

I no longer think that is the correct. I did a test on a client’s dell. There is no issues what so ever with the same sites. The machine was a Dell that uses an Intel Onboard video card.

The other thing that I was thinking that could be causing the issues:

  1. Knowing that IE9 uses the video card so much more makes me think that maybe it could be the driver/video card
  2. IE Add-on that is causing the issues.

Anyone else getting this error? Have you tried something else? Leave a comment.

Filed Under: Internet Explorer 9

Mar 13, 2011 By Jared Heinrichs 4 Comments

How to use RDP to remote desktop into Ubuntu

I want to say that since I found this out I have been overjoyed! There is nothing in my opinion that is better then RDP. Nothing! All open source remote protocols like VNC blow compared to RDP.

I am going to bet most of you know what RDP is. For those that do not know what EDP is I will explain it. RDP stands for Remote Desktop protocol. It has been around forever in the Windows world. Techies like myself eat, breath and sleep using RDP because it makes our jobs and our clients so much more accessible!

Remote desktop is made up of two parts. There is the client and the server. Both the Client and desktop use RDP to communicate back and forth.

The Linux world has had the client for a while. (ie you could remote desktop onto a Windows Server) but you could never RDP from a Windows box onto a Ubuntu box.

Until Now!

This is how you will setup your linux (ubuntu) box to get RDP access.

1.) You will need to install the software. Make sure that you have an internet connection and type this code:

How to use RDP to remote desktop into Ubuntu 01

Basically it means change to “Super User” and install a package called “xrdp”. Believe it or not, that is all it will take. You will be asked for your password and then it will ask if you want to install xrdp.

How to use RDP to remote desktop into Ubuntu 02

As you can see from the screenshot it will install around 7.4MB of new software. Obviously VNC is somehow being used. Honestly, It performs just as good as it’s windows counter part.

Once you install it, step number two will be to connect and verify that it is working.

2.) Log in a verify that everything works

I normally recommend that you use the ip Address of the xrdp server. If you know you computer can connect to the server via name resolution then you can just use the name of the server.

How to use RDP to remote desktop into Ubuntu 03

As you can see the login look a bit different. Let’s actually log into the machine. Like windows you will need to enter a local user on the server. In my case I made a user called “SuperDuperUser” and give it a password.

How to use RDP to remote desktop into Ubuntu 04

Look at that. Remote desktop in all it’s glory!

How to use RDP to remote desktop into Ubuntu 05

Filed Under: Ubuntu Linux

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