Tag Archives: “Windows 7”

FireBox, Microsoft, SBS 2008, SBS 2011, Small Business Server 2008, Small Business Server 2011, SSL VPN, Watchguard, Windows, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, XTM

Watchguard – SSL VPN clients cannot resolve internal host names despite DNS servers being configured for the connection

You may find that when you configure your Watchguard XTM Firewall to accept SSL VPN connections that clients can connect to

the VPN and ping IP addresses of internal resources, however you cannot resolve internal hosts even via FQDN using DNS.  You

may also find that when you run NSLOOKUP on the SSL VPN connected client that the  result is your Internet Service Providers

DNS servers rather than the DNS servers assigned via the VPN connection.

 

To resolve the issue you can change your SSL VPN configuration from a “Routed VPN” to a “Bridge VPN”, the routed VPN uses a

virtual IP address pool (192.168.113.0/24) which does not match your internal IP range or the address range of the internal

DNS Servers.  When a Windows client connects to the “Routed VPN” it appears that due to the DNS server mismatch they are not

utilised by the client.

 

When you configure the VPN in “Bridge VPN” mode you can work around this issue, the Bridge VPN configuration allows you to

exclude some addresses from your Windows DHCP Server Pool and add the into them “Start” and “End” IP addresses on your

Watchguard SSL VPN Configuration Page. The Watchguard will now become responsible for assigning these internal IPs to VPN

clients as they connect rather than the Windows DHCP Server.

 

You should now find that when your SSL VPN clients connect that they are assigned an IP address and DNS server that are all

within the existing internal IP range of your network.  An NSLOOKUP should now return your internal DNS server address and

you should be able to ping hostnames and FQDNs that reside within your internal network.

 

Examples:

ping windowsserver

ping windowsserver.exampledomain.local

 

Please remember that the only down side with this configuration is that a “Bridge VPN” bridges to the “Trusted” interface,

this means that the client computer can access any internal resources that they have permissions for by default. A “Routed

VPN” allows you to offer traffic to Optional/secondary networks and gives you more control by letting you lock down access

using “Specify allowed resources”.

Microsoft, SBS 2011, Small Business Server 2011, Windows, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

The Startup Process in Windows 7 – SP1 or Windows Server 2008 R2 – SP1 may be slower than expected

An issue that was identifed a few months ago is slow system startup with your Windows 7 Desktop/Laptop or Windows Server 2008 R2 Server.  This is related to a delay in the initilisation of the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider (Deals with Shadow Copy, System Restore and Backup).

All is not lost as this issue can be fixed by applying the latest version of Volsnap.sys to your operating system

Currently the latest version can be found in the following Microsoft Hotfix (KB 2548124) and applies to Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 – RTM or Service Pack 1 installs.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2548124

HP, Microsoft, Windows, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista

Poor Computer Performance due to Windows Power Management Settings

In an effort to be more “Green” you will often find that your shiny new computer, laptop or server have Power Management already set to “Balanced” or “Power Saver”.  This can be very useful for cutting your energy bills and saving the planet but sometimes you just get the need for speed.

It’s easy to check your current “Power Plan” in Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, Server 2008 or Server 2008 R2.  Simply click on the Windows Start Menu or Orb if you are using the Aero theme and then select “Control Panel”.  Once in “Control Panel” you can either find it under it’s category “Hardware and Sound” then “Power Options” or if you are in classic control panel mode then you will just need to click “Power Options”.

Once in Power Options you will usually only be presented with three options to choose from, most will find “High Performance” the best option if they want to avoid the occasional slowdowns that power management can introduce.  You will also find that on a laptop the screen brightness is usually increased in this mode and the laptop is not going to keep going to sleep if you walk away from your desk for a few minutes.

If you favour a nice balance between the two then your next best option is “Balanced”.

The “Power Saver” Plan which is the third option is really just for laptop users in my opinion, it’s great for a long flight or train ride where you just need to get some basic Word Documents typed up or reviewed.

Internet Explorer, Internet Explorer 9, SBS 2011, Small Business Server 2011, Windows, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista

Internet Explorer 9 File Download Issues

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An issue that has been going on for some time now is an inability to correctly download certain files using Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.  You will find that the download dialog launches but the file name and type that Internet Explorer 9 displays does not correlate with the original download link.

The most likely cause of this is having a tick in the check box next to the following option

“Do Not Save Encrypted pages to disk”

You can verify this setting by opening Internet Explorer 9, clicking “Tools”, “Internet Options”, Clicking the “Advanced” tab and then scrolling down to the “Security” section.  This is where you will find the “Do Not Save Encrypted pages to disk” value.

To resolve the issue just untick the box next to “Do Not Save Encrypted pages to disk” and then close and re-launch your Internet Explorer 9 browser.