Archive for November, 2010
12″ Apple PowerBook G4 Optical Drive Replacement
Today I had a simple repair, a client came in that had a 12″ Apple PowerBook G4. There was a disc stuck in the SuperDrive (optical drive) and the computer could not detect the drive at all. Regardless of the type of failure (mechanical or electrical) the drive needed to be replaced.
The client had already purchased a new drive so all that I had to do was install it. The procedure took about one hour including assembly and disassembly. With this type of computer, the SuperDrive is the last component to come out of the computer. Apple designed this computer so that the computer had to be disassembled in this order: RAM Cover, Keyboard, Top Casing, Modem, heatsink, wiring, Hard Drive, Motherboard and finally the SuperDrive. I followed the procedure from PowerBook Medic here since it had been a couple of years since I dealt with a 12″ Apple PowerBook G4 Optical Drive Replacement and did not want to chance anything on the reassembly.
Small Business Saturday November 27
Support Your Local Small Businesses next Saturday November 27th 2010!
“Shop the Best, Shop the Bellmores!”
VPN Solution for Kodak PracticeWorks Dental Software
For the last few months I have been pushing around the idea of finding an inexpensive way to use Kodak PracticeWorks (PW) Dental Software over a VPN connection remotely. This is the solution that I came up with, and it works perfectly for PracticeWorks including the Charting module, claims, everything.
In my previous post, I set this network (for the Dentist in North Bellmore 11710 (Nassau County NY) see: here) up with a domain on a Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Dell PowerEdge 1900 server. The Practice Works server is a Virtual machine that was created from a live machine and is now running in Hyper-V.
Note: all network share names and IP addresses have been changed to protect the privacy and security of my clients network
In the past, using a VPN client only allowed the client to ping other computers on the network (10.0.0.254 as an example) and even mount a drive (ie \\10.0.0.159\PWorks ). However, after installing PracticeWorks from the mounted network drive Y:\Data\Setup\WSetup.exe, I was always faced with problems that “\\PWORKS_SERVER\PWORKS” could not be found (this error was given by the Practice Works program PWorks.exe). This is because unless a VPN tunnel is formed by Windows it’s self, there is no NetBIOS name resolution capability. In addition, if the network drive was attempted to be created using the computers name instead of the IP address, the computer on the VPN would not be able to resolve the name. This is a problem because in order for practiceworks to see the share as the correct share, regardless of drive letter etc, it needs to be mounted using the computer name (ie \\PWORKS_SERVER\PWORKS) as opposed to the ip address (ie 10.0.0.159\PWORKS). this problem will be solved in the paragraph after the next.
I decided to switch to a more powerful VPN solution called OpenVPN. OpenVPN comes in many forms, all linux based. In my case, I downloaded the VHD image and configured it as a virtual machine running in Hyper-V on the server. It is a lightweight OS and will not add any signifigant strain on the server. Plus it is easier to manage and no new hardware is needed. After some simple configuration, giving the virtual machine a legacy network adapter in Hyper-V, giving it a static IP address, subnet, gateway, using the Domain Controller as the primary DNS and the router as the secondary DNS, I got the virtual unit online. It was very easy to configure and set up new user names etc. After the initial configuration is completed through the virtual OS it’s self (which is Ubuntu-based) the remainder of the configuration is done through a web interface. In order to do the configuration over the internet, the following ports have to be forwarded to the OpenVPN virtual machine’s IP: Port 443 (config over internet) TCP, Port 1194 UDP (for remote connections) and Port 943 TCP in order to do configuration over the internet without being connected to the physical network or to the VPN for the admin console.
To address the earlier problem of name resolution, There are 2 solutions. Ether put the names of the networked computers (on the physical LAN) into the remote machine’s (the one to VPN into the network) lmhosts file, or create a remote WINS server on the physical network. I chose to create a WINS server because the client is running Windows Server 2008 R2 and it is very easy to create a WINS server. I also did this because, in the future, it would be ever so slightly more complicated to move the lmhosts file from machine to machine for any new VPN remote client. The WINS solution is prettier, plus, OpenVPN server web configuration allows for the usage of a WINS server in it’s settings for when the VPN client connects to the server, it wil autoconfigure the remote client with the proper Wins server.
I added the domain controller and the domain name to the WINS server (so a remote machine through OpenVPN can now resolve the name of a remote computer through the ip address) and I added the practice works server to the WINS server for name resolution.
I configured OpenVPN with the WINS server, I opened up ports 139, 445, 3351 on the router and forwarded them all to the virtual Server that has the Practice Works Server on it for PervasiveSQL <<No forwarding needs to be done through the router for PervasiveSQL, the VPN tunnel is established and the remote computer routes traffic through the OpenVPN server, meaning no ports on the router need to be opened, if they needed to be opened, all data sent over them would be unencrypted, which is a HIPAA violation.>>. I then used the OpenVPN client that I installed on the remote computer to create a VPN tunnel into the remote network using the IP address. I was able to join the computer to the remote domain. After restarting the computer, I started the OpenVPN client as a service through services.msc, set it to “Automatic” startup. I then jumped onto the admin configuration page of OpenVPN and set my user name to allow for “auto connection”, I then jumped on the normal config page of OpenVPN and exported the client.ovpn file from the “AutoLogin” row of my user name and clicked “import profile” in OpenVPN client and imported the client profile that I had downloaded. I then configured the profile for autologin.
By the way, the OpenVPN client creates a network connection (in my case it is DHCP and is 5.5.8.X) (Tap-Win32 Adapter OAS) so that it can communicate over the VPN.
What do I have now? I have an OpenVPN server that has a configured WINS server on the DC/AD Server for computer name and domain name resolution. I have a remote computer with an internet connection that has OpenVPN Client running as a service that will auto login to the OpenVPN server as soon as an internet connection is established, which is before login even takes place on the remote computer. So what I have is a computer capable of logging into the domain, remotely, which automatically gives proper permissions when logged in, and mounts the proper network drives.
After logging into the domain over the VPN over a standard high-speed internet connection, the network drives automatically mounted, as per the GPO settings for my username, I then installed practiceworks and dexis over the VPN (it took awhile, just wanted to make sure it was possible and stable). Both programs opened and I was able to use everything, including digital radiography through dexis and take an xray using the sensor and view all patient files. done. If you need something like this done for your dental or medical practice, please do not hesiate to call me at (516) 307-2426, we will walk you through everything and install whatever technologies that you need to have installed. Thank You for Reading.
Replace Existing Remote Access VPN System in Syosset for Real Estate Owner
A client of mine in Syosset 11773, 11791 (Nassau County, New York) uses a system called SkyLine for his Real Estate Management needs. He owns many buildings and does work from home as well as from his office. He used to have a system called ClearPath to link his office network to the one in his home like they were in the same room on the same network (this is called a Virtual Private Network). The client lives on the other side of the county. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) relies on secure virtual tunnels through the internet that are robust enough to give access to the network as if you were in the same building as it. He is on a semi-tight budget and only needs the VPN once in a great while. This isn’t a situation where I need an expensive Cisco networking system put in place.
While there are many scenarios as to how two remote sites can be linked together, the ClearPath devices relied on hardware in the office as a server and in the home as a client. The setup was flawless, with the exception that the company, not the IT person or the client, that controlled the device. This is fine normally, but the device would go down about once a month. This was set up by another IT technician that the client used to have before he started to use Overview Computer Services, LLC. The client wanted another solution.
Since the company relies on the internet, and the SBS2003 (Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003) needed to be remotely accessible by having a mounted drive from the server, a solution needed to be found as soon as possible.
I had an in-stock Cisco RVS4000 with VPN and IPS capability. It is a VPN solution that can be used perfectly, but only under certain conditions (you need a reliable ISP, a Static IP (DDNS does NOT work well with this VPN system), and Windows XP if you expect to use the Quick VPN software (QVPN) and have a system that can be based off of a 192.168.X.X network. You also MUST MUST update the firmware before doing ANYTHING to the latest version.
I Installed the Cisco RVS4000 after the Cisco 800 device from Cablevision (for Static IP) in place of the ClearPath device, updated the firmware to 1.3.2.0, Configured Remote Access and Configured the device for the Static IP that was on site. I configured the VPN access for a few user names. Since the client only has one computer at his home, I decided to try to use the QVPN software instead of getting another RVS4000 and using a Site-to-Site link which -according to online forums – is prone to disconnect due to inactivity. I would rather have a client press “connect” at the beginning of the day at home than force him to reset his router every week if he is only using one client computer at his home. The only issue I have ever run across with QVPN is an issue mounting remote drives and using Pervasive SQL applications over this type of VPN. I am going to the clients’ home over the next few days when he has time to see if the QVPN or another RVS4000 is the solution.
Domain Setup for Dental Office Practice Completed today in North Bellmore Nassau County New York
Overview Computer Services, LLC DBA, DentITech: Dental IT solutions completed a domain setup today. Gerard H Menzies DMD, PC in North Bellmore 11710 (Nassau County, New York) was our first client back in 2003 when I set his Dental Practice up with 2 computers and a workstation as a server with Practice Works dental software. As time went on, we installed computers in the operatories. Each treatment room has a computer in it.
Two of the treatment rooms have dual LCD screens (one wall mounted) so that after digital radiography was set up, the dentist could use a hand operated human interface device (HID) to explore the digital xrays with the patient while they were in the chair. The Digital XRays can be manipulated and are stored on the server via Dexis software. This was wonderful. Each room has a computer where the Dexis sensor could be hooked to. Practice Works (now by Kodak) Practice Management Software is now in each room and is linked to the Dexis Database.
The problem is that there is more than one user that needs to access the software, and password management and permissions management became problematic. The “server” was a custom built machine but it was not up to par. It ran Windows XP Professional and was underpowered. It seemed as if it was time for an upgrade. The only issue is that I did not want to use an older Operating System such as Windows Server 2003; this upgrade has to last many years and using an old Operating System did not seem like a good choice. The reason that this is an issue is that the Practice Management Software, Practice Works is not yet compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista nor is it compatible with Windows 7. The newer server Operating Systems (Namely Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2) are based off of Vista and 7 technologies respectively and are therefore not compatible with Practice Works software.
I chose the following solutions: Image the Old Server’s Operating System (Windows XP Pro), I used a Dell PowerEdge Server with Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Standard Edition that has Hyper-V technology for machine virtualization. I imported the old image onto the new server and configured the settings so that the old server image with XP appears to be a running machine in the exact same manner that it was before. This will ease the transition when PracticeWorks becomes compatible with Server 2008 R2 so that the equipment is already in place and the data is already on the server, albeit in a virtual hard drive. The Virtual Machine is set to be part of the domain that was set up and powers up/auto logs in and shuts down whenever the actual server is shutdown, started etc.
Each machine on the dental practice‘s network was hooked to the domain and all usernames and passwords are universal across the network so any user can log into any computer and have the appropriate permissions no matter which machine they are logged into. This Active Directory Setup automatically mounts drives etc via Group Policies. I created a User Group “HIPAA APPROVED” so that only those users that are approved to view patient information can connect to the networked drive on the Old Server Virtual Image. This was done by modifying the share on the old virtual server to allow Full control read and write to ONLY members of the INTERNAL\HIPAA APPROVED user group. Even though the group policy only connects the mapped drive to the members of that group, the security is now in place to prevent someone from manually connecting to the mapped drive unauthorized. This also allows the tracking of what users are accessing the drive and the data.
The server is secured with lock and key, hard drives are in RAID 5 (4 SAS Hard Drives) and encrypted to prevent unauthorized access. It is impossible to gain access to the data unauthorized and even if all workstations are hacked and stolen there is no way for even a trace of patient data to be recovered. All documents and data from the workstations are either stored on the server or deleted when the user logs off. Anything saved on the Hard Drive is deleted.
The practice has onsite data redundancy with RAID5, onsite data backup with an External Hard Drive and Online Off Site Data Backup through OverUpBackup Profesional Service provided by intronis who has 2 redundant level 4 data centers that both also have redundant internet connections. There is no way for our data to be lost or stolen.
If you are a Dental Practice, Dental Office, Dentist, Medical Office or Doctor, is your data secure? Even if you are a lawyer, accountant or other professional; Is there a 100% certainty that your data is actually secure and backed up? Give us a Call today if you are in the Long Island, New York City (Queens, Manhattan, Bronx ,Brooklyn, Staten Island) areas, and need our help, we will do a free on site consultation and tell you how secure you really are. Give us a call at (516) 307-2426
HP OfficeJet 8500 (A909a) Setup saves Office Headaches
Today I had a simple on site appointment for a client of mine in Hempstead 11550 (Hempstead, New York). I do the IT work for the office of his Electrical Contractor company. The client had an HP OfficeJet 4250 printer that just wasn’t cutting it. Although it had all of the networking options (Ethernet and Wireless) he just needed it for the PC in his office, none of the other computers in his office needed to be hooked up to this printer. The problem with the HP OfficeJet 4250 was that the client was replacing the cartridges at least once a week, which is unacceptable to him. It was costing him much more to print than it should have to. I suggested an HP OfficeJet 8500 Pro (Model A909a) and the client agreed. The 940XL Black cartridge has a yield of approx 2200 pages of black text. This printer boasts that it is actually 50% less costly than laser printers in terms of price per page for high volume printing. I ordered it from my Distributor, TechData and it was delivered yesterday. I set the printer up to perform multiple tasks, including the ability for the client to scan a document directly to an email in the form of a PDF with minimal interaction. I know that this will help him because he is constantly signing approvals and emailing them back. Instead of going through a 10 minute long process that involved his secretary as he previously had, he can now do the same thing, by himself, in about 30 seconds. This is using only the HP Solutions software and Outlook 2003. Thanks for Reading! -[Marc Menzies]-
Dell XPS 400 (Dimension 9150) Desktop Repair
A Dell XPS 400 (Dimension 9150) presented with no power when plugged in. The computer is in repair for a client in Bethpage 11714 (Nassau County, New York). Generally, what is done in a situation like this, is to determine the cause. Since an electrical problem can cause more than one piece of hardware on the computer to blow out and cause a no power situation, all perhipherals, fans, hard drives and addon cards are unplugged from both the power to the power supply (PSU) and the Motherboard. The system will still will not power up. I attempted to use a known good power supply to test the system. The unit still would not power up. At this point, I used an ATX Power Supply Tester (I wanted to see if it was possibly a bad power supply and a bad motherboard etc), the Power Supply powered up and all voltages registered within normal range for the customer’s power supply according to the device. Note: Although the Power Supply Diagnostic Dongle or Device may show normal readings, that does not mean that the power supply is perfect. Do not forget that fans can fail in a power supply too as well as intermittent issues, voltage spikes and even issues when the Power Supply is left on and is allowed to heat up. It is important to never allow a system with a hardware replacement etc to leave the shop without having a 24 hour burn-in and a full set of Diagnostics completed, preferably those with a stress test function such as PC-Check by Eurosoft or PC Doctor Service Center 7.5. After ruling out a bad CPU via a swap, and a case short (rogue screw? or other defect) by pulling the board out of the case and testing it outside of the case on an antistatic mat, I have determined the issue to be a bad motherboard. There was no apparent scoarch marks nor were there any blown capacitors so the reason is unknown. I called the client, the repair cost was $150 for the new motherboard and $89.99 for the total labor including the diagnostic. The client agreed and I ordered the part. The new motherboard came in yesterday, I installed the board, rethermaled the CPU (cleaned off old thermal paste from the heatsink and the processor and applied new thermal paste), installed the heatsink etc. and now the unit powers up and boots to the Operating System. I had to rebrand the new motherboard with a special dell bootable cd (Dell Asset Tag Utility) to basically tell the motherboard “This is the serial number that is on your chassis (case)” because by default, new and refurbished motherboards either have no or an incorrect service tag. I couldn’t find the bootable cd but luckily I had a copy of the ISO on my NAS as well as on the server, so I burned myself another copy. I did a full set of diagnostics, stress tested the unit and left it powered up for 24+ hours. The computer passed the test. The client came into my office in North Bellmore 11710 (Nassau County,New York), and picked up the computer today. If the client has any issues hooking up the computer, he will call me and I will stop over his home tomorrow to troubleshoot any installation issues that he may have. Thank You for reading -[Marc]-
HP Pavillion dv2120us Laptop Repair
I have a lot of pending work to do on some old laptops that I have. The first of which is an HP Pavillion dv2120us Entertainment Notebook PC (dv2000).
The unit had a liquid spilled on it a few months ago. It was donated to our company. The computer presents with power but no apparent POST. Keyboard is sticky and I replaced it after cleaning up under it. I had previously ordered another keyboard for this series laptop and had just one left in stock. After replacing the faulty keyboard and performing some sticky mess cleanup on the motherboard I attempted to boot the unit. The unit POST, however the image on the screen was very faded. This is, in most likelihood either a bad inverter or a blown CCFL. I have also sen this when one of various cables was unhooked or damaged and even when there was a motherboard issue which prevented an electrical current from reaching the inverter/backlight header on the motherboard. In a situation like this, the I replaced the inverter and there is an image. Note: be sure to hook up the video cable when testing this repair. In some situations, the inverter will not power the backlight unless there is video data going to the LCD panel! The computer has POSTed and now I will install a new motherboard after reassembling the LCD assembly. Quick digression: The Husky Micro-screwdriver with the red top and the grey body is the best screwdriver for laptop repair hands-down.
Since the unit now POSTs with a functional LCD display, I have installed a new hard drive, since the old hard drive was given to the client as a part of the data recovery that I did for him back in January 2010. This leaves us with a problem. There is No Operating System on the computer, it is an HP and the COA is for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. The recovery discs could be ordered from the company, or I could install an OS with another PREVIOUSLY UNUSED COA, or I could install Ubuntu Linux or SuSE etc. But I want MCE 2005 and I want it now!
Since I am doing this for completely educational purposes and have absolutely no need nor intent to resell this to a client and will likely not even use this for personal use, I am comfortable enough to divulge a small amount of information. Dell OEM Operating System Reinstallation Discs are basically universal in nature. Besides the branding in the oobe folder of system32 they are basically clean OEM discs. They can be used with this HP and then activated using the COA on the bottom of the computer. The only downside is that most of the devices will need drivers installed and none of HP’s software will be present on the computer.
I installed the Operating system, Installed all drivers and installed windows updates. I just have to order a new battery and this computer will be perfect. I am thinking of using this computer to test out new distros of Linux and some virus sandbox testing.
-[Marc]-
Test Facebook Integration
Using this post to test my Facebook blog integration. See my post here for details.
Now on Facebook!
Using the developer platform from Facebook to create a new application and the very easy to use WPBook, This blog is now an application of facebook! The procedure took about 20 minutes total. Follow the link to install the Overview Computer Services, LLC blog as an application on your facebook! If you would like to integrate your WordPress blog with Facebook, follow the simple instructions here. It is recommended that you have basic knowledge of web apps and WordPress.
Your blog can also post to your personal profile page, this is done by granting access to the WPBook application to your profile page by “allow”ing it, thus generating an infinite session key which is then put in your WPBook settings as demonstrated here.