Jones Almighty

 

 

 

 

I finally did it... I finally got round to at least starting my hotspot project!

 

It is built using ASP.net 3.5 and will run on IIS 7.0 and above (when windows 7 is released :) )

 

At the moment it uses the WiFiDog Client as found at dev.wifidog.org and actually does a lot less than WiFIDogs own Auth server.

 

So to start of the current working features are:

 

So, what will be the licencing arrangements and how can joe public get there hands on it?

 

well, I am still thinking about the terms of the licence, I want it to be as open source as possible, but with commercial limitations.

 

For the time being it will all be open source (at least to beta 1) as up to this point the features aren't likely to exceed that of what is already avalible then possibly some modules will be kept closed source, but I do want people to help improve the product, so we will have to see.

 

The project will go live on codeplex as soon as i think the code is stable enough and my commenting is cleaned up (dont expect this for a few weeks yet) then there will also be a website hosted for it, although I am looking for a sponser to host the site.

 

 

Last but not least, if you would like to contribute, I am specifficly looking for:

 

 

A friend asked me yesterday where the option for Remote Desktop across the web in Vista. This was quite intriguing... I know that the home versions of vista are missing the ability to install IIS (internet information services) but the business and in this case ultimate have.

After a bit of investigation, sure enough Microsoft no longer include the ability to do this... I suppose their reason for this is that they want everyone to buy either a home server, or expect the computer to be behind either Server 2003 or 2008. But to the humble person on a limited budget this is not feasible...

There is however a nice work around:

1. Go to Control Panel >> Programs and Features >> Turn Windows features on or off

2. Go to the Internet Information Services stub, expand it and select the check boxes for Web Management Tools and World Wide Web Services. (Web Management Tools installs IIS 6.0 which is needed for the following installer) MAKE SURE ALL OPTIONS ARE SELECTED then click ok

3. Install tswebsetup.exe from: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=469eee3a-45b4-4b40-b695-b678646a728b&DisplayLang=en

4. Go to Control Panel >> Administrative Tools >> Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager (NOT IIS 6.0 Manager)

5. Expand “your computer name” then expand “Web Sites” and click on “Default Web Site”

6. On the right side of the screen under Edit Site, click Bindings

7. Click on the web site and click Edit

8. Change the port number to your preferred port designation (as default, this is port 80, but I recommend you change it for security purposes)

9. Under Manage Server on the same screen, Start the service (if it is already started, restart it)

10. Set-up your router and firewall to accept your designated port you defined above and also port 3389 (this is required by the Remote Desktop Protocol).

11. tell your router to forward any requests made to the designated port to the computer running TSweb (usually called “port forwarding” or “application sharing”) and make a note of your WAN IP Address.

AND YOU'RE DONE! (Although you might first want to turn off DreamScene if you're running it)

 

To connect from a remote computer, go to http://YourIpAddress:portno/tsweb (e.g. http://81.0.0.0.1:1900/tsweb) and you'll get the Windows Server screen, click connect (not entering a computer name in the box) and you will be presented with your Vista login screen (if you are using a dynamic IP address I suggest you sign up with a dynamic DNS provider, this will keep track of your IP address and give you an easy to remember domain name at the same time).

Hello everyone,

 

I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and  happy new year...

 

Anyone that knows me may know that I am a bit of a scrooge ... It’s not that I don’t like Christmas, it's just I hate the commercialisation. Why does a shop decide that Christmas can start at the end of October? Surely any main stream shop can see that if we bought any one of their Christmas selection, the likelihood is, we would receive the same gift from another member of family or friends... This brings me to a small problem! What do I buy people for Christmas???

 

I have 2 new years’ resolutions... The first is to sort out my working pattern; the second is to get more exercise... Oh, and one more thing!!! I promise I will update my blog more often! It’s not that I don't have things to write, or the time to do it, it is because I am lazy!!!!!!!!

 

This brings me on to my last point... do I split my blog into personal things and have a second blog for technical things or what... please leave comments!!!

 

Oh, and I nearly forgot... If you ask to be my friend, and I don’t know you... the likelihood is that I will refuse. It is not that I don't like you, I is because of ID theft!!! The more relevant comments you leave (or if I know you all ready, the more likely I will deem you as a spaces friend!!!!!!!!).

 

On the technical side of things, I have been busy porting WiFiDog to run on windows XP... you can find out more at http://dev.wifidog.org also I have come a lot further on some of the other projects I wrote about (updates in the New Year!!!).

 

Until next time :) 

If you are having trouble with out of office not doing what you want (i.e. sending forwards to external reciprients etc) follow kb266166 found on http://support.microsoft.com.

I am getting really lapse about some projects I need to start, here are the basic concepts of what I need to do:

 

 

I am fedup with the crap or vastly over priced systems that are avaliable today, and have decided that it is about time something is done about it.

 

The terminal will be written using VB/C# upon the .NET framework, and will be designed to use XP Embedded and a touch screen Panel PC with a 10" screen, although it will also work with a normal PC running any OS that supports the .NET framework (or MONO)

 

The server will run with Microsoft SQL Express or Workgroup Edition for scalability and will have ALL the features of reporting I have ever seen on a Time Attendance system, including some I haven't...

 

More Info when I have time to write all of them.

 

 

 

Built on Microsoft POS for .net and eventually installed on the Windows Embedded POS OS (but for now XP Pro) the system will record our customers Loyalty points. The system will also have scales intergrated for quick calculation of customer tickets (collected from redemption machines) and a receipt printer for customers who don't want a loyalty card. The receipt printer will show the points value and a unique barcode for authentication of the points value, and will only be redeemable for 3 days after it is issued. A barcode scanner will be used for a dual perpose, the one just explained, and to sell the redemption stock. The system will also have a MAagTek MT-85 magnetic card reader/writer for the loyalty cards.

 

The backend to the system will be a dual system, the POS stock will be managed through Sage Line 50, and the rest through its own DB, this allow for my specific needs Reporting is a big priorty and I would like the loyalty members to be added to our mailing list hosted on Sharepoint Services.

 

There is a lot more things I haven't explained, but it will be in the Design Documentation when I eventually post it!!!

 

 

 

I am thinking about betaing these projects on sourceforge.net if anyone is interested in the same thing and would like to help build it... just leave me a comment! 

I have finally managed to get VPN working on my Dell Poweredge 2900 server with Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 SP2!

 

It all came down to the Broadcom TOE network cards and a setting called "Receive Size Scaling" or RSS. this came to light with the release of SP2, although I have been having the problem since well before SP2 was released... So, if you are getting error 800 when trying to connect, go to: Network Connections, click on the network adapter and click properties then click advanced settings. if this setting is enabled, disable it.

 

I have been tareing my hair out over this, and even had the microsoft support guys perplexed...

 

for more info, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/network/NDIS_RSS.mspx and http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/03/19/vpn-securenat-nat-and-outlook-clients-not-working-after-installing-windows-service-pack-2-in-sbs-2003-premium.aspx

 

 

I have just got my hands on a copy of installshield, so I can finally do somthing about the WinSCR and Geovision Multiview. I will let you know my results...

I have been busy creating an ADM to contol the servers in Geovision Multicam.

 

Geovision are really unhelpfull in this situation so I thought i would do it myself and share the knowledge as it were...

 

so here goes...

 

CLASS USER
CATEGORY "Geovison Multicam"
POLICY "Server 1"
KEYNAME "Software\GeoVision\MultiView\ServerInfo\Server 1"

PART "Audio Port" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT 6550
VALUENAME "AudioPort"
END PART

PART "Command Port" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT 4550
VALUENAME "CommandPort"
END PART

PART "Data Port" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT 5550
VALUENAME "DataPort"
END PART

PART "HTTP Port" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT 80
VALUENAME "HTTPPort"
END PART

PART "Host Protection" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT 0
VALUENAME "HostProtection"
END PART

PART "IP Address" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT "server.com"
VALUENAME "IP"
END PART

PART "Password" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT "Enter your password"
VALUENAME "Passwd"
END PART

PART "User Name" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
DEFAULT "Enter Your Username"
VALUENAME "UserName"
END PART
END POLICY

END CATEGORY

 

this would create 2 servers called server 1 and server 2. to change the names, you would need to change the end of keyname. This is because of how Geovision reads the registry.

 

you can find out more about ADM's and how to add them in one of my other blogs... or more in depth at http://thelazyadmin.com/index.php?/archives/125-Creating-Custom-ADM-Templates.html

 

Do you need to add a signature to the bottom of emails, do you need to do it for everyone in the company... Do you have a Active Directory network? if yes, why not add it to the login script and role it out to all users...

 

 

'[EmailSignature.vbs]

 

On Error Resume Next

 

Set objSysInfo = CreateObject("ADSystemInfo")

 

strUser = objSysInfo.UserName

Set objUser = GetObject("LDAP://" & strUser)

 

strName = objUser.FullName

strTitle = objUser.Title

strDepartment = objUser.Department

strCompany = objUser.Company

strPhone = objUser.telephoneNumber

 

Set objWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")

 

Set objDoc = objWord.Documents.Add()

Set objSelection = objWord.Selection

 

Set objEmailOptions = objWord.EmailOptions

Set objSignatureObject = objEmailOptions.EmailSignature

 

Set objSignatureEntries = objSignatureObject.EmailSignatureEntries

 

objSelection.TypeText strName & ", " & strTitle

objSelection.TypeParagraph()

objSelection.TypeText strDepartment

objSelection.TypeParagraph()

objSelection.TypeText strCompany

objSelection.TypeParagraph()

objSelection.TypeText strPhone

objSelection.TypeParagraph()

objSelection.TypeText "LEGAL NOTICE: Unless expressly stated otherwise, this message is confidential and may be privileged.   It is intended for the addressee(s) only.  Access to thise-mail by anyone else is unauthorised.  If you are not an addressee, any disclosure or copying of the contents of this e-mail or any action taken (or not taken) in reliance on it is unauthorised and may be unlawful.  If you are not an addressee, please inform the sender immediately."

objSelection.TypeParagraph()

objSelection.TypeText "companies are a trading name of company. and is registered in England under ********."

 

 

Set objSelection = objDoc.Range()

 

objSignatureEntries.Add "AD Signature", objSelection

objSignatureObject.NewMessageSignature = "AD Signature"

objSignatureObject.ReplyMessageSignature = "AD Signature"

 

objDoc.Saved = True

objWord.Quit