Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 - Install Guide for networks < 200 clients

Symantec Corporate Edition was pretty much hassle free. It didn't take a whole lot of resources from the server/management end, and didn't bog down the clients with a light weight software foot print.

Along came Symantec Endpoint Protection shortly after Vista was released. The first reports was that it the included firewall component and locking off server, and bogging down computers.

You can read a long history of the buggy-ness of SEP 11 at the Symantec Forums - http://www.symantec.com/connect/security/forums/endpoint-protection

What I have ended up doing, resulting in a reliable install, is to follow this points:

• Had success with a Windows 2003 32bit Server for SEP Management Server role - at least 1 gig of memory (I do have it running on an old management server at a clients with 512meg ram - but it is slow)
• Setup Client Install Feature Set - ONLY include Antivirus and Antispyware Protection
  • Most of my clients do email virus scanning before it hits their email server
  • DO NOT install Network Threat Protection AND Proactive Threat Protection
• Setup Policies
  • make sure any scheduled scans happen after hours
  • do not enable start up scans (this kills computers on start up)
  • make sure that Missed Scheduled Scans is not selected
  • I usually set delete threats
• For laptops - I will set up a different LiveUpdate Policy to allow
  • User the default management server
  • AND Use a LiveUpdate server - this allows users to update when they are on the road

The point of this is to optimize SEP11 settings for the best performance. With everything enabled, it runs like a dog, and so far, the protection with the minimal setup options provided above are sufficient.

WinDirStat - review

Introducing the fantastic opensource utility - WinDirStat.

Looks like the development has been kickstarted again after having a look at their blog at: http://blog.windirstat.info/

Not to worry, as this is a very basic program and everything just works, and is light weight.

It will scan drives and network drives of your choice, and give you folder size breakdown, including visual representation of the relative size of folders - visually (click on the pic to understand what I mean).

Commercial alternative is TreeSize Professional (the freeware version can not scan network drives). But for what I need - WinDirStat suits my needs exactly!

Boxee + Ubuntu 9.04 + WPA Issues

I have been doing some testing of the Boxee Alpha release - for Ubuntu 9.04.

My test rig:

ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
4 Gig Ram
Intel Core 2 Duo - E6400 - overclocked to 2.8Ghz from 2.13Ghz
Nvidia GeForce 6200

Ubuntu 9.04 installed flawlessly and fast - I also set Ubuntu to auto login. After loading up, I did a full system update and selected to use the proprietary Nvidia video drivers. I have the PC hooked up to the tv via a HDMI to DVI cable - and Ubuntu detects the native resolution of my tv perfectly. I have audio hooked up to the green headphone jack on the back of the mobo.

Boxee was installed via the instructions on my Boxee login. After it is installed, I found the Boxee icon under the Audio/Video menu, and right clicked to put the icon on the desktop. From there, I right clicked the icon to add this program to the start up. So now when Ubuntu boots up, it auto logs in, and opens up Boxee full screen!

When running Boxee, and viewing internet video, I was having choppy sound and video sync issues. This is the same experience I had with Ubuntu 8.10. Ubuntu 8.04 didn't have this issue BTW. After searching the Boxee forums, I found one issue related to this popping up - something wrong with the Pulse Audio drivers - or related to that.

So I ran

sudo apt-get remove pulseaudio

Now the video and audio sync issue went away!

Finally, since I have been testing this rig hooked up to the TV, I've been using the mobo's onboard wifi for the net connection. Unfortunately, looks like Ubuntu 9.04 has a wifi WPA issue with the USB Realtek wifi driver, where it can not remember the WPA key - I can't believe this major bug hasn't been squashed yet - and even more surprised that it has carried over from previous versions of Ubuntu?!!!! See these links:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/182473

http://aircrack-ng.org/doku.php?id=r8187&DokuWiki=df606c53c8f63cccc89292219b478c97

WTF, is it too much to expect Ubuntu to be plug and play?! Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter since Boxee is still in Alpha right!?!?

For those that don't know what the hell Boxee is - check out this video:

D-Link DIR-655 Firmware upgrade FAIL

As a rule of thumb, I avoid D-Link routers.

I have had unexplained drop outs from D-Links in the past when paired up with HughesNet Satellite internet, all fixed by replacing the router with a Linksys (my fav choice - the Linksys WRT-54GL).

Earlier this week, I was called out to a business that had a D-Link DIR-655 router. The client explained there were some dropouts. After making sure all clients were set to not connect to other wireless networks, I'm pretty sure I have fixed the majority of the "drop outs".

The next thing to do, just as a rule of thumb, is to make sure the router has the latest firmware (esp since this is a draft N router!). The D-Link website mentioned quite a few bug fixes from 1.2 to the latest at the time - 1.31

So off I went to D-Link's website to get the firmware, run the config backup of the router, flashed, and rebooted. Then I went to restore the config, and it FAILed. Tried uploading it via multiple browsers/OSes - no dice. Found some forum mentioning this is a bug! The saved config file is not recognized by the latest firmware - 1.31 (from 1.20).

Lucky for me, I was able to manually find out all the previous DynDns settings, and port forwards, but just a reminder to document, take screenshots etc and not to trust the config backup option on D-Link routers!!!

Finally, the new firmware had on by default, Securespot 2.0 - which was always nagging about expired subscription when browsing anything - so that was swiftly turned off - what more could D-Link do to discourage me to use one of their routers!

Unlocked T Mobile G1 - Android 1.5 - Cupcake over the air update

Last week, my unlocked T Mobile G1 (running on the Fido network in Canada) did an automated over the air update to the latest Android OS - 1.5 "Cupcake".

Major difference is the onscreen keyboard, which is a great feature to be added to this device, making quick text messages, and responses easy the bash out one handed style, without having to open up the keyboard.

The other detail, which will stop people that have unlocked their phones (at least on the Fido network) from freaking out - is that the little roaming icon on the reception bar - is no longer there when you your local area!

In other Android Canada news, unconfirmed by myself, looks like the Rogers G1 has a custom Android OS that is without the on screen keyboard, but it get 3.5G radios that work on the Rogers / Fido network here in Canada.