Configure MS Outlook for Office365 Exchange Server 2013

This procedure is for you if you are using the following online services provided by Microsoft.

• Office365
• Recently upgraded from Exchange Server 2010 to Exchange Server 2013.
• MS Outlook 2007 or 2010

Microsoft sent out an email on how to manage MS Outlook using the new Exchange Server 2013 environment. The new environment provides many features that admin and users will be able to appreciate after your successful transition. I agree with you, the process provided by Microsoft (and even their customer service still using the old procedure when I called them as of 5/15/2013) is NOT detailed but I have a simple solution to fix it. The procedure that help me re-configure all MS Outlook to connect using Offic365 Exchange Server 2013.

If you have any users, having a connection problem using their MS Outlook. Here's what you need to do. 

• Close MS Outlook. 
• Go to Control Panel, Email, Email Accounts 
• In Email Account, select click on the Name e.g. yourname@whaddya.com (this is user email address), then click Repair. This will automatically update the user mailbox connection setting via autodiscover for the domain name. The user need to enter their email password for authentication. 
• Click on Close to update your setting. 
• Open MS Outlook program, MS Outlook will ask you to restart to accept the new settings. 
• Re-open MS Outlook, and make sure it is not connected Offline (lower right corner of the screen). 

If everything is configured correctly, you will see the current emails.

Let's figure out what changed:

In the Server Settings, the server changed from the fully qualified domain name e.g. BLU12345.outlook.com to 580ead4a-429c-4fdf-a29e-f6ad2a7101e5@whaddya.com (where whaddya.com is equivalent of your Office365 domain name for your company). The random number is unique to every Office365 user, so don't try to copy this from userA to userB or userC. It will not work.

And in Exchange Proxy Settings:

Connection settings, changed from BLU12345.mailbox.outlook.com to outlook.office365.com

Only connect to proxy servers that have this principal name in their ceritificate:

msstd:outlook.com (remain the same)

Good luck with your Office365 transition using Exchange Server 2013.

Please don't hesitate to post your reply if you have additional information to share.

Thank you.

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GoDaddy Two-Step Authentication

If you have a domain name from GoDaddy one of the largest domain name registrar in the world. You need this additional information for you to secure your account.

GoDaddy called it as Two-Step Authentication (see attached picture), in information technology industry we simply call it as Two-Factor Authentication

If you missed reading these articles related to Two Factor Authentication.
Securing Gmail  with Two-Factor Authentication.
WordPress Two Factor Authentication.

Two Factor Authentication
Some services uses a time-based smart cards that provides random six numbers every 60 seconds, and other services use your smart phones to receive random six numbers. For GoDaddy Two-Step Authentication is using your smartphone. This makes sense, you carry your smartphone everyday so no added apps or reading device for additional security to protect your account. I see the future of smartphone as a personal key to connect to your virtual world.

As of today, you can use your smartphone to surf the Internet, pay bills, connect with your family and friends through different social media, take pictures and become your primary photo album, and security.

Let's go back to the topic e.g. Two Factor Authentication.

How to enable Two-Step Authentication using your GoDaddy Account?
Login to your GoDaddy account using your Customer number or email address, and your password.
Click on My Account.
In My Account, click Update Security Setting. Here you will see the Two-Step Authentication. Enable it, and the system will send you a verification code that will expire on a given time limit.

That's all. You just added second layer of security to your GoDaddy Account.

Now every time you login to your account, you will be prompted to enter a Validation Code. As shown below.

I hope this article help you minimize risk of account exposure from malicious users.

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The New Office365 Outlook Web Apps

The old Office365 Outlook Web Apps using Exchange Server 2010.

and the New Office365 Outlook Web Apps using Exchange Server 2013. The obvious changes, is the fluid design, and better organize with links in the upper right corner of the website. I will report back with the user features once I notice them.

By the way, the Office365 upgrade from Exchange Server 2010 to 2013 is random according to one of Microsoft technical support that I've talked to. So, customer B will be next or customer X, but will happen this year for all customers.

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Office365 - This resource doesn't accept meetings longer than 1440 minutes

When you create a meeting schedule for number of days, you will see an error  "This resource doesn't accept meetings longer than 1440 minutes". By default the mailbox or room was set for a maximum limit of 1440 minutes.

Here's how you can disable this limit.

• Login to the Office 365 Administration Console
• In Microsoft Office 365 Exchange, click on Manage.
• In Manage My Orgnization, click the drop down arrow, and click on Select on Another User. This will prompt you to select the mailbox or room to manage.
• Select a Mailbox or Room, click OK.
• In Option, click on Settings.
• In Scheduling Options, un-check the "Limit meeting duration", then click on Save.

That's all. You can now schedule a meeting or reserve a room for number of days.

Hope this help you.

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TFTP Server - How to install to your web server

Here's a quick tutorial on how to install TFTP (trivial file transfer protocol) server.

Login as root
Run command  yum install tftp-server to install the TFTP server
Edit the configuration file, vi /etc/xinetd.d/tftp, and you will some the following.

# default: off
# description: The tftp server serves files using the trivial file transfer 
#       protocol.  The tftp protocol is often used to boot diskless 
#       workstations, download configuration files to network-aware printers, 
#       and to start the installation process for some operating systems.
service tftp
{
        socket_type             = dgram
        protocol                = udp
        wait                    = yes
        user                    = root
        server                  = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
        server_args             = -s /tftpboot
        disable                 = yes
        per_source              = 11
        cps                     = 100 2
        flags                   = IPv4
}

Change disable = yes to disable = no to enable the tftp server

Start the TFTP server, run the command:
/sbin/service xinetd start

The default folder is /var/lib/tftpboot

Now let's test to get a file from your TFTP server
tftp 66.55.44.1 GET test ; this command will get a test file from 66.55.44.1 TFTP server

By the way, you can use www.ping.eu to check if your UDP port 69 is open.

Here's my source: http://www.webune.com/forums/how-to-install-tftp-server-in-linux.html

Troubleshooting:
+++
When you first run the tftp 66.55.44.1 get test_file, you see a similar error as shown below.

Error on server : File not found
Connect request failed.

Solution:
Go back to the configuration file, run vi /etc/xinetd.d/tftp and update the server arguments

server_args             = -c -s /tftpboot

Try it again, you will now be able to download the test_file.
+++
Although tftpd is installed correctly, the firewall is not allowing outgoing connections. It appears that the ip_conntrack_tftp kernel module would need to be installed for tftp connections to completely work. Unfortunately, this cannot be installed on a VPS server; a dedicated server would be required.

Alternative Solution for VPS server:
Disable CSF (firewall front-end software). Please note, disabling firewall is not recommended.

+++

Tools:
Windows 7 Professional for TFTP client
VPS server for testing TFTP server
Solarwind free tool for TFTP server and client


Thank you.

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Two Factor Authentication for WordPress blog for better security.

If you are running a self-hosted or through WordPress.com service, this article is for you to secure your website/blog. I will provide you a step-by-step procedure on how you implement the two-factor authentication for your WordPress, the easy way.

Just in case you have not read about:
"How to remove the BLOG slug in WordPress multisite installation".
"Gmail Security - Two factor authentication".

Login to you WordPress Admin. I write this procedure using my own website at www.king.net on how to install Google two-factor authentication.

Go to Plugins, search for "Google Authenticator" by Henrik Schack currently at version 0.44.

Excerpt from the Henrik Schack plugins description. "The Google Authenticator plugin for WordPress gives you two-factor authentication using the Google Authenticator app for Android/iPhone/Blackberry." I am using iPhone4S to test the plugins.

Click on Install Now. Successfully installed the plugin Google Authenticator 0.44.

At KING.NET, the website is configured for multisites. I prefer not to Network Activate so I can manage the behavior of every website that runs on my platform.

Continue to your website dashboard, and activate Google Authenticator plugin.

Go to Users, and click Your Profile. I logged in as Admin, I am adding Google Authenticator  two-factor security feature for my Admin account.

Google Authenticator Settings
Put check on Active, and I ignore "relaxed mode" for now.
Take note of the description, by default it is "WordPressBlog". I changed this to KING.NET-Web without spaces so I can recognize this website from other online properties that I have.
Click on Create new secret, it will show the QR code for you to scan.

I have my Google Authenticator App downloaded to my iPhone. If you don't have this app, go to App Store  search for Google Authenticator.

In Google Authenticator App, click the (+) sign to add, touch Scan Barcode and point this to your WordPress website QR Code. If successful, you will see your website added to your Google Authenticator.

Don't forget to save, click Update Profile.

That's it, I just added two-factor authentication to my wordpress website.

Here's a capture images:
This a my web setting:

This is what happen if I don't include my Google Authenticator code.

And this is how I login using Google Two-Factor authentication.

That's for self-hosted wordpress.

And if you are using WordPress.com, you might need to read this article.
http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/two-step-authentication/

Have a safe working environment.


Thank you.

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How to install a Digital Certificate to iPhone or iPad?

If you have a copy of your Email Digital Certificate exported to .p12 extension and still remember your password. Then, you are ready to proceed installing your Email Digital Certificate to your iPhone or iPad.

First compose a new message, attach your email digital certificate, and it should be in .p12 extension, and send it yourself.

Check new email using your iPhone with your digital certificate. Touch the attachment, and it will start the process of install your email digital certificate to your iPhone (or iPad).

In Install Profile, touch the Install button.

It will prompt you the "Unsigned Profile", touch Install Now.

It will prompt you to enter your iPhone (or iPad) passcode.

Then Enter the password for the certificate "Identity Certificate". The password was created during the creation of your email digital certificate.

You will see your Profile Installed. Don't be alarm of the "Persona Not Validated" if your are using Symantec Email Digital Certificate. Read a post at Hardworking.com website. http://www.hardworking.com/personal-not-validated/ 

Top or Touch More Details, Certificate, and it will show the details about your Common Name "Persona Not Validated", your email address, Organization Unit Name, and other security settings.

Touch Done to complete the installation.

Now you can use your iPhone or iPad to sign and read an encrypted email.

Continue reading the "How do I sign and encrypt my email using my iPhone or iPad?"


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Thank you,
Support @ KING[dot]NET

Troubleshooting workstation connection to a Domain Controller

Troubleshooting on how to check your user's workstation connecting to what Domain Controller in your network domain. This is a very useful tool to know and simple to remember.

Open a command prompt tool, click on Start, and type "CMD" press [Enter]
In command prompt, type "echo %logonserver%" press [Enter]

The result will display the Domain Controller netbios name.
For example, in our network.
\\whaddya-server01

Hope that help you.

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Secure Email - Persona Not Validated

If you just purchased your Symantec Digital ID for Secure Email and seeing "Persona Not Validated" in your digital certificate, you may ignore this according from Symantec.  

Here's what they told me.

I successfully installed the Digital ID for Secure Email, but I'm seeing this "Persona Not Validated". How to validate this using my email address as fullname@telebit.com. Please let me know.

===
Thank you for choosing a Digital ID from Symantec designed to provide the best S/MIME email security for encrypting and digitally signing documents online.

 Symantec has recently made a change to the Digital ID for Secure Email certificates due to security best practices. Going forward, we are placing "Persona Not Validated" in the Common Name field of these certificates. While this change has no impact to major email applications (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, etc.), you may experience issues with applications that want to use these certificates as part of a log-in process if the Common Name is used as authenticating value.

Thank you,

Symantec Customer Support id-queries@symantec.com
===

Windows Update error 80072ee2

Updating your Windows workstation for security patches is very important. So if you receive a 80072ee2 error code, here's how you can fix it.

To add the Windows Update websites to a firewall exceptions list

• Windows Firewall ships with this version of Windows and should already include these sites in the exceptions list. If you use a different firewall, refer to the software publisher's help to see how to add these websites to your firewall exceptions list:
  • http://*.update.microsoft.com
  • https://*.update.microsoft.com
  • http://download.windowsupdate.com

 Here's the step-by-step procedure:

1. Open Internet Explorer, go to Settings, then Internet Option.
2. In Internet Options, click Security tab. Click the Trusted Sites, click Sites.
3. It will prompt you to add the websites to the zone. Add the following URL address one by one.

http://*.update.microsoft.com

https://*.update.microsoft.com

http://download.windowsupdate.com

Check the spelling of the URL addresses to make sure that you're adding the correct website.

Close your Internet Explorer, and try to run the Windows Update again.

Reference: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Windows-Update-error-80072ee2

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Tutorial - How to create a PST file for Outlook.

How to create a PST file using MS Outlook version 2007/2010. Let’s try this one.

To create a PST file.

In your Outlook, click on File, Info, then click Account Settings.

In Account Settings, click Data Files tab, click Add, browse to your local folder for example TEMP folder, give a file name to your PST, then save.

You should be able to see the new folder in your Outlook.

To remove the PST file.

In your Outlook, click on File, Info, then click Account Settings.

In Account Settings, click Data Files tab, select the PST file, then click Delete or Remove.

The PST file entry will be remove in your Outlook program.

Let me know if this help.

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U.S. Military service seals.

Looking for U.S. Military service seals e.g. Department of Defense, Army National Guard, Department of Navy, United States Marine Corps,  and others. Please visit http://www.defense.gov/multimedia/web_graphics/

  

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Top3 dotINFO sold at auction e.g. Flowers.info, Gambling.info, and World.info

January 25, 2013 ended the dotINFO auction at GoDaddy. Flowers.info sold for $22,005, Gambling.info sold for $10,505, World.info sold for $9,675, and here's the summary.

flowers.info $22005 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
gambling.info $10505 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
world.info $9674 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
social.info $7305 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
tech.info $7305 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
bible.info $6705 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
home.info $5615 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
autos.info $5105 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
computer.info $5025 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
fashion.info $5020 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
fashion.info $5020 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
test.info $5015 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
family.info $2805 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
porno.info $2655 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
media.info $2560 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
chocolate.info $1905 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
planet.info $1893 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
painting.info $1855 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013
webmaster.info $1355 GoDaddy Auction 1/25/2013

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Source: www.king.net

SharePoint using Windows Explorer to upload and download files

Did you get this error when you try to use the Windows Explorer in your SharePoint site to upload or download files?

"Your client does not support opening this list with Windows Explorer" 

You're in luck because I already searched the solution to this error.

Here's how to fix this error:

1. Check your WebClient service if it is started. If you don't know how to start, stop or restart services go to your Control Panel, Administration, then Services. Browse to see the WebClient.

2. Add your SharePoint Team Site to the "Trusted Sites" location of the browser. In your Internet Explorer, click the Internet Options, click the Security tab, then Trusted site, here you can add your team site. You can use the fully qualified domain name or IP address e.g. 192.168.4.100 as example.

3. Clear the browser cache. Actually, I did not clear my browser cache and it works for me.

Check it out.

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