Configuring DELL PowerConnect 2824 Switch

Static IP on the DELL Switch:

Set the switch to Managed Mode by pressing the "Managed Mode" button using a paperclip, hold the paperclip for 2 seconds and wait until "Managed Mode Led" Stops blinking and is solid green.

Once Managed Mode Led is solid green then you can access the switch using your browser

http://192.168.2.1/

Default Username=admin

Password=admin

Upgrading DELL PowerConnect 2824 Switch firmware:

We will be using Console Cable and HyperTerminal Software.

Static your computer to same subnet as the Switch, for example if switch ip is: 192.168.2.1 then have your computer IP set to: 192.168.2.100

Setting up TFTP Server on your laptop:

1. Download & Install TFTP server

http://tftpserver.codeplex.com/

2. Run TFTP Server and disabled your firewall or allow port 69

3. Click “Configure”, “Add” ,

4. Click “ Pick”  and choose your Network Card and the IP you are currently using – for troubleshoot make sure you can ping from switch to your computer and vice versa. (I wrote detailed instructions on setting up 27xx series)

5. choose the root path of DELL Image file.

Connect your Laptop to the switch the using DELL Switch Cable only (Cable is Female to Female and supplied by DELL):

1. Run HyperTerminal software

2. Settings are: 9600, 8, None, 1, None

Upgrading Firmware from the switch:

Once you are the command line of the switch enter the following commands:

1. “Enable”

2. Command to update firmware:

copy tftp://{tftp address}/{file name} image

"copy tftp://192.168.2.100/PowerConnect_28xx-10042.ros image"

3. command to update bios firmware:

copy tftp://{tftp address}/{file name} boot

"copy tftp://192.168.2.100/PowerConnect_28xx_boot-10012.rfb boot"

4. "reload" – will reboot Switch

Resetting DELL PowerConnect 2708:

To completely reset to defaults use a paperclip to push the "managed mode" button.

Hold the button for 30 seconds, wait about 3 minutes for the switch to reset and come up in unmanaged mode.

push and hold the managed mode button again for 30 seconds.

wait about 3 minutes for the switch to come up in managed mode.  Now try again.


DELL has step by step Instructions on how to update firmware on the PowerConnect 2748, I am attaching the LINK.

How to fix the issue with “Windows update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not currently running”

After cloning a hard drive you are getting the following error: Windows update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not currently running”

I got this error after cloning windows 7 Home Premium to another hard drive, computer boot up fine but I wasn’t able to do windows update at all with the error above.

Automatic Updates service was fine, all services were fine.

I did some research on the issue and find interesting findings:

For Automatic Updates to run then perfectly then the following services to be running:

1. Windows Update

2. Cryptographic Services

3. Background Intelligent Transfer Service

4. Windows Event Log

I checked the eventlog and find that there was eventid 257:

“The Cryptographic services service failed to initialize the Catalog Database, the ESENT error was: -583”

To fix the issue I upgraded the Intel Rapid Storage to the latest version, it fixed event id 257 and the windows update.

 Hopefully that will help someone!

Step by Step configuration to upgrade Firmware of a DELL PowerConnect 27xx series Switch

Step by Step configuration to upgrade Firmware of a DELL PowerConnect Switch:

I have tested this on DELL PowerConnect 2716 Switch, but it should also work on any DELL PowerConnect switch that doens't have a serial cable.


Here are some steps that I thought will be helpful for those who needs them to apply the firmware on a DELL SWITCH:

1. The DELL Switch must be in managed mode, which means it must have a static IP so you can access it.
   The switch has a light in front, if the "Manage Mode" light is off then click on the "Managed Mode" on the right
   using a pin , this will make the switch in a managed mode state, it will change the default IP to: 192.168.2.1.

2. static IP of your computer to 192.168.2.200:

3. Access the switch using Internet Explorer: http://192.168.2.1/
   DELL PowerConnect Default username is: admin and password is blank

4. Take a note of the Firmware Version and Boot Version, and the Service Tag of the Switch
   It is all in the "Switch Status" Left Tab.

5. Go to DELL Support website: http://support.dell.com/
   using the Service Tag download the latest Firmware for the switch / or the Boot Update.
   create a new folder named DELL on your "C:" drive (C:\DELL) and copy the Firwmare there

6. Download TFTP Software: http://tftpserver.codeplex.com/
   and install it

Click on configure, add and choose 'pick', choose your network card with the assosicated IP:

   192.168.2.200 we assigned before

the root path will be "c:\dell".

NOTES: :make sure you allow port "69" or temporary disable windows firewall and you that the TFTP Server is started

7. Applying the firmware to the switch:

Under "File Download' it is where we need to apply the latest firmware
there are two firmware to choose: Boot Code and Software Image, when you download the zip file from DELL website then
the extracted file will indicate which file is boot code and which is the software image.
settings:

 TFTP Server Address will be your computer IP we assigned: 192.168.2.200

and the name of the firmware file and click on "Apply changes",
make sure you choose the appropriate firmware at the destination file "Software Image" or "Boot Code"

Once you click Apply then there will be three messages:

the file is currently being download...  then afterwards: The file download is completed

and then Activating the new software image....

Notes:
if you are getting the error: Unable to connect to TFTP server at specified address.
then there could be serveral options:
1. disable the firewall or one of the configuration in the TFTP Server is wrong.
2. You didn't start the TFTP Server
3. You didn't setup a folder: c:\dell
4. the Image file is not correctly spelled in the c:\dell



It is recommended to change the default password for the switch once it is on the network.



How to get rid of Google Redirects?

How to get rid of Google Redirects?

Today there are many spywares/trojans which are easy to remove but the worst are the ones that infect the MBR (Master Boot Record) - Also known as Rootkit, the worst are: Alureon,TDL3, TDL4.

Below are my recommendations to remove any spywares/trojans/rootkits. if you go step by step, you most likely will be able to remove the infection.

1. TDSSKILLER - one of the best smallest tool to remove infections of TDSS rootkits, I will first download this small app from Kaspersky and run it, it only takes 45 seconds or less to scan the master boot record for infections.

2. MalwareBytes AntiMalware - Great application to scan and remove spywares, it is free for scanning and removing spywares. The full version allow you to do a flash scan which is faster then the quick scan but if you are looking only to remove a spyware then this software is the one!  The Full version has a great option to block infected website and it is well recommended to purchase for protection of the computer.

3. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool 2011 - Great software to scan for viruses and spywares or any infection on your computer.

4. Combofix - This is one of the best tools if you have a severe infection but it is for advanced users.

I believe if you use the first 3 tools then you most likely remove all infections, if even combofix does'nt work then you can try HitMan Pro or UnHackMe but most likely you will not need to use them.

Good Luck!

0x19 bad pool header

0x00000019 BAD POOL HEADER

I got this error message few days ago when I used ACRONIS Home 2011 to clone 80GB Hard drive to 250GB Hard drive, the system was Windows XP.

Every several days I got the same error: 0x00000019 BAD POOL HEADER, there was nothing in the event logs, it was pretty clean.

When I was using NTBackup which is using VSS (Volume Shadow Copy) to backup files/folder then computer crashes and it flag me that I got some serious problem.

First to identify the problem, please run "NTBACKUP", START , RUN and write: ntbackup
do a system state backup, if computer crashes then I will explain on how to fix the issue below.


The Fix:

1. Download MBRFIX
1. Boot your computer into SafeMode
2. use the command:
    MbrFix /drive 0 listpartitions

   make sure that the drive has the boot partition and is the size you expect

3. Save your MBR before we do any changes:

    MbrFix /drive 0 savembr BackupMbr0.bin

4. The key step is to generate a new signature for the drive with:

     MbrFix /drive 0 generatesignature
5. Reboot your computer, once windows will load it will recognize a new device and you must reboot it again.

Good Luck!

Stay tuned for more! (This is my first blog/post)! if you have any comment please feel free to post it! PEACE!