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Change Profile to: Cisco Xauth with PSK

Server: (Sonicwall WAN IP)

Username: (Sonicwall Local User Account Name) (If unable to select, enable Xauth)

Password (Sonicwall Local User Account Name)

PRESS RIGHT ARROW

Group Name: GroupVPN (Case sensitive)

Group PSK: (Sonicwall GroupVPN Shared Secret)

VPN Start Mode: BOOT

PRESS RIGHT ARROW

Password Type: Save in Flash

Encapsulation 4500-4500

Syslog Server Blank

PRESS RIGHT ARROW

IKE Parameters: Ike ID Type: FQDN

Diffie-HellmanGroup: 2

Encryption Alg. Any

PRESS RIGHT ARROW

Authentication Alg. Any

IKE Xchg Mode: Aggressive

Ike Config Mode: Disabled

PRESS RIGHT ARROW

XAUTH: Enable

Cert Expiry Check: Disable

Cert DN Check Disable

PRESS RIGHT ARROW -> Select DONE

IPSec Parameters

Encryption Alg: Any

Authentication Alg: Any

Diffie-Hellman Group: NONE

DONE

Protected Nets

Virtual IP: BLANK

Remote Net: (Example: 192.168.42.0/24)

Remote Net #2 BLANK

DONE

PRESS RIGHT ARROW

Copy TOS: NO

File Srvr: 192.168.42.242

Connectivity Check: Never

PRESS RIGHT ARROW

QTest: Disable

(Tested w/ Avaya 9620L & Sonicwall TZ210 w/ 5.8.1 firmware)

Settings:

VPN Vendor: Other

Gateway Address: Sonicwall WAN IP

AUTH. TYPE

PSK with XAUTH

USER CRED.

VPN User Type: Any

VPN User: <Local Username from Sonicwall> (Created under “Local Users” in SW interface)

Password Type: Save in Flash

PASSWORD ENTRY

<Sonicwall Local User Password>

IKE PSK

IKE ID: GroupVPN (Case Sensitive)

Pre-Shared Key (PSK): <Your GroupVPN Shared Secret> (Case Sensitive [NOTE: You have to advance forward with the right arrow when entering letters that are on the same key – this can be painful)

IKE PHASE 1

IKE ID: FQDN

IKE Xchg Mode: Aggressive

IKE DH Group – 2

IKE Encryption Alg: Any

IKE Auth. Alg. Any

Ike Config Mode: Disabled

IKE Phase 2

IPSec PFS DH Group: No PFS

IPSec Encryption Alg: Any

IPSec Auth Alg. Any

Protected Network: <Example: 192.168.42.0/24>

IKE Over TCP

Ike Over TCP: Auto

Basically if you’ve ever used Google Maps you’ll notice in the top right of the map display there are some selectable options:

Google Map display of Teklogic general area HERE

Clicking the down arrow will yield all of the map overlay options. You have many choices here from Wikipedia integration, photos, Webcams etc etc… Just select the option you want and it will “overlay” the map display accordingly. This is an enormously useful tool – AND it is available using the smartphone version of Google maps. This means that you can check traffic conditions from your phone quite easily. Just look for the “Layers”icon in the top toolbar when using the Google Maps application available in the Apple Appstore or the Android marketplace on your smartphone.

“[Email disclaimers] are assumed to be a wise precaution. But they are mostly, legally speaking, pointless. Lawyers and experts on internet policy say no court case has ever turned on the presence or absence of such an automatic e-mail footer in America, the most litigious of rich countries.

Many disclaimers are, in effect, seeking to impose a contractual obligation unilaterally, and thus are probably unenforceable. This is clear in Europe, where a directive from the European Commission tells the courts to strike out any unreasonable contractual obligation on a consumer if he has not freely negotiated it. And a footer stating that nothing in the e-mail should be used to break the law would be of no protection to a lawyer or financial adviser sending a message that did suggest something illegal.”

So not only is it adding extra “bulk” to even the simplest of messages, it also introduces a myriad of text formatting issues.

The Economist goes on to speculate:

“So why are the disclaimers there? Company lawyers often insist on them because they see others using them. As with Latin vocabulary and judges’ robes, once something has become a legal habit it has a tendency to stick. Might they at least remind people to behave sensibly? Michael Overly, a lawyer for Foley & Lardner in Los Angeles, thinks not: the proliferation of predictable yada-yada at the bottom of messages means that people have long since stopped paying any attention to it. “

The Economist: Spare us the e-mail yade-yada

We have admittedly been slacking on the blog updates in weeks past – but that’s going to change, I promise!

I thought I’d start by posting some updated Teklogic office pictures for anyone interested in checking out our workspace…

https://picasaweb.google.com/Teklogic757/OfficePictures#

p.s: I have plans to enable it so that the public can drive around the security robot, using the internet remotely via a computer…

Have you ever taken a moment to imagine what would happen if you lost some or all of your computer files? Whether you only use your computer for personal reasons; or for school or work, file or data loss can be devastating! Think of all of those family photographs, music files or class assignments! Think of the report you spent weeks working on. Some files can be replaced with time and effort, while others (particularly your photos or home videos) cannot.

Numerous reports tell us that over a third of computer users don’t back up their files; and of those that actually do perform some data backup – 76% of people don’t do it often enough.

Most people tend to think computer files are lost only due to catastrophic events – like tornadoes and hurricanes. Don’t forget about slightly more common events, including fire, flood or computer viruses. A computer "disaster" does not necessarily have to be one from Mother Nature, either. Suppose you dropped your laptop down the stairs or spilled your coffee on the keyboard?

Losing personal files is devastating because of their sentimental value – while business owners who rely on content and files can consider the loss of data fatal to their business if they don’t have a data backup plan in place.

Before Disaster Strikes

Just like many human health issues can be prevented with proper diet and care, having a complete backup plan in place can prevent disaster from occurring to your precious data. Data backup isn’t as complicated or expensive as you might believe. It is far easier to back up your files to be able to restore them after something damages your computer, than it is to recover them after disaster strikes. Consider a data backup plan to be your computer’s insurance policy!

Picking Up The Pieces

If you’ve already experienced the loss of data and you hadn’t backed up your data and files, you’ll need to use data recovery services to recover as much of the lost information as possible. Data recovery makes it possible to save some of the data from damaged, corrupted or failed storage devices, but it’s expensive, and you may never recover 100% of the data you’ve lost.

Data Backup and Recovery Solution

Your best solution is to use a remote data backup system. This will backup and store your data files and information at regularly scheduled intervals to an online data store accessed via the web. Your backed-up information can then be restored to any computer if your computer’s hard disk fails, or if it has been attacked by a virus, or physically damaged. Some people back up their files to CDs or flash drives – and then keep these storage devices in the same location as the computer. If there is a natural disaster, chances are the computer and the backup copies will be ruined.

Remote data backup services exist for both personal computer users and businesses of all sizes. Prices range from very reasonable to very expensive – based on how much storage you require and other factors. Prevention is the best medicine – give yourself peace of mind with a data backup insurance policy for your computer files.

Content by Managed Services Provider University

Instead of letting your technology investments continue on underutilized, here are 4 tips for getting the most out of your technology dollars:

1. Put the client in the driver’s seat of communication.

You can improve the quality of customer service offered by your company through the use of simple technology. The more connected you are to your clients, the happier they are with your work. Use technology to give your clients a way to initiate discussion with you, either through blog interaction or a discussion forum. Set up instant messaging so clients can contact appropriate staff members as necessary. It’s simple technology, but will result in improved client retention, repeat customers and better communication.

2. Create a business culture of continuous improvement.

One of the most amazing aspects of technology is how quickly it is updated and improved. Just when you think you have the best of the best, new technologies and processes are created to improve productivity. Even in the sometimes mundane office environments, new ideas will enhance efficiency and productivity. Encourage staff and consultants to let the new ideas flow – continuous improvement is the key for making the most out of your technology.

3. Take advantage of training opportunities.

If the cost of sending staff to training courses is a bit much, and you’re unable to conduct monthly training seminars on your own – consider bringing in vendors and experts whenever a new version of software is released. You can also have managed service providers deliver training virtually as needed, in order to keep your staff up to date with the programs and tools used in the office.

4. Internal email newsletters with tips.

Most businesses recognize the value of sending newsletters to their clients to keep in touch and establish relationships, but what about internal newsletters among staff members? Send a weekly email to your staff with a single technology tip that explains how to do something that will improve their productivity or make their lives a little easier. Keep it fun and add a cartoon or a quick quiz to keep the staff looking forward to their weekly newsletter. Your ideas for topics can come from training and seminars you attend, or from questions staff ask the IT department. If one person doesn’t understand something, there are probably a few others who also don’t understand – but aren’t speaking up about it.

Content by Managed Services Provider University

Why Have An Internet Policy?

The purpose of a business is to make money. In order to accomplish this, the company has to have productive employees. The Internet can be a time drain and often prevent employees from being as productive as they should be. With such a wide range of information available on the Internet, it is necessary to clarify the company’s expectations of its employees regarding Internet access. With a strong policy in place, the employee, as well as the employer, will find Internet use less confusing and frustrating.

Another important reason to have a strong Internet policy is to save your company from unnecessary lawsuits. Unless you have a clear policy on what is and is not acceptable on the Internet in your company, you can risk having an unfair dismissal lawsuit on your hands when an employee is abusing the company’s Internet.

What Elements Should Your Internet Usage Policy Contain?

When planning your Internet use policy, it should contain certain key elements such as:

• The company Internet is for company business only and to be used only during company business hours
• All work done on company computers during business hours, including all emails, is company property and can be accessed by the employer at any time.
• Establish what type of computer use is unacceptable such as accessing personal social media accounts, personal email, pornographic websites, etc.
• Employees must refrain from accessing websites, creating, or forwarding email that promotes any type of discrimination such as racial or sexual discrimination, or that is defamatory or harmful towards another person or group.
• Employees are not allowed to gain access to or attempt to access other employee’s computers, employee stored information, or any information unauthorized by the company.

In addition to the guidelines above, inform your employees that whatever is done by the company, for the company, and on the company computers should remain confidential and within the confines of the company. In addition, let employees know that when they access unapproved sites, they risk infecting the company computer system with viruses that could possibly shut down the entire company network.

Having an Internet use policy in place helps to eliminate any confusion and possible abuse that could prevent a company from functioning productively. A solid Internet use policy help to make the work environment more pleasant and more conducive to getting the necessary work done in order to have a successful business. Creating a safe and productive environment is important for any business, and one way to ensure that is to implement an Internet use policy.

Content by Managed Services Provider University

If you still think natural disasters are the leading causes of data loss – and that the chances of it happening to you are pretty slim, take a look at the results from a study by Strategic Research Corporation of the leading causes of business continuity and disaster recovery incidents:

• Hardware Failures (servers, switches, disk drives, etc) – 44%.
• Human Error (mistakes in configurations, wrong commands issued, etc) 32%
• Software Errors (operating systems, driver incompatibility, etc)14%
• Viruses and Security Breach (unprotected systems are always at risk) 7%
• Natural Disasters 3%

Establishing a disaster recovery plan can be done in the following four steps:

1) Take a potential risk inventory. Make a list of every potential cause of data loss and the solutions to each. Your list should include losses that won’t affect the business very much, and those that would shut the business down temporarily or permanently. Information Technology experts can assist you with creating the potential risk inventory – as they will have the knowledge and experience to identify possibilities that you are not likely to think of but need to plan for all the same. These IT experts will also be able discuss preventative solutions to guard against each type of potential data loss.

2) Rate each of your potential data loss situations. How likely is it for each of the items on your risk inventory to occur? Rating them in order of importance and likeliness to occur will help you determine where to focus your disaster recovery plan efforts.

3) Develop your disaster recovery plan. Go through each of your potential risks and their solutions, and determine how long it would take you to recover from the loss of data for each risk. Could your business be offline for 24 hours? A week? Depending on the nature of your business, being offline for even just 24 hours could result in your losing customers to your competition. Look at ways to reduce the length of time it would take you to recover from each type of data loss risk.

4) Put your disaster recovery plan to the test. Once you’ve created your plan of action for recovering lost data, you should test your solutions. A disaster recovery plan is just a plan until it can be tested and proven.

Content by Managed Services Provider University