The SMB protocol is a client–server communication protocol that has been used by Windows since the beginning for sharing files, printers, named pipes, and other network resources. SMB stands for "server message block." Apart from regular resource sharing, SMB is also useful for inter-process communication (IPC), such as in mailslots.

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The SMB port number is TCP 445. If you've heard people saying the port number is 139, they could be partially correct. Let’s understand the SMB ports 445, 139, 138, and 137 in detail.

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In this first post of my series about managing Hyper-V with PowerShell I will outline how to install Hyper-V Server and the Hyper-V role with PowerShell.

The post Install Hyper-V with PowerShell first appeared on 4sysops.

In this second post in my series about Hyper-V management with PowerShell I will explain how to create a Hyper-V virtual switch with PowerShell. In my previous post I explained how to install Hyper-V with PowerShell.

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By default, the IIS server is set to show detailed errors for local requests only, whereas it displays a custom error page for remote requests. This is done for security reasons, since detailed errors could reveal potentially detailed technical information about the web server and website.

The post Enable detailed IIS errors first appeared on 4sysops.

Failed Request Tracing is the most important IIS feature for diagnosing and troubleshooting any problem. It helps you determine what is exactly going on with your requests and why, provided you could reproduce the problem after enabling the failed request tracing feature.

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In this new post of my Hyper-V management series, I will explain how create a Hyper-VM with PowerShell.

The post How to create a Hyper-V VM with PowerShell first appeared on 4sysops.

In my last article, we created a new VM for Kali Linux, mounted the ISO file to its virtual DVD drive, and changed the boot order so that the VM could boot from the virtual DVD drive. Here, I will show how to start and stop a Hyper-V with PowerShell. You'll also learn how to disable secure boot with PowerShell.

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If your Internet Information Services (IIS) produces a 500 – Internal server error, your website is in serious trouble. Debugging an IIS 500 – Internal server error can take some time, so you'd better be prepared for the worst-case scenario. You don't want to research how to deal with this error under time pressure.

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In a previous post, you learned how to troubleshoot HTTP Error 500 – Internal server error. In this post, we will look into how to fix HTTP Error 503 – The service is unavailable.

The post How to fix HTTP Error 503 – The service is unavailable first appeared on 4sysops.

In my previous post, you learned how to troubleshoot HTTP Error 503. Today, we will look into how to troubleshoot 401 – Unauthorized: Access is denied due to invalid credentials in Internet Information Services (IIS).

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In a previous post, you learned how to troubleshoot 401 – Unauthorized: Access is denied due to invalid credentials. In this post, we will cover how to troubleshoot HTTP Error 403.14 – Forbidden in Internet Information Services (IIS).

The post Troubleshoot HTTP Error 403.14 – Forbidden in IIS first appeared on 4sysops.

Since version 7, Internet Information Services (IIS) has offered a built-in feature known as IIS Shared Configuration, which uses the idea of storing the applicationHost.config, administration.config, and configEncKey.key (encryption key) files used by IIS in a network share. You can then configure multiple web servers to utilize these configuration files, and any change to the IIS configuration seamlessly propagates to other servers without any additional tool or administrative effort. 

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The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a technique that prevents email spoofing. In this article, you will learn the importance of the SPF record and how to correctly configure it in your domain's DNS so that emails sent from your domain are not marked as spam by the recipient.

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In my previous post, you learned about the sender policy framework (SPF) and its importance in your domain. In today's post, I will explain how to configure DKIM.

The post How to configure DKIM first appeared on 4sysops.

In my last post, I explained how to configure DKIM. Today, I will cover the difference between DKIM and SPF. You might be wondering why you need DKIM if you already have SPF implemented, considering that post methods are used to authenticate the sender of an email. Make sure you read my previous posts on DKIM and SPF first.

The post DKIM vs. SPF first appeared on 4sysops.

Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) is a validation system that ties both SPF and DKIM together to further strengthen the email authentication system in your domain. In addition, DMARC supports reporting, an important feature that SPF and DKIM lack.

The post Configure DMARC for SPF and DKIM first appeared on 4sysops.

vCard, also known as VCF (Virtual Contact File), is a common format for digital business cards supported by many email clients. In this article, I will explain how you can easily convert a VCF to CSV format (or vice versa) without using any third-party service and then show how you can import the contacts to Outlook.

The post Convert VCF to CSV without third-party service first appeared on 4sysops.

If the internet is not working on a Windows PC where everything related to networking is properly configured, the command netsh winsock reset might save your day. Furthermore, this command will also help you fix the Windows Sockets registry entries required for network connectivity are missing error that is shown when you run Windows network diagnostics.

The post Netsh winsock reset: If the internet is not working first appeared on 4sysops.