fail2ban for Asterisk and FreePBX: Block SIP Password Guessing
Set up fail2ban for Asterisk PJSIP: turn on the security log, confirm the stock filter matches with fail2ban-regex, create a jail that reads the right files, test a ban, and keep your SIP provider and office off the ban list.
October 3, 2026
Troubleshoot SIP Calls with sngrep and the Asterisk PJSIP Logger
How to use sngrep and the Asterisk PJSIP logger to capture a failing call, read the SIP ladder, save a pcap, check RTP audio, and find NAT, codec and authentication problems on Asterisk and FreePBX.
October 3, 2026
Convert Asterisk Call Recordings to MP3 (FreePBX, Issabel)
How to convert Asterisk, FreePBX and Issabel call recordings from WAV, WAV49 and GSM to MP3: one file with ffmpeg or sox, the whole archive with a script, and every new call automatically, without breaking the call log player.
October 3, 2026
File Share Auditing: Find Who Deleted a File in 5 Steps
Turn on file share auditing on a Windows Server 2025 file server so you can answer "who deleted this file?": audit policy, SACLs in the GUI and PowerShell, events 4663 with the DELETE access mask, 4660 and 5145, a search script, log sizing and restoring from Previous Versions.
September 30, 2026
RDP Connection Logs: 14 Event IDs to Track Who Connected and From Where
Find out who connected over Remote Desktop, from which IP address and for how long, using the RemoteConnectionManager, LocalSessionManager and Security event logs, with the audit policies they need, a PowerShell report and brute-force detection.
September 30, 2026
RDS Licensing Server: Activate, Install CALs and Set the Mode in 6 Steps
Install and activate an RD Licensing server, install per-user or per-device RDS CALs, point Session Hosts at it through deployment properties, Group Policy or WMI, and clear the "licensing mode is not configured" warning before the 120-day grace period ends.
September 30, 2026
Convert Evaluation Edition to Full Windows Server: DISM Steps for 2025
Turn a Windows Server 2016 to 2025 evaluation install into a licensed Standard or Datacenter edition with DISM, move Standard to Datacenter, switch between retail, MAK and KMS keys with slmgr, and handle the domain controller limitation and activation errors.
September 30, 2026
Windows Server 2025 In-Place Upgrade from 2019, 2022 and Older
Upgrade Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019 or 2022 directly to Windows Server 2025 with setup.exe or the Windows Update feature update: supported paths, prerequisites, a compatibility scan, unattended switches, domain controller rules and post-upgrade checks.
September 30, 2026
Active Directory Audit Policy: DC Settings and 35 Key Event IDs
Configure Advanced Audit Policy on Windows Server 2016 to 2025 domain controllers, enforce subcategories, pick the right Success and Failure settings, size the Security log, and query the event IDs that matter for logons, lockouts, account and group changes.
September 30, 2026
Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA): Complete Windows Server 2025 Guide
Replace service account passwords with group managed service accounts: create the KDS root key, create and install a gMSA, run Windows services, scheduled tasks, IIS application pools and SQL Server under it, and understand the new Windows Server 2025 delegated MSA.
September 30, 2026
Domain Controller Metadata Cleanup: Safely Demote or Remove a Dead DC
Demote a working domain controller with Uninstall-ADDSDomainController, or remove a failed one with forced removal, FSMO seizure and metadata cleanup in ADUC, Sites and Services or ntdsutil, then clean DNS and verify with dcdiag and repadmin.
September 30, 2026
Restore Domain Controller Backups: System State and DSRM Steps
Back up a Windows Server 2016 to 2025 domain controller with a system state backup, then run a non-authoritative or authoritative restore from DSRM with wbadmin and ntdsutil, including SYSVOL, deleted objects and a test restore plan.
September 30, 2026