Configuring Untangle to work with VLANs

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Some time ago, I wrote an article giving an overview of how to configure VLANs on a Cisco Catalyst 3550.  I did not go into detail on firewall configuration because this was not necessary for me at the time using a PIX 515e.  However, things have changed on my network as they often do and we are now utilizing an Untangle firewall which does not currently support the use of VLANs.  I have however found a workaround that functions perfectly in my environment without compromising security or efficiency.

One solution would be to revert back to a single subnet; however, we would lose the benefits of network segmentation that reduces collisions and optimizes our network performance.  For the sake of this discussion, I am going to build upon the discussion in the previous article located here and only focus on the configuration of Untangle to meet the needs of the network designed in that article.  It would be wise to review that article before continuing with this discussion. 

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Microsoft's Schizoprenic Ad Campaign

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Microsoft has kicked off its new ad campaign "I'm a PC" where they have a dozen or so people including Deepak Chopra and Eva Longoria explain why they are a PC. Apparently, the ad is intended to blow away the stereotype portrayed in the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads from Apple. (read more on the story here). The humorous thing to note is the images used in the Microsoft Press Pass to kick off the campaign were generated on Mac computers using Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh. (read about this here). Apparently, even Microsoft's ad agency realizes that Macs are the way to go.  Or is Microsoft in serious need of psychoactive medication?

Configuring VLANs on a Cisco Catalyst 3550

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Many network administrators will discover over time that the amount of traffic on their network exceeds the capacity of their switches.  To relieve some of the strain, improve speed for users, and provide security for the infrastructure it becomes advantageous to segment their network into virtual local area networks.  The process is simple, but requires the environment to be thought out in advance.

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Repair Out of Office Messaging in Exchange 2007

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For the longest time, my users have complained that they cannot use the Out of Office Assistant in Outlook 2007 with Exchange 2007 as the backend server.  It damn near took a voodoo ceremony with water never run through a pipe, the head of a brown chicken and a pentagram drawn on the floor with an iron based nail polish, but I finally found a solution to the problem.

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