Home network problems are a common occurrence now days. Just think about it? Everyone is now on the internet and most houses have some type of network setup to enable more than one computer to use the internet connection. Unfortunately this means that there are more Home network problems because people are settings these up themselves. There is no problem setting up your own home network and usually the hassles only start when you run into a problem that you cannot solve. It can be very frustrating when you have home network problems but hopefully we can help. This is not a tutorial on how to get a faster internet connection but rather to find network problems that might cause connection problems.

5 uncommon Home Network Problems

You’ve probably read our article about 5 common home network problems, but you didn’t find your problem listed. If you have not red this article you really should! After that, read on because we’ve got solutions to five more uncommon home network problems listed below.

Home Network Problems #1: Server Not Found

Sometimes you’ll try connecting to a website you know is still working and get a “server not found” error. This especially happens when you try to connect to new websites or websites you visit infrequently.
This isn’t an error with your home network, but rather a problem with your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) Domain Name Server (DNS) setup. It most often occurs when your ISP changes DNS servers and you’re stuck using the old server.
Among the many home network problems, this is one of the simplest to fix, although it can be annoying. You need to get the list of updated DNS servers from your ISP. To do it, you first need to purge the current list of DNS servers from the two places it’s stored on your network—your computer and your router.
First turn off your computer. Then unplug your router, count to five, and plug it back in. Wait for it to start flashing like normal, then turn on your computer. Of course, if other people share your home network, you want to give them fair warning before you restart the router.
Restarting your router will force it to ask for network settings using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), which sends IP addresses, DNS server addresses, and some other network information. Restarting your computer tells it to get its own network settings from your router also using DHCP, and your router will pass along the address of the DNS server it just received—which will be your ISP’s current DNS server.

Home Network Problems #2: Intermittent Cable Signal Loss

There are may kinds of intermittent signal loss, but in this case we’ll describe the inability to connect to any site on the Internet due to apparent problems with your cable modem. If you don’t use a cable modem, this isn’t your problem.
Cable providers send Internet signals along wires originally designed for mediocre television, and even in the days before cable broadband, it wasn’t too unusual in many places to lose television signal occasionally. Now, the Internet was designed to work even over horrible connections, but unfortunately, your cable modem is probably more picky than any other networking hardware in your house. Cable modem-powered Internet requires a good, strong signal, and that’s what you’re missing when you have intermittent cable signal loss.
Of the home network problems described in this article, intermittent cable signal loss is most often easily traceable to its cause by recording when you lost signal. If you lose signal most often during days of extreme heat or humidity (especially during rain or fog), then the problem is probably your cable wires.
There are a few ways to boost your signal. Go through your house and see how many times your cable signal is split—how many times one wire connects to a box with two or more wires coming out of it. The cable that goes to your cable modem shouldn’t go through more than one splitter. You also need to make sure all the splitter connections are connected to wires or have ends on them, or you’re wasting precious cable signal on dead air.
Making sure your use every bit of signal that comes down your cable line can significantly improve the functioning of your cable modem. Not only will it reduce the number of intermittent signal failures, but it can improve your download and upload speeds.

Home Network Problems #3: High Latency

If you use your Internet connection for voice or video chatting or gaming, significant lags in the applications you use can ruin your fun. Sometimes these lags can be caused by something besides high latency, but there’s an easy test for high latency so it’s a good place to start diagnosing:

1. Open the Windows terminal by opening the Start menu, choosing Run…, and entering cmd.
2. At the command-line, type ping google.com. Windows will send four special Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packets to Google’s nearest server and Google will kindly return four responses. Windows will then calculate how long it took for the packets to get to Google and back—this is your latency.

How long it takes for packets to get to Google and back to you depends a lot on how close you live to Google’s nearest server, but for anyone using broadband and living within 50 miles of an affluent city or a major population center, it should take between 20 and 30 milliseconds (ms). If all four packets take longer than 50ms, then you may have a problem—longer than 100ms and you definitely have a problem.
High-latency has two main causes: your network can be overloaded, in which case the answer is to shutdown all Internet-using applications on your computer and every other computer on your network and try running ping again. The other cause is bad wires or wireless signal. Try swapping wires between your computer and another computer without problems, or try moving your wireless laptop closer to the wireless router.

Home Network Problems #4: Can’t Connect To Router Admin

Many of the articles you read on this site tell you to change settings in your router administration interface, but if you don’t have the manual that came with your router, you may not know how to access the administration interface. Almost all routers use the same simple instructions:

1. Open a Web browser and try each of the following links in a new tab (Ctrl-click) until you find one that displays a username and password prompt:
   • http://192.168.0.1/
   • http://192.168.1.1/
   • http://192.168.2.1/
   • http://10.0.0.1/
   • http://10.0.0.2/
2. If you changed the password for your router before, enter it now. If you haven’t, these are the most common defaults (username/password):
   • admin/admin
   • root/root
   • admin/1234
   • admin/password
   • Administrator/admin
   • (leave empty)/admin

Home Network Problems #5: Forgot WPA Password

It can be embarrassing when you invite a friend over for a work or study session and they ask you for the password to your wireless network—and you don’t know what it is. Windows will let you see the password as you type it but, for security reasons, you can’t go back into the Wireless Connection Manager to get the password after you save it.

One option is to log into your router admin and go to the Wireless Security screen to figure out the current password—but what if you forgot the password and you don’t have your laptop? Is your only option to reset the router and set it up all over again? Luckily, there’s another solution.

Almost all routers include ethernet ports. These ports don’t include any security—if you’re close enough to plug in to them, you’re probably authorized to be on the network. So just find some ethernet (CAT–5) cable, plug in your friend’s laptop, and log into the router using the instructions above to find your password and eliminate your home network problems.

Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 on USB Device

Procedure to record Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 to a removable USB device.,

Steps to Follow:1. Download the iso image of Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 and a special utility 
Download the following utilities:

• Iso image of Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 (196 MB) 
• Utility to record Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 to USB devices (378 KB)

2. Recording Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 to your USB device: 
In order to do this, perform the following actions:

• Connect the USB to  your system. The USB Device should have the following features: 
•  USB Device should not less than 256 MB.  
• USB device must have FAT16 or FAT32 file system. If it is formatted in NTFS file system then you need to format it in FAT16 or FAT32 first.
• Run the downloaded file rescue2usb.exe. On the Kaspersky USB Rescue Disk Maker window, click Browse... and select the iso image of Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10

•  Under 'USB Medium' Select the required USB device  and Click START. Wait until the process is complete.

• Click OK on the open window informing that Kaspersky USB Rescue Disk has been successfully created. 

3. Configure the computer to boot from Removable Device:- 

To do this, perform the following actions: 

• Enable booting from removable devices in BIOS settings  
• Connect the removable device with Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 image to your computer.

4. Boot your computer from Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10

• Restart your computer. After reboot, a message will appear on the screen: Press any key to enter the menu.  Press any key. 

• A loading wizard will start (you will see the menu to select the required language). If you do not press any key in 10 seconds, the computer boots from hard drive automatically. In the start up wizard window that opens, select the graphic interface language using the cursor moving keys. Press the ENTER key on the keyboard. 

• Select one of the following start up methods and Press the ENTER.
• Kaspersky Rescue Disk. Graphic Mode loads the graphic subsystem.
• Kaspersky Rescue Disk. Text Mode loads the text user interface represented by the Midnight Commander (MC) console file manager. 
• Boot from Hard Disk. 

• The End User License Agreement of Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 is displayed on the screen. Read carefully the agreement. If you agree with all the statements of the agreement press the C button on your keyboard.

Once the actions described above have been performed, the operating system starts. It scans your computer for connected devices and searches for file systems of your local and removable disks. Once the operating system has started, you can start work with Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10. If the host operating system is in sleep mode or its operation has been completed incorrectly, you will be asked to mount the file system or restart the computer. In order to boot from the hard drive to shut down the operating system correctly, select Restart computer.

• If you select Continue, the application will continue mounting the file system, but there is a fairly high risk of file system damage. 
• If you select Skip, the application will skip file system mounting. Only boot sectors and autorun elements will be scanned. There is a fairly high risk of file system damage.

Computer Matinence

You may not realize it, but your computer and your car have something in common: they both need regular maintenance. No, you don't need to change your computer's oil. But you should be updating your software, keeping your antivirus subscription up to date, and checking for spyware. Read on to learn what you can do to help improve your computer's security.

Getting started

Here are some basics maintenance tasks you can do today to start improving your computer's security. Be sure you make these part of your ongoing maintenance as well.

* Sign up for software update e-mail notices. Many software companies will send you e-mail whenever a software update is available. This is particularly important for your operating system (e.g., Microsoft VV!|VD0VV$® or Macintosh), your antivirus program, and your firewall.

* Register your software. If you still have registration forms for existing software, send them in. And be sure to register new software in the future. This is another way for the software manufacturer to alert you when new updates are available.

* Install software updates immediately.

When you get an update notice, download the update immediately and install it. (Remember, downloading and installing are two separate tasks.)

An ounce of prevention

A few simple steps will help you keep your files safe and clean.

* Step 1: Update your software

* Step 2: Backup your files

* Step 3: Use antivirus software and keep it updated

* Step 4: Change your passwords

Developing ongoing maintenance practices

Now that you've done some ground work, it's time to start moving into longer term maintenance tasks. These are all tasks that you should do today (or as soon as possible) to get started. But for best results, make these a part of a regular maintenance schedule. We recommend setting aside time each week to help keep your computer secure.

* Back up your files. Backing up your files simply means creating a copy of your computer files that you can use in the event the originals are lost. (Accidents can happen.) To learn more read our tips for backing up information.

* Scan your files with up to date antivirus software. Use your antivirus scan tool regularly to search for potential computer viruses and worms. Also, check your antivirus program's user manual to see if you can schedule an automatic scan of your computer. To learn more, read our tips for reducing your virus risk

.

* Change your passwords. Using the same password increases the odds that someone else will discover it. Change all of your passwords regularly (we recommend monthly) to reduce your risk. Also, choose your passwords carefully. To learn more, read our tips for creating stronger passwords

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Making a schedule

One of the best ways to help protect your computer is to perform maintenance regularly. To help you keep track, we suggest making a regular "appointment" with your computer. Treat it like you would any other appointment. Record it in your datebook or online calendar, and if you cannot make it, reschedule. Remember, you are not only helping to improve your computer, you are also helping to protect your personal information.

Best Windows Freeware/Shareware Download Sites

Outstanding Sites

 

SoftPedia A large commercial site with an excellent collection organized by platform. It features site and user star ratings for products and user comments. The search engine doesn't display any  ratings and this limits its use when selecting. The real selling point for this site is its "100% clean" guarantee.  For many that is a winning feature.

 

SnapFiles / WebAttack  Offers a huge collection, great organization and a refreshingly clean presentation. Products are briefly reviewed and carry site ratings, user rating and user comments. Excellent.

 

FileHippo  A clean site with a wide product selection and fast download rates but offering almost no guidance in selection.  A redeeming feature is they offer a full version history of most products.

 

MajorGeeks This site carries only tech tools and utilities. Guidance is limited to brief reviews and user ratings.  However, if you are looking for  tech tools this is THE place to go. One of my favorites. 

 

FileForum-Betanews  Not the largest download collection, but if you're looking for the very latest products you'll find them here long before other download sites.

 

Recommended Sites

 

ZDNet and CNet Downloads These two sites are just different faces of the same site. That site, however, offers the biggest collection of software on the web. Finding what you want is made easier by the have the best file search engine of all the download sites. There are also user star ratings for most products and site star ratings for some. The user comments are handy but beware, they are sometimes stacked with comments made by the product developers pretending to be mere users.  The downside to these sites is they now require you to install their proprietry downloader. It is not only an unnecessary step it an intrusion into your privacy.

 

Tucows  Huge collection with world-wide mirrors for fast downloading. The Classic "cow ratings" for products are not as realiable as they used to be. I can't help but feel that this once class-leading site has lost its way a little in recent times.

 

ServerFiles.com  This is the old 32bit.com site re-launched as a site specializing in server software for network administrators and IT professionals. Quite a few products have ratings, some with full reviews.  It's a unique offering and well worth visting if you fit the target market.

 

No-Nags  This was once the best freeware-download site on the web but they haven't really kept up with the competition.  There is a free service and a more helpful premium service. The shareware side is slowly being added and is not particularly  impressive.

 

topshareware.com  A good general interest download site that's competent. There are few rating or user reviews but it's nicely organized.

 

Other Sites

5 Star Shareware  This popular UK site claims to feature only the best products in each category. It cerainly started out that way but over time has drifted towards more of a general purpose download site.  The strong commercial orientation does not give me a lot of confidence

Shareware Junkies  Every product here is independently reviewed, though many of the reviews are becoming dated. Can be helpful when you are trying to decide what you need.

 

Allen's WinApps List  A fast and well organized site with a huge selection of software, but the search engine is woeful and there is little in the way of guidance as well.

 

WinPlanet The aging remnant of the once excellent Stroud's CWS Apps site, it's now part of the Internet.com mega-site. It's still a useful site with many product ratings and some reviews. Overall, though, it is but a pale shadow of its former self. 

Computer Terms and their Meanings

Here is a quick list of computer terms, most being requests from Tips4pc members. You can also get a free 59 page PDF Computer Terms Dictionary when you sign up for the Tips4pc newsletter at the bottom of every post.

Basic Computer Terminology:

1. Bit: A binary unit of data storage with only 2 digits 0 and 1.

2. BIOS: Acronym for basic input/output system, the built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing programs from a disk.

3. Boot: Another Computer term for “Starting a Computer”. Similarly reboot means restart.

4. Byte: 8 bits of data which has a possible value from 0 to 255.

5. Program: A series of instructions to the computer from a user to process different types of tasks according to our need and necessity.

6. Operating System (OS): An operating system works an interface between User and the hardware. It is basically the platform on which users work. Various OS include Windows, MAC OSX, and Linux etc.

7. Application: Application is program that runs on an Operating System. For ex. music player, browser, messengers etc.

8. Internet: It is a worldwide system of computer networks – a network of networks in which users at any one computer can get information from any other computer.

9. Browser: It is a program that displays the files and data on internet through World Wide Web. Examples Include Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome etc.

10.  Driver: A specially written program which understands the operation of the device it interfaces to, such as a printer, video card, sound card or CD ROM drive. It provides an interface for the operating system to use the device.

11.  File: A collection of data into a permanent storage structure stored on the hard drive.

12.  Floppy disk: A very low capacity storage media which can be written to as easily as it is read. It is highly out of date.

13.  Floppy Drive: The hardware component that is used to read or write to a floppy disk.

14.  Hardware: Describes the physical parts of your computer which you can physically touch or see such as your monitor, case, disk drives etc.

15.  Memory: Used to provide the temporary storage of information function.

16.  Network: A general term describing to the cables and electronic components that carry data between computers. It is also generally used to refer to the server computers that provide services such as printing, file sharing, e-mail, and other services.

17.  Protocols: A standard method used for communications or other internet and network functions.

18.  Security flaw: A software bug allowing an attacker a method to gain unauthorized access to a system.

19.  Serial: A data transmission method where data is sent on a single line and one bit is sent at a time. This is similar to a line which one item must come one after another.

20.  Software: Describes the programs that run on your system.

21.  SPAM: A term used to describe junk and unsolicited e-mail.

22.  Storage Media: A term used to describe any magnetic device that computer data can be permanently stored on such as a hard drive or floppy drive.

23.  URL: Uniform Resource Locator is the term used to describe a link which points to a location of a file on the internet.

24. Virus: A program that runs on a system against the owner’s or user’s wishes and knowledge and can spread by infecting files or sending itself through e-mail.

25.  Vulnerability: Software errors that allow some kind of unauthorized access when they are used or exploited.

26.  Word: Two bytes or 16 bits of data with a possible unsigned value from 0 to 16535.

27.  Worm: A term used to describe an unwanted program that uses system or application vulnerabilities to infect a computer without the user doing anything but connecting to an infected network.

Tips for XP Stand By VS Hibernate?

What's the difference between putting your PC in Hibernate or Standby mode?

Yes, i think you weren't sure either.

These two Windows XP shutdown options often confuse people. These power saving options offer advantages, but it’s important to know the differences when creating a power scheme for your notebook or desktop.

details of Windows XP power schemes. Using Standby:

Your machine recovers quickly as your data is stored in RAM. The slower part is waking up the peripherals. Although your machine is in "standby" the power has been cut to items such as your hard drive and monitor. You're running your machine in a very low power mode, but it is still on. This mode can be useful if you're on a notebook and need to conserve your battery while you step away.

With Hibernate:

The big difference is that your PC has shut down and is not pulling power. Another difference is that your data is saved to your hard disk and not RAM. This makes it a safer, but slower option for shut down and resume.

Not all PCs have the capability and are configured to Hibernate. If yours is, to see the Hibernate option on your XP shutdown screen, hold down the Shift key when you shut down.

Where is the Hibernate Option?

Hibernate doesn’t show by default. Your manufacturer has to have included the functionality and it needs to be enabled. Even then, there is a trick to seeing this option. Usually, when you turn off your computer and If you hold down your Shift key, you’ll see the Stand By option changes to Hibernate.

Creating a Windows XP Power Scheme

Most Windows XP systems allow you to set various power options. This is ideal for notebook users who wish to conserve power after a certain period of inactivity. It’s also useful for desktop owners who wish to conserve power. As example, you might want to create a profile that first puts your computer into Stand By mode and then goes into Hibernate after another time.

To create a Power Profile in Windows XP,

1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel

2. Select Performance and Maintenance

3. Select Power Options.

Your system should display the Power Options Properties dialog with various tabs. The number of tabs will vary based on your manufacturer and if you have a UPS. Notebook systems have extra settings so you can set a scheme for when you’re using direct power or batteries.

4. Click the Hibernate tab. Check the box if you wish to enable this feature.

5. Click the Power Schemes tab.

6. Set your options to suit your needs. If you’re on a notebook, make sure that your hibernate time is less than your battery time. Otherwise, your battery will drain before the option can kick in.

7. Click OK.

We may be use to cheap and abundant energy, but there is little need to keeping your computer fully powered. Microsoft and various hardware vendors have improved the power management systems. The bigger question is whether you should use Stand By, Hibernate or both.

The Five Kinds of Computer Backup Storage

There are five kinds of computer backup storage each with its own advantages and disadvantages you should consider. We’ll briefly describe each type of computer backup storage in this article so you can choose the best option for you. I have definitely learned the hard way, over the years, about the importance of backing up files. Many times I thought my files were safe and secure when they actually were not! I also sometimes just simply forgot to backup all the files and now have a list of the mostimportant computer files to backup.

Computer Backup Storage #1: No Backups

Even a few years ago, it would be crazy to suggest to people that they use computers without making regular backups, but today it’s a very real and very legitimate option. Thanks to the prevalence of “cloud” applications from Google and other companies, many users today store all of their files and applications entirely on the Web.

If you use hosted applications for everything, then you have nothing to worry about when your computer fails. You just need to stand up, walk to another computer, and log in to start working where you left off.

This option isn’t for everyone. Anyone who still needs an offline application or wants to keep their files private from Google still needs to store files locally and should make Easy Secure Backups using the methods described later in this article.

We expect a significant rise in the number of users who store all of their data in the cloud when Google releases its upcoming Chrome operating system for computers.

Computer Backup Storage #2: Same Disk Backups

At first, making a backup to the same disk doesn’t make any sense. If the disk fails, you lose both the original and the backup copies. Plus, making a same disk backup will run slowly—hard drives aren’t designed to quickly copy data from one part of the disk to another part of the same disk.

But a same disk backup can give you access to an important computer backup storage feature: the ability to save multiple versions of the same file. For example, you can make a new copy of your accounting Excel worksheet every time you save so that you can always restore an older version if you make a mistake. You probably also want to do this with important Word documents in case you accidentally delete a few paragraphs or pages, your Outlook email files in case you delete an important email, and many other applications.

Although a same disk can be useful, you should always remember that a disk failure will wipe out both original and backup copies, so this method is best used in combination with computer backup storage methods described later in this article.

Computer Backup Storage #3: External Backup Disks

External backup disks is one of the cheapest methods of computer backup storage and probably also the method that offers the best privacy for your files. Best of all, external backup disks are easy to use with Windows.

Most external disks these days use USB 2.0, although a few disks use Firewire or eSATA. In any case, all you need to do is plug in your external disk and wait for Windows to load it (also called mounting). After you disk mounts, go to the Windows Backup Wizard located in the System and Maintenance menu of the Control Panel. Set up a backup and start it right away.

You have so many choices when buying an external hard drive to use for computer backup storage.

Your first backup to an external drive will take a while, but your second and subsequent backups will go much faster because Windows transfers only the files that have changed.

After you make your backup, you need to safely remove your disk and then store it somewhere safe. It’s no use to you if the same natural disaster that destroys your computer also destroys your backup. You also need to keep the disk safe from attackers or your private files could fall into the wrong hands. For both purposes, we recommend storing your backup disk in a sturdy fire-proof safe.

Thanks to the low price of disk drives, an external backup can cost much less than any of the Internet-based computer backup storage methods mentioned later in this article.

Computer Backup Storage #4: Network Storage

At businesses and even in homes, more and more people are using Network-Attached Storage (NAS), which is simply disk drives accessible over your local network. NAS offers almost all of the benefits of external backup disks and also Internet-based backups for computer backup storage. Many devices made for small and home offices are also very easy to use.

Similar to external disks, a NAS plugs into your computer—but instead of plugging into your computer directly, in plugs into your network router. You can then create a folder on your computer that stores all the files on your NAS. You can backup files to this folder like normal and you can also share files with other people on your same local network.

Because the NAS is separate from your computer, there’s much less chance it will be destroyed by any calamity that strikes your computer. You can even store NASes in a safe place where they’re resist fire damage and thieves while still connected to the network, providing the ultimate in safety and convince.

Computer Backup Storage With RAID

Another great feature available in higher-end NASes is the ability to use a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) for extra safe backups. If you use your computer for business and worry about losing thousands of dollars of data to a disk drive crash, a NAS with RAID should be an important part of your computer backup storage plan.

RAID is also available for all full-sized PC computers using a special card called a RAID controller , but this method can require a lot of hassle and unskilled users can easily wipe out all their data by choosing the wrong option. With a RAID-enabled NAS, all you usually need to do put a second disk drive in your NAS, browse to a Web interface, and click a button to enable RAID computer backup storage protection.

Computer Backup Storage #5: Internet-Based Backup

The sudden popularity of Dropbox has brought increased attention to the already-established industry of Internet-based backups. Non-geeks will probably appreciate Internet-based backups the most, as very little setup is required. For example, to use Dropbox, all you need to do is install the Dropbox application, create a Dropbox account, and copy your files to a Dropbox folder. Dropbox will do all of the rest.

Dropbox and Mozy both offer free 2Gb storage and promise better security, but you’re still trusting someone else with all of your most important files.  You can get online easy secure backup that is guaranteed against data loss, however it costs an absolute fortune. Livedrive offer unlimited online storage.

The main disadvantage of Dropbox is that you trust the security of your data to Dropbox. Although Dropbox uses high-security technology, any hacker who ever figures out how to get around it will have access to the private files of millions of customers—and that’s an awfully tempting target. In contrast, if you keep your own computer backup storage, you only need to worry about direct threats against your computer.

Conclusion: You Can’t Avoid Computer Backup Storage

Whether you choose to keep your data in the cloud or store it on a high-end NAS, you should still make a clear choice about how you want to keep your computer backup storage before something goes wrong and your data is suddenly gone. If you organize your computer files neatly you will find that any kind of backup is a whole lot easier!!!

12 Reasons Why Every Linux System Administrator Should be Lazy

Lazy sysadmin is the best sysadmin –Anonymous

System administrators job is not visible to other IT groups or end-users. Mostly they look at administrators and wonder why sysadmins don’t seem to have any work.

If you see a sysadmin who is always running around, and trying to put down fire, and constantly dealing with production issues, you might think he is working very hard, and really doing his job. But in reality he is not really doing his job.

If you see a sysadmin (UNIX/Linux sysadmin, or DBA, or Network Administrators), who doesn’t seem to be doing much around the office that you can see, he always seem to be relaxed, and he don’t seem to have any visible work, you can be assured that he is doing his job.

The following are the 12 reasons why a lazy sysadmin is the best sysadmin.

1. Who is the boss? The main reason why lazy sysadmin is the best sysadmin is because of his attitude. They look at the machines little differently than how other IT departments looks at them. There is a difference between developers and sysadmins. Developers thinks they are here to serve the machines by developing code. There is nothing wrong in this approach, as developers have lot of fun developing the code. But, sysadmins think other way around. They think the machines are there to serve them. All they have to do is feed the machine and keep it happy, and let the machine do all the heavy duty job, while they can relax and just be lazy. The first step in being a lazy sysadmin is a slight change in attitutde, and letting the machine know that you are the boss.
2. Write scripts for repeated jobs. Being lazy means being smart. A smart sysadmin is a master in all scripting languages (bash, awk, sed, etc.,). Anytime he is forced to do some work, and if there is a remote possibility that the work might be needed in the future, he writes a script to complete the job. This way, in the future when he was requested to do the same job, he doesn’t have to think; he just have to execute the script, and get back to being lazy.
3. Backup everything. Being lazy means taking backup. A lazy sysadmin knows that he has to put little work in creating a backup process, and write backup scripts for all critical systems and applications. When the disk space is not an issue, he schedules the backup job for every application, even for those that are not critical. This way, when something goes wrong, he doesn’t have to break a sweat, and just have to restore from the backup, and get back to whatever lazy stuff he was doing before. This is also the rule#1 in the three sysadmin rules that you shouldn’t break.
4. Create a DR plan. Sysadmins doesn’t like to run around when things go wrong. When things are running smoothly, they take some time to create a DR plan. This way, when things go wrong, they can follow the DR plan and quickly get things back to normal, and get back to being lazy again.
5. Configure highly redundant systems. Lazy sysadmins don’t like to get calls in the middle of the night because of some silly hardware failure problem. So, they make sure all the components are highly redundant. This includes both hardware and software. They have dual network card configured, they have dual power, they have dual hard drives, they have dual of everything. This way, when one component fails, the system still keeps running, and the lazy sysadmin can work on fixing the broken component after he wakes-up in the morning.
6. Head room for unexpected growth. Lazy sysadmin never allows his system to run in full capacity. He always has enough head room for unexpected growth. He make sure the system has plenty of CPU, RAM and hard disk available. When the business unit decides to dump tons of data over night, he doesn’t have to think about how to handle that unexpected growth.
7. Be proactive. Being lazy doesn’t mean you just sit and do nothing all the times. Being lazy means being proactive. Lazy sysadmins hate being reactive. They are always anticipating issues and anticipating growth. When they have some free time in their hand, they always work on proactive projects that helps them to avoid unexpected future issues, and to handle future growth.
8. Loves keyboard shortcut. Lazy sysadmin knows all the keyboard shortcuts for all his favorite applications. If he spends significant time everyday on an application, the first thing he’ll do is to master the keyboard shortcut for that application. He likes to spends less them on the application to get his things done, and likes to get back to being lazy.
9. Command line master. Every lazy sysadmin is a command line master. This applies to Linux sysadmin, dba, network administrator, etc. If you see an administrator launching a GUI, when the same task can be done from the command line, then you know he is not a lazy sysadmin. There are two reasons why lazy sysadmin loves command line. For one, he can do things quickly at the command line. For another, it makes him feel that he is the boss and not the system. When you use the command line, you are in control, you know exactly what you want to do. When you use GUI, you are at the mercy of the GUI workflow, and you are not in control.
10. Learns from mistake. Lazy sysadmin never likes to make the same mistake twice. He hates to work on unexpected issues. But, when an unexpected issue happens, he works on fixing it, and thinks about why it happened, and he immediately puts necessary things in place so that the same issue doesn’t happen again. Working on the same problem twice is a sin according to lazy sysadmin. He likes to work on the problem only once, do things to prevent the same mistake from happening in the future, and get back to being lazy.
11. Learn new technology. There is nothing wrong in learning a new technology to get a better job, or just to keep up with technology growth. But, lazy sysadmin doesn’t learn new technology for this reason. Instead, he learns new technology because he likes to be in control of the systems all the times. He knows he is the boss, and not the machine. So, when a new technology comes, he takes time to study them. Now he has new tools that he can use to keep the system busy, while he continue to be lazy. He learns new technology just for selfish lazy reason.
12. Document everything. Not every lazy sysadmin does this. Only the best lazy sysadmins does this. You see, lazy sysadmin never likes to be disturbed when he is on the beach enjoying his vacation. So, what does he do? He documents everything, so that when he is not around, other junior sysadmins can do the routine job, and get things moving without disturbing his vacation. There is also another reason for the lazy sysadmin to document everything; because he forgets things. Since he is lazy, he tends to forget what he did a month ago. Since he never likes to think and research the same topic twice, he documents everything, and when he needs to do the same thing in the future, he goes back to his documentation to understand what he did earlier.

Probably you are now convinced that begin a lazy sysadmin is not that easy. It is lot of hard work. If you are not a sysadmin, you can now appreacie a lazy sysadmin when you see one. If you are sysadmin, and always running around, now you know what you need to do to be lazy.