One of the not-so-fun jobs as an IT Pro is handling the issue of employee turnover at client sites. It’s one of those facts of life. Whether the employee exit is friendly and planned or angst-ridden and a bombshell, there are a lot of things that have to be done. And, as with most things in life, having a checklist helps make sure nothing is missed.

As an outsourced IT provider you should have a standard operating procedure to help your client get through this process as quickly and easily as possible. Below is a sample “Employee Termination Checklist” you can use. The top half contains things the company personnel need to handle, and the bottom half are responsibilities that fall under the IT Department (probably you).

File name: Employee_Termination_Checklist.doc (28 KB)

Depending on the size of the client, there are things you may need to add or remove, but this document should be a good starting point. If there’s something that you feel is blatantly missing, please feel free to add it to the comments below.

This question comes up a lot, so it’s worth documenting:

Question: How do I rename a VPN connection in Windows 7? There’s no option to rename it in the Network and Sharing Center or on the taskbar.

It’s true that there’s no way to rename a VPN connection on the Network and Sharing center main screen:

…and if you click the icon in the System Tray and then try to right-click the VPN connection, there’s no rename option under properties either:

But the rename VPN option is nearby, tucked away under “Changer Adapter Settings” on the Network and Sharing Center:

Here you will see the familiar wired and wireless NICs and VPN connections listed. Just right-click the VPN connection here and then click Rename.

It’s just one of those easily overlooked or forgotten things.

Disclaimer: Matt isn’t really a poo-poo-head, he actually rocks.

Just because a port is open in RRAS or ISA (circa SBS 2003) doesn’t mean that it isn’t being blocked elsewhere, like at the ISP or because port forwarding isn’t setup properly in your firewall. Sometimes you need an outside view of the external ports on your internet connection.

DISCLAIMER – Only open the ports you absolutely MUST have. Example, if you’re not running the POP3 connector or FTP, don’t open those ports! If you’re not sure about a port, check the Port/IP Lookup on Sans.org or ask someone who knows!

To check all of the commonly used SBS ports at once:

1. Go to www.grc.com/default.htm
2. Scroll down & click ShieldsUP!
3. Click Proceed
4. In the center box on that page, paste this string:
   21, 25, 80, 110, 123, 143, 220, 443, 444, 500, 987, 1701, 1723, 3389, 4125, 4500
5. Click User Specified Custom Port Probe

This scan will come back with a list of ports you entered and show the status.

Below is a handy chart that I stole from Susan and Windows IT Pro and updated a couple of times over the years.

Common Ports for Small Business Server (SBS)

**Note: The ports listed above in bold are required by SBS 2008, per Microsoft TechNet article “Managing Windows Small Business Server 2008 Remote Web Workplace”, including port 3389, but see article below.

***Question: Should I open port 3389 for remote administration or remote desktop connections?
Answer from Microsoft: “You no longer need to open port 3389. Windows Small Business Server 2008 uses Terminal Services Gateway to redirect traffic from port 443 to a selected desktop or server for RDP connections. You would need to use RWW or configure the Terminal Services client to use TS Gateway.”
Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sbs/cc817589.aspx

There’s also a post on the Official SBS Blog that talks about an IPSec issue back in 2008 that affected ports 1645-1646, 1701, 1812-1813, 2883 & 4500.

I’ll try to keep this form updated as time goes on and will keep a permanent copy at http://www.nogeekleftbehind.com/sbs-ports/.

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 enables IT administrators to manage roles & features that are installed on computers that are running Windows Server 2008, 2008  R2, or 2003, from a remote computer that is running Windows 7.

Title: Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7
Date Published: 08/11/2009
Download size:
- x64 version 222.1 MB
- x84 version 215.1 MB
File type: MSU
System Requirements: Windows 7 (Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise),
Windows Server 2003, 2008 or 2008 R2 
Download URL: Click here

Overview:

Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 enables IT administrators to manage roles and features that are installed on remote computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 (and, for some roles and features, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003) from a remote computer that is running Windows 7. It includes support for remote management of computers that are running either the Server Core or full installation options of Windows Server 2008 R2, and for some roles and features, Windows Server 2008. Some roles and features on Windows Server 2003 can be managed remotely by using Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7, although the Server Core installation option is not available with the Windows Server 2003 operating system.

This feature is comparable in functionality to the Windows Server 2003 Administrative Tools Pack and Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Source: Scott Hanselman (@shanselman on Twitter)