I have been researching ways to reset a domain admin password for a client who forgot what they typed in when they set the password.

Most password crackers work only on local accounts, not for anything on a domain.  It seems like the way to go about this is to reset the local admin account, then login using Directory Service Recovery Mode to reset the domain admin account.

Here are some of the articles I have been reading:

http://www.jms1.net/nt-unlock.shtml  <– this idiot won’t let you view his pages if you are running IE, so use firebox, but again, that’s just stupid

http://www.nobodix.org/seb/win2003_adminpass.html

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

http://www.loginrecovery.com/about.html

http://www.petri.co.il/reset_domain_admin_password_in_windows_server_2003_ad.htm

To do this you

1. Need a TFTP server running (solarwinds)
2. Need to telnet into the device
3. Need to be in enable mode

First to make the backup:

write net 192.168.1.2:MyBackup.pixconfig

where the IP is the IP of your TFTPserver

Then to restore it later, you need to enter config terminal mode first and then restore the file:

config term
configure net 192.168.1.2:MyBackup.pixconfig

and there you have it…

The changes will take immediate effect, but you will still need to write them into the non volatile memory, or the changes will be lost when you reboot the device.

Here is a quick trick for resetting a pix password:

http://www.tech-recipes.com/cisco_firewall_tips639.html

You need console access to do so.

Problem getting PDM running:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Security/Firewalls/Q_21611023.html

Installing PDF on a Pix Firewall:
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/iaabu/pix/pix_61/pdm_ig/pdm_inst.htm

Upgrade/Update/Flash a Cisco Pix:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/20281/20281.html?Ad=1

Change Password on Pix:
http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/cisco-hn/dsl-pix.htm

Working with Cisco products is not an everyday event for me, but when I do work with them I want to make sure I backup the config files before I do anything.

To do this you can follow the instructions on this page:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/iosswrel/ps1835/products_tech_note09186a008020260d.shtml#tftp

You can also download a free TFTP server at this location:
http://www.solarwinds.net/Tools/Free_tools/TFTP_Server/

This weekend I helped a client of mine move their computer system to a new factility.  In the new location I racked up and configured an HP Procurve switch, and 2 Cisco APs.

All in all the move went well.  I had some problems getting into the Procurve at first.  I think the problem was a bad serial cable, but in the end I got it working right.

We didn’t quite have enough ports on Procurve, so I uplinked a couple of their old switches until I could procure some more modules for the HP.

The Cisco 1100 APs had great range.  I was able to blanket the entire facility with WIFI access.  Pretty nice!