Heads up Dell Display & Peripheral Manager 2.1.1.12 breaking dual-monitor setups

If you’re running Dell Display and Peripheral Manager (DDPM) 2.1.1.12, watch out. We’ve confirmed across multiple sites that it causes both external monitors to drop out every \~15 mins (integrated laptop screen unaffected).

# Impacted setups:

Dual Dell P2723DE in daisy-chain
Laptops:
Dell Latitude 5320 / 5330 / 5350
HP models (confirmed)
Lenovo models (confirmed)

# Symptoms:

Monitors black out briefly, then recover.
Only started after upgrading to DDPM 2.1.1.12.
Rolling back / uninstalling fixes it immediately.

# Notes:

Logged with Dell, but support is not acknowledging yet.
Looks like a regression in DDPM, not hardware.


👉 Workaround for now = uninstall DDPM or roll back.

https://redd.it/1no5she
@r_systemadmin

Do you have any browser Zero Trust solution? need advice

600 employees, not very tech like company.. wondering if we should go for zero trust policy or should we find some other solutions in the middle. I would love to hear from those who have either fully embraced zero trust or found alternative approaches that actually work. including products to stay away from…

https://redd.it/1noa52n
@r_systemadmin

Google indexed my website under a different domain (boot-phone.com) — why does this happen?

Hi everyone,

I’m facing a strange issue and I’d really appreciate your advice.

My actual website is (running in a Docker container with Apache, behind an Nginx reverse proxy + Let’s Encrypt).

But recently I discovered that some random domains like `boot-phone.com` and `mail.kulturplaner.org` were showing my website content — even though I never configured these domains.

When I checked Google Search Console, I found that Google did not index my real domain . Instead, it indexed the duplicate domain (boot-phone.com) as the canonical version of my content.

I have since fixed my Nginx config:

Added strict `server_name`
Added a default_server block that forces 301 redirects for all other domains → my Domain

Now my questions are:

1. Why would someone point their domain to my server IP?
2. What benefit do they get from this? (SEO spam, phishing, something else?)
3. Could this have damaged my SEO since Google indexed the wrong domain instead of mine?
4. Now that I’ve forced 301 redirects, am I safe?
5. Is there a way to monitor if new domains start pointing to my IP in the future?

Thanks a lot for your help!

https://redd.it/1nob3xq
@r_systemadmin

Hey, I made an article about LVM

Hello folks,


I'm a junior Network Engineer and I have a few things running at home : about 25 vms & 25 containers, some storage & network equipements. I've recently started a blog of my own, documenting things, trying things and playing with my homelab.

I just posted my first article about LVM and migrating to it / using it and I would like to know what I could do better. Please be kind and keep in mind that this is my first one, thanks.

https://blog.interlope.xyz


If this is not allowed by the TOS (advertising is not allowed but i'm not here to sell anything, there's no ads or whatsoever, simply IT), please remove it.


Thanks for reading me

https://redd.it/1noc1x0
@r_systemadmin

Is it just me or a "sys admin" now needs to be licensed in literally everything in existence and beyond nowadays JUST to be employed with an inhumane workload?

I can't even get a job that doesn't require 5 different certifications with 10 years of experience. What the fuck is this? I was an intern for 2 weeks once and they asked me to do literally everything related to the IT department, including programming. I had to speedrun python while managing the entire server alone. I didn't get a position, obviously. Couldn't keep it.

Honestly I'm a labyrinth right now, continuing studies and trying to get more licenses like the Oracle Databases one which is apparently important for most jobs I've seeked.

https://redd.it/1nocs17
@r_systemadmin

Why is Unifi gear not suitable for enterprise?

Hi everyone,
I’m new here and still learning, hoping to break into the sysadmin field soon. Up to now, I’ve mostly been the “friends & family IT person,” but I really enjoy this work and want to understand the industry better.
I’ve noticed in many threads that UniFi gear often gets a bad rap for enterprise use. People seem fine with using their access points, but rarely recommend their gateways or switches for serious deployments.
Could someone help me understand why? On paper, UniFi advertises a full “enterprise” lineup with high-availability options and centralized management, so I’m curious why it’s often dismissed in professional environments. Are there reliability issues, missing features, or something else that makes admins stay away?
I’m not trying to start a vendor war - just looking to learn from real-world experience. Thanks!

https://redd.it/1nodkip
@r_systemadmin

Trying to pick a SASE vendor, what’s your experience?

Hey everyone,



We're currently evaluating different Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) providers and are finding the marketing materials a bit... generic.  Has anyone here had practical experience with a few of the major players?  I'm curious about the actual day to day usability, especially concerning things like integration complexities, management console intuitiveness, and the overall performance in a real world environment.



Specifically, what are some of the hidden costs or unexpected challenges you've encountered?  Were there any features advertised that didn't quite live up to expectations?  Any insights you could share on different vendor strengths and weaknesses would be invaluable.



https://redd.it/1nogvjr
@r_systemadmin

Laptops won't take image from server

I hope this is the right group and I'll try to keep this short. The company I work for recently bought new laptops to replace the old ones. We use PXE Boot to pull an image from our server using Windows Deployment Toolkit. The old ones worked fine, running Win 10, the new ones, running Win 11, connect to the server but always end in the same error: "A connection to the deployment share (local\server) could not be made. The following networking device did not have a driver installed. PCI\VEN8086&DEV550A&SUBSYS0CB91028&REV20". I don't believe the OS has anything to do with it but I felt it was important to mention it.

I may be wrong but I suspect a driver issue (probably obvious). The only thing is I cant find any driver other than the exe or msi files and those don't work.

The laptops are Dell Latitude 5550. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

https://redd.it/1nogm7x
@r_systemadmin

US Government: "The reboot button is a vulnerability because when you are rebooting you wont be able to access the system" (Brainrot, DoD edition)

The company I work for is going through an ATO, and the 'government security experts' are telling us we need to get rid of the reboot button on our login screens. This has resulted in us holding down the power or even pulling out the power cable when a desktop locks up.

I feel like im living in the episode of NICS where we track their IP with a gui made from visual basic.

STIG in question: Who the fuck writes these things?
https://stigviewer.com/stigs/red\_hat\_enterprise\_linux\_9/2023-09-13/finding/V-258029

EDIT - To clarify these are *Workstations* running redhat, not servers. If you read the stig you will see this does not apply when redhat does not have gnome enabled (which our deployed servers do not)

https://redd.it/1nomec1
@r_systemadmin

Drivers, drivers, drivers

Can someone explain to me why so many people are against pushing out firmware updates to enterprise equipment?

I’ve spent the last month updating PC / Laptop drivers that were years behind. Magically, our ticket volume has dropped by 19%.

Updated our network gear and magically everything is fine now.

What am I missing?


https://redd.it/1noq94o
@r_systemadmin

Someone just learned how to use ChatGPT

We have a massive addition being done to the service shop at one of our locations. Construction has been underway for months and is (hopefully) going to be done by the end of the year. I've been in the majority of meetings with the contractor to make sure IT needs are covered.


Cut to today. I get the following email from a random service manager at that location:

>Good afternoon, nlbush20.

> 

>I just wanted to touch base and see if there were already some plans/approvals for WAPs in the new building. I want to make sure that the heatmaps for the WAPs provide enough coverage to include factors such as interference from infrastructure yet at the same time not oversaturate, as this could create its own problems. Also, wanted to make sure that they will mesh in with the current WAPs in the existing structure, so we do not lose a connection going from one side of the wall to the other. With us relying heavily on remote troubleshooting connection session I need to make sure that we have adequate throughput speeds and that our firewall and network switch can accommodate the additional porting.

> 

>Your thoughts when you have time. Please and thank you! Much appreciated!


Gonna go out on a limb and say someone just showed him what ChatGPT is, and he believes that he has just crafted an extremely intelligent question/statement.


Thanks, buddy. We've got it covered.

https://redd.it/1not4s2
@r_systemadmin

Password policy for 2025?

Out of the blue I get sent a password policy for review. We have already had a password policy in place for many years. Don't understand why someone thinks we need a new one.

The "new" policy is like walking backwards 10 years. There is no mention of biometrics, SSO and very brief mention of MFA.

What are others using for password policies these days, does anyone have a template to share?

https://redd.it/1norwci
@r_systemadmin

Hired into company with near-zero IT infrastructure, tasked with bringing them up to speed

Edit: Wow! Didn't expect the support I've received so far! Thank you all!! Happy to be "joining" this community and can't wait to pay it forward.

Hi! Up front - I know I am probably in over my head, but hoping to focus less on that and more on what I CAN do! Try not to roast me too hard haha.

That said, I am a BIM Manager by trade that was hired into a 30-40 person AEC company to fulfill both that role and some/all of their IT requirements. They currently don't have an IT staff besides me now, but they do have some BIM folks, so my focus is more on the IT side at the moment. I do have fairly extensive experience using KACE for endpoint management, handling software deployments, GPOs, noscripting, and I'm pretty well versed in hardware, networking, etc., since these are all things I had to do in my past role. I interfaced with our IT team frequently and like to think I speak the language.

However, I'm moving on from that and into a company with no endpoint management and where every computer has the same password (*dies*) for ease of access haha. Quite different. Their networking was handled by an outside consultant, so it's fairly robust, and they have what I would consider the essentials in place in that regard (hardware firewalls, VPN, etc.). Hardware-wise we're doing OK. The most tech savvy person here has been in charge of getting folks computers and such by running to Microcenter. No other setup is done really. He has been doing a great job of maintaining an Excel log of everything as well, but definitely not the best format for this sort of thing and certainly not "live".

I feel like my first step towards being able to get us compliant with some basic cybersecurity requirements, as well as being able to effectively distribute software, fixes, noscripts, policies, etc., is to get us on Microsoft 365 Business Premium and rolling out Microsoft Intune. It seems like Intune is pretty well regarded and will help me check a ton of boxes in terms of bringing us up to speed, and it integrates well with the Microsoft 365 suite we already have. But I know that I don't know what I don't know.

Any other essentials I should be working towards immediately for a company starting from zero? Anything Intune doesn't handle well that would be better done by something else? Eventually I will be tasked with moving us towards CMMC Level 2 (NIST 800-171) compliance, but I know I need to walk before I can run and that is a wayyyyys off.

Thanks for all of your help!

https://redd.it/1norpd1
@r_systemadmin

Why is r/ITCareerQuestions so much gloom and doom all the time?

You always see people posting negative shit like applied to 2000 jobs and no interviews. I see lots of good posts about people getting their first help desk job with no experience. We need optimism and hope. Every sub for nursing, lawyers, mechanics, etc has that kind of negativity and I hate it.

https://redd.it/1noxik1
@r_systemadmin

Have been at the same company for 17 years. Would you stay at this point?

Been at the same company for 17 years. Would you stay at this point?

I’ve been at the same company for 17 years here in Ohio. I’m 40 years old, started there when I was 23. Salary is $120k, $7k bonus, work remote 4 days a week, plus other good benefits. Have managed to save $600k in a 401k from this job. I’m a senior systems administrator. Hours average 40 hours a week or less, overall great work life balance.

Would you stay at this company for the rest of your career? I feel happy and content but also a bit complacent after this many years. By complacent I mean I know my job very well which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some friends and family keep telling me to look elsewhere to keep moving up but why rock the boat I figure. I would like to be done by 55.

Thank you

https://redd.it/1noytee
@r_systemadmin

Being proactive is rarely a boon

Proactively helping other departments and taking action on glaring issues without someone first bringing it up often ends in misery and someone upset.

Sorry folks, that's the way it is, and despite learning this lesson over and over I still tend to have to learn it again.

This is the last time though.

It's not worth the headache. Stay in your lane, unless it's really going to make you look good.

https://redd.it/1noy5t2
@r_systemadmin

8.8.8.8

What is everyone's thoughts on putting 8.8.8.8 as the second DNS on everything.

https://redd.it/1np2z6v
@r_systemadmin

The Admin Aura Effect

I was reminded of this phenomenon the other day when I saw it mentioned in an r/askreddit thread, and it struck me that it really needs a proper name.

You know how sometimes a computer or system is misbehaving, but the moment a technically capable person shows up, it suddenly starts working again? It’s not quite the observer effect or a Heisenbug — those don’t capture that it only seems to happen when someone competent is nearby.

So I’m calling it The Admin Aura Effect.

If you have it, your mere presence makes the broken system behave.

If you don’t, you’re the one stuck saying: “I swear it wasn’t working a second ago!”


I thought it deserved its own name because it’s such a shared experience in IT circles, but also funny enough that I think most people have seen it happen in some form.

What do you think?

https://redd.it/1np51hq
@r_systemadmin

Microsoft enforcing MFA 1st Oct. - best practices to avoid service account mishaps?

Hi everyone,

new Sysadmin here in need of support, apologies for the probably somewhat simple question

Been part of this fairly small business with a 2 people IT-Team for about half a year, during which i've implemented regular (legacy) MFA for all actual users using physical authenticators or business phones, where available.

At the start of next week, MS will force MFA before performing any resource management actions in Azure.

ATM we have hybrid identity with on-prem AD + Entra.

We have a few "user accounts" that are abused as service account for communication (CRM system, Monitoring, few others - created in the on-prem AD)

We have the option to delay the enforcement by 3,6 or 9 months, which we will very likely make use of, but i would still like to use this opportunity to learn.

What are the practices to apply? How do i find out which accounts would be affected? How would i migrate these accounts to service principals or similar?


Many thanks.



https://redd.it/1npa58e
@r_systemadmin

We integrate with Slack/Teams/PagerDuty/etc. Why is ServiceNow $50k + red tape?

We build an open-source monitoring tool. Users asked for a simple integration: when an alert fires, open an incident in **ServiceNow**. Easy, right? We’ve done this dance with Slack, Teams, PagerDuty, Opsgenie, Splunk, you name it, usually a webhook, API token, done.

ServiceNow, however, is a… special snowflake.

* No obvious self-serve dev path or trial we could find.
* Filled the “contact us” form multiple times → silence for months.
* Found humans → got bounced to sales (again).
* Finally reached someone → **minimum paid account is \~$50k** just to get in the door.
* Suggestion: go through a partner “Build” program to maybe get an instance… eventually.

We don’t make a cent from this. This is to help **their** customers use **their** tool better with our alerts. We’re not asking them for money or a co-sell. We just want an environment we can use to build and test a basic incident creation flow.

So, questions for folks who actually run ServiceNow or use/ship on it:

1. Is there a legit **self-serve route** we missed to build/test an integration without paying $50k or spending months in partner purgatory?
2. Are there any **workarounds** that you are using today, that we're just missing?
3. If you’ve shipped a third-party integration, **how did you get access** to a dev instance for testing?

Not trying to dunk on anyone, just stating what happened and looking for a practical way forward for our shared users.

*(Mods: not selling or recruiting. Dev experience + asking for actionable guidance.)*

https://redd.it/1np7n43
@r_systemadmin

Anyone else worried these attacks are slipping past the usual SOC stack?

First it was the M&S breach, then Co-op, and now Jaguar Land Rover grinding to a halt after hackers got in. Every time the story comes out, it feels like the same playbook: 3rd party software with a missed patch, outsourced IT, and attackers bragging online before the company even admits the scope.

What worries me isn’t just the money lost or factories stopping. It’s that these groups keep recycling methods across industries, and we only find out once they’ve already hit multiple companies.

how are you dealing with this in your own orgs? Are you doing more active monitoring outside your own perimeter, or still mainly focusing on internal hardening?

I feel like waiting for official disclosures means you’re already too late. Curious what practical steps others are taking to spot threats earlier.



https://redd.it/1npbyr3
@r_systemadmin