Can Windows Server 2008 block websites in a GPO or otherwise?

This topic seems to be a question that many are asking on the internet, but not getting the answers that they want. Before we dive into this, I would consider using a third party filtering service for blocking web sites. One of the purposes of Group Policy is to make life easier for Network Administrators. By taking on the responsibility of choosing what are appropriate websites, you are opening up yourself for a lot of work. By using a filtering service, you are paying someone else to do the grunt work. Also, many will filter your email. Should you lose your email server, these services will cache your email and deliver it once your server is back online.

The following article tells you how to use group policy to control website access. This is not necessarily for server 2008, but it gives you guidance.

http://www.chrisse.se/MAQB.asp?ID=17

Others are utilizing ISA server. I have even found some that are using a HOST file that points websites that they want to block to 0.0.0.0. This technique will require the replacement of the HOSTS files on all your clients and a way to update them. Again, think about using a third party for your web filtering.

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How to list all the AD LDS instances on a server

AD LDS allows you to provide directory services to applications that are free of the confines of Active Directory. To list all the AD LDS instances on a server, follow this procedure: Log into the server in question Open a command prompt. Type dsdbutil and press Enter Type List Instances and press Enter . You will receive a list of the instance name, both the LDAP and SSL port numbers, the location of the database, and its status.

How to run GPResult on a remote client with PowerShell

In the past, to run the GPResult command, you would need to either physically visit this client, have the user do it, or use and RDP connection. In all cases, this will disrupt the user. First, you need PowerShell remoting enabled on the target machine. You can do this via Group Policy . Open PowerShell and type this command. Invoke-Command –ScriptBlock {GPResult /r} –ComputerName <ComputerName> Replace <ComputerName> with the name of the target. Remember, the target needs to be online and accessible to you.

Where did a User’s Account Get Locked Out?

Updated: May 15, 2015 When this article was originally published, two extra carriage returns were add causing the code to malfunction. The code below is correct. My client for this week’s PowerShell class had a really interesting question. They needed to know where an account is being locked out at. OK, interesting. Apparently users hop around clients and forget to log off, leading to eventual lock out of their accounts. The accounts can be unlocked, but are then relocked after Active Directory replication. This problem is solved in two parts. The first one is to modify the event auditing on the network. The second part is resolved with PowerShell. The first part involves creating a group policy that will encompass your Domain Controllers. In this GPO, make these changes. Expand Computer Configuration \ Policies \ Windows Settings \ Security Settings \ Advanced Audit Policy Configuration \ Audit Policies \ Account Management Double click User Account Management C...

Jason Yoder, MCT

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