question about MSUpdate sites?

I'm the systems admin for our company. I've been asked to restrict internet
access to quite a few Pc's. Consiquently those Pc's can't get the updates
they need. Is it possible to find out where the MS update servers are? I've
added the URL's for MSUpdates but it seems they still get blocked. I can
monitor our firewall when a machine goes out for updates and they seem to
hit servers not belonging to MS. I'm sure they (MS) have backup servers
located elsewhere but where? Just when I think I've got them all covered and
working one of the Pc's tries hitting a server I'm not letting through. Also
does anyone have a utility that will find and report the IP's of web site
URL's correctly and completely? Brad

Why don't you use WSUS? Sounds like it would be less work...

>>> Brad<> 12/14/2006 8:57:58 AM >>>
I'm the systems admin for our company. I've been asked to restrict internet
access to quite a few Pc's. Consiquently those Pc's can't get the updates
they need. Is it possible to find out where the MS update servers are? I've
added the URL's for MSUpdates but it seems they still get blocked. I can
monitor our firewall when a machine goes out for updates and they seem to
hit servers not belonging to MS. I'm sure they (MS) have backup servers
located elsewhere but where? Just when I think I've got them all covered
and
working one of the Pc's tries hitting a server I'm not letting through.
Also
does anyone have a utility that will find and report the IP's of web site
URL's correctly and completely? Brad

Chances are you can get Enterprise access to the Microsoft "updates" and
"fixes", so you can download and your users can install them from your
server.
BUT: You should definitely BEWARE of the most recent updates and fixes on
the MS update site. My system was semi-crippled when I installed all the
"priority" updates and rebooted, my system was crippled. I could not use
Norton Antivirus, and my preferred browser, Opera would not work, and a fresh
install attempt failed.
When I used GoBack to resume the state my PC was in PRIOR to those accursed
crippling "updates" all worked fine.
But if you insist on using those Microsoft "fixes" then you should probably
set up the Enterprise agreement, so you can download and users can install
them from the local server.


"Brad" wrote:

> I'm the systems admin for our company. I've been asked to restrict internet
> access to quite a few Pc's. Consiquently those Pc's can't get the updates
> they need. Is it possible to find out where the MS update servers are? I've
> added the URL's for MSUpdates but it seems they still get blocked. I can
> monitor our firewall when a machine goes out for updates and they seem to
> hit servers not belonging to MS. I'm sure they (MS) have backup servers
> located elsewhere but where? Just when I think I've got them all covered and
> working one of the Pc's tries hitting a server I'm not letting through. Also
> does anyone have a utility that will find and report the IP's of web site
> URL's correctly and completely? Brad
>
>
>

How did you restrict access?

"Brad" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> I'm the systems admin for our company. I've been asked to restrict
> internet
> access to quite a few Pc's. Consiquently those Pc's can't get the updates
> they need. Is it possible to find out where the MS update servers are?
> I've
> added the URL's for MSUpdates but it seems they still get blocked. I can
> monitor our firewall when a machine goes out for updates and they seem to
> hit servers not belonging to MS. I'm sure they (MS) have backup servers
> located elsewhere but where? Just when I think I've got them all covered
> and
> working one of the Pc's tries hitting a server I'm not letting through.
> Also
> does anyone have a utility that will find and report the IP's of web site
> URL's correctly and completely? Brad
>
>

I've heard about WSUS and thought about it but not sure how it works. These
are all stand alone Pc's, they don't get registered or logged to a server.
We (some) connect to a server through emulation software, now web based, but
we don't authenticate or log onto a MS server. I also don't have a server
(or access to one) if that is needed to run WSUS.
As far as restricting access I have full access to our fire wall and the
Pc's with restricted internet access is based on IP address. I have static
IP's and have firewall services based on groups of IP's (alias') that can
get through the firewall to specific web sites (IP's).

"NewScience" <> wrote in message
news:uUtwo8$...
> How did you restrict access?
>
> "Brad" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
> > I'm the systems admin for our company. I've been asked to restrict
> > internet
> > access to quite a few Pc's. Consiquently those Pc's can't get the
updates
> > they need. Is it possible to find out where the MS update servers are?
> > I've
> > added the URL's for MSUpdates but it seems they still get blocked. I can
> > monitor our firewall when a machine goes out for updates and they seem
to
> > hit servers not belonging to MS. I'm sure they (MS) have backup servers
> > located elsewhere but where? Just when I think I've got them all covered
> > and
> > working one of the Pc's tries hitting a server I'm not letting through.
> > Also
> > does anyone have a utility that will find and report the IP's of web
site
> > URL's correctly and completely? Brad
> >
> >
>
>

WSUS requires only that a machine be connected to an IP network and it
sounds like they are if they can get to the internet. They don't need
internet access or even have to log in to a network to participate.

You would control all updates and users wouldn't have to deal with it any
more. I would ask your $$ folks about it. You could even run it on a VM
and use Windows 2003 Web edition depending on how many clients you have.
You could justify it with the time saved by not dealing with individual
machines and updates.

>>> Brad<> 12/15/2006 11:18 AM >>>
I've heard about WSUS and thought about it but not sure how it works. These
are all stand alone Pc's, they don't get registered or logged to a server.
We (some) connect to a server through emulation software, now web based,
but
we don't authenticate or log onto a MS server. I also don't have a server
(or access to one) if that is needed to run WSUS.
As far as restricting access I have full access to our fire wall and the
Pc's with restricted internet access is based on IP address. I have static
IP's and have firewall services based on groups of IP's (alias') that can
get through the firewall to specific web sites (IP's).

"NewScience" <> wrote in message
news:uUtwo8$...
> How did you restrict access?
>
> "Brad" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
> > I'm the systems admin for our company. I've been asked to restrict
> > internet
> > access to quite a few Pc's. Consiquently those Pc's can't get the
updates
> > they need. Is it possible to find out where the MS update servers are?
> > I've
> > added the URL's for MSUpdates but it seems they still get blocked. I
can
> > monitor our firewall when a machine goes out for updates and they seem
to
> > hit servers not belonging to MS. I'm sure they (MS) have backup servers
> > located elsewhere but where? Just when I think I've got them all
covered
> > and
> > working one of the Pc's tries hitting a server I'm not letting through.
> > Also
> > does anyone have a utility that will find and report the IP's of web
site
> > URL's correctly and completely? Brad
> >
> >
>
>

Thanks for the insight. I went to MS web site and did some research on SUS
and WSUS. It would be nice to have both for this and other applications I
use. Like you said I have to get it past the $$ folks as it is I don't get a
budget to operate with. All things considered if that gets nixed does anyone
have a suggestion for getting the IP's of the update servers so that I can
let them in or give access to them?

"Tom Steger" <> wrote in message
news:OzWFl$...
> WSUS requires only that a machine be connected to an IP network and it
> sounds like they are if they can get to the internet. They don't need
> internet access or even have to log in to a network to participate.
>
> You would control all updates and users wouldn't have to deal with it any
> more. I would ask your $$ folks about it. You could even run it on a VM
> and use Windows 2003 Web edition depending on how many clients you have.
> You could justify it with the time saved by not dealing with individual
> machines and updates.
>
> >>> Brad<> 12/15/2006 11:18 AM >>>
> I've heard about WSUS and thought about it but not sure how it works.
These
> are all stand alone Pc's, they don't get registered or logged to a server.
> We (some) connect to a server through emulation software, now web based,
> but
> we don't authenticate or log onto a MS server. I also don't have a server
> (or access to one) if that is needed to run WSUS.
> As far as restricting access I have full access to our fire wall and the
> Pc's with restricted internet access is based on IP address. I have static
> IP's and have firewall services based on groups of IP's (alias') that can
> get through the firewall to specific web sites (IP's).
>
> "NewScience" <> wrote in message
> news:uUtwo8$...
> > How did you restrict access?
> >
> > "Brad" <> wrote in message
> > news:%...
> > > I'm the systems admin for our company. I've been asked to restrict
> > > internet
> > > access to quite a few Pc's. Consiquently those Pc's can't get the
> updates
> > > they need. Is it possible to find out where the MS update servers are?
> > > I've
> > > added the URL's for MSUpdates but it seems they still get blocked. I
> can
> > > monitor our firewall when a machine goes out for updates and they seem
> to
> > > hit servers not belonging to MS. I'm sure they (MS) have backup
servers
> > > located elsewhere but where? Just when I think I've got them all
> covered
> > > and
> > > working one of the Pc's tries hitting a server I'm not letting
through.
> > > Also
> > > does anyone have a utility that will find and report the IP's of web
> site
> > > URL's correctly and completely? Brad
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>