Anyone Use a Mac for Windows Admin Stuff?

Eradan

[H]ard|Gawd
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Apr 7, 2006
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Starting a new job and they're offering to buy me something portable to use at client sites. I already own a Dell Latitude and really don't want another one and am looking at Macbooks. Just wondering if anyone uses a Mac for Windows admin stuff? I know there is an RDP client available for getting into Windows servers and workstations. A lot of printers, firewalls, etc. have web interfaces which are platform neutral. Not sure if Cisco has any admin software available for Mac.

Anyone? :p

Shit...forgot about Parallels. I think that might seal the deal unless there's some reason why I wouldn't want to use that for admin stuff.
 
I use Cord for RDP, and ChickenoftheVNC for VNC... parallels for when I need RSAT, Hyper-V Manager, Failover Cluster Manager etc
 
I use a 11 inch Macbook Air to administrate my home network.

Windows 7 VM + XenCenter / vSphere Client running in Virtualbox for when I need something local, and a small Windows 7 VM running on the backend that I can easily RDP into if needed.
Been a good number of years since I've used ChickenoftheVNC, but it's rock solid.

Plus, naturally... it's a full Unix OS / Bash under the hood. When in doubt, fire up terminal and life is good.

Haven't tried it in a work environment.... at least, they don't let me play with the important stuff. (yet)
 
Yes. I typically use VMWare Fusion and MS's RDP. I haven't run into an unusable web interface in Safari, yet. Brocade shit doesn't count, since it wouldn't work with any other browser; SSH/telnet is straightforward and built right into Terminal. The environment is 99.7% Windows and I have no issue. Within Fusion, I use Visual Studio and MS SQL, along with assorted programming tools for industrial control systems.

It's light-years ahead of the abomination of a work-provided laptop I leave on my desk (HP leftover from another department, lol).

Just say 'no' to Bootcamp.

Must remember to try ChickenoftheVNC, thanks!
 
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I bounce between OSX and Linux as an admin machine. Call me crazy I've ran windows servers for 10 years but get all wishy washy about liking it as a client. VM for the RSAT tools and you will be set. If it wasn't for RSAT you wouldn't even need a VM or an admin server.
 
Yes. I typically use VMWare Fusion and MS's RDP. I haven't run into an unusable web interface in Safari, yet. Brocade shit doesn't count, since it wouldn't work with any other browser; SSH/telnet is straightforward and built right into Terminal. The environment is 99.7% Windows and I have no issue. Within Fusion, I use Visual Studio and MS SQL, along with assorted programming tools for industrial control systems.

It's light-years ahead of the abomination of a work-provided laptop I leave on my desk (HP leftover from another department, lol).

Just say 'no' to Bootcamp.

Must remember to try ChickenoftheVNC, thanks!

+ 1 for fusion and rdp. another good RDP client is Royal TS.
 
I use VMware View, gives me a couple different desktops if I need them and then I can RDP into other things from there. Only need one client or a web browser and don't need to bother with a VPN.
 
I think I'm going to do this. I just need to figure out which Macbook will be optimal and also find some guides so I can work towards achieving a similar level of fluency that I have with the Windows stuff.
 
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I could if we had any, but they are all too old here, so I don't. My Lenovo x240 works good.
 
I have been using mac's for admin stuff for years, terminal for command-line and remotix for rdp to servers or to get to my mac.
 
I used to use a Macbook Pro for all my network administration. I am no longer at that company, but I was managing Windows Servers, Linux servers, switches, routers, etc. There were a few things I would have to fire up the a VM for in able to manage it, but most things I was able to do using ssh, RDP or VNC.
 
Finally got my 2015 Retina Macbook Pro today. It's killing me that I have to wait until I get home to fire it up but looking foward to testing out some of the tools recommended in this thread.:)
 
Use a Win 7 jump station and you should be good, for the last small things use vmware fusion.
 
I have one of the last 17' MBP to roll off the assembly line. I stick to the Nix side of it for 90% of what I do at work ( just like all these other people have said). I use bash to configure my routers and switches, I forget what VNC flavor I have, wrangle text is a decent Notepad++ Nix native, RDP, so I can get into the domain controllers, but I do have a Windows VM for the minor things I need to do Windows side. I just ripped the factory drive out and stuck an EVO 850 in and it makes this sucker boot fast.
 
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