A Tip A Day ~ {ERG}

[LoneRanger]

A Tip A Day ~ {ERG}

05 June 2008:

Find Missing Computers in My Network Places

I'm trying to open a file on another PC on my network, but it doesn't show up in My Network Places . This is driving me crazy!

This is a really common problem, and one that is not always easily solved. First, a remote computer may not appear in My Network Places if it doesn't have any files or printers shared.

Shared folders on remote PCs can show up in two places in the My Network Places folder: shortcuts to previously accessed folders sometimes appear right in the My Network Places folder itself, but for a complete list, navigate to \ Entire Network\ Microsoft Windows Network , open your network (e.g., MSHOME ), and then open any PC to show its shared folders and printers.

Also, you may or may not see a PC that is in another workgroup in the Microsoft Windows Network folder in My Network Places . If you don't see the other workgroup, and you have control over the other PC, change its workgroup name to match the rest of the PCs on your network.

Open the System control panel (or right-click My Computer and select Properties), and then choose the Computer Name tab. The name of your PC, as well as the workgroup to which it belongs, is shown here (see Figure); click the Change button to rename the PC or join a different workgroup. All the PCs on your network should belong to the same workgroup, but no two PCs should share the same computer name.

If the workgroup matches but the PC still doesn't show up, one trick that often works is to type the name of the PC directly into Windows Explorer's address bar. (If you don't see the address bar, select View Toolbars --> Address Bar.) Erase the text in the address bar, and type two backslashes followed by the missing PC's name, like this: \\misterx
where misterx is the name of the remote PC. Press Enter, and with luck and about 510 seconds of patience Windows should list the shared folders on the remote computer.

If you still can't see the PC, make sure the network is functioning on both the remote computer and the local PC (the one you're sitting in front of). If they're both connected to a router that provides a shared Internet connection, for instance, open a web browser on each PC to test the connection. If you can load a web site, the network is working.
Often, you can force stubborn computers to show up by setting a static IP address for each PC on your network. Then use the ping command to test connectivity. Select Start --> Run, type cmd , and click OK to open a Command Prompt window, and then type:

ping 192.168.1.107

In this example, 192.168.1.107 is the IP address of the remote PC; replace this with the appropriate address. If you get a reply like the following from the remote machine, it means your computer can see and successfully communicate with that machine on your network:
Reply from 192.168.1.107: bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=64
If, on the other hand, you see a timeout message like this, the connection is broken:

Request timed out.

File sharing will not work as long as ping returns this error, so your best bet is to check your hardware and IP address settings instead of toiling with the My Network Places folder.

If the network checks out but you still can't see the remote PC, try restarting both computers and resetting your router (refer to your router's instructions for the reset procedure).

If all else fails, it's likely a problem with the hardware. Try replacing the cables if you have a wired network

[LoneRanger]

06 June 2008:

Protect Shared Files

I want to share a bunch of files with other PCs on my network, but I'm
worried that doing so will allow anyone to see them. How do I protect my data?


Any computer connected to your PC over a network including the several billion machines on the Internet may be able to access the files in your shared folders. Thus, the best way to protect your data is to not share it in the first place. If you need to share files, exclude folders that contain particularly sensitive data.

The first thing you need to do is set a password for your user account. Open the User Accounts control panel, select your account from the list, and then click "Create a password." Type your password twice, followed by a clue to act as a reminder down the road (you may well need it),
and then click the Create Password button when you're done. Thereafter, anyone wanting to access your files from another computer on your network will have to supply the password (with some exceptions for Windows XP Professional).

Now, unless you employ some sort of firewall anyone outside your local network namely, everyone on the Internet can access your data (and yes, no matter how uninteresting you may think the contents of your PC are, this can happen to you). Windows XP comes with the "Windows Firewall," a feeble software-based solution, but nothing beats a hardware firewall placed between you and the rest of the world. If you don't have one already, get yourself a router for this purpose.

What About Encryption?

Windows XP Professional also has some built-in data encryption features, but encryption offers no more protection than restrictive permissions when using shared folders. Rather, encryption is designed to protect your data from those who use your PC directly, either by sitting in front of it
or by remote control using Terminal Services (a.k.a. Remote Desktop).

Warning: If you're using a wireless network, anyone within range may be able to join your network and access your files.

For any more protection, you'll need to use permissions , which are special settings that control precisely who can do what to your files. Permissions are available only in Windows XP Professional (and Media Center Edition); if you're using Windows XP Home, your ability to protect your data effectively stops here.

On an XP Pro system, every file, folder, and drive has two sets of permissions you can set: permissions for local users (other people sitting at your PC), and permissions for anyone accessing your files through a shared folder. To set the permissions for a shared folder, right-click the folder, select Properties, choose the Sharing tab, and then click the Permissions button. The Share Permissions window, shown in Figure, shows a list of configured users in the top list, and the specific things the selected user is allowed to do down below.

First, make sure your own username appears in the upper list; if it doesn't, or if it merely shows "Everyone" (like the one in Figure), click the Add button. Type your usernameor the username of the person you want to be able to access your stuff in the "Enter the object names to select" field, and then click the Check Names button. If Windows underlines what you've typed, the username is okay; otherwise, you'll get a "Name not Found" message. Click OK when you're done adding names.

Next, highlight your username in the "Group or user names" list, and place checkmarks in the boxes in the Allow column below as you see fit. Want others to be able to read the files in this folder but not change any of them? Put a checkmark in the Read box, but not in the Full Control
or Change boxes.

Note: In most cases, you won't have to bother with the checkboxes in the Deny column unless you start messing with "groups" of users. Permission to carry out a given action is implicitly denied as long as there's no checkmark in the corresponding Allow box .

If you want to deny any user access to your files particularly the self-explanatory "Everyone"highlight the username, and click the Remove button. Now, any user who is not expressly listed here (or included in any groups listed here) will not have access to your shared files.

When you're done, click OK. The changes take effect immediately and apply to the selected folder share, as well as to all subfolders and files contained therein.

Note: By adding someone else's username to the Permissions window, you can protect your data without handing over your username and password. If your PC is part of an NT domain (typical in a corporate environment), you can add users from your domain or even another domain by clicking the Locations button to change the scope of the user validation. But on a home network, you'll need to create a new user account on your PC (using the User Accounts control panel) before you can type it into the Permissions window .

[LoneRanger]

07 June 2008:



Share an Entire Drive

I looked at the Sharing tab for my C : drive, and the "Share this folder"
option is selected, meaning the drive is currently being shared. However, I don't see it in My Network Places . What's going on?

In Windows XP Professional (and Media Center Edition), all drives are shared automatically. For instance, the Sharing tab for drive C: on your PC probably looks like the one shown in Figure. (None of this applies to Windows XP Home.)

Microsoft calls this an administrative share , and it's enabled by default so that tools such as the Computer Management utility (accessed by going to Start --> Run and typing compmgmt.msc ) running on a remote computer can operate on your PC. The dollar sign at the end of the share name (e.g., C$ ) identifies it as a hidden share, which means it won't ever show up in My Network Places . All it takes to view a hidden share is to type the share name into Windows Explorer's address bar, like this:

\\mycomp\c$

In this example, mycomp is the name of your computer. Provided there aren't any password or permission restrictions, anyone can access the files in this shared folder as readily as any non-hidden share.

Warning: Yes, administrative shares indeed constitute a potential security risk, as they allow access to any files on your hard disk, whether they're in folders you've specifically shared or not.

Now, you can use these administrative shares to access your drives remotely, as explained earlier, but if you want to share your drive so that it shows up in My Network Places , just click the New Share button at the bottom of the window. In the New Share dialog box, type a share name (e.g., C ), set any permissions, and click OK.

Note: Concerned about security? Instead of sharing the entire drive, just share the individual folders you need to access across your network .

[LoneRanger]

08 June 2008:



List All Your Shared Folders

I know a folder is being shared when I see that little hand icon on top of the yellow folder icon. But all it takes is one forgotten share to leave my private files open to prying eyes. Can I get a comprehensive, reliable list of everything being shared on my PC?

You can simply open the My Network Places folder in Windows Explorer and navigate through Entire Network to find your PC and a list of all its shared resources, but this listing doesn't necessarily show everything that's being shared. Specifically, any hidden shares are, well, hidden.

To view all your network shares including the hidden ones select Start --> Run, type compmgmt.msc , and click OK to open the Computer Management tool. In the System Tools branch on the left, click the [+] icon next to Shared Folders to expand it, and then highlight the Shares folder, as shown in Figure.

Any share with a dollar sign at the end of its name (e.g., C$ ) is hidden. While hidden shares don't show up in My Network Places , you can access them just as readily as non-hidden shares.

From here, you can right-click any share and select Stop Sharing to turn it off, making this window a very convenient place to quickly tighten up security on your system. If you add or remove any shares in Windows Explorer, press the F5 key or click the Refresh button on the toolbar to update the list.

Although you can stop sharing any hidden share (such as C$ ) in this window, Windows will recreate all administrative shares the next time you start your computer, in effect sharing every file on your PC whether you want it to or not. To stop this from happening, see "Tomorrows Tip"

[LoneRanger]

09 June 2008:



Turn Off Administrative Shares

Windows insists on sharing my entire hard disk, despite the fact that I've only elected to share specific folders. What are administrative shares, and why can't I turn them off?

Hmm… it's almost as though Microsoft cares more about corporate strategy than the personal security of their customers. Funny, that.
If you're using Windows XP Professional (or Media Center Edition), your entire hard disk is indeed being shared on your network whether you like it or not.

If you open Windows Explorer, right-click drive C :, and select Sharing and Security, you'll see that the drive is already shared as C$ . This is called an administrative share , and although the $ suffix makes it hidden in My Network Places , users on your network can still browse the
share thereby gaining access to all the files on your drive by typing the following path into Windows Explorer's address bar:

\\mycomp\c$

where mycomp is the name of your PC. Combine this with the fact that user accounts don't have passwords by default, and you'll see how insecure Windows XP can be.

Administrative shares allow network administrators to install software, run Disk Defragmenter, or perform other maintenance on your PC remotely. But unless you're in a corporate environment, you have nothing to gain by leaving this back door open… and everything to lose.

To patch this hole, open the Registry Editor (go to Start --> Run and type regedit ), and navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\lanmanserver\parameters . In the right pane, double-click the AutoShareServer value, type 0 in the "Value data" field, and click OK. Then double-click the AutoShareWks value, type 0 in the "Value data" field, and click OK. Close the Registry Editor when you're done.

Next, go to Start --> Run, type compmgmt.msc , and click OK to open the Computer Management tool. In the System Tools branch on the left, click the [+] icon next to Shared Folders to expand it, and then highlight the Shares folder. To manually remove the administrative shares, right-click each one (e.g., C$, D$, E$ ) and select Stop Sharing. Go ahead and remove any hidden share (anything with a dollar sign in the name), with the following three exceptions:

IPC$ , which stands for Inter-Process Communication, is used for remote administration of your computer, something very few people need outside of a corporate environment. Although it has been proven that the IPC$ share can be exploited, the only way to disable it permanently is to turn off file sharing altogether. You can stop sharing IPC$ temporarily, but Windows will recreate the share the next time you restart.

print$ is used to exchange printer driver files when you share a printer. You should leave this share intact.

wwwroot$ will be present if Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS) software is installed. Leave this share intact if you want to use your computer as a web server or a web software development platform.

When you're done, restart your computer, and then reopen the Computer Management tool to check your work.

[LoneRanger]

10 June 2008:



Speed Up Network Browsing

It seems to take forever to browse the folders on the other PCs on my network. How can I speed things up?

The Scheduled Tasks folder, which appears in My Network Places along with your shared folders and printers, is responsible for much of the slowdown. Since the shared Scheduled Tasks folder takes so long to load, and has very little value to most Windows users, you can just
turn off the share to speed things up.

Open the Registry Editor (select Start --> Run and type regedit ), and navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSp
. Inside the NameSpace key, you may see one or several subkeys, each responsible for a special shared folder.

To see what any one of these subkeys does, select it and look at the (Default ) value in the right pane. To stop sharing Scheduled Tasks , just delete the {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} key.

While you're here, you can further improve performance by turning off the Printers and Faxes share. If you don't plan on sharing any printers, delete the {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} key.

Close the Registry Editor when you're done. The change should take effect immediately.

Note: If, for some reason, you want to re-enable the Scheduled Tasks share, just recreate the subkey. Select Edit --> New --> Key and type {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF } for its name .

[LoneRanger]

11 June 2008:

Connect to a Windows 9X/Me

I have an old Windows 98 system I need to network with my Windows XP
machine, but I can't seem to get the two PCs to communicate.

Getting XP to happily communicate with Windows 9x machines over a network can be a bit of a chore. Fortunately, there are two tactics that usually solve the problem.

First, assign a static IP address to each PC on your network, regardless of the Windows version being used.

Second, Windows 95 and Windows 98 (and occasionally Windows Me) install a driver called NetBEUI by default. NetBEUI is not compatible with Windows NTbased systems (such as Windows XP and 2000), and it can cause problems if installed on any system on your network. To remove
NetBEUI from a Windows 95/98/Me system, open the Network control panel and choose the Configuration tab. If you see NetBEUI in the list, highlight it, and click the Remove button.

Remove all instances of NetBEUI from this window, and then click OK when you're done. You'll probably have to restart your PC.

[LoneRanger]

12 June 2008:

Find Missing Remote Printers

I need to print to a printer that's physically connected to another PC on my network, but when I browse for the printer in the Add Printer Wizard, it never shows up. I also tried typing the printer's network address into the wizard without any luck, and the printer manufacturer is absolutely no help.

The traditional way to use a printer installed and shared on another PC is to open the Printers and Faxes control panel and then click Add Printer. On the "Local or Network Printer" page, choose "A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer," and on the next page, choose "Browse for a printer." Unfortunately, a variety of problems can cause the printer to be absent from this screen.

First, make sure the PC to which the printer is connected is turned on, the network is working for all PCs involved, and the printer is indeed shared. On the remote PC (the one with the printer), open the Printers and Faxes control panel. Right-click the printer you'd like to share, select
Properties, and then choose the Sharing tab. Select the "Share this printer" option, and then click OK.

If the printer is shared, and you're sure its driver supports network sharing, there's a quick workaround that usually works (although it won't solve the underlying problem, whatever that might be). Open Windows Explorer on a PC not directly connected to the printer, and click the My
Network Places folder. Open Entire Network , then Microsoft Windows Network , then your workgroup (e.g., MSHOME ), and then the PC to which the printer is attached. Inside, you'll find a Printers and Faxes folder, and inside that, you'll see all the printers shared on that PC. Right-click the printer you want to use, and select Connect.

If all goes well, the printer will show up in the Printers and Faxes dialog in 10 - 20 seconds, and you should be able to print to it immediately thereafter.

Note: Note that some printers can't be shared (this problem may come up if the manufacturer sells a more expensive "network-ready" printer that they'd rather have you buy). Review your printer's documentation and check the manufacturer's web site for driver updates if you can't get sharing to work. Typically, printers suffering from this limitation do show up in the "Browse for a printer" list but display an error when you try to install the drivers or print remotely .

[LoneRanger]

13 Jun 2008:



PC Slows When Accessed over the Network

My PC slows to a crawl when someone reads a shared file on my hard disk over the network. I need to keep those shared folders active, but the performance slowdown interferes with my work. What can I do?

Although heavy network traffic can bog down a PC, it may indeed be nothing more than a hardware problem. Specifically, your network adapter may conflict with another hardware device in your system.

If you're using a desktop PC, shut down Windows, unplug the power cable, and crack open the case. Locate your network adapter the card into which you plug your network cable remove the screw, pull out the card, and pop it into a different slot. Reassemble and turn on your PC and see if the problem goes away.

If, on the other hand, your NIC is integrated on the motherboard, it probably shares an IRQ with one of the PCI slots, and thus the PCI card in that slot may be causing the problem. Remove all nonessential PCI cards from your system, and start up Windows. If the problem persists, you may have to shuffle the remaining, essential PCI cards until you resolve the problem. If, on the other hand, the problem vanishes after you remove the PCI cards, shut down your PC and reinsert the cards one by one, reassembling and restarting your system after each insertion, until you find the culprit. If the culprit is a troublesome PCI slot, cover it with a piece of masking tape to remind yourself to keep it unoccupied.
If you're still stuck, you may need to update your network drivers or even replace your network hardware.

[LoneRanger]

14 June 2008:



Log in Automatically

I added a password to my Windows user account to protect my shared data, but now I have to type it every time I turn on my PC. Isn't there a way to skip this step?

It may seem ironic to create a password for your PC and then immediately override it with an automatic logon, but it's a perfect solution for a single-user PC on a home network. Your user account needs a password if you want to share files with other PCs on your network, particularly if you want to protect your data from intruders. But
unless those intruders routinely walk by your computer, you can forgo having to type that password every time you start Windows.

To do this, go to Start --> Run, type control userpasswords2 , and then click OK to open the alternate User Accounts window shown in Figure. (The standard User Accounts window in the Control Panel isn't sufficient for this task.)

Remove the checkmark next to the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" option, and click OK. In the Automatically Log On dialog box, type your username, enter your password twice, and click OK. The next time Windows starts, you'll skip the Welcome screen and go straight to your desktop.

[LoneRanger]

15 June 2008:



Use the Administrator Account

When I installed Windows, I had to choose an Administrator password and then create a separate user account for myself. Can I delete the superfluous account and simply use the Administrator account as my primary login?

You can, but only in Windows XP Professional and Media Center Edition. (Note: in MCE, the Administrator account is named "Media Center" by default.) In Windows XP Home, the Administrator account is restricted and can be used only when you start your PC in Safe Mode.

To log in as the Administrator, go to Start --> Log Off, and click the Log Off button. Once you see the Welcome screen, press Ctrl-Alt-Del twice to show the old-fashioned "Log On to Windows" dialog box. Type Administrator for the username, enter the Administrator password below, and click OK.

Once you've logged on as the Administrator, you can delete the superfluous user account from the User Accounts control panel. Of course, you'll lose all the settings from that account, so it may not be worth it if you've been using the account for some time.

To show the Administrator account on the Welcome screen, open the Registry Editor (go to Start --> Run and type regedit ), navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Cu rrentVersion\
Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList , select Edit --> New --> DWORD Value, and type Administrator for the name of the new value. Double-click the new Administrator value in the right pane and type 1 in the "Value data" field. When you're done, close the Registry Editor and
restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Note: Don't know the Administrator password? Provided you're logged in as a user with administrator privileges (not the same as the Administrator account), you can choose a new password for the Administrator account in the alternate User Accounts window (go to Start --> Run and type control userpasswords2 ). Just highlight any user in the list other than Administrator, and then click the Reset Password button .

[LoneRanger]

16 June 2008:



Get Your PC Online

I just signed up for a broadband Internet connection in my home. Everything seems to be plugged in correctly, but I can't get to any web sites.

Modern broadband connections are pretty simple, until they stop working. Most of the time, the solution involves nothing more than unplugging your cable or DSL modem (and router, if you have one), leaving the devices unplugged for at least two full minutes, and then plugging them back in. If that doesn't work, you'll have to do a little digging.

Note: If you don't yet have a router, consider getting one as part of the solution to this problem.

Examine your DSL or cable modem's port lights, which will tell you whether or not a particular service is working. One should be lit (green, usually) when your PC is connected, and another should be lit when your broadband is connected. These lights typically flash to indicate that data is being transferred. If they're off, or perhaps red or orange, something is wrong with your modem or your connection, and no amount of wrangling in Windows will fix it. To see if your modem is to blame, reset it (see your modem's documentation for details) and try again; replace your modem if it won't respond even after a reset. If your modem checks out, your connection might be down; give your ISP an hour or two to bring your service back up, and contact them if it takes any longer.

Troubleshoot Your Dialer

Whether you use a router, XP's own Point-to-Point over Ethernet (PPPoE) dialer, or your ISP's dialing software to connect, the way your dialer behaves when you try to connect should tell you what's wrong. If it tells you that your login is incorrect, either your username or your password is
wrong. The most common mistake involves the username, which often resembles an email address (e.g., username@myisp.net ) instead of just a bare name. Check your documentation for details, or call your ISP to have them reset your password.

If you have to wait a long time before the dialer gives you any error at all, your IP settings may be incorrect. If, on the other hand, you get an error right away, it's probably a configuration problem with your dialer software, such as the wrong network adapter selected.

If your dialer indicates that there was no response from the server (or something similar), it usually means your service is down. Check your cables, and contact your ISP for status.

Does your broadband connection require special dialer software? Otherwise, you likely have an always-on connection, one that uses either a dynamic (randomly assigned) IP address or a static (always the same) IP address. In this case, refer to the paperwork that came with your broadband connection, and change Windows's TCP/IP settings accordingly.

Specifically, choose the "Obtain an IP address automatically" option if you're using a dynamic address, or the "Use the following IP address" option for a static address.

[LoneRanger]

17 June 2008:



Get Rid of Third-Party Dialers

My ISP gave me this CD when I signed up for Internet service. Not knowing any better, I installed it, and now my PC is littered with ads and junk software. Do I need any of this stuff?

In most cases, the software that comes with broadband service is unnecessary, providing little more than branded web software and links to your ISP's various marketing partners. The exception is the "dialer" program required by certain types of broadband connections, which is used to send your username and password to your ISP in order to connect to the Internet. Such software is typically flaky and the cause of all sorts of Internet connection problems. Fortunately, you can usually dump your ISP's proprietary software in favor of either Windows XP's built-in dialer or the auto-connect capabilities of a router.

Note: There are a few exceptions. If you're using a USB modem, such as the SpeedTouch 330, it may require special drivers in order to work. If you have one of these, you may be better off replacing it with a combination modem and wireless router, such as the SpeedTouch 580, than trying to get it to work with anything other than the software that comes with it. Another exception is a wholly proprietary Internet connection provider such as AOL, which isn't compatible with anything other than the provided connection software .

First, remove the superfluous software provided by your ISP: in the Add or Remove Programs control panel, highlight your ISP's software, and click the Remove button. If your ISP installed more than one software package, you may have to uninstall several entries from this list.

The best alternative to a software-based dialer is a wireless router, which will dial your connection automatically, keep you online all the time, protect your PC with its built-in firewall, and even provide wireless access to boot.

Although routers are hard to beat, you can use Windows's built-in PPPoE dialer to connect to the Internet without any added hardware. Open the Network Connections control panel and click the "Set up a home or small office network" link on the left (or double-click the Network Connection
Wizard icon). Answer the questions as follows:

1. Click the Next button to skip the introductory page, choose the "Connect to the Internet" option, and then click Next again.

2. Choose the "Set up my connection manually" option, and click Next.

3. Choose the "Connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name and password" option, and click Next.

4. Type a name for this connection, and click Next. A good choice is the name of your ISP, or just "DSL" or "cable."

5. Enter your username and password (see Figure), choose the desired options underneath (if you're not sure, turn them all on), and click Next.

6. Click the Finish button to complete the wizard.

To initiate the connection, double-click the icon you just created in the Network Connections folder. If you elected to create a desktop shortcut in the wizard, you can also double-click the new desktop icon. By default, a Connect dialog will appear, at which point you can click the Connect
button to dial and connect your PC to the Internet.

Normally, you'll have to dial this connection before you can go online. To have Windows connect automatically, first right-click the connection icon and select "Set as Default Connection." Next, open the Internet Options control panel, choose the Connections tab, and select the "Always dial
my default connection" option.

To skip the Connect dialog, right-click the new connection and select Properties (or click the Properties button in the Connect dialog box). Choose the Options tab, and remove the checkmark next to the "Prompt for name and password, certificate, etc." option. This is particularly useful if you want Windows to connect automatically when you first start your computer; just drag the PPPoE connection icon from the Network Connections folder into your Startup folder in your Start menu.

[LoneRanger]

18 June 2008:



Share an Internet Connection

I have three PCs in my house, but only one Internet connection. How can I
access the Web from all three PCs at the same time?

There are several approaches, but the best solution is to use a router (preferably one with wireless support). Essentially, you take the cable that goes from your modem to your PC, unplug it from your PC, and plug it into the back of the router. Then you connect all your PCs to your router, either wirelessly or with cables, and then configure your router.

The router also protects the PCs on your network with its built-in firewall,
a must-have in an era of viruses, spyware, and bored teenage hackers.
The alternative to a router, useful only if you need a quick-and-dirty solution or can't use a router for some reason, is to use Windows XP's built-in Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) feature. The trick, basically, is to connect one PC (called the "host") simultaneously to the Net and to your local network. Then you set up your other PCs to piggyback, so to speak, on the host PC's Internet connection. Since the host PC needs two network cards, (one for the local network and one for connecting to the Internet), this approach likely won't save you any money or time, for
that matter over using an inexpensive router.

To set up ICS on the host PC, open the Network Connections control panel and select View --> Details. You should have at least two connections listed: one for your Internet connection and one for your workgroup. If not, your network is not ready.

Find your connection for the Internet. In most cases, this connection will be the network adapter connected to your DSL or cable modem. (For connections that require a username and password, use the PPPoE broadband connection you) Right-click the connection icon, select Properties, and choose the Advanced tab. Check the "Allow other
network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection" box, and click OK. Back in the Network Connections folder, it should now say "Enabled, Shared" in the Type column.

The next step is to configure each of the other computers on your network to use the shared connection. On each of the other "client" PCs, open the Network Connections control panel, right-click the connection icon corresponding to the network adapter plugged into your workgroup, and select Properties. Choose the General tab, highlight the "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" entry in the list, and click the Properties button. In most cases, you'll want to select the "Obtain an IP address automatically" option. If, however, you need static IP addresses, choose the "Use the following IP address" option, and fill out the fields. For the "Default gateway," type the IP address of the PC hosting the shared Internet connection.

That's it! Test your connection on each PC by loading a web page. Of course, for this to work, the host computer must be turned on and connected to the Internet a requirement that makes the router a much better choice for the long haul.

[LoneRanger]

19 June 2008:



Measure Your Internet Connection Speed

I'm not sure I'm getting the best speed from my Internet connection, but the Connection Status window in Windows XP doesn't give me any useful information. And while I'm at it, are the ads I've seen for "faster" Internet connections mostly hype, or is there something I can do to improve my connection speed without spending any extra cash?

Throughput is the practical measurement of bandwidth: the quantity of data you can transmit over a connection in a given period of time. The simplest way to measure your throughput is to visit one of the many bandwidth-measuring web sites, such as Broadbandreports.com (http://www.dslreports.com/stest/ ) or Bandwidth Place (http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/ ).

For the most accurate results, make sure you close all superfluous programs before running the test. In addition to calculating your bandwidth and reporting the results, these services typically ask for your Zip Code and connection type to compile statistics on typical connection speeds in your area. The results should look something like Figure.

Now, according to the results in Figure, the download speed is a respectable 1267 kbps (kilobits per second), which means, in practical terms, that it should take about 6.5 seconds to download a 1-MB file under ideal conditions.

However, ideal conditions are rare; real-life transfers are often much slower, due to overburdened servers and busy networks. Since your connection speed (or lack thereof) is most noticeable during file downloads (compared with web surfing or emailing), you can overcome some of these conditions by using a download manager.

So what do you do if your connection seems too slow? First, close all open windows, and turn off all background programs (such as the ones that show up in the System Tray in the lower-right corner of the screen, near the clock). Do the same for any other PCs using your Internet
connection. Next, examine the lights on your router or broadband modem; if they're flashing, it means that some program is still running on your PC, possibly consuming bandwidth. This is a possible sign that a virus, worm, Trojan horse, or some sort of spyware has made its way onto your PC.

Overcome a Bandwidth Limit in SP2

There's a little-known change in Service Pack 2 that limits the number of concurrent open TCP/IP connection attempts to 10. This may adversely affect programs that use multiple TCP/IP connections, such as some download managers, port scanners, and P2P software (and, by design,
viruses).

To see if this is happening on your system, open the Event Viewer (select Start --> Run and type eventvwr.msc ), and highlight the System entry in the left pane. In the right pane, click the Event column header to sort the list by event code, scroll through the list, and look for 4226 errors. If
you see any 4226 events, you can fix the problem by downloading a patch for your tcpip.sys file (sorry, no Registry change here) by going to http://www.lvllord.de/?url=tools#4226patch .

Note that only advanced users should attempt this.

Note: For real-time monitoring of your connection's throughput, try a desktop bandwidth monitor. The slickest tools are widgets, fancy plug-ins for the free Kapsules script engine (http://www.kwidgets.com ) For instance, Bandwidth Watcher, Simple Bandwidth Monitor, Mr. Network, and KapMule, all available at http://www.kwidgets.com/forge.aspx , provide pretty graphical displays and up- to-the-second measurements of the amount of data being transferred via your Internet connection .

Of course, it's also possible that you're hitting the upper limit of your broadband connection. But whether or not an upgrade from your ISP is worth the money depends on the bandwidth you're getting now and the amount of cash your ISP is demanding for the faster service. If your
connection measures more than one megabit per second (1024 kbps), it's unlikely you'll notice a huge difference in real-world speed with a faster connection. On the other hand, more expensive connections sometimes offer substantially higher upload speeds, which may be worth the added cost if you spend a lot of time sending files to web servers, or even if you want to host a web site on your PC.

Note: If you're using a router, visit the manufacturer's web site for a possible firm-ware update that might fix some performance problems and may even add new features to your router .