The PC Informant » Networks

Routers being attacked by botnet

Vic Laurie — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:14:14 +0000

Many of you probably have a router. Did you ever change the default password or are you still using “admin” or whatever came with the router? These default passwords are well known to everybody and not changing them is an open invitation to hackers. PC World looks at a recent exploit from what is called the Chuck Norris botnet, which is attacking routers:

Security experts say that various types of botnets have infected millions of computers worldwide to date, but Chuck Norris is unusual in that it infects DSL modems and routers rather than PCs.

It installs itself on routers and modems by guessing default administrative passwords and taking advantage of the fact that many devices are configured to allow remote access. It also exploits a known vulnerability in D-Link Systems devices, Vykopal said in an e-mail interview.

Give your router a strong password.

Monitor your bandwidth usage

Vic Laurie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:59:53 +0000

Caps of some sort on bandwidth usage are becoming more prevalent. Video eats up huge chunks of bandwidth and the Internet service providers are looking for ways to meter how much you use. If you would like to keep track of your bandwidth consumption, there are several free programs for that purpose. In addition to checking how much bandwidth you use overall, it can also be a good idea to see if some individual program is consuming unusual amounts. It’s one way to look out for Trojan horse infections. One free program with a number of features is NetWorx.

Via Cybernet.

Quick tricks to repair a wireless connection

Vic Laurie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:42:10 +0000

While we are on the subject of wireless networking (previous post), let me remind you of the trick that often repairs a wireless Internet connection that is slow or inoperative. Sometimes all it takes is to reboot the modem and/or router. Turn the power off for 10 seconds and then turn it back on.

Also, sometimes rebooting your computer will work. And don’t forget that Windows has a repair function for network connections. Often a problem is due to trouble getting an IP assignment from your router. If you have the network icon in your tray (AKA notification area), right-click it and choose “Repair” as shown in the figure below for Windows XP.

The procedure in Vista is very similar except that the menu reads “Diagnose and Repair”.

Secure your home wireless network

Vic Laurie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:09:29 +0000

A lot of us have home networks or at least are using wireless to connect to the Internet. Unfortunately, we are not always careful about making the network secure. I have posted about setting up a wireless network before and here is another article worth reading. It’s at Digital Inspiration and is described:

This article describes how you can secure your Wireless Network from hackers and you’ll also learn about free tools that people generally use to intercept your Wi-Fi signals.

Via TechSupport Alert

Guide to setting up a network

Vic Laurie — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:00:09 +0000

Not too sure what goes into connecting your computers to the Web and to each other? Baffled by wireless terms like WEP and WPA? MakeUseOf has a guide for you. Download the PDF guide and learn. Here’s a description:

Networking is still a delicate subject for many people. Today, everyone needs to know how to set up a local or home network, share printers, share internet connection and protect their privacy online using services like VPN or encrypting your network traffic.

You’re not alone. Most of the people I know that don’t work in technology-related positions don’t know what even the simplest of acronyms mean or how to set up a wireless network at home. This guide aims to provide you with all the basics you need to deal with networking related tasks.

Monitor your Internet usage

Vic Laurie — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:30:56 +0000

Did you ever wonder how much Internet bandwidth you were using? A lot of ISPs seem to be muttering about installing bandwidth caps and those videos and TV programs you watch can use a lot of bandwidth in a hurry. MakeUseOf recommends the free program Networx to see your statistics. The site gives detailed instructions on using the program. In addition to usage statistics, the program can let you check your connection speed and access some of the standard TCP/IP tools like “Ping” and “Trace route”.

Finding wi-fi hot spots when traveling

Vic Laurie — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:13:15 +0000

I’m about to travel again and I am always interested in finding a wi-fi hot spot when on the road. Panera bread is a widespread sandwich and coffee shop that has free wi-fi. Starbucks and McDonald’s also have wi-fi but it isn’t free. There are many local spots like libraries with wi-fi and there are several Web sites that will help you locate one. Here are two of the bigger directories:

You can find others by searching Google. No list is guaranteed to be complete and most depend on submissions from viewers or from paid advertising.

If you know of a useful link for finding hot spots, let us know.

A faster broadband connection

Vic Laurie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:12:58 +0000

Many home PC users with broadband connections have not optimized their connection. There are a number of steps that might increase your connection speed and a good article on some of these is at NetworkWorld.

My own experience is that the one adjustment that many systems need is to change the RWIN setting. There is considerable discussion about RWIN and what it does at DSL Reports. DSL Reports also offers a number of tests to check your connection and tools for configuring the Windows parameters. I have found the free utility DrTCP to be handy for easily adjusting settings like RWIN.

Check the speed of your Internet connection

Vic Laurie — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:16:58 +0000

There are a number of sites that will check how fast your Internet connection is by downloading and uploading files but I like the one at Speedtest.net. They have a lot of available servers at different geographical locations.

Via Tweakhound.

Command line tip #11- Find local IP addresses with “ipconfig”

Vic Laurie — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:28:13 +0000

Command line tip #10 mentioned that your router or Internet gateway will have a local IP address. There will also be a local IP address for your computer. Entering “ipconfig” in the command line will display both addresses as well as something called the “subnet mask”. For home setups the subnet mask is almost always 255.255.255.0 and is not usually a parameter that needs attention. As mentioned in the tip on using “ping”, you may need to know the gateway IP so you can check if you are connected. Also, the local address for the computer can be useful if you have more than one computer on your network. You can “ping” another computer on the local network to see if your computer is communicating with the second computer.

The command “ipconfig” has a number of switches and functions. They are discussed at commandwindows.com/tcpiputil.htm.