• Microsoft Vista Home Networking Setup and Options
The most daunting part of upgrading to Windows Vista may be trying to figure out where in the layers of menus the networking and file-sharing options are hidden.
• Tips for Securing Your Home Router
Seemingly minor and easily overlooked settings can still have profound security implications. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your wired or wireless home router — and by extension, your network — is as secure as possible.
Most Popular Reviews
• Microsoft Windows Home Server
If you have a home network, you'll welcome the easy file sharing, remote access and the image-based backup features of Windows Home Server.
• Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive
Iomega's fourth generation StorCenter Network Hard Drive brings many of the features found in higher-end storage devices down to an attractive price.
• MikroTik's The Dude
This free tool delivers many of the same capabilities that you'd find in pricey network monitoring tools. As long as you don't mind tinkering, The Dude is a decent network utility that should be worth the download.
You'll be using the ping command to check that your computers can
communicate with each other..
NOTE!You will not be able to ping your ISP or any
Internet address from your Client computers until you install the MMR
software. This is because they are on separate subnets and
require the MMR software to route (or move) data between the subnets.
To use ping, go to the Windows Start button, choose Programs,
then MSDOS Prompt.
When you get the C: prompt, type ping 127.0.0.1
If everything is ok, you should get the following response (or something
similar):
Pinging 127.0.0.1 with 32 bytes of data
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=32
This means that TCP/IP is working on the MMR computer that you are typing
on. 127.0.0.1 is a special address that "loops back"
to the machine you are pinging from. You can also type ping
localhost and receive a similar response, since localhost and
127.0.0.1 mean the same thing.
If the above pinged ok, next type ping [yourISPIP] where [yourISPIP]
is the IP address assigned to you by your ISP. You should get the
proper "Reply from..." response.
If you don't know your assigned IP address, use the winipcfg
command to find out. An example winipcfg screen is shown
below (you'll have to click on the "More Info" button
on the opening Control Panel to get this view). Your IP address
is next to IP Address in the Ethernet Adapter Information
section.
NOTE:
If you use a Dialup Modem or other method that is not always connected,
be sure to bring up the connection to your ISP first before attempting
to find your IP address. Note that dialup modem users will find
the IP address under the PPP adapter properties.
If all of that is ok, you can ping your Network adapters.
They will have IP addresses of 192.168.1.1, and 192.168.2.1.
If you are setting up the MMR for three network types, you'll also need
to ping the third network adapter at 192.168.3.1.
Assuming all the MMR computer pings are fine, you should now go to your
Client computers and try to ping the corresponding Network adapter on
the MMR computer. You'll be able to ping only 192.168.1.1,
192.168.2.1, or 192.168.3.1, from each computer,depending
on which network your Client is on.
If all the pings check out, your local network is running ok with TCP/IP.
Good job!
NOTE!
You will not be able to ping your ISP or any
Internet address from your Client computers until you install the MMR
software. This is because they are on separate subnets and
require the MMR software to route (or move) data between the subnets.
