Home Networking Annoyances

Book description

The beauty of a home network is that it can make life so easy--what could be better than sharing an Internet connection so that everyone can be online at the same time? With home networking you can move files from one computer to another, share resources, print to a single printer or multiple printers from any computer in the house, and IM the kids when they're holed up in their rooms. And the downside? Anyone who's ever had to troubleshoot a network glitch doesn't need to ask that question. The simple words, "Why can't I print? Why can't I get to the Internet? Why does my computer say 'Access Denied' today, when it worked fine yesterday?" are enough to send the home network administrator running for cover. And the concept of "network security" can keep the soundest sleeper tossing and turning all night.Currently, more than 8 million homes in the US have installed a network of some kind, and within five years, that number is expected to jump to 37 million. This speaks to the availability of easy-to-install home networking products. Unfortunately, there's also a glut of potential headaches that can occur after installation (and during, sometimes) with no warning label on the box saying, "This product sure to cause annoyances."But help is here. Home Networking Annoyances will ease the headaches and annoyances of anyone who runs a home network. This book tackles all the common annoyances associated with running your network--whether it's wired or wireless, or a combination thereof. Its friendly, off-the-cuff approach will put you in a position of power over those home networking glitches, including file sharing, printing, cabling, security, and much more. You'll find dozens of on-target tips, workarounds, and fixes that will help you improve your home networking experience in every way possible.Whether you're a mainstream business user or a home user with newly installed network hardware, you've probably had your patience tested by frustrating network maintenance issues. Take a stand against annoyances now: just as the bestselling PC Annoyances brought peace and happiness to PC users everywhere, Home Networking Annoyances is your ticket to serenity.

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Table of contents

  1. Introduction
    1. IS HOME NETWORKING ANNOYANCES RIGHT FOR YOU?
    2. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
    3. CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS BOOK
    4. O’REILLY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU
    5. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  2. 1. Hardware Annoyances
    1. NETWORK ADAPTER ANNOYANCES
      1. A NIC IS A NETWORK CARD IS AN ADAPTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. FINDING AN EMBEDDED ADAPTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. IT’S A PHONE, IT’S AN ADAPTER, IT’S...PHONELINE NETWORKING!
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. ENABLING USB PORTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. UNUSED EMBEDDED ADAPTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. ETHERNET HARDWARE ANNOYANCES
      1. CABLING BETWEEN ADJACENT ROOMS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. CABLING BETWEEN NONADJACENT ROOMS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. CABLING BETWEEN FLOORS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. SIGNAL INTERFERENCE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. CABLING OUTSIDE THE WALLS—INSIDE THE ROOM
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. MANAGING THE CABLE BETWEEN THE WALL AND THE COMPUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. WALL JACKS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. ADDING A HUB TO THE SYSTEM
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. DECIDING BETWEEN A HUB AND A SWITCH
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. MIXING COMMUNICATION SPEEDS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. MAKING YOUR OWN CABLE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. PATCH VERSUS CROSSOVER CABLE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. CABLE DISTANCE LIMITS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. PHONELINE HARDWARE ANNOYANCES
      1. SHARING A PHONE JACK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. SHARING A PHONELINE NETWORK ADAPTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. CHAINING COMPUTERS TOGETHER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. USING JACKS FROM DIFFERENT PHONE LINES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. TELEPHONE CABLE PROBLEMS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. CREATE A MINI PHONELINE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. PHONELINE PORTS ARE LABELED HPNA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    4. POWERLINE HARDWARE ANNOYANCES
      1. LOOK FOR THE HOMEPLUG LOGO
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. POWER STRIPS AND POWERLINE DEVICES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. POWERLINE NETWORKING FROM THE DECK OR VERANDA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. INSTALLATION SOFTWARE IS A MUST
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. WHAT’S THE SECURITY RISK FOR POWERLINE NETWORKS?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. SECURITY PASSWORDS MUST MATCH
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. CHANGE THE DEFAULT SECURITY PASSWORD
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. MIXING POWERLINE WITH OTHER NETWORK TOPOLOGIES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    5. WIRELESS HARDWARE ANNOYANCES
      1. YOUR ELECTRIC GARAGE DOOR ISN’T A PROBLEM
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. AVOIDING STUFF THAT BLOCKS WIRELESS TRANSMISSIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. WORKING WITH OMNIDIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. DO I NEED A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. SIGNAL DISTANCE PROBLEMS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. DON’T GET TOO CLOSE TO THE ROUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. DISTANCE, BUT NO SPEED
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. GIVE YOUR SIGNAL A BOOST
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. ROUTERS ARE ALSO ACCESS POINTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    6. TROUBLESHOOTING AND TECH-SUPPORT ANNOYANCES
      1. LIGHTS FLASH DURING COMMUNICATION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. INTERPRETING THE COLORS OF LIGHTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. USING A KNOWLEDGE BASE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. RETURNING BROKEN EQUIPMENT
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. RETURNING WORKING EQUIPMENT
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  3. 2. Software Annoyances
    1. CONFIGURING NETWORK ADAPTERS
      1. GETTING THE FACTS FROM YOUR ISP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. DO I NEED TO USE THE SOFTWARE FROM MY ISP?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. WHAT INFORMATION DO I NEED FROM MY ISP?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. WHAT’S A GATEWAY?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. CONFIGURING ROUTERS
      1. ENTERING INFORMATION FROM YOUR ISP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. GETTING TO THE ROUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. LOST ROUTER LOGIN NAME OR PASSWORD
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. WHY CHANGE THE LOGIN DATA FOR ROUTERS?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. WHAT’S DHCP AND WHERE CAN I GET SOME?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. MAC ADDRESS? I DON’T HAVE A MAC!
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. OH NO, MY COMPUTER IS USING APIPA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. SWITCHING LAPTOP IP ADDRESS SETTINGS BETWEEN WORK AND HOME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. CAN’T LOG ON TO DIFFERENT NETWORKS WITH ALTERNATE CONFIGURATION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. NETWORK SWITCHING PROGRAMS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. LAPTOP HAS MULTIPLE LOCAL NETWORK CONNECTIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. CONFIGURING AND MANAGING USERS
      1. ONLY ONE MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. ENABLE USER PROFILES IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. AUTOMATIC USER PROFILE FOLDERS CAN FOOL YOU
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. CREATE USERS THE RIGHT WAY IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. CHANGE USER PROFILE SETTINGS IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. MOVE THE MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. DOCUMENTS DON’T TRAVEL WITH THE MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. SEE A LIST OF USERNAMES WHEN YOU LOG ON TO WINDOWS 98SE/ME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. FAMILY LOGON ISN’T AVAILABLE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. CAN’T ADD NAMES TO THE FAMILY LOGON USER LIST
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. EARLIER VERSIONS OF WINDOWS ARE NOT SECURE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. CAN’T BYPASS THE USER LIST IN WINDOWS XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. ELIMINATING PASSWORDS ISN’T A GOOD IDEA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. ONLY COMPUTER ADMINISTRATORS CAN CREATE USERS IN WINDOWS 2000/XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. LOGON WINDOW DOESN’T INDICATE ACCOUNT TYPE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      16. PASSWORD DISKS ARE LIFE SAVERS!
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    4. CONFIGURING THE DESKTOP
      1. OTHER USERS CAN’T FIND SOFTWARE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. SOFTWARE NOT FOUND ERROR
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. DISPLAY RESOLUTION IS GLOBAL IN WINDOWS XP/2000
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. LIMITED USERS CANNOT CHANGE POWER SETTINGS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. COPY DESKTOP THEMES IN WINDOWS XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. COPY DESKTOP DESIGNS IN EARLIER VERSIONS OF WINDOWS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    5. INSTANT MESSENGER ANNOYANCES
      1. USE MESSENGER TO CHAT ACROSS THE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. SOME MESSENGER FEATURES ARE BLOCKED BY FIREWALLS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. CONFIGURE WINDOWS XP SP2 FIREWALL FOR UPNP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. CONFIGURE SOFTWARE FIREWALLS FOR UPNP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. CONFIGURE ROUTER FIREWALLS FOR UPNP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. STOP MESSENGER FROM OPENING AT STARTUP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. REMOVE WINDOWS MESSENGER FROM WINDOWS XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. USE BUILT-IN MESSAGING UTILITIES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
          1. Using net send
          2. Using WinPopup
      9. CAN’T FIND WINPOPUP.EXE?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    6. SOFTWARE SUPPORT ANNOYANCES
      1. GETTING SUPPORT FOR WINDOWS PROBLEMS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. USING THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. GETTING SUPPORT FROM THIRD-PARTY SOURCES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  4. 3. Network Access Annoyances
    1. FINDING COMPUTERS ON YOUR NETWORK
      1. WINDOWS HAS A WINDOW FOR YOUR NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. HUNT FOR MY NETWORK PLACES IN WINDOWS XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. CREATE A LINK FOR MY NETWORK PLACES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. CREATE A DESKTOP SHORTCUT FOR MY NETWORK PLACES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. ADD THE NETWORK WINDOW TO THE QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. USE WINDOWS EXPLORER TO FIND COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. TRICKS FOR QUICKER ACCESS TO REMOTE COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. TROUBLESHOOTING NETWORK CONNECTIVITY
      1. NEW COMPUTERS DON’T COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. TURNED OFF COMPUTERS STILL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. WORKGROUP NAME MUST BE IDENTICAL ON ALL COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. ERROR MESSAGE ISN’T SPECIFIC
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. INSTALL FILE AND PRINTER SHARING SERVICES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
          1. Install File and Printer Sharing in Windows 9X and Windows Me
          2. Install File and Printer Sharing in Windows 2000 and Windows XP
      6. NETBIOS OVER TCP/IP MUST BE ENABLED
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. OPEN NETWORK PROPERTIES QUICKLY
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. PING NETWORK COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. PING FAILURES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. PING AN IP ADDRESS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. FIND A COMPUTER’S IP ADDRESS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. MY NETWORK PLACES NEEDS HOUSEKEEPING
      1. CLEAN OUT THE CLUTTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. LOCAL FOLDERS SHOW UP IN MY NETWORK PLACES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. GET RID OF THE ALPHABET BREAKS IN MY NETWORK PLACES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. STOP SHORTCUTS FROM APPEARING IN MY NETWORK PLACES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
          1. Using a Group Policy
          2. Changing the registry
      5. SHARES YOU NEVER ACCESSED APPEAR IN MY NETWORK PLACES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. DISABLE THE SEARCH FOR NEW SHARED RESOURCES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. A NETWORK SHORTCUT STOPS WORKING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. CREATE YOUR OWN SHORTCUTS FOR MY NETWORK PLACES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
          1. Adding a Network Place in Windows XP
          2. Adding a Network Place in Windows 2000
      9. NETWORK SHORTCUTS FOR OLDER VERSIONS OF WINDOWS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    4. MAPPED DRIVES
      1. CREATE A MAPPED DRIVE QUICKLY
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. CHOOSE A DRIVE LETTER FOR A MAPPED DRIVE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. AUTOMATICALLY RECONNECT A MAPPED DRIVE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. WINDOWS 98SE AUTOMATIC RECONNECTION OPTIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. FAILED AUTOMATIC RECONNECTIONS IN WINDOWS XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. FAILED AUTOMATIC RECONNECTIONS IN WINDOWS 2000
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. FAILED AUTOMATIC RECONNECTIONS IN WINDOWS 98SE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. DISCONNECT MEANS DELETE THE MAPPED DRIVE LETTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. CAN’T MAP A NETWORK SHORTCUT
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. MAP SHARED PARENT FOLDERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. PREVENT THE SHARE FROM OPENING WHEN YOU MAP A DRIVE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. USE THE COMMAND LINE TO MAP A DRIVE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. MAP SUBFOLDERS OF SHARED FOLDERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. DETERMINE THE AVAILABLE DRIVE LETTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. LET THE COMPUTER PICK THE DRIVE LETTER FOR A MAPPED DRIVE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      16. PERMANENT VERSUS TEMPORARY MAPPED DRIVES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      17. MANIPULATE FILES BETWEEN LOCAL AND MAPPED DRIVES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      18. OTHER USERS DON’T HAVE THE MAPPED DRIVES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  5. 4. File-Sharing Annoyances
    1. ACCESSING FILES ON REMOTE COMPUTERS
      1. SHARE WINDOWS XP MY DOCUMENTS FOLDERS ON THE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. SHARE WINDOWS 98SE/ME MY DOCUMENTS FOLDERS ON THE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. MANIPULATING FILES ON THE NETWORK
      1. DRAG FILES BETWEEN COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. WINDOWS EXPLORER DISPLAY IS ANNOYING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. MOVING VERSUS COPYING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. USE THE SEND TO COMMAND TO COPY FILES AND FOLDERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
          1. Add Send To targets in Windows XP/2000
          2. Add Send To targets in Windows 98SE/Me
      5. MY SEND TO FOLDER IS MISSING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. THE WEIRDNESS OF THE RECYCLE BIN
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. USE REMOTE FILES IN SOFTWARE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. CAN’T SAVE FILES ON THE REMOTE COMPUTER?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. FILE CONTENTS CHANGE MYSTERIOUSLY
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. USE SOFTWARE THAT PERMITS SIMULTANEOUS USERS OF THE SAME FILE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. COLLABORATING ON FILES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. CREATE A FILE SERVER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. MAP LOCAL FOLDERS TO DRIVE LETTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. SAVING DATABASE DATAFILES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. DATABASE FILE LOCKING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      16. TEMPORARY FILE LOCKING OF DATABASE DATAFILES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      17. BACK UP DATABASE FILES TO REMOTE COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      18. USING SOFTWARE ON A REMOTE COMPUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS
      1. CONNECT YOUR NETWORK TO GAMING DEVICES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. MUSIC EVERYONE?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  6. 5. Network Printing Annoyances
    1. SHARED PRINTER ANNOYANCES
      1. WHAT’S IN A NAME?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. OLDER COMPUTERS MIGHT NOT FIND THE PRINTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. DISPLAY DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF PRINTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. INSTALL DRIVERS FOR OTHER VERSIONS OF WINDOWS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. ATTACH MULTIPLE PRINTERS TO A COMPUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. DECIDING ON THE RIGHT COMPUTER FOR A PRINT SERVER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. PASSWORD-PROTECTED PRINTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. INSTALLING REMOTE (NETWORK) PRINTERS
      1. USING THE ADD PRINTER WIZARD
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. INSTALL NETWORK PRINTERS FROM THE NETWORK WINDOW
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. QUICKER WAYS TO INSTALL A NETWORK PRINTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. INSTALL A PRINTER ATTACHED TO A MAC
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. MANAGING NETWORK PRINTING
      1. CHANGE THE ORDER OF PRINT JOBS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. PAUSING A PRINT JOB DOESN’T STOP THE PRINTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. TURNING OFF A PRINTER CAUSES A PAPER JAM
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. MANUALLY FED FORMS HOLD UP PRINTING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. LIMIT PRINTING CHOICES TO AVOID PRINTING ERRORS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. FIND THE MONOCHROME OPTION ON INKJET PRINTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. PRESERVE COLOR CARTRIDGES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    4. TROUBLESHOOTING NETWORK PRINTERS
      1. WINDOWS 9X CAN SHOW A PRINTER AS READY WHEN IT ISN’T
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. WINDOWS 9X PRINTER STATUS MESSAGES CAN CONFUSE YOU
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. WINDOWS XP PRINTER STATUS MESSAGE CAN DISAPPEAR
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. CHECK THE PRINT SERVER’S STATUS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. PRINT SERVER LOGON STATUS DOESN’T MATTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DEFAULT PRINTER?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. NOTEPAD CAN’T CHANGE PRINTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. MOVE PRINT JOBS TO ANOTHER PRINTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. TOO MANY USERS CONNECTED TO THE PRINT SERVER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. NEW CONNECTION NOT AVAILABLE WHEN ONE USER STOPS PRINTING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    5. USING PRINT FILES
      1. PRINT FILE PRINTS GARBAGE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. PRINT FILES THAT WORK EVERYWHERE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    6. NETWORK PRINTING AND MS-DOS
      1. PRINT TO A NETWORK PRINTER FROM MS-DOS SOFTWARE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. REDIRECT A NETWORK PRINTER WITH SPACES IN THE NAME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. FIND A REDIRECTED PRINTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. PERSISTENT CONNECTIONS ARE USER SETTINGS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. PRINT TEXT FROM THE COMMAND WINDOW
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. REDIRECTING HELP FILES TO THE PRINTER FAILS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. PRINT THE CONTENTS OF A DRIVE OR FOLDER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  7. 6. Shared Internet Connection Annoyances
    1. ISP RULES: CUTTING THROUGH THE CONFUSION
      1. LEARN WHETHER MULTIPLE ACCESS IS PERMITTED
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. MAILBOXES ARE SINGLE-USER ACCESS POINTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. ADDING MAILBOXES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. CHANGING YOUR ISP MEANS CHANGING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. DIAL-UP CONNECTION-SHARING ANNOYANCES
      1. DIAL-UP CONNECTION DOESN’T REMEMBER LOGIN INFORMATION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. DIAL-UP CONNECTION DOESN’T OPEN AUTOMATICALLY
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. WINDOWS XP FIREWALL AND DIAL-UP CONNECTIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. DIAL-UP CONNECTION FIREWALL PROTECTS THE ENTIRE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. PUT A DIAL-UP CONNECTION ICON ON THE TASK BAR
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. CLOSE THE CONNECTION FROM CLIENT COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. CONNECTION TERMINATES UNEXPECTEDLY
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. TERMINATE AN IDLE CONNECTION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. NETWORK TCP/IP SETTINGS CHANGED AFTER ENABLING ICS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. SHARED BROADBAND ANNOYANCES
      1. OUTGROWING YOUR ROUTER?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. WIRELESS ROUTER IN A WIRED NETWORK?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. CABLE MODEM SPEED VARIATIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. CABLE ACCESS UPLOAD AND DOWNLOAD SPEED DIFFERENCES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. UNCAP CABLE MODEM SPEED
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. BUY YOUR OWN CABLE MODEM AND SAVE MONEY
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. ENHANCE YOUR DSL SPEED
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. DSL UPLOAD AND DOWNLOAD SPEED DIFFERENCES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. DSL LINE FILTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. DSL AND HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. BUYING DSL SERVICE FROM THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. ROUTERS ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO MODEM TYPES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. ROUTERS AND FIREWALLS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. WIRELESS ACCESS TO A WIRED ROUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. CONNECT PHONELINE AND POWERLINE DEVICES TO A ROUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    4. BROADBAND TECHNICAL SUPPORT ANNOYANCES
      1. NO ROUTER SUPPORT FROM YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. RECYCLE THE MODEM
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. HOW CAN IT BE A CABLE PROBLEM IF THE TELEVISION WORKS?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. CABLE MODEMS THAT DIE TAKE FOREVER TO REPLACE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. TELEPHONE LINE PROBLEMS WITH DSL
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    5. EMAIL ANNOYANCES
      1. EMAIL SETTINGS REMAIN THE SAME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. USE OUTLOOK EXPRESS ON MORE THAN ONE COMPUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. USE EUDORA ON MORE THAN ONE COMPUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    6. AOL ANNOYANCES
      1. AOL DIAL-UP DOESN’T SUPPORT MULTIPLE LOGONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. AOL MIGHT NOT WORK WITH ICS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. AOL BROADBAND REQUIRES DOUBLE PAYMENTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. MIXING BROADBAND AND DIAL-UP AOL ACCOUNTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. DEFAULT ROUTER SETTINGS DON’T SUPPORT AOL LOGINS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  8. 7. Security Annoyances
    1. FIREWALL
      1. FIREWALL? WHERE’S THE FIRE?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. WINDOWS XP FIREWALL HALTS NETWORK TRAFFIC
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. WINDOWS XP SERVICE PACK 2 OFFERS IMPROVED FIREWALL
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. SHARED TELEPHONE MODEMS NEED FIREWALLS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. WINDOWS XP FIREWALL FOR BROADBAND-BASED ICS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. SAFEGUARDING OLDER COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. ROUTERS CAN PROTECT YOUR NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. STATEFUL INSPECTION CAN TELL WHO’S LYING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. SOFTWARE FIREWALLS GO BOTH WAYS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. STOP FIREWALL POP-UP NOTIFICATIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. DON’T BLOCK OUTGOING FIREWALL POP-UP NOTIFICATIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. APPROVED OUTGOING PROGRAMS ASK FOR PERMISSION AGAIN
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. CHECK THE PROGRAM BEFORE YOU GIVE PERMISSION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. WHICH COMPUTERS SHOULD HAVE A SOFTWARE FIREWALL?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. TEST THE FIREWALL
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. VIRUSES, WORMS, AND OTHER SLIMY CREATURES
      1. ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE SLOWS ME DOWN
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. YOU DON’T NEED EMAIL TO GET A VIRUS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. A VIRUS DISGUISED AS A DOCUMENT
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. VIRUS SCAN TAKES FOREVER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. SELECT MAPPED DRIVES FOR A VIRUS SCAN
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. SCAN TWO DRIVES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. SCAN THE ENTIRE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. WHAT’S HEURISTIC SCANNING?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. SCHEDULE SCANS FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. WHAT’S WITH THIS CONSTANT UPDATING?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM UPDATE REQUIRES A REBOOT
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. TURN OFF AUTOMATIC UPDATING
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. MY ISP SCANS FOR VIRUSES, WHY SHOULD I?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE WON’T INSTALL
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. DON’T GET FOOLED BY VIRUS HOAXES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. WIRELESS SECURITY ISSUES
      1. WIRELESS SECURITY LIMITATIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. WEP DISABLED BY DEFAULT
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. WPA SUPPORT IN WINDOWS XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. WIRELESS DEVICES DON’T SUPPORT WPA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. USING DEFAULT SETTINGS IS A BAD IDEA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. WIRELESS SECURITY SETUP ISN’T SECURE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. SECURITY FOR LAPTOP COMPUTERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    4. FILE AND FOLDER SECURITY
      1. USER-LEVEL CONTROLS IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. DEFAULT PERMISSION OPTIONS FOR SHARE-LEVEL CONTROLS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. LOCAL USERS DON’T NEED A PASSWORD TO ACCESS A PROTECTED FOLDER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      4. DEFAULT PERMISSION OPTIONS FOR SHARED FOLDERS IN WINDOWS XP
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. SHARE THE WINDOWS XP SHARED DOCUMENTS FOLDER OVER THE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. FIND THE SHARED DOCUMENTS FOLDER ON THE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. PRIVATE FOLDER FEATURE IN WINDOWS XP REQUIRES NTFS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. SOME FOLDERS CAN’T BE MARKED PRIVATE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. TURN SIMPLE FILE SHARING OFF IN WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. INSTALL SOFTWARE AND MAKE IT PRIVATE IN WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. MAKE SOFTWARE DATAFILES PRIVATE IN WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. SHARE SOME, BUT NOT ALL, OF YOUR DOCUMENTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. WORK ON PRIVATE DOCUMENTS FROM A REMOTE COMPUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. HIDE SHARED FOLDERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. HIDDEN SHARES WITH SHARED PARENT FOLDERS AREN’T REALLY HIDDEN
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      16. WHO’S VISITING MY COMPUTER?
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
          1. View Network Visitors in Windows XP/2000
          2. View Network Visitors in Windows 98SE/Me
      17. INSTALL NET WATCHER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      18. DISCONNECT REMOTE USERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  9. 8. Network Maintenance Annoyances
    1. DOCUMENTATION AND RECORD KEEPING
      1. DOCUMENT COMPUTER SETTINGS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. TRACK INSTALLED SOFTWARE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    2. BACKING UP INFORMATION
      1. BACKING UP ENTIRE DRIVES ISN’T NECESSARY
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. INSTALL BACKUP EQUIPMENT ON ONE COMPUTER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. CHOOSING A BACKUP DEVICE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
          1. Hardware backup devices
          2. Online backup services
      4. ROTATE BACKUP DISKS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      5. USING BACKUP SOFTWARE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      6. AUTOMATE BACKUP SOFTWARE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      7. CAN’T FIND WINDOWS BACKUP SOFTWARE IN WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      8. MY COMPUTER DIDN’T COME WITH A WINDOWS CD
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      9. USE THE SEND TO COMMAND FOR COPYING USER DATA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      10. MY DOCUMENTS HAS NO SEND TO COMMAND ON THE SHORTCUT MENU
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      11. BACKUP DATA NOT KEPT IN MY DOCUMENTS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      12. BACK UP FAVORITES AND COOKIES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      13. USE A BATCH FILE TO BACK UP DATA
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      14. CREATE BATCH FILES THAT COPY FILES FOR MULTIPLE USERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      15. EXIT COMMAND DOESN’T WORK IN OLDER WINDOWS VERSIONS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      16. AUTOMATE BACKUP BATCH FILES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      17. TOP-DOWN BACKUPS ARE EASIER
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      18. CLEAN OUT THE BACKED-UP DATA FOLDERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      19. BACKING UP TO CDS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      20. ENFORCE THE “BACK UP YOUR FILES” RULE
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
    3. UPGRADING THE NETWORK
      1. INSTALL NEW HARDWARE DRIVERS
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      2. INSTALL HARDWARE FIRMWARE UPGRADES
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
      3. INSTALL OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES ACROSS THE NETWORK
        1. The Annoyance:
        2. The Fix:
  10. A. Expanding the Network
    1. CREATING A BLUEPRINT
      1. DISTANCE MAXIMUMS
        1. Ethernet distance maximums
        2. Distance maximums between Ethernet hubs
        3. Wireless distance maximums
        4. Distance maximums for wireless networks
        5. Distance maximums between wireless devices
        6. Phoneline maximums distances
        7. Powerline maximum distances
      2. LOCATING HARDWARE IN THE RIGHT PLACES
        1. Locating Ethernet cable runs
        2. Locating computers
        3. Locating hubs and switches
        4. Locating modems
        5. Locating routers
        6. Locating access points
        7. Locating bridges
      3. CREATE SEPARATE NETWORKS AND LINK THEM TOGETHER
    2. MINIMUM EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
      1. ETHERNET MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
      2. WIRELESS MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
      3. POWERLINE AND PHONELINE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
    3. COMPATIBILITY ISSUES
      1. UPGRADE TO WINDOWS XP
      2. UPGRADE WINDOWS XP COMPUTERS TO SERVICE PACK 2
      3. WIRELESS ALPHABET SOUP COMPATIBILITY
      4. WIRELESS SECURITY COMPATIBILITY
    4. SIGNAL INTERFERENCE ISSUES
      1. WIRELESS INTERFERENCE
      2. ETHERNET INTERFERENCE
      3. POWERLINE INTERFERENCE
      4. PHONELINE INTERFERENCE
    5. NIFTY NETWORK DEVICES
      1. ROUTERS WITH FIREWALLS
      2. PRINT SERVERS
      3. STANDALONE HARD DRIVES
    6. MULTILINK PHONE MODEMS TO INCREASE SPEED
      1. CONFIGURE WINDOWS 98SE/ME FOR MULTILINKING
      2. CONFIGURE WINDOWS XP FOR MULTILINKING
      3. USING THE MULTILINK CONNECTION
    7. HOME ENTERTAINMENT DEVICES
  11. Index
  12. About the Author
  13. Colophon
  14. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Home Networking Annoyances
  • Author(s): Kathy Ivens
  • Release date: January 2005
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596008086