Resources

Packet Sniffers

Ethereal is a network packet analyzer that allows the user to monitor the traffic that is coming over a network. These programs are also called “packet sniffers”, and Ethereal can be used with Linux, Unix and Windows. A packet carries information that allows Internet information to reach its destination on your network. While it is not a security system, it can be useful for detecting intrusion attempts on a network. It won’t tell you when your system has been breached, but it will let you see what is going on inside the system. It is also good for troubleshooting network problems and debugging protocol implementation. Ethereal won’t allow you to manipulate anything on the system - it is basically a window into your network.

Pros of Ethereal

Ethereal has a command line interface that often puts it ahead of the competition. It requires the use of GTK+ and libcap and must have these two programs installed in order to run. Once it is installed, all you have to do is type in Ethereal on the command line and the GUI will start. You can then select Capture and Start which starts the Capture Preferences window. Usually, defaults are set, so all you have to do is press Start and watch the capture as it happens.

Alternatives

While there is really no downside to using Ethereal, you may want to investigate Wireshark. This is the development fork of Ethereal, and anything new to the program will probably be contained in Wireshark rather than the older program. In 2006, the creator of Ethereal took a position with another company, but couldn’t bring the Ethereal name with him because of trademark issues.

If you are looking to view packets on the network in your company, then either Ethereal or Wireshark should do the job without any real negatives.

Troubleshooting Laptop Wireless Internet Issues

Clear Your Offline Content

Sometimes a very simple fix can resolve problems your computer might be having opening and displaying web pages. If your computer is showing an active connection but is unable to display any pages, you might need to clear your offline content. When your computer opens websites it saves the information so that it can quickly put it up the next time you visit the same site but, if there was a disruption in power or connection while saving, then the data could be corrupt and interfering with your processes.

Delete Temporary Internet Files

To clear your offline content, first close any open sessions and quit Internet and Windows Explorer. Click Start, then Control Panel, and then click twice on Internet Options. Under the General tab, find Temporary Internet files and click Delete Files beneath it. A dialog box will open, click the box to Delete All Offline Content, then click OK, and OK again. Now reboot your computer to start a fresh connection and try again.

Repair your Wireless Settings

You can attempt a repair of your wireless settings by first clicking the network connection icon - the picture of two connected computers - from the taskbar at the bottom right of your screen.

1.  
   • Click the Support tab
   • Click Details
   • Click Repair

Configure your Wireless Settings

If your computer is not connecting to the Internet at all, then you might need to configure your router’s wireless settings. First, log into your router.

1. Enter the IP address 192.168.0.1 into your web browser
2. A log in box will open, use the user name admin and the password sky click OK
3. From the router menu page, choose Wireless Settings from the left column
4. You will open a settings page, ensure that the Wireless Access Point and Allow Broadcast of Name (SSID) are enabled
5. Consult your router user manual and make sure that the setup details are entered correctly
6. If you have questions about your IP address, you should contact Sky to get the right information

Contact Sky or a Remote Technician to Troubleshoot the IP

You will likely need to test and adjust your IP address, and it is probably easiest to do so with the help of a remote technician. Try contacting Sky for help and, if you are still not connecting, you can contact the remote specialists here. Working with a tech in real time will allow you to follow the troubleshooting tips and report the results. I hope this works out, good luck!

Windows security alerts that appear on your computer can either be legitimate ones or fake ones.

What Are Legitimate Windows Security Alerts

Legitimate Windows security alerts are generated through the Windows operating system to protect your computer from malware. They are designed to keep your system safe and secure and to prevent hackers from gaining access to your data. On some Windows operating systems, the Windows firewall is enabled at installation and closes ports in an effort to prevent the computer from connecting to other resources. If you are accessing one of these closed ports while trying to connect to the Internet, that is why the message or Windows Security Alert is appearing.

Dealing with Legitimate Windows Security Alerts

The Legitimate Windows Security Alert that you received should display a message that provides an indication of the problem. This message is your clue as to how to resolve the problem. For example, the message might provide the question “Do you want to continue to block this program?” You would have three options: “Keep Blocking,” “Unblock,” and “Ask Me Later.” Once you click your answer, you would then click “OK.”

Internet Connection and Legitimate Windows Security Alerts

Go through each of the steps that you took to set up the wireless Internet connection on the laptop and make sure that you have followed each step properly. This includes setting up your static IP address. Additionally, you might want to scan the computer for spyware and viruses once you do get it set up, so be sure to install a reliable anti-spyware/anti-virus application.

Fake Windows Security Alerts

In general, fake security alerts will advise you that you have lots of spyware and/or viruses on your computer. They will also suggest that you download a specific application in order to rid your computer of the spyware or viruses. If you click to follow this suggestion, you will load real spyware/adware onto your computer. Instead of removing the spyware and viruses that this fake security alert tells you exist on your computer, it will add real spyware onto it.

Since your computer has not yet been connected to the Internet, it’s doubtful that you have an infection. In fact, the security alerts are likely telling you that you need to update your operating system or something similar. Windows needs regular updating which is generally performed by connecting to the Internet. When it hasn’t been updated recently, a security alert is issued, reminding you to do this.

Go ahead and set up your computer for Internet access. Once you do get your computer connected to the Internet, one of the first tasks you should do is launch Windows Update and update the operating system with the latest security patches. Another critical task is to install a reliable computer security product such as ParetoLogic’s Antivirus Plus or any of the products on our antivirus review page.

Without knowing what tech support advised, some of what I’m going to say might be repetition for you, so I apologize in advance. In researching the problems with this model, I have found some instances of similar issues for other users. I’m assuming the standard “It’s the router - take it back and get another one” answer isn’t an option for you. If it is, and you can still get it replaced you might be able to save yourself some time and frustration by replacing it with a new one.

Troubleshooting Steps

There are some basic things that you can try to get a working IP address every time. You’re right that when you get an IP address that starts with 169.254 that is basically the computer’s cry for help that it can’t see the DHCP server. You may have tried these things already, but they are worth mentioning:

• Have you checked all of your cables? The fact that it is working intermittently could be a cabling issue. Check your cable connections and try swapping some out and see if it will improve the connectivity.
• Did you check for conflicts? Assuming that you are using Windows, do you have any other firewalls installed that could be causing an issue? If you are running with more than one firewall, disable one and see if you can get on the web consistently.
• Have you tried configuring your IP address? Get into setup and configure it to treat the IP range 192.168.0.1 through 192.168.255.255 as “trusted” or local.
• Have you used “release” and “renew”? Go to Run and type in cmd. When you see the prompt, type in ipconfig /release and Enter. Then go back in and type ipconfig /renew. See if that has reset the router so that you have Internet access.

“Trick” the System

We had a similar problem here on our small network and simply setting the IP address as static for a few minutes and then resetting it to automatic worked to “trick” the computer into resetting it to a good address consistently. Get the correct static IP address for your computer either by using it directly with the modem and getting the address from the display or by getting a working address from the Internet provider.

In My Network Places go to View Network Connection and right click the connection you’re working with. Choose Properties and then find Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) under the General tab. Rather than having it choose the IP address automatically, choose Use the Following IP Address. Type in the static IP address you want to use and then see if that will allow you access. If you aren’t going to use the computer anywhere but in this location, there is no harm in using a static address. When we had this issue, we set it to static for a few minutes, then went back in and reset it to Automatic which seems to have solved our issue for good.

DLink Firmware

Although I haven’t tried to download this firmware, I did find a SendSpace link for 3.01 firmware on the web. You can try to use this firmware to eliminate the DHCP issue. For an in depth discussion of openwrt for this particular router, follow the link to the Openwrt forum where you should be able to get all of the information you need on stock firmware hacking.

Given the fact that these routers regularly run under $40, if you’ve tried everything you can to get the router working to no avail, it may be time to look for another model.

The Belkin 54G Wireless G+ MIMO USB Adapter

The Belkin Wireless G USB adapter is a neat little adapter that allows USB-equipped computers to connect to a wireless network. In theory, all you need to do is hook up the wireless adapter to a free USB port and install the software. However, as you found out, the software is not backwards compatible with Windows 98.

The Belkin 54G Wireless USB Adapter’s System Requirements

According to Belkin’s product support page for the 54 G Wireless G Plus USB adapter, the product requires: Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. Because Belkin does not provide support for Windows 98 for this particular product, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to get it to work with your laptop.

Other Concerns

While this particular Belkin wireless network adapter is compatible with USB 1.0 ports, many competing products require USB 2.0. Unless you have specifically installed USB 2.0 ports on this laptop, you will need to pay attention to the network adapter’s specifications. Not only must you find a USB wireless network adapter that is compatible with Windows 98, you must find one that supports the 1.0 USB standard. While a USB 2.0 adapter may function on a USB 1.0 port, performance will be affected.

In addition, it’s important to note whether the laptop has Windows 98 or Windows 98 SE (Second Edition). For example, I did find a Wi-Fi 54G USB adapter from IO Gear that supports USB 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 as well as Windows 98SE. However, it does not support the standard version of Windows 98.

Other Options

While it sounds like you have already purchased the Belkin product, I’m certain that it will not work on your laptop. Other options include finding a wireless USB adapter that is compatible with your operating system as well as your USB port or considering a wireless PC card instead. If you have a free PC cardbus slot on your laptop, the network card slides right in and is easily removed when not in use. At least with a PC card, you fewer compatibility concerns to deal with. For example, this NetGear Wireless-G PC Card is one of many PC cards that I found that are compatible with Windows 98.

I’m a little unclear about whether it is just the Internet that is affected, or whether your entire system is hanging at startup. It sounds like your computer won’t boot, which is why you can’t get past the welcome screen and then get onto the Internet.

This is a fairly common problem, and is often caused by a virus. Because we don’t know the cause, you’re going to have to troubleshoot some possible solutions. Luckily, most of the fixes are fairly easy to do.

Safe Mode

Starting a computer in Safe Mode just means that it starts up with as few components as possible, thereby minimizing the chances that it will come across the problem. Once you’re into Safe Mode, you can use System Restore to roll your computer back to a time where it was working well, hopefully bypassing any viruses and then working to eliminate them.

Turn on your computer and immediately press F8 to get into Safe Mode (most computers use F8 - if that doesn’t work, try F1 or F10). You will then see the Safe Mode welcome screen that is just black with some white words on it - nothing fancy. Once you are in Safe Mode, look for the Windows Advanced Options Menu. From here, you can choose Last Known Good Configuration to roll the computer back to a time when it was working. You will see the Start menu and then be directed to select your operating system. You may need to enter an administrative password. If you don’t have one, just leave it blank and press Enter and see if that works for you. At this point, Windows should restart and hopefully get to a point where Windows will load normally.

System Restore in Safe Mode

You can also use System Restore to get your computer back to a time where it was working well. Get into Safe Mode as you did above. When you see the prompt type in %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe. You will then be asked to choose a restore point - pick a date just before the computer stopped working for you. The computer will run through its process and reboot, hopefully restoring Windows to a normal operation.

Repair CD

You can also restore the computer from the original Windows Repair Disk that came with your operating system. Insert the CD into the drive and you will see the Welcome to Setup screen. You will see several options - do not press R to repair the system. If you do, you will lose your data. Rather then pressing R, press Enter. The setup will start and then you will select the system to be repaired. The computer should run through its programs and then let you log in normally. If you can get the computer to this point, you will need to go to the Microsoft website and download all of the service packs and updates that have been lost since you purchased the computer.

If none of this works and you can’t get your computer up and running, you can still get your data by removing the hard drive and either using it as a slave in a working PC or put it in an external hard drive enclosure. After that, you can run the repair from the Windows CD - you will have saved your data to another place and you can then bring the system back to the state it was in when it was brand new. In any case, make sure you run good antivirus and antimalware programs to get rid of anything that may be causing this problem on your computer.

If I’ve gotten this completely wrong and you simply can’t access the Internet, let us know and we can give you additional suggestions. Using System Restore may help with that issue as well.