Connecting two machines hardwired?

Sorry I don't even know how to post the question. I have two computers, one Dell XPS Desktop and a Vostro Laptop. I am trying to connect the two machines directly with a cable connection. I hired a man to run the cable from one office to another. Purchased a Net gear switch and tried to get the machines to share files (this is an office).

Both machines have internet access but do not see each other. The tech tried for hours to set up file-sharing but gave up.

I called Dell Tech support today and they did a remote session on both machines and I was given this info. which I don't understand.

Both machines are on different routers (not true). Both machines have a different gateway number and subnet number. Sorry I have no idea what this means, I'm reading the notes. He told me it was a major problem and I need to hire a Networking Engineer to solve the problem - if it is possible to correct!
The Dell tech was quite abrupt and crude. He said he sees two computers running on different routers.. There is no router! There is no wireless. There is just this switch with 4 openings. What routers does he mean and what are those numbers?

How is that possible? They share one cable modem which connects to the Netgear switch. A cable runs from that to the two machines.

I tried contacting some computer stores in my area but no one is available until next week. One place said I had serious problems.

What is so serious and what does that mean. Can this be fixed?

Hopeless,

Kate

 

I would try calling Dell again from what you said that guy was a twat there is no reason you shouldn't be able to connect the 2.

 

You said you have a cable modem. Are you paying for 2 IP address? If not you will need a router not a switch.

Please list your hardware models. Some cable modems are also routers.

the first test in file sharing is to see if you can ping the pc. If so the connection is good. If not you have to find out why, could be several things with firewalls at the top of the list.

 

Thanks so much I didn't expect anyone to understand the problem. I'm so confused.

My husband and I are trying to set up a small office where we can share files. I use software for billing and scheduling appointments. He needs to access these when I am not there.

The desktop is a XPS Intel Pent D. 2800 Mhz, Windows XP Pro SP2, 2048MB Ram, approx 2yrs old.

The laptop is a Vostro 1500, Intel Core 2 Duo, T8100, 800Mhz, 2GB DDR - Windows XP Pro. approx 2 weeks old.

We wanted to hardwire both machines for privacy issues as this is a doctors office and we don't want to take a chance of anyone tapping into a wireless signal.

We ran the cable about 60ft and I went to Staples where the man sold me a Netgear box and said to plug both cables into it. We did and both machines connect to the Internet, but we can't get them to see each other.

That's when I called Dell. He told me they both had these different numbers (gateway, subnet?) and they couldn't be connected.

The desktop is 2 yrs old, and the Vostro is brand new. I'm wondering if that is the problem. They are both XP Pro. I bought the Vostro with XP so I wouldn't have a problem connecting them and this Dell guy told me it was a serious problem and might not be solvable.

I am upset because I paid extra for their 'Gold Support' and he told me I need to hire a Networking Engineer because even Dell couldn't fix the problem I have. Is it because one machine is older than the other?

I don't know what this means?

Kate

 

Ok, lets see if we can get you connected. XP is a little easier than Vista.

The first thing we need to know is the IP address of both PC's. This can be found by opening your Network Connections Control Panel. Double click on the lan connection and then select select the support tab, then details. Right down these IP Address, Gateway and dns IP's for both pc's.

I need to know the netgear model number. To confirm whether it's a wired router or a switch. I would like to know what router & modem. With this being a Dr Office you need to have a router connected to the modem for added security. Direct connect to the modem will expose your PC to the WWW.

I do not want you to change any settings till we confirm you are behind a Hardware Firewall.

 

Thank you, thank you!

I'll do what you said tomorrow when I get to the office.

Kate

 

With all due respect, whomever the _Dell "technician" was, unless he knows something dire that you haven't mentioned, he didn't know what he was doing, period.

Basically, it sounds like what you want to do is to connect both computers using a cable (i.e., not wireless) to the cable modem that you use to access the internet. If that's not correct, please let me know; otherwise, I'll base the rest of my post on that assumption.

In order to accomplish this, what you're basically going to do is connect a router (they come in both wired and wireless flavors) to the cable modem, and then connect each computer via that computer's ethernet connection, to the router.

In this sort of configuration, it is possible to have both computers get access to the internet but still not be able to "see" each other because the router is treating them as being two different networks, and the router doesn't have any instructions to permit it to allow traffic to cross between those two networks.

The _Dell customer rep you talked to on the phone had one hand on the right solution, but didn't explain it to you properly.

Basically, at this point, it is most likely the case that each of your computers is set up with a different IP address and/or a different subnet mask, either of which will have the effect of causing the router to treat each computer as being on a different network.

Since you're running Win XP, you can check this info out by going to Start->Run and then typing "cmd" in the little form box that pops up when you click on Run. When you hit return, a black window will pop up that looks like the old 1980's style computer console (pardons to the Linux/Unix crowd) and will have a prompt that might look something like "c:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents>" with a blinking "_" for the cursor.

From there, type the following: "ipconfig /all" exactly like that. A bunch of info will be printed out on the screen. For each computer, what you need to do is go through that info and look for a line item that says something like "Ethernet adapter local area connection" (that's what it says on my system, but I'm on a workstation, not a standalone system, so your's might not say exactly the same thing).

Under that heading will be several rows of information, that will look something like this (all details have been changed to protect the innocent - and my job ):

The four items of information that are going to be of concern to you are the four that I have highlighted in bold above.

The first item, named "Physical Address" is what is more popularly known as the computer's MAC address (aka the Media Access Control address). That number is basically your computer's true "name" on the network it connects to through its ethernet connection.

The second item, named "IP Address" is, if you will, the street address of your computer on the network that is either assigned to the computer if DHCP is enabled on your router (as it is in my example) or is set manually in the IP configuration for the computer if DHCP is not enabled.

The third item, named "Subnet Mask" is used to allow network administrators to break one monolithic network up into various subnetworks (I'm not doing it justice here, but hopefully you get the idea - it's a way of identifying several different discrete subsections of a large network that uses a common IP address).

The fourth item, named "Default Gateway" is the IP address of the router that the computer uses to get access to the internet (or cable modem if no router is used).

Your troubles most likely come from having different entries on each computer for the "IP Address" and/or the "Subnet Mask."

The simplest solution to try first is to log onto the router's admin webpage (typically, you would type something like "192.168.1.1" into the address field on your web browser, and you would be taken to a webpage that is internal to the router from which you can change the router's configuration). Once there, login and see if the router has been set to enable the router to do DHCP. Most likely, that function has not been enabled on your router, which means that the router cannot assign IP Addresses and Subnet Masks to each computer that connects to the router.

If DHCP was not enabled, enabling it should cause the router to assign a new IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway address to each computer.

If that doesn't do the trick, then disable DHCP on the router, and go into the "network connections" control panel applet for each computer. Once there, right-click on the icon for the ethernet connection, and when a menu pops up, left-click on the "properties" item. From there (and, unfortunately, I'm going by memory now, because I don't have an example in front of me), you should be able to set the network connection properties of the ethernet card. One of the tabs at the top of the properties window will lead you to two radio buttons that give you the option to set IP address automatically (by DHCP) or to enter the info directly. Click on the second button to enter the info directly, and then enter the data along these lines:

First, get the IP Address of your router. It should be something like 192.168.2.1, or 192.168.1.1, or something similar. For purposes of the following, assume your router's IP address is XXX.YYY.Z.1.

On the first computer, assign it the following IP configuration:
IP Address: XXX.YYY.Z.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: XXX.YYY.Z.1

and then hit "Ok"

On the second computer, assign it the following IP configuration:
IP Address: XXX.YYY.Z.3
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: XXX.YYY.Z.1

That should be enough to set up a static network (i.e., one where the IP addresses of the computers do not change dynamically - which is probably what you will want from a security standpoint, since you will want to minimize the ability of an interloper to trick the router into assigning an IP address to the interloper.)

By giving each computer an IP address that has the same first three sets of numbers as the IP address of your router, and by giving each computer a Subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, you're putting both computers on the same network, which is identified to the router as XXX.YYY.Z (basically, I'm glossing a lot on the technical stuff here), and then giving each a unique identifying number (i.e., "2" and "3") that will enable the router to "find" each computer on that single network.

This will also permit each computer on that one network (i.e., the XXX.YYY.Z network) to find each other.

The last step in setting up simple file sharing is to have both computers be members of the same workgroup. If you go to the desktop, and right-click on the "My Computer" icon, and then left-click on the "properties" menu item, you should get a dialog box that pops up with several tabs at the top. On one of the tabs (again, I'm flying blind here right now) you should be able to set up or change the name of the workgroup the computer belongs to. Each computer should have a default workgroup with a name like "WORKGROUP" and, if both computers already have the same default, you could just use that workgroup for file-sharing purposes. However, if they have different names in there now, or if you want to use a name other than the default, you want to type the same short name into each computer - it should be one word without any spaces, punctuation, or special characters, e.g., something like "DRGENIUS" or the like.

Once the computers are on the same network and are members of the same workgroup, you can then enable file-sharing (please, please be very very careful with file sharing, and do not enable file-sharing on any file that contains confidential or private information that should not be shared with the outside world - if you're running Win XP home edition or doing simple file-sharing on Win XP Professional, once a file is set up for file-sharing it is shared with any computer that gets access to the network, regardless of whether you want the owner of that computer to get access to your shared files. If you have to share files that contain confidential and/or private information, then you should make sure you're running Windows XP Professional, and you should set up a group policy that basically prevents any computer other than the two computers on your network from getting access to any of the shared files on either computer. Setting that up is, however, a chore in and of itself, and fit for a separate post if need be).

 

This is a good procedure but if each pc is assign a public IP address (the reason for 2 subnets) I would install a router (at least 1) instead of the switch (if thats what the Netgear is) for added security. This would add a Hardware Firewall between your pc's and the www. This being a Dr Office I would probably install 2 routers and daisy chain them. Then you could provide wireless to your patients while they wait.

I would not mess with the static setup, even thought they work. I would prefer to fix the under lying problem.

 

Wow, I don't know what to say. I admit I'm lost. I did call a Computer shop yesterday and the man came and took a quick look. Said there shouldn't be a problem, but really didn't say much. Never looked at the machines, just the cable and the 'router.' I think the 'switch' is the 'router.' It has 4 telephone-type plugs.

After reading these posts, I am concerned about privacy. This set-up must be secure. I'm not sure how other places do this securely, and I'm not sure this computer shop deals with this sort of thing. He did say he's wired many offices in the area. I suspect, though, that most people go wireless.

I printed these posts and am taking them with me. The computer man is coming at 2pm and I'll take these posts to work and try to do what you said. I did ipconfig and the numbers are different.

I assume hardwired is safer? If this is going to jeopardize people's private information, we won't do it. We must insure privacy.

Thanks so much,

Kate

 

Hardwired is much, much safer than wireless so unless there is a real need to provide wirelss I wouldn't do it at all. If you do provide wireless, then it should be setup using a separate router that plugs into the main router (i.e., the gateway router) and is set up as a distinct subnetwork separate and apart from the wired subnetwork.

Also, as privacy is an issue, if you're going to set up a network that will have access to the internet, then it would be best to have all of your computers running Windows XP Professional (or Vista Business, although I admit that I know little about Vista), or a good Linux system - in all events, do not use file sharing if you're running Windows XP Home Edition because any shared files will be accessible to anyone who hacks through the internet connection (or even if you have a peer-to-peer application setup, like one of the music p2p apps, in which case there is a severe risk that all of the documents in the shared folders will be accessible across the p2p application).

 

Thank you. Both machines are XP Pro. I just called Dell again (because I'm so nervous about security) and this time got a guy who sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He said hardwired is fine and secure and the router/switch can be set with a firewall.

We need to set up file sharing because I need to access patient data, as does the doctor. There is also a scheduling program which needs to be available to both computers. The Scheduling program works off the data base which holds all the patient info. We are a small office with just the one doctor. It is a Psychiatrists office.

Makes me nervous because we have some patients who are computer people and brag about being able to tap into wireless signals in the building (not ours), and some of these signals come from lawyers offices and title companies. Apparently they aren't secured signals, or these guys know how to get into them. There are people with IPhones who tap signals, etc.

This was the reason to go hardwired, but I need to know that no breach of safety occurs. Especially because there are people who are very knowledgeable. A few work for large IT companies and some are programmers. We truly don't understand how safe hooking two computers together is. It shouldn't be so worrisome.

Thanks again,
Kate

 

Wired can be very safe (certainly safer than wireless) but you still have to be careful. The main difference between wired and wireless is that, basically, anyone within range of your wireless signal can plug into your network whereas on a wired network someone can only plug in where an ethernet jack is available.

In terms of safety, is there any reason why the two computers with confidential/private information need to have internet access as well? If I put my "paranoid" hat on, the easiest way to keep those files as safe as can be reasonably achieved is to simply isolate them physically from the internet connection.

However, I'll assume that physical isolation is not feasible in your situation. In that case, you need to make sure that the computers have no virii or other malware on them, set up strong anti-virus and a firewall, and develop a good understanding of the security protocols that MS has put into Win-Pro (they're not the best, but using them is much, much better than using nothing at all). In particular, you'll need a good understanding of how to use the group policy functions in Win-Pro in order to set up access restrictions on the files that will be shared so that they can only be accessed by yourself and the doctor through your individual logon account, and cannot be accessed by any other user(s).

Beyond that, it might be worthwhile - depending in part how growth prospects for the business (it might be a little overkill with just one doctor) - to consider having a third computer setup to act as a small internal file server. Under a network structure like that, the file server could be set up on a separate subnet through a router and the router could be configured to block any and all internet access to that server, both outgoing and incoming. Such a structure might be a little cumbersome, although it can always be streamlined to a degree, but it would provide an additional layer of protection between your confidential/private files and the outside world.

Another possibility would be to consider moving to a non-Microsoft operating system. The Linux and Unix based operating systems tend to be much more secure than the Windows operating systems, and there are a number of different companies that build safe reliable commercial products on top of the basic Linux/Unix operating system.

Finally, it may be a hard-sell justifying the cost, but it might be worthwhile retaining a company that has expertise in setting up secure networks for small businesses - a company like that would (should) know what it's doing both in terms of setting up the network and in making it secure - right now you're not getting any of that from _Dell, which is a shame because their business support is usually much better than their consumer support.

Also, I did a quick google using the search phrase "small networks for doctors offices" (yeah, I know, not a very efficient search, but it still found some possibilities) and found a company called Microwize Technology that makes software for doctors' offices - mostly billing stuff, but they also seem to have some software oriented toward setting up a network and tying remote computers into the doctor's office computers. Something like that might be worth exploring (not that company, necessarily, but other companies like it, perhaps) because a company that has developed a networking solution for small doctors' offices is almost certain to have identified and solved most of the network and/or security issues you're trying to deal with right now.

 

As long as you are behind a hardware firewall (router) your are in the right direction. With the router you can add a time schedule that will shut down all access incoming and outgoing for added security when the office is closed. As shyster said adding a seperate pc for internet access will help isolate your other pc's. I have seen and use multiple routers to help isolate different groups, as well as the use of VLANs.

Those bragging maybe playing with the weak WEP encryption (wireless) which can easly be cracked in less than a min. The younger high school kids do this for fun.

A lot of offices have a free wireless for the patients while they waiting. Just because there are free hot spots does not necessarly mean they have weak security for there systems. Infact it probably prevents wireless devices from drying to connect to their secured network.

If the Netgear router happens to be one of Netgear VPN Endpoint (FVS338, or FVS538) routers, it could allow you to remote connect while away from the office to check on schedules. Plus being a SMB class routers it has a lot of security features you can implement. I use one for when I'm away, Allows me full access to every device on my network.

 

Thank you all again. This is what happened today. The tech came in, hardly spoke (cell phone was constantly ringing), he worked so fast I really don't know what he did. He disconnected the Netgear switch (it was a switch, which he said was fine, but not as secure as what he would put on). Hooked all up to a Linsys router which he said was a commercial type, strong firewall, and he disabled the wireless.

Set up file sharing, printer sharing and put all sorts of shortcuts on both machines, briefly showed me how to send a document to the doctors machine for him to view or to save to his folder. Then worked on the Program which holds the patient data base but ran into some problem. Called the software people, spent 10 seconds with them and got it running on both machines.

You have to realize he was talking on two cell-phones during all this discussing other businesses' he's in. I really couldn't talk to him. His phones rang constantly, two at a time. What a scene!

He then uninstalled my Firewall (zone alarm), I told him I needed a firewall, he said I didn't because the router was very strong. I asked about using the laptop when it isn't plugged in as I like to take it home and he reinstalled Zone Alarm, put a shortcut on the desktop and said, when I use it unplugged, turn ZA on. ZA made the other machine invisible and it would stop the computers from seeing each other, he said.

He then set up PC Anywhere, told me it was a good program and to try it for the 30 day free trial. He then ran out the door. I don't know a thing about PC Anywhere. I had asked him about Remote desktop so I could access the computer from home. He said PC Anywhere was better and cheaper.

I have no idea what he will charge me (I know he told me the Linksys router was $285.00), and he would call me tomorrow (today).

Frankly, I'm not sure what happened, not sure how to use anything (he never instructed), I came home with a migraine and went to bed.

I'm a bit annoyed because he was so quick and so busy with his cell phones, never explained anything. Seemed like a nice guy but played down security saying it was more likely that if someone wanted patient info, it would be easier to break in the office and steal our files.

I just noticed he also uninstalled all my security. Spywareblaster is gone, as is Spybot, Windows live, Tea Timer.....

I'll sort this out tomorrow,

Thanks again,
Kate

 

I do not know what Linksys router he installed, that was $300. I know the newest 11n is in that price range, but nothing special about it, NOT a SMB class router. I use a Netgear VPN Router that is in that price range and it does not have wireless.

As for all of the spy detection system, I do not use them, and they can cause problems. I would have thought using VPN would be more secure than PC Anywhere and it only requires software on the remote pc with the proper router.

As for zonealarm it could have easily added a FW rule to allow the other pc to see each other. NO reason to disable it at all. Apparently he know nothing about ZA. I prefer using personal FW as well as hardware FW.

As for any one that does any work for me he better check the cel phone at the door. I'm paying for their undivided attention, and explain in detail what he did and why. Being a DR Office most now have a sign to turn off all cel phone once they leave the lobby.

Keep us posted. It would be nice to know what part of the world you located at. We may know of someone who could help you out, check and explain what the other guy did in detail. If you would send me a PM, if you do not want to post it. You may never know, you may live in my town.

 

EDIT: Ok, so I wrote another novel - my apologies; I'm just very long-winded (or is that long-fingered ). In a nutshell, I agree with Blue68f100, and I definitely agree that you should hire someone to audit your network security to double-check the first guy's work - and don't pay him if the auditing technician finds any serious or egregious mistakes.

Now for the novel:

I would agree with Blue68f100's assessment - it sounds like you got a (mostly) decent setup; however, it was both unprofessional and unhelpful for the technician to be so involved in his other "business" and to not sit down with you and carefully explain what was done, why it was done, and what you need to pay attention to as you are now the network administrator (whether you want to wear that hat or not). One immediate concern that comes to mind is - if he was so involved in his other affairs, he could have easily missed some little detail that could prove crucial later on (like forgetting to exclude the "guest" account from the security policy on one of the shared folders).

For example, regarding Zone Alarm, there should be no need to get rid of a laptop-based firewall just because the router has one as well - any good firewall software can be configured to work with instead of against the router - in fact, I would consider that to be an essential part of the service I was paying for, making my equipment work together and not changing my setup unless the change was absolutely necessary.

It's true that routers have firewall capacity; however, that firewall is still a software firewall, not a hardware firewall, and is not as secure as a hardware firewall would be. Thus, keeping Zone Alarm on is a perfectly reasonable belts-and-suspenders approach when you can't afford the cost of a dedicated hardware firewall. The same would go for any other reputable anti-virus or anti-spyware application - they can all be made to play nice with an external firewall such as exists on a router, and the added protection may make a difference.

For example, on my home network, which is built around a wireless router, I have the router firewall and I also have McAfee anti-virus (it came with my laptop when I bought it back in '03, so I've just stayed with it) and Webroot Spysweeper on the laptop - each application picks up things that the other doesn't (although it gets a little crazy on-screen when they both pick up on the same thing at the same time ).

Lastly, the tech's off-handed remarks diminishing your security concerns misrepresents the whole point of securing a network in the first place. Basically, good network security works on the same principle as good physical security (e.g., door locks) - you don't try to make the system unbreakable, mainly because that's (a) impossible, and (b) prohibitively expensive. Instead, you try to achieve a level of security that is:
(a) appropriate to your legal obligations in the event of a security breach - which are pretty high in your case given the high liability imposed for the improper disclosure of personal medical and financial information,
(b) appropriate to the nature and size of your business - a five and dime does not kit itself out like Fort Knox, and
(c) is good enough to deter the opportunistic thief - people who are looking for easy pickings and who go fishing looking for low-hanging fruit; i.e., in terms of physical security, the main point of a door lock is not that it will prevent the entry of a person who has decided to target your particular business, but that it will deter the person who wanders from door to door trying door knobs to try and find an open office he can slip into, or the person who looks for locks that can be easily jimmied with a credit card, a metal ruler, or some other innocuous thing he can carry around without raising suspicions.

Basically, you want your security to be just good enough that (i) you're not leaking confidential records onto the internet by mistake, and (ii) the average thief/hacker will quickly realize that breaking into your office/network is going to take too much time and trouble, and make that person go off to try your neighbor's door/network instead.

Viewed in that context, a basic security setup is absolutely essential, not because you can make it impossible for anyone at all to break in, but so that you can deter the opportunistic thief. Basically, the tech got it backwards because, with no network security it is actually easier to steal your files electronically than physically (particularly since he shut down all of your A/V and spyware applications), so the point of getting network security is to get just enough that, for the opportunistic thief, it becomes easier to steal your files by physically breaking in rather than trying to get through your network security.

At the very least, that makes it impossible in a practical way for anyone who doesn't live in your town to steal your files (a thief from Russia, e.g., is not going to pick up his burglar's tools and march down to your storefront when he realizes that your network security means that it would be easier to steal your files by breaking and entering; if he's an opportunist like 99.9% of all thieves, he'll just give up on you and go looking for someone else - which is precisely what you want your network security to do).

Which brings me to my final concern about your technician, and why I think that it would be a very good idea for you to take Blue68f100 up on her/his (sorry, couldn't determine the correct pronoun ) offer and to also pay the additional expense of having someone else come in and audit your network security to make sure that the first guy did a proper job. My concern is raised by two facts you mention: first, his inattentiveness - as I said above, who knows if he missed some crucial little detail because he was busy gabbing on the phone? Second is the very distressing fact that he apparently removed all of the antivirus and spyware applications from your computers.

I'm just paranoid enough to consider that he might have been making it easier rather than more difficult for him to break into your network, or to sell the information needed to break in to the highest bidder on the internet. After all, since he installed the router, he also has the administrative login ID and password to the router (unless you changed those after he left), and he has your current IP address (which will persist for a little while even if your ISP uses dynamic IP addresses - in many instances, a dynamic IP won't be changed until the internet connection is temporarily turned off by turning off the cable modem). With those pieces of information, he could get access to the administrator controls of your router from outside (i.e., from the internet), set a back door (if he didn't set one when he was there to set it up), and thereby gain access to all of the files that are currently shared over your network - mostly what someone would be looking for in that case are names, addresses, telephone numbers, and SSNs, all of which could be harvested from your files without you ever noticing if your security really has been compromised.

As I said, I'm a little paranoid in any case, so please don't think that you should just rip everything out right now and go back to square one. Instead, disconnect the cable modem and unplug it for about ten minutes or so - to force a change of your dynamic IP address - and change the logon ID and password for the router.

If he didn't tell you how to do that, it's actually pretty easy with most routers. Open a web browser and type the IP address of the router into the Address field for the browser. Since you said the router was a Linksys, the default IP address for those routers should be 192.168.1.1 - if that doesn't work, then check the IP address on one of the computers like I explained earlier (i.e., by going Start->Run typing "cmd" and then typing "ipconfig /all" in the black window that opens). The IP address should look something like this: 192.168.x.y, where x and y should be single-digit numbers. The router's IP address is almost certainly going to be 192.168.x.1, so give that a try if 192.168.1.1 doesn't work.

Also, reinstall the anti-virus and spyware software that you had on the systems previously while the computer is attached to the network - a good commercial product should detect the network and at least try to conform to it. A little poking around in the configuration windows for those applications should allow you to figure out how to make them play nice with the network. If you do that and lose contact with the other computer, and cannot figure out how to get contact back, then turn the application off and make sure to raise the point with whomever you hire to audit your security.

2d EDIT: Also, here are links to two companies that provide VPN services which, as Blue68f100 indicated, is a better solution to remote access:
http://vpnprivacy.com/
http://strongvpn.com/

 

Wow, I don't know how to respond to your posts. Thank you Blue (I just got your email and will write back) and Shyster for your informative posts. I never thought about any of the things you mentioned as this is foreign territory to me. I live in a suburb outside NYC. The office is a few miles away.

How is someone supposed to know who to trust and who to hire? I called so many different places and they all would do the work, but this place is on the same street as the office. I thought it was handier as he would be more available.

Today at work, nothing worked. The computers did not share anything (as far as I could tell). I'm not sure how to work anything now. He put a shortcut on my desktop with a folder for the doctors laptop. I tried putting a patients letter into the folder and got an error that Windows couldn't find the network. So I quit. I made appointments, but they didn't show up on his laptop. I tried making make-believe appts on the laptop to see if they showed up on my desktop, but they didn't. I called the tech.

You must realize that the office is busy. My phones ring, patients are in the waiting area which is right outside my office and the doctor is in with a patient. I only have the one computer (desktop) which has everything on it and can't have someone work on it during the work day. The office will grind to a halt without that computer.

When I got home last night I tried connecting with PC anywhere and it said it couldn't connect because the main computer was off line. I was never told to leave the office machine on and I shut it down when I left. So that was useless.

I called the tech and told him nothing worked and I needed him to come back and check everything. He asked if I had turned ZA on and I said no. He then said it is probably my software and I should call the software people. I told him I didn't think it was a software problem and I would have to pay for software support if it was (which I would do except I didn't think it was). I told him I needed him to return and go over everything with me as I didn't know if I was doing something wrong. He said he'd be happy to 'pop in' tomorrow at 12:30.

I am so confused now over this whole thing. I should never have done this and I don't know what to do. I don't know who to trust. I left the office with the computer turned on and on-line because he told me too. Now I feel like driving back tonight to turn it off.

The doctor has some patients who are computer people. One was in today and noticed the laptop and asked if he could help and offered to do so. Of course we couldn't take him up on his offer, but he understood. He also expressed some concern that it was done properly to protect patient information. He mentioned something about a private web browser to send the info back and forth that would be secure and not wireless. I told him we'd ask about it. We didn't understand what he was talking about.

You have been so helpful and certainly enlightened me regarding how important it is to have a network set up securely. I do feel like pulling it all out. I just don't understand how all this works. It is just the two of us and neither of us are computer savvy. I thought I was being very careful by insisting on a wired network. Maybe the internet connection should be shut off? I don't know what to do.

I'll never understand all the things you wrote about. It's like a foreign language. I could never do this myself. I don't know what to do.

Thank you,

Kate

PS: Shyster, I'm glad you are paranoid and used the analogy of a locked door vs an open one. That does make sense to me. I will print your post and bring it with me tomorrow. I'm sure this guy is not going to read it, but I'll give it to him anyway. - Blue- I don't know what you mean about 'https' but I will check. We are not sending info via PC Anywhere, I just wanted a way to access the office machine from home so I can change appointments. I won't use it in the office, but I think I will cancel it completely. I wanted remote desktop and this guy just installed PC without even asking me. He left the box from the router and I'll get the name of it and post it tomorrow. I was shocked at the price. But what do we know? Meanwhile I still have the Netgear switch which cost $100. bucks. I don't know if I can return it. I'll PM you now. Thanks again...

 

I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with setting your network up - unfortunately, about the only place that job seems to be easy is in the how-to books that are a dime a dozen. Even just setting up my little home wireless network has involved all sorts of little ... issues ... and has been a steep learning curve for me.

Remote Desktop was relatively easy to set up, although the instructions from Microsoft for activating the client end of it on Windows Home Edition weren't entirely accurate. I use it strictly internally to access the old desktop I set up to use as a home server, so I haven't had to deal with accessing it from outside via the internet.

In terms of actually using it the way you want, I don't know what, if any, current security issues there are with Remote Desktop, although given that it's a Microsoft product, I'm sure there are some things that need to be carefully attended to. In that vein, it might be worthwhile considering installing some VPN software on the office computer and the computer you would be using for remote access. Also, if you do set up remote access, and since you would only use it for scheduling and etc, it might be best to make sure that the private/confidential files that are being shared between the office computers not be accessible from any remote location - that would mean that you couldn't get into those files from your house, but it would also be one more layer protecting those files from malicious access by an outsider.

If you do decide that you want to activate Remote Desktop, I could probably walk you through it by private message (although Blue68f100 could probably do even better).

In terms of finding someone to set up your network on whom you can rely, you might check to see if you can find anyone who's bonded - i.e., has an insurance company putting its money behind the company's work (although I'm sure you know that, I'm just a big blabbermouth ). It may be more expensive, but that extra cost buys you peace of mind that is much, much more valuable than the extra money you pay out.

 

You are not a 'blabbermouth.' I am. How kind everyone has been. I can't believe I found this forum. I was looking for a laptop and searching around the internet for advice and found this forum from a Dell link. How lucky I was! What nice people. I am very touched.

The guy came today and I had all my notes and asked him all the questions I got from you and Blue68. I acted like I knew what I was talking about. I asked about the password and the router. He said the computers couldn't be hacked unless someone came into the office and plugged into the router. He did say ideally it would be safer if there was no internet, but assured me that the firewall in the router was very strong. He said it was set to only allow the other computer's address to communicate. He said Go to my PC is very secure and I shouldn't be concerned about it. He isn't sharing folders, he set up folders in Drive letters. I have no idea what all this means, but I did have him speak to the software people and they seemed comfortable with the set-up.

I haven't had time to play around with it. I'll do that over the weekend when the office is quiet. He said the laptop is a dummy terminal and doesn't save any data. Once its unplugged, there's no data in it. Therefore its safe to take home and use on my wireless at home. He said he couldn't configure ZA because I have the free version and they don't offer those options. So I need to purchase a good firewall. Any suggestions??

I'm so tired over all this, I just hope it is safe. I thank you so very much for your help.

Thank you,
Kate

 

Well, it sounds like you have a reasonable setup. Rather than flog a dead horse, the only thing I would suggest now is that you change the login password for the router to something only you know.

What he did with the folders is still, in essence, "file sharing" but because you have Win XP Pro it's different from what people commonly mean when they say "file sharing." On Win XP Home, files are either shared with everybody, or with nobody; however, on Win XP Pro, you can set up files so that they can be accessed from another computer, but only by specified users (this is enabled through a group or security policy in XP Pro that allows the administrator to specify which users can access which folders/files).

The bit about setting up the folders as drive letters is a bit irrelevant - basically what he did was to assign a drive letter to the shared folders on each computer so that, when you go into "My Computer" you'll see another disk icon that looks something like this:


The function that does this is under the "tools" menu on the "My Computer" window and it's called "Map Network Drive..."

If he hadn't mapped the shared folder to a drive letter, then you would have seen an icon that looked like a file folder with a hand underneath it "sharing" the folder with you (sorry, I don't have a sample image ready to hand right now ).

For now, you should probably take the weekend off, have a nice rest (maybe a bubble bath or some bubbly ) and, come Monday, your next long-term project is to start learning a little bit about being an administrator on a Win XP Pro network. Go slow, though, because there's a lot of chaff to wade through in order to find the few nuggets you really need. I would suggest learning about how to set security policies on the network.

 

Onnie, Your doing good. The only way you learn is to ask questions.

I have done some testing with firewalls built into routers and they are very good. I ran both with my personal FW (pc) logging ALL warnings and blocks. I did this for 9 mo and NOTHING made it through the routers Firewall. So you can put your mind at ease. This was done a SMB class routers.

But you have been through a lot this week. Take the weekend off and relax. Then start fresh Monday.

I would definately change the ADMIN PW on the router. Then kind of take a look around to see what features it has. Or download the PDF Manual and go through it. Most have a schedules you can add to restrict access to the www. So you can restrict the one that has the personal info.

On the PC Anywhere if it does not make a secure connection it will not meet HIPPA's requirements. I'm not familiar with it, so maybe someone can comment on whether it has this feature. But like some one said. Most do not have internet access on computers that contain personal information. And most of those have removable HD that are removed and locked in a safe when not in the office. That way if someone breaks in the office and steals the computers NO personal data is lost. And the crooks get a PC that will or will not boot, depending on whether the user was using a seperate HD for data.

Take the weekend off and relax. Then start fresh Monday.

 

Now, promise that you won't look at this until Monday? Ok, first, here's a link to an article from 2001 about preparing a HIPAA-compliant network. The article is, unfortunately, a little densely written, and doesn't have many practical how-to's, but it should give you an idea of what sort of conceptual things you need to keep tabs on (and also give you some more technical words to browbeat technicians with ).

PC Anywhere can be configured to be HIPAA-compliant, at least that is what the following article from Symantec states: Symantec PcAnywhere and HIPAA Standards; however, you will need to make sure that it is configured properly (which that article unfortunately does not tell you - I would suggest looking on the Symantec website to see if they have instructions on how to configure PcAnywhere for HIPAA-compliance, and if they don't have them online, contact them directly.

 

There were a lot of security change to HIPPA in 2003-2005 when some networks were breached. So the document may not be up to date. If not it may only be a tweek.

Shyster1, The link to PCAnywhere does not work.

One thing that is critical is the use of strong passwords. Should be random generated with a min of numbers and letters min length should be >8 chr preferabily in the 12 chr length. It would be significant stronger if you use all printable chrs. This will take the PW to the next level. As a brute force example. 20 chr with only numbers and letters can be cracked in <4 yrs at 100k/sec. But with the addition of all printable chr the time jumps to over 20+years. It's been well documented the use of strong PW that you can not memorize and have to write down is better than have ones that are easly broken.

Since you run special software, it's PW should be different than your PC's users account to add a second level. And the data should also be encrypted to meet the HIPPA requirement. This may be optional setting, but my guess is that it supports it.

In the mean time enjoy the weekend. And DO NOT MESS WITH THIS TILL MONDAY.

 

I think the problem with the link to the symantec item is just that their server is running on molasses - I was able to d/l using the link (from a different computer than the one on which I composed the original message), but it took a bit of time.

 

Thanks so much guys. Boy I am glad I didn't see this over the weekend. The remote computer program is called Go To My PC and is supposed to be more secure than PC Anywhere. That's what the guy said. Now I'm confused. Still haven't paid his outrageous amount yet. He said he has installed it on other medical practices.

He put a Linksys N Ultra Range Plus router on the network and shut off the wireless part. This annoys me because it seems like a waste of money and I saw it advertised in Staples for $89.00 and he charged $225.00. But he said it has a better firewall and is the safest way to network the machines.

Now I'm worried about the Go to My PC. I'm sorry I started this whole thing.

Thanks again,
Jane

 

I still think a VPN Endpoint routers like I have with the client software is a more secure setup. The cost is about the same and it does not have wireless. Will not need the Go to my pc software.

The Linksys ultra is not a SMB class router, but I think it has the SPI firewall, disabled by default (Must be turned on). Meaning that if it has SPI Firewall it more secure than a std NAT firewall.

What you need to remember is that most hardware router based FW only block un-solicited incoming request, allowing all outgoing. Where your software FW on your PC controls incoming as well as outgoing.

 

Don't be sorry - once you get all the kinks and bugs worked out (with some help from here, of course ), you'll be happy with the extra functionality you get.

So far, I don't think I can really add any more to what blue68f100 has to say, other than that I think it's good advice, so I'll just express my continuing support - it's gonna turn out just fine in the end.

 

Thanks guys and love that quote. I think I've given up! Nothing worked today and I don't know what to look for. I really don't want to call that computer place as I am so angry over the whole mess I'm afraid I'll lose it. If it wasn't so expensive, it is almost funny.

Over the weekend, we try the PC Anywhere and it says it can't connect because the computer isn't on-line. Okay, we didn't know we had to leave the computers on - dumb! Monday we go in and doctor says the laptop doesn't connect to the internet or the desktop. I call the guy and he comes to the office and said, we didn't plug in the laptop. Embarassing! Doctor had plugged the power outlet in, but didn't plug in the other cable. Now it worked and the guy charged us $95.00 for the 2 minute visit. We both felt like idiots.

Today, same problem. We made sure everything was plugged in and we could connect to the internet, but the computers didn't see each other. No sharing of anything. To add to this, the Windows update keeps trying to update each computer and keeps failing (been trying since last week). I emailed Microsoft and they said to turn off the firewall. I don't know where the firewall is. The computer man shut off Zone Alarm, so how do I find the firewall?

So, $570.00 later, neither machine connects, Windows can't update either machine, I keep getting a Security pop-up saying the firewall is shut off, Microsoft says to shut off the firewall so it can update and I feel like throwing everything out the window!

I can't believe this is for real. It is (nightmare) and I don't know what we should do.

BTW, never used PC Anywhere because the office machine keeps shutting off even though I set it to 'always stay on.'

Kate-Jane

 

It's terrible your still having these problems. My suggestion is since nothing has worked since the guy came out. Have him remove the router and part ways, it's not spending the time to explain how things work. And what he has done is apparently not saving the settings. The file sharing he setup will/should work with any router.

Give me a call and we will discuss your options.

 

I agree with blue68f100 - the whole point of paying a professional to come out and set up your network is to get something you can start using immediately without having to go back and redo everything the "professional" did. Since the tech you hired didn't actually provide you with the promised service/product, he's breached his agreement with you and isn't entitled to get paid, only to get back the hardware he sold to you.

However, you shouldn't just give up on the idea of having the network you want, (a) because it really doesn't sound all that complicated (relative to other networks, unfortunately, networks in general are more complicated than the average), and (b) because you've already come a long way up the learning curve, and have made it over the first few steps, which are the hardest - that's a valuable investment of time and energy that shouldn't go to waste - there's no better learning situation than an initial failure (which means that it really wasn't a failure at all ).

Firstly, while it may seem odd, you should be proud of yourself for having had the tenacity and drive to work through the first hard failure - so pat yourself on the back a time or two (lord knows, the boss won't do it for you ). Next, once you've settled stuff with the tech guy, and had him remove the stuff that didn't work, take a break of about a week or so (not too long, though, or your hard-won knowledge will begin to get stale), and then prepare to take another shot at it. That is where your experience this time will be invaluable because it'll make it a lot easier for you to sit down before you hire someone to start installing stuff to think about and plan what sort of network you need, and to discuss what you need in detail with another tech (whom you'll be better able to judge as competent or not), and, of course, with all of us on this thread. With a team like that, you should be able to get a decent network up and doing your bidding with only minor hiccups the next time.

 

You have right.