February 2007
Jim Scheef, Moderator
Lisa Leifels, Reporter
We welcome questions from the floor at the start of our General Meetings. In addition, members who are not able to attend the General Meeting may submit questions to askdacs@dacs.org. We will ask the question for you and post the reply in DACS.ORG. Please provide as much information as possible since we can’t probe during the session.
Q. I have a DSL connection, but it takes several minutes for me to establish my connection with AOL. My DSL is on the same phone line as my voice and fax. My AOL dial-up connection used to be on a different phone line which I'll call line 2. What is wrong with my DSL connection and how might I fix it?
A. There was some discussion about the need for filters - if you have a DSL connection, every phone on the line must have a filter. The purpose of the filter is to isolate the DSL signal from voice devices, and it enables DSL to always be on. There was concern that the DSL connection might really have been on Line 2. The next day a member called and it was determined that the DSL was in fact on "Line 1" of the first telephone jack, and the former dial-up connection was "Line 1" of the second jack.
The machine was booted and several checks were performed. First, it was determined that AOL was the only entry. The "Never Dial" option was set. Next, the DSL connection was tested by sending a PING from a DOS command window to a specific IP address - it worked; four replies were received within a second. This proved that the network adapter was configured properly and that the DSL connection was good. Next, a PING was sent to a remote host by name - this time the remote host address was converted to an IP address and responses received. This proved that the DNS was resolving names. Lastly, Internet Explorer was started rather than AOL, and the user was able to navigate to sites such as CNN and eBay. From that it was determined that the AOL configuration was bad.
AOL was started, and SIGN ON options was selected. It listed DSL and Dial-UP, with DSL the default. When the user tried to connect, the system hung. After a boot, AOL was started again, but this time, a new broadband connection named "My DSL" was created. As part of the wizard, a check was placed in the "connect automatically" option. The connection was saved and tested, and AOL came up immediately. The old "DSL" connection evidently had a bad setting, so it was deleted, and the system now works properly. The only non-default setting was the "connect automatically" check-box.
Q. How do I set up a wireless network with my DSL connection?
A. The easiest way to create a wireless network is to add a “Wireless Access Point” to an existing wired Ethernet that has internet access and supports the “DHCP” protocol for automatic configuration. The popularity of wireless networks has caused equipment costs to plummet, while the capabilities have increased. You will need to purchase a wireless access point, you could also buy a router with built in wireless access capability. Netgear and Linksys were two brands that were recommended at the meeting. The installation process will be easier if you buy the same brand name for the wireless access point and the wireless network card.
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Install the wireless network card in the desktop or laptop computer and the driver software that comes with the card.
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You also need to install TCI/IP networking if it isn’t already set up and configure it to work for your new wireless network card.
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Install the management utility for the wireless network card.
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Install the Wireless Access Point.
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Connect to the Internet – Connect the DSL modem to the access point.
Configure Security on the Access Point and Wireless Network card. At the minimum, you should change your network name from the default, which is usually the manufacturer’s name.
Q. Can you connect more than one computer to a wireless access point?
A. Yes, theoretically you could have 254 different IP addresses inside your private network.
Q. I was recently having trouble booting my new PC, I burned a BartPE from my old computer, but it didn’t understand RAID 0. Are there drivers I need to install to make the BartPE work?
A. Yes, you need to install the correct drivers for your new computers hard drive.
For anyone unfamiliar with the BartPE software, here is a brief explanation. BartPE was created by a Dutch programmer named Bart Lagerweij, his software helps you to build a “BartPE” (Bart Pre-installed Environment) bootable windows CD-Rom or DVD from the original Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 setup CD, which is very suitable for PC maintenance tasks. You can use it to recover data from a failed operating system installation or a lost administrator password. BartPE is free software with a graphical user interface and is not supported by Microsoft. Microsoft has a similar tool called WinPE.
Q. I use Outlook Express and AOL email and lately I am getting a lot more spam on Outlook Express.
A. You can set up filters or message rules, as they are called, in Outlook Express. Go to Tools>Message Rules>Mail and then click and experiment with setting up different rules to see what works for you. For example, you could make a rule to prevent specific email addresses or names from coming in. You may also want to talk to your ISP about filtering your email.
Submit any question to: askdacs@dacs.org. |
