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Ron Nutter

Nutter's Help Desk

By Ron Nutter

Ron Nutter, a a Cisco CCNA, Master Certified Novell Engineer and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer in the Kansas City, Mo., area, tracks down the answers to your questions. Send him your tough questions.

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Our other helpful columnist.

Diagnosing a recalcitrant MPLS network
05/26/08
Does packet filtering apply in case of MPLS? I am trying to join my main domain from a different town; I have a VPN tunnel via MPLS solution.
The wireless connection works, but I can't get on the 'Net
05/19/08
I was wondering why I have a wireless network that I can connect to and it says I have a great connection, but when I'm connected it doesn't allow me to browse the Internet or anything. Are there any settings or anything I could change to get the thing working.
Wireless piggybacking
05/12/08
I'm currently in the country with no means of regular high-speed Internet access. I have found that I can connect to various unsecured wireless networks in a range of about 2 miles with where I currently am. My question is whether this is legal or not. Computers are not my strong point. I just want to be able to access the Internet.
Adding TCP/IP printing to a Windows XP system
05/05/08
How do I add the Microsoft TCP/IP Printing Service to WinXP system?
When the wireless to a satellite connection is slow
04/28/08
I have a satellite Internet connection. The modem is connected to my computer. I purchased a D-Link Router model WBRr-2310. I am connecting at a speed of about 1300, but the other 3 computers that use the router connect at exactly 54 Mbps only. I connected my laptop directly to the modem and it connected at about 1300 also. But when I went through the router again it went back to exactly 54 Mbps. I have exhausted tech support for the router and for my Internet connection.
Getting a laptop to print wirelessly
04/21/08
My printer, a Lexmark X3550, will not print to my wireless laptop (works fine on the desktop). I have the printer connected via USB to my main desktop and have a Belkin wireless G router connecting to my computer and my laptop is networked configured and is able to pick up the Internet but can't print. My desktop's OS is XP and my laptop's Vista).
Disinfecting a virus-laden PC
04/14/08
When I insert a floppy into the A: drive and the floppy is used on another computer, that computer either then gets the virus or the anti-virus software on that computer reports that there is a virus trying to get access/control of the computer. How can I get rid of the virus?
When a desktop has less throughput than a laptop
04/07/08
I have a desktop PC running XP Home and a laptop running Vista. The desktop is connected to a router via a cable and the laptop is wireless. The broadband speed on my laptop can run up to 6Mb but my desktop varies from 0.3 to 1.8Mb. Why does my desktop run so much slower than my laptop?
Disinfecting a spyware-riddled PC
03/31/08
What do I do if I suspect someone is controlling my PC? When my IP address has been changed without my knowledge? My boot-up process is getting harder unless I unplug the Ethernet cable and the CPU is at 100% every time I open any program. There is also a new connection to the Internet that is between my connection and the net I know was not there a month ago. When I try to register my e-mail address the programs say it's invalid and does not match whatever it has to compare it to.
Getting a Mac to print on a wireless network
03/24/08
The printer is attached via USB to the wireless router. The printer works fine when attached to either computer but I can't address it from the Mac when the USB is connected to the wireless router. I have enabled sharing on both machines. But no luck. Any suggestions
If it's Monday, the network must be down
03/17/08
I have a simple 40 user network that has Monday-morning sickness. Every couple of weeks, most often on a Monday morning, all the computers will lose connectivity to the 8-port Linksys router and the 3 servers. When we try to refresh the IP addresses on the workstations we are not able to get a DHCP address.
Figuring out if a Web error is caused by the client or the server
03/10/08
A Web site I go to periodically for reference and other information is now prompting me to enter a username and password for a "Weblogic" server. This isn't something I have seen before and haven't gotten this prompt in the past. I am using Opera v9.26 as my browser of choice. How do I find out if the problem is with my browser or the Web site?
Connecting two buildings to a single broadband service
03/03/08
I need to connect two buildings which are 100 metres apart. Both buildings are using wireless networks and one has an ADSL modem. I want to ensure both buildings can access the LAN to use shared resources and the Internet through the single ADSL connection.
Bridging two wireless access points
02/25/08
I have two Linksys wireless access points and I would like to link them together to pass the internet from one to another. Can I do that?
Broadband access abroad
02/18/08
I am in the military. What are my options for getting on the Internet anywhere I may be sent?
When you keep losing access to your wireless access point
02/11/08
I typically lose signal several times in a row within the space of ten minutes. Then it seems to work for an hour or so, before repeating. I had a friend look with their laptop and didn't see anybody else on the channel that I am using - channel 1. The other channels that were in use are channels 6,10 and 11. I am using WEP as my laptop will not support WPA. Can you offer any suggestions as to what may be the problem. I am wit's end. Help!
Getting a computer to print on a printer connected to another PC
02/04/08
My main computer is connected through a router that is connected to a cable modem, the cable modem is also connected to a switch that connects to a second router that connects to the other computer (the other computer has a printer). Computer 1 is connected to the basement hub. The cable length is approximately 14 feet. Hub to Linksys router about 25 feet. Linksys router to second computer about 12 feet. IP address of 1st computer is 192.168.123.101, the IP address of the second computer is 192.168.1.100. How can I use the printer on 2, from the first computer or is it possible?
Speeding up a sluggish PC
01/28/08
My computer has been slowing down over the last couple of weeks. Now, I can browse the net but after a period of time the 'cannot find server' page is displayed, and i can no longer browse. This goes the same for Outtlook and any other program that accesses the 'Net. The only fix at this stage is to reboot, and everything runs fine for a while again. Also, Add/Remove programs is now only accessible in safe mode. ANY assistance would be greatly appreciated. I am running XP Pro with SP2, P4 CPU 2.40Ghz and 768MB RAM.
Recovering files lost when reinstalling Windows XP
01/21/08
Recently, my son lost all his personal documents (photos, video, Office files, etc) on re-installing Windows XP. Have any of you had experience with (or could you recommend) an off-the-shelf data recovery software that might relieve his anguish?
Getting home wireless to work
01/14/08
I have a laptop that I have tried connecting to my new home cable network. Everything is connected but I can not even see my router on my laptop. HELP!! This is frustrating because a few weeks ago I had it on the road and it worked fine on the hotel's wireless and it worked fine on the company's wireless, but I cannot get it to work at home. Can you please give me some suggestions?
To catch a hacker
01/07/08
I have been trying to catch a hacker for over a year. I need a trace program or any program that will stand up in court. Do you know where I could get this? I really need a free trial to see if I like the program before I buy it.
Building a VPN with Cisco ASA gear
12/17/07
The organization I work for recently bought a Cisco ASA 5510 and 3 ASA 5505s to replace some SonicWalls we have in a few group homes. They are going to be doing a site-to-site VPN tunnel so that the group homes can access our VoIP phones and also remote desktop into our terminal server. I have tried to test the ASAs from home; I have tried a few things but all were unsuccessful.
Rolling your own NAS
12/10/07
I thought of building a RAID system. The Yellow Box gives 2 TB but I could build a box with 2.8 TB for less money. The main feature I would like is to be able to turn on the box for a short time (to back, daily or weekly) saving power and to increasing drive longevity. It would be ideal if the box could turn itself on and off with a schedule. I have built computers before so the hardware is not too intimidating. The problem is I don't know Linux at all, just Windows.
Setting up a network for a new small company
12/03/07
We are a new startup company with five to eight employees. I know we need a server and office network, however that's it. I've looked online at different servers this has only made choosing one even harder. We are lost, I guess what we need is a simple server for our accounting software, printing, and e-mail/Internet. If possible, please be as specific as possible on the specs. We are a very small startup so it will need work with a small budget.
Connecting one PC to two LANs
11/26/07
I would like to connect two LANs from one PC. The first network will be used for application software and the second for Internet and e-mail. The application network is owned by another company and the second network owned by us.

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