Sticky notes: New tools ease home net headaches

At last, home network management tools to the rescue! Two start-ups - Pure Networks and SingleClick Systems - each has just shipped software that eases network configuration and management, and handles basic troubleshooting. Think of them as mini network operating systems that sit on top of Windows. (Neither works with Apple or Linux systems.)

Coming off a beta trial with more than 6,000 users, the Seattle company Pure Networks has released Network Magic 1.0 . The software - which you install on each PC - provides a dynamic map of all the devices on the home network. It monitors connectivity and fixes problems behind the scenes. File and printer sharing is automatic, too; simply select resources to share on one PC to make them available to the other PCs.

To continue reading, register here and become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

SingleClick and Pure Networks vie to handle configuration and troubleshooting.

At last, home network management tools to the rescue! Two start-ups - Pure Networks and SingleClick Systems - each has just shipped software that eases network configuration and management, and handles basic troubleshooting. Think of them as mini network operating systems that sit on top of Windows. (Neither works with Apple or Linux systems.)

Coming off a beta trial with more than 6,000 users, the Seattle company Pure Networks has released Network Magic 1.0 . The software - which you install on each PC - provides a dynamic map of all the devices on the home network. It monitors connectivity and fixes problems behind the scenes. File and printer sharing is automatic, too; simply select resources to share on one PC to make them available to the other PCs.

Corporate laptops are hidden from other PCs on the network, and when the laptop user shares files with other users on the home network, those file shares are locked down when the laptop is removed and plugged back in to the corporate LAN. The product alerts you when an unauthorized person accesses your wireless network, and an upcoming remote-access feature lets users access designated folders from a Web browser.

Click to see:

Network Magic costs $50 for up to five PCs and any number of devices. The product is free to AOL users and integrated into some D-Link Systems routers. Expect Network Magic to make its way into other manufacturers' gear.

After a beta test with about 2,000 users, SingleClick of Toms River, N.J., is releasing HomeNet Manager 2.0 (which costs about $36 for two to nine PCs). HomeNet Manager offers a similar home network map that shows actual rooms, performs the same troubleshooting tasks and simplifies file and print sharing. The product is stand-alone - no bundling deals with hardware vendors or service providers. SingleClick also offers remote file-sharing services for sharing photos, music and other data across the Web. The basic peer-to-peer service, which requires you to keep your systems running and HomeNet Manager active, costs $4.95 per month. The hosted service costs $9.95 per month.

PC SOS? Call PlumChoice

Good home network tech support to ease your burden.

Click to see:

When you can't save the day, point your users to PlumChoice for PC emergencies. The Bedford, Mass., start-up provides online technical support and disaster recovery using a combination of phone support and PC remote control (based on Citrix GoTo Assist) to fix PC problems while your users follow along. The service costs $23 for 15 minutes; $80 per hour; and $225 for three hours. PlumChoice also offers onsite support for $119 per hour and drop-off service in its Bedford and Rumford, R.I., locations for $90 per hour.

PlumChoice fixes point problems and makes recommendations. "If a customer calls with a 4-year-old PC, we'll help him buy a new one rather than spend four hours on the phone," says PlumChoice CEO Ted Werth. "If his system is riddled with spyware, we'll recommend Firefox or a spyware application. We'll then download and configure it for him on the spot," Werth says. "We're trying to help people cut down the number of times they call us, even if it means we lose money."