ISP told me to turn off zone alarm

[ozrick]

I am on a wireless network and was just told by my ISP to turn off zone alarm and use the new windows firewall
he said my computer would run better and that i didn't need an aditional firewall because i have windows firewall and a built in firewall with my router

is this good advice......

[bigc73542]

No it really isn't the best advice. you should keep ZA as it filters your outgoing and can alert you to anything out of the ordinary.

[INTOXSICKATED]

-{ Quote: "No it really isn't the best advice. you should keep ZA as it filters your outgoing and can alert you to anything out of the ordinary." }-
personally, i gotta agree with bigc. just out of curiosity, which isp is this?

[LowWaterMark]

-{ Quote: "personally, i gotta agree with bigc. just out of curiosity, which isp is this?" }-Unfortunately, almost all of them do it. :( The problem is that support costs are very high, and mis-configured firewalls do indeed cost ISPs a lot of support costs. Unfortunately, the "easy answer" for them is to tell their customers to turn off all security software - iff it gets the customer off the phone quicker... Time is money, and phone calls cost more. :-\

It's sad, but unfortunately, it's true.

[AvianFlux]

I believe your ISP was giving you sound advice. You can get by without a bi-directional firewall, and your computer will run smoother with Windows SP2 ICF.

Get NetMeter (http://readerror.gmxhome.de/) and WinDump (http://windump.polito.it/) (req. WinPcap) to monitor your net traffic.

[mercurie]

Ozrick,
Be real careful about following a 1-800-ISP-techsupport advice unless it is specific to their network operations and not your system. I had one over a year ago tell me when some of their functions did not work right it was my ZoneAlarm firewall to just turn it off. In fact just unload it because it still might have some components running even when off that might hender the speed. That I really did not need it. :o This would have left me with Zero firewall. Really...he did. I told him that would leave me completely unprotected. He just insisted it was not needed. That it was not like I was the Pentagon or Walmart.com nobody would be interested in me.

Of course I thanked him kindly, but left him with a No way!! It was really those AD Blocking features they screw things up sometimes. I usually run with those features off, which is why I would not pay for Zone Alarm Pro. ;)

By the way another time I had a slow connection and download problem. I did some follow up calls later that week to seek tech. support. They said they were having many calls in my area about slow connections and speed. At first they blamed Zone Alarm. A few more days went by boom all of the sudden things were back to normal. Real good and fast. I called again they checked my area and said the trouble call screen showed something, I do not recall exactly what they said but I do remember them saying they had also "made some adjustments." What ever they did they fixed it. It was not me. ;)

Edit:This was before I got my Router and second machine in May of 2004.

[ozrick]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm......why would he tell me that .......i told him i was big on security ect..... yet he was persistant that i do what he said .....he also told me to do the same with my mums laptop (she has trend micro security) which is an anti-virus and firewall in one that she paid for and which cant be turned off because she will have no anti-virus protection ........

[INTOXSICKATED]

-{ Quote: "Unfortunately, almost all of them do it. :( The problem is that support costs are very high, and mis-configured firewalls do indeed cost ISPs a lot of support costs. Unfortunately, the "easy answer" for them is to tell their customers to turn off all security software - iff it gets the customer off the phone quicker... Time is money, and phone calls cost more. :-\

It's sad, but unfortunately, it's true." }-
very true. :-\

[CrazyM]

Hi ozrick

What type of network issues were you experiencing that prompted the support call? (if it was a support call) The connection to your ISP's network and the Internet would all be done by the router. ZA would/should only impact systems behind the router.

Regards,

CrazyM

[ozrick]

-{ Quote: "Hi ozrick

What type of network issues were you experiencing that prompted the support call? (if it was a support call) The connection to your ISP's network and the Internet would all be done by the router. ZA would/should only impact systems behind the router.

Regards,

CrazyM" }-
i am part of a small network that has been set up in our area....(i live in the country and previosly was only able to get dial up)
n e ways i love my new high speed wireless connection ....but
i kept on dropping out and was unable to connect to internet for like half a day and stuff,when i rang them up they said i was connected ... after several phone calls he ended up comming out to my house... hooked up his laptop and admitted it was their problem...he changed my IP number because it was conflicting with someone elses ......i dont know what he did exactly .....i think he manually changed the IP adress/number hopeing that might fix the problem....i dropped out again this afternoon and i had to turn the power on/off on the router.....i was able to get back online .....guess i will just see how it goes

[whistl3r]

To say the least this is not good advise your ISP has given you, but you came to the right place.

Most of all ISP's hire kid's that "think" they know what they are talking about. They are all trained on how to connect your PC to there network and that is it, no advanced training on PC security is offered unless they take it upon themselves to study specific software.

However, they do have reference models on how some software works, but they do not have professional sound advice on security or proper networking, until you reach a professional tier. Most of the tools ISP's use are widely available on the net, nothing fancy.

So, use your judgement, some reps DO know about these issues as these professionals may actually may be in-between jobs to pay the bills until something better comes along :D


So back to your issue... please explain what problems your are experiencing.

[ozrick]

back to the issue......my main problem is i keep dropping out and am unable to reconnect to the internet.......also some times pages take for ever to load

[Primrose]

-{ Quote: "back to the issue......my main problem is i keep dropping out and am unable to reconnect to the internet.......also some times pages take for ever to load" }-

So give us some details of this wireless network they have set up..and what hardware are they using..and does that hardware come with any software tools such as a site survey program that will let you see you actual signal strength and data rates etc.

[Primrose]

I read your other thread where you posted your hijack log..I am wondering do you regularly defrag your hard drive..and maybe even do some of these steps..Just to be sure...take your time if you have any questions on any of the steps below..

Clear out your Temporary internet files and other temp files. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel >
Internet Options. Under the General tab click the Delete temporary internet files,
choose to delete all Offline content. Clear out Cookies.

Also, go to Start > Find/search > Files or folders > in the named box, type: *.tmp and choose Edit > select all ->
File > delete.

Empty the contents of the C:\Windows\temp folder and C:\temp folder, if you have one.

This one too if Win2K or XP.
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\

Empty the Recycle Bin.

This will result in your having to re-enter passwords at forums, banks, and the like.

A small price to pay if it gets rid of any bad guys.

Flush your restore points in ME and XP, by turning System Restore off and then back on.
This will create a fresh restore point.

Explained here:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001111912274039

Also if you have sunjava installed it's cache should be cleared too.
> control panel java-plugin > cache tab > hit clear!
And make sure you have the latest version if you have sunjava.

Adjust your security settings for ActiveX:
a. Go to Internet Options/Security/Internet, press 'default level', then OK.
Now press "Custom Level."
In the ActiveX section, set/click the options as follows:
Download signed ActiveX controls > prompt
Download unsigned ActiveX controls > disable
Initialize and Script ActiveX controls not marked as safe > disable
b. In your Restricted Sites Zone set everything that can be to "disable". Set anything that cannot be disabled to "prompt".
c. Never add any site to your Trusted Sites Zone.

I would also recommend, In your own self defense and to reduce the potential for spyware infection in the future, installing both SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard.

SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard are by JavaCool and both are free programs. SpywareBlaster will prevent spyware from being installed and consumes no system resources. SpywareGuard offers realtime protection from spyware installation and browser hijack attempts. Both have free ongoing updates.

More info and download is available at:
SpywareBlaster: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2859
SpywareGuard: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3045

Maybe consider this as well:
IE-SPYAD puts over 5000 sites in your restricted zone, so you'll be protected when you visit
innocent-looking sites that aren't really innocent at all.
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm
Also some info on that page to tighten your IE security.

Be sure to also keep up with Windows and IE updates.

Windows security and critical updates.
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

Internet Explorer security and critical updates.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp

Keep all of these programs updated, its free.

[ozrick]

jeeze.....i am not sure , i have a D-Link DI-614+ wireless router.....i have no way of knowing my signall strength between the tower and the arial on my roof but am told by them that it is exellant

[Primrose]

Also i saw this in your hijackthis log..

O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{D60042F3-0D2E-47BF-B1FC-E342634A3D74}: NameServer = 61.88.88.88

It means you are using ns.optus.net.au to resolve names..and most likely using port53 on your PC to do this.. maybe that is why the guy was tell you it would be a good idea not to have a firewall like zone alarm..
*****************************


What is DNS?

The Domain Name System (DNS) was designed in the 1980s to handle the growing number of Internet users. The Domain Name System translates names, such as www.optus.com.au, into IP addresses to enable computers to communicate with each other. DNS makes using Internet applications, such as the World Wide Web, easy. The process is as if, when phoning your friends and relatives, you could use their names instead of having to remember their phone numbers






General Information used for DNS


If you have your own name server you can forward all requests to our DNS farm:


ns.optus.net.au 61.88.88.88

The DNS farm maps to sites in each capital city in Australia, with each site having a redundant load balancing cluster. Queries will be directed to the server farm from your network via the most efficient route.


Do not forward requests to the primary or secondary name servers dns0.optus.net.au or dns1.optus.net.au as this facility will be disabled in the near future.

Primary DNS server for Primary DNS Hosting:


dns0.optus.net.au 202.139.83.3

Secondary DNS server for Primary DNS Hosting:

dns1.optus.net.au 192.65.90.202


Secondary DNS server for Secondary DNS Hosting:

dns0.optus.net.au 202.139.83.3


http://requests.optus.net.au/dns/
************************************


Now i wonder if maybe all the problems you have had might be that the DNS goes down for a while or it is just too busy.

Who is this ISP you have..Name ?

also see this

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=322430


http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=172127&p=2


*****************

Then I see you are still doing win xp SP1 and not SP2 yet..that is not really a problem ..but i would update soon if i were you.

[Primrose]

The DI-614+ is part of the D-Link AirPlus™ series of high-speed networking products capable of maximum wireless signal rate of up to 22Mbps*.

http://support.dlink.com/products/view.asp?productid=DI-614%2B

you are using that internally at your home and either hooking up PCs to it hardwire with cat5e cable directly most likely to an ether net card or you are also having other PC's connected to it wireless with other type of cards plugged into those PC's or laptops.

if that is the case and you can tell me more about your system and cards..it is possilble that one has a program install called D-Link AirPlus wireless adpaptor utility..and that utility can do a site survey of your D-link wireless lan and tell you more info..

[ozrick]

thanks Primrose
i followed your instructions;

Also, go to Start > Find/search > Files or folders > in the named box, type: *.tmp and choose Edit > select all ->
File > delete.

i was unable to delete ZLT01961 it said it was in use by another user and/or program

also i didnt understand the following (please forgive my ignorence) could you explain it step by step

Empty the contents of the C:\Windows\temp folder and C:\temp folder, if you have one.

This one too if Win2K or XP.
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\

[ozrick]

-{ Quote: "Also i saw this in your hijackthis log..

O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{D60042F3-0D2E-47BF-B1FC-E342634A3D74}: NameServer = 61.88.88.88

It means you are using ns.optus.net.au to resolve names..and most likely using port53 on your PC to do this.. maybe that is why the guy was tell you it would be a good idea not to have a firewall like zone alarm..
*****************************


What is DNS?

The Domain Name System (DNS) was designed in the 1980s to handle the growing number of Internet users. The Domain Name System translates names, such as www.optus.com.au, into IP addresses to enable computers to communicate with each other. DNS makes using Internet applications, such as the World Wide Web, easy. The process is as if, when phoning your friends and relatives, you could use their names instead of having to remember their phone numbers






General Information used for DNS


If you have your own name server you can forward all requests to our DNS farm:


ns.optus.net.au 61.88.88.88

The DNS farm maps to sites in each capital city in Australia, with each site having a redundant load balancing cluster. Queries will be directed to the server farm from your network via the most efficient route.


Do not forward requests to the primary or secondary name servers dns0.optus.net.au or dns1.optus.net.au as this facility will be disabled in the near future.

Primary DNS server for Primary DNS Hosting:


dns0.optus.net.au 202.139.83.3

Secondary DNS server for Primary DNS Hosting:

dns1.optus.net.au 192.65.90.202


Secondary DNS server for Secondary DNS Hosting:

dns0.optus.net.au 202.139.83.3


http://requests.optus.net.au/dns/
************************************


Now i wonder if maybe all the problems you have had might be that the DNS goes down for a while or it is just too busy.

Who is this ISP you have..Name ?

also see this

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=322430


http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=172127&p=2


*****************

Then I see you are still doing win xp SP1 and not SP2 yet..that is not really a problem ..but i would update soon if i were you." }-

oh boy ...you are starting to make my head spin....lol
i will try to keep up please bare with me.......the above highjackthis log is probally a year old.....i was on dial up then.....
i am fully up to date with windows sp2 ect...
i am also using firefox
i have adaware,spybot SD, spywareblaster,nortans anti-virus 2005 and zone allarm installed

[Primrose]

LOL I should have looked closer at the date of that log posted..my bad.. ;)
Since you can not post logs anymore at Wilders..then all i can do is listen to you now ;)

[ozrick]

name;http://www.wideband.net.au/

[ozrick]

if that is the case and you can tell me more about your system and cards..it is possilble that one has a program install called D-Link AirPlus wireless adpaptor utility..and that utility can do a site survey of your D-link wireless lan and tell you more info.." }-

my wireless network card
D-Link air plus DWL-520+ ......we also have a laptop which we are having the same trouble with....i dont know what sort of card that has in it

[Primrose]

-{ Quote: "if that is the case and you can tell me more about your system and cards..it is possilble that one has a program install called D-Link AirPlus wireless adpaptor utility..and that utility can do a site survey of your D-link wireless lan and tell you more info.." }-

my wireless network card
D-Link air plus DWL-520+ ......we also have a laptop which we are having the same trouble with....i dont know what sort of card that has in it" }-

your Laptop most likely has a dwl-G630 card bus adapter plugginh into the side of it..or it could have a usb adpter card on the back of it with a small antenna..if you install the drivers for that your self..then on your laptop under programs you might find that utiltiy I talked about..that gives details of the connection etc..it is installed from the CD from D-link.

You find that under start> programs

[whistl3r]

ozrick,

Is your CSU/DSU landline or is someone offering you some sort of aerial services? Reason I ask this is you have the ability to check your signal strength of your own network when using wireless... usually your wireless connection will tell you 60-100% connectivity. etc.. etc... Sadly, your external home attenae on the roof does not make a difference in your connection.

Most ISP distribute there services through landline, meaning its physical cabling from the distribution center. Satellite on the other hand uses dishes and feeds with wireless connections to the distribution center.

Another thing you need to be concerned about when using wireless connections within your home are the amount of composite metals, water and other wireless products (ie. portable home phones) in between the signal your using. Iron, Water, Raw Steel and a few others will degrade the use and even cut down on connectivity.

[Primrose]

Primary DNS Server 202.142.142.142
Secondary DNS Server 202.142.142.242

Proxy Server None Required

Network Card Settings:

Network card settings are specific to each customer. Should you need to re-enter your LAN / Network Card settings, please contact Wideband Support on 03 5135 6888 for your specific settings.

Speed Testing:

If you are a HiBIS Wireless Customer you can also verify the speed of your connection here
http://www.wideband.net.au/support/wireless/index.html


Neat service they have for you out there
http://www.wideband.net.au/wireless/faq.html

[ozrick]

-{ Quote: "ozrick,

Is your CSU/DSU landline or is someone offering you some sort of aerial services? Reason I ask this is you have the ability to check your signal strength of your own network when using wireless... usually your wireless connection will tell you 60-100% connectivity. etc.. etc... Sadly, your external home attenae on the roof does not make a difference in your connection.

Most ISP distribute there services through landline, meaning its physical cabling from the distribution center. Satellite on the other hand uses dishes and feeds with wireless connections to the distribution center.

Another thing you need to be concerned about when using wireless connections within your home are the amount of composite metals, water and other wireless products (ie. portable home phones) in between the signal your using. Iron, Water, Raw Steel and a few others will degrade the use and even cut down on connectivity." }-


we have an aerial on our roof that transmits to a tower about 10 km away

have looked into other wireless divices but none of them operate at the same frequency.....2.4 GHz so we have ruled that out

[Primrose]

The D-Link AirPlus DWL-520+ is what you have on a PC

http://www.dlink.com.au/products/wireless/dwl520+/

D-Link AirPlus Enhanced 2.4GHz Wireless PCI Adapter

This means from where ever your router is placed..it appears you are going Wireless to not only your PC but also the laptop.

I am surprised they did not at least forget about going wireless to your PC and just go with a Cat5e cable out of the back of your router and then hardwire that into the back of your PC tower into a DFE-530TX+ Dlink fast ethernet adapter..( or similar product).


http://www.dlink.com/products/?model=DFE-530TX%2B

That way at least there is one less wireless hop to your PC and effectively at least that PC is hooked up directly then to your ISP service.

Still not a fail safe method..but that would take out any unknown in the system setup you have..that the dlink stuff might ever be causing a problem..and then easier to even isolate daily problem as they come up.

[ozrick]

-{ Quote: "thanks Primrose
i followed your instructions;

Also, go to Start > Find/search > Files or folders > in the named box, type: *.tmp and choose Edit > select all ->
File > delete.

i was unable to delete ZLT01961 it said it was in use by another user and/or program

also i didnt understand the following (please forgive my ignorence) could you explain it step by step

Empty the contents of the C:\Windows\temp folder and C:\temp folder, if you have one.

This one too if Win2K or XP.
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\" }-


should i still do the above

[ozrick]

-{ Quote: "The D-Link AirPlus DWL-520+ is what you have on a PC

http://www.dlink.com.au/products/wireless/dwl520+/

D-Link AirPlus Enhanced 2.4GHz Wireless PCI Adapter

This means from where ever your router is placed..it appears you are going Wireless to not only your PC but also the laptop.

I am surprised they did not at least forget about going wireless to your PC and just go with a Cat5e cable out of the back of your router and then hardwire that into the back of your PC tower into a DFE-530TX+ Dlink fast ethernet adapter..( or similar product).


http://www.dlink.com/products/?model=DFE-530TX%2B

That way at least there is one less wireless hop to your PC and effectively at least that PC is hooked up directly then to your ISP service.

Still not a fail safe method..but that would take out any unknown in the system setup you have..that the dlink stuff might ever be causing a problem..and then easier to even isolate daily problem as they come up." }-

yea we bi-passed the wireless aspect at one stage to rule out any problem there .....thats the first thing the tec did when he came out to our house

[Primrose]

-{ Quote: "should i still do the above" }-

do not worry about the ones you can not delete because they are in use..

[Primrose]

Since on your PC you have the dwl-520+ it has this feature..

The D-Link AirPlus DWL-520+ also includes a configuration utility that can quickly and automatically discover available wireless networks and create and save detailed connectivity profiles for those networks most often accessed. The DWL-520+ is a powerful 32-bit PCI adapter that installs quickly and easily into desktop PCs and when used with other D-Link AirPlus products automatically connects to the network. And all D-Link wireless adapters can be used in ad-hoc mode to connect directly with other cards or in infrastructure mode to connect with a wireless access point for access to the Internet in your office or home network.

You can see that utility in your start> programs..or else it is already loaded in your tray by the clock..if you double click on that Icon..you can see what the utility can do..

Do you have one of those ?

[ozrick]

mmmm......it seems i do but when i click on it i get a sound of non complience an it won't open

[Primrose]

-{ Quote: "mmmm......it seems i do but when i click on it i get a sound of non complience an it won't open" }-

Bummer.. >:( :(


well if you can get it to work this is what it can do..but it is possible since you have XP..you might have to use the XP ding a ling thing.


But i have it working on my PC and it is a cool utility..to tell you want is happening all the time.


this is what it is all about for the dwl-520+ and many of their other wireless adpter products


http://support.dlink.com/downloads/#


Launch Config utility

There are two ways to get to the configuration utility for the D-Link adapter configuration software.

- A D-Link Icon AirPlus Utility will appear on the desktop. You can get to the utility by double clicking on that Icon.

- In the system tray right next to your clock you should see an Icon that looks like stairs. You can click on this Icon, and it will also take you to the Configuration utility for the wireless card.

Note: If using Windows XP, the D-Link utility may not run. You must use the built-in (Wireless Zero Config) utility.

(see the link I have below on that)




Link Info screen

Either way you open the configuration utility it will take you first to the Link Info Screen. This screen will give you information on your connection.

The Status field will give you the Mac address of the Access Point or the Wireless card that you are connected to.

The ESSID is the “Name” of the Wireless network. Every computer that you wish to communicate on your wireless network MUST have the same ESSID. The ESSID is also case sensitive, so be careful when typing it. D-Link uses default for the default ESSID.

The Tx Rate is the speed at which the files will transfer.

The Channel is the channel the wireless devices will communicate on.

The Link Info, and the Signal Strength, both monitor your connection to the wireless device listed in the Status Field.




Configuration
To change any settings on this page you will select Configuration from the menu on the left.

From this page you can change the settings that were listed on the Link info page. As mentioned before the SSID needs to be the same as on all wireless devices in this network.

Wireless Mode will allow you to select what you are connecting to. Set the wireless mode to Ad-Hoc if you are connecting to another wireless card, or select Infrastructure mode if you are connecting to an Access Point or wireless router.

The Best Tx Rate to use is Auto. Auto will allow you to connect to the network at the best speed for your network. If you are running on a regular 802.11b (not enhanced) then you will need to make sure the Tx Rate is set to Auto.

Leave the Preamble to Long Preamble for normal use. If you have high traffic or large file transfers, then change the preamble to short.

When you have finished making your changes click on the Apply button to apply your changes.







Encryption
Encryption can be used to add privacy to a Wireless network. To enable Encryption select the Encryption link from the left hand menu, then check mark the Data Encryption box.

In the Auth Mode field click on the down arrow and select Shared Authentication.

Down at the bottom under the Key Format, make sure you select Hex from the drop down menu, and then select number 1 under the Network Key.

There are three choices for Encryption under the Key Length. You can select 64,128, or 256-bit encryption. The bit encryption you select will determine how long the secret Hex key will be. If you are using 64-bit encryption the key will be 10 characters, for 128-bit the key will be 26 characters, and for 256-bit encryption the key will be 58 characters. When you have entered in you secret encryption key in the field provided, then click on the Apply button.

You make the key up yourself. Valid HEX characters are 0-9 and A-F. The key must be the same on all wireless nodes.

Note: Encryption is only a form of privacy, and is not to be confused with security. Encryption can also cause overhead to the packets, and can cause a wireless network to drop connection more than a wireless network without encryption.



Site Survey

Site Survey is used to list the available wireless networks in range of your wireless card. In the Available Network box a list of all available networks will appear.

The Mac Address of the Access Point or wireless card will be listed first. Then the SSID will appear, as we know from before the SSID (or ESSID) is the “name” of the wireless network. It will also tell you if WEP (encryption) is enabled on the Access Point is enabled, what channel the network is running on, and if the network is run by an Access Point (infrastructure) or a Wireless Card (Ad Hoc network).

When you find the Network you wish to connect to simply select the Network you wish to connect to, and click on the Connect button.

Note: By selecting your network and clicking on the connect button, the utility will change the ESSID of your wireless card to match that of your selected wireless network.




Wireless Zero Config Fix Guide for win XP PC's


http://scarter.atspace.com/wzc.htm




If you do ever get it running in start up..you will then see things like this in your hijackthis log for it..

C:\Program Files\D-Link\AirPlus G Wireless Adapter Utility\AIRPLUS.exe
C:\Program Files\D-Link\AirPlus G Wireless Adapter Utility\Reg.exe

[Primrose]

-{ Quote: "mmmm......it seems i do but when i click on it i get a sound of non complience an it won't open" }-

does it also give you any info then..like a missing .dll or any other info..

[Primrose]

-{ Quote: "does it also give you any info then..like a missing .dll or any other info.." }-

Maybe if your reboot that PC it might work for you..if you have not rebooted since doing some of that cleaning.

[Primrose]

I am also assuming your d-link router is in the same room as that PC so that you have not a concern about that 300 foot area coverage..but in any case you should still..place it as high as you can.

************************

Wireless network is easy to setup, but if you’re installing it for the first time it could be quite a task not knowing where to start. That’s why we’ve put together a few setup steps and tips to help you through the process of setting up a wireless network.

You’ll need the following to get started on building a wireless network.

Broadband connection such as DSL/Cable with a modem or existing Local Area Network connection
A wireless router or access point depending upon your connection
Wireless network adapters for all computers that you wish to add to your wireless network
When you have all the components to build a network, you’ll need to install it. This is where D-Link products are so user friendly. All D-Link products come with a quick installation guide and a detailed product manual breaking it in down to step-by-step process to help you setup your network. Read the instructions carefully and you’ll see how easy it is to install a wireless network. If you get stuck somewhere in the middle, you can always consult our 24-hour technical support team for help. Aside from that, D-Link offers installation services where a technician comes to your home and sets up your network for you.

Tips

Here are a few things to keep in mind, when you install a wireless network.

Centralize your router


Make sure you place the router/access point in a centralized location within your network for the best performance. Try to place the router/access point as high as possible in the room, so the signal gets dispersed throughout your home. If you have a two-story home, you may need a repeater to boost the signal to extend the range.

Eliminate Interference


Place home appliances such as cordless telephones, microwaves, and televisions as away as possible from the router/access point. This would significantly reduce any interfere that the appliances might cause since they operate on same frequency.

Security


Don’t let you next-door neighbors or intruders connect to your wireless network. Secure your wireless network by turning on the WPA or WEP security feature on the router. Refer to product manual for detail information on how to set it up.

more good info here on the clickable tabs

http://www.dlink.com/tutorial/wireless/setup.asp

[ozrick]

Thanks Primrose
You have been a wealth of imformation....
my internet connection dropped out again so sorry i didnt get back to you sooner.....looks like i will be calling them on monday after i have done some homework

now to read up on and try to undestand everything you said .....lol

thanks again to you and everyone else

[Primrose]

I assume that off this wireless antenna on your home that a cable then runs to some type of modem they gave you..and then that modem goes to your dlink wireless router.

Now if for some reason there is a problem on their end..and your modem looses it's connectiving..the standard proceedure would be to unplug the modem for a few seconds (30 is good) then plug that little power cable back into that modem box. You modem should then hunt again and reset automatically to whatever default configuration they set in.

If that got your connection back then you would know the problem is on their end..and that is also why it is nice to have at least one PC directly connected to your D-link lan with cable to an ethernet card to that PC and not being wireless since right away you would know if that fixed the problem.


If thou, this drop out you are getting is on the dlink wireless network inside your home then you take another similar approach. You disconnect the power from the router for a short time..then plug it back in..and it should automatically hunt for the info coming out of the modem they gave you and reset itself..now when it does this it will then use certian CHANNELS (see write up above) to then again wirelessly transmit to all those wireless adapters you have on the PC and laptop.

Now with D-link the default channel it chooses is usually channel 6..meaning then all those adapters will get a signal on channel 6 also but you must make sure they are set it get channel 6 and that is where this configuration UTILITY I talked about above..comes in handy..it even has a clickable screen button you can hit with your mouse to RENEW the connection..wherein it then scans all the known channels these products use (channel 1 through 11) and when it find a good signal..it then LOCKS on to it and you are good to go . ;)

NOTE: Also of course when you reboot a PC or laptop that has these wireless adapters..during that time (reboot) the dlink software also does this hunt and search thingie..looking for the channel that has a wireless signal in that frequency and then it also can re-establish connection that way.


Now i have one thought..I have seen recently at D-link some upgrades to the software drivers on some of these adapters and also the routers... And one change for the router had to do with a channel fix thingie..wherein instead of the router when it was recycled ( this unplug.replug in power) it would use channel 1 instead of channel 6..and they also made some other fixes.

I know they applied to the DI-524 router that they have..but I do not know if they applied to the one you have.

I think your tech should know if you have all the latest drivers for all the dlink hardware you have and if the installation CD he used to install them were the latest drivers from DLINK.

[Primrose]

ON your Zone Alarm firewall:

I do not know any conflicts it might have with your dlink software..BUT then i do not know what version of ZA you have. Lots of things have to happen in the boot up process of a puter and that is where it can all get messy.

I also do not know if you are file sharing or have anything set up on these PC/laptops having YOU act as a server..most file sharing proggies do that by default.

So i will talk to you like that tech. ;D

Your dlink router has a firewall..and the built in win XP firewall is not that bad as a one way block..so if you are finding that ZA is getting in the way..then turn it off and uninstall it..then get a different software firewall if you think that extra layer will help.