I tried the Pure Networks Security Scan on one of my computers…some of my results are below. You must enable Active Scripting to run test…
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Pure Networks Security Scan
Redirected Websites
“…File and Printer Sharing settings…you might have problems due to the guest account being disabled. This can cause problems if you are trying to connect to shares on this computer from older Windows systems like Microsoft Windows 98 or Windows ME. It can also cause problems if you don’t have exactly the same user names and passwords on all of your PCs.”
Software Firewall
“The ‘Microsoft Windows Firewall’ firewall is enabled on your system…to get file and printer sharing working between computers, you need to open some ports in the software firewall…If you are interested in easily sharing files and printers on your network, download the free version of Network Magic – it takes care of everything for you. If you are having problems getting the most out of your network, download the free version of Network Magic. It will even show you a Network Map and tell you which PCs have a firewall installed and which ones don’t.”
[I DID NOT FIND A “FREE” VERSION ON THEIR WEBSITE…maybe they mean that there are some free features available in the trial version… – SLICK]
Antivirus Software
“No enabled antivirus software was found.”
Windows Update Not Automatic
“Windows Update is not set to automatically download and install updates.”
Internet Connection
“Not connected to the Internet.”
Dynamic IP Address
“Your computer is configured to automatically receive an IP address…The IP address that this computer is using is…”
Router Present
“Found router (make, model, and IP address)…We found a hardware firewall inside the…router which is protecting your network.”
Router Password
“Your router has the default password set. The password for your router is currently set to the well-known factory default. All routers from a given manufacturer ship with a well-known default password. Having a default password is a bad thing because hackers can then use this to access your router…”
[The router doesn’t belong to me…I am not the subscriber of the internet service provider…it is a DSL router… – SLICK]
Multiple Router Check
“Your router is connected normally to the Internet. You are connected normally to the Internet through one router.”
Router Firmware Version
“Firmware version…is possibly out of date.”
Default Network Name (SSID)
“Your network name…has been changed from the factory default. Your wireless network name (SSID) has been changed from the router’s factory default SSID. Excellent work. Having your SSID set to the factory default can be bad for two reasons: 1) if your network isn’t encrypted, other users are more likely to connect to your network unexpectedly and 2) if you use your computer outside of your home, it is more likely to unexpectedly connect to other networks using that same default SSID.”
Signal Strength
“Your wireless network signal strength is ‘good’…”
Secure Wireless Connection
“You are connected to a secure, encrypted wireless network…using the 802.11 WEP standard. The wireless network you’re connected to is using an encryption method called WEP.”
Wireless Network Name (SSID) Conflict
“Your wireless network is the only one in range with the network name…”
Wireless Encryption
“You have 802.11 WEP enabled, but your router supports 802.11 WPA encryption which is stronger encryption. Your router is correctly configured to use an encryption method called WEP…Your router also supports the more secure WPA encryption method. WEP has a number of security flaws that make it easy for hackers to crack. We recommend you consult your router vendor’s manual about configuring your wireless router to use WPA instead. (Note that there are some devices that support WEP but not WPA, so you should check all devices that connect wirelessly to your network to verify they support WPA.)
[See my statement below about my experience with modifying Qwest DSL modems… – SLICK]
Network Magic Wireless Protection Compatible
“Your router is fully compatible with Network Magic Wireless Protection. Your…router is on the list of routers that are fully supported by Network Magic Wireless Protection…”
MAC Address Filtering
“Your router is not using MAC address filtering…We recommend that you enable MAC address filtering…”
SSID Broadcast
“Your router is broadcasting its SSID.”
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I’ve had trouble attempting to configure Qwest DSL modems: changes I made, that I consider to be simple, had disabled wireless internet access. So, I refuse to try to make any adjustments for this Qwest DSL subscriber unless: I have a full day to devote to it, and I have a Qwest technical support person on the phone with me.
