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Solve : understanding Netstat beyond the usual Internet help?

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Hi,

I have poured over the Internet for help with understanding the results of a Netstat page. I have made only limited progress because most of what I found was either not explained fully enough or else too deep to follow-touching on elements of Netstat I had not even heard of after two weeks of searching and suddenly there is something new to learn about it.

I have been unable to find a fully explained version of a page of Netstat results. What I have found involves putting together parts of other pages and trying to piece together and UNDERSTAND the sum of all I come across.

Having already taken the basic Networking college course, I am using my college textbook as a guide in what I should learn about Netstat. However, it is very incomplete and leaves you hanging and unaware of many features of Netstat and other Command Prompt functions. We did not finish the entire textbook and I am trying to do so on my own.

Therefore, my questions are of a simple nature but will probably require an involved response. I will start with specific issues and work toward general questions. To begin with, can anyone explain why my computer does not display all of the Netstat functions?

For example, I can display the simple commands like netstat -a; or netstat -r; or any of the other 'single' letter function keys. But I cannot get my computer to display results like netstat -p proto; or netstat Interval. All it wants to show is the table of netstat commands. Why? What am I doing wrong?

Then my textbook asks me to perform some exercises. It says; "Display several ports for a server running FTP or Web services." Can you tell me what exactly I am supposed to do here?

It also asks us to: "Show connections for a specified protocol." Can anyone explain to me further what the textbook wants me to do here?

I am learning there are so many things netstat will do. I have seen that netstat can help to track down trojans and the like in your computer. But I am still not sure how to use it to do this. Can anyone tell me a 'how to' step-by-step on how this is done?

And finally, can anyone explain, in simpler terms, how to read the results of a netstat scan? As I have said, I have put together pieces of understanding in being able to read the results but I still have no complete understanding of interpreting its results.

Thank you in ADVANCE for any insight anyone offers.Quote from: Clyde2 on September 03, 2009, 10:01:06 AM

To begin with, can anyone explain why my computer does not display all of the Netstat functions?
And what computer (basically operating system) would that be? Different operating systems have different implementations (syntax and content) of the command.

Quote from: Clyde2 on September 03, 2009, 10:01:06 AM
For example, I can display the simple commands like netstat -a; or netstat -r; or any of the other 'single' letter function keys. But I cannot get my computer to display results like netstat -p proto; or netstat Interval. All it wants to show is the table of netstat commands. Why? What am I doing wrong?
"proto" and "interval" are placeholders for values. It might have been clearer if they had used following notation for command syntax "netstat -p " or "netstat ". At any rate, try the following examples (from Windows 98 implementation):
netstat -p tcp
netstat -p udp

Redisplays selected statistics, pausing interval seconds (e.g. 5) between each display:
netstat 5
netstat -p tcp 5

Quote from: Clyde2 on September 03, 2009, 10:01:06 AM
Then my textbook asks me to perform some exercises. It says; "Display several ports for a server running FTP or Web services." Can you tell me what exactly I am supposed to do here?

It also asks us to: "Show connections for a specified protocol." Can anyone explain to me further what the textbook wants me to do here?
Not sure about first one.

"Show connections for a specified protocol":
netstat -p tcp
netstat -a -p tcp
netstat -N -p tcp
netstat -a -n -p tcp

Quote from: Clyde2 on September 03, 2009, 10:01:06 AM
I am learning there are so many things netstat will do. I have seen that netstat can help to track down trojans and the like in your computer. But I am still not sure how to use it to do this. Can anyone tell me a 'how to' step-by-step on how this is done?

And finally, can anyone explain, in simpler terms, how to read the results of a netstat scan? As I have said, I have put together pieces of understanding in being able to read the results but I still have no complete understanding of interpreting its results.
Netstat
The NETSTAT Command

The last link above is radio show audio and/or transcripts between Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson. It's a little tedious to work through but there is some good information in there. Thanks so much for the reply. I am able to understand some things you say right away. Such as the [proto] and [interval] you say are placeholder values and the examples you give on how to use them are invaluable.

My operating system is what came with this laptop when we bought it at Office Depot on Memorial Day 2008. We use Vista Home Basic. I have bought the Vista Professional version but I have yet to install it. I want to learn how to save and backup things before I attempt to switch over. That REMAINS another topic for me to address.

Other things about Netstat will remain a mystery, it seems. I have no more to offer in explanation about the textbooks' assignment of "Display several ports for a server running FTP or Web services." That's all it says.

Thanks also for the links you provided. Some questions I'd like to ask about those links if I may. How do you cut and paste my words into your reply and put my words into a box that is differently colored?

Furthermore, and most intriguing to me, is how did you set up your hyperlink for the NETSTAT Command radio show talk in which the link automatically took me to the desired program in the list of programs?

I know this doesn't pertain to Netstat but I wish to learn how to do so many things with computers and I have only scratched the surface.

Thanks.



Quote from: Clyde2 on September 07, 2009, 01:04:40 PM
Thanks also for the links you provided. Some questions I'd like to ask about those links if I may. How do you cut and paste my words into your reply and put my words into a box that is differently colored?

Furthermore, and most intriguing to me, is how did you set up your hyperlink for the NETSTAT Command radio show talk in which the link automatically took me to the desired program in the list of programs?

1. Quote:
a. Your words in my reply.
(1) I place the cursor where I want the quote to appear in the "Message" box of the reply I am building.
(2) I then scroll the browser window (not the reply message box) to your reply which contains the entry I want to quote from.
(3) Left click on blue "Insert Quote" link top right of your reply.
(4) A quote construct with your reply appears at the cursor location of the reply I am building.
(5) I then edit the quote to retain only the "relevant" words for the point I'm addressing. Rhetorical comments: Once edited, is it still a quote? When is a quote no longer a quote?

b. Place new text in quote box.
(1) In "Message" box, enter the text you wish quoted. Depress and hold down left mouse button as you drag from beginning to end of text, then release button to select it.
(2) Then left-click on "Quote" icon, second one from right in "Add BBC tags" line located above the message box.

or alternatively
(3) Left-click on "quote" icon, second one from right in "Add BBC tags" line located above the message box.
(4) Quote construct appears in message entry box at the cursor location. Enter desired text between the begin and end quote tags.

2. Setup Hyperlink. I selected the icon that looks like a "World Globe" from the "Add BBC tags" line and tried to match with example from BBC Tag.

3. Automatic positioning within web page. I don't know. I believe the link I copied was already setup to go there.


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