4 + Interview Questions in Network in Internet and Network Page 1 InterviewSolution

1.	Solve : Some useful advice...?
Answer» The Microsoft Home Network Guide is an interactive wizard designed to guide the home user seeking assistance in designing their home network. By guiding the user through a series of questions about their particular requirements, the guide will identify the specific components for purchase based on the user's need. The user can print out a list of recommended equipment types for use in making their purchase decisions. In order to use Microsoft's Home Network Guide, your computer system must meet the FOLLOWING requirements: Supported Operating Systems: Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows XP Up to 10MB of hard drive space Windows NET Framework v1.1 Visit the following page: Microsoft's Home Network Guide You will need to validate your copy of Windows, so CLICK the Continue button next to "Validation Required". Once your copy of Windows has been VALIDATED, you will be redirected to the Download page for this guide. Just click the Download button next to "Genuine Microsoft Software". You will see a "File Download - SECURITY Warning" box. Simply click the Run button and follow the directions for installation. Once the guide has been installed, you can run the program by clciking Start/Programs and selecting the Microsoft Network Guide. When you run the Microsoft Network Guide, click the Next button to answer a few simple questions about the computers you will be using for your network. Continue with the questions, clicking the Next button after you have completed answering the questions presented to you. When you have completed answering the questions, the Guide will supply you with a shopping list for the items you need to get your network up and running. You will also be able to click a link for detailed instructions on how to setup your home network. Hopefully you will find this guide useful when it comes to setting up your home or home office network.

Discussion

2.	Solve : Is WEP Secure??
Answer» this thread is 18 months old.Hello, TOMMY_THE_CAT Yes, this is an old topic. But welcome anyway to the forum. WEP is used to keep your neighbors off your witless. But WEP with hard passwords and Key Codes is beater than nothing. Code: [Select]X~w6b}8S +¦"W+l <%=E=z}G 8}'FCO0N ([emailprotected]!S_T Are example of hard passwords. May vary in length. You can make a hard WEP Key code with number sand the letters A B C D E F . Must be exactly ten characters. Like Code: [Select]0987654321 937A4B340F AA3355DDEE You get the idea. Don't leave your wireless with the default password. Enable the WEP code. WEP is nearly useless. use WPA or WPA2.Quote WEP is nearly useless. use WPA or WPA2. Why is it useless? Please explain. This thread has draw hundreds of visitors. WEP is still widely used. http://blogs.msdn.com/alexholy/archive/2006/08/07/690912.aspx To be more specific, what I mean is using the words "security" and "WEP" in the same sentence is laughable at best. WEP doesn't have passwords. it has a key. And it's so easy to grab from the air via promiscuous MODE Wireless cards that it's a huge waste of time to "customize" the key that is chosen. If you're going to use WEP, all your doing is making your access point slightly less desirable then your other neighbors. You may as well just hide the ssid for that. If the access point supports WPA or WPA2, do NOT USE WEP. In fact, it's hardly even worth the NEGLIGIBLE gains to enable WEP at all. you're basically banking on the fact that nobody will have a spare 40 seconds to crack the WEP public key and authenticate with your access point. All it does, is make your access point a less "juicy" target within your neighborhood, assuming some of your neighbors leave their connections insecured. But if that's the case, just hide the ssid- then you have even better "security" over WEP. Or use an actual secure solution like WPA and WPA2. they actually let you use standard passwords/passphrases. Thank you BC for the links. From the links inside the link you gave, there is some good reading on the WEP issue. The WEP provides SOME security, but not much. One of the links states that it is just a XOR with a short key. I did not know that. Is that true? Hard to believe! I thought thought the XOR with a short key was retro 1980 sort of thing. If there is a string of repeating characters in the plain text, the XOR thing will expose itself as a pattern. If the key was a dictionary word, it will yield a pattern that can be decoded by a smart program. Here is one of the links I found and it is recommended reading. http://www.tazforum.thetazzone.com/viewtopic.php?t=2069 Now I am not going to agree with you. I am not going to say WEP is useless*. No, rather It is about like PUTTING a raincoat on a duck to keep him from getting wet. Not absolutely useless. It works while the duck stays away from water. You must train the duck to not go in the water with the raincoat on. So then, to get the most out of WEP, get all neighbors to sign an agreement that nobody is allowed into a neighbor's wireless is the WEP is on. The WEP then is a indicator that you want some privacy. Kind of like closing the bathroom door without locking it.Calm down guys... The FAQ section is not for open arguments...stop posting here and move it to the open Forums if a discussion is warranted.Not sure how I came about this one again, but both of you are right in a way. For the sake of getting good INFORMATION posted, I'm going to quickly say this: WEP can still keep the majority of people who are not "tech savvy" from accessing your home network. Anyone with time, the ability to read, and Internet can figure out in a few days how to get past a WEP key. WEP is considered unsecure by many major security organizations. (Not going to go into detail) If all you have is WEP, use it. It is like locking the bathroom door. The funny thing is, as it always seems, you don't typically need much to unlock the bathroom door from the outside -- just a fingernail-file. It's probably time to get a new router. (Or new wifi adapters, if that's the problem). Someday, WPA will be just as unsecure as WEP. It just happens. -- I just didn't want a confusing debate with no mediated closure. I guess I will be shopping for a new router. I have an old linksys, and it uses WEP, which I thought was very secure. I had no clue that it was so easy to crack. I have had my eye on one of the newer wireless-N routers anyway. From what I understand, they are a lot faster, and give you different channels, for different applications. I'm going to assume that if I buy one of these, they will likely have the latest security technology, so this should resolve my current vulnerability issue.Quote from: tingting on May 22, 2011, 02:48:34 PM I guess I will be shopping for a new router. I have an old linksys, and it uses WEP, which I thought was very secure. I had no clue that it was so easy to crack. I have had my eye on one of the newer wireless-N routers anyway. From what I understand, they are a lot faster, and give you different channels, for different applications. I'm going to assume that if I buy one of these, they will likely have the latest security technology, so this should resolve my current vulnerability issue. Quote The FAQ section is not for open arguments...stop posting here and move it to the open Forums if a discussion is warranted.

2.

Solve : Is WEP Secure??

Answer»

this thread is 18 months old.Hello, TOMMY_THE_CAT

Yes, this is an old topic. But welcome anyway to the forum.

WEP is used to keep your neighbors off your witless.
But WEP with hard passwords and Key Codes is beater than nothing.

Code: [Select]X~w6b}8S
+¦"W*+l
<%=E=z}G
8}'FCO0N
([emailprotected]!S_T
Are example of hard passwords. May vary in length.

You can make a hard WEP Key code with number sand the letters A B C D E F .
Must be exactly ten characters.
Like
Code: [Select]0987654321
937A4B340F
AA3355DDEE
You get the idea.
Don't leave your wireless with the default password.
Enable the WEP code.

WEP is nearly useless. use WPA or WPA2.Quote

WEP is nearly useless. use WPA or WPA2.

Why is it useless? Please explain. This thread has draw hundreds of visitors. WEP is still widely used. http://blogs.msdn.com/alexholy/archive/2006/08/07/690912.aspx

To be more specific, what I mean is using the words "security" and "WEP" in the same sentence is laughable at best.

WEP doesn't have passwords. it has a key. And it's so easy to grab from the air via promiscuous MODE Wireless cards that it's a huge waste of time to "customize" the key that is chosen. If you're going to use WEP, all your doing is making your access point slightly less desirable then your other neighbors. You may as well just hide the ssid for that.

If the access point supports WPA or WPA2, do NOT USE WEP.

In fact, it's hardly even worth the NEGLIGIBLE gains to enable WEP at all. you're basically banking on the fact that nobody will have a spare 40 seconds to crack the WEP public key and authenticate with your access point.
All it does, is make your access point a less "juicy" target within your neighborhood, assuming some of your neighbors leave their connections insecured. But if that's the case, just hide the ssid- then you have even better "security" over WEP.

Or use an actual secure solution like WPA and WPA2. they actually let you use standard passwords/passphrases.
Thank you BC for the links.
From the links inside the link you gave, there is some good reading on the WEP issue. The WEP provides SOME security, but not much.

One of the links states that it is just a XOR with a short key. I did not know that. Is that true? Hard to believe! I thought thought the XOR with a short key was retro 1980 sort of thing. If there is a string of repeating characters in the plain text, the XOR thing will expose itself as a pattern. If the key was a dictionary word, it will yield a pattern that can be decoded by a smart program.

Here is one of the links I found and it is recommended reading. http://www.tazforum.thetazzone.com/viewtopic.php?t=2069

Now I am not going to agree with you. I am not going to say WEP is useless. No, rather It is about like PUTTING a raincoat on a duck to keep him from getting wet. Not absolutely useless. It works while the duck stays away from water. You must train the duck to not go in the water with the raincoat on.

So then, to get the most out of WEP, get all neighbors to sign an agreement that nobody is allowed into a neighbor's wireless is the WEP is on. The WEP then is a indicator that you want some privacy. Kind of like closing the bathroom door without locking it.Calm down guys...
The FAQ section is not for open arguments...stop posting here and move it to the open Forums if a discussion is warranted.Not sure how I came about this one again, but both of you are right in a way. For the sake of getting good INFORMATION posted, I'm going to quickly say this:
WEP can still keep the majority of people who are not "tech savvy" from accessing your home network. Anyone with time, the ability to read, and Internet can figure out in a few days how to get past a WEP key.
WEP is considered unsecure by many major security organizations. (Not going to go into detail)

If all you have is WEP, use it. It is like locking the bathroom door. The funny thing is, as it always seems, you don't typically need much to unlock the bathroom door from the outside -- just a fingernail-file.
It's probably time to get a new router. (Or new wifi adapters, if that's the problem).

Someday, WPA will be just as unsecure as WEP. It just happens.

-- I just didn't want a confusing debate with no mediated closure. I guess I will be shopping for a new router. I have an old linksys, and it uses WEP, which I thought was very secure. I had no clue that it was so easy to crack. I have had my eye on one of the newer wireless-N routers anyway. From what I understand, they are a lot faster, and give you different channels, for different applications. I'm going to assume that if I buy one of these, they will likely have the latest security technology, so this should resolve my current vulnerability issue.Quote from: tingting on May 22, 2011, 02:48:34 PM

I guess I will be shopping for a new router. I have an old linksys, and it uses WEP, which I thought was very secure. I had no clue that it was so easy to crack. I have had my eye on one of the newer wireless-N routers anyway. From what I understand, they are a lot faster, and give you different channels, for different applications. I'm going to assume that if I buy one of these, they will likely have the latest security technology, so this should resolve my current vulnerability issue.

Quote

The FAQ section is not for open arguments...stop posting here and move it to the open Forums if a discussion is warranted.

Discussion

3.	Solve : Testing Your Ping?
Answer» To run a ping test, follow these steps... (1) Click Start in the WINDOWS taskbar and select Programs or All programs, depending on the version of Windows. (2) Select ACCESSORIES. (3) Select Command Prompt or MS-DOS Prompt, depending on your version of Windows. (4) Enter ping www.verizon.net or ping 206.46.189.11. (5) Press [Enter]. Note: Some computers will not respond to the ping test for security reasons. If a Web page or server doesn't respond to ping, try a different one. Ping results display in the Command Prompt window. The ping test was successful if you see results similar to this: Reply from 206.46.189.11: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=249 Reply from 206.46.189.11: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=249 Reply from 206.46.189.11: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=249 Reply from 206.46.189.11: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=249 If you get the FOLLOWING results, the ping test was not successful: Request timed out. Request timed out. Request timed out. Request timed out. FlameA note on personal security You should not be responding to your own ping. To test your security, at the above-mentioned prompt, type "ipconfig" without the quotes and press [Enter]. You should be given INFORMATION on your IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway (if applicable). Try to ping your IP address. A secure system will lose all packets. NOTE: This test is not a replacement for virus scanners or personal firewalls. Make sure that you have good software and it is up-to-date.

Discussion

4.	Solve : Networks for Home/Small Business?
Answer» Contents 1. Intro 2. Dial-up internet connection 3. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Modem connected to a single PC 4. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Router networked to all PCs 5. File and print sharing 1. Intro Your goal: Connect together computers on a home or small business network. Share an internet connection. Possibly also share files and printers across the network. You don't need much knowledge in order to achieve this, but a little bit of understanding will help. You can skip the intro and use one of the links above to find the information you particularly need, if you're impatient. O Computer, Where Art Thou? In order to talk to each other, computers need to know where other computers are. If you want to talk to another person, you need that person's telephone number. A similar principle applies to networking computers. The number that computers need to know is called a TCP/IP address. TCP/IP addresses (or just "IP addresses" for short) look like this: 192.168.1.1 248.2.98.3 48.7.2.11 10.0.0.2 That's four numbers separated by dots. Each number can be from 0 to 255. Talking the same language TCP/IP is the system that most networked computers use to talk to one another. It has been around for a long time and has become the de facto international standard. There are other networking languages (called protocols), but you do not need to worry about them, since you will only be configuring TCP/IP. Commonly some computers will have more than one network protocol installed. IPX/SPX is often in the list of installed protocols. For our PURPOSES, all extraneous protocols should be removed, in order to avoid conflicts, and to keep things as streamlined as possible. Limitations The OBVIOUS limitation with IP addresses is that we can easily run out of numbers. The maximum number of computers that could be addressed would be 255 x 255 x 255 x 255 = 4,228,250,625. At one time, it was inconceivable that there would be over 4 billion computers in the world, but we easily hit that limit today. Private Subnets To overcome this problem, several ranges of IP address are reserved for private use. In other words, these addresses will only ever be seen on a private network, and should never leak out onto the wider internet. These are the Class A, B & C networks, as follows: A There is one possible Class A network IP address range = 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 Subnet mask = 255.0.0.0 B There are 16 possible Class B networks For one network: IP address range = 172.x.0.0 - 172.x.255.255 where 'x' is a number from 16 to 31 Subnet mask = 255.255.0.0 C There are 256 possible Class C networks For one network: IP address range = 192.168.x.0 - 192.168.x.255 where 'x' is a number from 0 to 255 Subnet mask = 255.255.255.0 The "subnet mask" is a number that we can use along with a clever bit of binary arithmetic, to ensure that we are talking to computers within the appropriate address range. This whole system may be phased out in time, replaced by a system with much more logical capacity. What Does This Mean To You? Simply put, the computers on your private network (your "LAN" - local area network) will use addresses from one of the Class A, B or C networks - probably, but not necessarily, a Class C (e.g. 192.168.1.x). Then your entire LAN will have one IP address, assigned by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Losing track For people running a network with lots of computers, it can be hard to keep track of all the IP addresses that have been assisgned - especially when computers get moved around. Instead, you can use a system called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). It sounds complicated but it boils down to this: a new computer enters a network, with no IP address assigned. It yells 'Is there a DHCP server here? I need an address!' The DHCP server replies, 'Yes, I'm here, and here is your address for this session.' The DHCP server tracks the IP addresses it has assigned and ensures that there are no conflicts on the network. Only one DHCP server should run on a subnet. Many broadband modem/routers have a built in DHCP server. So DHCP sounds great - but it has its drawbacks. You may need to know where a certain computer is at all times - eg a web server on your local network. You would have to assign that computer an IP address manually, and ensure that any DHCP server is told not to give the address out to anyone else. In practice, in smaller networks (less than ten computers) it can be easiest to assign all IP addresses manually. For home/small business, that is my recommendation.Contents 1. Intro 2. Dial-up internet connection 3. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Modem connected to a single PC 4. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Router networked to all PCs 5. File and print sharing 2. Dial-up internet connection Dial-up internet connections (e.g. using an analogue modem) are usually too slow to be used by more than one computer at a time. If you are considering attempting to share such a connection, let me warn you away from it IMMEDIATELY. You should only consider this if your dial-up connection is always on and/or free. The instructions for (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Modem connected to a single PC will apply to you. Contents 1. Intro 2. Dial-up internet connection 3. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Modem connected to a single PC 4. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Router networked to all PCs 5. File and print sharing 3. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Modem connected to a single PC In this scenario, you typically have a cable or broadband modem which connects to your (main) computer by USB. If the modem doesn't have built in ethernet ports, you will need to use Internet Connection Sharing. (If the modem does have ethernet ports, read the next message in this thread instead.) If we're looking at a wired network, you will need: 1 ethernet card per PC (preferably one that can run at 100Mbps - most can now), one hub (if you're networking more than 2 PCs) and one ordinary category 5, 5e or 6 network cable per PC to connect from the ethernet ports to the hub. Alternatively, if you're just networking two PCs, you can do without the hub and just use a single "crossover" cable going directly from one PC to the other. See the following two diagrams: Each network point on this network must have an IP address (see the intro). That is, the modem and each ethernet card. The IP address for the modem will be assigned by your ISP. If you have not paid for a static IP address, you may find that your modem's IP address changes every time you connect to the internet. This is normal. For all the ethernet cards in your computers, you're going to set up an IP address manually. The settings, depending on your version of Windows, are found under the Control Panel, in Network, or Network Connections. In either case, you must find the correct network connection to change. Windows 95, 98 and ME Control Panel-->Network You will see a list of installed software components. A computer icon indicates a program (typically enabling you to log on); a green card icon indicates a physical network component - any modem will be listed here (as "dial up adapater") along with any network cards; a cable and plug icon indicates a network protocol - the language that will be spoken on the network. Pay ATTENTION to the list of protocols. If you see IPX/SPX anywhere in that list, click on it and then press "Remove". You should be left with TCP/IP as the only protocol. If you have more than one network card/modem, you will see a TCP/IP protocol listed for each of them. Click on the TCP/IP protocol for your network card, and then click properties. Set up as follows: On your main computer (connected to the modem), select "Manually assign IP address". I recommend using the address 192.168.1.1 here, and the subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Leave everything else untouched. On each other computer, select "Manually assign IP address". Enter the next address for you network - i.e. 192.168.1.2 for PC2, 192.168.1.3 for PC3 and so on. The subnet mask again is 255.255.255.0. Additionally, go to the DNS settings in that tab. There you must enter the IP address of your main computer - 192.168.1.1. You can enter anything in the domain box - it doesn't really matter. Finally, under the "Gateway" section, again enter your main PC's IP address, 192.168.1.1. If you find that these computers can connect to each other, but can't browse the internet (even once you've set up ICS), try changing the IP address for DNS to whatever you ISP says your DNS server should be. On many versions of Windows (pre XP), you can find this out for yourself: Start-->Run-->winipcfg. Check the DNS setting shown for your modem. Windows 2000+ The theory is the same, but the location of the settings is different: Control Panel-->Network Connections. Right-click on your LAN connection and choose "Properties". Then follow the general guidelines as for earlier versions of Windows. Internet Connection Sharing Finally, you need to enable Internet Connection sharing on your main PC. This is not available on all versions of Windows. If you don't have it on any computer on your network, you'll have to bite the bullet and buy a broadband/cable (as appropriate) modem/router and follow the next section instead. If you have ICS, you can then follow the procedures outlined here, on Annoyances.org, just ignoring the network setup bits that you've already done, following my instructions here. Caveat: I never use Internet Connection Sharing myself, so have not personally tested the above. I believe it should work, but am willing to be corrected.Contents 1. Intro 2. Dial-up internet connection 3. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Modem connected to a single PC 4. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Router networked to all PCs 5. File and print sharing 4. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Router networked to all PCs This is without doubt the preferred setup when sharing a fast connection with a network. You do not need to leave any computer switched on; each effectively has its own independent internet connection. Your router will normally have several network ports and may also have wireless capabilities. Ideally, the router will have a built in firewall and will be an all-in-one DSL (or cable) modem/router/hub. For this setup, in addition to the router, you will need: 1 ethernet card per PC (preferably one that can run at 100Mbps - most can now) and one ordinary category 5, 5e or 6 network cable per PC to connect from the ethernet ports to the router. Thus: Each computer requires an IP address (see the intro). Your router may have a built in DHCP server, which makes it possible to set up the network automatically, but you may require more control over it. If you have any plans to host a web site, gaming server, FTP server, etc, from within your LAN, you will need to assign IP addresses manually. To do this, see the instructions on manual assignment in the previous section. You must bear in mind that your router also has an IP address, and your computers and router must all be on the same subnet in order to talk to each other. By way of example, I own two routers. One comes configured as 10.0.0.2 as standard. I therefore selected IP addresses like 10.0.0.3, 10.0.0.77, etc. The other router comes set up as 192.168.1.1. This one however I changed to 192.168.77.99, and then used IP addresses for the computers like 192.168.77.1, 192.168.77.66, etc. Finally, you do not need to use internet connection sharing, for obvious reasons.Contents 1. Intro 2. Dial-up internet connection 3. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Modem connected to a single PC 4. (DSL/Broadband/Cable) Router networked to all PCs 5. File and print sharing 5. File and print sharing Whatever kind of network you have installed, you will probably want to be able to share files around the network, and possibly printers too. When you don't have a server involved (e.g. Windows 2003 SBS) this is called peer-to-peer file sharing; all PCs have the same status. This form of file sharing is not especially secure. Passwords tend to be weak or easy to attack by "brute force" (trying every possible combination). This is one reaon why you need to have satisfactory firewalling arrangements. Windows file and print sharing uses ports 137, 138 and 139. You don't need to know what that means, you just need to make sure that your firewall blocks those ports from the internet! The easiest way of sharing resources, is to make sure that your computers are all within the same workgroup. Not a particularly complex concept - you just need to give the computers the same workgroup name, e.g. "HOME", "WORKGROUP" or "OFFICE". The settings are found in different places depending on which version of Windows you are using. Before Windows 2000, the setting was in Control Panel-->Network. From 2000 (I think - never played with 2000 personally!) onwards right-click "My Computer", choose "Properties", then click the "Computer name" tab, followed by the "Change" button. Ignore anything about domains; you just want to set the workgroup. You may need to reboot your PCs after changing these settings. Once done, setting up sharing is as easy as right-clicking the folder/printer you want to share, and clicking "Sharing". Give the resource a name, change any other options you want to change, and away you go. You can then browse to those resources from other computers, using "Network Neighborhood". A note about wireless networks Currently, all wireless networks can be cracked. The problem with wireless is that it's INDISCRIMINATE. The signal is scattered, and anyone within range can pick it up. Contrast that with wired networks, where you need some form of physical access in order to "enter" the network. Once a wireless network has been detected, it is not difficult for someone with the knowhow to crack the network's encryption. They then have access to all the resources on your network - and scarily they can do this from an unmarked van parked outside your house. You may not even be able to detect the intrusion. For this reason I strongly recommend that you use maximum security if you have a wireless network. Switch of file and print sharing, unless you're sure you need it. If you need it, use very strong passwords. Use software firewalls on all PCs, and it goes without saying, use reputable virus and spyware detection software and keep it up to date.Right, I think I'm done for now, barring any errors. dl65 and blackberry, could I ask you to delete those messages of yours? Only because they're throwing out the links. Thanks! Flame: Posts removed, topic locked.

Discussion

Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in .

Solve : Some useful advice...?

Solve : Is WEP Secure??

Solve : Testing Your Ping?

Solve : Networks for Home/Small Business?