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Q: My home PC is quoted as "Broadcasting" ( Answered,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: My home PC is quoted as "Broadcasting"
Category: Computers > Internet
Asked by: widget70-ga
List Price: $15.00
Posted: 10 Jan 2003 11:55 PST
Expires: 09 Feb 2003 11:55 PST
Question ID: 141321
I owned a DOMAIN name for a year, ending last October, with the
Freeserve people. I told them that the material and the use was DEAD
and would they please scrap the lot.

I now find that they have renamed the website to my site address and
have hung it onto my computer somewhere ... BUT I JUST CANNOT FIND OUT
WHERE ... and all I want to do it to junk it.

I am now getting messages from people, I have never heard of, telling
me that I am BROADCASTING from my computer. Can anybody PLEASE tell me
how to locate the material so that I can send it to posterity.
Answer  
Subject: Re: My home PC is quoted as "Broadcasting"
Answered By: jjb-ga on 10 Jan 2003 16:35 PST
 
hi widget,

There are a few things that could be going on here.

   You may have some server software from freeservers installed on
your computer.  Assuming that you're using windows, you can go in to
the controll panel and choose "add/remove programs" to remove the
freeserve software.

   Barring that, you could do a scan of your computer for open ports,
one of the best tools I've found to do this is called 'Retina' from
eeye.com.  It's quite easy to use, and there is a free trial version
available that would be able to point out any problems with open
ports. (Web servers generally run on port 80, though occasionally port
8080 is also used.)

   If you're unable to eliminate the software, a firewall should be
able to block out any unwanted network traffic.  Sygate offers a good,
free firewall for home users.

   Finally, there have been a number of banner advertisements on the
web in the last few months that warn 'your computer is broadcasting an
IP Address' or similar messages.  These banners are simply trying to
scare people into buying their software.  Every machine on the net has
an IP address, it is a perfectly normal thing and nothing to worry
about.

LINKS:
Retina Security Scanner
http://eeye.com/html/Products/Retina/index.html

Sygate Personal Firewall
http://soho.sygate.com/products/shield_ov.htm

I hope that helps,  good luck!
JJB

Request for Answer Clarification by widget70-ga on 18 Jan 2003 12:19 PST
I should perhaps explain that I am a "computer user" and not a
whiz-kid.

I have to say that the eeye Retina program has gone straight over my
head and I have to look for something simpler. All I can add is that
the HDD spends an awful lot of time in operation, even whilst I am
doing something like writing a letter and is showing like: 78K input
25K output at 48Kbps. I have no idea where it is reading from or
writing to.

I have no doubt that you have given me a technically correct answer
and I am NOT having a "go". It is just that I can't understand it.

Regards Widget70-ga

Clarification of Answer by jjb-ga on 19 Jan 2003 13:32 PST
hi widget, 

Sorry my answer wasn't terribly clear!

There certainly shouldnt be that sort of activity when all you're
doing is writing a letter.  While Windows XP will from time to time
try and automatically update your system for you, it doesn't sound
like that is whats happening in this case.

A virus scanner might be able to track down whatever is broatcasting,
assuming that it's not a legitimate program related to the freeserve
services.  Most virus scan companies now offer free online scans if
you don't currently have antivirus software.  Norton also has some
oline tools for checking your computer's security which may prove more
straightforward than Retina.

Beyond that, perhaps a call to your ISP's tech support group would
help to track down the problem, as it's certainly in their best
interests to keep their network free of troubles like this.

Online Virus Scanners
http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/mfs/default.asp
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

Online Security Scanner
http://security1.norton.com/ssc/home.asp

I'm not sure that that's any clearer, but good luck!
JJB
Comments  
Subject: Re: My home PC is quoted as "Broadcasting"
From: seizer-ga on 12 Jan 2003 11:57 PST
 
Hi there widget.

Big Internet Service Providers like Freeserve.com often retain a
domain name after a customer lets the registration lapse, in order to
persuade them to resume payments. They will eventually give up,
however, so I would cease contact with them and just wait.

All the best,

--seizer-ga

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