Windows XP Home and Network security...

[bberrette]

Hello people!

I need some tip on making my peer to peer network totally invisible when I am surfing the Internet.

My system consists of 3 fast ethernet networked computers in the same house.

Computer 1 has Windows XP Home installed in it.
Computer 2 has Windows ME installed.
Computer 3 has Windows 98 installed, and all 3 are networked together in the same workgroup.

Computers 1 and 2 access the Internet through their dial-up modems, computer 1 is DSL. ICS is not implemented on these machines.

Computer 1 used to have Windows SE installed in it before. It used to be completely invisible to the outside world when checked on different security sites such as grc.com.

Since I installed Windows XP in that computer, grc. com can find the workgroup and my computer name in that workgroup.

It seems no matter what combination of protocols I use and Windows XP's own firewall plus ZA, it still makes this information available to anyone who may want it on the Internet.

All my ports are reported as being stealth.

Windows 98, SE and ME never give out this information, I am begining to wonder about Windows XP Home...

Any feedback and tips on this, what I consider to be a security risk, will be greatly appreciated!

[CompGeek83]

if ZA doesn't work for you then I cant really help you there

but have you ever thought of getting a router and hooking up all 3 computers to the DSL? why pay more for the dial up? in the long run the router is way cheaper

[bberrette]

CompGeek83, thanks for you prompt reply!

I will eventually get a router, but I was thinking there may be some fix for this from within Windows XP itself that will make my network and machine name stealth before
I get the router, which won't be for about 3 or 4 months...

Any more suggestions and tips from you or anyone else ?

Thanks!

[Matt615]

OK this should fix that:

Go into the DSL adapter properties(the network card that the DSL modem connects to)

click on properties, and then click on the properties of the TCP/IP protocol. Next click on advanced at the bottom and then go over to the WINS tab at the top. At the bottom of that little screen, click on diable netbios over TCP/IP. That should make your workgroup and / or computer name invisible to others and the security test sites.

If that doesnt work then I dont know what to tell you. Thats very strange that ZA didnt block access to that. Were you running ZA on high security for the internet zone?

By the way, why dont you share the DSL connection on all three computer using WinXP's ICS??

[bberrette]

Hello Matt615,

The first thing I did after installing Win XP is to make sure and disable netbios because it could be a great risk on the net, it is disabled.

Somehow, my computer name and that of my network group can still be read on the Shields Up! site, this was surprising to me, to say the least...

I don't want to try ICS on my computers until I can solve this problem with the network while on the Internet, I don't really understand the repercussion of others being able to see
my network name over the Internet. I'd rather err on the side of caution on this one.

Another thing is that Win XP has to have at lest 2 services which connect to the Internet running on the background, or else I cannot connect at all.

I have tried, one by one, to disable Win32 processes which Win XP turns on by default just to find that even turning 1 off disables my computer from connecting to the Net.

I have also temporarily installed a dial-up modem on the Win XP machine to test it on the test sites, but there was no difference, my network shows anyhow.

I'm totally at a loss on this one...

Got more tips? Anyone???

[Matt615]

that is extremely strange. With netbios disabled and running two firewalls, your network name and workgroup can still be seen. Well I am stumped on this one. I have no idea what to tell you to do. Have you tried clearing your internet cache and temp internet files to make sure that the site isnt just reading those names out of there. I dont know why the site would do that but you never know.

[bberrette]

OK, internet cache and temp internet files cleaned and still no change, but I'm not going
back to Windows SE yet...

Microsoft has tried to help, but they have been suggesting pretty much the things I've
tried already...

Keep'em coming! I'm open to trying just about anything before loading the old OS.

Thanks

[fredra]

Their is a difference between WIndows XP Home Edition and Professional Edition.
What Matt advised WILL work for XP PRO, but not for the HOME Edition.
The networking segment on HOME Edition is not built or intended to do that, however, Microsoft will be issusing an update to fix that very problem in the Home Edition by Dec 24th (so they say).
Including some fixes for IM to facilitate the SIP protocol for Voice Over IP within IM. They will not be supporting "Netmeeting" after Dec 24th.
The intended audience will be those users with "routers" e.g. LINKSYS or SMC BARRICADE who will now be able to plug in a SIP enabled phone into their router and make long distance phone calls (some user changes in the LINKY port must be done ...e.g. UDP 5060 amoung others)
Your problem "maybe" solved on Dec 24th with the updates they are planning.
I know that doesn't help you right NOW, but help is on the way.
BTW...MATT...your advise is perfectly correct, on the PRO Version.
only.

[bberrette]

Hello fredra!

This is some great information you have offered on the problem I am having with Win XP Home Edition.

I think what I'll end up doing is going back to Win98 SE on the XP machine, but not right away, until I positively find out this problem has been solved.

Is there a reference link from Microsoft or anyone else on this problem that you can post? I have not been able to find much information on my particular problem at the MS Site...

At any rate, you've all been great at trying to help me out, for that I am truly thankful!