PChucks Network: Welcome to PChuck's Network

Microsoft Windows is an incredibly complex operating system. Making an installation of computers running Windows work, at all, is a challenge. Making one work properly is even more of a challenge. Fortunately, thanks to the Internet, the problems which you may be observing today may have already been discussed, and resolved, by other folks before you. And there are many websites to give you advice, based upon those experiences.

Now, many websites offer you learned advice on various subjects; some on Windows Networking, as PChuck's Network does. Many websites are procedure oriented. If you know what to do, they will give you details showing you how you can use a particular wizard. But - if you don't know what to do, or how to solve a given problem, how are you going to find a solution? That's like using a dictionary - some folks think that you can learn how to spell a word, by looking it up in a dictionary.

PChuck's is organised by goal. For problem solving, it's organised by symptom. Now, it's not finished - few websites are ever actually finished. But give it a shot - it may have an answer or two for you.

If this is your first visit here, you may wish to start with the introduction, How To Get The Most Out Of PChuck's Network.

Having reviewed the site introduction, you may find that there are several ways to benefit from the material here.

From my featured articles.
- This month's feature is a description of one tool that's used in bringing you all of the spam that you so badly need. Know how your enemies work, so you can maybe understand how to resist them.
- Last month's feature was my first article discussing the intricacies of networking computers running Windows Vista with other computers running older operating systems. Windows Vista is a major improvement, in many ways, but it has a few surprises for us.
From the current list of known Problems and Resolutions, which present a lightweight view of the various subjects, indexed by symptom.
From the various Tutorials, which present an in depth view of the various subjects, indexed by overall topic.
From the individual articles, indexed by category.
By using the Google Search Engine.

And check out my Links page, for extra interests of mine.

More articles are added frequently, and existing articles are revised even more frequently. Check here regularly, using a newsfeed reader for best results. And tell your friends about PChuck's Network!

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Common Problems and Resolutions

"Error = 5" aka "Access Denied"
"Error = 53" aka "Name Not Found"
Intermittent Connectivity Problems When Computer Is Idle
Intermittent Server Visibility Caused By The Restrictanonymous Setting
Intermittent WiFi Connectivity Problems Caused By WiFi Client Manager Conflicts
Internet Access Problems Caused By DNS Problems
Internet Connectivity Problems Caused By A Corrupt Or Hijacked Hosts File
Internet Connectivity Problems Caused By The MTU Setting
Irregularities In Access To Individual Shares On A Single Server
Irregularities In Access To Network Neighborhood (Workgroup)
Network Access Affected By Limited Or No Connectivity
Network Access Affected By LSP / Winsock / TCP/IP Corruption
Network Access Affected By NetBIOS Over TCP/IP Being Inconsistently Set
Network Access Affected By Physical Networking Issues
New Network Connections Wizard Functionality Damaged By System Restore
Server Access Affected By IRPStackSize
Server Access Affected By User Not Granted Requested Logon Type
Server Access Affected By Maximum Simultaneous Connections
Server Visibility Affected By The Invisibility Setting
Server Access And Visibility Affected By Personal Firewalls
Server Access and Visibility Affected By Less Known Registry Settings
Well Known, Yet Mysterious, Errors May Have Simple Resolutions

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Tutorials

Asking For Help For Internet Connectivity Problems
Asking For Help For Network Neighborhood Problems
Diagnosing Intermittent Connectivity Problems
Hacking Defined
Finding Computers On Your Network
Layered Security
Malware (Adware / Spyware)
Networking A Windows Vista Computer
Networking Your Computers
The NT Browser and Windows Networking
Restrict Your Privileges
Solving Network Problems
Troubleshooting Internet Connectivity
Troubleshooting Network Neighborhood (Windows Networking)
Watching What Your Computer Is Doing
WiFi Environment Analysis
WiFi Networking
WiFi Security
Windows Networking - Elementary
Windows Networking - Advanced
Windows XP And Vista File Sharing

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Diagnostic Procedures and Tools

Autoruns
Browstat
CDiag
CPSServ (NOTE: Requires download of PSTools) (free).
Command Windows
Event Viewer
Finding, and Tracking, Computers On Your Network
HijackThis
IPConfig
Local Security Policy Editor
My Personal Toolbox
Net Config
NetCheck (NOTE: Requires download of PSTools) (free).
Network Connection Wizard
Network Stumbler
Network Setup Wizard
NTRights
Ping
PingPlotter
Registry Editor
Services Wizard
Static Route Table
System Restore
Windows Explorer
WindowsUpdate Log Interpretation

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Using The Internet Properly

Bottom Post, Please
Download Software Selectively
Help Us To Help You
Getting Help On Usenet - And Believing What You're Told
How To Contact Me
How To Post On Usenet And Encourage Intelligent Answers
Interactive Problem Solving
Please Don't Hijack Threads
Please Don't Spread Viruses
Provide Diagnostic Data As Text, No Attachments or Images
Provide Essential Details When Asking For Help
Please Use BCC:

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Networking / Security

Ad-Aware or Spybot S&D? You Decide
Beware Of Hidden Physical Personal Firewalls
Components Definition - Networking
Design Your Network Properly
Have Laptop Will Travel?
Computer Uniqueness and Security Needs
ICS Is Not The Only Possible Solution
Make Your Wireless Computer Connect Only To Your Network
NAT Router - What Is It?
NAT Routers With UPnP - Security Risk, or Benefit?
Online System Virus Scanning Services
Pop-Ups - How To Deal With Them
Protect Yourself - Restrict Your Privileges
Protect Yourself When Using A Public Computer
Protect Yourself When Using A Public WiFi LAN
Protect Your Hardware - Use A UPS
Quick Networking With A CrossOver Cable
Setting Up Two Routers On The Same LAN
Sharing Dial-up Internet Service With A Router
Spam Spam Spam - Spam Spam Glorious Spam: Early Spam, and Modern Spam.
SSID Broadcasts
WEP Just Isn't Enough Protection Anymore
WiFi Will Never Be As Fast As Ethernet

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Windows Networking / File Sharing

Address Resolution On The LAN
Browsing and Multiple Subnets
Domain vs Workgroup? Plan Properly
Cleanup Your Protocol Stack
Components Definition - Windows Networking
Local Name and Address Resolution On Your Computer
One Use For IPX/SPX
Setting Up File Sharing Properly
Windows 9x (95/98/ME) and the Browser
Windows NT (NT/2000/XP/2003/2006) and the Browser
Windows Vista / XP / 2000 On A Domain